ComHacker.org

by Patricia Mayo

In the first installment in this series on communicating a message with pictures, I introduced this concept and talked about the purpose of a picture, how to use images to draw attention, and putting the reader in the picture’s shoes.

This time I get to dig into one of my all time favorites - directing attention. The nuances of this use are just so much fun to me - not that I take great joy in fiddling with people’s heads. I just like figuring out each case and exactly how your eyes will be influenced by a picture.

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Trisha, @mayobrains on Twitter

I have all the footage uploaded from the National Conference for Media Reform, but since this ‘net connection sucks I can’t download them to edit and finalize them - until I get home.

So, if you would like, go ahead and take these videos and make your own mixes. Have a blast. Ping this entry and make them into video responses to my YouTube series so everyone knows where to find your great work!

(Seriously - there are about 15 heads of organizations I spoke with who are interested in seeing these videos, so your help is not only greatly appreciated, but will be rewarded with traffic if you make me link to you)

And - thanks! Or, as my conference buddy says - mahalo nui loa!

Thursday’s Videos: Set One | Set Two

Friday’s Videos: Set One | Set Two

Saturday’s Videos: Set One | Set Two | Set Three | Set Four

Sunday’s Videos: Only Set

In short, there’s not enough hours in a day for a conference! I’ll upload and edit the videos as soon as humanly possible, but it’s gonna take a bit. For now, just follow on Twitter.

Also just noticed that Liz Strauss has named me an SOB! Yeah, I need to pay better attention to that stuff… Thank you!

Catching the plane to Minneapolis in just a few more hours. Be sure you don’t miss out on all the great videos already on the conference playlist - there are 6 there so far (including a Diner Pajama Party!), with more coming every single day.

Walking out the door in T minus 3 hours for the bus to Atlanta, Georgia so I can catch a plane on Friday to Minneapolis, Minnesotta. Keep an eye on the conference video playlist for updates! =D

Coming Up:

• Finally meeting in person long-time buddy Sam… and the room mates I’ve heard so much about over the years
• Taking a commercial plane for the first time in my life that I can remember (the last time I was 4)
• Going to Minneapolis for the first time (and this is also the first time I’ll remember being that far away from the east coast)
• Meeting my fellow Hawaiian hotel roomie and bud for the conference Annie - she’s quite a character!
• And then, liveblogging the conference =D

Wish me luck!

I know I haven’t been updating much lately - it’s been nuts busy because I’m headed to the Media Reform Conference being held by Freepress.net this weekend. I’ll live blog as much as I can - see ya then!

by Patricia Mayo

I was chatting with my buddy Rob Williams of 170spoons when he said “gotta run, time to catch up on some dinner and RSS.” I mentioned I haven’t bothered with RSS for months. His response was, quite understandably - “WHAT?!”

Photo mashup of images by Daniel Bonoore and Beau de Noir

You’re probably going to call me nuts, but RSS, to me, is quite inefficient. There are far better tools which serve the same perceived purpose. I know, I know - I’ve just thrown you through a complete loop, but allow me to explain…

by Patricia Mayo

The “experts” say you should include pictures in anything you publish online - but they never say what to look for in a picture.

Photo via Fail Blog

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - but very few realize exactly what they are saying with their pictures.

Normally, we aren’t aware of the messages these images are communicating - but that just makes the message even more powerful. Just ask any pro selling through a catalog or direct mail.

The difference between a good image and a bad image is very cut and dry - success, or failure. Period.