Good morning! Members of the Journal Register Company's Idealab - and everyone else who wants to - are going to be taking part on the (kind-of) weekly Twitter chat at noon.
Today we're talking about Google tools and how they can be used in the pursuit of journalism excellence.
The live feed is posted below. But you can also follow the chat here or here or also here. And you can also check out past chats over here.
If you want to chime in, just post a tweet with the hashtag "#jrcchat" so it can automatically appear below, or post a comment in the field at the bottom of the chat box.
Since this is about Google, I figured we could also try livestreaming a Hangout of the chat, if anyone wants in as well.
Let's bring back the Sound Off, but this time using Google Voice!
It's an idea shamelessly re-purposed from fellow Idealab member Karen Workman of the Oakland Press in Michigan, and as she's shown, it can have many more uses.
Here's my initial plan: We'll ask a question every day, like the online poll. If you feel the answers are inadequate, you can expand your comments by calling this number:
We would then post your comments, with audio, online.
You can also answer in other ways, of course. Whatever makes it easy.
Here's a very rough way to show you how to do it: First, you need a Google Voice account. Here's how to set one up (thanks, again, Karen, for the link).
Don't forget to add a phone widget for your site as well. Click on 'Call Widget,' give your widget a name and presto:
You can use download the file and use Audacity to edit and SoundCloud to post the file (both are free services). Or you can post the file directly from the embed code provided by Google (along with transcript!). Click on voicemails, at left, and click on more on the individual voicemails you want, and click on 'embed' to get your code.
Here's an example:
Note that, apparently, Google can't make a transcript of voicemails from heavily accented individuals.
UPDATE: Wow! I hadn't finish posting this and we already have to answers to the question:
And here's a nonanswer from a snarky editor in Trenton that I'm not going to name even though I know is Joey Kulkin of the Trentonian in New Jersey.
