Presented at Doco2012 Documentary and the Digital Future Forum

Date: Monday, 18 February 2006 to Tuesday, 19 February 2008

Venue: Maritime Museum, Victoria Quay Fremantle, Western Australia.

In the current debate about the future of documentary in a YouTube world, one of the main aspects key to understanding the digital future and how things will unfold is that it is not so much about finding the answer to the question:
“How do I do this new (and usually undefined) digital thing?”
but is instead:
“How does this new thing help me do what I do, better?”
and,
“How does it let me redefine what I do?”
Innovation in form is entirely possible; indeed, is necessary. However storytelling, teaching, documenting, visually scribing the times, and soapboxing are all ancient practices.

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Presented to the 2007 Communications Policy & Research Forum

Date: Monday, 24 September 2007 to Tuesday, 25 September 2007

Venue: University of Technology, Sydney

Much has been said about Gen X and Gen Y but perhaps it is User-Gen that is a better measure of the changes in our times. As with a discussion about the particle versus wave models of light, User-Gen is not easily quantified as a demographic or phenomenon. It is not necessarily a subculture or subgroup or readily definable form. It does not fit in market share and target audience suppositions and, increasingly, it is not entirely a matter of give or receive but the reciprocity inherent in both. For many of those shaped by the forces of previous media metrics and norms this is either an exciting opportunity, a threat, a challenge or simply deeply annoying.

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Presented to the 2006 Communications Policy & Research Forum

Date: Monday, 25 September 2006 to Tuesday, 26 September 2006

Venue: University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Guthrie Theatre, Bldg 6, Level 3, 702-730 Harris Street, Ultimo

The Internet, like life, is not a spectator sport; the moment you connect, you are a part of it – you count both metrically and metaphorically. In the months leading up to the Communications Policy and Research Forum 2006, several pieces of user- led innovation featured in both Internet and traditional media. When this paper was being proposed, Bus Uncle was the talk of the town or the buzz of the node, so to speak. For those of you who were otherwise engaged – or perhaps, disengaged – Bus Uncle started out as a simple moment of everyday Hong Kong urban conflict captured on a mobile phone on 29 April 2006. Within four weeks of its having been posted on the Internet there were Mandarin and English sub-title versions, a rap remix, dance remix, a karaoke version, a shadow puppet version, academic and media commentaries, T-shirts, mugs, teddy bears, and shopping bags [EastSouthWestNorth, 2006].

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