How Social Technologies Saved the Story
Interactive vs. Distributed Storytelling
For some time, I've been arguing that teaching journalists Flash -- the vogue technology pushed in many newsrooms -- was silly; however, I couldn't put my objections into human-speak. (And apparently explaining that Flash was designed as a presentation software, not an interactive software, fell upon deaf ears.)
Then I went to the b.tween conference in Liverpool, where this argument came to a head (although nobody there was talking technologies).
The reason that I have an adversity to Flash is because it is -- at it's best -- a way to tell very limited "interactive" stories, which essentially requires that users/readers/insert-your-name-of-choice are forced to guess the intended purpose of the story.
There is a "way through" the story. A reason for the story. An author direction. But the software, by allowing you to click through various points, forces readers play guess the authors' intent.
How gross is that.
Distributed storytelling involves pulling information from multiple feeds, sources, "distribution hubs" and filtering those (or better yet, providing tools for filtering) in such a way that meaning is derived by individuals. Sure, you can set up a framework for that story as a guide, but you can't lead people through a series of events. They will determine what, and how far, they go.
And you can't do that with Flash. For that, you need actual programming and technologies that are delivered with a minimal presentation. Exactly what Flash doesn't do.
Then I went to the b.tween conference in Liverpool, where this argument came to a head (although nobody there was talking technologies).
The reason that I have an adversity to Flash is because it is -- at it's best -- a way to tell very limited "interactive" stories, which essentially requires that users/readers/insert-your-name-of-choice are forced to guess the intended purpose of the story.
There is a "way through" the story. A reason for the story. An author direction. But the software, by allowing you to click through various points, forces readers play guess the authors' intent.
How gross is that.
Distributed storytelling involves pulling information from multiple feeds, sources, "distribution hubs" and filtering those (or better yet, providing tools for filtering) in such a way that meaning is derived by individuals. Sure, you can set up a framework for that story as a guide, but you can't lead people through a series of events. They will determine what, and how far, they go.
And you can't do that with Flash. For that, you need actual programming and technologies that are delivered with a minimal presentation. Exactly what Flash doesn't do.
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© 2009 Created by Brad King on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
