As my first full working week for 2013 draws to a close, almost, here’s an update on how I’m thinking this year might unfold for me. At least as far as work goes.
(If you’re not up to speed on this, please read Doing the business on Stilgherrian’s journalism and Death of a Freedom Fighter, a writing challenge before continuing. The second one includes an explanation of my focus on how the internet is changing power relationships.)
First, there’s a tidy-up of my arrangements with mastheads I currently write for. That’s already delivered two changes. Crikey has given me a pay rise, to a level they now describe as “slightly less pathetic”. I’ve started pitching more stories, and that’s resulted in three stories this week. And there’s this as-yet unnamed sky-shouting column in the works, which will start soon.
Second, I’m thinking of doing a few self-funded projects — or at least projects for which I directly arrange funding — rather than through someone else’s masthead. There’s all sorts of ideas rolling around in my head, though I haven’t reached any firm conclusions yet.
Item: Could crowdfunding via Kickstarter or Pozible pay for me to cover events such as the Linux.com.au 2013 conference, now that ZDNet Australia finds that it doesn’t have the budget for me to do something similar to what we did last year? I’ll post more about that specific question this afternoon, because LCA is only a week away.
Item: Could I gather such things under the brand Corrupted Nerds? Back on 21 August 2012, in a speech as part of the second reading of the Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, Queensland Senator Brett Mason said:
In a global village, all crime can be local, even if it is perpetrated not by armed floods thugs straight out of gangster movies but by some corrupted nerds ensconced in the twilight of their bedroom, whether it be in Paris, Singapore, Lagos, Bucharest or indeed Sydney.
I was part of the laughing mob on Twitter that night, yes, but I also registered the domain corruptednerds.com. Currently that sits dormant, but it could be activated in a moment.
Item: Those times that I’ve covered conferences as a live blog have been reasonably successful. Take a look at these of X|Media|Lab and Media 2010 and Microsoft’s Politics & Technology Forum 2009. Could that sort of thing be done as a self-contained media object? Pay me a day rate and cover my costs and it’s done!
Item: People seem to enjoy it when I live-tweet from a random night out, whether that’s a Saturday evening in Newtown or something else or even a series of extemporised observations about vaginal muscle control, with pictures (don’t ask). Could that be a media mini-object? Crowdsource around $300 to pay for my meals, drinks and cab fares and a modest profit. Whoever coughs up $150 gets to name the location I check out. Anyone who pays over $50 gets a signed copy of the Twitterstream printed on archival paper.
Item: I really did enjoy doing the video program Stilgherrian Live. I re-watched the last episode yesterday, and I think that even without the live-chat interaction it’s entertaining. For some value of “entertaining”. And of course I still keep poking at The 9pm Edict podcast. Should I put more thought into them?
Third, I’ve been chatting with someone about a new masthead they’re working on. Stay tuned.
Fourth, I’ve got an idea for a three-part TV documentary that would need to be shot in the second half of 2013 and air in March or April 2014. Stay tuned for news about that one too.
So, that’s what I’m thinking at the moment. What do you think?
[Photo: With a blog post to write, I now have everything I need, taken just as I sat down to write this post. At 1000 AEDT. Shut up, it’s going to be 39C in Sydney today!]
[Update 5 May 2013: Quote from Senator Brett Mason corrected after checking with his office.]
Just watched the episode again. Didn’t realised that was the last one. Man, I am convinced that Stilgherrian Live should be developed. (It’s really scary to see myself then.)
@’Pong: That was a little over three years ago now. Does that seem a short time or a long time? What I noticed was that it was such a natural presentation style for what it was, and quite consistent.
Each year passing seems short but there have been a lot happening for the past three years. You are very natural presenting in front of the camera.