Messages

196

December Madness 2 / Re: December Madness 2: Digital Boogaloo (Starts 12/1/2014!)

« on: Dec 04, 2014, 12:01 am »

We had two tight matches in the Apps & Software Divisions for the first round.

Dropbox came out strong in the first quarter, but steadily lost ground to Text Messaging over the course of the match. It was a close victory, with just a four point spread between the two teams at the whistle. SMS pulled out a win 20-16 and will be heading on to the sweet sixteen.

Over in the Software division, Word came out fighting and its killer offensive ribbon managed to hold off Web Browser's steady pace throughout the entire match. Despite some excellent rebound action on the Web Browser side, a last minute assist from Google Drive and some great turnout from the Browser fans, the Dream Team of Firefox, Chrome and Safari couldn't pull a win out of the cache. That's one cookie that has definitely crumbled. Word wins 20-14.

Coming up in the next round I think all eyes are on the next Software division matchup, where Excel will be taking on Acrobat in what promises to be an exciting game.

Over to you, Maribeth.

197

Job Postings / Cirque du Soleil internships - Vegas

« on: Dec 03, 2014, 08:14 pm »

My connection at Controlbooth has informed me that Cirque has an internship posting up for Las Vegas. Job posting is here: https://cirquedusoleil.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=RES04933&lang=en&sns_id=facebook

Looks like it pays min wage for Nevada, $8.25/hr.

198

December Madness 2 / Re: SOCIAL, Round 1: Facebook vs Yelp

« on: Dec 03, 2014, 02:30 pm »

Michelle, Twitter will be up in Round 2, which starts tomorrow and runs through Saturday. It's up against Tumblr. Make sure to come back and cast your vote when round 2 starts!

199

December Madness 2 / Re: SOFTWARE: Word vs Web Browser

« on: Dec 03, 2014, 02:28 pm »

Wish there'd been a write-in option for LibreOffice Write.

From the opening thread instructions:

One special note for this year: the bracket due to limited space uses commercial software that's also available in popular free alternative versions. The use of a brand name is not meant to discount these alternatives - please include them in your considerations. The function matters more than the brand. (In other words, if you use LibreOffice Writer feel free to consider it in the place of MS Word when it's game time.)

200

December Madness 2 / Re: December Madness 2: Digital Boogaloo (Starts 12/1/2014!)

« on: Dec 02, 2014, 04:08 pm »

... and if you believe that, he's also got a bridge to sell you.

201

December Madness 2 / Re: APPS: Dropbox vs Text Messaging

« on: Dec 01, 2014, 01:38 pm »

It was actually in the lead when I went to bed last night but SMS seems to have pulled ahead.

202

December Madness 2 / SOFTWARE Round 1: Word vs Web Browser

« on: Dec 01, 2014, 12:08 am »

It's been predicted that the software division is going to be the one to watch for brutal matches this year, and this opening pair-up is leading the pack in a major way! We've got two heavyweight candidates on the block vying for your votes. Who will move on to round two: the word processor or the web browser? Only ONE will survive the next three days!

Word
Word processing as a technology dates back to the 1920s. Software that allowed typing and saving of documents to diskettes was available from the earliest incarnations of personal computers. Historic predecessors to modern WYSIWYG word processing software include Multimate, WordPerfect and pfs:Write.

Microsoft Word came along in 1983 and was designed to be used with a Mouse and display text in a "What you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG) format. This style of word processor took off. MS Word helped to make common such tools as the spellchecker, the .doc extension and mail merges.

The cost of MS Word has been prohibitive for many artists, including stage managers. Free open source clones such as LibreOffice Writer have made word processing power more accessible.

It has been said on SMNetwork that Word, along with fellow competitor Excel, allowed stage managers to lead the charge bringing computers into the backstage environment. The question this year is whether or not it has been superseded by newer technologies as the most useful member of the SM's digital toolkit.

Browser
Word is facing a massive competitor in this first match in the form of the web browser. Web browser software has a history to rival word processing, dating back to NCSA Mosaic in 1993. Whether you use IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, Dolphin, AOL Browser or some other software of choice, there's no denying that the web browser is the doorway to nearly every other competitor in this season's lineup.

Browsers can be big and unwieldy, and their exposure to the internet mandates frequent patching of security flaws to keep your data safe. It could be said that the difference between a smartphone and a dumbphone is delineated by the ability to handle a web browsing app.

The browser's existence as a portal to the internet makes it a dual-edged sword. While it can be a connection to historical data, web-based email and many of the tools we'll be discussing this season, it can also serve as a major distraction in the rehearsal room. Its siren song has led many stage managers to ban laptops in rehearsal.

Will this drawback be the downfall of the browser as it goes up against Word? Your votes will tell the story this week. This poll will remain open through Dec 3 at midnight EST.

203

December Madness 2 / APPS Round 1: Dropbox vs Text Messaging

« on: Dec 01, 2014, 12:05 am »

The first match in the Apps division is between the historically strong Short Message Service, known to its friends as "Texting", against relative newcomer and fan favorite Dropbox.

Dropbox
Hailing from San Francisco, CA is the web app that revolutionized stage management teamwork and introduced a whole new section to the pre-production paperwork of smart SMs. Dropbox and its clones allow users to clone the contents of a folder between any connected computer or phone while backing up those contents to the cloud.

Dropbox's limited storage space on the free version can be a handicap on the field, but it can pump itself up legitimately through paid subscriptions or lay on the juice through referrals.

Some concerns exist about how Dropbox encrypts its stored files, but other clones give users complete control over the whole process. One clone, Owncloud, allows you to host the stored files on your own server to ensure they never fall into the wrong hands. Altogether the Dropbox team includes at least 300 similar services including Box, SpiderOak, SugarSync, Amazon and controversial large-file hosting apps such as Mega and FireDrive.

Regardless of which cloud storage app you and your team use, there's no doubt that this relatively new technology has changed the way stage managers and production teams operate. The question is, is it enough to take on text messaging?

SMS
With an estimated 3.5 billion active users, SMS has had nearly 30 years to establish itself as the leader in communication technology. Nearly every cell phone has some type of SMS app, some have many. The rise of text messaging has pretty much obliterated voicemail and fax technology and has made it far less intrusive to quickly communicate with the cast and stage management team. In a pinch it can even be used as a replacement for headset systems.

Texting has its drawbacks, with some phone carriers still charging per message. Sending images (MMS) is still shaky between carriers and the 140 character limit can lead to some crazy shorthand. Typing out texts for people without smartphones can be a labor-intensive process. The abbreviated nature of SMS has made formal conversation a luxury in some venues, and the temptation to include emoticons in business conversations has been the downfall of many eager young interns.

Even so, there's no doubt that SMS is a heavy hitter in this season's competition. Can it knock out Dropbox? Cast your vote now, discuss and decide!

Poll will remain open through Dec 3 at midnight EST.

204

December Madness 2 / Re: December Madness 2: Digital Boogaloo (Starts 12/1/2014!)

« on: Dec 01, 2014, 12:03 am »

Live from the IDMC Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, it's DECEMBER MADNESS 2!

*** Fanfare ***

*** Opening march of the competitors ***

(This live broadcast of December Madness is sponsored in part by SMNetwork and stage managers like you!)

*** Ridiculous modern dance routine performed by well-behaved robots in spandex ***

*** Solemn reading of the serenity prayer in 12 languages ***

*** Additional segment only broadcast to visitors outside the US ***

*** Ceremonial pressing of the Go button by 2012 winners Laptop, Paper & Headset ***

*** Cut to Camera 1 ***

Ladies & Gents, are you ready for another exciting season of December Madness? Last year's winner Laptop has given us a huge legacy of digital aids that stage managers can use to make their job easier. Your task this year is to determine which of those tools is the most useful to the modern, computer-savvy SM.

Our first round opens tonight and runs through midnight, EST on December 3. The open matches will be stickied at the top of this board. Cast your votes in all four of the open polls and contribute to the conversation to encourage others to vote with you. Root for your favorites in the bracket and help others to learn how to use the competing social media sites, apps, general websites and software. Tell your friends who don't often visit SMNetwork to stop by and cast their votes as well! It's always easier to compete for a cheering crowd. Let's make each victory a decisive one.

205

The Green Room / Re: My stage manager brain took over....

« on: Nov 27, 2014, 12:10 pm »

The question is if you reset from the top if the sweet potatoes miss the mark.

206

December Madness 2 / Re: December Madness 2: Digital Boogaloo (Starts 12/1/2014!)

« on: Nov 25, 2014, 03:37 pm »

I'm pleased as punch to announce that Maribeth will be joining me as co-host of December Madness this year! She'll be handling the matches for the Websites and Social divisions, and I'll be handling Apps & Software. Let's hear it for Maribeth! Yaaaaay!

207

December Madness 2 / Re: December Madness 2: Digital Boogaloo (Starts 12/1/2014!)

« on: Nov 24, 2014, 09:38 pm »

I agree, Tempest. There's a lot of "teamwork" apps on here, but also a lot of apps that allow one person to do the job of many. Small shop SMs who work with one assistant/alone will push the entire tournament in one direction, while SMs who normally work in enormous teams will push it the other way.

208

December Madness 2 / Re: December Madness 2: Digital Boogaloo (Starts 12/1/2014!)

« on: Nov 24, 2014, 01:12 pm »

Google Drive has a full office suite integrated into it. Dropbox does not. Whether that office suite is a strong enough product to differentiate it from Dropbox will have to play out in the matchups.

209

December Madness 2 / December Madness 2: Digital Boogaloo (Starts 12/1/2014!)

« on: Nov 24, 2014, 10:06 am »

The International December Madness Committee (IDMC) is pleased to announce the grand opening of the 2nd December Madness season! The first matches will start on Monday, December 1, 2014. SMNetwork will serve as the host for the games as in the 1st season.

For those of you who have joined since early 2013 and missed the first event, it was a bracket-style elimination tournament where stage managers voted on their favorite tool, gadget or office supply. It was a knock down, drag out battle that wound up with Paper winning the final match against Laptop, but Laptop scoring more points overall in the course of the entire tourney. You can see everything that happened on the archived board here.

After the scandal that rocked the Paper team in May of this year the IDMC has opted to focus the 2nd season entirely on Digital competitors. In the seeding this year are 32 digital tools that you might use to do your jobs. From Dropbox and Evernote to Qlab and Twitter, we'll be running the gamut of apps, websites, software and social media to determine the best, most useful digital tool for stage management.

Here's a quick refresher of how the game works:

Much like with sports seasons, I've come up with a tournament order. I have attached the starting lineup and a bracket form to this post for anyone who is inclined to gamble on such things or wants to play fantasy football with the tools included. Pick your favorite and root for it as if it were your home team. It will make things far more interesting. Feel free to campaign for your favorite items, extol their virtues, and trash talk the other stuff. *evil grin*

Matches will be decided by poll. Four polls will run simultaneously for the first two rounds, each round lasting approximately half a week. This means we should be finished in early January. Give your relatives another reason to look at you strangely - stop by and cheer for your favorite all through the holiday season!

One special note for this year: the bracket due to limited space uses commercial software that's also available in popular free alternative versions. The use of a brand name is not meant to discount these alternatives - please include them in your considerations. The function matters more than the brand. (In other words, if you use LibreOffice Writer feel free to consider it in the place of MS Word when it's game time.)

Bracket is attached to this post. Feel free to print it out, post it on your office wall, carry a copy on your phone. If you're not familiar with any of the apps mentioned feel free to ask around here in the next week as we get ready to start... Decemberrrrr Maaaaadnesss!

(Note for those joining late: If you'd like to see the original blank bracket use the PDF dated 11-16-2014 attached to this post. If you want to catch up to the tournament's current position, use the "Current Bracket" attachment. It will be re-uploaded every time a new round begins.)

210

Tools of the Trade / Video from Rosco - how swatchbooks are made

« on: Nov 09, 2014, 06:07 pm »

Posted on Friday to Rosco's Facebook page, this quick clip shows the production process for making those little color/"gel" swatchbooks.