OPML Camp : May 20-21 2006

Coming up in May at the Berkman Center in Harvard, the first OPML Camp will be taking place. Organised by Adam Green, this looks set to be a interesting couple of days where lots of OPML geeks will get together and talk about some of the stuff they are building around OPML and share ideas and help eachother understand it. [I hear that Tom Morris may be on his way over to that, too.]

It's possible I may be over in Boston at this time, depending on schedules etc. And if I do, I may be able to show some people some of things I have worked on over the years, around OPML and also the stuff we are building over at podcast.com. I have created many products for the BBC in the past, where I used a 'made-up' format of a similar XML structure to OPML, and now I'm using OPML 'proper', along with extending it again, with some 'made up' attributes which I ned to get things done. It's OK – it's doesn't 'break' anything. 🙂

The week before the OPML Camp is anoyther great looking event at the Berkman Center called Beyond Broadcast, which does sound reeeeally interesting indeed. I was told about this, and invited by, Jake Shapiro of PRX.ORG [The Public Radio Exchange] who is also a Berkman Fellow. It was great to meet up with Jake the other evening, over in Cambridge and share thoughts and ideas about stuff like podcasting and public radio. Lots of synergy. I like it.

PRX.ORG is a very interesting thing indeed. It is a "web-based marketplace for public radio pieces. Programmers find and air work from other stations, independent producers and international broadcasters. Producers – station-based or independent – license their work directly to stations."

This is such an interesting idea and the list of shows and content picked up and used by other stations continues to grow, year on year. Impressive stuff. I'd like to see this idea go global and into the UK, since our BBC's 'Nations and Regions' seem to be continually marginalised in what they can do, I hear.

So, I hope I would be able to make both of these events, however it's very likely that Dr. Jo will be able to come over for the Beyond Broadcast event too, as it is right up her street, since she started as Senior Research Fellow in Digital Society & Media for the Institute of Public Policy Research – a thinktank which helps to inform the government on public policy. They set up OFCOM for example, a ombudsman for the communications sector which was much needed as communications and media technology evolved beyond telephones and television etc.

So. Lots going on before the summer time, when we have Gnomedex 2006 to look forward to and possibly SuperNova 2006. Phew! It's a good job that Glastonbury Festival is having a fallow year, this year! 🙂