[Foundation-l] We should permit Flash video playback

[Andrew Gray]

On 21/07/07, geni <geniice at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 7/21/07, Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> > We do have, you know, these other projects that don't involve writing
> > encyclopedias.
>
> Dictionaries don't have much different in the way of requirement.
> Species has no locally hosted media. Books doesn't really need longer
> vids. Haven't run across any complaints from news. Quote would tend to
> have copyright issues and wikisource doesn't even have a video section
> on it's main page.

...um.

So, we have issues hosting video - it's a lot better than it was, but
it's still a bit daunting. We massively underserve the potential
demand for video because we don't go out of our way to make it and
engage with its potential. We don't have a community really up and
raring to engage with video yet, because we're still building the
infrastructure to let them work with it well with our tools. We're
generally muddling along and waiting for an epiphany. This isn't a
criticism for what we *are* doing with video, but I don't think anyone
would argue we could do wonderful things, expand our projects in
remarkable ways, that we're just not scaled up to do yet. This entire
debate isn't about *should* we support these people, it's about just
how we ought to do it.

And you use the fact that we're not doing wonderful impressive things
with large-scale use of video beyond short clips to indicate that
there isn't any point in it? This really seems a bit... well,
self-defeating.

Build it and they will come.

-- 
- Andrew Gray
  andrew.gray at dunelm.org.uk