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This week in Current – 8/11-8/15
As Funky Fingers (our own Internet superhero aka Lo_Rew) declares, the second round of swag has started to turn up on community members' doorsteps, and we've already received some awesome photo and video responses. Check them out here: http://current.com/teeparty
It’s difficult to escape the pull of the Olympic Games for many reasons. For many, the games are a draw for reasons of pure nostalgia, but who can honestly ignore the debate being spurred by the Chinese government stigma?
In and out of the Current community, sentiments range from viewership protest to how many medals Michael Phelps has secured. All of this amidst stories about Weightlifting injuries, medals ceremony protests, the Russia-Georgia conflict, and the stories of underage Chinese gymnasts. It’s been a busy week.
In case you happened to miss any of it, here are a few stories to take a look at:
Records suggest Chinese gymnasts might be underage
http://current.com/items/89189372_
Angry Swede throws down medal, quits on Olympic award stand
http://current.com/items/89201825_
Olympic weightlifting accident
http://current.com/items/89200648_
Liveblogging from inside Georgia
http://current.com/items/89201974_
Reporter shot on live TV
http://current.com/items/89202093_
NBC going after Olympic broadcasts on the Internet
http://current.com/items/89188863_
Russian and Georgian Olympic shooters hug in Beijing as their countries fight
http://current.com/items/89188985_
However, there is so much more going on out there. If you missed the Arrested in Tibet story you really should take a few minutes to read through it. It’s a long read, but well worth it.
Sadly, we had a trio of deaths in August. Many heard about the passing of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, but few heard that movie film composer Lou Teicher also passed away.
Use of themes like rape and violence in art came up in reference to the forthcoming Quentin Tarantino film, Inglorious Bastards, and high school literature. Are these themes appropriate, or should there be a line? Either way, who should be consuming this type of material, and should there be a restriction at all? Check out the stories and join the discussion.
The story that absolutely came out of left field for me this week was the discovery of documents detailing Julia Child’s involvement in a WWII-era spy ring. Mindblowing, in that I don’t think anyone could’ve seen this one coming. It makes total sense, but wow. I was floored.
If you missed them the first go-round, check these stories out here:
Arrested in Tibet
A young American’s journey of fear: http://current.com/items/89201020_
Current Remembers
Bernie Mac
http://current.com/items/89193344_
Isaac Hayes
http://current.com/items/89193345_
Lou Teicher
http://current.com/items/89178064_
Tarantino takes on Hitler and WWII Germany
http://current.com/items/89201880_
Rape and adult themes in literature: Should high schoolers read them?
http://current.com/items/89199503_
Documents: Julia Child part of WWII era spy ring
http://current.com/items/89199452_
In effort to tidy up the profile a bit, I played around with a new avatar creation system that has been making its way around the circles these days: http://faceyourmanga.com/. Try it out!
That’s all for this week. Let me know which stories caught your eye this week in a comment. Thanks for reading!
Mario
Online Community Team
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Follow me on Twitter? http://twitter.com/manima As Funky Fingers (our own Internet superhero aka Lo_Rew) declares, the second round of swag has started to turn up on community member... more -
Blag the swag it ain't no drag!
As a recent newcomer to the Current:News family, it has taken some time for me to get to grips with all the amazing possibilities this site presents. I can think of no better way to introduce myself to you all than to provide a brief recap of all the reasons Current.com is my (and should be your) home.
Current.com is the home for viewer influenced and created content. Current.com presents the opportunity to shape the news by contributing news stories, blog posts, videos, and other influential content that you find on the Internet. Through these contributions and votes, VC2 uploads, and VCAMs, you can play an influential role helping us determine what gets aired on Current TV.
Still not enough for you? We appreciate that the glory of TV is not everything but who can turn down some free swag. On Current:News, we have a variety of levels for you to achieve. These levels all come with a wealth of incentives and prizes for those who become community leaders. Mario, our community wizard in the US has kindly written a detailed blog post on how these levels can be achieved.
http://current.com/items/89169526_leveling_up_is_your_t...
The higher the level the better the swag, so don’t delay.
*** TIP OF THE WEEK ***
We have some handy tools to help you get started with clipping, so why not give them a try. My favourite is the browser button:
http://current.com/s/make_current.htm
Simply drag and drop the button on to your browser and you can clip any story, any time!
*** POD OF THE WEEK ***
As a massive Sigur Ros fan, I really can't look much further than this fantastic pod.
http://current.com/items/89173668_sigur_r_s_moma
This is my favourite, but what about yours?
*** Also on CURRENT ***
The fabulous UK leaderboard has finally arrived, giving you an opportunity to turn your skills in to cash.
http://current.com/items/89175574_the_return_of_the_vc2...
As always if you have any questions do not hesitate to drop me a line or even post below!
Richard – Beta_Boy
Online Community Team
www.twitter.com/Beta_Boy
Photo by Vidiot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vidiot/69075298/ As a recent newcomer to the Current:News family, it has taken some time for me to get to grips with all the amazing possibilities this... more -
Leveling up is your ticket to swag – here’s how!
When Current:News launched, we snuck in a leveling system for community participation. Since then, our levels have expanded with a fourth track and achievements. Yet people wonder – “What are levels for, how do I level up, and why would I want to?”
Here’s a re-hash of our levels, achievements, and swag details. We want to leave an element of surprise, but it’s enough to get you going:
// How many levels are there? //
We have four leveling tracks, each with four levels. That means there’s a whopping 16 levels to aspire to, and each one has unique attributes.
// How do I know what level I am? //
When you level up on Current, we’ll send you an email with the details. We know emails get lost in junk filters, so you can check your status on your profile page.
There are four tracks are on the levels tab: picked for TV (pink), producer (periwinkle blue), contributor (orange), and commentator (aqua). Each track includes your total points accumulated and color-coded box indicating your level. For each level you earn, another box lights up with the color for that track.
// Picked for TV //
It’s exactly what it sounds like, anytime something you’ve posted makes it to TV you will get closer to leveling up. Get picked for TV 30 times and you’ll make level 2.
// Producer //
Producers work hard on VC2 and VCAM eligible videos, so the number required to level up reflect that. You’ll need one upload for level 1, and more than 15 for level 2. To shoot for level 3 you’ll need over 40 VC2 or VCAM eligible uploads.
// Contributor //
Contributors clip news stories, blog posts, photos and videos from around the web, or upload videos that are not eligible for VCAM or VC2. Level 1 requires only one contribution, but you’ll need over 200 contributions to make level 2. Level 3 entails accumulating over 600 contributions.
// Commentator //
Commentators weigh in with comments and votes. For each day that you comment and/or vote 5 times (in any combination) you earn 1 commentator kudos. You only need one kudos to make it to level 1. Level 2 requires more than 30. If you’re up for the challenge, shoot for level 3 – more than 90 commentator kudos are needed.
// So what is this for, and what do I get? //
One reason for leveling up is to show others in the Current community where you stand. Community members who level up are more likely to be involved on a regular basis. Plus, we’ll continue to build out this system over time.
It’s not just about profile recognition, we want to reward you, too. If you reach level 2 as a contributor, commentator, or producer, you’ll score a unique Current swag kit. Make sure you update your email and mailing address on your profile on Current.
We also have some rewards cooked up for higher levels. These could include access to private betas, or could be something similar to our producer/contributor/commentator level 3 recommendation power: http://current.com/items/88943502_
// You mentioned something about achievements? //
The achievements tab on your profile page is like a trophy case, detailing how many of your pods, commercials, news stories, or comments have made it on air on Current TV.
We also added an activity tab, which lists a total count of your contributions, responses, videos, webcams, and votes on Current.com.
// I got my level 2 email. Where’s my swag? //
We process swag once a month, so if you’ve reached level 2 as a contributor, commentator, or producer sit tight. If you haven’t received a swag pack email, then shoot us a message at feedback [at] current [dot] com.
Still curious? Check out our FAQ: http://current.com/s/faq.htm#What_are_levels_and_why_do...
Now go forth and level up!
Mario
Online Community Team When Current:News launched, we snuck in a leveling system for community participation. Since then, our levels have expanded with a fou... more -
Updated profiles and a brand new level -- Picked for TV
Howdy Current community, our latest release brings a few updates to profile pages and a brand new level to Current.com – Picked for TV. Community members can now level up based on the number of times their submissions have been picked for TV, in addition to leveling up as a commentator with comments and votes, a producer with VC2 and VCAM uploads, and a contributor with link submissions from blogs, news sites, online videos, etc.
Head over to your profile and check out the new layout in the upper right corner. There you will now find three tabs worth of goodness – levels, achievements, and activity.
Here is a quick rundown of our levels:
// Picked for TV //
Picked for TV is tracked with pink squares – each time you make it on TV in Current:News, VCAM, or VC2 you’ll increase your chance of leveling up!
// Producer //
Producer is now periwinkle blue – level up by uploading VCAM or VC2 eligible videos!
// Contributor //
Contributor is sticking with orange squares – submitting news stories, blog posts, and other links move you up in level.
// Commentator //
Commentators are represented with teal squares – comment and/or vote 5 times in one day, and you’ll earn a kudos point. The more kudos you collect, the more you level up.
You'll also notice that the level badges next to avatars on the homepage and in responses have been updated to show four tracks instead of three. The corresponding color for each level will light up for each bar, so it is easy to tell where other community members are in terms of leveling on Current.
We've added an achievements tab on the profile tab to call out which of your submissions made it on TV by type, whether it be a VC2 pod, a VCAM, or a Current:News item or response. Think of achievements as your own personal trophy case for your TV accomplishments. Once something you’ve submitted makes it on TV, your achievements will update in this tab. Check it out!
We’ve received several requests for a better way to look at your personal activity on Current.com. The community wants to keep track of what they've done, and it also helps to see what someone else has contributed. So, we added the Activity tab to track how many total contributions you’ve added, responses you’ve left, videos you’ve uploaded, webcams you’ve recorded, and votes you’ve submitted. Take a look and let us know what you think.
// So, I got an email...What's going on with level 2 swag?? //
We’ve got some good news! The swag train is just about loaded and ready to leave the station. We’ve run into a couple hold-ups along the way, but things have been sorted out and we are poised send some Current goodies your way.
One of the cool things heading your way are Current laptop stickers made by StickerGiant. You can check out the design on their blog: http://www.stickergiant.com/blog/?p=323
Let us know what you think by leaving a response below.
Best,
Mario
Online Community Team Howdy Current community, our latest release brings a few updates to profile pages and a brand new level to Current.com – Picked for TV... more -
Things we Crave- FREE SWAG
Starting very, very soon, we’ll be sending out a daily newsletter devoted to our favorite Craves—a day before we feature them on the site. If you’ve liked what we’ve picked so far (everything from a magnificent space-saving shoe wheel to the latest collection from Quiksilver), click here to sign up to receive The Daily Crave. While you’re there, you can also sign up to receive our Weekly Romp newsletter, which will clue you in once a week about the top posts on The Frisky. Just our little way of saying we love you. Oh, and here’s a little teaser. This summer we’re going to do a month-long sweepstakes, giving away a Crave each day—anyone who is signed up for The Daily Crave newsletter is automatically entered to win. Did you get that? FREE STUFF. Now get to it. Starting very, very soon, we’ll be sending out a daily newsletter devoted to our favorite Craves—a day before we feature them on the s... more
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Golden Globe SWAG Suites Still Bring out Stars
I guess free stuff makes it a worthwhile venture. Despite there being no actual awards ceremony, celebrities still come out in full force to grab goodies, and get photographed in the process. I guess free stuff makes it a worthwhile venture. Despite there being no actual awards ceremony, celebrities still come out in full fo... more
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Want to be a winner?
Why should you come to the Current events at BU? Besides finding out about Current TV and finding out how you can potentially get your own pods on TV, we will be giving out prizes! You can walk away with sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, flashrings, mugs, and more! Why should you come to the Current events at BU? Besides finding out about Current TV and finding out how you can potentially get you... more
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Reactee - Design Shirt - Cause a Reaction (shirts that text back)
What's should our call to action be? Check out this link to play around with some designs, and please add your suggestions via comments.
I'm voting for 'What's Crakin'?" What's should our call to action be? Check out this link to play around with some designs, and please add your suggestions via c... more
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Swag
