Improving Spartan Daily

There has been a lot of talk about how to improve the online presence of The Spartan Daily such as here on Invisible Inkling. From my perspective, the easiest way to do that is to concentrate less on the web page and more on making the RSS feed useful. It’s great that the Spartan Daily has an RSS feed, but the full article is not included in the feed. In order to view the article, you have to click a link to the Spartan Daily website and read it from there. That defeats the purpose of using an application like Google Reader, and it makes me not want to read the feed at all.

I also don’t like the layout of the Spartan Daily webpage. Don’t get me wrong, it is impressive considering it was probably designed by some very hard working people at SJSU, but it just doesn’t fit the way I’m used to having content delivered to me. It looks like an old school static page. I think it would be better and simpler if the stories were just published on a Wordpress page. That would also allow articles to be tagged with information like the author, or the type of article. Ultimately, small changes like these could make the Spartan Daily more accessible and give more power to the readers.

Saddam's Execution Has Extreme Significance

(WARNING! This post contains images and links that may be offensive to some readers; discretion is advised.)

A video phone captured yesterday's execution of Saddam Hussein. It is very graphic, showing the whole execution, from the moment the executioner wrapped the noose around Mr. Hussein's neck to the moments afterward, as his lifeless body dangled from the the rope.


I linked to this video for one reason only - not to sensationalize, create controversy or offend the senses - but to highlight the historical and political significance of the video. To this end, I feel it is necessary to show the clip I am discussing, as both the video's content and delivery method are relevant to the point I am trying to make.

Not only does the clip document the fall of one of the world's worst dictators by his own people; it doubly shows how technology, despite political tensions and war, has given power to individuals to tell stories from their perspective - whenever and however they deem fit.

It is important to note that I am not certain as to the affiliation of the person who captured the video and aired it online, nor is this AS IMPORTANT as the fact the viral distribution is creating a new method of documenting history.

This clip, whatever motives or political affiliations the person who took it has, are insignificant when compared to the impact this shift in media power is having on individual freedom and expression.

Years from now, this video may be viewed for the political and historical significance it captured - the rise of citizen empowerment.

San Jose ,SJSU ,Soapbox Prophet ,Tech ,blog ,Saddam Hussein,,Web 2.0,,Andrew Venegas,
,execution,citizen journalism