If you’re reading the blog right now you might notice a button below the post title that says “Listen Now”.  And in the sidebar, just below the “Subscribe” links, a “Listen” section with a button called “Odiogo.” Well, I’m killing two birds with one stone.

I’m making the content of DoingMedia more accessible for the vision impaired. Rather than using a screen reader like JAWS they can click the “Listen Now” button to hear the posts read to them. It’s a computer generated voice but not bad. Anyone can listen so listen away!

Accessibility made sense for DoingMedia. Doing media is for everyone. I’ve also been involved with the Accessible Internet Rally in San Antonio for a couple of years. It’s a program run by Knowbility to promote accessible website creation. Accessible websites make it easier for people with visual, auditory and mobility impairments. Because the sites are built using web standard coding practices the side benefits are that the sites are more Google-friendly (Google is the largest deaf and blind web denizen) and they port to mobile devices more simply. Oh, and the market for disabled people is in the Trillions of dollars. Trillions. With a “T”.

Another bonus to my “Odiogo” implementation is that you can now subscribe to DoingMedia in iTunes! So drop us onto your iPod and listen while you drive or workout or just work. (Gee, guess I’ll have to come up with some motivating posts for the treadmill.) There is also an mp3 version available for all you Zune/Blackberry/etc. users.

This may be just the beginning of a publishing empire! DoingMedia Television! DoingMedia Apparel! DoingMedia NASCAR! DoingMedia Breakfast Cereal!  Where will it end?

Oh, excuse me.

“Who’s on the phone? Oh, tell Rupert I’ll call him back.”.

We publishing mavens have to stick together.

…or maybe it’s being resuscitated? Either way there will be more coming soon.

I’ve left my corporate gig and have struck out on my own. That means more posts here, more teaching, more public speaking and seminars and some contracting and consulting work on the horizon.

I’ll update the “About” page with new info.

More to come! Stay Tuned!

I WILL get crap for the title of this blog. I know this. I accept this. But here’s the thing. Using my domain name (the original concept) sounded like I was sitting in very large (think Lily Tomlin’s Edith Anne) overstuffed chair pontificating about this and that. That’s not what I’m going for.

And there will be the inevitable mispronouncements of my blog name. Just to be clear it is “Doo-ing” Media not “Doyng” Media.

OK, so that’s out of the way. Now why am I doing this? There are a few reasons. I have this thing I call my “professional mission” which has been with me since I started my career. It’s the tag-line you see on the main page: Help people leverage electronic media for communication.

Reason number two: I have been in too many client meetings, taught too many classes, spoken to too many professionals in which people don’t get it. It’s not about “Let’s do a video!”, “We need a website!”, “We have to have a DVD!” or “Gimme [your media delivery method here]“. It’s about communication. Too many people talk about the means but not the end. They assume the means IS the end. Well, Homey don’t play dat. I’ll be talking about how to use the means to achieve the end.

Reason number three: I’ve spent my entire career sharing information with other people, mostly informally. (I teach college media classes but they should be in their own category.) I figured I would formalize the sharing.

Last but not least, as you may have read in my first post, I have a book to get out of my head. I hope this blog will help me with the discipline to do that. I hope. So, keep me honest.

What you can expect here will be theory and practice, tips and techniques, referrals and resources. You will (probably) not get equipment reviews. Or tutorials. But expect the occasional rant.

This blog is for the accidental media practitioner, the intentional media practitioner, the future media practioner. It’s for you whether you’re in manufacturing or a non-profit, education or health care, management or marketing, religion or just at home.

If you’ve found yourself “Doing Media” you’re in the right place.

Later!