So Typical
The Democratic National Committee Convention (DNCC) started in the U.S. today. And being that I’m in Mexico and have essentially pathetic TV cable service (Can you say Cablemenos? Menos means less in Spanish.) I decided I wanted to watch the opening night speeches over the internet.
So first I dug around on Barack Obama’s (lovely) site looking for a link to a live video stream, but that was a fruitless search. Then I got with the program and made my way over to the DNCC’s site. I found the DNCC video stream link, but when I got to that page I was informed that I needed to install 2 plugins in order to view the live video (they were Microsoft’s Silverlight and the Move Media Player). Now I don’t live under too big a technological rock, but I had not heard of either of these programs before.
When I have a web design client who wants to deliver video on their web site I always tell them that we need to provide video in the formats that are commonly used. I tell my clients that it’s bad form and that it’s a usability obstacle to force your viewers to install a plugin in order to see content. If you want to reach the widest possible audience you deliver content that users can see without doing any extra work.
But why on earth would the Democrats do that? Why would they make it easy for us to view their video when they can complicate things by making us download not one, but two plugins?
Now it’s possible, maybe even likely, that this combination of plugins provides better quality video than other programs would. If that’s the case then I guess I’m happy to have installed them. But I’m still upset that I couldn’t just arrive on the site and see the video stream without doing the work of installing something first. And if these two plugins were widely used I’m certain that I would have encountered them by now, so now I’m annoyed that I may have just installed two plugins that might not get much use once the Convention ends.
Something about this feels typical of the Democratic Party. It’s an example of what we Democrats always seem to do wrong. We make things complicated when they should be simple. We make people work to hear our message when they shouldn’t need to.
That being said, I did enjoy watching the opening night speeches. And Michelle Obama’s speech made me a little misty…
August 25th, 2008 22:59
We watched the whole thing up here in Canada as well. I wonder how many actual USA based Americans watched it? What a breath of fresh air it is going to be! Go Obama!
cnn.com broadcast the whole thing on the Internet as well but I am not sure what you need to play it.
August 26th, 2008 05:12
A possible mitigating factor is that just about everyone in the US had already installed Microsoft Silverlight to watch the olympics streaming coverage provided by NBC. Don’t know about the other plugin though.
August 26th, 2008 07:13
Ooh! Thanks for the link! I wanted to watch the Convention but here they DUB everything so instead I got a VOICE OVER of Michel O’s speech!!! SOOOOOO DISSAPOINTNG (the voice-over, not the speech)
Hopefully now I can go back and see the real thing.
Fned.
August 26th, 2008 07:55
Actually, we downloaded the plug-ins and it was no big deal. I think it is because the DNC is streaming high definition, which is gorgeous. We hooked up our computer to our television screen and it worked perfectly. Plus, we watched the convention activities without the inane commentary by news anchors and reporters. Can’t wait to watch again tonight…and wondering if the Republicans will be so farsighted as to do the same.
August 26th, 2008 08:52
Kai – I’m not surprised. I fall behind the US with some techno stuff…and stay up-to-date with other stuff.
Fned, We have the same problem here. I didn’t want dubbed coverage, I’d rather not watch it.
August 26th, 2008 13:31
Ok, I’ll rub it in. My new improved version of Cablemas (WITH the US channels) had the speeches in English and I didn’t have to do anything other than tune in. 🙂 So, as long as digital cable works, I’m VERY happy with Cablemas (o menos).
On a different note, I’ve never been a fan of the conventions, but this year feels different. It’s exciting for a change!
Having them mention Denver over and over makes me sad and homesick though. Are you having that same problem, Rivergirl??
August 26th, 2008 15:17
Susan – Well, I’ve been trying to decide if I should be jealous of you and your better cable…
Yes, the whole “in Denver” thing makes it harder for me…miss it there.
August 26th, 2008 15:50
We went through the exact same process… Jim (hubby) was yelling at the TV because they kept talking over the speeches and jabbering idiotic NADA when we were trying to hear the actual speakers. You know, forgive us but we actually care what’s going on at the Convention, not what YOU think about what’s going on at the Convention.
We finally watched it on CNN.com/LIVE and had to download something WE had never heard of (and we’re not exactly wet behind the ears technologically either, thank you very much).
Michele was wonderful. But US (worldwide?) media sucks.
August 26th, 2008 15:58
I’ll check out CNN’s stream tonight and see if I like it. I’m excited by this convention, I hope Obama can win this election, the country needs someone with his integrity and brainpower!
August 26th, 2008 23:21
ALSO WENT TO THE OBAMA SITE AND LOOKED IN THE OBAMA STORE….NUTS !!!! I COULD NOT FIND AN “OBAMA THONG” FOR MY DOG …LOUSY SITE !!!
SORRY IF IT MAY HAVE MADE YOU MISS COLORADO ,IF IT DID.
ONCE IN A WHILE I MISS NEW YORK CITY BUT A CORONA REVIVES ME WHEN I CHOKE ON THE LIME
WHEN UGLY HILLARY DID HER “YIPPIE WE ARE ALL DENOCRATS” MID LIFE CRISIS SPEECH I TURNED OFF CNN AND WATCHED PODEROSSA RE-RUNS
IT AMAZED ME THE DEMOCRATS FOUND SO MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY WHICH THEY CLAIM THEY CAN FIX….GREAT MESSAGE.
YOU KNOW THERE WERE DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS WHEN THESE THINGS WENT WRONG.
WHILE HILLARY STOOD BT HER MAN AND BILL STOOD BY HIS CIGAR …LOL
LIKED THIS REALLY NEATN BLOG YOU WROTE LADY !!!
YOUR ARE A GEM WITH WORDS !!! YOUR THE ONE WHO ROCKS !!!
JOE
PS: Michelle Obama’s speech made me go for a whiz… LMAO… That’s a little misty, right
August 29th, 2008 11:10
Just tried to watch Obama’s acceptance speech, you’re right! It’s freaking hell to be able to even download it (we were informed that both our mac’s aren’t “fit” to watch the video and ended updownloading both pluggins on hubby’s work Dell laptop… only to grit our teeth at every interruption and break in the link while watching his speech!!!! Grrrrr!!!!
Hubby says it’s probable a republican deisnged Obama’s site.
Fned.
August 29th, 2008 12:38
I hear you Fned. One of those plugins made my computer slow down. And the pic video quality was not good. It made me upset.