07/05/06 Podcasting versus Myspace

Erich and I were discussing adding community features to our website. We already have a newsletter for the Caring for Our People Training Project that is sent out every month. It is called Miniwakan Waonspekiye. Erich tells me that Miniwakan means Spirit Water (for Spirit Lake) and Waonspekiye means 'teacher' in Dakota. However, since I am among the minority on our staff who knows almost nothing of Dakota, for all I know, it is Dakota for "AnnMaria is ugly and her mother dresses her funny".

We also do a monthly newsletter for the Disability Access project called Miniwakan Tiyospaye. In Dakota, I think Tiyospaye means 'family' but I don't think it translates exactly. That I do understand, because a lot of words in Spanish don't exactly translate into English either. I could give some examples but they are not very professional, so I had better not.

We have just gotten started on the Commons Area with some bulletin board topics. Updating those in my next priority, after I finish the reports due to USDA and the new Phase I proposal.

So... in this discussion about new features, I brought up podcasting, but Erich pointed out that, being a $400 or so item, iPods are not such a hot seller on the reservations. However, MySpace seems to be taking off, and similar sites, since these are free. So.... now I am the oldest person in America to have a blog, I think.