A Collection of News Blurbs, FYIs and Commentaries
Back Online
Friday, September 17, 2010
Back online after a week of tweaking to improve the user experience. It was necessary because I noticed that the user experience wasn't great for people on slow connections. Hopefully, it should be better now. I am constantly tweaking things to make the experience better.
But that isn't all - I took the opportunity to move things around a little bit.
- There is a new "Topics" section - found under /Stories/, where I will introduce stories around special themes or topics. Users submit single photo stories around that theme and the best are selected for final publication. Not all pictures will make it but please join us! I am starting with a theme called "My Africa", which is designed to be a collection of pictures I have come across and like about Africa. I will keep adding to this and if you have something that fits, please ping me! Check it out here - http://www.africanlens.com/topics/my_africa
- There is a new Videos section! I have always wanted to add videos to the site. I am starting with two great videos from TEDTalks - very inspiring. Please take time to check them out here - http://www.africanlens.com/stories ( browse in the "Recent Videos" section )
For the videos, I am experimenting with HTML5 videos. The player experience is not 100% solid but hopefully, these should be ironed out soon. Just note that it is an experimental area of the site. More importantly, I am looking for interesting videos about major events in African history. If you have something that is quite interesting, please ping me.
There is a lot in store for African Lens. it is still a labor of love at this point, however I am thinking through scenarios to make it more interesting and sustainable in the long term. Thanks for all your attention and participation.
Marcus Bleasdale: Djibouti (Starved For Attention)
Friday, June 04, 2010
Less than one half of one percent of Djibouti's desert landscape is adequate for farming. As a result, almost all of the country's food is imported, adding to the already high cost of securing a nutritious meal.
Marcus Bleasdale - DJIBOUTI Frustration
The Starting Line
Saturday, May 22, 2010
The African Lens project can only be successful with the participation of people with stories to tell. Our preference is for first hand accounts of Africans providing a narrative of their everyday lives. However, we recognize that there are journalists working in Africa today who are best placed to offer narratives on behalf of the people they interact with. We strongly encourage participation by everyone.