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The roundtable is back! This one is going to be very special.
We expect to have several iReport award recipients and nominees in attendance. We also hope to hear feedback from many of you who were either present or watching from afar this past weekend. We all enjoyed the chance to meet and speak with all of you, and thank you for your contributions to iReport. We'd love to hear your thoughts about this weekend.
We also have an announcement to make, and we'd like to introduce you to a new member of the iReport team.
We've taken a bit of a summer break but the roundtables will continue on a monthly basis (with another roundtable coming July 26).
We hope you can join us today at 2:30 p.m. ET here on the iReport blog. See you then.
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- 2013 iReport Awards: Watch the finalists
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Hi everyone! Hope all is well. Congrats again to all the iReport award winners!
Hi Omekongo and everyone! Yes, Congratulations to all winners and great award weekend. I could paricipate in it via your iReports and twitter.
MelissaF is in the house!
Hi
Welcome guys. Getting started soon - an early welcome to iReport award recipient MelissaF.
Hello all! Congrats to everyone -- it was such a fun weekend. We're already looking forward to next year.
Great to be here everyone
Hi everyone. It is a wonderful day.
Hellooooooooo there. How's it going?
Welcome to this special post-iReport awards roundtable with some special announcements coming up today. It was terrific meeting so many of you at the iReport awards and we were glad to hear that some of you were able to watch over the live stream as well.
@markpel We're glad you got to watch from afar! Please let us know if there's anything we can do next year to improve the experience.
Nice to see everyone. I'm glad you got to follow along with the events at home Markpel
Congrats to all the winners. The best most certainly did win this year.
Much Metta
Percy
Hello all! And Hey MelissaF!! I made it on the internet. Not sure how long this will last, but glad to be here!
Thanks @hhanks
Hello everyone! It was a great weekend! Wish everyone could be there. I predict within 5 years that iReport will have to hold their weekend and awards at a convention center. You guys and gals rock!
@markpel Thanks for checking out our live updates. Glad to know that was helpful.
Thanks for taking time out of your vacation to be here beetraveler. Nice to talk to you.
Oh so sorry to hear about your flight problems bee. I wish you much better luck next year
Much Metta
percy
We also want to introduce Sarah Brown our new iReport producer. She's going to be based in London, but she is here with us in Atlanta training. Here user name is sarahbrowngb
Congrats MelissaF!
@beetraveler Hi sweetie! Hope all is well!
@seeitnow..thanks!
looking forward to more fascinating "Lunapad" stories bee
Again, congrats to the winners, was lovely meeting you. Also, was great meeting some of the fellow nominees and contributors. The event was stellar and was less about "winning" than about building upon iReport's incredible sense of community. Everyone was/is a star!
@moderate1981 Thank you! It's a huge honor and I was very humbled by this awesome experience!
Hi Sarah Brown
Hello from Thailand! Congrats to the award winners and the iReport team for making such the weekend a success! And welcome, Sarah! PS Uploading some cool travel iReports right now :D
Hello everyone! Great to be part of the team and it was so lovely to meet all of you last weekend at the awards. I've got my voice back now so I'm sure will be speaking to some of you again soon! As you may know I'll be focusing on the international side of things, so keep an eye out for assignments and more from me!
If you haven't seen all of the iReport Award recipients and the nominees. You can check out the iReport Awards site:
http://www.cnn.com/ireport-awards/
It's a really impressive group.
I really enjoyed the Borders Book Store story. I'm glad she won, the best really did win at the awards!
Much Metta
Percy
Hello Hello from super sunny San Diego!
Hi @sarahbrowngb...so glad iReport will soon be hitting London!
How many people attended?
I am having problems getting email responses to my inquiries.
boo
So just to kick things off, what were everyone's favourite moments from the iReport Awards weekend?
Welcome to Team iReport Sarah!
Hi there mad-dog, glad you could check in all the way from Thailand!
Thank you @seeitnow...and @hhanks...
Watching CNN on TV now..wow! @BrookeBCNN can't get a word in edge wise with this GOP sore loser..haha...NO to REPEAL!!
@omekongo We had around 50 iReporters and guests throughout the weekend -- in addition to the Awards ceremony, we held several sessions at the CNN Center where we learned lots of interesting journalism tips.
Great to see you @Akistler - what are your thoughts on the weekend?
@omekongo -- There were more people at the ceremony itself, though. Some VIP CNN staff members came by and had the pleasure of meeting everyone!
I am having problems getting email responses to my inquiries.
@AKistler Hello! And ... boo! Welcome omekongo and seeitnow and NuYwk and beetraveler and ChrisMorrow! And anyone else I'm forgetting.
Hello iReporters, it was a wonderful awards weekend and I was extremely honored to receive an award. Just to let you know- since I am legally blind it will take me a while to respond to messages. Thanks for your understanding.
I loved Andrea Allen from Vimeo school. She's just sooo awesome!
I would love to see a class/session on SEO.
I very much enjoyed just sitting down with people to hear directly how things are put together and what kind of discussion and confirmation/editing needs to happen before anything goes live.
@katie that's great! I can't wait until next year. Gotta be sure to be there!
@MelissaF Good suggestion! Like Andrea mentioned, SEO is "magical wizardry." I think we all could learn from that session!
My favorite thing about the weekend is that I didn't notice any wallflower moments where people were sitting off to themselves.
It seems like everyone enjoyed each other's company and had a lot in common. People seemed to just strike up conversations with whoever they happened to be sitting next to at the moment, which was really fun to watch.
So wonderful to have you Kurt @Straywest -- we were all inspired by your story and message. But of course, your guide dog Ambrose stole the show.
Are there any videos for those who couldn't watch the live stream?
I am having problems getting email responses to my inquiries.
Hi Nicole and guests, I remember Andrea from last years awards. She was great and seems like she really has advanced the world of vimeo.
Much Metta
Percy
Sarah, welcome! I hope you have great time there in Atlanta!
@omekongo Yes! The videos of the sessions should be available next week. We'll share them prominently on the site.
The photography session was awesome! :)
@nsaidi thanks!
@MelissaF that is a good idea! @AKistler yes those are always the really interesting discussions in newsrooms, so it was great to be able to share them with you all ...
@katie thanks!
Thank you @AKistler and welcome! "Star Trek"/"Doctor Who"/comics historian @AKistler was nominated for his interview with Tim Gunn about the fashion of "Star Trek."
@seeitnow Yes, Andrea was fantastic! Thanks for checking in on that.
@everyone: What were the things you learned that were most helpful?
What more do you want to learn?
@dsashin..haha yeah Ambrose did steal the show..I saw more photos and video of him. Great guide dog!
@davidw..I made it a point to sit at different tables when we back at the Turner Properties room, so I could have a bunch of different conversations and boy did I. It was great meeting sooo many people!
Hello @straywest! So glad you could make it. We all really enjoyed getting to meet you.
hi NuYwk,
Last week was crazy, so I'm sorry I didn't respond promptly. I did look into the issue though and I think it's been resolved.
Agreed MelissaF. I LOVEd meeting Andrea Allen. She's great. I also loved the written narrative/storytelling session. So great to hear insights from those pros. And, of course, another MAJOR highlight was meeting Straywest!
So for those who attended: what were your thoughts about the weekend? What would you do differently if we did it again?
Thanks for all the lovely welcomes guys! I think my favourite moments of the weekend were the photography session, because it's always fascinating to hear how photographers tell their stories in a visual form, and also the ethics roundtable, because everyone brought up such interesting points to consider.
DavidW, I have sent numerous emails to you and the team got one response from the team that apparently was not followed up.
I for one would really like to see the quality of the camera and sound improve overall. I want to get iReport to the point where a viewer can't tell the difference between a regular broadcast and an iReport.
Much Metta
Percy
@ChrisMorrow: Great interview with Brooke. I taped hdisked it.
@hhanks...for your guys' first time out for this weekend you did an excellent job! No complaints here. You all kept me so busy over the weekend I didn't even have time to do any sight seeing in Atlanta. CNN/Omni/Ventanas..that's it..lol...Talk about maximizing the weekend!
Great meeting u Sarah. Is ur cold better?
I thought the breakout presentations were fantastic! So much good information and presented by real professionals- excellent!
@Melissaf was your tweetvertiser.
great place to be I always like to talk about curent issues I said THANKS OBAMA won today God Bless America
Hello all! Sorry to be late, got caught up in work!
Congratulations to all the winners! I wish I could have been there in person but was definitely there in spirit. ;)
@chrismorrow thanks so much for asking - it is, can finally talk properly ;)
Im not sure if the health care is good or bad for us, but come on is this the way to do it? It seems like we have been backed doored into it, calling it a tax to get around the Consitution. Come on Im sure their is someone out there that is up on the Consitution, that knows it well enought to find that this is not right.
Thank you @Straywest!
@EWillies1961..tweetvertiser?
I think it could be nice if you could invite next year iReporters from so call developing countries. It could be like one or two week scholarship there in Atlanta. I know there are problems with visa that´s why the invitation schould be already many months before the iReport award weekeend. Is this possible?
Hi tomm24y
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the health care ruling.
I would encourage you to file an iReport. Here's the link http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/797551
WOW straywest
Thanks Ewillies. It was an honor to be on air with Brooke! Everyone in Atlanta was amazing and I learned something from each!
@markpel I love that idea. We can definitely look into it!
(Also, hey, everyone! So nice to get to know a few of you last weekend.)
@Melissaf You sent out a tweet when @MorrowChris was going live advertising for her.
@markpel Great suggestion -- thank you! we hear you loud and clear. We got the green light to host the weekend just a few months in advance, which is why we didn't announce it too far in advance. But rest assured we'll make it bigger and better next year!
A special congrats to @chrissoriano - we hope to see him today but he could be busy with his new job at a local affiliate in Yuma, Arizona. :)
Yes, meeting all the other iReporters and sharing stories was a great experience.
Hello everyone. Never participate in your round table before although I have had many ireports stamped with the beloved approved red ireport.
I agree @davidw. It was really great how well everyone mixed at the event and was able to get to know each other. It was just a very comfortable and welcoming environment! Ambrose, did indeed steal the show though, because he is such a lovely dog. :)
So glad @Straywest could log on here today too! Welcome!
It's great to hear your opinions about the weekend. For those of you who watched on live stream, do you have any thoughts as well?
Hi there mcintron, EWillies, MelissaF ... listing everyone being a pointless exercise.
For those following along from home, was it easy? Was it hard? Did you get enough info to feel like you were a part of the event, and did you feel like you could participate too?
Let us know if you have any ideas. I was live-blogging the event and I could see many of you tweeting and commenting, and that was really awesome.
@joanniebalon welcome!
And we're also inviting feedback on the awards themselves.
And congrats to all the winners.
Id love to see the awards in CNN London then CNN LA. Move it to different offices. Would be a op for others to attend. Maybe?
Hi joanniebalon! We're glad you able to join us.
Congrats to all the winners. Love your pose Chris! :)
Welcome @joanniebalon!
Welcome @rosehips!
Hi @NSAIDI
Thanks @ChrisMorrow - so far we have held the iReport awards in two different locations. So you never know...
Thank u Rosehips giggle
@dsashin...I saw the awards being taped, but not Live stream for our loved ones to see it on the internet..will there be a video later of the awards and our acceptance speeches?
@ChrisMorrow Perhaps! That might be a few years down the road, but it's definitely an idea we'll consider.
Twitter worked best for me to follow because in a different time. One and couldn't figure out how to stream stuff on my phone.
@ChrisMorrow I actually really like that idea! We'll have to ponder.
@nsaidi and all who tweeted - I think you did a fantastic job on twitter. I didn't see the tweets in real time but when I checked it the stream was fantastic! You did a great job of synopsizing (is that a word) the information. I got a lot out of it.
Hi @MelissaF, yes it was recorded for internal purposes, but we think live streaming the awards ceremony next year sounds like a great idea.
All of you at CNN are amazing, well informed and helpful. Me and Ambrose look forward to doing more with iReport. Ambrose wants to be an iReporter too.
Sorry everyone but we have to sign off for now.
@ewillies1961..haha..get it now! Yeah I watched live...@ChrisMorrow did great LIVE with @BrookeBCNN...love her and she was a judge!
Thanks so much @Straywest. Ambrose can be an iReporter anytime!
Thanks for coming, @Straywest! Hugs and pats to Ambrose!
I was at the first iReports in Austin last year and it was great but I think it's easier to do it in Atlanta because that's the home of CNN.
Much Metta
Percy
We can even have satelite award parties like the oscars.
Just a thought :)
Love this movement of CNN. I believe that ireport is a tool this country needs to become engaged in politics as these are crazy times. I also wanted to emphasis that MelissaF's : Interfaith Roadtrip.... Love that! Bridging the gap of ignorance in this country should be priority # 1. All too often I am seeing too much individualism. You brought that idea forward with extreme class! Cheers!
@straywest thanks for stopping in, I think Ambrose would make for a great iReporter!
That would be awesome Kurt! You could attach a camera to Ambrose's harness or under his collar like a St. Bernard.
I would watch that.
I was also very glad of the breakfast and lunch gatherings. Not merely due to free food, but because it was a great way to meet the other nominees and make some connections.
@Chrismorrow, Ya I like how you pose yourself
Much Metta
Percy
ATL would be my choice too seeitnow. It's almost half-way between the East and West Coasts so it's more fair in terms of how far people have to travel.
Good point @omekongo - what did you like about the social media and blogging of the event, those of you who were at home? What would you do differently?
Ambrose's paw prints would be a start. Just saying. ;)
@Moderate1981..You are gonna make me cry...thank you so much! That is my goal to rid the ignorance and crush stereotypes and promote acceptance..much love..
Hey everyone, hopping in from rendering the very first iReport Debate! It was a pleasure meeting all of you.
thanks @hhanks! Just so honored to have been included.
and have to say, @chrissoriano is a star in the making for sure. Such a magnetic personality and such a great person overall. Look forward to seeing more from him!
and I think @markpel's scholarship idea is an excellent one too.
Chris, great idea! CNN has also studios here in Berlin, Germany. Maybe next year here in Berlin?!
Gotta go guys! Off to pick up my girls! Have a great day!
@markpel I would love to go to Berlin, but not sure if that's in the budget... ;)
Thanks @AKistler - it was great to have a lot of time to interact.
Thanks @omekongo!
This is pretty fun, but I think a roundtable might work a little bit better with a chat room of some sort.
So as promised, we have a change on iReport - starting today.
uh oh...@hhanks...what change?
We've heard from a lot of you about the 4000 character limit on iReports.
I have to go too. @ iReport Team - Job very well done! It was an honor to be nominated. Hope to see you all in person next year!
Starting today, we have doubled the character limit to 8000. Thank you so much for your feedback, and we appreciate hearing from you, here and elsewhere.
@AKistler We are investigating some options to try. Are there any platforms you enjoy interacting on? (Anyone else too -- please chime in)
@hhanks WOW!!! Double?!?! That's awesome! About how many words is that? haha
That's about 1000 words.
Wow, thanks for that @hhanks! I don't usually bump against the limit, but I love to write so that's very good news. :) Now I really gotta run. See you soon!
Hanks, A few Ireports I have seen that bumped up against the 4K limit were cut and paste jobs
@hhanks. That's awesome.
But as always, we encourage thoughtful discussion on the site. So use the character limit responsibly. :)
I have to go because of my EURO 2012 soccer iReport. Have a great weekend!
@markpel look forward to seeing that! Have a great weekend!
Sounds great @markpel!
@markpel: Enjoy Euro 2012!! Goooo Germany! :)
Oh..one quick question...I asked it over the weekend, but no clear answer..
Will there be a place on iReport for producers of CNN tv to note they are going to use an iReport or did use an iReport during their segment?
I think this is a big deal for some iReporters that can't watch CNN all day to let their friends and family know when their segment is coming up. There needs to be something in place. You know what I mean?
Kudoos to @zdan for doing a great job on the iReport Debate assignment! I love it!!
@nsaidi - uStream's chat room has been pretty easy to use in my experience and doesn't have long lag times usually.
That's a really good idea MelissaF. We're trying to find a good way of doing that. We don't always here in advance when an iReporter is going to be on TV, but we are trying to coordinate that more so we can leave notes.
So great to hear from so many of you today. Any last minute questions for us? Thank you!
You know it could be as easy as just leaving a comment on the actual iReport..so that way all the need as a CNN staff id on iReport like all of you do. Just kind of a courtesy thing.
@AKistler Thanks for the suggestion. Do you think a video format is the way to go?
If we had video chats, would you want to participate? Or were you thinking more of a video-and-comment format?
Just curious what you all think about the structure as well as the platform.
Who can I contact and get an answer from when I have a problem with an Ireport getting pulled ?
@melissaf that's a nice idea, we'll add that to the possibilities mix!
The only thing the iReport Awards truly needs next weekend is an action-packed trailer advertising how cool all the nominees are as they fly through the air while firing guns and are completely unaffected by the shockwaves of a car exploding behind them.
Just saying. Also, there should be a robot.
Thanks everyone see you July 26!
No answer for my question?
@AKistler - Excellent idea.
@akistler OK we're on it ;)
Thanks @sarahbrowngb..
Again thank you to everyone at CNN and iReport for a remarkable and ultimate life changing event for me. I was serious in my acceptance speech...because of iReport I changed my major in college and started my own production company.
A few have said iReporters are glory hounds and attention getters...for some yes...for me...It's a way to get my pov out and have a voice in this huge spectrum of life. I am so happy today that SCOTUS upheld Obamacare that I campaigned for and put many iReports up. I am part of the conversation..that's why iReport!!
Try contact@ireport.com - thanks again!
Who do I contact when they don't reply ?
See that? @sarahbrowngb and @hhanks are PROBLEM SOLVERS!
When you get your robot you will be convinced of that no doubt
Sorry I missed the roundtable. Was busy with HLN. Hope to see you all next week.
Sorry I missed also! Was traveling home!
Congrats to all. iReport rocks