Interesting Stuff 2008-10-28

Brandon Butterworth's post on BBC Redux gets the thumbs-up from outside the BBC (Lloyd Shepherdcalls it a "test case in how development of code outside a business roadmap leads to unlooked-for business benefits" and inside: multiplatform content producer (and Proms nabob) Jon Jacob declares:

Butterworth is King Technologist down in leafy Kingswood Warren and is something of a hero even if he's not aware of it. [...]
I use Redux nearly every day in my work. It's reliable. It's thorough. It's simple. And, most important of all, it's interface belies what I perceive to be the complex processes and systems required to deliver such an invaluable resource for those of who scan the BBC's output looking for ideas and checking to see which of those ideas have already been executed. It's the kind of thing - especially the interface - which is so utterly perfect (for me, at least) that I don't want anyone to tinker with it.
In short, BBC Redux is VERY BBC.
We like.

The Backstage mailing list denizens also give praise - with the usual caveats.

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Staying with BBC Backstage, Ian Forrestersays:

Things at Backstage have been quite hectic but also quiet to the public.
So what's been going on?
Well, here's a list which I think you will find interesting.
 1. New BBC Backstage Blog with comments
 2. New BBC Backstage Logo Competition
 3. PA Press Event API via Backstage
 4. New ideas store application
 5. Thinking Digital Audio via IT Conversations
 6. BBC Backstage Christmas party
 7. BBC Backstage and Geekup events
So that's the highlights, now some details.

Those details are here. Keep a beady eye on the Backstage Blog and/or here.

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If you've been following the convoluted story of BBC Jam, you may be interested in a piece in Broadcast where Katherine Rushton writes that "[b]y exploiting some of it commercially, the BBC aims to stop all of the £96m already spent on BBC Jam from being wasted.":

BBC controller of learning and factual interactive Liz Cleaver told Broadcast: "We are agreeing with the Trust what content we might follow up - what might be available for public service and what might be available for commercial exploitation. We're talking about asset-stripping Jam.

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The Radio 2 website has gone all different, exploiting that API goodness in /programmes - but then, if you're a regular user of the site, you'll know that already. Ryan Morrison explains why this is so and James Cridland explains why this is a good thing.

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Finally, today is BeeBCamp Day in White City. What is BeeBCamp? Allow Tom Van Aardt and Roo Reynolds to explain:

Think of it as a user generated conference, an "un-conference", or you can think of it as "an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment". It's a place where BBC staff can get together, meet one another and talk about the exciting stuff we're working on.

The BBC's blogger-in-residence is in attendance - so watch Steve's Common Platform blog / here / Twitter / Yammer (if staff) / Roo's blog / any other social media as appropriate (runes, graffiti etc).

Alan Connor is co-editor, BBC Internet Blog.