Crowdsourcing: Name the New MCDM Center!
Jeff Howe’s new Crowdsourcing book reminded me how, in 1714, the British Royal Navy offered a 10,000 pound prize to the first person to figure out how to measure longitude. This previously intractable problem was solved by a clockmaker.
So I’d like to announce our MCDM Nomenclature Prize: name the new MCDM center and win a Flip camera (as well as the great honor of helping us establish the heart of the Pacific Northwest’s digital media community).
Anyone, from anywhere is eligible. The winner will be decided by a panel of MCDM’ers. Post your submission as a comment to this blog.
Here’s how I described the center-to-be’s mission to our External Board of Advisors yesterday:
The Center develops best practices and research through strategic partnerships in order to facilitate viable communication platforms in a networked, interactive world.
1. The Center will serve as a laboratory for direct partnerships with companies and organizations that wish to “incubate” their innovations — forming independent research teams with MCDM students.
2. The Center will act as a hub for the digital media community in the Puget Sound region — sponsoring events and lectures that help clarify how we can express ourselves through technology.
I presently have a “3M” focus for the Center: effective, viable communication Models, measuring that effectiveness through appropriate Metrics, exploring how to sustain these models through Monetization.
We want it to be as short, sweet, and memorable as “Media Lab” (already taken by MIT). My current favorite: “The UW Media Innovation Center” (or the MIC). But I think we/you can do better…
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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37 Comments, Comment or Ping
mjanisch
Everything is being crowdsourced these days!
How about Center for Digital Media or Center for Digital Media and Innovation?
Nov 21st, 2008
paolo
My nominations are:
‘Flip the Center’ – an ode to MCDM’s ‘Flip the Media’ brand, a statement to how social media is flipping ‘the center’ or the mainstream, and, of course, a play on words
‘Digital Media Experience Center’ – more straight-forward, though less creative
‘CODE in Media’ – Center of Digital Experiences in Media, abbreviated to “The CODE.”
- Paolo
Nov 21st, 2008
rubir
What about “The FLIP Center” Freedom Lab for Intelligent People
Nov 21st, 2008
Jennifer Scott
The DUB – Digital Union Building
Nov 21st, 2008
john
Digital Media Center
I’m liking the three letter abbreviation. I’ll meet you at the DMC. They are doing incredible work out of the DMC at the University of Washington.
It can also double as “devastating microphone control” ala Run DMC
Nov 21st, 2008
Brian Johnson
This one is from Mrs. Brian Johnson,
The UW Epicenter for Media and Creative Communication (or the Emc^2 for short)
or
(these are my suggestions or attempt at humor)
The UW Center for Digital Media and Pest Control
“We can take care of communication strategies and roof rats at the same time!”
or
The UW Communications Experience – The UW Com E
Nov 21st, 2008
Aaron Seeley
Maybe we could help each other out if we just submitted a bunch of potentially useful words like “emerging” “innovation” “paradigm” and “global” and see if we can make them fit into a clever acronym?
Nov 21st, 2008
Brook Ellingwood
Just one of many acronym generators:
http://www.cs.uoregon.edu/research/paracomp/anym/
Nov 21st, 2008
Nancy Dick
Not very original (or necessarily iconic), but how I’ve already been explaining it to people:
UW Digital Media Institute
UW-DMI for short
Nov 22nd, 2008
Corliss Harmer
Okay, I’ve got it! This is an elaboration of Hanson’s earlier idea.
Connected Media and Storytelling Consortium (COMS)
or Consoritum for Connected Media and Storytelling (COMS)
The consortium piece invites other orgs to join us.
Nov 23rd, 2008
peterlux
Acronyms are so last century. Not to mention capital letters.
In general, the focus should be less on the locus (center, building, institute, etc.) but on relationships–as Charlene Li says: that’s what social media is all about.
I would call it something hip like “yüü”. (It’s all about yüü. Or is it all about us?)
Is there a deadline to this crowdsourcing call?
Nov 23rd, 2008
seanwang
I like the direction Peter is taking. To mix that with a slightly more conservative approach, my suggestion is “iMedia Center”.
It’s simple and easy to remember, like “media lab”.
Why “i”?
-As “I” the user, new media is all about the user
-i for “interactive”, another characteristic for digital media
-i is the epitome of cool (as in “iPhone”, “iPod”…), gets people’s attention
-Any other suggested meanings?
I did a quick search. iMedia hasn’t been associated with any particular organization. http://www.imedia.org is potentially available as well.
Nov 23rd, 2008
peterlux
UW Digital Media Crowd Source
Nov 24th, 2008
hrhmedia
My new brainstorm:
UW Media Space
Nov 24th, 2008
peterlux
A few more for good measure:
UW Media NextGen or UW Media NextGen Project
UW Digital Media Project
UW Media Innovation Project
UW digitalconnectors or UW digitalconnections or UW mediaconnectors
Nov 24th, 2008
Brook Ellingwood
AMI@UW: Applied Media Institute at the University of Washington
“Applied” because we’re about the 3 M’s.
I’ll spare you the numerous, even more cutesy, acronyms I’ve come up with.
Nov 24th, 2008
Brook Ellingwood
Just thought I’d add that I like the traditional “locus” names. (Maybe that’s obvious.)
I like them first because there’s a reason social media is always trying to break through the virtual/physical barrier with various Tweetups, *camps, etc. Nothing yet takes the place of people exchanging ideas face to face.
Second, I like them because names that go too far in the other direction run the risk of sounding too of the moment, the way so many dotbomb era companies did. If something sounds like a fad, it may destine itself to being one.
Nov 24th, 2008
peterlux
Brook,
You’re right, of course–traditional names are much safer and less likely to sound like a fad after a few years.
That’s exactly what I would argue if I was in the mood to be reasonable.
Nov 25th, 2008
Brook Ellingwood
Please don’t be reasonable, Peter.
Nov 25th, 2008
Aaron Seeley
Something based on “The DIG” (soft G sound, as in “fridge”)…Can ya dig it???
Nov 25th, 2008
cwong08
Here’s my submissions:
Digital Media Innovation Lab
Institute of Media Innovation? iMi?
Interactive Communications Center?
I got bupkes.
Nov 25th, 2008
Ross
I thought Center for Social Media but it’s taken http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/
So how about Social Media Action Center – SMAC. As in, upside the head.
Nov 26th, 2008
tina_arciaga
UW Media Innovation Hub
UW Media Innovation Center
Nov 26th, 2008
pluyckx
If we’re going to go for a space/location, how about UW Media Grange. After all, this is all about barn raising new models.
Nov 26th, 2008
ashleyb
Some slight variations on what’s come before:
Center for Media Excellence
Center for Applied Media
Nov 28th, 2008
christy
First of all, I love the comments made by Peter and Ross (SMAC upside the head? ha!).
I would like to see a traditional/formal/professional title used. The words Center and Institute are excellent. Years from now, we may regret having a degree from the Outrageous Media Grange (OMG).
I believe the Center can have a formal title and still allow for creative names within its various sub-programs.
Dec 5th, 2008
peterlux
At least no one suggested the Washington Technology Foundation . Or “Seattle Leveraging Under-the-radar Technology” which would sound too much like a light rail line.
Dec 10th, 2008
Toni Delrio
I think Innovation is a “must” word in the name, all related to digital media needs of innovation, besides I think the word is more of a call to action … Innovate!
Besides, I would go for LAB, as it express the spirit of the center, that is to learn by doing.
I suggest:
Media Innovation Lab (MIL), and
Media Incubation for Innovation – UW Mii
Hope it helps others get more ideas!
A.
Dec 17th, 2008
seanwang
Long name, I vote for Tina’s suggestions:
UW Media Innovation Center
Short name:
UW iMedia Center
I like “lab” but we don’t want to look like copycats to MIT.
Dec 19th, 2008
J.J. Wright
Hi all. I had to represent my old cohort!
This seems like a job for a one syllable acronym that rolls off the tongue. So I really think Ashley B’s CAM-”Center for Applied Media” is brilliant.
or….
SAM (Space for Applied Media)
The Media Place/Space (MIT simplicity)
Much more, but they keep coming closely back to what others have said.
Dec 22nd, 2008
Toni Delrio
some new alternatives …
UW LIC – Lab for Innovation in Communication
UW CIC – Communication Innovation Center
Dec 29th, 2008
hrhmedia
Great responses all.
We’re going to officially resolve this in time for our first MCDM 2.0 independent study class in January, but I’m really leaning to The Media Space @ UW. And J.J. Wright’s SAM also appeals to me!
Hoping to get http://www.thespace.washington.edu if this flies! I just like the flexibility and openness of the name.
Dec 30th, 2008
jaysh
I think I like the word “lab” more than space. Space is too generic, while center and institute have a nice ring to them, they might imply too much rigidity but on the other hand “lab” embraces the experimental nature of the new mediums.
My suggestions would be:
“Digital Media Lab”
“Digital Communications Lab”
“New Media Lab”
“Convergence Lab”
“Ubiquitous Media Lab”
Jan 26th, 2009
jaysh
The words: project and experiment would convey the same feeling if there is a serious fear that using the word lab might sound too close to the MIT’s Media Lab.
Jan 26th, 2009
Terry Short
The UW Digital MediaSphere
(DMS for you acronym fans)
Where digital media comes alive.
Like the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2 where the dynamic interactions of biological and physical elements are studied, simulated, and experimented with, the Digital MediaSphere is a ecosystem where the evolving interconnectedness of communication, media and technology are studied, pushed and plumbed for all possibilities. The common connotation of “sphere” as a system that supports life is apt for the program’s embrace of social media. The name puts “Digital” and “Media” together in the same sequence as the program’s name, so while it’s a UW thing, its branded as our baby.
Jan 31st, 2009
skateornot
The War Room.
Oct 1st, 2009
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