[Bumped up from last night for visibility.]

* YouTube is allowing members to upgrade their sites, so I did. Go check it out. Pretty cool.

Even cooler, though, is this notification which appeared [last night] about 10 o’clock on my YouTube page…

That videos viewed ranking put this site just behind YouTube’s wildly popular CitizenTube, which has been spotlighting amateur videos from the Iranian protests, and ahead of the channels for ABC News and Fox News. The national channels, not the local channels.

Amazing.

* Thanks to all of you for watching our videos, and lots of thanks to my intern Mike Murray, who has shot and edited all of the vids this year and taught himself everything. I gave him the ball and he really ran with it.

I think our little experiment has been a success, don’t you?

* I suppose it’s time to upgrade the video equipment from our cheap little video cams. I also have a new business idea or two. Stay tuned, campers.

…Adding… On a mostly unrelated note, I’ve redesigned the Twitter automated feed, which appears on the lower right side of this page. Twitter posts should now appear much quicker. I’ve also added several new “Tweeters” to the list.

       

23 Comments - Levois - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 10:20 pm: The CapFax has a weekly panel! Aired right on YouTube or any other video site! - Quinn T. Sential - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:05 pm: Rich, you have a great site in a focused niche which has a much broader audience than most people realize, and you do an exceptional job serving them. One of the ways that I always thought you could expand the scope was by podcasting (live) some legislative committee and commission meetings which would otherwise not be covered. In each committee subject area there is an audience that will be impacted by the outcome of testimony, amendments, and committee actions. In addition, this effort would be newsworthy, because in most instances committee votes would otherwise go un-recorded. The ILGA does a horrible job of providing meaningful access to the governmental process, compared to many other states, a great number of which have live video of virtually every meeting. You should check out the Florida legislature site sometime. You can access the Committee agendas, including the information packets with all legislative analysis of bills or amendments to be considered. Their live session debate also includes real-time links to view bills and amendments which are displayed simultaneously as each one is debated. The Florida Supreme Court and Appellate Courts also provides open on-line access to their case filing briefs and court dockets and calendars. All Supreme Court oral arguments calendared and are webcast live and simple archived access is also readily available. What Illinois offers is simply an embarassment in the way of transparency, and for a modest investment, and a few more tech savvy interns like Media Mike Murray (3M) you could easily develop the C-Span of Illinois Government; and if offered or allowed on a pay per-view or subscription access basis could be quite lucrative. Let’s face it; the IL legislature and other branches and agencies are never going to volunteer this kind of transparency. because they don’t want the average citizen to have it. Even if they did however, they don’t have the respources or the financial flexibility to be able to do this at this point, and they would only likely deliver half as much, for twice the cost that you likely could. I say; give it a run with some select committees and I think you would be surprised at the audience numbers. Thanks for all you do already though. Keep up the great work. - Ghost - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:15 pm: Capital Fax Ball Cap Cams? - Obamalac - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:22 pm: OK Rich! Hard work produces results. We’re proud of you. Hit on that abuse of priviledge that is so prevalent in Springfield! We all hate every moment of it. Dad - Proud Mama - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:29 pm: Congrats Rich! We are very proud of you and all that you have accomplished. Love, Mom - Cheswick - Wednesday, Jun 24, 09 @ 11:50 pm: Rich, congratulations! The ranking is well deserved as no one delivers the Illinois message better than you. You definitely know your stuff, and we are all the more informed because you. Thank you for blogging and for letting us get our comments in. And thank you, Mike, for working it at the Statehouse. - Chambananon - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 12:14 am: That is awesome. Then again, who wouldn’t expect quality reporting to triumph over the shoddy “journalism” of the Mass Media… - Bill - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 7:17 am: Your Majesty, The videos are excellent! There is no better place to go for state news. Plus your occasionally accurate commentary gives us all talking points to use with the mushrooms. The problem with that is that they are all reading them too. I’m sure that they get a lot more of their information from you than they get from their own leaders. From the gallery we can see the CapFax blog on most of their computer screens. Keep it up, dude! I just hope all of your new ideas and business plans aren’t going to cost us more. Stay cool! - wordslinger - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 7:28 am: Capital Fax Monkey Cam? - Anon - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 8:25 am: Well deserved, Rich. Congratulations! - dupage dan - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 8:38 am: I have learned more since monitering this blog than in all my previous years as a state employee. Live long and prosper, Mr Miller! - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 9:02 am: ===I just hope all of your new ideas and business plans aren’t going to cost us more.=== Only if you’re an advertiser or a TV station. lol - Princess - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 9:23 am: Instant accurate news at my fingertips. Thanks, Rich. - Beerman - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 9:43 am: You’ve come a long way since the old Hannah Report days Rich. Congrats! - Doug - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 10:54 am: With the new iPhone 3gs you can upload videos straight from the phone to YouTube - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 10:56 am: Yeah. I know. That’ll probably be my thing. Somebody else will deal with the hi def. Also, that gives me another idea…. - Bill - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 10:59 am: You are a real visionary, my friend. Run for Governor! - Deep South - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 11:00 am: Get a tripod and learn how to use it. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 11:01 am: Bite your tongue, Bill. Bite your tongue. - Das Man - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 11:50 am: This site is a great service to those interested in Illinois Government. I’d agree with Quinn T. Sential, and for that matter the Collins commission, that we need more live access from Springfield, for example something more than a Senator twittering from the floor when important matters are being debated. If the House can have a live feed, why not the Senate? - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 11:56 am: ===If the House can have a live feed, why not the Senate? === It does. http://www.ilga.gov/senate/audvid.asp - Mike Murray - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 12:37 pm: ===Get a tripod and learn how to use it. === Deep South, it’s clear that you are out of your element and obviously you have never tried to get video at the capitol. A tripod severely limits mobility and its really not that type of camera. Thx to everyone else for the Kudos. Working for Rich has been a blast, as well as an eye opening education. - Das Man - Thursday, Jun 25, 09 @ 12:53 pm: Thanks! Learning something new every day Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.