August 16, 2006
The Seven Maps Project - the most recent videoblogging project to receive funding via Have Money Will Vlog is now over and it was, in my opinion, a success. But, more on that later when Daniel Liss, the intrepid traveller, has had some down time. I’m going to be interviewing him about the process, his expectations and his thoughts on the results.
The latest project on the HMWV funding block is The Sustainable Route - another travelling vlog series that raises some interesting questions.
The Sustainable Route, proposed by Ashley Hodson and her friend Megan, hopes to create a dialogue about sustainability by meeting up with people who are involved in the sustainability movement, educating themselves and their viewers during the journey.
For those of you who don’t know much about Have Money Will Vlog, the site was organized as a way to solicit funds for video projects. Chosen projects are promoted by the site which asks for donations using the model of Fundable.org (if the proposed amount is reached, the donations will be paid. If not, the donations are not collected).
There is a Google Group devoted to the site that anyone can join with the provision that those involved in choosing projects cannot apply for funding themselves in order to preserve objectivity and avoid favoritism. Group members are asked to bring forward projects they have knowledge of as well as go through independent proposals and engage in discussions over the merits of each one until an agreement is reached on who to fund.
As a member of this group, I have seen many proposals, some of which have been rejected or sent back to the author for further development. This is one project that seemed destined to be a "pick".
Ashley Hodson is Ryan Hodson’s sister and Ryan is one of the founders of Have Money Will Vlog. Is this, as suggested by MissBHavens in our own comments, nepotism? Does it conform to the basic tenets of HMWV as an objective choice?
It was a difficult position to be put in as a group member. On the one hand, a project about sustainable technology would be interesting (although Daryl Hannah is already doing it on her vlog!) but, on the other hand, is it really an arm’s length assessment when those making the final call are relatives that are, not only helping to promote the cause but, helped with the proposal itself?
Whether or not the group as a whole decided the project would be a go is questionable. No sooner had discussions begun, we were informed that the project would be a go. The intro video that group members asked to see first had not yet been posted:
hey all
just a little update on this
on having her preliminary proposal video done by the end of this week/weekend
so you can get a better idea of where she’s coming from/what she’s planning.
she’s also building a google map for the trip.
jay and i discussed posting this project after the second week of august
to give people some breathing room after the 2000 we raised for daniel
and to watch 7 maps unfold (should be happening the second week in Aug)
then we’ll move forward on this one…
cheers
-ry
After this post, conversation about the project ground to a halt. I’d like to say that I posted my concerns to the group but I didn’t. I was busy with Seven Maps and I saw no indication that the project was moving forward until it was already in the works.
I think that Have Money Will Vlog is a good idea but this latest project has me concerned. From MissBHaven’s comment, I can see I’m not the only one.
- Anne
