The white whale
Video: Patrick Lafferty,
with a Motorola SLVR
It's easy to dismiss the camera phone if you focus on the visual quality of the image. This is very often the argument against their use in the newsroom, as you know if you've been reading the posts on this page (and you should be). But quality is a nebulous term. The footage to the left is not what I would call good "quality", but what it captures is priceless to me.
You see, I have pursued the "paper car" seen in the video for months and, until today, it eluded my photographic grasp. The car would be there, but I didn't have a camera phone. A friend would see the car, but again, no camera. Once, it was spotted in the computer center lot and and a call came to the newsroom to run out with a camera. By the time we got there, it was too late. "Moby blue" scooted away, just out of my grasp.
What made the difference today? My new Motorola SLVR. No, this isn't an ad for the SLVR. In fact, looking at the image quality it provides might make you run into the open arms of Nokia's N-series phones (full disclosure: we are working with Nokia on uses for the N-series, in case you missed that). Nevertheless, because my new phone has a VGA (ugh!) camera in it, I can now share the glory that is the "paper car" with the rest of the world. That is what I call a "quality" catch!
Who drives this vehicle? Why do they keep so much paper in it? Is it, in fact, hard to drive over speed bumps due to the low-riderish, compressed suspension?
These are all questions that a citizen journalist could answer by staking out the car and talking with the owner. Let's face it, a reporter isn't going to cover this story. Me? I had to get back to the newsroom to show off my catch to all of you. This must be that pesky lack of time so many have written about interfering with the citizen journalist.
So let me ask you, the viewer, is it worth-while to see this absurd vehicle in the diminished visual quality I have provided or would you prefer that I just verbally describe such a sight to you? Let me know in the comments.
hahaha!! I love it! I've been looking forward to seeing this car for months now! Yay!
You and me both! I feel vindicated. It's a lot like seeing a sasquatch or chupacabra; nobody believes your tales of the cryptozoological beings until you show the pictures.
Nice catch! I first saw this car maybe a month ago in the computer lot and had to just stop and stare in awe.
It reminds me of beer can man's apartment a year or so ago.
Let's run the tag through DMV. And can we get a psychologist to comment?
Ha! Patrick, I used to park next to this car too. I heard the driver has a hoarding condition... I think I actually heard that from Rick. This guy who lives in our building in Knoxville may suffer from the same newspaper collecting condition.