inside-ireport

New mobile feature is a must for all iReporters!

pbethany — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:26:16 GMT

This morning we added a great new feature to CNN iReport that makes submitting iReports from your mobile device much easier than before. On the iReport profile page you will see the new "Mobile upload" option. This option takes you to a page that lets you customize a personal email address for uploading content to CNN iReport. Content sent to your personal iReport upload address will automatically appear under your screen name without having to go through the “claim this story” process.

You can change your pin at any time to make sure you are the only one who can upload content to your account. We encourage all iReporters to store their personal upload address in their phone to make catching those incredible news events quick and easy. And of course for all of you out there with an iPhone or iPod Touch you will definitely want to download the CNN iReport application!

Weekly CNN iReport roundtable today at 3 p.m. ET

hhanks — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:16:41 GMT

Join the iReport team today to talk about any questions, comments or concerns you may have today at 3 p.m. ET.

We’ve had quite a week with President Obama answering an iReporter’s question, adriana71’s behind-the-scenes look at NASA, yadray’s unique “bubble” project, and a heartwarming story about one neighborhood giving a child with leukemia an early Christmas.

We look forward to talking with all of you today. Hope to see you there!

Meet Team iReport

lila — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:01:53 GMT

A few Team iReport mugs, from left to right: (top) Henry, Christina, (middle) Dave, Rachel, Lila, Katie, our pal Natali, (bottom) Nicole, Karyn, Kelly, Tyson

There are lots of folks at CNN who help make iReport tick (in addition to our awesome community, of course). Here are some quick introductions to a few of the folks you're most likely to encounter here:

Lila King. I like to think of myself as the ringleader of the iReport circus, and I mean that with nothing but love. I'm a producer, an editor, a team leader, a cheerleader, a blogger, a baker (and candlestick maker?) and I'm pretty sure you'll find that everyone's got an interesting story if you listen well enough.

Tyson Wheatley. I'm Tyson, news manager for CNN iReport. It's my job to keep iReport assignments fresh and topical, and I strive to make sure your amazing iReports are incorporated into CNN's newsgathering and programming. I'm always on the lookout for collaborative storytelling projects, so drop me a line with your assignment ideas.

David Williams. I am the community manager at CNN iReport. I've been with CNN for 15 years. I want your experience here at CNN iReport to be as good as it can be, so if you have a problem or suggestions for improving the site please drop me a line at david.williams@turner.com.

Nicole Saidi. Hi, my name is Nicole, and I geek out over writing and taking pictures. As a CNN iReport producer, I focus on finding the best iReports and reaching skyward with multimedia storytelling at CNN.com. There's usually a wacky hat on my head, and plenty more are hiding in my desk drawers.

Katie Hawkins-Gaar. Hi, I'm Katie. I'm a producer with Team iReport. I keep a close eye on the iReports you send and help identify assignments and other editorial priorities. I enjoy talking to and getting to know iReporters and especially love turning your great content into stories and interactives for CNN.com.

Henry Hanks. Hi, I'm Henry, a CNN iReport producer. I talk to iReporters every day. If your iReport is compelling and/or newsworthy, you may hear from me soon.

Rachel Rodriguez. Hi, I'm Rachel. Being a CNN iReport producer means I get to write stories, build beautiful interactive features, and even find the occasional bit of fame and fortune by showing off your iReports on TV. Oh, and go on Facebook and watch funny iReport videos at work. When I'm not telling your stories, you can find me leading weekly CNN yoga (yes, really).

Christina Zdanowicz. Hey, I'm Christina, a CNN iReport producer. From producing snazzy interactive pieces and writing stories to running the iReport Photo Club, it's always an exciting day on the desk. When I'm not in iReportland, you'll see me donning red sneakers, toting a camera in hand.

Karyn Lu. Hi! My name is Karyn. I'm a user experience designer. It's my job to make sure you have a great experience submitting your iReports, browsing, commenting and sharing on the site, to keep great new features coming, and most importantly, to listen to your feedback.

Kelly Byrom. I'm Kelly, Sr. Designer for CNN.com. I'm here to present all your great visuals for CNN iReport and to create awesome interactives. I am always working with the rest of the team to find new and innovative ways of telling the story.

Pete Bethany. I'm the tech team manager for CNN iReport. I spend lots of time lurking on the site and trying to make sure things run smoothly. We have a fantastic team of software developers who work on the site and we are supported by the entire CNN and Turner infrastructure organization. Keep those comments coming in the weekly roundtable. We're listening.

Kyle Rogers. I'm a senior software developer on the CNN iReport technical team. My job is turning the visions of our designers and producers into reality, enabling you to share your awesome iReports with the world. When not behind a computer, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, meeting new people, hiking and biking, and watching an occasional rocket launch.

Eduardo Ferreira. I'm a software developer on the CNN iReport team. I have a blast working with this great team. Computers are both my job and hobby. Ah, I love music too. I play saxophone, keyboard and acoustic guitar. Not a pro in any of them, though, but I can make some noise. I love to see and I even get shocked sometimes by how the iReporters' opinions vary. But this is the beauty of this site. Everybody has a voice.

Mike Imamura. I'm a software developer who mostly works on the behind-the-scenes parts of the site these days. I'm always excited about making things work better. Also, I'm a huge gamer and really bad at writing biographies.

Melissa Miske. Hello! My name is Melissa and I'm a Sr. Project Manager for the iReport team. I run around behind the scenes managing site enhancements and also help ensure that the site stays stable and functional for all our iReporters!

Julie Aguis. Hi, I'm Julie, your marketing rep for Team iReport. It's my job to let people know about all the different ways they can participate with iReport and to help spread the word about our fabulous community. So please help me out and tell your friends when there is something new that excites you on iReport.

Valarie Evanoff. As a Product Manager for CNN.com, I make sure we're using our current products effectively and strive to bring the best new products to our users. I consider myself lucky to be included on the amazingly fun and exciting CNN iReport team. I enjoy reading, travel, movies, running and food – especially sushi.

Eric Hernandez. Hello iReporters. My name is Eric Hernandez, I manage the group that works with you if you experience issues accessing any parts of the site or run into any trouble uploading data. I graduated from Florida State University (it has been a tough year), and have been with CNN for about 5 years.

Kyle Hale. Hello fellow iReporters! My name is Kyle and I help handle your technical issues here at iReport. Whatever you problem is, be it your submissions aren't showing up, you are having upload problems with your submissions, you've spilt coffee on your brand new computer -- I'm here to help! I want you, the iReporter, to know that any question is a good question and I'll be happy to walk you through any problems you are having with iReport. So hurry up and upload some awesome photos and videos!

Zach Conrad. I help with iReporter requests and technical support. In other words, if you're having trouble with uploading or maybe viewing videos, I do my best to provide assistance. I graduated from Georgia State University and have been with CNN for 6 years.

Behind-the-scenes peek at NASA a ‘phenomenal’ experience

hhanks — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:13:55 GMT

"You'd think it would be one big sonic boom," adriana71 said of witnessing the space shuttle Atlantis launch from three miles away. "Instead, it almost feels like it travels across the ocean, and you feel the boom right in the middle of your chest."

How did she get to see a launch from that close? When NASA announced to their Twitter followers that they would be holding the first-ever "Tweetup" at Cape Canaveral, Florida, she made sure that she promptly signed up for it when the opportunity arose. After all, only 100 people would be allowed to attend this event, a chance for them to meet each other as well as representatives from NASA.

Soon, she was notified of her acceptance, and this past Sunday morning she reported to the Kennedy Space Center to meet with officials from NASA, who explained to the group everything that went into getting a shuttle into orbit.

Later that day, the group got a full tour, getting a sense of the history there, not to mention an up-close glimpse of Atlantis one day before launch. "That was amazing because the only people who get to see it that close up are the VIPs," she said.

The next day, it was time for the big show. The 100 lucky NASA fans had their own "twent," three miles away from the shuttle, where the press usually reports on launches. adriana71 had seen a shuttle blast off before, but this one was really special. "When you're three miles away, it's just the brightest light ever," she said. "Just think of a million Roman candles lit up at once."

That experience alone made the event unforgettable, said adriana71. She felt really grateful to NASA's staff for hosting the Tweetup. "These guys were phenomenal."

CNN iReport roundtable: Thursday at 3:10 p.m. ET

davidw — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:46:19 GMT

TIME CHANGE ALERT: We need to start a few minutes late today because of a scheduling conflict

Please join us here at 3:10 p.m. ET for our weekly roundtable discussion. I know we've got a lot to talk about, from awesome iReport stories on CNN to new solicitations and questions about the ibastadobbs iReports.

Talk to you then.

"Top Chef's" Colicchio dishes with iReporters

hhanks — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:26:26 GMT

CNN iReporters had a full plate of questions for “Top Chef” judge Tom Colicchio last week.

ohemming wanted to know whether Colicchio decides to eliminate chefs based on that week’s challenge or the entirety of their work, as well as which female fellow judge was “hotter in person.” sas62003 asked if Colicchio stays in touch with past contestants. ruralgourmet wanted to find out about Colicchio’s favorite vegetable, while dwisniewski asked how many recipes he has memorized.

Find out how Colicchio answered their questions here. Thanks to everyone who asked a question!

From the streets of Iran

nsaidi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:39:00 GMT

On the 30th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, turmoil once again rages from within the country. Protesters have taken to the streets to speak out against their government. We received several iReports showing images from Iran, including photos showing scenes of protests that took place in the capital city of Tehran.

The photographer said hundreds of people had gathered near a train station. The images show security forces and burning objects. Since a series of demonstrations began in June, citizen journalism has been perhaps the primary way information has been shared from inside Iran.

iReport roundtable: Thursday @ 3 p.m. ET

davidw — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:22:53 GMT

Join us in our blog today at 3 p.m. ET for our weekly roundtable discussion. We are looking forward to talking to you.

We'll open comments on this blog post at 3 p.m. so you can leave your questions and comments and then members of Team iReport will respond.

We'll talk to you at 3 p.m. ET.

Technical difficulties

katie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:47:21 GMT

You may have problems logging in to CNN iReport this morning. Our technical team is on the issue and hopes to have the problem fixed shortly.

In the meantime, if you spot breaking news, please send it to ireport@cnn.com . We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience!

UPDATE: Our developers have identified the problem and login should be restored. If you encounter any other technical problems, please us know at contact@ireport.com . Thanks!

USS New York sails home

katie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:25:16 GMT

The USS New York steamed into New York Harbor Monday and iReporters were there to document its arrival. The 25,000-ton ship is partially made of seven and a half tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center.

Watching the ship was especially meaningful for New York iReporters MSetoPhoto , sergeinyc and sjunat55 , who all had personal connections to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. MSetoPhoto and sjunat55 lost friends in the attack and sergeinyc was working in the towers at the time.

Their photos capture the bittersweet emotion of the momentous occasion. Did you watch the ship's arrival? Share your photos and video and see other great submissions.