CNN iReport

Many of you are not only becoming a part of the CNN newsgathering process but are also reporting from the scene LIVE! Last night, after Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, iReporters Zennie Abraham and William Gilbane III , still on-scene in Denver, were joining Nicole Lapin and Reggie Aqui via phone on CNN.com Live . “What a great speech…a really fantastic speech,” Gilbane told Aqui, as viewers looked at an image that Abraham had sent in from his mobile device. “I think that tonight and this whole convention week … with the tribute to Senator Kennedy and Hillary’s great speech… we just saw tonight Barack Obama become a great president” Keep your on scene reports coming and you too could find yourself on the air…

Hopefully you've noticed the great videos on iReport.com from the "iReport kit" -- a mobile kiosk for recording and uploading unedited and unfiltered stories from you. It's like the upload page on iReport.com, but right in the middle of a news event while it's happening. People walk up to the kit and record themselves on camera or upload their own photos and videos directly to iReport.com. We've already seen examples of the iReport kit in action -- collecting amazing footage during Hurricane Dolly and opinions at events like the Personal Democracy Forum . Right now the iReport kit is in Denver, collecting eyewitness accounts and commentary from the Democratic National Convention. We've seen a few familiar faces using the kit -- including Congressman Dennis Kucinich , and director Spike Lee -- and a host of new faces to iReport.com. Welcome to the community. Remember, the kit is on the move. You can keep track of it by following our Twitter feed . And look for the kit next week in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took questions last night from the online communities at Digg and iReport in the first Digg Dialogg interview, streamed live on CNN.com from the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Our own ReallyRick (really Rick Seno from Dallas, Texas), asked the final question, about why Congress' approval ratings are so low. Watch Pelosi's answer to all of the questions in the video on CNN.com » I'm pretty excited about this kind of interview -- I'd like to think that adding new voices to the mix can elevate the conversation, or at the very least keep it interesting. What do you think? Did it work this time? Leave a comment to let us know.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi takes questions from the iReport and Digg communities live tonight on CNN.com. Watch with us at 8:30 p.m. ET! * Digg Dialogg »

• iReport questions »
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iReporters were once again a very reliable and unique resource for CNN during breaking news coverage. The most recent example is 16-year-old iReporter Trevor Dougherty , who found himself stuck in Philadelphia after an FAA computer glitch caused nationwide airport delays. While waiting for his connecting flight to Denver, where he plans to attend the Democratic National Convention, Dougherty, known as maddogza on iReport.com, shot video of the raw, intentional reactions of travelers in the airport. In the style of any professional reporter, Dougherty appears on-camera telling us first-hand the situation from an area other reporters were unable to access. As well, Dougherty interviewed his fellow passengers about their thoughts. Within moments of Dougherty transmitting his report to iReport.com, I had Dougherty on the phone telling me about his travels. “No one in the airport has told us anything…except for CNN,” Dougherty told me. “I’m pretty worried.” Dougherty’s video is another great example of how valuable iReporters can be in the midst of breaking news. So often they’re on the scene first, sending out some of the initial shots. It was during a webcam interview with CNN International’s Errol Barnett that Dougherty finally heard some good news – his flight would be taking off soon. Like Dougherty, so many iReporters are now equipped with mobile devices that allow them to send out images instantly from the scene of breaking news, and even report back to CNN live via webcam. We’re happy to report Dougherty’s flight to Denver finally took off and he will be sending more iReports when he gets there. And whether you’re in Denver or in your living room, you too can report on the happenings of the conventions by sharing your thoughts on iReport.com/desk .

We've just added a sentence to the iReport.com terms of use to explain how licensing works for iReport material and want to be sure you know about it. In short, the update makes it clear that when CNN licenses iReport material as stand-alone content outside of its programming to third parties unaffiliated with CNN, CNN will share the license fee with the iReport contributor. We think this is good news for all of us – it means that when people see iReport material that’s so great they want to pay to use it, we can be sure that everyone benefits. You can read the full terms here; look for a new sentence at the end of the first paragraph in Section 5, “Submissions.” And as always, if you have questions or comments, you can reach us at contact@ireport.com or just leave a comment on this post.

Between severe weather and the Democratic National Convention, the Denver-metro area’s iReporters are hard at work. Several iReporters, practically living in the same neighborhood, all caught images of a separate tornado which touched down in Parker, Colorado. "It was literally within a half mile of my home," iReporter Corrinn White said. “I had just closed on the house and I was panicking. I feared I’d have to make my first insurance claim.” Sunday evening iReporter Jeff Smith caught images as the tornado passed by some brand new homes in Parker . Earlier in the day, Jeff was in Denver snapping shots of protesters near the CNN Grill. iReporter Tyler Gomes was nearly done setting up his tent at Lake George when him and his crew were sent fleeing into a woman’s bathroom for shelter from the approaching tornado . When your on the scene of a news near you – be sure to share your photos and videos with CNN. But remember to never put yourself in danger when capturing material. You can visit iReport.com/desk to see all our latest assignments, currently ranging from the convention, to severe weather and other news around the world.

iReport.com is pairing up with Digg to put your questions in front of people we'd all like to talk to at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Here's how it'll work: upload a video question to iReport.com, post it to the Digg Dialogg page, then join the online community on Digg.com who will pick the best questions for the interview. First up, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who's expected to sit down with Digg founder Jay Adelson to take your questions at the Democratic National Convention this week in Denver. Upload your question here and follow along on the iReport.com blog for details on when and where to watch on CNN.com Live .

You've been watching the Olympics over the past two weeks - that's a given. But how much of Beijing have you really seen? For most of us, it's just the bird's nest and the water cube, maybe the occasional shot of the Great Wall or Tiananmen Square. Thanks to iReporter franchen , we can see a little more. Chen has been filing some fantastic video reports that give an inside look at Olympic festivities across Beijing. You can check out some Olympic decorations , from sculpted hedges to larger-than-life stick figures, or follow Chen inside a mall where people are cheering on their teams and participating in Olympic-themed activities. Get a glimpse of what it's like to be in Beijing during the Olympics!

Summer's coming to a close, and the political season is gearing up again. Denver is preparing for next week's Democratic National Convention, as evidenced by DenverCathy ’s photos around town . And Mymannyc is driving a truck from New York to Denver in support of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. Now that the election season's heating up, we want to see how you're getting involved. Submit a short film documenting your role in the presidential election to the iReport Film Festival , and you could be eligible to win an HD video camera and a trip to Washington D.C. during the 2008 Presidential Inauguration. The deadline for submissions is October 12. Sound good? Entering the contest is easy. You can read all the guidelines here . And if you’re working on a film or have any questions, let us know! Tell us about your plans in the comments field.

Our servers are currently backed up, preventing stories from being posted to iReport.com. Our technical team is currently investigating the issue. In the meantime, please continue to send iReports, as they will appear on the site once the issue is resolved. If you need additional help, please refer to our frequently asked questions or send an e-mail to contact@ireport.com . Edit: This issue has been resolved. Thanks for your patience!

It's not every day that a 6-year-old boy gets to interview the most decorated athlete in Olympic history, but iReporter Michael Glasgow got that chance earlier this week. We got tons of great questions for American swimmer Michael Phelps for his appearance on CNN.com Live. You can watch the interview here . iReporter Michelle Cruz got to help Larry King interview Pastor Rick Warren, who was fresh off of his forum with presidential hopefuls Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama. We've been encouraged by the consistently good questions we've been getting from our users and plan to ask for them as often as we can. So if you've got a question for a newsmaker, send it in a short video and we'll try to get you an answer.

Way back when iReport.com was just someone's quite-possibly-crazy idea and the team that eventually developed the site was only getting started, one of the things we knew for sure we wanted to do was put iReports on a map. iReports come from just about everywhere, and we have a hunch that seeing them all on a map will help us learn something about how local stories and global ones connect to one another, and where and how that happens. So! Today we're really excited to launch the first version of our iReport map , a mashup of iReport data and Google Maps. For now, you can use the map to see iReports from across the world and on all kinds of topics plotted together according to their location. You can also see where iReport contributors are based by clicking on the iReporters tab. And get ready for big and small enhancements in the next few weeks. You can find more detail and tips for using the map in the FAQ . Got questions? Send us an e-mail at contact@ireport.com or leave a comment here. We can't wait to hear what you think!

iReporter dpkronmiller got our attention a few weeks ago when he posted an essay on the marketing failures that hurt Will Smith's superhero flick "Hancock." Kronmiller is a writer, actor and producer in Los Angeles, so he has a lot of interesting insights into the film industry. He's also a Mac user, so when Apple's MobileMe debacle knocked his Web sites offline, Kronmiller got out his camera and discussed his frustrations in a video commentary. Since then, Kronmiller has posted an audio review of the "Dark Knight" movie and sounded off a variety of topics. His latest iReport shows how a Los Angeles theater is using burlesque shows to help fund their productions, and to help provide theater education for young people. He interviewed the cast, shot footage of the performance and edited it together into his most elaborate story to date. It's exciting to see iReporters evolve and experiment with different types of storytelling. We want to challenge you to try something new and we're looking forward to seeing the results.

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Georgia has sparked a fierce reaction on iReport.com. Tensions between the two countries remain high, and that's been reflected in the angry barbs and accusations that are being tossed around on the site. There have been a few flashes of moderation. iReporter Racoon says it's wrong to blame the people for their goverments' actions. "When you guys say "Russia murdered," try to think twice before saying that. Better say "politicians" of the "regime". But not Russians … common people are mourning over those killed on both sides. BuddhaGeo , an 18-year-old Georgian, said there's plenty of blame to go around. "Both sides have made a large mistake, neither side is right here and neither side is wrong, both sides are guilty," he said in an impassioned video . We encourage our community to let us know about other good discussions on iReport.com, or start your own dialog in the comments below.

Sounds good to me. I see no reason to turn down a 3-day weekend. We keep hearing about the integration of 4-day work weeks at companies nationwide but what would that really mean to you? So while the numbers are being crunched to determine how much money companies will save and how many fewer miles you'll have to drive, we want to know what you would do with an extra day off. Will you be hitting the road, spending more time with the kids or just catching up on overdue projects around the house? So get those Web cams rolling and upload your photos or videos of the things you would do on an extra day off.

News of a virtual world. It's almost a routine find at iReport.com, but there was a time when we weren't sure what kinds of Second Life iReports we were going to get. We've gotten plenty, and it turns out that SL iReports are often some of the most interesting stories we get at iReport.com. By now, we've learned a few lessons and we're going to fine-tune our efforts for maximum impact. One big change is we're saying goodbye to the Second Life blog . While the old page will stay archived on CNN.com, we're shifting our focus to iReport.com/secondlife . We'd like to direct our efforts toward putting content on CNN and coming up with creative ways to channel the endless talents of the SL iReport community. If you're out capturing news of a virtual world, or you're just curious about these kinds of stories, we welcome you to check out our SL iReports and send a few of your own . Can't wait to see what you come up with!

With the opening day celebrations underway in Beijing, we want to know about the games and sports near you. Does your community host an annual potato sack race? Are you a competitive eating champ? In March, iReporter kristih shared with us her family's experiences at the '2008 Frozen Dead Guy Days' in Nederland, Colorado. "It's weird, funky and quirky and we really wanted to do it, finally...we can now say, we did it," said kristih, who's real name is Kris Hazelton. Alongside some of her closest friends and family, Hazelton and her team, all sporting gorilla suits, competed in the festival's "Coffin Races ." With help from her fellow gorillas, Hazelton raced over snow and ice to the finish line carrying her 15-year-old daughter in a fake coffin. Hazelton, the owner and editor of a local newspaper, was there again when 6,500 rubber ducks hit a river in Estes Park, Colorado. The annual event raised over $128,000 for local charities! If you take part in local sporting events, either traditional or one of a kind, upload your photos or videos of the games and share them with the world!

You don't have to turn on the TV or head to the theater to watch great documentary filmmaking. There's lots of great pieces right here on iReport.com that show off the power of citizen journalism. These well-produced videos show the human side of a story and tie the story topic together into a compelling piece. For a prime example, user gmmacdonald is on a world tour of drought-affected places . The geography professor put together a fantastic video that we hope will be the first of many from him. If you're into locally focused feature stories, ChiKiiTV has taken a look at marijuana use among typical suburban mothers. DANR 's video about a Confederate flag in his town struck a chord with readers. Or, if you're into a good nature show, BriCzar roams Kenya with his camera and gives an up-close look at animals and their plight. JamesAmerson , on the other hand, took a look at the lives of animals at a zoo hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. To cover breaking news with a slightly humorous twist, GLMarinerEd produced one video about a gripping Great Lakes rescue with booming music from Def Leppard. Documentaries have also been done in the virtual world of Second Life, including a piece about voice messages inside a 3-D bottle and the mystery of a saloon that half-disappeared . After Black in America aired on CNN, bradbailey put together a video documenting being Black in Hollywood . And finally, on the lighter side, you might enjoy a look at Comic-Con through the lens of lamichaela 's on-scene footage or ChrisMorrow 's numerous interviews. Got a story to tell, or did we miss something? Tell us about it. And don't forget to submit your short political film to the iReport Film Festival .

We've been looking into recent concerns and rumors about hacking and other inappropriate behavior on iReport.com. A lot of the discussion has been going on in e-mails and private messages between members of the community, so it has taken a little while to get to the bottom of the issue. Here's what we know: First, and most importantly, our site developers have not found any indication that the iReport site has been compromised. * One iReport.com contributor's personal outside e-mail account was apparently accessed by an outsider, who used that information to contact people she had met through iReport.com. We have set up a new iReport.com account for this user. * There also have been a few cases of people sending scam messages via e-mail or private message to members of the iReport.com community. We have banned members for this sort of behavior, since it is in violation of the iReport.com's terms of use. If you get a message like this, or other suspicious e-mails, please let us know by sending a message to report.violations@ireport.com. It's very important to us that iReport.com is a place where people feel safe to share news stories with others in the community. If you encounter problems here, please let us know by sending a message to contact@ireport.com so we can try to help. And remember, you can check theCommunity Guidelines, FAQ and iReport.com's Terms of Use for more information about how the site works and what is and isn't welcome here.

This week iReport turns two. On August 2, 2006, we posted the first iReport form on CNN.com, creating an open invitation to anyone with a story to share it with CNN and the rest of the world. The first iReport on CNN? A reeeeeally hot squirrel, photographed by James Christie on an extremely warm day in Kokomo, Indiana. iReport has come a long way since then, growing into its very own site and active community of citizen journalists whose reporting has added depth and insight to some of the most significant news stories of the past two years. We’re really proud of iReport and hope you are, too. After all, it’s your stories and conversation that make it work. So happy birthday and THANK YOU to all of you! Here’s to another amazing year ahead! + Lila , Tyson , David , Nicole , Kate , Katie, Henry , Rachel and Karyn +

Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince are all turning 50 this year. They're just the latest in a long line of celebrities continuing to be famous and fabulous into their fifties, and it has us wondering - what's the meaning today of this age milestone? Many iReporters posted to tell us that turning 50 reenergized their lives. reddirtgirl says it inspired her to learn new skills like Photoshop and belly dancing, and dochinez went skydiving . A group of women who met in elementary school reconnected at 50 , giving themselves the name FlipFlops . Other iReporters told us all about the fun they're having in their fifties. vin776 plays in a rock band that's opened for Kansas and Blue Oyster Cult (you can listen to two of their songs by clicking on his iReport). lmschol says she and her husband are doing more hiking and biking than ever in their home state of Colorado. And dawgfan58 says he's "growing older, but not up" (a la the Jimmy Buffett song ). Show us why you're the new face of 50 .