All entries for April 2006

We can plan our way out of this

Writing about web page http://www.vejpark.kk.dk/byenstrafik/cyklernesby/uk/index.htm

Via an excellent post on Cycler's Life, I learned of the impressive work that has taken place in Copenhagen to change its transport culture and free up the city so that cyclists have a stake in public space and public policy. And the news is that it's not only good for cyclists; it's good for business too. The video really is worth watching.

: 11 Apr 2006 12:36 |  Tags: Cycling |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Death to User–Generated Content

Writing about web page http://www.powazek.com/2006/04/000576.html

Lovely little rant from Derek Powazek, from which I quote a few gems here:

Calling the beautiful, amazing, brilliant things people create online "user-generated content" is like sliding up to your lady, putting your arm around her and whispering, "Hey baby, let's have intercourse." They're words that creepy marketeers use. They imply something to be commodified, harvested, taken advantage of.

So let's not give in to the buzzphrase du jour. Let's use the real words. Those people posting to Amazon pages? They're writing reviews. Those folks on Flickr? They're making photographs. And if we must have an umbrella term to describe the whole shebang, I have a suggestion. Try this on for size: Authentic Media. Authentic media comes to you unfiltered by the global brands and conglomerates that have taken over the mainstream media. Authentic media is the raw, first-person narrative you can find on blogs and homepages. Authentic media is what happens when the mediators get out of the way and give the mic over to the people who actually have something to say.

: 06 Apr 2006 16:30 |  Tags: Blogging |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Make your own SUV ad

Writing about web page http://todd.cleverchimp.com/blog/?p=102

Via John Dale's blog and Cleverchimp, I learned of Chevrolet's super flashy online competition, in which they invite visitors to their website to create their own ad for their new Tahoe SUV, editing the whole thing within the browser. So far they do not appear to be moderating any of the submissions, which has prompted an array of subversive and witty submissions, many about environmental damage and the geopolitical consequences of oil dependency. A list of the best of these submissions is emerging in the comments thread here: link

: 04 Apr 2006 13:53 |  Tags: Cycling Humour Transport |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem