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The blogging team of the collaborative Berlin 'Hauptstadtblog' (capital city blog) lead a workshop today about regional blogging at re:publica. Belonging to the top 50 bloggers in Germany, they used the interactive forum to clarify their concept for themselves and to others.There was a lot of concern in the room and in the entire event about branding and eyeing future monetarisation possiblities of social media.
This is what I have constructed out of all this for 'place blogging', still an emerging genre in the blogosphere. The following I attempt to apply specifically to 'Manly, Sydney' or this blog of place blogger aggregation: 'Places on Earth':- Be aware of patterns of re-action to the main stream media and their 'agenda-setting'. Have a concept, an action plan and 'do your own thing'.
- Do not regurgitate stuff from the MSM, the (mainstream) political process, parties or other interest groups.
- Do not incorporate advertising or give in to 'pressures' as you loose autonomy and credibility.
- Be aware of recycled 2nd/3rd -'hand' stuff in the blogosphere from the dominant media. If anything provide a perspective shift and construct something new.
- A regional blog is NOT an official portal providing wayfinding and event locating.
- A regional blog provides an individual/collaborative unique perspective and bestows on the place specificity. Information, impressions most portals do not provide.
Initial impressions of re:publica
re-publica
Urban-interface is an “exhibition and artistic/curatorial research project exploring the interspaces between public and private urban space.” The urban interactive space is mediated by ICT in Berlin in Mitte, Wedding and Gesundbrunnen. (Map) The events are on from 15.04 to 06.05
Also this French place-blogger in Monputeaux is improving life in his chosen place with his citizensjournalism.(Via Telepolis)
Image: Berlin,Mitte-'beach' arcades,post Tango night
Awsome visualisations of places are created by Nikolas Schiller. Utilising public domain maps, he views the Earth from a bird's-eye view shattering into a variety of fractal images. His geo-spatial art “is about new and experimental perspectives & projections of the world around and above you. With the world already charted and mapped, Geospatial Art allows you to rediscover it all over again. My geographic designs deviate from traditional cartography because they will not orient one to the right path, rather they offer many paths and many views of a place at a specific time in history. “
In various cities street art workers are reappropriating their public spaces and engaging in heteroglossia:Image: Berlin, Mitte graffiti
“The Metropolis and Mental Life" was published in 1903 by the sociologist and philosopher George Simmel. Although the urban dweller's state was perceived as liberated from root-bound conformity and tradition, they eventually develop "the blase attitude" to themselves, others and their overstimulating surroundings. In his main work ,"The Philosophy of Money" (German) he sets the frame of reference for his social theory.The Georg Simmel Center for Metropolitan Studies (GSZ) in Berlin “...is intended to bring together the numerous scientific competencies of the various areas of expertise which deal with the large city and the metropolis.” The “metropolis” as opposed to the “megacity” of the Newly Industrialized Countries belongs to their research clusters.
Concepts of global cities, megacities and metropolis are theorised, absent seem to be concepts of the transnational metro-dwellers.Lots of resources on the web and even events (Gauging the Metropolis – Narratives and City Maps ) cover the topic.
Image: Berlin, Mitte
The blogging team of the collaborative Berlin 'Hauptstadtblog' (capital city blog) lead a workshop today about regional blogging at re:publica. Belonging to the top 50 bloggers in Germany, they used the interactive forum to clarify their concept for themselves and to others.
