In most large cities, billboards rule the main roads, larger blind walls and stops at public transport routes. In the Netherlands, trams, buses and trains double as moving advertising space. In the digital world of the web, the same story unfolds. Bloggers turn their personal playground into cash cows with Google Adsense, news sites allow as much advertising above the fold as news, and company homepages are marketing driven rather than information or usability driven.
Times Square, NYC - Photo by Filipe Fortes, www.fortes.com/
My question: what does this say about our online and offline culture? Why do whe valor commercial motives so much that it takes up so much (digital) space? Or (the other way round): why do we appreciate our public space so little, that we allow it to be ruled by an economic rather than human perspective?
My idea for a setup:
- Introduction (that would be me :-)
- Naming of concerns, developments or opportunities in the public space, be it digital or real-life. (think brainwriting, fast and short.)
- Selection of two or three central issues.
- Conversation on these subjects. I'll try and play a bit of a discussion host here (if necessary).
- Summary and ideas for follow-up.
Interesting links:
