Work(ing Title)

If anyone would like, I have a few invites to Pownce that I’m happy to give away. I’ll pick three people who leave a comment at random and get y’all sharing links and videos and little quips in no time.

No assurances as to how useful you may ultimately find the service obviously. Web 2.0 and useful don’t always play peanut butter and jelly…

Danah Boyd and Henry Jenkins launched the YPulse Mashup this morning at the Nikko with a discussion centered very much around everyone’s favourite teenage wizard. Mr. Jenkins, who directs the Comparative Media Studies Program at MIT, pointed out that it’s unlikely we will see another phenomenon on the scale of Harry Potter. The petrol of the Internet has fuelled the fire of niche markets to a point where individual interests are now rarely singular.

Ms. Boyd noted that Usenets developed the model of groupings of users based on interests rather than traditional demographics, and that 20 year old model has grown into World of Warcraft guilds where users of all ages contribute to common goals and therefore socialize. This notion of dissolving international borders was crystalized by Chinese Harry Potter fans translating the sixth book in 48 hours via a wiki, rather than wait for the official release, which was ultimately shown to be edited for the Chinese market.

The Chinese Harry Potter story illuminates one of the concerning elements of adult control over the youth Internet experience. Students are being warned off of the Wikipedia for fear of it’s inaccuracy, and this will prevent participation in these egalatarian communities. Second Life is a powerful example of this participatory culture, and as it evolves a resident v. tourist dynamic may develop. This can be seen today with the individual v. corporate use of Second Life currently.

All in all, the keynote was a good primer for the remainder of the day. Together Danah and Henry highlighted the contrasts between offline and online social models as they relate to age, class, and nationality.

Saturday afternoon I’ll be arriving in SF, and that evening Ms. Cooper and I are interested in a North African Bastille Day celebration. Monday and Tuesday will be sacrificed in an attempt to understand those wild digital teens at the Ypulse Mashup.

Wednesday will be spent traveling to Los Angeles (more on that adventure later), where I’ll stay through the week’s end. Saturday and Sunday (the 20th and 21st) I’ll be in Monterey for the MotoGP motorbike races at Laguna Seca.

Monday will be scattered around San Jose, Cupertino, Mountain View, and Palo Alto before arriving back in SF to remain through the end, putting a cap on this month of July (in the year of our Bond) at Laughingsquid’s Paradise Lost.