the best of the internet
I am a rapturous fan of Wikipedia, because to me, it represents everything I think the internet should be - shared, free information as a result of mass collaboration, ever growing, constantly being refined towards the highest levels of perfection collectively attainable by humanity. This is not to say that I think Wikipedia is perfect at this stage; only that as a concerted effort, it has the potential to be Pretty Damned Good Indeed (TM). And as you may know, I am all for growth - of the self, or otherwise.
I also love media of all sort - photographs, film, soundclips, music, art, literature, etc. Media can be entertainment, a hobby, a passion; but what it represents is so much more - manifestations of the human spirit that simultaneously define and preserve, throughout the rise and fall of history, civilizations and cultures, what it means to be human.
So of course when there comes one such call for collaboration, to compile a selection of media pieces from cities all over the world, what I suspect will result from this endeavour is a remarkable display of human pluralism, diversity and perhaps surprising similarity, that will make YOU glad to be alive in such interesting times. But that'll only happen if you contribute. So go on, send him a photo, filmclip or soundclip of where you live, and you might contribute to something fun, hip, exciting, and most of all, consummately human.
(Those responsible for this enterprise are also the creators of EPIC, a landmark Flash production speculating on the future of media in a world becoming increasingly subsumed by technology and web journalism. So, you know, these guys aren't amateurs or anything. You won't be putting your name to a piece of crap. So get moving. Take photos, talk into your webcam, deliver an impassioned speech on the avian migratory patterns in your area. Whatever).
(PS: I think there's a deadline for submission, and it's this Sunday).
(PPS: I must say, the word "deadline" is a singularly discouraging word).