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The BBC has decided the web is now worthy and has made it the subject of a detailed documentary series, The Virtual Revolution, that explores its origins, evolution and examines the implications of the technology for society.

It's a highly ambitious, well-researched and thoughtful look at what 20 years of the web means for humanity. This is the perfect time to take a look back and project forward because we are on the cusp of massive expansion as the developing world comes on board in leaps and bounds.

The series is narrated by Dr. Aleks Krotoski, who aside from studying the implications of the internet for the past 10 years, is also a member of The Guardian's crack team of technology journalists.

The first program in the series examines the idea of the web as the great leveler and leaves no stone unturned in it's quest for answers. Most of the program is filmed in the Bay Area and includes interviews with local luminaries-Stewart Brand, Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Keen, Chad Hurley and John Perry Barlow.

The big theme here is one of revolution and counter-revolution which is explained by the adoption of the internet by late 1960s and early 70s Bay Area radicals, fueled by hope from the Summer of Love and looking for a space where their ideals could be realized, a space that turned out to be The Well.

The program concludes that despite all the hippie driven hope for true openness and utopia, the reality today is very different with a handful of new media brands that have taken and co-opted control.

Krotoski finds an interesting contrast from the ideals of 60s radicals to 2010, where there is basically one online store, one social network, one search engine and one online video network.

Despite the potential doomsday scenario of limited control, Krotoski hopeful thesis is that the beauty of the internet is its state of constant flux, which simply put, means those who are in control today, are very likely not to be in control forever.



Posted by Ed Cotton Adaptive Path has been working on an interesting project with Mozilla to explore the future of the browser.

They made a film, shown below. to introduce the concept and show how users might access, share and collaborate with data found through their browser.

The concept demonstrates interesting ways to seamlessly integrate data elements into conversations, that previously would have involved many different steps.

It gives us a glimpse at the potential of a new internet future, which has massive implications for the way in which brands use the web and interact with their users.



Aurora (Part 1) from Adaptive Path on Vimeo.

Posted by Ed Cotton R/GA's Nike+ site, although created in 2005, has been much heralded this year as the gold standard in "Brand Utility".

It has been the marker to judge this new hybrid world between the banner and the website, sadly, nobody, not even R/GA has come close to the excellence of the Nike site.

So, while we wait for another contender, it's worth taking a look at what's happening on the Nike + site today.

Interestingly, in common with every diet product and fitness center, Nike + is now in full resolution mode.

The site is allowing its users to upload their resolutions, to track them and send notes and encouragement to others making resolutions.

It's a great example of the dynamics of the site and how the experience can be flexible enough to respond to short-term needs like New Year's resolutions.



Posted by Ed Cotton Cool story about the Movable Type art piece in the new New York Times building in New York.

The concept is all about breaking the original content down into small elements and finding connections between the pieces.




Posted by Ed Cotton The constraints of integration too often put limits on the creative application of a single medium.

The idea that interactive should follow the lead of television often doesn't make any sense. It's refreshing to see an idea that seems so perfect for the interactive medium and one where the agency has been allowed to play a little.

Poke's campaign for Orange all about a simple unlimited calling service, but it's been treated as an experience.

How many times have we seen this service executed in a boring and predicatable fashion?

Online, Poke have made it playful, random, experiential and masively engaging, it also translates the idea of unlimited into never ending and applied it directly to the web.

The end result is a welcome change from the predictable pathways most users are set.


Posted by Ed Cotton Boing-Boing is the breakout blog, the one that most people have heard and perhaps even visited.

The wacky commentators that trawl the web daily for their weird, funny and compelling stuff are now breaking out of their blog home and moving onto and into a new format for them, one called television.

The team promise that this experiment will not be television as usual.

Here's the first taste of fun, so you can decide for yourself.




Posted by Ed Cotton