I thought I’d passed the final boss of the internet as it had been a while since I had seen something really interesting, something that was fundamentally NEW.
First, the bad.
In Ireland, as we have approached the General Election the various political parties have been desperately trying to one up each other. Fine Gael of seen off all competition in the ‘who’s the most incompetent at the internet’ category. First their website gets hacked and then yesterday their facebook page becomes a case study in how-not-to-manage-your-brand-online. Whoever is managing their web presence, their social media and the ‘conversation’ they claim to be having with the electorate should keep their job, they should not be fired for incompetence as this person perfectly represents the inept politicians of Fine Gael. *Clap … Clap* If you do get a chance to check out Fine Gael’s website please do. Its laugh out loud bad!
Now the Good,
A Series of Angry Letters is a blog that straddles internet ambiguity and gallops off into the real world with a vengeance. Myrtle is an elderly lady who is fed up with the state of Ireland and writes angry letters to various entities. So far, she has addressed the leader of Fine Gael (see above), Mr Enda Kenny and a politician who is suing a fellow pensioner after he fell through her roof. Having spoken to Mrytle, we can expect letters every Monday ranging from politics to social philosophy, nihilism and humanity. All packaged neatly into a well constructed letter that commits to nothing but tearing asunder assumptions about various people, parties and phenomena and how society accepts them.
Another blog that is blowing my mind is New York Prisoner 63906054. This blog is also ambiguous as many people have called into question the status of the author’s incarceration. The blog does read very well, its finely crafted, perhaps too finely, and how does a prisoner post on a blog and a facebook page anyway?
There’s little clues scattered amongst the posts as to where this plot is going, he reveals back-story and other characters, his writing is emotive and hilarious. All the while he reveals fascinating, funny and fun information about prison in New York.
It raises further questions about how ‘locked-up’ a prisoner is when he can find a way to communicate so successfully with so many. I’m glad he’s doing it. I’m glad of the questions it throws up for prisons. This isn’t a simple letter from an inmate to a friend, family or even gang newsletter, no this really is mass communication. Granted at the time of writing he only has 614 followers on facebook. Anthropologically this is interesting as a piece of creative ethnography from within the prison walls but also as a ‘media-scape’ that is transcending prison walls in a very blunt and honest way. In fact, it is so honest that I worry about what will happen to Prisoner 63906054 if the authorities find out. So keep this one under your hats!
