“The internet is not trying to hurt you.” So says “On the Network,” a new blog and podcast that intends to counter the paranoia surrounding the discussion of internet culture in the mainstream media. Founded by media consultant and Fray editor Derek Powazek, the project is calling on internet users everywhere to submit their stories of the first time they “saw” the Internet for all it could be, to be featured in “On the Network’s” debut podcast.
The point of the project is not to reminisce about the crackle or whine of a 14k modem; rather, it’s to gather the tales of that moment when you realized the world had been permanently altered by this new technology. Maybe this was the first time you entered a chat room and hobnobbed with strangers. Maybe it was when you downloaded an MP3 over Napster and saw that music no longer had much to do with physical media. Or maybe it was just last week, when your grandmother proudly showed off all her new iPhone apps.
Whatever the story, consider submitting it to “On the Network,” and lend your voice to a new media project dedicated to clarifying the tenets of digital life. With a Manifesto including principles like “People are messy. The technology we invent is messy, too. Deal with it,” the blog feels like the internet version of Michael Pollan’s Food Rules, empowering media consumers and makers through simple, relevant guidelines.
Call 415.483.5628 to leave a voice mail with your story. Or record it digitally and email it to otnshow@gmail.com. You have one minute, so make it snappy—it’s the Internet, after all.
Image via Nerdarama
