city2.orgCity2.0 - 'Hyperlocal' blog networks & news aggregation platform for engaging communities

City2.0 - ’Hyperlocal’ blog networks & news aggregation platform for engaging communities Selected Projects    /    About Here lies City2.org City2.org was an early (2007-2012) experimental local citizen journalism and civic engagement platform. It’s mission was to build and enable a network of principled citizen journalists, who would in turn contribute to a more transparent, connected, and engaged community. The platform - consisting primarily of a hand-made blog network and customizable local news aggregation system - was built to scale it’s unique combination of features to multiple cities, but never expanded beyond it’s initial instance in Santa Barbara, CA. Within Santa Barbara, City2 quickly became known for it’s unique community of over 500 citizen voices, it’s special features (which were groundbreaking for local news), and it’s close knit and supportive culture. Features ? Customizable news aggregation feed that dynamically mixed local City2 headlines with headlines from established news organizations. The aggregator could be user customized to focus on any subject; hard news, arts & entertainment, blogs, opinion, sports, etc. ? Early version of mobile posting (pre-dating instagram et al), enabling users to use their pre-smart-phones to email or text in news updates, or blog posts. ? Emphasis on dynamic data visualizations which made local public information useable and digestible. ? Dynamic and realitme advertising functionality enabling vendors to customize their ads via home-rolled micro-CMS A few favorite voices ? Santa Barbara Man About Goleta - Self described post-multiculuralist Paul Rivas, providing entertaining commentary - often focusing on the spanish speaking community ? Culture of Protest - Local Sociology Professor and lifelong activist, Dick Flacks on politics, & local and national social movements ? Mr. Pottymouth - A secret shopper, and critiquer of local bathrooms. ? The Undercover Nutritionist - who would savagely and secretly shame people after observing their purchases (and the reasons behind them) at the checkout line. ? The Bellicose & the Bucolic - a New Yorker-like hand drawn ’comic’, inhabiting a rich space somewhere between fine art and Gary Larsen ? Almost Native Son - a widely read local citizen journalism blog focusing on current local current events, politics, culture, fire updates, SBIFF coverage, and infographics. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ City2 was created by me, Warren , back when the internet was more full of wonder, weirdness, and possibility. I hope it can someday be that way again. Projects & Factoids Though I design for a living, I do a lot of random things. I’m an artist, curator, journalism geek, and history lover. Some of the things below are accomplishments I’m proud of - others are just weird facts about me: - Co-founded a Knight-funded online investigative newspaper for Santa Barbara called Mission & State - Been to 18 countries, and 49 US states (damn you, Rhode Island) - I curate contemporary art exhibitions. The most recent two were AOKOA , and THINGS THAT TURN YOUR BRAINS TO MUSH - My wife and I are fixing up a 1981 Airstream Motorhome - Fascinated by Cybernetics and Social Anthropology - I co-founded an artist-run contemporary art gallery in Downtown LA called Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Los Angeles - Life-long sci-fi nerd (TNG, BSG, etc etc) - For 15 years, I surfed a waveski - Eagle Scout - Served on the Board of Directors for the Miller-McCune Center for Public Policy & Research, publisher of Pacific Standard MagazineFind me Twitter: @sleeptest Email: ws[at]wsao.net LinkedIn Dribbble© Actual Media,...