A world wide weblog.

September 2, 2001 5:53 PM

A world wide weblog. Neale's trying out an idea: a weblog by anyone, anywhere--but the technological "seeds" have to be planted by people. So far it's spread to Brunei, Australia, England, the US and the Moon. Slow virus, distributed guestbook, or what? I don't know, but I like it. Help blanket the earth!
posted by rodii (31 comments total)

I really think this could develop into something good, as long as the people live with the local culture and don't all use US English and act all American ;-)

But it seems like a Metafilter without a point so far. But.. I think it could get really interesting with age, I'll keep an eye on it for sure!
posted by wackybrit at 6:14 PM on September 2, 2001

Metafilter has a point?
posted by obiwanwasabi at 6:46 PM on September 2, 2001

damn, you beat me to it wb! i was about to stroll in and say 'that's pretty nifty rodii.. but the concept they're trying aint really so fresh'.
posted by Kino at 6:52 PM on September 2, 2001

(oh yeah.. before anyone runs in and goes nuts on me.. i know! i know! i know! the worldblogs different.. just pick on wackybrit instead.. he.. he.. HE STARTED IT!!)
posted by Kino at 7:08 PM on September 2, 2001

The point about The Road Less Travelled (worldblog) is that people aren't intentionally posting to it. They're posting out of curiousity. I'd be 80% of people who ever post to worldblog have never even heard of weblogs before (except, perhaps, in passing media). I'd say they 99% certainly don't have one.

It's entirely curiosity driven. A person on a computer with it installed will see the popup option and think, "What the hell is that?". If they choose to click it, they get asked a bunch of questions, about who they are and what country they're in, what they did today and what they have planned.

They don't have to fill it out... and the initial posts seem to show that sense of curiosity. What the hell is this thing about?

It's people, who have never blogged before, blogging by accident. It might be just me, but I find that concept cool.
posted by Neale at 7:31 PM on September 2, 2001

Yeah.. to be serious - that's fascinating. Almost like a fishbowl but with people in it. Interesting ones who are travelling through the most unusual of places caught unawares and firing off a few comments into this 'blog thing' they've found whilst trying to copy and paste something. Bravo. That's classy shit. How on earth did you manage to get the option installed into these odd places before the meme itself had spread Neale?
posted by Kino at 7:48 PM on September 2, 2001

A lot of kind, willing people have been spreading the key over the past week. I want to thank them ALL for their help. Without people from across the globe pitching in, visiting internet cafes/malls/unis/libraries/whatever, this would not be possible.

Of course, it would be great if even more hands could pitch in and help. I'd love to see people from every country accidently touching the web.
posted by Neale at 8:02 PM on September 2, 2001

I just went downstairs to make a coffee, and this idea of yours kept bouncing around in my head... the more i think about the it the more taken i am with the whole concept. and it's definitely unique. not to mention cunning. you craftly sod :) - it could go on forever. i must say - i didn't fully realise what it was at first when i saw it - thought it was just a bunch of pals sharing a blog as they travelled or something. but obviously it's so much more than that. Well done.
posted by Kino at 8:38 PM on September 2, 2001

I've just thought - maybe you could try and sort out some multi-language instructions for the regkey download page/s? so many cybercafés in Asia.. i'm definitely going to have friends of mine in farflung countries install it, would be so much easier though if there was a url in their native language i could send them to as it's so conceptual and if it looked 'proper' to them on a page set out for them in their lingo it'd be a far easier task than saying 'here.. do this to your café cuz i said'. know what i mean? sometimes it's hard enough telling them a joke without them thinking i've gone nuts.
posted by Kino at 8:44 PM on September 2, 2001

I certainly plan on doing multilingual question/answer/explanation pages. Unfortunately, I only speak one language.

Therefore I'll need help on those too. Man, I'm asking for a lot from people these days.
posted by Neale at 8:58 PM on September 2, 2001

so did this just start 8-24-01 or is there just no archive for entries before that?
posted by juv3nal at 9:10 PM on September 2, 2001

Yes, it started a week ago. Archives will appear once there are archives to appear with. Or something.
posted by Neale at 9:29 PM on September 2, 2001

Lets just make some up.. That'd be fun!. 'Akiru Shagituri from Uzbekistan... Who you be? What your name? And why you fucko arun wit my computer infidel????'
posted by Kino at 9:40 PM on September 2, 2001

I'm getting it installed at my local cybercafe here in Soldotna, Alaska, and some of my friends are getting it installed in Switzerland, Amsterdam, Germany, Paris and Sweden. This is such a great idea, Neale! I've had some good ideas for weblogs that are completely different than any other too, I'm just waiting for my new server... Way to go Neale!
posted by premiumpolar at 9:59 PM on September 2, 2001

Kino, who are you channeling?
posted by thirteen at 10:13 PM on September 2, 2001

not familiar with the term thirteen, but it sounds mighty kinky. elaboration?
posted by Kino at 10:28 PM on September 2, 2001

chan·nel·ing (chn-lng)
n.

The act or practice of serving as a medium through which a spirit guide purportedly communicates with living persons.

You don't sound like yourself today.
posted by thirteen at 10:37 PM on September 2, 2001

It's a great idea, but I'd be a teensy nervous about the reaction of the machine's owners. We've got all sorts of crazy laws, and admins can get pretty territorial.
posted by skyline at 10:43 PM on September 2, 2001

Ha. if i was to speak with my mouth and not my fingers i'd sound even more odd thirteen - been up most of the weekend >__< As for who, i'm not sure yet, the whole of irc probably. i imagine i'll be pushing it on everyone whose made the mistake of making my aquantance in my brief, yet frantic, keyboard tapping existence. my brother lives in Taiwan and uses cafés there all the time - so him for a start, he's obliged, obviously, to go along with any scheme i decide is the best thing since sliced bread. other than that.. watch out mother earth, here i come - a living breathing spambot is about to personally disrupt your existence and convince you into getting yourself banned from your local cyber-emporium. ^__^
posted by Kino at 10:53 PM on September 2, 2001

We could keep this thread active as like a mission control hub. oh ping! idea.. we need one of them big maps that army people in odd shaped hats stick pins in whilst hiding from bombs in undergound bunkers! we can chart this mother as it spreads across an unsuspecting planet like chicken flu and watch as it in real-time as it reaches saturation point.. neale.. u GOTTA do that man. everytime someone reports a successful mission another digital pin goes in the map. that'd fire peoples imaginations and encourage them to get busy .. you could have a league of most active agents validated by a UIN type thing as they install the key at location. sure to do the trick. just when i'd lost all faith in my auto-pilot he pulls out a gem at 7 am. caffiene pills: the midnight snack of champions\O__/\_
posted by Kino at 11:14 PM on September 2, 2001

What flavour caffiene pills?
posted by davidgentle at 11:19 PM on September 2, 2001

crack flavoured ones davey. least that's what slick-joe said they was. my tongues like cardboard right now i could eat horsehit and it'd taste good.. as opposed to how it usually is.. just so-so.. oh yeah naele, skyline speaketh cautionary wisdom... are you gonna check out the domestic laws over their in the States, or have u already? it's ok here in Europe.. the rest of the world can't enforce it's electronic laws because you people have got all the geek-lawyers hybrids in existence.
posted by Kino at 11:36 PM on September 2, 2001

I'm in Australia, where the laws are lax, and the giant boot is penalty enough.

Bring 'em on, I say.
posted by Neale at 1:31 AM on September 3, 2001

Ha. Sorted. Oh, hang on.. what about Chaz.. he don't look non too pleased... 'Chaz Flemming from Dagbush, Australia 'gooday mate.. don't remember granting you access to my shell.. got a good mind to pummel your ears for that spider..' Crickey, polish your boots geeza.. We got ourselves a ruckus..
posted by Kino at 1:54 AM on September 3, 2001

how do i post to it?
posted by billybob at 5:02 AM on September 3, 2001

billybob - you don't. You install the key on public computers and hope *others* will post to it.

I know it sounds weird, but it seems to be working...
posted by Neale at 7:12 AM on September 3, 2001

I plan on installing it on the network at my school...this could become really big. Nice job neale.
posted by sean17 at 7:04 PM on September 3, 2001

Well, not being one to go throwing random data into my registry, I dug out the URL manualy.

http://www.wrongwaygoback.com/paraphernalia/worldblog/speak.asp

If you wan't to post something go there.
posted by delmoi at 9:00 PM on September 3, 2001

Wow, another metafilter, openlog, etc. Good job! Except it looks like a guestbook mostly as mentioned previously.
posted by yupislyr at 10:33 PM on September 3, 2001

I'm trying to think of better questions to ask in the popup, which might garner some better answers.

Suggestions?
posted by Neale at 10:40 PM on September 3, 2001

You might want to add a passage on the popup to describe what it is ... currently someone might pass it over thinking it's an address-gathering scheme.
posted by skyline at 10:54 PM on September 3, 2001