Alex Reid

It was 40 years ago that Gil Scott-Heron stated that the revolution would not be televised.

He was partially right.
The revolution will not be televised for the first three weeks.

Coming from a family of journalists, I’ve been disappointed, perhaps even angry, that the Canadian mainstream media was quick to jump on protests in the Middle East yet ignored the same closer to home for weeks. I’m specifically referring to the likes of the CBC, The Globe and Mail and Global TV.

I expected this sort of pandering from The National Post, so they didn’t disappoint.

The Globe and Mail only had this to say about it - that it was Adbusters (a Canadian publication) who encouraged it with other groups, two days ago. Global repeated what the Globe storied a day later.

The CBC just picked up on it earlier this afternoon; three weeks late.

CTV looks like a winner here, having reported on it a week later (two weeks ago) though for the most part they’ve been obsessed about the police presence and arrests.

No matter what happens during or after the #occupywallstreet protests, many of my friends wondered on Twitter and Facebook why they weren’t seeing this or hearing it reported on the mainstream news, and have to come to the same realization I have, that mainstream news is outdating itself.

I have little faith in the CBC for sure. It’s clear now that the CBC only covers natural disasters and when the Prime Minster passes stool, for fear of cutbacks.

MSNBC, in the states, gets kudos for being perhaps the only American mainstream media to report the protests as well as boldly criticizing the people who were causing the most trouble.

Last July, New York City Mayor Bloomberg launched a new initiative called NYC Digital with the goal “to create a healthier civil society and stronger democracy through the use of technology that engages, serves, and connects New Yorkers.”

The first task of NYC Digital was to research and present a State of the Digital Union, per se, for the city. That report was released last week: “Roadmap for the Digital City: Achieving New York City’s Digital Future.”

The report pulls together everything the city wants to provide; from events calendar to a city license application process; how people found their web site; and how people can better engaged using services like Foursquare and Twitter. It’s all designed to be a super-311.

New York City is making a lot of headway here, hopefully cities like Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa are not far behind.

New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been pushing for more public information to be handed over to geeks to achieve three goals; more civic transparency, offering more services for less money and promoting the city as the next tech mecca.

For the second year in a row, the City of New York has embarked on a call to arms to geeks with its own annual data competition, releasing over 350 public data sets and asking tech companies to make apps that are not only useful but may be the basis of the next Google or Facebook.

This year’s $10,000 grand prize went to Roadify, an app that sends alerts to mobile phones about subway, bus, and driving conditions, allowing users to add comments and real-time updates as they commute.

It isn’t just about the money though, it’s about the pride and attention. Some of the competition judges included Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and Foursquare co-founder Naveen Selvadurai.

Some of the finalists included DontEat.at, an app that sends a text message when you check in to a restaurant that has a risk of being closed for health code violations; Sportaneous, a geo-map app that helps users find and join pick-up games close to them with other users that match their skill level; and Parking Finder, an app that locates nearby parking garages and their parking rates.

New York artists Jason Eppink and Posterchild prompted their local government to fix a leaky pipe by building a small bridge over the sidewalk sludge.

Astoria Scum River Bridge project page

(Note that the media attention came after the agreement to fix it)

New York’s prestigious MoMA  (Museum of Modern Art) is showing its biggest performance art exhibition ever in honour of the 40-year career of performance artist Marina Abramovic.

The biggest draw of the festivities however is facing the artist herself.

Photo By Scott Rudd © 2010

Dedicated to sitting on a chair for seven hours a day, six days a week (no breaks, no stretching, no eating, just a water bottle and a suspected catheter) she offers an empty seat across from her and a small table to those willing to wait five hours in line to stare at her. In a large square room. Surrounded by a hundred or so people also staring at you.

Being awkward is still taboo. Especially in New York.

But what sounds like punishing boredom is almost nirvana for most who participate; some have come to tears, some run away and some return for more. The title of the performance is The Artist Is Present which is apt for what the performance masterpiece is about; a ready availability of “feeling” the Artist. Perhaps a nod to public accountability and the slow rise demand of social transparency, what a great way to confront passive aggressiveness than with confrontation itself. And really, it’s just sitting in a chair and looking.

“I think they lose all perception of time when they get up there.”

The performance art exhibition includes around several dozen other concepts including a reenactment of Imponderabilia (1977) where show-goers must squeeze by two standing nude performers at a narrow entrance to get in, or enter via an out of the way side door.

Ultimately, this show is for those willing to challenge themselves, while questioning how we deal with others, instead of taking the side door.

The MoMA exhibition runs until May 31, 2010.