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22nd Apr 2005 - Open Source Music

Here's an interesting follow up to yesterday's open source post. Garageband is Apple's digital remixing software. And Trent Reznor, lead singer of Nine Inch Niles, has just made all the files of his latest single available for remixing with this kit; not just playing around with the track, but doing anything you like with the 'source code' elements. Given that this is an A-list artist (even if one with obvious counter culture leanings), its pretty big news. And it is more evidence of the open source movement gaining pace.

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21st Apr 2005 - Open source advertising

Thanks to John Griffiths at Planning Above and Beyond for these two delights…

Who is this mystery couple? (click to find out)

Cillit Bang, the remix (oh yes...click here)

In different ways, both are very amusing. But their interest goes way beyond light entertainment. The advertising we produce has always been set in stone; discussed yes, maybe even spoofed or mimicked, but with the raw materials (and their meaning) essentially unchanged.

Now, thanks to the internet and affordable digital technology, this is changing: ads are remixed and mashed up, given a new life and context which brings with it a whole world of alternative meaning.

What are the implications of this for us in the communications industry (particularly old school ad agencies)? Some are beginning to embrace a more open source approach, as championed by the computer software industry. But, with advertising at least, this rarely goes beyond inviting contributions from 'outsiders' (see Converse).

So what about taking things a step further; what if we made the 'source code' of our advertising easily available to all those budding marketing remixers out there, encouraging them to add their own meaning to our commercial canvases?

Complete lunacy probably, but fun nonetheless!

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13th Apr 2005 - Death of trend spotting

An interesting thought, willfully nicked off PSFK (who made the point a few weeks ago). Researchers will charge you huge sums of money to tell you what makes people tick; to provide an insight into their inner-secrets. What they won't be able to do though, is get close enough to tell you what they are looking at right now - even what they're carrying in their bags to work each day.

Well never fear, Flickr can do this for you…for free.

If you've not come across Flickr already…where have you been? It's the photosharing web community; a certifiable internet phenomenon. And, amongst other things, they can tell you What's In Your Bag (or, rather, what's in someone else's bag…and what's on their computer desktop as well).

Ethnography (kind of) without leaving your desk

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Comments...

From: Piers Fawkes
Comment: And remember to see our first Trend Spot Cool Hunt:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/psfkcoolhunt/
Email: piers@psfk.com