On this episode of Spark: Selfsurfing, Open Government, and Data Hunters. Click below to listen to the whole show, or download the MP3 (runs 54:00).
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:41 — 50.2MB)
You can also listen to individual stories below.
Broadcasting Your Every Browser Move
Jonas Lund is a multidisciplinary internet artist who explores how we interface with the digital web. His latest work is called Selfsurfing – part theatre performance, part commentary on privacy, Selfsurfing broadcasts his web-browsing habits in real time. (Runs 7:19)
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Japanese Arcade Culture
While arcades are all but extinct in Canada and the US, they’re thriving in Japan. Brad Crawford is the editor and director of the documentary 100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience, scheduled to come out later this year. Brad talks about why arcade games are still a social experience in Japan, and whether that’s something we should envy. (Runs 5:31)
Play audio:
- Brad Crawford
- 100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience
- You might also like this Spark interview with Indie game developer Alec Holowka
Comedy Podcasts
Stand-up comic Denis Grignon gives us an inside look at the growing trend in comedians hosting podcasts where they interview other comedians. And it’s less about the laughs than you may expect. (Runs 9:02)
Play audio:
- Denis Grignon
- Check out Denis as the guest on Comedy Above the Pub
- Todd Van Allen’s show Comedy Above The Pub
- WTF with Marc Maron podcast
- The Todd Glass Show
- Darryl Purvis
- Video of Heather Knight’s robot Data, the stand up comedian
Data-gathering Hunters
Inuit Hunters in Nunavut have been heading out across the tundra armed with hand-held computers provided by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board. Wherever the hunters stop to observe or hunt a muskox, caribou or other animal, they tap their observations into the device. Freelancer David Kattenburg explains why this pilot project is a win-win for hunters and for the Wildlife Management Board. (Runs 6:57)
Play audio:
- David Kattenburg
- David’s longer doc Inuit Hunters Go Hi-tech (with photos)
- The Mesa Rugged Notepad
Tools for Canada’s 21st century democracy?
Open North is a Montreal-based not-for-profit designing online tools to foster greater government transparency on one hand, and create more citizen engagement on the other. They’re motivated by the idea that piecemeal projects and weekend Hackathons are great, but it’s time to look for a more ongoing approach. Nora talks to Jonathan Brun about the goals and strategies of Open North. (Runs 8:28)
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Links to previous open government stories on Spark, which Nora played excerpts of:
- Andrea Reimer on Vancouver’s Open Data movement
- David Eaves on open data for garbage collection
- Rahaf Harfoush on president-elect Barack Obama and transparency
- Tom Steinberg on the UK’s My Society
- Andy Kaplan-Myrth on VisibleGovernment.ca
Coding for a Better Government
Jennifer Pahlka is the founder and executive director of Code for America, which she describes as a “Peace Corps for Geeks”. Fellows spend a year working with city governments to create technology to make their communities better. But governments are known for being bureaucratic and slow, and technological innovation is all about the opposite – being fast, limber and cutting edge. So how do you navigate that obvious culture clash? (Runs 8:50)
Play audio:
- Jennifer Pahlka
- Jennifer Pahlka’s TED talk Coding A Better Government
- Full uncut version of interview with Jennifer Pahlka
Additional Links
- Help Us Out! Terms of Service Agreements
- Main page photo by US Mission Canada
- APM music used in this episode
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The piece on Japanese Arcades was laughable and a typical example of taking something and trying to repackage something as it is not.. another "rebranding of the mundane" exercise. It's also a definitely attempt on the Japanese "cool" factor which tries to mystify normal, understandable things. I lived in Japan for more than seven years, speak fluent Japanese (meaning I could communicate directly with people), and love games. I went to arcades in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and dozens of other cities. Arcades there do better than here (in that they are still around) but they aren't a cultural or subcultural icon. Some are dark and smoky, others are glitzy and bright – but these glitzy ones are usually part of a fun center, including a bowling alley, pool/billiards, faux gambling games, claw games, and karaoke. There IS a huge subcultural related to anime that tangentially ties into arcade games (but gaming consoles even more so) but arcades are not the centre or even a real consideration in this subculture.
Shame on you for trolling on a CBC site! Brad speaks fluent Japanese and yes he has even lived there for several years. Rebranding the mundane? This documentary has received international coverage, but I am sure you don't know that. The arcade culture is very live and real. Watch some of the clips and trailer before you open up your yap again troll! Your english is horrible BTW.
Nora points out a "disconnect between the participatory culture of the internet and the disengagement from the political process." I wonder if it's really so different. In fact, I'd guess that if you looked at the % of the population that has uploaded a YouTube video, edited a Wikipedia article, or commented on a CBC article, it wouldn't come close to the % who vote. Sure, a huge number of people use facebook and whatnot, but that's almost like using the phone, and nobody would talk about a disconnect between the participatory culture of the telephone and the disengagement from the political process. Of course, I'm stretching the analogy, but not to the breaking point.
It looks like we have a participatory internet culture because it gathers participants from far and wide and makes them very visible while the silent supermajority slips from our awareness.
On Denis Grignon's segment, he mentions that he was a guest on "Comedy Above the Pub". Here's the episode in question.
http://comedyabovethepub.com/?p=857
I think he turned out to be a great guest. Thoughts?
I posted the link above in the post as well. Thanks for pointing it out. Of course WE think he was a great guest!