Week 8 – Jerry Makare – Archive

Projects like PostSecret are perfect examples of using user generated content and ideas to create a space that can foster discussion, creativity, and promote a sense of healing or community. When the PostSecret blog started in 2005 I never would have thought that it would still be going almost 9 years later, but not only  is it continuing, it is embracing different forms of media which will drive the evolution of the project in new directions. This TED talk from PostSecret founder Frank Warren highlights the ideas that PostSecret embraced to become so successful.

The internet has opened many doors for people to express themselves with varying degrees of anonymity to a large audience. This anonymity can be a good thing, as seen with PostSecret, or it can be absolutely awful, as you can see by the negative posts on  sites like 4Chan /b/. It is important to remember that the internet (as a place to exchange ideas, produce and distribute content, market, or build community) is neutral, and can be utilized by the individual users for anything that strikes their fancy, or capability. With such a wealth of freedom (not universal across the web, and under constant threat) there are so many possibilities that can be engaged that can open doors, and create opportunities for communities to form, and for stories to be told.

Utilizing online space as an archive of the human experience brings a wonderful dimension to projects that can grow and evolve over long periods of time. Not only will this capture moments and thoughts in time, but it allows an opportunity for users to search, shares, and express themselves and connect with people or thoughts that have come before.