Crowdsourcing My Itineraries

Earlier this year I published an article entitled, “In Praise Of The New End Note And Internet Etiquette: Via,” in which I attempted to communicate my strict adherence to the practice of proper citation and attribution on the web. Inspired by an uncharacteristically angry tweet on Twitter by Jason Kottke, who never fails to properly attribute sources and intermediary “vias” on his link blog, demanding a “via” to your source if you are passing along an internet “find”, I decided to articulate my own similar thoughts on this matter. Of course, as someone who wrote copiously researched comparative literature and philosophy tomes throughout his undergraduate career, I was no stranger to the etiquette of proper citation (MLA Style, no less!). But I hoped that others might find it, read it, learn something, and put it into good practice. It was intended as my small contribution to the largely ignored practice of “netiquette”.

Just before the recent Presidential election, I stumbled across a blog post in a far more “famous” blogger’s blog requesting links to politically-oriented websites that readers depended on for their political information throughout the campaign. The blogger mentioned that the information gathered would be used in an upcoming blog post and webcast, and did not intimate that the requested sites would be used for any other purpose. Always happy to help a fellow blogger (and, admittedly, hoping for a little attribution should my information be used, as discussed above), I dashed off an email to the blogger that listed the many websites I had consulted throughout the campaign season. Of course there were the usual sites that “everyone” visits when they require political information and news, but as I had made it a point to be very politically informed throughout this year, I also included some excellent sites that I had gleaned from political journalists’ blog entries and online articles, sites that gave amazing information but about which the average person removed from political journalism or blogging may not have known. The blogger emailed me in return, thanking me profusely for the information, concluding with the promise that some of my suggestions would definitely be included in both the upcoming blog post and webcast.

They were. But they were not attributed, to myself nor to any other reader whom I imagine responded. But that is not the only reason why this blogger had requested this information. The referenced blog entry was eventually published, along with a preface that the blogger had been asked to participate in an interview regarding the campaign season and approaching election by a rather high profile media outlet, and the blogger listed verbatim each interview question and each of “their” responses. The final question was, of course, “Which websites have you depended on to give you your information throughout this historic campaign season?”

I was livid. Not only had the information been requested, used, and not attributed to the thinking individuals who had proffered it, but it was used by the blogger in direct response to an interview question that clearly requested the blogger’s own information and expertise. The blogger had essentially crowdsourced that piece of the interview from their audience. Furthermore, the blogger had prefaced both the interview and the webcast with, “As I have been sooooo politically involved this campaign season, here is what I have used to form my opinions and stay informed.”

Um. ORLY?!

It enraged me because the blogger perpetrated two acts of what I consider to be the lowest form of online “journalism”: lack of attribution, and crowdsourcing ideas from their audience for no pay, no recognition, and clearly no “full disclosure” regarding their intentions for the material.

Needless to say, I will not be proffering any information to that blogger ever again.

But this entry is not about that blogger. It is about me. And my own imminent act of crowdsourcing my audience! Yes, it is true: I am about to embark on the very same road for which I just rather snarkily criticized a blogging “peer”. However, whatever information I receive will definitely be explored, and if I do happen to use it when the events occur, I promise sincerely to link the hell out of said source’s blog or website. And you know that this is a big deal because “Curious Affairs” gets like 85,000 hits a day and therefore said sources will also doubtlessly experience mad traffic spikes.

Anyway, one of the things I have decided to do more of for myself throughout the alarmingly rapidly approaching new year (and if anyone leaves a comment informing me of how many days are left before Christmas / Chanukah / etc., I will hunt them down and hurt them) is travel. Over the past several months I have made plans to travel to a variety of new cities for both professional and personal reasons, and since most of them are unfamiliar to me, I thought I would list each proposed excursion and city here, and ask readers to comment with any fun things to do in each city while I am in each one. Of course the “fun things” may be “the usual” for referenced city, but as I am an adventurous risk-taker who likes to experience each city he visits as a local would, the “road less traveled” “fun things” are always far more interesting and exciting to me. (Also, as I am a total foodie, please reply with any culinary recommendations you may have, as well. Also also, I list currently anticipated lodging, so feel free to critique these, offer alternatives that may be more interesting / enjoyable, etc.)

Shall we?

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First of all, I positively adore Dopplr, consider it one of my favorite Web 2.0 websites, and always attempt to make full use of it, so if any of my readers happen to be fellow travel aficionados like myself and would care to add me and track my travels on it, definitely feel free to do so; follow Atherton Bartelby. (Also, obvs, I do not think that I could live without Tablet Hotels: Hotels For Global Nomads; an awesome site with fabulous property listings.)

AUSTIN – TEXAS – UNITED STATES
I am booked to attend all three of the SXSW Festivals in Austin, from 13-22 March. I have never before attended SXSW and am über-excited for these events, and I have also never visited Austin before (or Texas, for that matter, because really, why would I, aside from layovers?), but I have it on good authority that the city is awesome and not to be missed. I am especially interested in the city’s music scene and, as always, good photo ops. Granted, my schedule will already be rather packed prior to my arrival, but I want to lap up all that this city has to offer.
Lodging: InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel [Not my choice; I would rather be lodging at Hotel San Jose. Any arguments for or against either will be deeply appreciated.]

BOSTON – MASSACHUSETTS – UNITED STATES
I am also planning on attending An Event Apart: For People Who Make Websites in Boston, from 22-23 June. I have never before attended An Event Apart conference, either, and am ecstatically excited about it, but I have visited Boston before, although not for a very long time, when my friends and I would motor it down from prep school in New Hampshire for extended weekends spent loitering elegantly, etc., around Copley Place and its environs. Consequently, should anyone have any suggestions for more mature arts or technology related activities with which to entertain myself, please do let me know!
Lodging: XV Beacon

TORONTO – ONTARIO – CANADA
This vacation is one of my few pleasure trips of 2009: a vacation to a city I have never before visited but always wanted to, just for me, as a birthday present to myself. Way back in my youth, when I was seriously considering applying to Ph.D. programs in Comparative Literature, I was a member of the Modern Language Association, and so looked forward to attending my first annual MLA conference, which that year was held in Toronto. But I did not attend, for largely personal reasons. So I would like to revisit that attempt, and explore the city, experience the arts scene, and possibly participate in a few “Creative Tweet-Ups” with some fabulous design / art professionals I have “met” recently on Twitter. I am looking for any and all suggestions with this one, people: the sky is the limit! (Except for, you know, the obvious; that is already on my list. Duh.)
Lodging: Hotel Le Germain Toronto

MEMPHIS – TENNESSEE – UNITED STATES
Yes, you read that correctly: Memphis. As in, Tennessee. Never fear, I have not lost all of my senses, for this trip is again of a professional nature and not a pleasure excursion. I shall be attending the American Institute Of Graphic Arts‘ annual Design Conference, from 7-13 October, and, again, my schedule will likely be packed prior to my arrival. However, should you be far more familiar with Memphis than am I (and really, you likely are; my experiences south of the Mason-Dixon have been confined to summers on my mother’s family’s horse farm outside of Lexington, Kentucky), please, for the love of G-d, give me anything to do that does not involve spontaneous retinal detachments due to seeing the hideous interior design of Graceland. (Um. Again. Once was more than enough!) Thanks.
Lodging: The Madison

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So, do reply in a comment with any suggestions you may have, and I will totally pimp you out in any photoblogs and / or travelogues that result from your wise advice.

Unlike, you know, my journalistic-integrity-disinclined blogging “peer” referenced earlier.

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Author’s Note: Also, if you happen to actually live in any of these cities, or will be visiting them / attending the same events, definitely let me know if you would like to meet up at any point! Use the form on my contact page to send me your email, or leave it with your comment to this post.

Finally, all images are courtesy of Getty Images.

Because *I* give good via following my crowdsourcing.

Filed under: Blogging, Design, Net Culture, Photography, Politics, Technology, Travel, Web Design , austin, being servicey, boston, conferences, humor, linkage, lists, lonely planet, memphis, netiquette, questions, toronto, urban appreciation