SCN: SCN site and logo redesign
Doug Schuler
douglas at scn.org
Thu Aug 30 17:06:12 PDT 2001
BTW, for some verbiage on SCN and the Hermes connection
you can look at http://www.scn.org/commnet/Presentations/bitJapan.html.
It's an article I wrote entitled "Seattle Community Network: A Digital
City for the People" for Bit, a Japanese computer magazine.
e.g. I started it this way...
As the son of Maia, a wood nymph, and Zeus, the king of the Gods, Hermes
was neither God nor mortal. Beginning at his conception and lasting all
through his life, the winged-footed messenger was a border crosser. Thus
Hermes became, for the Greeks, the patron of many social activities
involving change and exchange: travel, commerce, doorways, roads,
language, communication, and, of course, sex. Additionally, the demigod's
penchant for transgressing boundaries -- even the most sacred social
conventions -- earned him the title of trickster.
Seattle, like Hermes, is difficult to precisely describe. Seattle is home
to corporate behemoths like Microsoft and Boeing whose acquisitive eyes
are fixed on global markets. Yet in the closing days of the last
millennium Seattle provided the streets for the ragtag and loosely
organized anti-globalism demonstrations against the World Trade
Organization. With that background, the Seattle Community Network's use of
Hermes' likeness in their logo does not seem farfetched. Among its
numerous border crossings, SCN fuzzes the traditional line between
consumer and producer of information. In the era of the fast-buck
dot-coms, the Seattle Community Network hearkens to the past and is more
like a public library for the electronic age. In the so-called "new
economy" with its hyper-inflated salaries and stock options the Seattle
Community Network relies on volunteers who donate their time with no
financial reward for the benefit of the community. In the era of global
capitalism and the pre-eminence of profit and the "bottom line" the
Seattle Community Network offers all of its services for free -- without
banner ads or other digital detritus. In an era of where money talks, SCN
raises the voice of citizens. Is SCN a trickster as well?
I also talk about the logo...
When a user encounters the Seattle Community Network (http://www.scn.org)
the first thing he or she sees is the SCN logo which blends communication
metaphors and Seattle imagery. Hermes, the messenger of the Gods, has
apparently moved to the Pacific Northwest region of the US (where he
enjoys considerably less sunshine than he did in his native Greece). In
the logo, he is seen relaxing on snowcapped Mount Rainier, beckoning to
future SCN users, the Seattle Space Needle, an icon from the 1963 World's
Fair, now repurposed as a communications beacon, held casually in his
hands. Clicking the "About SCN" link brings up information about SCN's
policy and principles. SCN provides free web space, e-mail and listserve
distribution. Basic information about contacting SCN, getting an account
and publishing information on the SCN web site is found on the left side
of the page, below the logo and the welcome message. Under that, the
"Seattle Site of the Week" is featured.
For what it's worth...
Thanks!
-- Doug
******************************************************************
* SHAPING THE NETWORK SOCIETY *
* Patterns for Participation,Action, and Change *
* http://www.cpsr/conferences/diac02 *
* Tomorrow's information and communication infrastructure *
* is being shaped today. *
* But by whom and to what ends? *
******************************************************************
On Thu, 30 Aug 2001, Doug Schuler wrote:
>
> Yes we did vote *in person* -- it was all solved right there
> on the spot. Ideally there would have been an absentee approach
> also. The interesting thing was that anybody could bring in
> a drawing -- as I recall both of my kids brought in something.
> This has the benefit of letting more people -- potentially -
> participate in the design. ONe didn't have to be a professional
> or put something on the web. On the other hand as you point
> out it was difficult to have absentee voting. (BTW, the
> winning design was then given to an artist who logo-ized it.)
>
> -- Doug
>
> ******************************************************************
> * SHAPING THE NETWORK SOCIETY *
> * Patterns for Participation,Action, and Change *
> * http://www.cpsr/conferences/diac02 *
> * Tomorrow's information and communication infrastructure *
> * is being shaped today. *
> * But by whom and to what ends? *
> ******************************************************************
>
>
> On Thu, 30 Aug 2001, patrick wrote:
>
> > So that is how you voted. In person. Imagine that.
> >
> > Absentee ballots accepted, I suppose?
> >
> > Patrick
> > --- Doug Schuler <douglas at scn.org> wrote:
> > >
> > > Where are the others??
> > >
> > > When we first chose a logo we had an open contest and everybody
> > > who showed up at our meeting got to vote.
> > >
> > > -- Doug
> > >
> > > ******************************************************************
> > > * SHAPING THE NETWORK SOCIETY *
> > > * Patterns for Participation,Action, and Change *
> > > * http://www.cpsr/conferences/diac02 *
> > > * Tomorrow's information and communication infrastructure *
> > > * is being shaped today. *
> > > * But by whom and to what ends? *
> > > ******************************************************************
> > >
> > >
> > > On Thu, 30 Aug 2001, Terry Trimingham wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > While I think it is a bit of a surprise that this new project is on the
> > > > board, I have looked at one sample design submitted, and I like it. The
> > > > new logo on it contains the essence of the old logo, and the look feels
> > > > cleaner and more professional.
> > > >
> > > > I totally agree that the content of our site needs working on (maybe more
> > > > than the design), but I also think it is good to consider new things.
> > > >
> > > > Here is the sample that I viewed:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > http://www.studio30.com/scn/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Just my two cents,
> > > > Terry
> > > >
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