NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- OneWebDay (www.onewebday.org), an "Earth Day for the Web," the first global holiday to celebrate the web and how it has changed our lives, is planned for September 22, 2006 (and every September 22 thereafter). As with Earth Day -- an inspiration and model for OneWebDay -- it's up to individuals, organizations and communities to decide how to celebrate.
OneWebDay is planning to create an historic event to mark the launch of OneWebDay by facilitating the largest global online photo collaboration resulting in a visualization of the web made up of photos posted by millions of people around the world. This visualization will show the power of online collaboration. OneWebDay is working with CNET Networks' Webshots (www.webshots.com), a global photo-sharing community, to make it easy for web users globally to contribute a digital photo and label it with "onewebday."
"The internet has become such a ubiquitous force in our lives that it's easy to forget how it has changed the world. We shouldn't take the Internet for granted, and we should do everything we can to make it more visible to people around the globe. OneWebDay provides an opportunity to celebrate the web both online and in public events in cities around the world," said Susan Crawford, associate professor at the Cardozo School of Law, who initiated OneWebDay. "We're delighted to be working with CNET's Webshots on this exciting project to have people around the globe post their photos and have these photos become part of a giant collage."
"When people around the globe can 'see' the web, we'll think about how the web helps humans to work together and how much it means to us. This big picture is a way of seeing the web as the human space that it is," Crawford added.
Internet pioneers, organizations and companies are planning events around the world.
In New York, Craig Newmark of craigslist fame; Scott Heiferman, co-founder of Meetup and Fotolog; Gale Brewer, NYC City Council member; and Drew Schutte, publisher, Wired magazine, will talk about how the Internet is changing people's lives every day. The event, sponsored by Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Union Square Ventures, DFJGotham and Cardozo Law School, will take place on Friday, Sept. 22, Noon to 2 p.m. ET, at The Battery, near Castle Clinton, in the park at the southern tip of Manhattan. "http://www.onewebday.org/wiki/index.php/New_York"
Events have also been scheduled in Austin, TX ; Boston, MA; All over Canada; Champaign-Urbana, IL; Chicago, IL; London and other places in the UK; Naples, Italy; New York; Philippines; San Francisco, CA; Slovenia; Sofia, Bulgaria ; Sri Lanka; Taipei; Taiwan; Tokyo, Japan; Vienna, Austria; Westport, CT Retrieved from "http://www.onewebday.org/wiki/index.php/In-person_Events"
In addition to the webshots.com giant collage, online activities in conjunction with OneWebDay include:
-- Making videos in honor of OneWebDay and posting them on blip.tv -
tagged "onewebday". They will be part of a OneWebDay presentation
on Dabble.com.
-- A contest for users to talk about the creative ways they've used
craigslist (submissions go to volunteer@onewebday.org
-- Encouraging users to take one web-related action that helps
someone else: Teaching someone how to edit a wiki, start a blog,
or post a picture online; or adding computers and connectivity
at local senior centers; or by creating more wireless hotspots.
OneWebDay, Inc. has been formed and is seeking nonprofit status. It has an independent Board of Directions. The Board includes: A-list bloggers (Doc Searls, David Weinberger, David Isenberg, Mary Hodder), business executives (Don Telage, David Johnson, Rick Whitt), a NYC PR person (Renee Edelman, Edelman), a key researcher (Gregg Vesonder, AT&T), and a former state AG (Jim Tierney, Maine). Its president, Susan Crawford, is committed to working on this holiday for the next 10 years. OneWebDay is supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Cardozo Law School, Union Square Ventures, Edelman, DFJGotham, CIRA, and individuals.
CNET Networks (Webshots)
Heather Hawkins
415-344-2157
heather.hawkins@cnet.com
Edelman
Renee Edelman
212-704-8249
renee.edelman@edelman.com
