CURB ALERT :: harvesting the city

Friday, May 2, 2008

Advanced History/Theory : Spring2008

Thursday, May 1, 2008

The Craigslist Network

The Craiglist network operates from San Francisco, California.

The local classified websites has transformed how the city dwellers communicate with one another. Craigslist.com has a posting on Free Items that is posted by ananymous city dwellers for the taking. This virtual public space is able to inform people living in the city at specific time and day to collect these giveaways. There is a minority of city dwellers at the moment who are socially and environmentally sensitive. Why aren't people just throwing things on the street anymore? There is an interesting interaction that happens between these city dwellers who engage in this temporal public space. Although the connection is virtual at the beginning, it's then translated into a physical public space, where these two city dwellers meet (sometimes one dweller just meets a curb with the item of desire..) and engage in a temporal public interaction. The city functions at many levels online, in virtual space, commerce, culture etc. Public space has also morped in itself virtually to suit the new lifestyles of the citizens of the city.

The System of Temporal Public Interaction

The city is a system. A system that perpetually manifest itself into creating a new dimension of spatial configurations. For a city full of strangers, the city begins to transform itself due to many reasons especially the advancement of technology. The powerful tool of the internet, creates a virtual space for city dwellers to communicate among themselves at a local level. Interactions between ananymous city dwellers are mainly temporal, but there is this intrinsic value that happens within this commerce. It somehow shows that there are socially and environmentally sensitive city dwellers, who create this temporal public space within their own front yard or curb. They invite strangers in the city into their personal (or sometimes public) space who are interested in taking their personal items at no costs. This temporal public interaction creates moments in the city on a daily basis, where people engage in the exchange of good human values, which is to not let good things go to waste.

FREE SOFAS EVERYDAY! JUST KNOW WHERE TO PICK IT UP!

As I have been observing craigslist for almost a month now (with a huge amount of discipline and diligence..it's not easy filtering these posted items..believe me..) i've also found out that New York City is just full of FREE sofas, couches, Futons, Sofabeds, Armchairs. Browse through the mappings and find the sofa that best fits your personality and desire! It's free! (can't stress that enough..)