The Internet is the latest target of Richard OA Day in the Life’ Smolan, writes Annicia
ON February 8 1996, more than 100 professional photojournalists from around the world will be working on a 24-hour project to find the pictures that tell the story of how the Internet has changed people’s lives.
This is Rick Smolan’s new 24-hour project. But it’s nothing like the usual projects with which his name is synonymous — images of specific places or happenings photographed over a 24-hour period and published in book form. This time, it’s for instantaneous release on the Internet and, instead of a specific place, the images will cover the
In a single day, Smolan’s multimedia company Against All Odds Productions (which Fortune magazine calls “one of America’s 25 coolest technology companies”), will put up a World Wide Web site and co-ordinate the digital transmission of photographs which show how cyberspace is changing people’s lives. Called 24 Hours in Cyberspace, Smolan believes it will put a human face on the digital
Smolan is better known for his Day in the Life book series, photographic books which present and express a specific 24 hours in a country or culture. For example, his book Passage to Vietnam covers the day the United States trade embargo was lifted. But 24 Hours in Cyberspace is a first of its kind for him, as well as the ‘Net. It will be the largest online event ever produced, and will be about people’s experiences with this technology, visually and
Anyone with access to the Internet will be asked to send in their story of how the information superhighway has affected their life, and some of these stories will go up on the site together with the pictures. And the more bizarre the tales, the better, like the story of the Wall Street lawyer who answers legal questions of non-profit organisations at 3am for free, and the blind America On Line forum hostess, who has used the ‘Net to make friends around the world.
Smolan believes that this takes his 24-hour photographic projects into a new dimension. “We have spent the past 12 years travelling around the world, documenting different cultures,” he says, “We were in China during the Tiananmen Square uprising, the Soviet Union at the birth of glasnost and in Vietnam last year as the trade embargo was lifted. For us, cyberspace is another culture and place to visit, but this time around, because of the nature of the new medium itself, people can actively take part in the project, and respond with their own point of view.”
A group of editors, designers and programmers will set up the Web site on Febuary 8 as soon as the picture and story transmissions come through to the project’s headquarters in San Francisco, updating it throughout the day. Cyberspace will be the featured event at the opening of the Internet 1996 World Exhibition.
On March 15, a permanent World Wide Web site will be set up with in-depth stories, photo essays and commentaries. And, towards the end of next year, a 24 Hours in Cyberspace book, CD-ROM, television documentary, and a weekly news issue will be released.
A large group of companies are behind the project. Eastman Kodak Company, Sun Microsystems Inc, and Adobe Systems Inc have underwritten Cyberspace. Applied Graphics Technology, Illustra Information Technologies, NetObjects, CE Software and Now Software will provide the extra technical support. And Clement Mok designs will design the 24 Hours in Cyberspace web site.
A provisional web site with 24 Hours in Cyberspace details can be found at www.cyber.24.com/ and another site will soon be put up at http://www.Cyber24.com which will serve as an info site on the project.