Active doers, not passive viewers.

That’s the call-to-action of the internet. People don’t just read the news, they report it. They don’t just visit cool web sites, they make their own sites. Pre-packaged messages feel bogus when the means to create your own messages are so readily available and easy to learn.

Mediapedia is a book that totally buys into the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) impulse.

Most people I know are bored with the endless stream of advertisements that tell us what to buy and how to think. Every possible object or person or cause seems to be a “branding” opportunity. Its hard to find an authentic emotion, impulse or gesture.

The word authentic is the key. We crave stuff that feels real, not manufactured. Its not so easy to define what real is, but we do know it when we see it. Authenticity often reflects the distinct wit of an individual. It is often spontaneous, with rough edges. Authentic has less polish, but more heart. We recognize our own best intent when we see something that’s been crafted well by someone who is not a professional.

This Mediapedia companion site asks you for three kinds of help. The three menu choices at left  make it really easy for you (1) to submit a favorite resource, (2) to share a successful project, or (3) to contact the author with a suggestion, a question or a fix.

I promise to review every contribution. The templates are helpful in two ways. First, they give you an express route for submitting fthe info I need, including a jpg if you want to do that. Second, the templates provide a standard format making it easy for other readers an quickly skim through new resources and projects. I will edit for consistency, appropriateness, length or other factors, including duplication. All submissions will be acknowledged by email.

Thanks in advance for sharing your chops for making personal media.

-- Kit Laybourne