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| {{Use British English|date=September 2018}} | |||
| ]'''Urban75''' (also sometimes referred to as '''u75''' or '''urban''') is a website and messageboard based in ], ]. It was founded in 1995 and includes various ] content, as well as ]. The site was founded and is currently run by Mike Slocombe. | |||
| {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}} | |||
| {{Infobox website | |||
| | name = Urban75 | |||
| | logo = Urban75 homepage.PNG | |||
| | screenshot = | |||
| | caption = Urban75 homepage in 2005 | |||
| | website = {{URL|urban75.org}} | |||
| | location = ], London, England | |||
| | commercial = No | |||
| | type = ], ], ] | |||
| | owner = | |||
| | editor = Mike Slocombe | |||
| | launch_date = {{start date and age|1995|5|df=yes}} | |||
| | current_status = Online | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Urban75''', also known as '''U75''' or simply '''Urban''', is a ] and ] based in ], ], and online since 1995.<ref>. '']''.</ref> | |||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| Urban75 originated from a ] ] ''Bluebird Jones'' - an e-zine formed around football fans opposition to the ]. The campaign received large amounts of exposure in the media, and in May 1995 an unknown helper on the campaign from ] put together the first version of the Urban75 site, using a modem donated by ].<ref>. ]. 27 July 2009.</ref><ref>Matthew Collin (17 June 1997). . ''].''</ref> The site is characterised by an opposition to ] and does not carry ]. Its editor is founder Mike Slocombe.<ref>Jason Whittaker. The Cyberspace Handbook: Internet forums and e-zines. Routledge, 2003.</ref> | |||
| Urban75 initially originated from a ] ] that started in 1991. Its editor claims that "the first issue sold out in three hours and at one point became the fastest-selling small press ] in the ].".<ref></ref>{{Failed verification|date=May 2010}} | |||
| The site and forums expanded beyond football and ] with a mix of ], ], ], and ] amongst other interests. As it grew in popularity, it was forced to leave its web host ], and was briefly hosted on the ]<ref>{{Cite web |title=10 websites that changed the world |url=http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/10-websites-changed-world/article/1102817 |author=Rebecca Burn-Callander|date=7 November 2011|website=Management Today}}</ref> until it moved to its own domain in August 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Get yer anoraks on - it's the Tech Stuff |url=http://www.urban75.com/Mag/tech.html |date=28 January 1998 |website=Urban75}}</ref> Early publicity was generated by ] games in which politicians and celebrities could be virtually "slapped" or "punched".<ref>JL Perone (9 June 1998). . ].</ref> | |||
| From here, a ''Football Fans Against The Criminal Justice Act'' ] started in 1994. The campaign received large amounts of exposure in the media, and in May 1995 a helper on the campaign from ] put together the first version of the Urban75 site, using a ] donated by ].<ref>, '']''</ref> | |||
| ==In the media== | |||
| As the site expanded into areas other than football and protest, it grew in popularity and was moved to a different, bigger server (becoming part of The Head-Space Project until it moved to its own domain in 1998). Early publicity was generated by ] games in which celebrities could be virtually "slapped" or "punched".<ref> ]</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | In March 2002, Urban75 entered the national news when ] police chief ] posted on the forums in order to discuss issues with Brixton's internet users while he was conducting a ] tolerance experiment. However, when the ] press discovered Paddick's posts on the site, a scandal ensued.<ref>Vikram Dodd (28 November 2003). . ]</ref> In particular, the press highlighted one such post where Paddick had said: "The concept of anarchy has always appealed to me". Paddick subsequently met with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir John Stevens, and accepted criticism of his remarks.<ref>. ]. 11 March 2002.</ref> No disciplinary action was taken and Paddick remained in his post until his retirement in 2007.<ref>. ]. 27 April 2007.</ref> | ||
| In July 2005, Rachel North posted on the forums her account of having been caught up in the ]. This was reposted on a ] ] in the days following the attack.<ref>. ]. 15 July 2005.</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | Urban75 entered the national news when |
||
| In October 2005, a forum post entitled "Can squirrels get addicted to crack?" was picked up by the local '']'', leading to a number of national newspapers also running the story.<ref>Ben Austwick (April 2006). Squirrels On Crack. ].</ref> | |||
| ==Site content== | |||
| The 'Action' section of the site contains an events diary, information, articles, reports and photos from various protests and marches. | |||
| In September 2006, the technology news website ] dubbed Urban75 as "the naughty corner of British politics" after posters on the forum disrupted an online petition in support of then ] ].<ref>. '']''. 8 September 2006.</ref> | |||
| Urban75 features around 3,500 original photographs, mostly taken by the site's owner. There are galleries of Brixton, ], ], ], ], and ], as well as various 360° ]s and photography tutorials. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Offline club== | ||
| There is a drugs information section of the site. There is information on most well-known drugs available. The site has stated its aim is to give honest information about drug effects, so people can make their own informed decision. | |||
| Urban75 held its first ''Offline'' club night in February 2004, and continues today hosting nights in ] venues such as the ], Dogstar, Brixton Jamm Club, 414 Club, and the Prince Albert. Offline hosts a line-up of DJs and has also put on well known acts such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>. '']''.</ref> | |||
| There is a series of links to the bulletin board on drugs, although this requires registration. | |||
| The site features dozens of 'useless' games, made by various web designers. | |||
| The games section revels in the fact that many games are pointless and have no meaning (such as 'The DOT-CLICKING game' and 'The Curious Thingy!'). The most popular games are: | |||
| * ''Mr Insult'' - a series of games based on a character who swears frequently | |||
| * ''The Cossack'' - games with a mysterious Soviet character | |||
| * ''Punch a Celeb'' - a section where images of nominated ] are clicked on and are, supposedly, punched. | |||
| * ''Slap a Spice Girl'' - a hugely popular game that was available at the height of the ] fame. | |||
| Despite being a popular feature on the website, the ''Slap a Spice Girl'' game has since been removed for undisclosed reasons.<ref></ref> | |||
| ] remains a solid part of the site, with articles and features on recent cup competitions as well information as on the ] and original strips from the ''Bluebird Jones'' comic. | |||
| ==The boards== | |||
| The ] have grown into a popular community, with over 40,000 registered members. At present,{{when|date=January 2016}} there are around a quarter of a million page impressions each day,<ref></ref> with around 5-6,000 new posts daily. There are currently{{when|date=January 2016}} 26 sub forums covering a range of topics. | |||
| The forums are divided into "General discussion", "Community forums", "Politics, protest and current affairs", "Travel & places" and "Art, tech & science", in addition to an archive section. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Offline |
||
| The first Offline club night was held on 19 February 2004, at the Brixton Ritzy cinema, and featured DJs only. The line-up included Dubversion of ], DJ Hoax of Urbanites and Hedge Party infamy, Ian of ], and Blagsta. | |||
| Organised by the site's editor, Offline showcases a wide range of ]s, bands, poets, videos and artists. On 30 September 2004, the club expanded to the Dogstar club in Brixton, and has been hosted at other venues in Brixton, Crystal Palace, central London and occasionally New York. | |||
| Its growing popularity forced a move to the larger Brixton Jamm club in 2006 before transferring back to the Dogstar on April 9, 2009, with the club now occupying three rooms and two floors in the central Brixton venue. | |||
| In line with the club's eclectic tastes, featured a large bill including samba drummers, go-go girls, punk rock bands, poets and a hip hop vocal performance. | |||
| A second, regular live music night takes place in the Prince Albert bar on Coldharbour Lane, London SW9. | |||
| Offline has put on well known acts such as Mercury Prize nominees The Portico Quartet, author ], comedians ], ], ], ], ] and new wave legend ], with all acts being paid two pints of beer. | |||
| Described as being "Like someone's friendly house party, opened up for the general public....Entertaining, friendly, and free" , the Offline club nights are always free. | |||
| ==Radio== | |||
| On 1 May 2005 a group of posters made a ] radio show for the website, available to download as an ]. The three pilots that followed including an interview with the manager of the site, some originally recorded music contributed by members, documentaries, and live recordings from the Offline club night. There is now a mainly music based radio channel which is updated as and when new shows are recorded. | |||
| ==Press== | |||
| Posters can find themselves quoted in national papers or other websites. An example is when Rachel North, a survivor of the London tube bombings, posted an account on the boards of her experience, which became a .<ref></ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * | * | ||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Latest revision as of 02:25, 26 April 2024
 | |
| Type of site | Community, local news, left-wing politics |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Brixton, London, England |
| Editor | Mike Slocombe |
| URL | urban75 |
| Commercial | No |
| Launched | May 1995; 29 years ago (1995-05) |
| Current status | Online |
Urban75, also known as U75 or simply Urban, is a website and internet forum based in Brixton, London, and online since 1995.
History
Urban75 originated from a football comic Bluebird Jones - an e-zine formed around football fans opposition to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The campaign received large amounts of exposure in the media, and in May 1995 an unknown helper on the campaign from Brighton put together the first version of the Urban75 site, using a modem donated by The Levellers. The site is characterised by an opposition to mainstream culture and does not carry adverts. Its editor is founder Mike Slocombe.
The site and forums expanded beyond football and direct action with a mix of left-wing politics, drugs, music, and photography amongst other interests. As it grew in popularity, it was forced to leave its web host Demon Internet, and was briefly hosted on the Head-Space Project until it moved to its own domain in August 1997. Early publicity was generated by Shockwave games in which politicians and celebrities could be virtually "slapped" or "punched".
In the media
In March 2002, Urban75 entered the national news when Lambeth police chief Brian Paddick posted on the forums in order to discuss issues with Brixton's internet users while he was conducting a cannabis tolerance experiment. However, when the tabloid press discovered Paddick's posts on the site, a scandal ensued. In particular, the press highlighted one such post where Paddick had said: "The concept of anarchy has always appealed to me". Paddick subsequently met with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir John Stevens, and accepted criticism of his remarks. No disciplinary action was taken and Paddick remained in his post until his retirement in 2007.
In July 2005, Rachel North posted on the forums her account of having been caught up in the 2005 London bombings. This was reposted on a BBC blog in the days following the attack.
In October 2005, a forum post entitled "Can squirrels get addicted to crack?" was picked up by the local South London Press, leading to a number of national newspapers also running the story.
In September 2006, the technology news website The Register dubbed Urban75 as "the naughty corner of British politics" after posters on the forum disrupted an online petition in support of then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Offline club
Urban75 held its first Offline club night in February 2004, and continues today hosting nights in Brixton venues such as the Ritzy Cinema, Dogstar, Brixton Jamm Club, 414 Club, and the Prince Albert. Offline hosts a line-up of DJs and has also put on well known acts such as Alabama 3, Sharks, Morton Valence, Stewart Lee, Josie Long, Rob Newman, Shazia Mirza, and Howard Marks.
References
- Urban75 - about us. Urban75.
- The London Blogger Interviews #25: Urban 75. The Londonist. 27 July 2009.
- Matthew Collin (17 June 1997). Wired world: Eighties survivor cracks the zine scene. Wired.
- Jason Whittaker. The Cyberspace Handbook: Internet forums and e-zines. Routledge, 2003.
- Rebecca Burn-Callander (7 November 2011). "10 websites that changed the world". Management Today.
- "Get yer anoraks on - it's the Tech Stuff". Urban75. 28 January 1998.
- JL Perone (9 June 1998). The Urban Web Warrior: Urban75's Mike Slocombe. Online Journalism Review.
- Vikram Dodd (28 November 2003). The Guardian profile: Brian Paddick. The Guardian
- Police chief rebuked over 'anarchy' remark. BBC News. 11 March 2002.
- Met's Paddick set to retire early. BBC News. 27 April 2007.
- BBC News - UK - Coming together as a city. BBC News. 15 July 2005.
- Ben Austwick (April 2006). Squirrels On Crack. Fortean Times.
- Galaxy of saboteurs trashes 'Save the Blair' petition. The Register. 8 September 2006.
- Offline Club in Brixton. Urban75.