| Revision as of 07:51, 1 June 2005 edit62.255.32.14 (talk) →The Boards← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 02:25, 26 April 2024 edit undo51.171.59.155 (talk)No edit summary | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{Use British English|date=September 2018}} | |||
| '''Urban75''' (also sometimes referred to as '''u75''' or '''urban''') is a ]-based non-profit ] and ]-leaning online community. It was founded in ] by ] and includes various content (], ] etc) generated by him, as well as lively and topical ]. | |||
| {{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 Slocombe started in ] as a reaction against the media's near-rabid misrepresentation of ] fans. The first issue sold out in three hours and at one point became the fastest-selling small press ] in the ]. | |||
| 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, Slocombe set up the ''Football Fans Against The Criminal Justice Act'' ] in ]. The campaign recieved large amounts of exposure in the media, and in ] ] a helper on the campaign from ] put together the first version of the Urban75 site, using a ] donated by ]. | |||
| ==In the media== | |||
| The first ] appeared in ], when the site was still largely based around ], but were soon abused by users and quickly taken down. Gradually, as the site expanded into areas other than football and protest, it grew in popularity and was moved to a different, bigger server. In ] ], the current version of the ] were launched, using ]. | |||
| 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> | |||
| ==Site Content== | |||
| ====Protest and Activism==== | |||
| Politically, Urban75 has a leaning towards an ] ] mindset (although Slocombe has insisted that the site has no specific political affiliation). The 'Action' section of the site contains an events diary, information, articles, reports and photos from various ] and ]. | |||
| ====Photography==== | |||
| Urban75 features around 3,500 original ] by Slocombe. There are galleries of ], ], ], ], ], and ], as well as various 360° ] and photography ]. | |||
| ====Drugs==== | |||
| The drugs section of the site calls itself a 'bullshit free guide'. There is information on most well-known drugs available, with the aim of being honest about their effects and legality, "'neither condemning nor condoning drug use'. Slocombe says the infomation ''"is for people to access the facts and make their own, informed decisions."'' | |||
| ====Games==== | |||
| The site features dozens of 'useless' games, made by Slocombe and various other web designers. The 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 hugely popular section where images of nominated ] are clicked on and are, supposedly, punched. | |||
| ====Football==== | |||
| ] remains a solid part of the site, with articles and features on recent cup competitions as well information on the ] and original strips from ]'s ''Bluebird Jones'' ]. | |||
| 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> | |||
| ==The Boards== | |||
| The ] have grown into a hugely popular community, with around 20,000 registered members, ranked as the 481st biggest forum on the internet by . At present, there are around a quarter of a million page impressions each day, with at least 5,000 new posts daily. There are currently 26 sub forums covering a range of topics. | |||
| '''Some of the most notable forums are:''' | |||
| ====Drugs==== | |||
| A forum for open and honest discussion and advice about drugs. Some members are frequent drug users or addicts, and there have been several astonishingly frank and fascinating threads where users have spoken openly and candidly about their experiences. | |||
| ====Politics And Protest (P&P)==== | |||
| This is a collection of five sub-forums (often including a sixth for topical issues such as ], ] etc). This is where the main political debate debate takes place, and at peak times the discussion can be extremely heated and lively, with a tendency to be dominated by extremists who use the Palestine-Israel conflict as a cover for their rampant hatred of Jewish people. | |||
| ====Suburban75==== | |||
| Often a source of amusement among many members, Suburban75 is the forum for all things ], and features discussion on topics such as ] and ], ] and ]. It is generally considered to be the friendliest forum on the boards, and has spawned a ] club. | |||
| 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> | |||
| ====The Dustbin==== | |||
| If, as is often the case, a thread quickly descends into ], is posted in the wrong forum, or is simply ], the moderators rarely delete it immediately. Instead the thread is moved to the Dustbin, where it can be viewed temporarily. The dustbin is popular with many members who enjoy reading the aftermath of extremely heated arguments. | |||
| ====Community==== | |||
| This is where urbanites discuss the state of the boards and organise meet-ups. There is a strong community feeling, with many real-world meetings taking place. Many urbanites meet up for currys or meals, or go for the monthly walk. Meet-ups regularly occur at ] and ], the highlight of the calendar being the ]. There is a complex network of on and offline friendships and even relationships amongst the community. | |||
| == |
==Offline club== | ||
| 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> | |||
| Members of the boards tend to be referred to as ''urbanites'', although this is not necessarily widely used. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| The traditional greeting to new members is "Come in, sit down, have a ] and don't lend Dub a fiver". 'Dub' refers to the long-time member Dubversion, but the origins of the greeting are largely unknown, as will be the meaning to non-British readers. | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ⚫ | ==External links== | ||
| At one point, many urbanites appeared to be obsessed with ], and posting up pictures of them. This reached a peak until Slocombe (whose urban75 username is ''editor'') put a stop to it. | |||
| ⚫ | * | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| Many urbanites like to be the last poster on a thread before it is binned. If a thread looks likely to be binned (if it is ], for example), many members will rush to post a message like 'Last in bin?' This is a rather dubious honour and many urbanites frown upon such behaviour. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| A popular game played by urbanites is ], as popularized by the ] ] series ]. When played it can stretch on for days, weeks and even months, confusing old and new members alike, whilst amusing those who play it. | |||
| Various 'board games' (ie. games played on the bulletin boards) have been pioneered by the urbanite DrJazzz, such as the semi-popular Thread Killer Competition, where posters compete to be the last person to post on the alloted thread, and other competitions such as thread bumping, or predicting the times of certain events, such as the death of ]. In recent times, 'poster above you' activities and word games have become more popular, despite their lack of originality. | |||
| Popular phrases on the boards include: | |||
| *''Well here we all are then'' (often posted on a thread that is clearly going nowhere/headed for the dustbin) | |||
| *''I'm surprised no-one's mentioned ] yet'' (ditto; the phrase is then repeated by other posters, mimicking the repetitition of the film) | |||
| *''*shakes fist*'' (a usually ironic angry post, accompanied by a similarly angry ] | |||
| *''RASCIST!!!'' (a common ironic insult with a deliberate misspelling, mocking the frequent and wild accusations of racism on the politics forum.) | |||
| ==Offline== | |||
| On ] ], the first Offline ] night was held at the ] Ritzy ]. Organised by ] and various other urbanites, the free night was intended to produce an eclectic mix of ], ] and ], all for free, as well as expanding the urban75 community further into the real world. The night was a success and is held on the last ] of every month. On ] ], the night moved to the more suitable location of the Dogstar club in ], where it remains. It was described by ] magazine as "the best thing to happen to the Dogstar in donkey's" and "...so sucessful it hurts!" | |||
| ==Clan== | |||
| In ] ] a number of urbanites set up a website and a server for an Urban75 clan, which allowed members to play ] with each other online. Although any online-enabled game can be played, the most popular is ]. | |||
| ==Radio== | |||
| On ] ] a group of urbanites made a ] ] show for the community, available to download as an ]. The three pilots that followed including an interview with ], music contributed by urbanites, alternative documentaries, and live recordings from the Offline club night. A regular show is planned from ] ]. | |||
| ==Brian Paddick== | |||
| Urban75 entered the national news when Brixton's police chief ] posted on the ] in order to discuss issues with Brixton's community while he was conducting a ] tolerance experiment. However, when the ] press discovered Paddick's posting on the site, a scandal was born. In particular, the press highlighted one post on the boards, where Paddick supposedly said 'The concept of anarchy has always appealed to me'. Although this was , Paddick was suspended (although later reinstated). | |||
| ⚫ | ==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.