ONA Thoughts 2003

I am an optimist, or a child. Or maybe it's not "or."

I bought a book in the airport on my way to Chicago, and I guess I must have thought I'd have a chance to read it this weekend while I was at, or travelling to or from, this conference I attended.

But I not only didn't have a chance to crack the cover, I also didn't have time to watch any of the 5 DVDs I brought, I didn't get to read the Newsweek I brought along, I didn't get to answer all the email I transferred to my laptop, I didn't get a chance to call and visit with many of the Chicago friends and colleagues I emailed, and I didn't manage to get my expense report filled out before I returned.

In fact, I didn't get the chance to do anything except learn and learn and meet and re-meet, and get energized and excited about online journalism and the many, many potential benefits and changes that it has yet to go through on its way to becoming the most powerful medium in the world.

I met people who were using the Internet to report on the most interesting social and political issues, like covering the war in Iraq, and analyzing the scientific studies of the effects of Ecstasy and the physiological effects of addiction and addiction treatments.

I met people who were building tremendous communities of readers that they could turn to for story ideas and quotes.

I met people who were using audio and video to demonstrate the way the Patriot Act was affecting people in their local community. I met people who were creating publications that covered the news of religion and faith in America, topics that are greatly neglected when you consider how much they shape the political and social fabric of the U.S.

And before you think that it was all stupendous altruism, I was also amazed at what entertainment and sports sites were doing to serve their readers and present data, with what Congressional Quarterly was investing in data aggregation and sorting, and what a small newspaper in Washington State was doing to influence traffic policy in their area.

So, instead of catching up or kicking back, I ended up instead being Mr. Social Bunny at the conference, taking a few good ideas back to Los Angeles with me.

And then today, I went to the Art Institute, and saw some amazing art. There was a bland (to me) Manet exhibit; I mean, it had gorgeous pictures and excellent descriptions, but the impressionists just have never done it for me.

I was much more impressed by a Magritte I saw -- that great pipe one, and a Picasso nude (at least I think it was a nude), and some great conceptual modern art works.

One was a large piece of yarn stretched from ceiling to floor, and then across the floor for about 15 feet, and then back up. Dozens of people walked around it, and no one stepped over it. It was the flimsiest effective barrier I've ever seen, and the artist described it as the simplest painting ever: a single line that was both frame and canvas, stretching from one beginning point to an ending one. Also cool: a long white board with a stretched out row of pennies dated from 1967 to 2003; every year until he dies, the artist is going to add one more to the shelf.

A touching one was a pile of shiny individually wrapped candies piled in a corner weighing a total of 145 pounds, the weight of the boyfriend of the artist; the boyfriend died of AIDS and visitors are invited to take a candy -- the pile is replenished regularly. The one I tried was sweet but tart.

And then I caught the L back to O'Hare airport, caught a delayed flight back to L.A., and well, the future hasn't happened yet so I better stop writing here and go make it happen.

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