The VPRO is making a great series called “century of the city”. I’ve wached it with great interest and I’ve learned a great deal. Being a multi-media series. There is also a website that gives you the ability to find more information about the subject and view the series from the comfort of your computer instead of your tv.
Recently they announced that the series is available for download on a creative commons license! With series like these that share a lot of information that is of interest of a potential big audience it’s a beautiful initiative that should be followed by other makers of documentaries. And the should look into the possibilities of crowdsourcing. This will bring the statement / story of the maker to a a bigger and more involved and active audience.

The VPRO has been and still is the front-runner in the dutch television business when it comes to internet. So they have been doing this more. But most of the time it’s not possible to do so because other parties involved are not willing to leave the path called copyright. I’m delighted to see that it was possible for this great series.

• eeuwvandestad.nl
• to the VPRO and all kinds of great content (music being one of the great examples)
• the list of people who made this possible
• creative commons

Like the message and the way it’s done. Nothing hi-tech. Just a man in a street using his voice and reason the let people hear his thoughts.
This video registration (done by friends of the speaker) was being tweeted in the early morning by @rvhooijdonk and I was “sold”. I wasn’t the only one. Lot’s of people retweeted that video in the dutch twittersphere. And so his voice reaches not only the people at the mall that day but an additional 150.000. The power of video + good message + internet = OK!

• speaker on video: Cvietch (see more)
• link to the video on Youtube: Jonathan Zittrain: The Web as random acts of kindness
• montage posted on 26th of September 2009 by: Back Burner News