I cycled through the park to Piel View House the home of Octopus, and to the 2014 Digital Media Labs, and caught the last few minutes of a brass band performance on the park bandstand. I’ve been thinking about parks in a recent project, and what they might offer in terms of insight in to how online ‘spaces’ should work. Parks are often a negotiation between many types of use. The bandstand performance had an audience of older park users, and up the hill slightly, a second audience of teenagers who had found another space to spend time.

I like how accessible the bandstand is as a platform for ‘publishing’. Some bandstands are programmed or curated, while others are openaccess. The permanence of the structure provides a platform for activity, and a store of ‘reputation’ over time. During the week, I want to explore the way that publishing platforms shape what can be published. I’m particularly interested in anonymity preserving formats. Watching a performance on the bandstand does not require a log-in, a phone number, or email address. It is even possible to be lost in a crowd.