Perhaps it's hard-wired into the very nature of the internet (after all, almost anyone can publish one) but it's increasingly difficult to find a really good website. As so much focus rests on social interaction and 'sharing', it seems as though the traditional site, with pages and everything, has become something of an afterthought.
Of course, I understand that technology must evolve - few things are in such a constant state of change and flux. Just as we've come to terms with the use and implications of Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram, we're hearing the first murmurs of the 'internet of things' - the notion of our possessions being part of a personal network. It's all very exciting, but I hope we haven't completely abandoned the aspiration to create tremendous websites, the way we used to enjoy them.
"It actually works brilliantly on its own terms."
This thought occurs to me because somebody has kindly drawn my attention to just such a thing. It's called - excuse the industrial language - 'The Museum Of Important Shit'. And, impressively, it's actually an advertisement. Well, I say 'advertisement', it's more a conceptual marketing exercise for the new Nick Cave movie '20,000 Days On Earth' - although it actually works brilliantly on its own terms. This is how it describes its origins:
"This virtual Museum catalogues the things that remind us of those transformative moments that make us who we are, and unlocks the stories connected to them.
This whole thing started with an old piece of chewing gum. Seriously.
We were shooting the film and Nick told us this spine-tingling story. Nina Simone had been a nightmare backstage at one of her final gigs. But when she walked on and sat down, she took the gum from her mouth and stuck it on the piano, and… transformed. It was one of those rare moments. Nick felt the gears of his heart change. We’ve all had experiences like this.
A few weeks later, we’re shooting another scene. Nick is asking bandmate Warren Ellis if he remembers that Nina Simone gig. Warren interrupts: “I have that gum” he says. And he really does. A pathetic looking dirty piece of gum, wrapped in a towel.
As Nick says in the film, "It’s shit, but it’s important shit. And that’s what this Museum is all about."
The site doesn't completely ignore the current enthusiasm for crowd-sourcing and user- generated content. Indeed, that element is completely essential as the collection isn't garnered from Nick Cave and his friends, it's built from objects submitted by visitors. In a small way it's a bit like Pinterest, but much more human, much more emotional, because every post represents a fragment of a life - a tiny piece of a bigger story.
Browsing today, I found a photo from a Specials gig submitted by a well-known author; a cast of woman's teeth; a tattoo design from a man who recovered from a chronic illness he never had, and a soap wrapper from a New York hotel.
What a wonderful idea. I'm familiar with some similar projects; there's a site which publishes found notes from unknown people, for instance - and another which compiles things one man's father says. 'The Museum Of Important Shit' is, however, as original as you could ever hope for - and yet, it's such a great site, it leaves you wondering why it hasn't been done before.
The 'museum' is very new, so the volume of items is relatively small right now (a few show up in many categories), but this will soon adjust as more pictures and stories are added. I sincerely hope contributions continue long after '20,000 Days On Earth' has left theatres, because it genuinely has the potential to become an important and endlessly fascinating social document. As soon as I can decide on an object, I will definitely be posting an artefact of my own. You should do the same.
Magnus Shaw is a copywriter, blogger and consultant
