NETSCAPE needs no introduction. It is one of the world’s top social news sites, the others being Digg, Reddit and Newsvine.

Not only does Netscape harness the power of the collective intelligence of thousands of users who collaboratively rank and comment upon the top news, this participatory media also recognizes the worth of individual users who are particularly able at spotting and commenting upon trends.

These users know too, how to start conversations and they have a particular gravitational pull that endows them with a value worth far more than any content.

It is the Netscape Anchors I am talking about. These top contributors add tremendous value to Netscape. And Netscape is very aware of this. They know that value lies in people.

I know this too.

And, that is why I chose to contact Alexia at Netscape. I asked her if she would allow me to interview her, as I wanted to get a view of the person behind the Netscape Anchor title.

She generously agreed to answer my questions, providing me with little-known facts about herself.

Here is the interview:

MO: What made you think of getting into this field of being an anchor blogger. You must have been inspired. I’d like to know your thought process if I may?

AP: I never actually thought of being a professional blogger. I didn’t think I had enough to say about anything to justify trying for a career in print.

What attracted me to Netscape was the idea of an alternate, public, free media distribution source. I am passionate about the public voice, and was always interested in finding a way to communicate more immediately, more honestly (unedited) with larger and larger audiences, and to encourage others to do the same. Netscape offers me the chance to do just that.

I was and still am inspired by the fundamental laws of this country. Specifically, freedom of speech. I am inspired to make as many videos about as many different things as I can by the sheer fact that I have the freedom to do it.

MO: You must be a power user-I can quite well imagine, and your use of the internet I expect provides inspiration and information­? How do you go about finding ideas?

AP: I’m actually not a power-user, I don’t think. I use the internet for research. In terms of how it helps me to find ideas… There are such great articles on everything all over the internet.

When I’m researching something I’ll read a cool article and will literally follow every tangent inside that article in order to get a good base of knowledge on the thing I’m researching. All of those tangents provide ideas.

MO: What is it you focus on, when you spend your time on the internet?

AP: Information, teaching tools and email. I don’t use it to “connect” with people beyond email. I like a face-to-face connection.

MO: What do you want from it-please specify- it may be that it offers you the opportunity for creating something, for developing skills, for networking, for-yes there’s lots. I’d love to hear!!!

AP: Same as above: I use the internet to learn. That learning sometimes inspires ideas, but usually life inspires more ideas. The internet is really a tool for me, not an environment, if that makes any sense. I still like to go to bars or others’ houses to hang out with friends, to the gym to get exercise, and to travel to get some chill time. I don’t seek any of those things on the internet.

MO: Please let me know about you!

Who are you? This can encompass so much-your values, aspirations, competencies, how you see yourself and where you want to go! Please expound!!!

AP: I am a storyteller and an optimist. “Values” is a much-abused word so I’ll stay away from that for the moment and say that the things that are important to me are honesty, self-love, kindness, and equality.

There’s a Buddhist idea that I’m fond of: if you don’t love yourself then you can’t give love to anyone else, so I spend a fair amount of time trying to make sure the choices I make are the correct ones for me.

Lastly, where I want to go is owning my own home, creating a flower & veggie garden so I can eat what I grow, and to continue getting better and better at filmmaking. And, you know, if I would get an original TV series on the air that wouldn’t suck…:)

MO: Where else can I find you on the internet-on business networking sites for example?

AP: Well, there’s my unbelievably shitty website www.vectorscopefilms.com, which is due for a complete overhaul, and then there’s my brand new blog: lextopia.blogspot.com. You can probably figure out a lot about me there.

MO: What do you know of Web 2.0? And if you have anything to say about this-what the trends are, I’d like to hear this too.

AP: I don’t know anything beyond it seems to be a concept and not really a tangible thing. For instance, you can’t go out and buy Web 2.0.

MO: Last BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST-NETSCAPE-What do you want to say about it?

AP: I love it. I think what Jason and all of us have done is amazing.

We’ve started a conversation. Or at least created a place where a few can happen. And we’re continuing to develop it as a venue where anyone can come and express themselves in a variety of media. THAT’S democracy!

MO: I’d certainly like to hear, amongst other things, and everything that you choose to add:

What do you get out of this?

AP: I get what the users get: the chance to say what I think in the way that I want to say it and hope that some of the users respond to what I’ve put forward.

MO: How does this add to your wished for things to do in life-how does it help you on the “path” you wish to take?

AP: It affords me the freedom to explore. We rarely get that chance in our day jobs, and I love it.
How it helps me is that I continue to hone my shooting, editing and storytelling skills.

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I’d like to thank Alexia for being so approachable and generous in her sharing of herself.

Furthermore, I’d like to say that knowing the person behind the title at Netscape now adds to an augmented view of Netscape; one that adds, through a personal context, even greater credibility.

I wonder if Netscape might consider letting their anchors provide a more nuanced personal profile; one that adds more value to their already excellent design strategy?

This is the first posting on my blog.

Since this blog for me, will be a journey of discovery through the net, I openly admit that I start with quite a bit of wonder. For wonder is a quality that enables perception of things yet unseen to be seen.

Neil Armstrong said wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand

Yes, I too wish to understand. I am interested in the humanity behind the networks we build, the metaphors of substance, meaning, identity that emerge as these places that we inhabit are extended into virtual places on the internet. And I am interested in the stories that abound out there; stories of people connecting, learning, and creating in places on the net.

I call these places enabling spaces.

And these spaces are created in what is presently being called web2.

Web2 is all about creating one’s own personalised space. It’s about being online with a certain degree of charm, personality and flair. It is also about allowing for contacts to be created through mutual interests and affinities.

And it is certainly about creating success. For it’s dynamic, organismic in its development, and it’s taking us to our very own preferred future! This, through social and business networking as well as a myriad of other services available.

In the weeks to come, I hope to take a closer look at the poetics of what has become our modern discourse media. This is of course the web. Or more correctly web2.

And its poetics? Ah I’d like to find what motivates, creates meaning and gives reward.

I don’t have the answers, however you may know this already?

Let me hear what you get from the internet? What social networking or business networking sites do you use? How have they become an asset for you?

Also, where on the internet do you get your news? Do you read blogs? Do you interact with bloggers, with newsmakers?

For it is not just the appearance of networks I wish to see. It is the people their presence and spirit that is most interesting.

Let’s see where this journey will take us.

If you would like me to know about your story of how the internet has become a meaningful aspect of your life with regards to business or social networking or indeed news finding, please let me hear.

Also, if you are a power user and would like me to write about your profile, send me a line. It may be that you are an anchor blogger or someone heavily into networking, or just someone who knows all about where the net is taking us. I’d like to hear that too!

Until next week then.

Bye for now

Maria

you can contact me through this e-mail address: maria_m_odonovan@yahoo.dk