Published on the 11/10/2010 | Written by Newsdesk
This is the 21st anniversary of New Zealand’s connection to the Internet and a Wellington digital agency has created a site to tell its story…
The agency, Heyday, has launched the site www.downtothewire.co.nz to tell the story of that connection and how it has changed our lives.
It includes videos capturing the thoughts of more than 50 of the nation’s leading Internet personalities and players – from those who worked to get the wire into the University of Waikato in 1989, to the people who made use of the internet in innovative or unique ways.
Among those appearing are Duncan Blair (Orcon), Russell Brown, (Public Address), Greer McDonald (stuff.co.nz), Richard MacManus (ReadWriteWeb), Brendan Smyth (NZ On AIr), John Houlker (NZTE), Geoff Ross (The Bakery) and Brenda Leeuwenberg (NZ On Screen). The videos are introduced by actress and singer Madeleine Sami.
The story of New Zealand’s Internet will also be told through entertaining editorial, key facts and seminal stats. Visitors will be able to provide their own thoughts and insights, information about key events and even suggest other people who might be interviewed on video in future.
Heyday is looking to build the site’s content over time and curate a growing, lasting resource for New Zealand. Down to the Wire Project Lead Thomas Scovell said, “We’re excited to tell the stories that we have uncovered, and to create a space for others to reminisce and grow the story with us. We hope this truly becomes all of New Zealand’s story – how the Internet has transformed the way we communicate, do business and laugh together.”
Legendary New Zealand record label Flying Nun is offering visitors to the site a free MP3 download each day, for 21 days. The MP3s offered will be iconic Kiwi tracks from each of the last 21 years.
The people behind the site, which was known as Doubleclique used binary Sunday – 10.10.10 – to celebrate its 10th birthday and relaunch itself under the name Heyday.
