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NEW 7 WONDERS? COMMERCIALISING OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE(1)
WELCOME TO THE NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD ELECTION. YOUR VOTE COUNTS! HELP MAKE HISTORY… Pardon?! My column looks at some of the world’s wonders, including its monuments. What these sites have in common is that they help form the national consciousness of each of the nations that gave them birth. Collectively, they contribute to the increasingly “globalised” consciousness of what it is to be human. A few examples will suffice.
The Acropolis is not a huge monument but it is one of western civilisation’s most iconic structures. Less well-known perhaps, but also of major significance is the great temple complex of Borabadur on the Indonesian island of Java with its marvelous sculpted reliefs.
So when a for-profit company undertakes a “poll” of “favorite” monuments, it is treading on sensitive ground. For unlike e.g. movies, film stars or songs, they are not already in the market place. So it is a completely different exercise to purport to rank the “popularity” of mankind’s most culturally resonant and indeed even sacred places. But this has not deterred www.New7Wonders.com from proclaiming a poll that has not only attracted press attention but has angered or perturbed even national governments. Actually, for sheer audacity and self-importance the website is something of a wonder in its own right. This site is not given to understatement! After comparing its poll to the modern revival of the Olympic movement (!) it pronounces:
“There has never been any true public consensus of opinion on the last 2000 years of human achievement. The internet is perhaps the only democratic means of distributing information around the world since it is free to everyone who has access to a computer and telephone network. That is why we are urging the world's population to participate in this free vote which pays tribute to our collective global cultural heritage."
Actually, most of the world’s inhabitants still have no access to the Internet. But I have nothing against an Internet poll conducted primarily in English of famous monuments, provided it does not claim to be anything more than that. Although I would question the reference to “free vote” when the website then goes on to provide for the sale of additional “votes”-clearly this is an “election” of a kind not tolerated in other contexts and the results will similarly be less meaningful. Another facet of the exercise is indicated by the following statement made elsewhere on the site to solicit business partners:
“Unique business benefits are available with New7Wonders - together we can make marketing and commercial history!”
A possible example is the collection of personal information the voting process involves. Information about us is increasingly valuable to those who want to market things or to contact us for other reasons. We are all tired of the junk mail aqua spam constantly cluttering our email inboxes. Certainly marketing merchandise is central to the New7Wonders exercise. So upon emailing the website, voters receive a “voter registration form” which identifies as New7Wonders potential products ranging from holidays and travel; coins and stamps: books; toys; clothing and accessories; to New7Wonders media, CDs, DVDs. All to be conferred protection under intellectual property laws which will confer yet additional commercial benefit to the organisers. Also the following issues arise from the websites procedures regarding the collection of personal data-an issue of increasing public concern in the digital age:
The Acropolis is not a huge monument but it is one of western civilisation’s most iconic structures. Less well-known perhaps, but also of major significance is the great temple complex of Borabadur on the Indonesian island of Java with its marvelous sculpted reliefs.
So when a for-profit company undertakes a “poll” of “favorite” monuments, it is treading on sensitive ground. For unlike e.g. movies, film stars or songs, they are not already in the market place. So it is a completely different exercise to purport to rank the “popularity” of mankind’s most culturally resonant and indeed even sacred places. But this has not deterred www.New7Wonders.com from proclaiming a poll that has not only attracted press attention but has angered or perturbed even national governments. Actually, for sheer audacity and self-importance the website is something of a wonder in its own right. This site is not given to understatement! After comparing its poll to the modern revival of the Olympic movement (!) it pronounces:
“There has never been any true public consensus of opinion on the last 2000 years of human achievement. The internet is perhaps the only democratic means of distributing information around the world since it is free to everyone who has access to a computer and telephone network. That is why we are urging the world's population to participate in this free vote which pays tribute to our collective global cultural heritage."
Actually, most of the world’s inhabitants still have no access to the Internet. But I have nothing against an Internet poll conducted primarily in English of famous monuments, provided it does not claim to be anything more than that. Although I would question the reference to “free vote” when the website then goes on to provide for the sale of additional “votes”-clearly this is an “election” of a kind not tolerated in other contexts and the results will similarly be less meaningful. Another facet of the exercise is indicated by the following statement made elsewhere on the site to solicit business partners:
“Unique business benefits are available with New7Wonders - together we can make marketing and commercial history!”
A possible example is the collection of personal information the voting process involves. Information about us is increasingly valuable to those who want to market things or to contact us for other reasons. We are all tired of the junk mail aqua spam constantly cluttering our email inboxes. Certainly marketing merchandise is central to the New7Wonders exercise. So upon emailing the website, voters receive a “voter registration form” which identifies as New7Wonders potential products ranging from holidays and travel; coins and stamps: books; toys; clothing and accessories; to New7Wonders media, CDs, DVDs. All to be conferred protection under intellectual property laws which will confer yet additional commercial benefit to the organisers. Also the following issues arise from the websites procedures regarding the collection of personal data-an issue of increasing public concern in the digital age:
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