Population Statistic: Read. React. Repeat.
Saturday, September 15, 2007

boo, yeah
There be ghosts all over Brooklyn. Let them haunt your cellphone while you stroll in their path!

This Sunday’s Cripplebush Ghost Tour (named after the old Dutch name for the Williamsburg area) is part of this weekend’s Conflux Festival. It’s got a little something extra in the way of a ghost story:

Here’s how it works: A guerilla team has plastered the neighborhood with rectangular yellow stickers about the size of a postcard printed with a Pac-Man-style ghost graphic, a phone number and a four-digit code. You text the code to that number, wait 30 seconds for the buzz and accept your digital history lesson.

For example, if you stand outside K&M bar at the corner of North Eighth and Roebling streets and text 3101, you learn that, “Krystyna & Margaret ran this space as a pierogi restaurant from ‘96-’04. One died of cancer in 2004. In the ’60s & ’70s, the space was Go-Go club.”

Appropriately interactive, although think about it: What does the texting part do for you? The information is so byte-sized that it could have as easily been printed on those paper posters. It’s actually more of a hassle to have to text a request for it. If the text shot back more of a multi-media response — spooky audio-video to make the tour “come alive” — then I could see it being worthwhile.

I guess the text component is good for visitor tracking and measuring which sites are more compelling than others. Plus it’ll appeal to compulsive texters. Otherwise, it’s merely cute.

by Costa Tsiokos, Sat 09/15/2007 01:34 PM
Category: Creative, New Yorkin', Tech
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