E-Media Tidbits

Furminator, via Flickr (Creative Commons license) Philadelphia's annual Mummers Parade is bizarre, but definitely not boring. Why not have fun with the online coverage?

This year's Mummers Parade (a bizarre, gaudy, and often drunken mainstay of Philadelphia culture) has been postponed until Jan. 6 due to rain. Damp ostrich feathers and dripping face paint are not much fun.

The Mummers Parade must be seen to be believed. Right now, Philly.com (the Web site of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News) offers an interactive map of the parade route. However, it's barely interactive and -- to me -- disappointingly unimaginative: just some mouseovers that show text blurbs and still photos, which are identical for several stops along the route. There's not even any string band music!

Philly.com I found Philly.com's interactive parade route map rather unimaginative.

This annual spectacle is all about motion, music, and really weird visuals. Why give it such a lackluster treatment? Since Philly.com now has an extra week to coordinate its parade coverage, I'd love it if they'd try something adventurous and fun.

Here's what I'd like to see: Live webcams posted at each highlighted spot along the parade route. These should pan and zoom -- maybe even under the control of volunteer remote camera operators. What a great way to involve the online audience -- especially Philly expatriates, many of whom are drawn to the Mummers Parade as touchstone of their cultural identity.

Wouldn't something resembling this YouTube video by Mel Taylor (see below) be more fun and engaging?