Everything old is new again ... not quite!

NOTE: This is content from the web re:Brand posts going back to November 2010. We have kept the re:Brand posts as a legacy archive but, on a go forward basis as of October, 2011, the new DATA eh? content takes over this space.

We found an interesting website today: http://web.archive.org known as wayback machine.  You can go backwards in time there and we did.  Here is a rendering of our toronto.ca site from 1999:

Strikethrough the re:Brand

NOTE: This is content from the web re:Brand posts going back to November 2010. We have kept the re:Brand posts as a legacy archive but, on a go forward basis as of October, 2011, the new DATA eh? content takes over this space.

I'm seeing more and more blog authors using the strike through when they make errors mistakes and changes on their blog.  I'm thinking assuming it's to show transparency - you know, "I'm not hiding anything from you".*

But I actually hate it loathe it detest it object to it think it's pretty stupid.  It makes a post much harder to read and, if I used strike through for every error or change of mind I had, well it would be simply impossible horrific to read!

Maybe that makes me old school out of touch a contrarian but I really prefer a readable display - I'm not a fan of track changes in a document either. It's just too hard to follow.

But how far should we take this "openness" in an Open Government? Do we transfer the logic to our static web?  How about our print pieces?  Advertising on the Garbage trucks?  Tax Bills?

OK what does branding mean?

NOTE: This is content from the web re:Brand posts going back to November 2010. We have kept the re:Brand posts as a legacy archive but, on a go forward basis as of October, 2011, the new DATA eh? content takes over this space.


These just in from our Comments Wall: 

I was just on the City's website/webpage for Edwards Gardens.....ARE YOU KIDDING? That is the most spartan and pathetic 'description' for a civic attraction that I've ever seen and I have lived or visited from coast-to-coast. Do you not want people to visit this wonderful space? In fact, I found most of the 'information' on the City's website severely lacking, unimaginative, and just plain bland.  

AND ...

It is obviously too late. In the future, try first to understand what "branding" means. So far, there is no "branding" here.

To the first - this is the kind of comment relating to writing we've been asking about.  In some ways, when we write with a bit more pizazz there is a fear of criticism but I gather rather than a consistent listing this person wants more! We could definitely put some more meat on information like this - maybe you'd like to try adding your own descriptions - a great place for a Garden Wall perhaps?

(Assumption the person was looking at: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/parks_gardens/edwardsgdns.htm).

To the second - I would argue it's never too late.  The web re:Brand hasn't got a finite point exactly.  I mean, we are not just going to present pages and say we are done without a fair bit of due diligence.  So, perhaps you could say: "it's taking a while"!  I would also challenge that we don't know what "branding" means.  In fact the comment tells us a lot about our current brand.  So, maybe as we move along with the outcomes, a better brand - something we can all be real proud about - will become more evident.

Fill in the blanks:

toronto.ca is to Toronto as  ________ is to __________

Make a connection and tell us what our web means to you now or what you'd like it to mean to you in the future.

#28/2010