Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Chronicling Conversations

In 'Web site chronicles New York's conversations' there is a discussion on a site called Overheard which posts conversations that passerbys have heard from other people on the street:

'In a city of 8 million people, someone is always saying something strange. And, odds are, someone is around to hear it.

Like the guy on the subway who said: ''Yeah, it ain't safe for kids to go missing these days.'' Or the woman on her cell phone who noted: ''Quite frankly, I'd rather be pole dancing.'' And that's the clean stuff.

Chronicling such utterances is the mission of Overheard in New York, a Web site that has become an Internet sensation, spawned a book and inspired countless imitators throughout the world. Nairobi, Dublin, Bucharest and Philadelphia are among other cities now boasting Overheard sites, although many are just individuals' blogs.'

An example - A few, however, plumb more unusual depths, such as:

Girl 1: Anarchists are so dumb.

Girl 2: Yeah, totally.

Girl 3: I mean, just 'cause you hate the government doesn't mean you have to dress badly.

Great! But are we no longer free to say really dumb things?

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