An open letter to Twitter on The @towerbridge Affair

What Adam said:

The first important recognition inscribed in @towerbridge is that we can reconceive of the built environment as a field of available informational resources. The second is that this can be done very simply, and at surprisingly little cost — crucial, when the established technology vendors are heavily invested, and want to invest others, in heroic “smart city” infrastructure.

Tom’s third insight, though, is even more foundational than either of these two. It’s that urban actors like bridges might speak to people on the same terms, and in the same voice, as we use amongst ourselves. Simply, respectfully, usefully…and without any of the obfuscation and mystery that’s, let’s face it, inherent for most people in terms like “networked urban object” and “common messaging bus.” In this sense, @towerbridge as Tom used it clearly established best practice in my field.