New Mars Forums

Official discussion forum of The Mars Society and MarsNews.com

You are not logged in.

Announcement

Announcement: As a reader of NewMars forum, we have opportunities for you to assist with technical discussions in several initiatives underway. NewMars needs volunteers with appropriate education, skills, talent, motivation and generosity of spirit as a highly valued member. Write to newmarsmember * gmail.com to tell us about your ability's to help contribute to NewMars and become a registered member.

#1 2002-10-18 13:11:28

Adrian
Moderator
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: 2001-09-04
Posts: 642
Website

Re: A quick summary

(this is not meant to be a comprehensive report of First Words, just a quick summary).

3673 entries. 1547 people. Over 30,000 pageviews from across the world. Stories in eight mass media outlets that reach a collective audience of millions. First Words only ran for ten days, and managed to do all of this.

By any measure, First Words was a complete success, and it's still generating good publicity; I'm being interviewed by a Japanese radio station live, on air, next week - about First Words, of course. Everyone who interviewed me expressed their belief that the competition was a wonderful idea that would interest everyone.

First Words cost essentially nothing apart from the prize money, which we recouped via sales of Mars maps. It's convinced me that smaller, more focused projects are the way of the future as far as Mars advocacy is concerned at the moment, and that the Internet is an incredibly powerful tool for spreading the word.

Next year, I hope that we'll do something that reaches even more people and is even more fun. For now, I'm going to take a bit of a break from rushing around and relax. After that, I'll set up the Mars Wiki I've been going on about for ages and see what people come up with there.


Editor of [url=http://www.newmars.com]New Mars[/url]

Offline

#2 2002-10-18 13:38:46

Palomar
Member
From: USA
Registered: 2002-05-30
Posts: 9,734

Re: A quick summary

(this is not meant to be a comprehensive report of First Words, just a quick summary).

Next year, I hope that we'll do something that reaches even more people and is even more fun. For now, I'm going to take a bit of a break from rushing around and relax. After that, I'll set up the Mars Wiki I've been going on about for ages and see what people come up with there.

*What is the "Mars Wiki" -- ??  This is the 2nd time today you've mentioned it, Adrian.  smile

--Cindy


We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Offline

#3 2002-10-18 13:42:31

Adrian
Moderator
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: 2001-09-04
Posts: 642
Website

Re: A quick summary

Yeah, I haven't really talked about it in a dedicated thread yet - I'll do that once it's running. But for now, if you scroll to the bottom of this thread you can read about what I'm planning.


Editor of [url=http://www.newmars.com]New Mars[/url]

Offline

#4 2002-10-18 16:48:25

Phobos
Member
Registered: 2002-01-02
Posts: 1,103

Re: A quick summary

By any measure, First Words was a complete success, and it's still generating good publicity; I'm being interviewed by a Japanese radio station live, on air, next week - about First Words, of course. Everyone who interviewed me expressed their belief that the competition was a wonderful idea that would interest everyone.

Wow.  Are they going to translate what you say into Japanese or is it an English language station?  Or maybe you already know Japanese. smile  I took Japanese in college but I've probably already forgotten nine-tenths of it. big_smile


To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

Offline

#5 2002-10-19 04:15:41

Adrian
Moderator
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: 2001-09-04
Posts: 642
Website

Re: A quick summary

Nope, can't speak Japanese although I might learn the words for 'Hi' and 'Bye'. I presume (and hope!) that they'll talk to me in English, but they said that they would definitely have a translator on hand to translate what I say into Japanese.


Editor of [url=http://www.newmars.com]New Mars[/url]

Offline

#6 2002-10-19 17:12:27

Phobos
Member
Registered: 2002-01-02
Posts: 1,103

Re: A quick summary

Nope, can't speak Japanese although I might learn the words for 'Hi' and 'Bye'. I presume (and hope! that they'll talk to me in English, but they said that they would definitely have a translator on hand to translate what I say into Japanese.

lol, yeah it might be kinda hard to answer questions if you don't know what the hell they're asking. smile  Konnichiwa is a common way of saying hello and there's several ways of saying goodbye like sayonara and shisurei shimasu.  That last one though isn't really pronounced much the way its spelled, its more like "shi-su-lye shi-mas"


To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

Offline

#7 2002-10-20 11:54:15

Josh Cryer
Moderator
Registered: 2001-09-29
Posts: 3,830

Re: A quick summary

Will we be able to listen in online? Or will you be getting a recording of it? Could be neat. smile


Some useful links while MER are active. [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html]Offical site[/url] [url=http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Web.html]NASA TV[/url] [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/]JPL MER2004[/url] [url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html]Text feed[/url]
--------
The amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth totals some 3.9 million exajoules a year.

Offline

#8 2002-10-20 12:30:39

Adrian
Moderator
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: 2001-09-04
Posts: 642
Website

Re: A quick summary

Webcasting might be available - I had a look at their website http://zip-fm.co.jp/top/top.asp and couldn't find any obvious link though.

I am getting a recording, so if it's *really* good I might put it online smile


Editor of [url=http://www.newmars.com]New Mars[/url]

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB