http://hourann.com Hourann’s illogical blog Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:46:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://hourann.com/blog/2007/04/04/still-cant-shake-that-small-town-thinking http://hourann.com/blog/2007/04/04/still-cant-shake-that-small-town-thinking#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:37:20 +0000 azza-bazoo http://hourann.com/blog/2007/04/04/still-cant-shake-that-small-town-thinking

• This is a picture of Brisbane’s new Northbank waterfront development, announced by Peter Beattie to much fanfare two months ago. It’s kinda like Northbridge Link, except smaller, but also cooler because it’s by the river. And just like Northbridge Link, there’s a cop-out: building over a freeway is apparently too expensive, so they’ll reclaim part of the river and build next to it. Anyway, this is interesting because of the comments I’ve read in response to the proposal. Aside from critics of Multiplex (whom Beattie has swindled into paying for the whole shebang), it amazes me that the project’s opponents sound basically identical to the critics of big projects in Perth. Ours is not the only city with people who’ve failed to realise that this ain’t no country town anymores …!
• Speaking of Brisbane, the Fairfax company recently launched a new news site for that town, in what seems to be a move away from their newsprint roots. I wonder if they’re hoping to use the Web to counter their lack of influence outside Sydney and Melbourne?
• And speaking of Northbridge Link, I’ve sent off my opinion on the draft plan.
• Finally, I’d like to take a moment to discuss GO3, the games expo last weekend that disappointed because it had only one new game on show and not many east coast developers. Everywhere I look, it’s being used as an excuse to launch into wholesale Perth-bashing (even by locals!). Apparently being in a medium-sized and isolated city makes it impossible to hold a decent conference. Have these people never heard of SXSW, or of CeBIT? Austin is the same size as Perth, Hanover is smaller, and neither is all that easy to get to from Silicon Valley. No, the real problem was that the conference is new, isn’t well-known, and has too few sponsors to be able to throw down the megabucks needed to draw top-tier exhibitors. If the organisers have any competence, they’ll work at addressing this in future.

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