Online graffiti a hit for classroom nostalgia

Written by: Rebecca Milner on September 25, 2008 at 8:02 am | In Technology & Gadget Trends |

New website Kyokasho.net offers up hundreds of textbook images (“kyokasho” means “textbook”) of great figures of history for your digital defacement pleasure. Using tools such as a grey lead pencil, a red pencil, and a rubber eraser, users can create online textbook graffiti that recalls tedious school days gone by.

Play begins by first choosing from one of five subjects (Japanese language, Japanese history, world history, music, and the arts), then a target figure. For each historical person, a mock textbook page has been created using text from the Japanese version of Wikipedia. Defamers (or the curious) can also browse galleries of user-created characatures. The use of photos is made possible through the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL).

Since opening in July, Kyokasho.net has already recorded over 10,000 user-generated images. Of the 350 personas up for grabs, the most popular so far is Taisho period novelist Ryounosuku Akutagawa with 930 images created to date. Coming in second is Mozart with 401 and Meiji period writer Masaoka Shiki with 341. No, I’m sorry we have no idea why other than that Akutagawa (pictured above) is the first image in the first subject listed.

In addition to the nostalgia factor, a representative from contents creator Marici explained that he hoped the site would offer a creative and constructive outlet for the frustrations many (especially in the online community a la 2 Channel) feel towards society of late.

Another recent case for the timeless and universal appeal of scribbling anonymously where you are not supposed to is Kokuban.in. Launched in August, Kokuban.in (“kokuban” means “blackboard”) offers users a clean slate and six colors of digital chalk to create their own classroom graffiti masterpiece.

A little over a month after opening, the site already has 400,000 user-generated images. There are a lot of manga-inspired illustrations, but also landscapes, still life etc. Each day Kokuban offers a theme for inspiration and variety.

Looked at together, Kyokasho.net and Kokuban.in are examples of the hit potential of a clever blend of retro/low-tech and web 2.0 capabilities.

Tags: Retro, UGC, Web 2.0
Category: Technology & Gadget Trends
Other categories: Marketing & Ad Trends, Fashion & Lifestyle Trends