Digital City

Labors of Love Sharing the city from the heart–and the keyboard. by André Natta Everywhere you turn in Birmingham you can find digital outlets staking their claims to a piece of the content-consuming pie. It’s become extremely easy to launch a site, or a profile on a social network. The lesson many are learning is… Read More

Seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. by André Natta One of the unexpected results of watching the city as it reacts to increased media coverage during the commemoration of the events of 1963 is how it tends to look at itself. I spent 11 years of my life in Savannah, GA, including living through… Read More

Tools to bring communities together. by André Natta All cities are made up of neighborhoods, each with their own unique character, successes, and challenges. Birmingham, AL is no different, with its 151 square miles divided into 99 well-defined sections (at least on a map), each part of one of the city’s 23 communities and nine… Read More

Who says what. by André Natta There are several stories about Birmingham to tell as 2013 begins to unfold. Many of them will be told by our local media outlets as they capture stories of celebration and determination. Others will be uncovered by national and international outlets as they attempt to get a better grasp… Read More

How will we move forward? By Andre Natta I’d originally intended to write a “year in preview” this month, seeking out predictions from some of the most active folks in our digital sphere and offering a few of my own. Then I realized that it makes more sense to make your future instead of trying… Read More

How will we move forward? by André Natta How will we move forward? Many will turn to that phrase for the next few weeks as we move from holiday party to holiday party, wondering what the future holds for Birmingham in 2013. It’s a fairly important year as eyes all over the world turn to… Read More

Instagram boasts one more user. by André Natta I finally decided I’d download the Instagram app for Android back in early September. I started to realize I was missing out on a whole new world of interaction with some of my online friends, one that probably gives me a clearer picture of what truly interests… Read More

There’s an app for that. by André Natta One thing I’ve learned living down South is how much life in the fall revolves around football. It’s supposed to be fun, and it’s as important to becoming part of the community as any other indicator. The Garrick McGee era of UAB football is in full swing… Read More

The secret sauce is the people. by André Natta “There’s such an energy formed when six passionate people all share a table.” That’s what Atlanta-based designer James Martin said to me during a recent conversation here in Birmingham. More on why shortly… There are many who believe that online communication can completely replace the need… Read More

Here are some tools that help me manage overload. by André Natta Every month I sit down in front of a blank screen—sometimes stumbling across some obscure piece of information pertaining to the future of our city—as I attempt to write this column. At least, I think it’s most likely an obscure piece of information… Read More

Tackling local problems, e-style. by André Natta It’s always interesting to take a step back and see just how our digital community continues to evolve. Two online initiatives recently undertaken have pointed out some level of belief in the future of Birmingham, as well as once again pooling resources to help those in need. I’ve… Read More