Expanding the view

We’ve made some more changes over at the http://stockport.plings.net today.

After a couple of weeks of testing we’re going live with the following features:

7 days of activity – although there is a google calendar, we’ve added a full 7 days of data to the regular interface allowing you to browse by day.

To aid you in your browsing around we’ve added a tag cloud of the weeks activities, and an option to filter your ‘Places to Go’ by postcode as well as the existing ‘ward’ filter.

When you ask for more information about an activity you can now see photo’s from the Plings Flickr group (if they exists) of the venue.

The API makes all sorts of RSS feeds available to people, and we’ve added 2 to the site:

• a feed of the next 2 days activities
• a seven day feed of activities at any venue

We’ve also made a few behind the scenes changes that should make browsing the site faster.

Manchester Plings will be getting the same treatment in a few days. If you want to have a look at the code to see what we’re doing, then you can. The project is hosted at https://launchpad.net/webplings

Chorlton Circle Dance Group – a perfect Pling?!

Someone recently sent me this video:

Watched alone, in this blog for instance – it doesnt really make too much sense. But – if you watch it in the original Youtube page, you can see that this is a great example of … a Pling!

We can clearly see what the activity is

We can find out where it is

We can read when it is

We can go to the website of the organisation that organises it

Simple!

Even more interesting was the tags that are used – which means that a search for “Chorlton+Tuesday” on Youtube brings this video up first:

Granted, there don’t seem to be many 13-19 year olds taking part in this activity, but like the work we started in photos and news stories, it strikes me that it can be easier than we think to publish Plings…

Our task is then to read in these varied sources of information, alongside the “traditional” listings from trusted sources.

Are there any youth groups out there who do this with their positive activity info?

Teenage Kicks

Teenage Kicks!

The kids are definitely all right. A social life under 18 might seem like a non-starter, but teenagers across the UK are re-writing the rules and doing it for themselves this summer.

Check out this prime example

Yep, that’s right, Inspiral Carpets’ keyboardist Clint Boon called Manchester’s Same Teen “the biggest thing to happen in Manchester music-wise since the sex pistols in 1976″ – which is pretty amazing considering their combined age barely scrapes 100. As if that wasn’t enough, Kid 4077 (AKA Nile Marr – son of Smiths legend Johnny Marr) is making waves at 15, while August saw the very first Underage music festival for 14-17 year olds, supported by Radio 1, Converse, Artrocker and My Space.

To boot, bands are steadily lifting the age limits on gigs and opening up their music to an ageless audience.

This nifty little social revolution is exactly what PL!NGS is all about. Things might seem ok now, but we know that – once the summer ends – social activities for under 18′s will steadily drip dry. We want to change that. We want a year-round list of activities which ticks all the boxes to make your social life worth blogging – and blagging – about.

Thank God PL!NGS launches this autumn. The site (Places To Go, Things To Do – PL!NGS) is an internet first. With major organisations already on board, it’ll be the first online hub for social networking beyond the computer screen. Not only will you be able to grab up-to-date, comprehensive lists of music events in your area, you’ll also be able to set up your own gigs and list them as they happen.

We’re also realists here at PL!NG towers – we don’t expect you to have much in the bank, so we’re filling it for you. So far, hundreds of PL!NGs have been deposited in the ever-growing PL!NG bank, which you’ll be able to withdraw as and when.

Already, music events are piling in (or is that plinging in?). It’s not just music though – PL!NGS covers sport, film, drama and everything that’s A) legal and B) half-decent.

The best bit is that you won’t be force-fed anything. Seen something you don’t like? Want to shout about something that’s happening – or not happening – near you? Then PL!NGback. Podcast it, video it, post it or call it, it’s all about you.