Crowdsourcing the Future

September 21, 2008 8:09 PM

FPP update: FOUND, once lost, is found again.

I made a post back in July about the sudden disappearance of FOUND from Wired magazine, and included links to all copies of the feature available in wired.com's online archive. Also, blogger Stuart Candy of the sceptical futuryst decided to pitch in late with a pledge to upload older editions of the feature to his site.

The news of FOUND's termination didn't go over well. For a lot of people, that last page of futuristic whimsy was the highlight of the magazine. There was talk of violent uprising subscription cancellations. Millions mourned.

But look at this! I just got my latest copy of Wired in the mail and I see that FOUND has returned! But this unexpected resurrection was not just done to shame me specifically for my post. It was something altogether different.

From the magazine:

Predict What's Next
For the past six years, WIRED's Found page has presented our best guess at what lies over the horizon, from smog-clearing blimps to DIY surgery kits. Turns out, this little exercise in futurism is one of your favorite pages (as we learned recently when it took a short sabbatical). So we've decided to turn Found over to our readers—what do you think our world will look like in 10, 20, or 100 years? Each month, we'll propose a scenario. Then it's up to you: Sketch out your vision, then go to wired.com/wired/found to upload your ideas, see other submissions, and vote for your favorites. We'll use the best suggestions as inspiration for a future Found page (giving full credit to the creators, of course). Your first assignment: Imagine the future of the McDonald's Happy Meal.

So there ya go. Wired heard the outcry and responded with something much cooler. Or much lazier, depending on your point of view. A victory for semi-anonymous internet complaining!

Also, if you like this news, I suggest dropping a word of thanks to (ahem) Mefi's own Chris Baker, senior editor of Wired magazine.

Betcha didn't see that coming...

posted by Rhaomi to MetaFilter-Related at 8:09 PM (21 comments total)

Lost Found found?
posted by Pronoiac at 8:14 PM on September 21, 2008

Future of the McDonalds Happy Meal? Food half eaten, toy under couch.
posted by longsleeves at 8:29 PM on September 21, 2008 [4 favorites]

I have to confess that I did in fact see that coming.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:33 PM on September 21, 2008

processed animal chunks, french fries, a cookie and a stupid clown ...

wrapped in corn husks and palm fronds
posted by netbros at 8:40 PM on September 21, 2008

Wired is still being published? Who knew?
posted by doctor_negative at 8:40 PM on September 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

What I want to know is why the online version of Wired -- the dead-tree version of which, if I recall correctly, many years ago when I still bought paper magazines, was always at the very least interestingly designed -- looks like it was put together by 8-year-olds with the digital equivalent of Elmer's Glue and those round-nosed kiddie scissors.

I hate to be a hater, but man alive, it HURTS MY EYES.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:09 PM on September 21, 2008

So, guys, yer not gonna believe this, but I found this issue of Wired that has - get this - FOUND in it! After it was canceled!
posted by spaceman_spiff at 9:12 PM on September 21, 2008

Well, there's no need to be mean about it.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:19 PM on September 21, 2008

mumble grumble...how is this MetaFilter-related? grumble *SPAT* shoulda been posted to the blue grrrumble rumble...

Nice!
posted by carsonb at 9:38 PM on September 21, 2008

I find this Found to be much more... f_ _ _ _.
posted by item at 9:44 PM on September 21, 2008

Apologies if this post breaks some unspoken rule. In my defense, the original thread has been archived. And this bit of new news isn't really meaty enough to be an FPP on its own.

Besides, people post updates to closed threads on MeTa all the time, right? I thought it was pretty much S.O.P.
posted by Rhaomi at 9:49 PM on September 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

Why are we all typing so small?
posted by iamkimiam at 10:18 PM on September 21, 2008

It's the future of communication.
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:52 PM on September 21, 2008 [3 favorites]

Apologies if that was misinterpreted. I just thought the idea of a prescient issue of WIRED predicting the return of FOUND would be funny - no slight intended.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 12:09 AM on September 22, 2008

Lazy and livin' in the past...
posted by iamkimiam at 12:13 AM on September 22, 2008

myharddriveisalmostfull;lmsavingspace
posted by carsonb at 12:23 AM on September 22, 2008

Besides, people post updates to closed threads on MeTa all the time, right? I thought it was pretty much S.O.P.

Just 'cause little Jimmy jumped off a bridge....Also, annoying me is standard operating procedure, yes.
posted by carsonb at 12:24 AM on September 22, 2008

We're not typing small; it's just that the future is farther away than normal
posted by ook at 12:25 AM on September 22, 2008 [2 favorites]

So we've decided to turn Found over to our readers ‐ what do you think our world will look like in 10, 20, or 100 years?

I predict most people will still be unable to type character entities correctly from memory.
posted by ghost of a past number at 3:03 AM on September 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

My future happy meal prediction is boring: Red Bull, (Or Monster, Rockstar, just insert your favorite energy drink here) and, instead of a toy, an itunes download card. Oh, yeah, and the same crappy food as now.
posted by misha at 9:21 AM on September 22, 2008

Okay, I made an entry. Some silly ideas are too much fun to resist, and there doesn't seem to be much competition. I have other ideas, but this was the easiest to do (although still in my own semi-patented "Photoslop" style)

iHappy
posted by wendell at 6:48 PM on September 22, 2008 [1 favorite]