Drop Spots are the basis for a unique form of urban interaction. A Drop Spot is a place where you can exchange an object with a stranger in your city- pick one thing up and leave another behind. This item can be virtually anything, from a CD or quote to a photograph or piece of art. The Drop Spots website is a bit like a virtual Drop Spot itself - somewhat tucked away on the web and a bit of a mystery.
Still, the Drop Spots process is simple: you log on, find a local Drop Spot, bring an item to it, take what is there and leave your item behind. However, the resulting interactions can be rich and complex: you never know what you might get, and can join in a dialogue on DropSpots.org (both about your item and the location). You can even create your own new Drop Spot, place an object there and list it on the site.
Drop Spotting can be understood in many ways. It is at once an alternative and interactive type of geocaching, a form of guerilla street art and a way to safely connect, communicate and share things with strangers in your city. Drop Spots can get you to think about the invisible secrets of cities, the relationship between yourself and total strangers. For more information visit the Drop Spots online. After you try it out, be sure to check back and let us know how it went!
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11 Comments
August 26th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
As always, you’ve shown me something that’s at once new, fascinating, and so much more complex beneath that novel surface. When I move to Burlington, VT I’m going to try this.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Thanks Al. We try to mix it up and keep it interesting. It just so happens that there are a few of these around Seattle and Sante Fe where two of our contributors live, which we discovered after we stumbled upon the site!
August 26th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Interesting! It’s kind of like an “organised” version of bookcrossing… rather than leave a book in any random, though public place (like a bus stop or train station) there is a designated location. Wonder what someone will think of next?!
It bears an odd similarity to a car sharing/hire system I just found out about… there are cars you can make use of (once you become a system member), that are parked in various spots around Sydney. I saw one car last night - looked strange just seeing it parked there waiting for someone to come along and drive away in!
August 27th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Wow, in the states there are companies that actually do that kind of cars-around-the-city system, but nothing private and guerilla-organized. Great idea though! Bookcrossing and WheresGeorge - another two interesting systems of sharing and tracking anonymously that wouldn’t be what they are without the web.
August 28th, 2007 at 11:48 am
this is so cool. I love things like Craigslist and Freecycle. This is the next evolution in recycling stuff! Nice find!
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Nice.. this is like PostSecret but even better! I wonder if it will hold for long though?
September 3rd, 2007 at 9:23 am
Like the idea!
September 12th, 2007 at 7:40 am
intresting for sure.
March 9th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
>> “I saw one car last night - looked strange just seeing it parked
>> there waiting for someone to come along and drive away in!”
Excuse me, but isn’t that what ALL cars do?
March 11th, 2008 at 3:23 am
This site is messed up! Or should I say, some of it’s users are messed up!
I decided to give this a shot. I bring 2 recent computer magazines to ‘drop’ What I find when I get to the spot I chose is a freakin USED TAMPON.
Do I even need to say I am giving this craze up before I even get started?
- Mike
March 25th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I think this is what spymasters call a “dead drop”. The CIA might be using that site for recruiting, eh? ;o)
Such an amazingly cool site YOU have here, WebUrbanist!
What do you think? Leave a comment!