Mashups Allow for Access to Information Anytime, Anywhere

Mashup Web sites like Everyblock and Politifact tell informative stories. They are like search engine meets news feed meets Wikipedia, but more fun to read.

Each site has a particular theme: crime rate, restaurant reviews, geographical histories. All you have to do is type a location and the site provides all the information, mashed together, so you don’t have to scour the Web to find it.

With This We Know, anyone can look up population demographic statistics, information on pollutants in the air, the number of factories and the number of unemployed for any area in the United States.

According the to the site, “36 Bills have been introduced about [Chicago] by 16 Members of Congress since 1993.”

The tweet-style blurbs even link off for more in-depth information. I can learn about the bills and the members who introduced them.

The site also tells me that, “45% of people relocated in the past 15 years.” Unfortunately, the site can only tell me the numbers.

What it can’t tell me is who left and why they left. This they don't know.

Despite some minor flaws, mashups can be a useful tool for journalists. The access to information means quick fact-checking capabilities.

Anyone can use these sites without the burden of finding questionable information. Much like encyclopedias, you can pick one out based on its specialty and find everything you wanted to know on that topic, without worrying about verifying the information.

It’s been done already for you because most of the sites are run by reliable organizations.

This We Know and govpulse, a journal for the federal government, are run by the U.S. government. Everyblock is run by a team of journalists and web developers. The site is owned by msnbc.

Since the stories told on mashups are not reported by journalists, they provide a new way of storytelling. The straight-to-the-facts style of information is without the fluff of opinion or bias.

I might not find why 45% of Chicagoans have relocated in the past 15 years, but I am free from the hearstring-pulling stories that may have happened as a result, the interviews and the conflict.

Mashup sites are pure uninhibited information. The can be accessed anytime day or night, not just when a journalist finds the information relevent to an upcoming story.

With laptops and smart phones everywhere these days, information and news are even bigger than journalists, reporting, newspapers, magazines and broadcasts. Mashups truly put information in the hands of the people.

Robberies and Beatings in Lincoln Park

Seven robberies and beatings have been reported by Chicago police in the Lincoln Park area. All attacks occurred between July 30 and August 4.

The victims of the attacks were all men in their 20's. The perpetrators were also described as young men in groups of four or more who confronted the victims from behind, asked for their wallets, then proceeded to beat the victims in the head and face.

Two of the victims were hospitalized.

Four of the attacks are believed to be linked, while two may be unrelated. Police have made no arrests.

Details of the attacks including location, date and time:

The Wave of the Future?

FLYPmedia.com advertises itself as a new form of media that combines video, audio, text and animation, making it more than just an online magazine, but a peek into the future of reporting.

The bi-weekly "publication" offers stories on a variety of topics including technology, politics and human interest. The site also offers blogs and podcasts that subscribe to a more traditional form of online reporting. The combination of all of these recourses makes for one interactive experience.

Unlike some news Web sites, articles on FLYP are not just online versions copied from print articles. These stories are made specifically for the Web. CNN and The Washington Post might have videos to accompany their stories, but FLYP has everything mashed into a cohesive form of online storytelling.

You won't find their stories on your average news Web site.

But you also won't find anything but in-depth feature stories and opinions. If you're looking for fast breaking news, then you've come to the wrong place.

Even though FLYP may provide one of the most interesting news mediums, don't give up on old media just yet. Posting news stories in the form of text with some links and sparse videos makes news quick, easy and accessible. If readers expected all news to look like FLYP news, we would experience an information lag, not the immediacy that the Web provides.

Also, for those who work in offices, the audio and video may not be a welcome addition. Written stories don't require as much privacy to read, and of course, they are easier to scroll when looking for quick facts.

FLYP may be looking towards the future, but it’s going to take some time for the rest of us to catch up.

Rose's in Lincoln Park

Located in Lincoln Park on Lincoln Avenue near Wrightwood is a family-owned dive bar called Rose's.

The bar is a hodge-podge of kitchen tables, old chairs, worn couches, a pool table and a juke box filled with Sinatra and Cash hits as well as more contemporary, but random, music.

The eclectic decoration of outdated posters, photographs, trinkets and statues gives any bar-goer the feeling of transcending decades. The bar has been around for over 40 years.

While the drink list is limited, the drinks are cheap, and anyone who sits at the bar can expect to have a conversation with the bartenders, most of which are Rose’s family members.

This bar is great for anyone looking for a low-key night or a place to chat. Because the bar is small, you can expect to meet at least a few people and share a beer or two. You can also expect an ample supply of pretzels and tortilla chips compliments of the bartender.

Check it out on Yelp.