Fresh Chat

Who could forget WMD’s? now we have WYD - for some the thought is almost as terrifying.

So what is happening online in the WYD department?

Facebook

Not surprisingly, FB has a load of activity both for and against.

Those For

Favourable WYD groups dominate Facebook . These are a mix of well organised large groups down to smaller parish sized groups:

World Youth Day

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204602422 Members: 5100 Australian based

World Youth Day Plumpton Parish

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6897101774 Members: 15 Australian based

Against

While favourable groups dominate there are some anti-WYD groups that are getting their unique WYD messages out.

Wearing a T-Shirt is not a crime Morris Members: 956 Australian based

I am vehemently opposed to World Youth Day Members: 1148 Australian based

Christians against Catholic World Youth Day Members - 63 Australian based

Sponsored Links

In addition to Facebook activity, not suprisingly companies such as Premier Cruises (selling the Pope tour) Crikey (discussing civil liberties issues), STA Travel (selling flights etc) and Spirit TShirts (selling WYD and other religious t-shirts) have all gone the ppc route.

It is however surprising the lack of activity regarding bids on wording centred around WYD public transport - as this would be a search term used by Sydney commuters in the next few days as they navigate their way to work.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

The best local example I can find ofWYD UGC is the World Youth Day T Shirt Competition. on the Remo website.

The site gives participants the tool - the design-o-matic which is so simple to use. You can design a t-shirt in under five minutes I know because I designed one.

Today there are already 399 entries with viewers voting on the best design. The simplicity and timeliness of the community-building activity is very well executed.