Twestival and other triversions

I've been so entertained by the Facebook Furore that the Twestival Tremors on the Grauniad and Torygraph passed me unnoticed till I read Kerry Gaffney's report.

In short, Twestival was primarily organised by London PR peeps to raise money for safe drinking water in the developing world, in essence by making Londoners pay to drink unsafe beer and wine and eat dodgy burgers* under the falling railway arches in Olde East Lunnun alleys. This formula seemed so popular that it was reproduced in 175 cities worldwide, and a shedload of money ($250,000) was raised, with more to be counted.

This was all reported in the Grauniad and Torygraph by their Social Meedja journos, and then the fun started - the comments sections are hilarious, especially the ones by the more pious Twitterphiles and Twitterphobes who probably didn't grok that half the comments on both sides were taking the proverbial p*ss.

I can kinda see a few of the 'phobes points - twentysomethings bleating on about the awesome (I mean Aaawesum) existentialism of meeting people in the flesh that you only knew online is hardly new news if you've been on the 'Net awhile. Ditto listening to those who want to change the world, mainly by swilling it down their gullets at Son-of-First-Tuesday socials. And besides, it must kinda grate to see all those bright young things (and some not so young by the way) having a great time and doing good to boot when you weren't there

Ditto, the more sanguine 'philes are scratching their heads and wondering why people would whinge about something they've by and large never tried (PR, I mean - not Twitter ). The less sanguine ones are still trying to explain it to them.....

But ultimately, my comment to the naysayers is this - which of you lot is going to get off your arses and raise the same amount of money? And more important, are your arses as cute as theirs?

* That must've been the bitterest IPA I've ever had - made Czech lager taste like coca-cola