---
title: "Aunty Remix"
date: 2005-05-12
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2005"
    url: "/tag/2005.md"
---

# Aunty Remix

![Web 2.0 News](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441im_/http://www.readwriteweb.com/images/web20_news.gif)The BBC has [launched a new beta site](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/news/archives/2005/05/backstagebbccou.html) called [BBC Backstage](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/), which is their new developer network. They’ve put the call out for people to remix their content, using their APIs and content RSS feeds. Although over the years [the BBC has been](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/05/how_to_get_star.html) understandably “cautious” about “letting go of control of so much of our content”, it’s a good sign they’ve started the unshackling process now.

I took a look at the [Prototype section](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/prototypes/) of the site and was impressed by the projects already published: a [BBC News/Wikipedia mash-up](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://wikiproxy.whitelabel.org/), some [del.icio.us experimentation](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://news.minty.org/) and a [search of the BBC’s Today program](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://matthau.yoz.com/cgi-bin/today/search.cgi).

In the BBC/Wikipedia and BBC/del.icio.us prototype apps, the additonal information and links are integrated *very tightly* using the existing BBC News design. In fact it took my eyes a while to pick up the changes! While using the same design may be the point, personally I’d prefer a little more differentiation – if only so the [Wikipedia](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://en.wikipedia.org/) and [del.icio.us](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://del.icio.us/) services have their fair share of **branding** on those pages.

Other highlights for me in the Prototype section were an [RSS feed of BBC complaints](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/prototypes/archives/2005/04/bbc_complaints.html) and [Mint](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://www.fnarg.net/mint/aboutmint.html), “a video bloggers friend”. I can’t wait to see what else pops up! You don’t necessarily need to develop the apps yourself either, you can simply [note down an idea](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/post_idea.html) and who knows who’ll pick it up and run with it. For example, [Rael Dornfest has put in a request](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/05/remix_the_beeb.html) for “an app that’ll find, bundle, and download all parts of a four part radio play”.

So whether you’re a developer or a normal user with a request, the BBC Backstage has something for you. Congrats to the BBC for fully embracing the [Remix Culture](https://web.archive.org/web/20060508061441/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/002454.php)!

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/aunty_remix.php))*