TTC Threatens Blogger Over Anagram Map

  • Posted by Tanja
  • Filed in City
  • February 25, 2006

feb2506_ttcmap.jpgMuch like their London counterparts, the TTC has made the ridiculous move of threatening the blogger who created the anagram map remix of our subway map.

Have we, as a blogging community, not done more for the TTC's image recently than they managed to do for themselves?

(And asked for nothing but service in return.)

This is more than a lack of Commission sense of humour... it's a low blow.

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This is a frustrating and confusing move on their part. I can understand it coming from some other cities but I thought the TTC was more 'hip' than that? Are they turning into reactionary beaurocrats? They forget that they are public it seems. The TTC map should not be a private good - it ought to reside in the public domain. If they want to increase ridership they need to embrace the public and not seek to make themselves an independent island as this move would suggest.

I'm sure the rest of the Toronto web publishing community will support robotjohnny in this.

Posted by: Rajio at February 25, 2006 4:04 PM

I think the TTC underestimated the backlash they would get from the blogosphere about this. Boing Boing just posted about it.

Posted by: tim [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 25, 2006 8:08 PM

maybe they're concerned that some web surfer might think that it's the real map... riiiight.

did the TTC respond to the subway station buttons from spacing.ca? or did they actually licence that?

Posted by: nick botulism at February 25, 2006 8:28 PM

Bloody TTC boneheads

Posted by: Palmerston at February 25, 2006 8:39 PM

way to break this one blogto.;) as for the ttc, we've just said that their PR is crap -- therefore this is NO surprise. pathetic.

Posted by: stephanie at February 25, 2006 9:06 PM

I thought TTC only worry about jacking up fares every three months so they can waste more money! And have another reason to ask for more... again and again...

Posted by: Tyson Williams [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 25, 2006 9:36 PM

Unbelievable. You know what? Time for Moscoe to go, and get someone in there that, oh, has a clue.

Posted by: brokenengine at February 26, 2006 11:31 AM

It's not Moscoe, it's the bureacracy. Based on a lot of what Moscoe has said, he'd be pretty hip to this sort of thing. It's bureau-rot.

This sort of thing is more upsetting than expected.

Posted by: Shawn at February 27, 2006 1:04 AM

why not just ditch the TTC logo ... make the image from scratch. avoid the infringement.

the odd part. only regular riders would enjoy such art.

I dig it.

C

Posted by: Chad at February 27, 2006 2:48 AM

That's what JohnnyRobot ended up doing.

Posted by: Tanja > DoubleCrossed.ca at February 27, 2006 11:35 AM

Sad, but completely unexpected. The TTC has never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity in my memory.

Posted by: St Dan at February 28, 2006 8:42 AM

It was well done, and I'm not begrudging anyone of their talent. However, the TTC does own its trademarks and whatnot, and if you were to put yourself in their shoes, how would you feel if this map started showing up on T-shirts and whatnot? It would set precedents, and prevent them from making the kind of deals they made with a certain beer company not long ago.

One could also point out that maybe if permission were asked first, it would have been granted? Maybe???

Posted by: zhoule at March 1, 2006 3:00 PM

many blogs are not "blogospheres" nor are the people who run them a blog community. its webspace people. quit pretending and get back to real life.

Posted by: ownyou at March 3, 2006 11:01 PM

Saying Moscoe is not the problem is like the stupidist thing I have heard yet. He's the Chair. If he does not like how the adminstration is run, then he's in a position to do something about it. Regardless of how transit says they are 'hip' over and over again, they are not. I don't know who's consulting for these people, but they really need to start drawing ideas from another hat. The whole comedians on the transit system last year was a bad joke. The bike racks on buses thing was also ripped off from Ottawa Transit. Maybe if the TTC is so apt at ripping off ideas they should also copy the two transfer system which they also have in Ottawa.

Guess what, in Ottawa not only are buses always on time, you can use the same transfer in the afternoon, which you went to work with in the morning. HWich would makethe whole upcoming 2.75 fare hike fiasco easier to swallow.

Posted by: Kathy Toth at March 25, 2006 5:59 PM

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