An electronic billboard in a public site, perhaps as simple as an LED matrix sign in a street-facing window. Any text posted or emailed to an associated website would be displayed until overwritten. Nothing is censored. To ensure everyone is heard, only one message is allower per poster per time unit (poster ID determined from IP or email address).
Variations: The website could display an archive of past messages. Messages could be broadcast on a TV channel. An audio version with a phone number for input, digital storage, and loudspeakers for output. Posters might have to disclose personal information for the right to post, as per Brin's _Transparent Society_. Business plan: Posters bid for the right to post to high-visibility billboards.-- rmutt, Aug 25 2000 IAA GraffitiWriter http://www.appliedautonomy.com/gw.htmlWay cool robot that remotely sprays dot-matrix grafitti, controlled by "a given agent of the public." [rmutt, Aug 25 2000, last modified Oct 04 2004] <grin> The robot is nifty.-- StarChaser, Sep 07 2000 Voting is futile.-- thumbwax, Sep 19 2000 and the opposite applies...remember in Demolition Man when the wall automatically removes graffitti from itself.-- ickledinkle, Jan 10 2001 Not to mention police...-- StarChaser, Jan 12 2001 Something like this has been baked in Leiden, Holland. As an art-project they put this LED matrix sign up a wall of a tunnel... And guess what... A lot of rascist email were shown, people were distracted, insulted, etc. End of project...-- BartJan, Jun 14 2001 In Norway there is a TV show that allows you to send in SMS messages from your mobile phone. All messages scroll at the bottom of the screen while the show is on (no phonenumbers are shown).-- lazerlore, Jun 14 2001 eMpTyV has something like this, in one of the four or five 10 minute segments they actually show videos in anymore...things posted on the website scroll across the bottom...such insightful things as 'Shout out to my homies' and 'MTV is k00l!'-- StarChaser, Jun 14 2001 [BinaryCookies: you need to add the http:// stuff to that link.]-- DrCurry, Jul 30 2002 Yours is a great idea. A local big-screen display here is doing a St Valentine's Day Lover's SMS promotion. It differs from your idea because I think the SMS's are vetted and edited. You'll need to check with a lawyer to see if the sign's owner would be responsible for death-threats, sedition, false advertising, etc.
It could be financially self-supporting if there was a sign saying:
"SMS's to xxx xxxx will be shown until overwritten; these are the responsibility of the sender and are not legally binding. By posting, you consent to receiving 5 commercial SMS ads".
Responding adverts can be targeted. E.g. messages with "LOVE" are responded to with offers for romantic dinners, gifts and greeting cards.-- FloridaManatee, Feb 06 2003 can you show a graphic of a burning flag? i suppose it depends on which country you're in, and which thought police are in charge.-- cameron, Feb 07 2003 <thoughtpolicethug>After I beat your head in, you're going into the queen tank</thoughtpolicethug>-- thumbwax, Feb 07 2003 random, halfbakery