Just when you thought it was safe to venture online, another site pops up and drags you down the deep dark hole of social networking, a blip in the space time continuum. My latest fascination is 38minutes (it's like Facebook for people who like drawing on computers and stuff)

I'm not what the Marketers would label "an early adopter", more like I've jumped on the bandwagon at the very last minute and am now clinging on for dear life, trying to work out what the heck is going on - (Twitter is STILL a mystery to me.) So, I can't really brag about knowing how to use all the widgety things and gizmo applications, but from what I can understand, it's an online community for all things digitally creative, although they seem to be wanting to include us paint-lovers too. Oh, and its for us lot based in Scotland and Ireland (not really sure why we are excluding the English, perhaps something to do with The Battle of Culloden, old Football rivalries or maybe just a funding issue...)

At its core, seems to be a real passion for integrating the creative industries, combining all the best bits from the programmers and content makers into one big melting pot. I reckon they want the paint lovers to be involved and have recognised that to push the boundaries of what's possible in the digital arena, they have to kind of draft in the talents and passions of outsiders (that's us, the people who work more in the 3D world) but its soooooo off putting - so much jargon and ranting about things that seem so technically over my poor little paint-splattered head.

What is an ARG? Is a PSP one of those new Gameboy things? Or does it stand for something else too? Whats an aggregation portal and a sting?

Perhaps they need some jargon busting tutorial pages for us lesser mortals who are a dab hand with a scalpel and pencil, but who struggle with all things coded and digitized. We'll see.

Overall, I think this is a really exciting opportunity. I love the idea of translating my work to a new and responsive audience through the realms of digital media, so long as the core characteristics and integrity of the work remain. Something to ponder about.

Something else to wonder about, is the significance of 38 minutes? I can't imagine these techy guys just randomly picked a number out their heads and named this network after it, so answers on a postcard please. My guess: The length of time it takes to find a floppy disk in any given design studio in the UK - they are still there, you just have to seek them out!

Anyways, sign up, login and loose a few hours in some creative network creepin'.