Hmmm, reading the comments in that thread I would place my bet that BostonUrbEx was the one who put it up. Whoever it was, kudos to Kaz for making the sign and whoever put it up.

Teehee

By Kaz on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 11:10pm.

BostonUrbanEx shared with me the good news this evening.

That is just spectacular...

Kudos Kaz

By Stevil on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 11:15pm.

An excellent design. Accompanied by a most stellar non-virtual "post".

Gave me quite the chuckle after upchucking on what the sox did a few minutes before I saw that.

I like the sign but I'd be

By anon on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 11:57pm.

I like the sign but I'd be careful about promoting printing and distributing it.
Shepard Fairey got rolled up for something similar.

Because satire is protected free speech. In fact, the Koch Bros. just lost a case where even their own logo was used against them on a website that purported to be a major shift from their normal policies on climate change.

Also, unlike Shepard Fairey, I didn't work from someone's copyrighted photo nor did I intend to make any money from this effort. So, this isn't even a fair use situation unless the city wants to claim that blue ovals with bolded Times New Roman (couldn't even tell you if that's the exact same font as the original signs or not...the serif just appeared to be pretty close) done in Powerpoint are now somehow off-limits.

to clarify

By Dignan on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 11:04am.

When Fairey got pinched in Boston it was for vandalism, nothing to do with the Obama pic but mostly the Obey/Andre image, which is an original. Second, the vast majority of street artists don't intend to make money on work they put up for free. Lastly, fair use cases aren't limited to commercial uses, in some states using someone else's name or likeness can be considered invasion of privacy through misappropriation. Not that I think you have or should have anything to worry about.

Maybe littering

By anon² on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 11:36am.

But even that's a stretch. Can you "vandalize" when attaching the image does no physical harm?

My guess is it depends which judge you get.

who said it was vandalism?

By Dignan on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 1:22pm.

I was just cleaning up the Fairey comparison. It's street art. Zip ties and wheatpaste are about as equally harmless.

I made the Fairey

By anon on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 4:25pm.

I made the Fairey comparison.
An earlier post encouraged printing and using the logo.
Wouldn't want someone printing a bunch of stickers and see old Kaz get left holding the bag, if that's possible.

Updates on the Status of the Filene's Hole Sign?

By issacg on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 1:00pm.

C'mon those of you in DTX - inquiring minds want to know.

I also would like to point out that I sought to protect the guilty, err, innocent, by making sure that I made the distinction between "placing" the sign and "making" the sign.

Didnt see a union bug on the

By Local103guy on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 11:36pm.

Didnt see a union bug on the sign. Must have been Mike Flaherty.

Awesome..

By Brian Riccio on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 9:58pm.

totally awesome. In your face, Mumbles!

:D

By CaT on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 10:16pm.

What's the over/under on how long the sign lasts?

By O-FISH-L on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 10:21pm.

With NFL season here, what's the over/under on how long the sign lasts before Menino dispatches a minion to remove it? I bet it will be a quicker response than most unwanted pieces of paper around the city and will be removed by an employee in a pay grade higher than those who usually pick up paper.

It is the 8thfloorcityhall

By Chris Roche on Wed, 09/07/2011 - 11:15pm.

It is the 8thfloorcityhall angry guy...

Ya whom ever did isnt too

By Keypuchguy on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 12:05am.

Ya whom ever did isnt too steady with the key punch. Probably a bit nervous TMM would find out or Baby Flats would get caught (note key punches on bottom of sign).

Sometimes

By anon² on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 11:38am.

Being discrete and quick, and being tidy at work is not possible.

Is it still there?

By jmeltzer on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 8:51am.

I need to see the real thing. Please tell me the trip won't be wasted.

Rumor has it, if it is

By BostonUrbEx on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 8:58am.

Rumor has it, if it is removed, 2 more will take it's place. Something a little birdy told me. ;P

Two larger ones, of course

By jmeltzer on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 9:22am.

Two larger ones, of course ...

Seems a little unfair to

By Omri on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 10:20am.

Seems a little unfair to blame Mumbles for the hole instead of the developer.

seems fair to me, his name

By pierce on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 11:13am.

seems fair to me, his name would be the largest on the credits if it had indeed been built

Yes and no

By Kaz on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 11:46am.

I did think about that. Honest. But I decided to skewer two political ducks with the same stone and still felt it was appropriate given recent statements by Menino.

It's not his fault it's this way, but he has given up on turning the screws on the developer. If he's not going to apply pressure and they can afford the property tax loss each year it goes undeveloped (hell, it's not like they're paying based on an assessment that includes any kind of building...so it can't be THAT expensive), then they can afford to let it sit as a blighted corner of our downtown. So, by tacitly coming to accept that "it is what it is" (paraphrasing), he's tacitly agreeing to leave it a hole in perpetuum...which, to me, does sorta make him partly to blame now. Is there really absolutely nothing a mayor of a city can do if a company wants to leave a gaping hole and walk away? Maybe so...this isn't his only hole (see entries: HARVARD, ALLSTON).

Secondly, we should all be familiar with the ubiquitous blue signs. Why? Because the city has seen fit to put them on every street corner you can think of where neighborhoods abut and every single one has Menino's name on it. It's basically just a simple gag to turn that around at something unflattering instead.

So, it was a way to skewer the fact that years later now the hole is still the hole and also skewer the blue sign phenomena of pimping the mayor all over the city.

How can this city not get things done

By anon on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 12:32pm.

with all the political corruption?

Clearly no Vornado principal is worried about getting a tune-up and losing a kneecap over this.

If we're gonna be corrupt, at least let's be effective about it.

The Irish are such softies. We need Sicilians for this job.

Rename the area Downtown

By anon on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 6:20pm.

Rename the area Downtown Village?
They did it for every other Square and Corner.

Love! It!

By Lecil on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 10:33am.

Thanks guys, I needed the giggle. Let the Great Sign Watch begin! :)

everywhere signs

By anon on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 3:53pm.

They should post these signs on every empty lot and foreclosed crack-house in the City.

If we're not nice

By chicken on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 4:22pm.

Menino will designate the Hole as a Historic Site and we'll be stuck with it forever.

Then there'll be boatloads of duck tourists gawking at it. Come to Boston! See the sites of the Revolution! And the famous Filene's Hole!

I don't understand why we don't just do what Boston does best

By fibrowitch on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 5:39pm.

Fill the hole with what ever we can find, be it dirt, trash or building debris. Add some driven on snow, the dregs of Allston Christmas and what ever else not nailed down. Toss down some grass seed lay out a few roads and bang we have a new neighborhood.

Welcome to FILENE'S HOLE ripped down, then replaced.

By BostonUrbEx on Thu, 09/08/2011 - 9:32pm.

I found the sign was missing tonight. But you may be amused to learn there is another around the corner, at Franklin & Arch.

Same source

By Lecil on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 3:53pm.

Did you -- ah-hem, did the person who put the first one up -- put the second one up, or is there someone else running around slapping these little gems up?

Hey, now just what are you

By BostonUrbEx on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 11:47pm.

Hey, now just what are you implying! :]

Correction to previous statement: Franklin & *Hawley*, not Arch.

Also; sign from last night was clipped off and the original location was back but ripped off by lunch.

Downtown Ambassors Job to Rip Sign Off

By anon on Sun, 09/11/2011 - 12:15am.

I personally saw an Ambassador rip the sign down. I asked why he did it and he said he was told to. Keep them coming. Maybe Menino and The Boston BID hacks will grow a sense of humor.

But I doubt it.

New signage at the Hole

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