Did We Really Need Seven New Wonders?

freakxx writes "Seven new 'wonders of the world' have been announced today in a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal. People throughout the world have voted actively to elect the new 7 out of 21 finalists. The final lineup is: Chichen Itza, Mexico; Christ Redeemer, Brazil; The Great Wall, China; Machu Picchu, Peru; Petra, Jordan; The Roman Colosseum, Italy; and The Taj Mahal, India. The Pyramids of Giza was the only candidate that used to be among the original seven wonders. Did we really need seven new wonders of the world? Why was this decided via a website poll (pdf) and SMS messages?"

Comments

this is just a very big SCAM

[Frivas]

This was just a big worldwide scam... hoy many millions do they got with the SMS?? how big is their email database now? I bet that these mails will get a lot more spam...

Re:this is just a very big SCAM

[iminplaya]

Clearly it's a pyramid scheme.

Sphinxter says what?

It was a PR stunt

[Anonymous Coward]

I think the Pyramids came out the winner because they refused to participate.

These are pretty dumb

[Rix]

A giant dashboard jesus? Here's a more sensible list:

1. The internet
2. The electric grid (this really can be seen from space, the great wall can't, really)
3. Voyager probes
4. Global Positioning System
5. The Human Genome Project
6. Nuclear power
7. Cochlear implants

Re:These are pretty dumb

[Anonymous Coward]

8. Slashdot

Re:These are pretty dumb

[mrjb]

When it comes to human accomplishment, the Jesus statue is comparatively pathetic. B

eing 38 m tall and built using 20th century technology, it's nowhere near as big an accomplishment as the 33m high colossus of Rhodes which was finished in 282 BC.

Even the statue of liberty (built in the 19th century and 46 meters tall) is a bigger accomplishment than the Brazilian statue.

I won't even start to compare it to the other six Wonders because it will fade into nothingness.

Re:These are pretty dumb

[Tablizer]

8. Slashdot

Pffft. If they gave us a vote, Goatse would be on the list. (Hmmm, 7 slashdot wonders: Goatse, N. Portman, SCO...)

whatever

[misanthrope101]

Any list of wonders that excludes Angkor Wat is a waste of time.

Re:because it's a publicilty stunt

[TheWanderingHermit]

I'd agree to that. Why do there need to be additions? It's just a list. I want to see many of these "new" wonders some day, but just because Petra is on an arbitrary list and a group of people who knew about the poll doesn't make it any more of a wonder just as Angor Wat not being on the list doesn't make it any less of a wonder. It's just a a way some people found of making money under the guise of world unity. Even the first list isn't really necessary. It reminds me of the Book of Lists. All any list can be is just the opinion of one or more people (unless empirical objective measurements are used) and that book proved it with many lists a lot of people disagreed with. All the lists are arbitrary.

Re:Why lament it?

[_Shad0w_]

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only original left. A couple of the others survived into the C15th, most the rest were gone before the fall of the Roman Empire. I think the statue of Zeus just managed to survive beyond that...then got dismantled by the Christians.

No iphone

[MadFarmAnimalz]

I can't believe the iphone didn't make it. This list is totally bogus.

Re:because it's a publicilty stunt

[BakaHoushi]

Personally, I make my list and judge what wonders I want to see based on how useful they are when I build them in Civilization.

Great Wall of China? Psh. Walls are mostly useless.
But the Hanging Gardens? Aw yeah, +2 health to all cities, baby!

Re:Why lament it?

[Guppy06]

"Most of the original seven wonders are long gone. That's why this was needed."

Because nobody can appreciate the idea of building, say, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or the Lighthouse at Alexandria using only ancient technology and materials without actually seeing them?

"Just a compilation from the Greco-Roman point of view."

The list itself was a Greek idea. Deal with it.

"This time this could have more international flavor."

If by "international" you mean "has access to SMS."

"This is also good exposure not just to the 7 winners, but to all the nominees."

Because it's possible to have heard of this cheesy marketing stunt but not to have heard of any of the ancient structures and modern tourist traps listed?

"Unless you think us Americans really ought to go to stay ignorant and go to Disneyland every year"

Oh, I'm sure if Disneyland needed any more marketing and appeared in the list offered, it would have made the finalists.

"(I give no money to that company)."

"I've never owned a Mickey Mouse watch" isn't enough to be able to safely claim that you've never patronized any business or subsidiary of the Disney corporation in any way.

List of New 7 Wonders and their effects in Civ V

[Jesus_666]

The Great Wall - Gives a free city wall to each of your cities until three turns later when an AI player's discovery of gunpowder will make city walls obsolete.
Chichen Itza - Adds 1 to the trade production of the city due to very modest tourism.
Machu Picchu - All llama-based units cost half as many shields to produce.
Petra - All units regenerate without having to be in a city, provided that Indiana Jones manages to retrieve the Holy Grail from it without destroying the entire place. Don't get your hopes up.
Roman Colosseum - Just like a regular colosseum, just much more expensive.
Taj Mahal - Allows you to show off to the entire world that yes, indeed you do have already discovered Ceremonial Burial. Go you.
Christ Redeemer - Allows you to build the New Seven Wonders Poll wonder.
New Seven Wonders Poll (requires The Internet and the Christ Redeemer wonder) - Generates 1 unrest in all cities of civilizations who have discovered The Internet due to Slashdotters being enraged over the Christ Redeemer making the list.