LONDON: There was a time when the picture that came up when one thought of Aunty Beeb was that of an old lady in flannel frocks and swathes of clothing. No more! These days, Aunty Beeb is 'hep', 'hitech' and 'extremely with it'. Consider her latest initiative to increase interactivity as far as the consumer is concerned: viewers can click pictures and post it on the BBC website.

Lay people can become genuine and proper reporters and send pictures to the BBC website. The occasion: the anti-war demonstrations that are to take place globally over this weekend.

Readers can take pictures with their MMS phones or with regular digital cameras and send them to [email protected]. The only condition, the Beeb's BBCi arm is laying is that the pictures have to be full pictures (640x480 pixels), mentioning the name of the photographer and the context in which it was shot. BBCi is seeking the protesters' viewpoint as they take out marches against any military action against Iraq.