Archive for September, 2008

Fluffy Links – Wednesday September 10th 2008

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

Mulley.net has a new Favicon thingymajig (the lil image that shows up in the tab). Thanks to Paul for that.

Phil has a nice summary of Creative Camp Belfast.

Want to talk to the Cadbury’s Gorilla? Ask it about Mrs Gorilla or something.

Ok, while I gave out earlier this week about the Kraftwerk gig being moved, this pic shows maybe it was the best idea.

Bertie now works for a property developer. No! Officially.

The job losses have started, blame it on a recession or employers using the recession excuse. Rowan has a guide on how to job hunt when the going is getting tough.

Luke is not at all into his trains.

Enda Madden thinks OpenTrace is the killer app at TechCrunch50 so far.

Google will now anonymize IP data after 9 months. Cos they love us. Or because their tech has advanced a good bit so they only need 9 months now to know everything about you compared to 18 months a while back.

Life can survive in space. Makes you think where life in the Universe started?

Does LeoCinda realise this video, where they nicked their material from, was a joke?

Luxury

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

Doesn’t it get boring after a while?

Time to start a business/time to upskill

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

Start your own business with Hothouse

If you’re thinking of starting your own business then Hothouse.ie might be for you:

We are currently taking applications for the DIT Hothouse www.hothouse.ie program starting on September 19th.

The Hothouse is a one year training and mentoring programme for knowledge based start up businesses. The main points of note are:

* Free incubation space for 1 year

* Ten sessions with a business mentor

* Workshops on key business topics

* Access to funding


You can apply by emailing Brendan.ring@pdc.ie or Bernadette.oreilly@pdc.ie

Subsidised Six Sigma Training

Meanwhile, if you want to upskill your company than SQT in Limerick are doing Six Sigma training in Dublin and Limerick which has been massively subsidised by FAS and Chambers Business School. Six Sigma training, normally around the 13k mark is on offer for 3k.

(Disclaimer: I’ve done some consultancy work with SQT)

Digital/Online Bootcamp for PR/Marketing companies

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

TechCrunch broke the news last week about certain members on DIGG.com charging to get your website/blog post to the front page of the website. I see nothing wrong with hiring a copywriter wise to the tricks of DIGG to get your website to the front page but not this way.

I seem to be talking to PR companies and PR people a lot and many of them are subscribed to the blog. Hi folks! I think most that sub to this blog realise that PR is changing and there’s going to be an online element to their work and they want to learn that that is.

I was thinking of putting together a free bootcamp for PR and Marketing companies that would cover the basic elements that companies should be aware of in 2008. Spend half a day at it. The companies that would go along would also be encouraged to share their thoughts and their own experiences. It needs to be interactive. I asked a few PR people for some areas and this is the list so far.

Some topics which might get covered are:

  • Current state of the web today
  • Web 2.0 and social media
  • SEO
  • Blogs, writing blogs, engaging with bloggers
  • Feed readers
  • Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon
  • Social networks
  • Web/blog/social network monitoring
  • Wikipedia/Wikis
  • Podcasting

Any others? Any interest?

weight loss spa beach boot camp
Photo owned by ninahale (cc)

Tuesday Push – 9th September 2008 – eWrite Lite

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

This week’s Tuesday Push: eWrite Lite.

eWrite Lite

eWrite Lite is a tool for editing and publishing a website. It can be used to create a whole new website or log into your existing website and make changes, all via a web browser. There’s no need to install anything. They even have a demo that you can use to log into your own site. It’s also very affordable and ideally suits their target market of SMEs.

I’ve actually reviewed eWrite Lite previously so read that. Ideally for such a low charge, eWrite Lite would best be licensed by hosting providers or ISPs as selling to individuals at that price could take a lot of footwork.

Check out eWrite Lite and their other products. If you want your product on the Tuesday Push, fill out this form. Please remember we’re looking for something that was created by an Irish company, not just some technology that was reskinned.

On a side note, someone asked me recently about whether you could give constructive criticism for the Tuesday Push or were you required only to say positive things and talk something up. The idea is to talk the company/person’s effort up and give honest feedback too. I would think the pushees would prefer someone kicking the tyres and looking for leaking oil than saying everything is super.

DownloadMusic is up in two weeks and BookAMeetingRoom

Fluffy Links – Tuesday September 9th 2008

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008

MAXroam V2 has launched, well done Pat Phelan.

via Rick. Songs about RTE Newscasters. Oh my.

A Wikubator – come up with and try and incubate ideas and get feedback using a private wiki.

Mike Kelly has a podcast up.

Very open and honest blog post from Stephen Kinsella on feedback for a course of his.

Sell Side Advertising by Nooked.com

No drug tests for TDs, but I’m sure with the LeoCinda monster raging about the tests that many TDs, if not all, will do it if asked by members of the public, right?

M&S take the piss about data protection and refuse to let a mother complain about her son’s superman outfit.

Olberman pushed it too far. No longer covering the election?

Smack my pitch up. Fun idea. Come up with the worst pitch idea, win.

Guns n Roses Civil war live (Voodoo Child intro)

Fluffy Links – Monday September 8th 2008

Monday, September 8th, 2008

Slowly catching up after a long weekend in Belfast so here’s some fluffy links. A short list.

Another fine episode of Post the Roast is now online.

Hello Charlie Weston.

Irish Government news/information feeds.

Jim moves to a Thursday evening slot, hosting the Producers. Hmm, I dunno. I liked the Saturday mix when I got to hear it. The Producers has a different remit but it will be nice to see Jim’s influence on this show at the same time.

Yeah, I agree with the Popester. Metro staff are really really nice.

New FBD website.

Not a happy bunny that Kraftwerk has been moved.

A Jumbo jet turned into a hostel. Want to stay there.

How to cheat at everything.

Mulley and Markham on MS

Sunday, September 7th, 2008

I contributed to a piece that Markham Nolan helped put together on Multiple Sclerosis for the Sunday Business Post. My scowl is on the cover of the Agenda section and Mulley on the rocks is on pages 6 and 7 too. Oh how that photo will be reused for a future public upset…

Mulley scowling
Picture of the front cover taken by Bernie.

Markham covers his mother and the tough experience his whole family had with her MS and I give my experiences of being diagnosed with it earlier this year.

The piece I contributed is much longer than what’s in the Business Post and they added in my age to the piece too. I’m 31, not 27 as the article states. 31 and 3/4s at that. Overall the edited version reads very well. However the last two paragraphs which I thought the most important were edited out too, which is fair enough. They’re the pros. I’m including them here as I think it’s worth covering as if it wasn’t for this blog I wouldn’t have encountered other people that have MS experiences:

There are many like me who have MS, perhaps the majority but I only thought of wheelchairs and crutches before my own experience with MS. I might never get another attack and all I have is a slightly moany left side that I can easily deal with. I knew some of the history of Markham’s Mum and I was thinking would that be me in a few years. A few hours after I got out of hospital it was Markham I contacted to ask for his experience. Since I “came out” with MS a good deal of acquaintances and friends have told me privately of their MS or that of their spouse or parents. I was shocked at all these people close enough to me who have experience of MS and I never knew.

My blog has a phrase “invisible people have invisible” rights. When people with MS came to me, telling me their story it helped a lot. I wouldn’t have heard 80% of these uplifting stories had I not disclosed my MS on my blog and to friends and family. It is a personal choice though and being open about my MS has been of immense benefit to me. This was my story, why not tell yours.

Update: A post on this from Markham.

The FG school of branding

Saturday, September 6th, 2008

Don’t break anything

Friday, September 5th, 2008

I should be in Belfast, in Nordyland around now and am going to be offline for almost all the weekend. I’m attending Creative Camp and will possibly give a 15-20 minute talk on something which I’m not going to tell you in advance. It’s all part of the hoopla. No, I have it prepared, I swear. It won’t use powerpoint though!

A few timed blog posts will go out still to keep the content junkies happy but if you comment ends up in moderation, it might be a while before it gets through. Advanced apologies.

Belfast Essay: