Social media, the internet, computer games. It's a huge learning curve. Blogging, tweeting, linking to networking sites, Facebook, YouTube and others, how much time do you (does one?) spend on line?
We used to communicate (in recent history), by that quaint delivery system known commonly as The Post. For a small fee, written correspondence (friends, family, acquaintances), or typed stuff from banks, solicitors and the professional institutions, could be written, dispatched and delivered to the intended recipient within days. And then someone invented the telegraph and the telephone.
Today, The Post comprises junk mail, bills, bank statements and other 'official' stuff, along with the odd birthday card from a distant relative who hasn't twigged on to Moonpig.com or other similar facility.
Now we have the accursed love it or hate it email. Somehow, no matter how hard you try, your inbox will gradually fill with communications because, if you visit websites, use the internet to check your bank account, find a good day out, book a holiday, view the news, the weather forecast, shop on line or go to price comparison websites, someone will email you.
We spend hours looking for anything; bargains, fashion tips, sports results, cars, recipes and shopping are just a few.
How long do you spend reading the emails, deciding whether it's something you want to keep, or delete, or flag, or mark as unread or forward or save or mark as junk or phishing? Too long.
If you're in business or looking for employment or providing/seeking pretty much anything, you need to be engaged with the media. You need a website and all the paraphernalia (other bits) that goes with it. You can spend hours refining your on line presence.
Then there's the calendar to update and the to-do list, and Bob's just popped up in the corner on Chat or Messenger, Chloe's appeared on line with Skype and you've loads of texts on your mobile.
You have 255 hours of television recorded because you didn't have time to watch it and Lucy (age 6) is home from school wanting to play Moshie Monsters on the iPad. Young Freddie (10) arrives half an hour later and he needs to go on line to research his homework - and he needs your help. Duane and Manjit arrive so attention switches to the Xbox in the bedroom for some soccer game.
All you really want to do is hibernate somewhere with your eBook and find out what happened to Merlin after the explosion. But then your partner/best friend/mother-in-law phones to say they'll be late because the Sat Nav's not working and they're lost in the middle of Manchester/Birmingham/ Leeds/ wherever so you won't be able to get to your adult education class this evening. You're on week 3 of the Computers for Beginners course.
You give up and decide a session on Call of Duty, shoot 'em up and let 'em die is what you need to shift the tension. You log in, find an on line session and ...there's a power cut ...no, just joking! You hear the stupid tune you set as a reminder on your iPhone - time to get the tea ready.
Hey ho - such is life.
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Not always a wonderful world
As another week of human detritus flows under the bridge of life, it's easy to see how getting up on a Monday morning can be disheartening.
Apart from issues with the economy such as redundancy threats, benefit changes, education issues and failing care for the elderly, there are floods, food price increases and increased fuel prices as the dark days and long, cold nights approach. (yipee)
Africa, the Middle East, Afghanistan et al continue playing revenge games; Pakistan, Israel, Iraq, Yemen...the relentless inhumanity is revealed somewhere every day. (hurrah)
What registered most highly this week on your 'shock/horror/disgust' radar?
Was it the shooting of Mulala, a 14 year old Pakistani girl who spoke out against the Taliban for depriving her and other girls of an education? Or was it the follow-up threat telling the world they would have another go?
Was it the continuing conflict in Syria or the drug gangs devastating South America? Is it the breakdown of communities in Greece, Spain and other euro zone countries who as nations did what many of us do as individuals - borrowed too much. Is rioting thee answer?
Maybe it's people trafficking that gets your goat, from Eastern Europe, Bangladesh or China for example; or paedophiles being dragged out of the woodwork as DNA evidence convicts more abusers from the past, priests, vicars, teachers and most recently, the furore around the once beloved-by-all, the late Sir Jimmy Savile.
Sport is supposed to be a great bringing together of people with differing political and religious values without prejudice. The 2012 Olympic Games in London was a wonderful demonstration of this.
But in football/soccer particularly, we find this perceived camaraderie breaking down regularly, as
'monkey chants' and personal violence both on and off the pitch manifests itself. This was demonstrated most recently when a Championship league football goal keeper was assaulted during a televised game by a fan of the opposing team.
From the USA, we hear rhetoric from the battle for the presidency. Who wants to live in The White House more - Obama or Romney? Either way, what will happen to the economy or gun laws, and how will the consequences of the outcome affect us?
Stabbings and arson attacks appear in the news daily. Fathers killing their families then killing themselves, women dying at the hand of disgruntled exes and road abusers driving the wrong way down motorways, or falling asleep at the wheel or playing at drive-by shooting, killing or injuring the innocent.
Our response? What have you done to help shift the detritus? Zero or something?
Louis Armstrong sang 'What a wonderful world', it's so easy to see it differently.
Apart from issues with the economy such as redundancy threats, benefit changes, education issues and failing care for the elderly, there are floods, food price increases and increased fuel prices as the dark days and long, cold nights approach. (yipee)
Africa, the Middle East, Afghanistan et al continue playing revenge games; Pakistan, Israel, Iraq, Yemen...the relentless inhumanity is revealed somewhere every day. (hurrah)
What registered most highly this week on your 'shock/horror/disgust' radar?
Was it the shooting of Mulala, a 14 year old Pakistani girl who spoke out against the Taliban for depriving her and other girls of an education? Or was it the follow-up threat telling the world they would have another go?
Was it the continuing conflict in Syria or the drug gangs devastating South America? Is it the breakdown of communities in Greece, Spain and other euro zone countries who as nations did what many of us do as individuals - borrowed too much. Is rioting thee answer?
Maybe it's people trafficking that gets your goat, from Eastern Europe, Bangladesh or China for example; or paedophiles being dragged out of the woodwork as DNA evidence convicts more abusers from the past, priests, vicars, teachers and most recently, the furore around the once beloved-by-all, the late Sir Jimmy Savile.
Sport is supposed to be a great bringing together of people with differing political and religious values without prejudice. The 2012 Olympic Games in London was a wonderful demonstration of this.
But in football/soccer particularly, we find this perceived camaraderie breaking down regularly, as
'monkey chants' and personal violence both on and off the pitch manifests itself. This was demonstrated most recently when a Championship league football goal keeper was assaulted during a televised game by a fan of the opposing team.
From the USA, we hear rhetoric from the battle for the presidency. Who wants to live in The White House more - Obama or Romney? Either way, what will happen to the economy or gun laws, and how will the consequences of the outcome affect us?
Stabbings and arson attacks appear in the news daily. Fathers killing their families then killing themselves, women dying at the hand of disgruntled exes and road abusers driving the wrong way down motorways, or falling asleep at the wheel or playing at drive-by shooting, killing or injuring the innocent.
Our response? What have you done to help shift the detritus? Zero or something?
Louis Armstrong sang 'What a wonderful world', it's so easy to see it differently.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
A Career in PR?
Writing a publicity campaign for small businesses on a tight budget during a recession has its challenges and pitfalls as anyone involved in PR will know.
It's not unlike trying to sell your home when many similar properties in the area are also on the market.
As I step gingerly into the real world of cut-throat media, I find obstacles appearing which would test Super Mario experts chasing glittering coins in their virtual worlds.
First the client brief - what do they want? Often, a double-page spread in their preferred newspaper/magazine/journal, a television interview on a regional BBC/ITV news programme and a web site bombarded by interested parties. Expectations are high.
Having explained the chances of these events happening lies somewhere between unlikely and impossible, (unless you're a billionaire or listed in the FTSE 100), I suggest a more realistic scenario.
But even lowering expectations to less elevated media such as local papers, local radio and Facebook can be demanding. What benefit will they derive? How will their readership/audience be increased? Where will they find their gold coins? What about mine?
I ask questions. Who are you? Why this business? What is different about you, your business and where is your evidence?
Eventually, a picture emerges, and we begin to see a path. This is where the real work starts and I begin to earn my money.
Success is hardly guaranteed, but for those of us with enthusiasm tempered with skill and a total indifference to rejection, it's a great way to earn a living.
It's not unlike trying to sell your home when many similar properties in the area are also on the market.
As I step gingerly into the real world of cut-throat media, I find obstacles appearing which would test Super Mario experts chasing glittering coins in their virtual worlds.
First the client brief - what do they want? Often, a double-page spread in their preferred newspaper/magazine/journal, a television interview on a regional BBC/ITV news programme and a web site bombarded by interested parties. Expectations are high.
Having explained the chances of these events happening lies somewhere between unlikely and impossible, (unless you're a billionaire or listed in the FTSE 100), I suggest a more realistic scenario.
But even lowering expectations to less elevated media such as local papers, local radio and Facebook can be demanding. What benefit will they derive? How will their readership/audience be increased? Where will they find their gold coins? What about mine?
I ask questions. Who are you? Why this business? What is different about you, your business and where is your evidence?
Eventually, a picture emerges, and we begin to see a path. This is where the real work starts and I begin to earn my money.
Success is hardly guaranteed, but for those of us with enthusiasm tempered with skill and a total indifference to rejection, it's a great way to earn a living.
Monday, 1 October 2012
Starting the week - October 1st
A great sporting weekend, for me at least, with football, cricket and golf to choose from.
As a Derby County fan, my emotions screamed hot, cold and ‘hide behind the cushions’ while 95 + minutes of football were played out against arch-rivals Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Watching the away game on live television with the score 0-1 to Derby and with no cushions available, I was changing channels every time there was a scary moment. Only Doctor Who has the same effect.
True fans of any sport will understand the heart-stopping moments we experience, and while the T20 cricket gave England a straightforward victory, the Ryder Cup was unbelievable.
I’m not a golf aficionado by any means but being part of a sporting family, there are few competitions which escape notice. At midnight BST, as September became October, I was whooping and shedding tears with the best of them as America were beaten by remarkable team-play. Now tagged in the press as the ‘Miracle of Medina’, so be it. To me, it was just a brilliant contest and victory was sweet.
On a serious note, the collapse of JJB Sports and consequential job losses for about 2,200 staff leaves me less than cold. JJB, along with other sports retail organizations, demonstrated a level of greed and arrogance during the 1990's that forced small, individual retailers out of business. Now you know how it feels peeps.
Suppliers have been equally to blame with their minimum order requirements, crippling payment terms and poor delivery records.
Let's hope the greedy train stops at the next station.
On a serious note, the collapse of JJB Sports and consequential job losses for about 2,200 staff leaves me less than cold. JJB, along with other sports retail organizations, demonstrated a level of greed and arrogance during the 1990's that forced small, individual retailers out of business. Now you know how it feels peeps.
Suppliers have been equally to blame with their minimum order requirements, crippling payment terms and poor delivery records.
Let's hope the greedy train stops at the next station.
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