Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington, yesterday celebrated the launch of his new MySpace by simultaneously posting his first blog on both http://blog.myspace.com/tombrake, and in the History Matters, 'A Day in History' archive.
The EU is not alone in looking at ways to regulate technology it doesn't approve of: Iran, too, hopes to stem dissenting voices, this time by taking the drastic step of banning high-speed internet connections.The Guardian reports Iran has 5 million internet users. This worries the country's fundamentalist mullah leadership, who worry that these impressionable young minds are open to the evil influence of western culture. This, they says, "undermines Islamic culture" in young minds.
Almost two-thirds of UK employees say they are allowed to act independently, but less than half feel they contribute to their company's overall mission, research has found.
An international survey of more than 9,000 workers by software provider NetReflector also revealed one in 10 UK respondents said they were unlikely to recommend their own company to a friend. The global average is about 8%.
"I've never seen things changing as much as they are now," says Rance Crain, editor-in-chief of trade magazine Advertising Age and a 40-plus-year observer of marketing. "Advertisers will not be satisfied until they put their mark on every blade of grass."
Ad-zapping devices — and a decrease in consumer attention spans — have created doubts about the effectiveness of traditional TV, radio and print ads. In response, marketers have become increasingly invasive.
"It's out of control," says Jenny Beaton, a mother of three in Westlake, Ohio. "I don't know how advertisers can think they're selling more products. It's just annoying everybody."
Many, such as Beaton, are tuning out.
"Advertising is so ubiquitous that it's turning people off," Crain says. "It's desensitizing people to the message."
The more consumers ignore ads, the more ads marketers spew back at them, says Max Kalehoff of marketing research firm Nielsen BuzzMetrics. "It's like a drug addiction. Advertisers just keep buying more and more just to try to achieve prior levels of impact. In other words, they're hooked."
Bebo, the popular UK social networking site that is rivalling social networking giant MySpace in share of UK visits, looks set to overtake eBay as the most searched-for UK brand according to the latest analysis from Hitwise.
Tech Digest tells us that..."There's huge amounts of interest around mobile social networking right now, and in particular over who's best placed to make the most of it. Following Tech Digest's feature on the issue, and the follow-up interview with MTV's Angel Gambino.
A new survey has found that the number of CIOs sitting on the operational board has increased to 46%, from 43% last year.
Harvey Nash got KPMG to survey over 500 CIOs from leading UK businesses -- average salaries were up to £104,000 from £84,000 last year
Daniel Terdiman celebrates"A few years ago, it was considered an article of faith that massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds struggled to the million subscriber mark.
Then along came World of Warcraft, which quickly disabused the world of that notion.
Now, Second Life has joined the seven-figure club. On Wednesday, the so-called metaverse, which launched in 2003, passed the million mark.
And its growth -- it was at 963,212 accounts midway through Tuesday, and sits at 1,014,617 at the time of writing -- is continuing at a brisk pace of at least 20 per cent a month."
Pension customers at Legal & General have access to a three-minute podcast, which offers information and advice on their contracting out decision for the 2006-07 tax year.
Sony Pictures has launched an interactive campaign to promote the release of its latest film 'Marie Antoinette'.
The online campaign is targeting 16- to 25-year-olds with banner, MPUs and flash overlays, which will run across youth-orientated and social networking sites such as Piczo, Get Lippy and Refresh.
The sites will run interactive promotional activity including SMS and instant message campaigns in addition to competitions offering users prizes such as a trip to Paris and Sony Walkmans.
Natalie Wilkie, account director at Spinnaker, said: "Our challenge was to speak to our target audience, creating a strong campaign which encompassed the aspirational nature of today's youth culture and the decadency of the period in which Marie Antoinette is set.
CONTROVERSIAL Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom is to face an inquiry over his use of the North Wales Police blog to label people "idiots".
The issue will be discussed behind closed doors by the police authority's professional standards committee next week.
Authority member Darren Millar, a Conservative candidate at next year's Assembly elections, said there had been complaints from members of the public about the Brunstrom blog, which the Chief Constable updates just about every day.
Recent entries have criticised opponents of a needle exchange scheme as "nimbys" and called a driver a "dangerous idiot" after she broke the speed limit going to a speed awareness course.
So this is what it's come to. After years of scribbling in notebooks, using typewriters and mastering keyboards to produce stories on a screen for newspapers - I have been launched into the brave new world of online journalism. This is the first day of a Bucks Blogger's diary I hope you enjoy what will follow!
Voices.com, the voice marketplace, has produced a web-based guide for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to start their own podcast, including complimentary pre-recorded podcast episode numbers.
The Financial Times will next week launch FT Alphaville - a digital news and commentary service.
The sub-site of FT.com, which will feature blogs and rolling discussions, is aimed at finance professionals working in hedge funds, private equity and investment banking.
Lionel Barber, FT editor, said: "Our readers need timely and tailored news - FT Alphaville will do just that.
"The '6am cut' will allow readers to pick up vital financial news either on their way to work or as soon as they get into the office and the rolling blog and online discussions will mean FT Alphaville will constantly be on top of breaking financial news, giving readers core relevant information when they need it."
Vodafone may be under the cosh from shareholders but it emerged today as a world-beater when it comes to corporate social responsibility.The mobile phone giant led by the embattled Arun Sarin has been ranked as the world's most accountable business in a survey by AccountAbility, a London thinktank on organisational and corporate accountability, and csrnetwork, a British corporate responsibility network.
Research, carried out by DJG Marketing indicates that visitors to the OPA sites bought more frequently and spent more money across several major categories including, entertainment, financial services, travel and automotive.
On-line Publishing Association president Pam Horan believes her members’ sites offer value for advertisers because:
“This study demonstrates that branded original content sites deliver more valuable buyers than portal and search sites. OPA sites allow advertisers to be where consumers are eager to learn, more likely to buy, and more willing to spend."
Advertising executives may take a different view. Advertising on portal sites gets products and services seen by a larger audience and also allows them to target potential customers through paid search marketing.
In anticipation of the forthcoming debut single ‘I Know U Like Me’, from Mr Skillz and his Crazy Girls, EMI Music UK label, EMI Liberty,has launched "a multi-channel campaign" with interactive website and WAP site.
Andy Way, Digital Media Manager for EMI Liberty, explains, “We have created a cross-platform campaign with a strong viral element, to appeal to a young fan-base. The interactive website enables fans to interact online. However, as we will be attracting a young audience, all submissions to the site will be strictly moderated at all times
CEN comments on PR pride....Now it is in the bloggershpere....The story had jumped from the press to bloggersphere and has another life in a new channel..... a lesson for PR people everywhere ....
"Hurt pride has made the PR team at Cambridge-based WAR withdraw from the latest Chartered Institute of Public Relations Pride Awards.
One of the region's premier media agencies, WAR has pulled out of the contest after not getting two of its campaigns short-listed this year.
As a result, the agency has withdrawn all its entries and says it is concerned about both the judging process and the standard of entries.
WAR's PR team swept the board last year, picking up 10 awards, including PR Consultancy of the Year."
Google has given a boost to the blogging community by highlighting its blog search service on Google News.
The move, which took place over the weekend, has seen links to the one year old service added to the front page of Google News and at the end of search results.
Blogs have become a way of life on many websites and we now have the facility to do the same here on The Bolton Blog.
So if you feel like letting off steam or would just like to go public on anything let us know.
There's no money in it (naturally), but you can always let the fame go to your head . . .
Reply to Internet Editor Chris Sudlow if you would like to be a Bolton Blogger.
