Post 37:08 Hey PRs: let’s collaborate online

April 30, 2008 in Computers, Freelance life, P-aaaaargh!, Web 2.0, social networking

I’ve recently changed my mind about online collaboration tools like GoToMeeting.
Long story short, if you have a decent broadband connection, they work.
And it’s time they were used for a lot more PR work.
Here’s why. I’ve argued before that asking people to hurl themselves across our crowded, congested, cities for a meeting is not a good [...]

Post 36:08 Credit where it’s due

April 22, 2008 in Freelance life

A big shout out to all the PR folks who have been really helpful of late.
A couple of stories would not have made it over the line without you, so thanks.

Post 35:08 Publicity sluts

April 15, 2008 in Freelance life, P-aaaaargh!, Small business, Work

A few years ago I ran the editorial side of a magazine’s awards program.
Most of the entries were scrappy affairs.
A few were very professional productions, submitted in posh folders. Some even had PR companies listed as the source for any additional information.
As the awards process unfolded, I became aware that some of the companies with [...]

Post 34:08 The difference between boys and girls

April 9, 2008 in Random, kids and media, staycooldad

My three year old daughter, who is in pre-school, amazed me this morning.
I was eating toast and she paused her usual doodling and said “Daddy, I have spelled toast.”
And indeed she had: “ToST,” which is pretty damn good for someone her age.
When she showed this to her mother later in the morning, my six year [...]

Post 33:08 A long incoherent ramble about Rock and Roll

April 6, 2008 in Age, Music, kids and media, staycooldad

Warning: This post is long, illogical, self-indulgent and lacks narrative.
I cannot remember where I heard this piece of dialog, but it haunts me. It went a little something like this:
(Sounds of ‘Hotel California’ in the background)
Dad: I grew up with The Eagles.
Son: So I grew up with The Eagles too.

Dad: So when The Eagles came [...]

Post 32:08 Marketing history in the worst possible way

April 1, 2008 in P-aaaaargh!, Ranting, Web 2.0, Worst practise

Ugh. The Powerhouse Museum has hooked up with Hotmail to create Email Australia, a half-arsed attempt at creating an archive of email.
It’s a mess because you can only submit things from Hotmail. So unless you have a Hotmail account, you cannot play. Which means people are going to be opening new Hotmail account, thereby giving [...]