Twitter’s CEO Evan Williams has announced another step for the social media platform called @Anywhere.
Basically the new system is designed to make Twitter more integrated with the web. So rather than going on a site or blog, then clicking on a ‘follow me on Twitter’ type button and going to their Twitter page, logging in and following them, it will all be integrated in a more simple way. Read the rest of this entry »
A few weeks ago we were having a chinwag in the office about a local barber shop. The first bit of amazement was just the fact that James got a haircut. After the initial shock of James’ grooming, we chatted about how the barber he went to seemed to be struggling for custom.
The barbershop has been in town for years, and being in a town centre should be doing reasonable well, offering cheap ‘short-back-and-sides’ services. So the team wondered what we would do if we were hired to help promote his business. Believe it or not most of the techniques we discussed were offline, not online – bizarre for an online content and SEO company! Read the rest of this entry »
The BBC is the latest player in the media world to enter the online content battle.
This week they’ve announced they won’t charge for online content and have “no intention” of doing so in the future. Sir Michael Lyons, the BBC Trust Chairman, has said the corporation”no intention of diluting BBC commitment to universal access to free news online” as he outlined the areas Director General Mark Thompson will cover in his ongoing strategic review. This announcement will come as unwelcome news to Rupert Murdoch and his son James as they prepare to start charging for News Corp’s online content from next year. But the BBC has said it is considering “streamlining” BBC online following recent criticism from stakeholders.
Sir Michael Lyons discussed the prospect of streamlining BBC Online services to “narrow the focus on distinctive content and help to create a more open BBC”. The BBC’s online output has recently received criticism for using the corporation’s muscle to dominate the market with services already provided by commercial players.
In the last year the BBC has received quite a few complaints. In September the Trust upheld a complaint from the British Educational Suppliers Association about the BBC’s failure to follow its own guidelines in the development of educational websites, such as Learning Zone and BBC Bitesize. Amazing Radio also recently filed a complaint alleging that the BBC Introducing website is a copy of it’s own which threatens  to distort market competition.
Michael Lyons has now asked Mark Thompson to discover the answer to three key questions:
1. Beyond the core news, sport and educational content on BBC.co.uk, along with all online children’s output and BBC iPlayer, which parts of the corporation’s online services are essential to its mission, and which should be scrapped?2. How should the distinct online extensions of BBC programming be distinguished from the services with a “less direct relationship” to BBC content?3. Should there be clearer boundaries drawn in order to help BBC Online services “provide even greater depth and authority in core areas”?
1. Beyond the core news, sport and educational content on BBC.co.uk, along with all online children’s output and BBC iPlayer, which parts of the corporation’s online services are essential to its mission, and which should be scrapped?
2. How should the distinct online extensions of BBC programming be distinguished from the services with a “less direct relationship” to BBC content?
3. Should there be clearer boundaries drawn in order to help BBC Online services “provide even greater depth and authority in core areas”?
He said; “We want to question honestly what licence fee payers really expect to get from their licence fee and what they might be surprised to see the BBC doing in the online world.”
So what does this essentially mean for Joe Public? Well, it might mean a lot less BBC online – if Mark Thompson comes back and reports the BBC have too much online content that goes beyond their core values, it could be the end for many sites. The industry will be given the chance to contribute to the review as part of a public consultation early next year. So, if you don’t want to see a certain part of BBC online disappear; speak now or forever hold your peace!
The BBC is the latest player in the media world to enter the online content battle.
This week they’ve announced they won’t charge for online content and have “no intention” of doing so in the future. Sir Michael Lyons, the BBC Trust Chairman, has said the corporation has “no intention of diluting BBC commitment to universal access to free news online” as he outlined the areas Director General Mark Thompson will cover in his ongoing strategic review. This announcement will come as unwelcome news to Rupert Murdoch and his son James as they prepare to start charging for News Corp’s online content from next year. But the BBC has said it is considering “streamlining” BBC online following recent criticism from stakeholders.
Read the rest of this entry »
Young journalists, such as myself, have been getting a bit of stick recently.
“Worse than the hackers are the competent journalists and site creators that are making legitimate content online, but get seduced by the SEO dark side into thinking they need to create content for Google instead of for their readers”. These are the words of David Powazek who thinks that, just because young journalists are turning to the web and having the common sense to learn about SEO, they are somehow turning their back on their beliefs and everything they stand for. Read the rest of this entry »
Twitter’s CEO Evan Williams has announced another step for the social media platform called @Anywhere.
A few weeks ago we were having a chinwag in the office about a local barber shop. The first bit of amazement was just the fact that James got a haircut. After the initial shock of James’ grooming, we chatted about how the barber he went to seemed to be struggling for custom.
