emchi.co.uk

Blogging is an interesting subject matter, and one that is topic du jour.  More to the point, the use of blog content to sell newspapers.  At the moment it seems to be the Daily Snail (Mail) who either steal content or defame people who have blogs.  So, NML, who has been defamed by those idiots over at the Daily Snail, has put out the word, that she wants to set the record straight, and so she should.  Shame on reporters who make things up, just to try and sell papers.  Papers that are worth nothing more than floor covering for puppies.  Anyway, below is the post that Natalie has published.  You can get to Natalie’s site by clicking on the link under the post.

I will admit this does feel a little like the bit in Hackers (yeah I know) where the word goes out to “Hack the Planet!”.  Blogs are a right for all those who have them.  Freedom of speech reigns in countries that permit it.  So we should all stand together united.

“Thursday, May 08, 2008

Now isn’t that telling? The BBC news website uses Movable Type as it’s blog engine… Now if only they’d do something about the load time so I could post a comment… if I can’t get it to post, and anybody is interest, the blog entry can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/03/talking_to_sir_tim.html.  The comment I was about to post is basically “Tor of Cism” is an anagram of “Microsoft”…

Reading between the lines, Tim Berners Lee uses a Mac Laptop, he sees Microsoft as part of the problem, not the solution and that we’re heading for an impase on the internet in less it becomes a lot more open.  Well that’s just my take on what the blog post said.

I wish the post had been a bit longer, and I’m bound to miss the TV segment. 

Somebody please remind me to post something about Google spidering information, for some reason I’m getting tons of hits (quality over quantity here), following this post (over 70 in an hour is un-heard of on this blog) and the one about Huf Haus… You lot (yes the ones that read down beyond the first paragraph), are probably thinking I’m another boring blogger… you’d probably be right there.

UPDATE If you would like to see the map in full, please go to this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/17_03_08_webmap.pdf When printed out, one of the commenters on the BBC blog is absolutely right, the Tor of Cism is right in the middle of Mordor, exactly where it belongs I would imagine.

Firstly can I just say, if the RIAA and other nazi money grabbers want people to stop downloading things illegally, they should make more things available through legal channels to download.  I downloaded Emotional Technology by BT a couple of weeks ago, and have listened to it non-stop for the last two weeks, it has everything I need to keep me focused at work.  So I thought, what else has this guy done? ’cause I knew I had a couple of his tracks on some old Gatecrasher and Cream CD’s.

So off to Amazon I go, just to see if there’s anything on there that I had missed, and I found a whole cache of CD’s.  Only they weren’t cheap.  I know that iTunes, my download engine of choice, had very few BT albums available for download, practically none in fact. So what is a girl to do? If I want music, I want it pretty immediately, not have to wait almost a week for Amazon or Play to cough up my CD’s.  Play’s now doing a download service but theirs had less of a selection than iTunes did. 

So I ended up getting one of the albums through another site, I question it’s legallity, although I have paid for the music, and downloaded it through proper channels, I suspect it’s probably dubious.  So far it hasn’t let me down on the ability to download music I haven’t been able to find through iTunes. 

I like some odd music, I’ll openly admit that a large chunk of what I like cannot be found through mainstream channels, I use Audio Jelly occasionally to find what I’m looking for, but my tastes are normally a bit too mainstream for it.  Can you see the irony? To eclectic for iTunes, too main stream for Audio Jelly.  I’m sure that if I were able to buy music from iTunes in the US I’d have no problems whatsoever in getting what I want most of the time.  However just like most things I’m unable to purchase and download stuff from US sites.

You would think with the Internet being a global phenominon that the TV stations and music distributors would do more to open up their boarders.  What do they want 17 pieces of identification before you can pay and download something that you would otherwise be forced to download illegally?  I read the other day that BBC is opening up it’s iPlayer to a global audience, well I think I did, I hope I wasn’t dreaming it, so why can’t the US stations do the same?  There’s a demand, so why can’t these people supply, rather than jumping up and down about people downloading illegally.

I would happily pay a season pass fee to download what I want, at the end of the day, it either doesn’t get shown, or I get moaned at for watching what I want occasionally.  So to download it and watch it from the privacy of my Mac would be fine for me. 

Anyway, I had orginially intended for this post to be about the BT album I downloaded over the weekend, it’s brilliant, not quite as good as Emotional Technology, but still as mellow and uplifting as it.  It’s called ECSM in case any of you are interested.  I have to say I love the first track, it reminds me of some of the Spy Game sound track, haunting vocals with an ethnic twist to them that are chilling yet also soothing at the same time.

Well the list of things that are wrong, is long and there are many entries.  However we are now moved into the house.  The place looks like a sea of boxes and mountains of clothes.  But it’s all done and we can unpack over time. 

Now that’s out of the way and done with, I’m thinking about doing a bit of a revamp with the content of the site.  Given that the biggest, yet most un-commented read, of the blog is my MT4 Blogrolling code (I’ll put a link in when I’ve got DSL working). 

Anyway, for work I’m looking at various Web 2.0 tools as part of the project I’m working on (it’s an intranet), mainly for collaboration tools that can be used.  So I’ve written what I hope to be the first post of the first blog in the company… it’s just my exploration of Web 2.0, initially blogging.  Let me know what you think, please?

The Anatomy of a Blog - Part 1

Like most things in life the Internet was in need of a new marketing job, not because it actually needed it, but because it was evolving like a new civilisation.  Nobody really controlled it, it just kind of happened.  Therefore the various think-tanks came up with the idea of “Web 2.0” not all that original I will add.

Gone were the days of just looking at two dimensional web pages and talking to people via email and msn.  Now comes the time when you can do more than share your opinion of just how bad something was on a website, where nobody can find it, now you can share it with people who are about to buy the same product.  How many people have gone on to an internet site and chosen to buy or not to buy something based on the “Customer Testimonial” of the item they are thinking of buying?  Welcome to web 2.0, you’ve just taken part without realising it.

When someone says Web 2.0 to me, for some reason I think of Tag Clouds, to others they think of blogs or Facebook.  Essentially all of these items are part of Web 2.0 but not one defining item stands out as being the pioneer of this concept than blogs.  Blogs, or Web Logs have been around for years, before the millennium people were blogging, all be it in difficult to use applications, but they still existed. 

Of course there were other things that are now considered to be part of Web 2.0, that existed before Web 2.0 was labelled, but the blog seems to stand out more than anything else.  It’s not hard to explain why a blog, as a concept, is an excellent idea for building the Internet as a community.  It adds a voice to something primarily controlled by corporate structure and marketing jargon. 

Blogs were initially marketed as a way to share your life with the general masses; however their use has evolved significantly over time to many different uses and genres.  From personal diaries through to extensions of a person’s career, they are used to create a voice that can be shared with many people.   

There are many reasons why people blog, as much as there are many reasons why someone might choose to read someone else’s blog.  There are no rules set in stone on blogging, but there are various things that make a blog successful, sadly they all vary from one blog to another. 

I’ve started this to explore the concept of the “anatomy” of a blog.  What does it take to put one together and what makes for good reading when it comes to finding a blog.  I personally have a list of blogs I check on a daily basis (when I have internet connection that is), it’s not a very long list, and I’m hoping with the exploration of this concept it will broaden my horizons and open up lots more potential reading material. 

Why is it that wearing heels turns my feet into pumpkins long before midnight strikes the clock? That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday at the Ballet. I’d love to look glamorous all the time. I’d love to pull together that look that just says “stylish but cool”. Instead I always look a mess.

I can’t accessorise for toffee, my trousers are always too long in the leg or too tight round the thighs; my tops are always too short or gape in the wrong place. So what is it about having to look perfectly groomed that makes you fabulous? To be honest I have no idea and it frustrates me.

It’s the last day in the office today. I have been counting down the days / hours / minutes and it is finally upon me. So I’ve been sitting here reading (we have no internet connection in the office, so doing work on my computer has been a little restrictive). I found myself reading Glamour and the Guardian today. I found two contrasting opinions of wearing heels. Considering I’ve been whining non-stop since Wednesday over my stupidity in wearing heels, I found it rather amusing.

In Glamour I found the following advice “No one’s ever complimented me on flat shoes,” says Bergstrom. “Heels look powerful.” Why? Why should heels look powerful? Why can’t flats look powerful?

Anyway, after reading the fluffy magazine, which to be honest I skimmed through rather quickly, I read the Guardian. There was an interview with Alice Walker (Pulitzer prize winning author of the Color Purple), where she gave a feminist point of view to wearing heels. “… Like we wear these high heels that hurt us, well it’s foot-binding, you know, but we think by now, ‘that’s very sexy’… I say no more, foot enslavement!

Well it’s five days to go and I’m still being shafted. Firstly the phone call on a Saturday, was possibly a bit rude “why are you bothering me on a Saturday?” asked I.
“Are you coming to the Christmas party?” (originally planned for the 13th of December… an evening I am for a change doing something on, but I’ll get to that later).
“What day is it on?” Says I, believing it to be the 13th, so I could out smart the person bothering me on a Saturday.
“Oh we’ve moved it to the Tuesday as the venue has changed” Bugger thinks I.
“No thanks, I’m busy” washing my hair thinks I.
“Oh come on you shouldn’t leave like this” Like what? I hate Christmas parties, especially ones with people I’d rather not socialise with.
“No thank you, I’ll be out overnight the day after, I’d rather spend the evening with R” How much will it take to get them to go away I’m thinking at this point.
“Oh come on” I mean really, which party of No are they having issues with, the “N” or the “O” or perhaps the forming of the words.
“I’ve got better things to do than spend the evingening with the evil one and little lord twuntleroy thanks” Yeah, like watch CSI and spend the evening with cultured company.
“oh OK” Gah! that took too long.

Anyway, I get an email from the evil one saying “the new office is ready for us to move in”, and telling us we’re helping to move everything on Monday night. I mean seriously, does this person know the concept of “asking”? you know, seeing if we might have anything better to do than spend all night humping boxes? The last time I got told to help, I ended up in excruciating agony, and spending money I didn’t have on an osteopath. You’ll forgive me if I’m not really enthralled in “helping”. Oh that coupled with getting stuck in the new office on Friday with no internet, and a rather pleasant telecoms guy. The “reliable boss” said they would be back before 6 which is the end of our work day to relieve me as I was expecting guests… 10 past no sign of said boss. Great… luckily someone else turned up… however that 10 minutes meant it took me 2 hours to get home. How considerate? yeah, not really.

Now this Wednesday I have tickets to the opening night of the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House… part of my inheritance paid for those tickets, my mother never took me, so I thought I’d take myself. Who wants to lay bets on the evil one, knowing full well that I have these tickets will conspire to ensure I don’t leave the office on time? Who wants to place a bet as to whether said employee will walk out with utterances of “screw you, and the horse you rode in on”… watch this space people.

Found on sky news showbiz (yes ok enough already, I read popbitch and holy moly as well)

“With her own Golden Quarters, Susie must follow the Golden Rules, use the Golden Toilet, wear gold, and take a Golden Shower every day…”

I draw your ettention to the last bit… “Golden Shower” this is where I could make jokes about it being a piss poor show and now their rising to the challenege, but it’d be too obvious.

Hello to two potentially new readers of the site. I will warn you that this is my personal interest, and probably isn’t the most interesting thing on the internet.

I’ve finally set up fotopic so I can send the photos I take on my mobile to the t’internet… Yes I know I’m a technogeekgirl… but I don’t own a digital camera… oh woe is me. I really need to get one as I see so many nice things out and about I could take photos of… but I never seem to. Anyhoo… go have a look (sorry if they’re naff but they were taken on a naff camera phone…)

http://emchi.fpic.co.uk

OK so all this political corectness crap is going nuts. This country is going to get so lawed up that you’ll end up being arrested for being a posh person immitating a chav… I’ve just read an article on BBC News online (ok new readers, I’m a news bitch, it seems to be the most legitimate thing to do in the day on t’internet, as pr0n is normally banned in these places). Anyhoo this article talks about a festival in Cornwall. I’ll let you read it for yourself.

Is this country going mad? is everyone insane? I know most people who thought the bonfire thing in Sussex it was funny. This is nothing like that, if the heritage of the festival is as they say, a celebration then it’s not such a bad thing surely? Are they inciting racial hatred? Are they being racist? I would have looked at it as a celebration. They’re raising money for charity as well.

If new laws are passed banning incitment to racial hatred newspapers like the sun will end up out of business… oh wait, that’d be a good thing wouldn’t it? Sorry newspaper snob.

In the mean time…

HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT WOMEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:

1. She is not a BABE or a CHICK - She is a BREASTED CITIZEN.

2. She is not BLONDE - She is a DETOUR OFF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY.

3. She has not BEEN AROUND - She is A PREVIOUSLY ENJOYED COMPANION.

4. She is not an AIRHEAD - She is REALITY IMPAIRED.

5. She does not get DRUNK or TIPSY - She gets CHEMICALLY INCONVENIENCED.

6. She does not have BREAST IMPLANTS - She is MEDICALLY ENHANCED.

7. She does not NAG YOU - She becomes VERBALLY REPETITIVE.

8. She does not have PREMIER LEAGUE HOOTERS - She is PECTORALLY SUPERIOR.

HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT MEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:

1. He does not have a BEER GUT - He has developed a LIQUID STORAGEFACILITY

2. He is not a BAD DANCER - He is OVERLY CAUCASIAN.

3. He does not GET LOST - He INVESTIGATES ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS.

4. He is not BALDING - He is in FOLLICLE REGRESSION.

5. He is not a CRADLE SNATCHER - He is GENERATIONALLY DIFFERENTIAL.

6. He does not get FALLING-DOWN DRUNK - He becomes ACCIDENTALLY HORIZONTAL.

7. He does not act like a TOTAL ASS - He develops RECTAL CRANIAL INVERSION.

8. He is not a MALE CHAUVINIST PIG - He has SWINE EMPATHY.

9. He is not afraid of COMMITMENT - He is MONOGAMOUSLY CHALLENGED

Yes its true, I’m baaaaaaaaaaack!! :o) Just downloading 2000 emails that I’ve not been able to sync thanks to not having internet access… feel free to abuse me at will :o)