future of online

Been a couple of interesting days with the start of the postgrad online journalism course and visits by Bobbie Johnson, Technology Reporter, The Guardian and Dominic Tuohy formerly of the Editors forum.

Both were illuminating in assessing the future of online and providing fibre for a secondary debate about the role of Universities in supplying talent to the market.

Bobbie spoke about how important blogs were, particularly for any one wanting a look in at The Guardian. We looked at a future where journalists would earn their crust by acess per view. If you're a good reporter you'll attract a constituent in the same way a DJ can move with his/her fanbase, we'll get to a point when the question asked by the editor is: how many readers do you have?
Dominique spoke about the bottom up approach. Newspapers may not likely go under now but they were under threat. That whilst the buzz words are web 2.0 - share, talk, distribute - this was sloganeering for a raft of newspaper who hadn't yet made any decision to embrace new habits and tools.

The threat of change is something which attacks a basic human condition and a once predictable livelihood. Bobbie has a firm grip and utterly refreshing outlook as both a newspaper reporter and online writer and rolls together points often ignored, overlooked by many.

We should do this again I mused. Next time havee a whole class and become one of our visiting lectureres. I hope he accepts.

Post Armani

So I told what happened to me to the conference. They laughed. perhapes it was my histrionics.
Back home and i have had two interesting requests to become a panelist. Now putting the final toouches to the two programmes I'll be lecturing in at Uni.
Grrr Was supposed to have met Howard Rheingold, but we missed other. However, good news. Global Voices won the batten Awards. fab site, you really should take a peak. So who gets to spend the 10,000 USD and who keeps the award??
Feeling a bit restless at the mo. So much I should be doing that I'm not. Ho hum

Armani tragedy

So I'm asked" "anything in your bag, liquids etc
er, no
And then just as I'm turning into the departure gate I remember. I open my bag and in there, a 50 ukp bottle of Armani.
I pace up and down, realising the inevitable.
"Is there anyway I can get this on board", I ask the airline personnel.
No.
So what do you do. For 15 minutes I walk the length of the concourse looking out into the car park. Is there somewhere I can hide this and pick it up later. C'mon my niece bought this for me as a birthday pressie.
10 minutes to boarding and I still haven't found a solution and with all the scare over recent terror incident, my actions I fear may even arise suspicion.
Damn it. I'm about to throw a perfectly full bottle of expensive, sentimental eau de toilette away.
That's it. I storm outside to departures and home in on a 6 footer - a teenager.
His mum and brother eye me suspiciously.
"Dyou see this" I say. "I don't know you from a bar of soap", I add spraying myself, "but this here is about to go in the bin. Do you want it". I spray myself again. He nods vigorously and breaks into a smile. I have parted with my gift. As I turn way, I look back at him.
"what's you name? At least I have got to know your name?"
PJ.
And that was that.

10 things about Denmark - Arhus

Touched down at Billund airport - an airport unwrapped from a catalogue - pine and chrome - did someone say ikea
Roads very clean
Having dark hair def makes you stand out
The traffic lights count down to when its safe to cross
Everyone stops at the lights - no j-walking
The cheapest deoderant cost 16 ukp equivalent
Is everything so dear here.
The people are nice - they don't so that yikes you're invading my space when you go up to ask a question
The hotel I'm staying in apparently Madonna and her crew stayed here. No I haven't arrived.
The resturaunt where we had dinner serves food as if it were art, Delicious but you half feel guilty at destroying this culinary architecture
Tomorrow -

10 things I should have done before coming to Denmark

Good Will Hunting

confucius say. . . Perhaps I needed reminding. In one corner today's activity, a meeting with a high powered chinese delegation, which I intend to publish the VJ piece about this soon. In another corner, the good people in Denmark, whom I;ll be addressing next week on the onset of video journalism.

I'm currently putting the power point presentation together, and am quite enjoying. I went scurryng across the net looking for articles on video journalism only to find, er very little. So like Victor kaem, the bloke who likes razors so much he bought the company, I have written my own opus.

But then to another corner and this is something that I find difficult to keep mum about. You know, the person who puts pressure on you to attend a meeting. The result of which you're a bit ambiguous. Then calls another meeting, which you again break hell and high water to attend. Makes promises and then asks you to attend another meeting. You once again oblige. Then then make some nice-to-the-ear comments, pledge support for that which you discussed then Nada, nilch, none, zero, the big cahoot, raspery.

At this point you're searching around for some good will, cuz you're being stretched. Then the lights go one. You take a big pen and rub them out of your contacts book, and your karma is restored. Confucius' say.. should learn self-discipline, now that's good will hunting