One of the side effects of blog comment spam is when you get such a torrent of stuff all pitching the same thing, you can end up getting an education. The majority of comment spam I've been getting in this blog recently - all trapped by Akismet - is to do with phentermine. No, not viagra: that's so 2005. I had no idea what phentermine was. I didn't even wish to know what it was. But after reviewing the nth comment spam in the Akismet zapped list, I decided to look it up: Phentermine … [Read more...] about Spam has its plus points
Archives for April 2006
The real symbiosis between PR and journalism
It is a self-regarding conceit of journalism that we are the dogs for whom public relations furnishes the lamp posts, says John Lloyd writing in the Financial Times. In a jaundiced view of the relationship between journalism and PR in politics, Lloyd's "The Truth about Spin" in Friday's FT presents an uncomfortable partnership between two professions where neither appears to have anything other than self-interest as its motive for being: There is a phrase attributed to, among … [Read more...] about The real symbiosis between PR and journalism
FIR Speakers & Speeches – Jason Goldberg, CEO, Jobster.com: April 20, 2006
Welcome to For Immediate Release: Speakers & Speeches, a 51-minute podcast recorded live from San Francisco, California, USA. Waggener Edstrom account exec Steve Fielding assembled an intimate group (including FIR co-host Shel Holtz) to meet and talk with Jobster.com CEO Jason Goldberg. The conversation ends when Goldberg finally stopped to have something to eat! Among the other attendees were Silicon Valley Watcher blogger Tom Foremski and BlogHer founder Jory Des Jardins. Download the file … [Read more...] about FIR Speakers & Speeches – Jason Goldberg, CEO, Jobster.com: April 20, 2006
Blog editors: An opportunity awaits
Where do I even begin? asks Lee in a rant that I suspect will resonate with many bloggers who use offline blog editing software. As Lee writes elsewhere in his blog, and as I've said before, there is plenty of choice in tools for managing your blog and writing posts offline, whatever type of computer you have or operating system you run. Yet, as Lee's posts indicate, few of the tools currently out there are robust or reliable enough to take their place alongside other applications on your … [Read more...] about Blog editors: An opportunity awaits
Two new IABC podcasts
Shel and I have completed two more podcasts for IABC ConferenceCast, the series of podcasts we are producing for IABC leading up to and during the 2006 international conference in Vancouver, Canada, in June: ConferenceCast Episode #3: An interview with Louis van der Merwe ConferenceCast Episode #2: An interview with Steve Crescenzo Both interviews provide some useful background about each of the two speakers as well as additional insight into what you'll get from their sessions if you … [Read more...] about Two new IABC podcasts
WordPress instead of CMS
Writing in O'Reilly ONLamp, John McCreesh has an excellent review of WordPress as a replacement for a content management system. His feature walks through the steps he took to set up a WordPress-based website complete with his analytical approach to why he wanted to do this plus screenshots of what he did. McCreesh's bottom line: [...] Could WordPress be used for full-blown websites as well as blogs? I believe the answer is definitely yes. WordPress lets users do an … [Read more...] about WordPress instead of CMS
Converting flipchart knowledge
Picture the scene. You're running a workshop or seminar, or participating in one. It's great, you're with a really stimulating group of people. Lots of discussion. One of the tools you use to express your ideas and get your points across is the good ol' flipchart or whiteboard, those mainstays of office meeting rooms, conferences and other events. Your event ends. And what about all those great ideas written on the whiteboard or paper flipcharts with marker pens? Someone … [Read more...] about Converting flipchart knowledge
Entertainment community starts with 65 blogs
Gemstar-TV Guide International, publisher of the US TV listings magazine TV Guide, has launched one of the largest professional entertainment blog communities on the internet. This is huge: [...] Over 65 entertainment blogs are now live on the site, featuring expert reporting and commentary from writers and editors from both TV Guide magazine and TVguide.com. Each blog allows TVGuide.com users to post comments and interact with the site's critics. In addition, every user can create his or … [Read more...] about Entertainment community starts with 65 blogs