Oct 31 2009
Archive for October, 2009
Oct 29 2009
Twitter 101
A friend asked me what this Twitter malarky was all about – I gave her some hints – I thought I’d share this further.
It isnt very obvious to begin with is it. In simple terms, you write little messages about anything you wish – up to 140 characters. You can update your status either through the twitter website, by a text message, via a 3rd party desktop twitter application (like TweetDeck) or a mobile platform application, depending on what kind of mobile you have.
Then, you can begin to follow other tweeters – and their messages will appear on your timeline. You can reply/refer to your followers, or anyone in fact by mentioning their username in your tweet but you have to prefix it with a @ sign – for me you could tweet ‘Hello @BruceElrick how are you?’ I would be notified of this tweet and could reply.
Another thing that grew organically with twitter users, was the re-tweet. If you like a tweet, and would like to alert your followers to it – you copy the tweet and prefix it with RT. If you are using a twitter application, they build in this functionality to make it easier.
And the last thing to tell you about are hashtags and trends. You have millions of people on twitter all tweeting about all sorts of topics, you may want to follow these trends or topics – so hashtagging evolved to make it easy for people to collate all the tweets on a certain topic. Hashtags evolve organically in the twitterverse.
Say for example – tomorrow, Gordon Brown threw up during an important speech – within seconds people will be twittering about this, and someone will use a tag that quickly becomes the one everyone else uses – it might be something like #brownsick. So, you may tweet ‘Oh my, poor Gordon, did you see that? #brownsick’
This would then become a trending topic, as millions of people would be using the same tag – and by typing the tag into twitter, you would see all the tweets on this subject.
Hashtags are often hijacked by spammers – as they know their tweet will be seen by millions, this is quite annoying. Also, you get odd things trending out of the blue for ‘fun’ these are annoying and juvenile too, people expect that twitter will address these annoyances soon.
Your industry TV, has fully embraced Twitter. Most programmes now encourage live programme twitter interaction. The first programme to really get into this was Channel 4’s ‘Surgery Live’ it was the top twitter trend most evenings it was on.
BBC Question Time is now in on it – and progs like Strictly and X-Factor are massive on twitter, with the shows using it as a live feedback loop and for competitions.
Oct 29 2009
Apple Store, Aberdeen
The new Apple Store in Aberdeen opened today, part of the horrifficly ugly and pedestrian archeteched, Union Square shopping deveopment. You will see the website is as ugly as the development itself. And what’s with the URL? /website? Amature. It’s no Westfield, thats for sure.
What they have done to the frontage of the much loved Station is hideous – this should never have happened. When you think of the care and pedantic attention to restorative detail taken over the St Pancras and Kings Cross redevelopments, this is just staggering.
This can only be described as planning rape. Pulled apart, a new cheap looking extension slapped on the side, two massive yellow pillars in front, two more prong things sticking out the top – it looks so pastiche, fake and Disneyesque.
Amusingly, this used to be the best looking building on the site. Here is a reminder of happier times:
Oh well, another Aberdeen planning disaster – it’s a disgrace. The whole development looks tacky and cheap with a poor slection of shops.
Oct 27 2009
Innocent Veg Pots
Even though they have been out for a year, and I am a great fan of the company, I tried my first Innocent Veg Pot tonight. It was very lovely, tasty and filling. They are very good for you and include 3 of your 5 a day.
I am hooked and will be trying some of the other recipes.
Thank you once again Innocent for making easy, tasty snacks and meals.
Oct 26 2009
Modern manners: the pub
I liked this article on the Guardian – esp this chaps comment:
Ah, it’s nearly the time of year where the ‘Christmas drinkers’ come out – those huge parties of workmates making their only annual trip to the pub and spoiling it for the rest of us. A necessary evil, I suppose, as it helps the coffers – a bit like how Big Brother bilghted the C4 schedule but helped pay for the art films and such.
Anyway, here’s a few tips I’ve always wanted to share, while finding myself in a massive crowd at the bar and waiting despondently while Tony and his pals from middle-management dither about ordering Babychams and pear wine:
Decide what you all want BEFORE going to the bar. Don’t get the bartender’s attention then spend five minutes choosing what to drink…
…and then tell the bartender your order in full, don’t wait for each drink to be poured than ask for the next one. This needlessly slows down the process. The staff in pubs have amazing memories, and will ask if they forget anything. Try it – many of them will even be able to ask ’same again?’ if you return for another round and deliver the same drinks without having to be told twice.
For God’s sake, if one of you is drinking Guinness or bitter and the rest of the crowd are drinking lager or bottles, ask for the Guiness first because it takes longer to pour and can be left to settle while the other drinks are made.
As for behaviour, avoid loud swearing and shouting, and don’t run about.
Apart from that, anything goes – but try not to be sick on the premises.
