Tag: upyerbrum

Birmingham Wifi Names from Jon Bounds

Birmingham WiFi Jon Bounds

Jon Bounds has a curious and creative mind. He’s made this for these reasons.

Since I’ve had my iPhone I’ve become interested in the names people give their wifi networks, the way that the phone brings them up for you as you walk around made that inevitable. So I took to writing them down – I found that I was interested in what it said about the thoughts of who set them up. ‘Secure’, ‘Home’, or peoples names – or those who cared so little they left the default on. I collected these ones here on my normal travels around Birmingham (UK) in January and February of 2008 – the larger ones in the ‘cloud’ do represent multiple networks with the same name, but I haven’t done that scientifically.

I think it works quite well as a poster – I uploaded the graphic to a cafepress store so I can buy one when I get some royalities of some of my other shops.

Jon has also just begun writing for the Birmingham Post’s new blogs in the Lifestyle section.  I reckon the poster above is a perfect form of lifestyle journalism. So who is shakespeareshirley?

I hope you are not a journalist…

An Italian blog recently referenced a twitterquake experience I shared with Jon Bounds and Joanna Geary (and before you reach for the irritating cliche yes the earth did move for all 3 of us – which is why we were blogging at 2am – partly to reassure each other that we were not mad and the earth had just moved).

I left a thank you on the Italian blog (only polite) to which the response included a comment which  translated along the lines of “I hope you are not a journalist..”

Well I am.

I was trained as a journalist and paid as one for the best part of 20 years. I have worked with some of the most intelligent, passionate and honest people I could hope to share office, head and heart space with. In almost every piece of work I do I use story telling skills and in doing that I try to tell people things that are new(s) to them. I remain a member of the NUJ.

Just because the publishing business model is becoming confused it does not mean that journalism is dead. I admire journalists and journalism. I dislike liars, dissemblers and self publicising ego maniacs – whether they are working journalists or not. If your instinct and skill is to tell people the truth quickly and honestly then you are my sort of journalist – whether you are paid or not.

Twitter and the Birmingham (ish) Earthquake.

twitterquake

I thought I was going mad – but only if Jon is too. We both know that twitter knows best and (thanks again jon) the Dutch are tracking the story for us.

Update 3 Jo Geary found this link – 4 earthquakes dotted arou nd the country – nearest is Nottingham. Beats phoning the police press line.

Update 4: Others experienced it in similar ways with confirmation coming through twitter of similar.

http://johnleach.co.uk/words/archives/2008/02/27/300/

Should I laugh at “Well, either a fat bloke just fell out of bed or there has been a minor earth tremor in
Nottingham“? In Leeds Ross at Democracypr tells us: “And the BBC web site? A note on the ticker – “Reports of tremor felt in West Midlands. More details soon.”
No need to bother, I’ve found out all I need use my own network of citizen journalists.”

Update: 01.33 Lisa Dowd on Sky tells us that because she can’t get through to the police she can’t really tell what has happened and only new it was an earthquake because she felt it last time – the Dudley earthquake. Get social Lisa – we can tell you what’s going on.

Update: 01.35 Joanna has google map up with epicentre before sky know what’s what.

Bearded trim?

Gareth at Bearded wanted to join the Birmingham Bloggers meeting last night but couldn’t because of something to do with print, publishing, stress and hair loss. He’d love to know what we make of the Bearded blog – an honest critique is where he would like us to start.

My twopennorth is suggesting you link more to other blogs within posts. Get a touch more eclectic about sources of ideas and inspiration. Don’t think of it as another way of sharing content, but instead as a way of rooting Bearded into a wider local and global network of writers, thinkers and fine folk. One other thing, find a charity to support, connect into the social network that builds around a cause that really makes sense to you. The time you spend supporting that cause will have a happy by-product of creating support for your brand – but be sincere about the choice you make.