that canadian girl

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  • How Stephen Fry lost Britain hundreds of man-hours of work

    Around lunchtime today, Stephen Fry, national treasure and Twitter celeb, announced that to celebrate having 50,000 followers, he would hold a challenge:

    stephen_fry_challenge

    He adds “There’s the competition in a nutshell below. Star it for reference. The prize will be good and sent anywhere in the world.”

    Now I’m not quite sure what makes Stephen’s challenge more viral than any other Twitter-led idea but it’s been spreading like wildfire. It could be:

    • Wanting to be recognised as clever by such a high profile personality
    • The lure of the prize (as of yet unknown)
    • The sheer madness of the challenge (Have YOU tried fitting 50 L’s in 140 characters?!)

    It’s fair to say that many man-hours were lost today whilst tweeters attempted to make up their own sentences. See for yourself on Twitter Search for the volume of inbound tweets to Stephen today.

    This challenge is particularly sweet because there are no strings attached, just a bit of fun with the potential for a fun prize picked by a discerning geek. However, if a brand were to use this format for a campaign, you know what… I probably wouldn’t be too adverse to it! What about you?

    And my attempt? I’m still failing because it’s far too long, but here’s what I’ve got so far: “Llewellyn’s llama lulled lamentably ill Lola’s lily & Lloyd lol’ed @ little Lola’s silly ballet flailing. Filling Lilly’s yellow lilo, he spells llastically: Billy tells & yells loyally”

    Blurgh!

  • WordPress & Akismet: Why It's Important to Mark Spam as Spam

    According to Spamhaus, over 96% of all email is spam. That leaves 2% for Facebook notifications, 1.5% for those forwards your mum sends you that you saw in 2001 anyways & about 0.5% for those nagging emails your boss sends on Sunday nights. It’s grim isn’t it? Yet we love it, and we (certainly I) couldn’t live without it.

    How about blog comments?

    Bucket and SpadeWe love getting recognition and fandom for the great entries we write, even though we might not get as many as the big blogs who might get a few hundreds for every post written! And how much spam in blogs? Well, according to Akismet, who power the spam filtering for WordPress and Movable Type blogs, 85% of all blog comments are spam.

    Recently, however, I’ve noted a slightly disturbing trend where bloggers let some spam comments through by choice. I’m mystified on why they would do this; ignorance that spammers can “customise” a spam message by including your post title and therefore assuming it’s real? Naivety that a comment like “I was searching for Blogs about personal government grant applications and found this site. I am interested in your content and appreciate sites like this.” could be a real one? Or a personal interest in wanting to see their posts appear to have more comments?

    Others seem to simply hit “delete” instead of “spam” in their WordPress admin area, since the immediate results are the same.

    But here is why it matters

    It’s important for us all to call a spade a spade and a spam comment a spam comment.

    Akismet is more than just a spam filter for YOUR blog, it’s a giant brain. Not the gooey, kept-in-a-jar kind of brain, don’t worry. (Though I wouldn’t put it past Matt Mullenweg to have one of those too…)

    It’s a system that learns from all our actions, so every comment you mark helps it identify ham from spam in the future on your blog, but also on every other Akismet user’s blog. So marking a commenter you don’t like as “spam” or a spam comment as “deleted” muddles the waters. Bet you didn’t realise it affected everyone else, did you?

    Follow these simple rules

    • If it’s a real comment from a squishy human user but you don’t agree with it, hit delete.
    • If it’s a comment from a bot, something that looks automatically generated or links to obvious spam sites, hit spam.

    Being consistent with these rules will allow us all to spend more time blogging and less time moderating comments. Meanwhile, if you haven’t got Akismet already enabled on your blog, what are you waiting for?

    [Image: Bucket and Spades by Auntie P on Flickr, under Creative Commons]

  • SocialMediaCamp London: A Look Back At The Many Themes

    Do you ever look back at past achievements and feel yourself swell with pride because, with hindsight, you now realise how well you and others did?

    This morning, poking around Flickr, I came across Tom’s photo of the schedule board at SocialMediaCamp London, which was back in October. We gathered 100 attendees, many of which chose to present on a topic of their choice, kicking off interesting conversations and collaborations amongst participants. Since I didn’t get to attend every presentation, some titles still puzzle me, but here is the full list of panel/presentation/discussion topics:

    socialmediacamplondon_schedule

    • How to write awesome headlines – Tom Whitwell, The Times
    • Social Media as Community Activism: From International Networks to a local perspective – Salford Social Media Centre
    • Love is in the air – Jonny & Jayme, Glue
    • How/Why Moderate Masses (180,000 users) – The Sun Online
    • Social Media: How Not To Get Fucked – Girl With a One Track Mind
    • How to Replace CNN with Something Nicer: IPTV
    • How Hedgehogs can Inspire Social Media – Carl @Fellowcreative
    • Entreprise Microblogging is More Than Twitter: A First Look at Brand New Microblogging System – Communote.com
    • Lifestreaming your Life Online – Ande Gregson & Paul Kane, Sky
    • Buzz Management For Startups: How to Build Workflow so Everyone Knows What’s Going On – Jure C
    • Relationship Counselling for PRs and Bloggers – Paul Borge
    • Legal Aspects of Social Media – Victoria McEvedy
    • Digital Yoga & The New Religion of the Web – Rohan
    • One (wo)man Social Media Empire-Life! – Lloyd Davis
    • Twitter for the Environment – Carmen
    • Man Boobs, Incest, Sarah Palin and The Times: How We Do SEO @ Times Online – Mariana Bettio
    • The Social Graph: Who Owns It? What Is It?
    • DIY PR: How to Get PR For Your Startup (Please Fire your PR Firm/Agency)
    • Native To a Web of Dudes – David Thompson
    • How to Present to Big Scary Companies (And Look Like You Know What You’re Doing) – Terence Eden, Vodafone
    • Alternate Reality Games
    • Social Media For Good: Respite For Carers, A Project in Development (Discussion)
    • We’re All Chemicals: Social Objects on the Social Web, Socialising – Dan Donald
    • 6 Degrees of Separation Now – Benjamin Ellis
    • Programmer-Journalists or Journalist-Programmers (Group Discussion) – Mark Ng
    • How to Use LinkedIn To Get a Better Job
    • TV III Branding: The Management Of Television Brands in The Digital Age – Will Prestes
    • Staying Pseudonymous On & Offline
    • Scrumping 2.0: A Model for Wider Community Involvement?
    • Digital Footprint
    • If you Work in Marketing or Advertising, Kill Yourself Now – Chris Applegate
    • Data Portability – Ben Godfrey
    • The Web of Babel: Managing Languages on the Web – Chrys
    • Akoha: The Social Reality Game – Emma Persky
    • Online Reputation Management: It’s Not All Bad
    • Ideas Into Action: Developing a Toolkit for Collaborative & Community Projects – Alison
    • Print & Online Social Media: Can You Make It Work? – The London Paper
    • Measuring Engagement of Social Media Websites in the Web 2.0 World
    • Managing Online Identity & Personal Brand – Vero Pepperrell
    • 7 Secrets to Facebook Fundraising
    • Blogging Breakdown & How to Avoid It – Annie Mole
    • Social Media Bingo Session

    A few presentation notes made their way on the SMCLondon blog and quite a few have been posted to Slideshare under the tag “smclondon08” so, if like me you want to reminisce, or didn’t have the chance to attend, have a look!

    I can’t help but wonder what trend similarities and changes we’ll see at SocialMediaCamp London v.2.0… Want to get involved in the second SMCLondon? Drop me a line as the planning is only just beginning and we always welcome an extra pair of hands!

  • You Gotta Have Faith: Taming Your Inner Critic

    grumpy_smallI came across Tara’s post here about taming her inner critic, where she questions her abilities at live interviews and doubts her own writing skills. I believe we all have moments like this. But some are worse than others…

    [I’m about to make a bold generalisation and some will have want my head off for making such a statement, but bear with me.]

    Since I moved from Canada, I have seen too many Brits or Europeans be very sheepish about self-promotion. American sales people are reputed to be bubbly, brash and bigger than life, speaking louder than anyone else in the room and gesticulating endlessly to illustrate what they’re saying. Quite at the other extreme, British marketing folks are often seen to be more reserved and self-deprecating.

    I think there are two aspects to this cultural difference;

    A lack of faith for the team or product

    In the US, in particular in buzzing centres like Silicon Valley and New York, the belief that a small nobody can become the Next Big Thing is encouraged and nurtured.

    In Europe and in the UK, too many people let themselves believe that they’re necessarily second fiddles in the game. This unfortunate attitude is perpetuated by sheltered Americans like Mike Arrington of TechCrunch fame, who base their views of an entire culture on a single event. I strongly believe that this perception is wrong, it isn’t about geographic location (mostly) but about what you do with your resources. Are you out there talking to prospects (in person and virtually) or somewhere in the deepest, darkest Midlands developing in your small office, assuming that because you put your app on the iTunes Store, it’ll market itself?

    As a promoter for your business, you aren’t Hugh Grant, and self-deprecating sweetness won’t get you there on its own. If you don’t sell yourself, nobody will do it for you.

    An assumption that the product speaks for itself

    Yes, a great product is 90% of the marketing effort. But unless people can find out about your product and feel their questions will be heard, you’re missing the first link of the chain, that first 10% of the effort that leads to the viral spread Holy Grail.

    So dust off your pencil and paper, write that press release about the latest features or the new team members and send it far and wide (but do it gracefully, of course!) Step outside of your comfort zone a little and be bold about what you do and love.

    That’s why folks like Whatleydude, Andrew J. Scott and many more* stand out from the crowd and sometimes can rub folks the wrong way by being more open and self-promoting than your average community or marketing person in the UK.

    So where is the widespread shrinking violet attitude coming from? Isn’t this the country that once reigned on history’s largest empire?

    I’m no historian or psychoanalyst so I’ll spare you the attempt at explaining it – Let’s leave it as a rhetorical question, shall we? When I’ve challenged the Brits around me about their unwillingness to stand up and be vocally proud of what they’ve created or their talent, I’ve received a range of answers;

    • Not self-promoting is a sign of humility
    • Casual is cooler, you have to look like you’re not trying too hard or you’ll be seen as a sell-out
    • We don’t like to shove our product in the users’ faces, if they want it, they’ll come to us
    • We don’t do press releases, it’s not in our ethos

    But that’s not how it works anymore, sorry to break it to you! There are too many products, too many services and too much noise in our lives. If you don’t promote what you love, people won’t magically discover it. The community manager, the marketing team, the PR folks, you’re all that first 10% of the chain. It’s your job to let people see that you’re passionate about what you’ve created. (And if you’re not, time to go jobhunt, innit?)

    Breaking the habit

    So here are my three top tips for those who want to come out of the proverbial shell and learn to feel good about their business:

    • Go sing karaoke, both in front of friends and strangers: Putting yourself on stage forces you out of your comfort zone and requires you to take on a braver personality. It’s like a fun and more social version of Toastmasters’ public speaking organisation. Alternatives involve joining an improv league, speaking at a BarCamp, working as a tour guide, etc…
    • Get a grip: Write down what makes you, your product or your company great and ask your customers to do the same. You’ll probably be surprised by the number of positives that crop up!
    • It’s a fine balance between self-assurance and arrogance: Ask your bluntest friends and colleagues to evaluate your performance after a presentation or when you finish writing a piece about the company. Take in all their feedback and listen patiently (but don’t take it personally). Build on that in the same way as a ballet dancer analyses her movements in the dance room mirror to perfect her step next time.

    [* These two were not singled out due to any negative press even though I’ve talked about rubbing people the wrong way. They’re examples of folks who are more pro-active than your average community manager!]
    [Image: Grrrrrr… by Peter Williamson on Flickr, Creative Commons]

  • 2009 Brings In a New Design

    I maded u new intarwebs

    What better way to kick off a new year than to have a gorgeous fresh design to start it off?

    We’ve thrown this design together today so it’ll take a while to evolve it to perfection, expect tweaks and changes over the next little while. If you spot anything odd, let us know!

  • A Handful of Tips for the Self-Employed

    Tips for the self-employed have been done to death by every lifehack geek, GTD addict and smart living blogger, but everyone develops their own little system so I thought I’d share mine.

    Over the years, I’ve tried every GTD app under the sun, only to discover that the tool/software I used to get stuff done was irrelevant, so I kept it simple this time around. It turns out that the best organisation tools are a single sheet of paper and a calm brain. Ok, I’m oversimplifying a little but here’s my system nowadays.

    The writing on the wall

    On the wall by my desk, I have a small index card with reminders. It reads:

    EVERYDAY: Today's Three Most Important Tasks, 9-11am: No Distractions, Take a break for lunch before 2pm, End of day review, Evening meditation time

    Simple, unh?

    1. Today’s Three Most Important Tasks

    Self-employed or not, we all have an awful lot of responsibilities and tasks in our daily life, and it’s easy to forget which are most important and go for the most urgent one, the one backed by the pushiest client or the easiest one.

    Start the day with a defined list of 3 must-do tasks and focus on them first. If you finish all 3, you can either skip off early or get on with some other bits of work feeling saintly for having done your most important work for the day.

    2. Distraction-Free Time

    In the same vein as the tip above, setting a few hours in the day which are sacred and during which you can focus on the most mentally demanding tasks. For me, it’ll be writing time where I can dive in without distractions.

    Mid-morning 9 to 11am works well for me, because it gives me the 8-9am slot to check emails, have a coffee and schedule anything else for the day/week. However, when 9am rolls around, the phone goes onto silent (or out of the room), email, IM and Twitter get closed down and aren’t (usually) reopened til 11am, or later if I find I’m really zoned in.

    Everyone’s got a different time of day where they’re most productive – a friend of mine is a night owl and gets that time after the kids are in bed and up until well after midnight!

    3. Take a break for lunch before 2pm

    I used to think I’d have no problem stopping around 1pm, trotting down to the kitchen and making something healthy to fuel me for the afternoon. As it turns out, I start sitting on the corner of my chair at 1pm thinking I should eat, but found that at 4pm I was still working and the sounds of my stomach were loud enough to scare the cats!

    Having food suitable for lunches in the fridge and cupboard like healthy sandwich fillings, salads and soups makes it easier to break for lunch, because I know I won’t have to fiddle around or go out to find something to eat.

    4. End of day review

    In order to close up shop at the end of the day without that uneasy feeling that there’s more to do, I end the day by double-checking that the Most Important Tasks are done, have a look in Things and picking the next day’s tasks – which may change in the morning, but at least will be there as priority reminders.

    5. Evening meditation time

    I’ve not done a great job keeping up with this one, but after a long day running at full steam, I find the only way to really wind down and enjoy my evening is to have 10-15 minutes of complete relaxation. Sitting in silence with one of the cats on my lap purring away for a few minutes does wonders to chill me out.

    Whatever your trick may be, it’s worth taking those few moments to get out of work mode and into home/family mode, especially if you don’t have the drive/walk home to serve as a forced downtime.

    Great posts elsewhere on keeping your sanity when self-employed:

  • Kicking off 2009 with a new themeword: Impact

    Nearly a year ago, I wrote about my #themeword for 2008, which was exploration. My objectives were to explore in four key areas; travel, business opportunities, new or unused skills and friendships/ relationships.

    Owl photo by Aussie Flickr user AaardvaarkIn reflection, it was a good year. In fact, it was an amazing year. I could have done better in terms of travel; I did an awful job of going to new destinations to which I’d promised myself a visit! But I did well in balancing work and fun, with plenty of dinner parties and get togethers with friends throughout the year.

    When I wrote about business opportunities exploration, in the back of my mind, I knew I would work for myself before the year was out, it was just a question of having the cojones to jump, so the latter part of 2008 has offered me a taster of what 2009 will bring.

    So on with this year’s themeword. I’ve opted for one overarching theme, divided into three key goals, reflecting what Chris Brogan and many others have done.

    In 2009

    I hope that in 2009, I can use the knowledge I’ve acquired to make a difference. If I can help one business make a lasting impact on their customers, or help someone learn the true value of the communication tools I’m so grateful for, I’ll be a happy gal.

    To put it into action, I want to create, lead and focus.

    Create by pushing ideas beyond replicas of what’s been done elsewhere by someone else and produce something remarkable.

    Lead by example in doing marketing work that is graceful, ethical and genuinely valuable to its participants.

    Focus on the right things. With rivers of news and infinite numbers of social networks, with masses of potential projects, clients and events, in 2009 I will need to focus my attention, energy and abilities on the most important ones. After all, there’s only one of me!

    Beyond this big picture, I’ve also got a few simple things I’ve promised myself this year, most more personal than the above.

    • Backup my digital life regularly and reliably
    • Host or go out for dinner with (non-business) friends at least once a month
    • Call my mom more regularly and book a trip to Canada before summer 🙂
    • Visit my sister in Paris when she heads there to study for a few months
    • Take (and publish) more photos on Flickr to remember important life events
    • Keep making homemade stuff like cards, liqueurs and tons of fresh cooking. It’s good for the mental health.

    What’s your themeword for the year? Need inspiration? Try searching for #themeword on Twitter Search.

    [Image: Owl photo by Aussie Flickr user Aaardvaark under Creative Commons]

  • Happiness at Christmas is…

    Yesterday, I asked fellow Twitter users what Christmas happiness was to them. I got a fun range of answers, so I thought I’d post them uncensored and as-is…

    • sherrilynne: Happiness at Christmas is knowing there are no deadlines for two whole weeks!
    • matthewpennell: Happiness at Christmas is a non-sequitur. 😉
    • davidcushman: time with your family
    • pascalw: is … letting your brain switch off, kick back & enjoy whatever comes your way. Avoiding clichés about kids (but that’s what I mean!)
    • JamesPearce: Happiness at Christmas is… packing everything into boxes and *undecorating* the tree. Oh. Wait.
    • TrudyYS: Happiness at Christmas is not knowing when it ends…
    • MelKirk: Happiness at xmas is seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces
    • mrjaba: Happiness at Christmas is family, booze and food, oh and racing grannies.
    • jodrell: Happiness at Christmas is… 2 cats, 1 wife and dinner starting at 1 and finishing at midnight 🙂
    • lwarren17: Happi @ Xmas = knowing that leonelyn my sponsored little girl in philipines gets education thro http://www.p-c-f.org/
    • MartinSFP: happiness at Christmas is feeling like a kid again for a day or two; albeit a drunk kid…
    • pidpoid: …flaming buttcheeks
    • edent: Happiness at Christmas is pizza off paper plates (no washing up) pink champagne from the bottle (ditto). All spent with my new *WIFE*!
    • sookio: “Happiness at Christmas is…” giving my impossible-to-buy-for brother-in-law Two Ronnies cufflinks – my favourite gift this xmas
    • weaverluke: Happiness at Christmas is the spirit of family, blood or otherwise.
    • whatleydude – “happiness at christmas is ‘compulsory, signed: Whatleydude…” – LMAO
    • jopkins: …taking timeout to think about the past, present and future; realising what’s important and that you’re there with them 😉
    • daryldarko: i’m sorry – “Happiness at Christmas is understanding that it is just another day.”
    • danielhunt: Happiness at Christmas is having more alcohol than you can shake a stick at, along with a suitably festive house party
    • mattlambert: Happiness at Christmas is having a sword fight with my Mum using the innards of left over rolls of wrapping paper… 😀
    • lirontocker: “… celebrating Hanukkah” 🙂
    • purplekitten: …knowing you’ve tried not to make other people’s lives worse

    And on this bombshell, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas, a relaxing time with family and friends. Enjoy yourselves, take it easy for a while, and then get ready to kick ass for 2009!

  • Christmas Giving

    The weeks preceding Christmas are bloody awful. I hate going into Cambridge and finding myself attacked by people with a dozen shopping bags in each hand, looking haggard and miles from the supposed Christmas spirit we’re meant to be in.

    My favourite bit about shopping centres is usually people-watching; everyone is so self-absorbed when shopping, it’s comedy to try to understand the thought process that leads to buying those god awful mustard yellow boots or that garish tie. 😉

    But this year, I’m amazed how many times I’ve heard “But what do you buy for someone who’s already pretty much got everything?” There are the obvious options; a new jumper, the latest video game, a scarf… or surfing Amazon to find some stocking fillers (at the expense of some exhausted Amazon elves)

    So what about the alternatives to spending on tat that will disappear into the cupboard as soon as the holidays are over?

    Give them something handmade or unique

    Make it yourself if you’re crafty or skilled in something they aren’t. If you aren’t feeling up to the challenge, buy something that’s been handmade.

    christmas_tree_cookies-1

    • Make a batch of Christmas cookies, wrap them in parchment paper and a nice ribbon
    • Make homemade liqueurs (for next year!) and bottle them nicely with a handmade label
    • Create a photo album or a book with Lulu or your own photo editing software
    • Get handmade jewellery: Unique pieces are so much more interesting! (More on this one later, but I love Ostara for handmade stuff) You’ll also be supporting small businesses rather than line the pockets of multinationals!
    • Give the gift of time: Make vouchers good for a day out together, a Sunday lunch or a night at the movies. It’ll remind you both how important it is to spend time together over the course of the year

    Give to charity instead

    Some may say it’s a cliché suggestion and unoriginal of me, but it’s a perfectly valid one. I asked fellow Twitterers what charities they supported and I received some very powerful answers.

    • Niall Harbison, Irish foodie, put together a charity campaign Twitter-style by donating the proceeds of the auction of a brand new Nokia E63 to Crumlin Children’s Hospital. See Niall’s post to take part by donating €5.
    • Bango, who provide mobile analytics & billing services, put together a Christmas campaign called “All I want for Xmas!” where you contribute content (jokes, images, mobile games) and any money made from the content will be doubled and donated to Save The Children.
    • @reyes supports The Multiple Sclerosis Charity and Every Child who are committed to protecting the rights of vulnerable children and are always looking for our help
    • Teemu told the story of a friend who committed suicide last week, leading me to seek more information on SupportLine who provide emotional support for people of all ages.
    • If you can’t contribute financially, give time. Speak to your local charities to find out how you can help, as Dale (@dalelane) will be doing with Crisis Open Christmas, who open their doors to the homeless over the holiday season to ensure everyone can have a warm meal and some company.

    So tell me, this year, would you rather spend less and take the time to make something personal as a gift? Or prefer to treat them to a luscious gift even though it may be breaking the bank a little bit more than you’d hoped because it’s that one time of the year?

    I don’t think either answer is wrong, but in my eyes, there has to be a balance: If you’ve had a nice Christmas bonus and you’re feeling generous, then it’s fun to get friends and family a few goodies they may not otherwise treat themselves to, there’s no denying that. But meaningful handmade gifts can be more heartwarming and personal than anything bought from a store shelf.

  • Where creativity comes from

    It’s Friday, you’ve been giving it the beans all week, working that little brain of yours to the bone (figuratively, let’s hope). You need a boost for that last mile before this evening’s G&T while watching mindless TV (or maybe your evening is more exciting than mine…)

    Don’t tell everyone, but I’ve found one of the best sources of creative juices out there…

    Alright, fine, it’s a campaign for the South West Regional Development Agency, created by Rubber Republic. It arrived in my inbox last week, with a subject line containing “Viral Campaign”*, so it was within an inch of getting deleted without a second look. Being the end of the day, I was looking for distraction, so I had a look at the video, to find myself delighted by how silly it turned out to be. I love organisations with a sense of humour, and this one’s just wonderfully twisted.

    I wonder what would happen if you squeezed Silicon Fen/Cambridge creatives? You’d probably get a CAMRA-approved fermented beverage that knocks your socks off. 😉

    [* On the “Viral Campaign” note, I hope agencies will realise that, while it’s fine to call it a viral campaign on your marketing strategy plan internally, a video doesn’t go viral until the viewers make it so. Create something fantastic, give people the tools to share it easily, but don’t tell us it’s a viral. That’s for us to decide.]