The Luke Johnson Phone Experiment

The coolest idea are usually the simplest. Luke Johnson invites you to call him on his mobile (he calls it a "cell phone" but he really means "mobile phone") to see how many people would call a stranger whose number they found on an Internet video. +1 602 435 3694

Tags: luke johnson

Fake blogging to be made illegal in UK, Europe

According to PR Week, print edition 9th of February 2007, "flogging" or fake blogging is likely to be made illegal when the EU's unfair commercial practices directive passes into UK law in december 2007. The directive prohibits "unfair commercial practices" such as "representing oneself as a consumer". This will of course applies to astroturfing in blogs but also in discussion groups or consumer rating websites.

Tags: astroturfing, flogs

The long tail of search

According to Read/Write Web, four search engines account for 99.99% of searches: Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and Ask.com. Charles S. Knight compiled the top 100 alternative search engines that makes up for the remaining 0.1%.

Yahoo! Pipes

Yahoo! Pipes lets you remix feeds and create new data mashups in a visual programming environment. Good idea. Would be nice to have more options to layout or export your output.

Tags: yahoo pipes

Wikileaks: Anonymous wiki for government and corporate whistleblowers

Wikileaks is "an uncensorable version of Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis. It combines the protection and anonymity of cutting-edge cryptographic technologies with the transparency and simplicity of a wiki interface." It i snot affiliated with Wikipedia, has already received 1.2 millin documents and will launch in February or March this year. More work for PR agencies...

Tags: wikileaks, PR

Wikipedia to launch Google search engine competitor?

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales talks about his vision for a user driven, open source search engine. The first beta will launch within a few months. EETimes.

Tags: wikipedia, google

What is better? A Mitchell or a Webb?

Anyone who uses the web for more than 6 months has become naturally trained to avoid online ads. My field of vision stops just below the banner line and ignores tedious leftish skyscrapers. Then came Apple’s latest campaign featuring Robert Webb and David Mitchell. I noticed the ads instantly and it worked a treat for me. It reminded me of what I didn’t like about other TV series and why Peep Show is definitely a superior entertainment product. I am now keener to buy the series’ DVDs.

Charlie Brooker of the Guardian reignited the PC v. Mac feud on his blog (look at the comments). You can see the ads there too.

Tags: apple, peep show

French join exodus for la vie en rosbif

Sunday Times article that perfectly summarises my feelings and the countless conversations I have with young French "refugees".

• Stifling bureaucracy,
• Stagnant labour market,
  
• Unwillingness of employers to give chances to young job applicants (...) because of attitudes often criticised as rigid,
• “In France if you read classics and history at university you can become a teacher, but not, say, a banker. Things are more flexible here (in London)",
• “People here can laugh at themselves, it’s part of good manners, but people take themselves a lot more seriously in France.”

Google to loose "Gmail" in Europe?

German entrepreneur Daniel Giersch trademarked "G-Mail" in 2001 for his company doing emails... After a court case and failed talk of a settlement, Giersch was awarded the right to use "G-mail". He plans to bring the matter to the European court to validate his claim across Europe. In the meantime, Google will have to use "Google mail". Article in French.

Wikipedia issues warning to PR agencies

About writing about clients they represent on Wikipedia (or paying others to do so). "If it persists they will be banned". Front page of PR week UK.

Tags: wikipedia, PR

Scoble Not Getting Attention

A most bizarre post from Robert Scoble about one of his stories on Intel not being linked by Engadget. Interesting insight into the mind of "A-List" bloggers. Seth Finkelstein's comment: "It must be very nice to be an A-lister. Then even your complaints about not getting enough attention get lots of attention."

The Truth In Ad Sales, MyTube, YouSpace

London Business School ranked 5th in the world...

... and 1st non US school by the Financial Times.

Tags: mba

Sweden to open embassy in Second Life

Via Neville Hobson courtesy of Guy. Will it be financed by Swedish taxpayers?

Tags: Second Life

Bebe cat begs

We "cat-sitted" over the new year for a friend and ended up with "Bebe", a very talkative cat. It travelled all the way from Hong-Kong with its owner, survived its quarantine in the UK and learnt a few tricks on the way to get its favourite tibbits. Couldn't resist posting it.

Judy, if Bebe becomes famous, let's say we settled for 25% of direct income and royalties...

Tags: fun

Fox subpoenas YouTube over Simpsons and 24

Beginning or the end?

From Reuters.

Tags: youtube

LinkedIn starts "Yahoo! Answers" like service

LinkedIn starts "Yahoo! Answers" like service.

Tags: linkedin, yahoo, answers

Rent a protester

Young, good-looking, and available for around 150 euros (£100), more than 300 would-be protesters are marketing themselves on a German rental website.

Via BBC

Boo Box: Is Pay-Per-Post getting increasingly popular?

My friend Guy forwarded me this post from What'snext on Boo Box , knowing that it will upset me. A "boo box" is a button you place on your blog in or next to your reviews. If your readers decide to buy the product you describe, you get a share of the sale. BL Ochman thinks it's "a cool idea, as long as bloggers behave ethically with this tool". I am going to bang my old drum here. As a blogger, I am suddenly incentivised to write positive reviews that sell so I can generate more income... Therefore as a review seeker, I am suddenly incentivised to look elsewhere for genuine unskewed reviews. Ethics v. economics.

Tags: pay-per-post, boo box

France's second largest TV channel partners with Google video

France 2 partners with Google video on a dedicated website to cover the 2007 French presidential election.