Babbling Nomad

Few words here and there, on this and that by a digital nomad

Archive for the tag “Media”

04 Jul 2012

#2 – What to do, when you ain’t got no clue

# If you can’t find the answer, it’s OUT THERE. GOOGLE IT.

This is the biggest lesson I have learnt from helping start ups. If you are stuck somewhere, whether it’s software, content or something as simple as creating an event on Facebook, don’t procrastinate – google it, you’ll land up with several forums. DO NOT be shy, post your query. I assure you a know-it-all geeky guy/ girl will respond to you. One of the biggest benefits of having a kazillion American/ Indian/ Asian IT geeks is that there is an answer for everything technical on the web!

I have made a wordpress.org website out of just googling things! It’s a bit time consuming but if you want to do it yourself it’s certainly possible, and I CANNOT even begin to tell you the pride you gain when you do stuff all by yourself!

If you think it’s really hard then the fastest and most efficient way is to hire some one. If you an afford it then go for it.

In case you think these things are pretty obvious, I am with you, they are, but the most obvious tends to slip by when  are actually faced with it. Hence. Coming up next is all about getting the content right.

Posted in Media babble and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
03 Jul 2012

Start up media series

Start ups are exciting, you work for yourself or a small enterprise. A lot of people are investing their money, time and ideas in creating a start up. I have been attending meet ups around start ups. One of them is Think Act Change in Sydney. They’ve had wonderful series of talks around how to start a start up, or convert your ideas into a real enterprise through story telling. I also came across the General Assembly, which have established their offices in Sydney and Melbourne. They hold seminars on start up networking, structures and jobs.

That’s great, going to meet ups and events and gathering all the info. I am somebody who believes in expressing your ideas and connecting with like minded people to go further. Hence, I am going to share some tips that are useful for small start ups – especially in their nascent stage.

#1 – Do NOT be stingy in basic investments – Website

To elaborate this point – make sure you have a good and informative website. I do no imply  that your website need to have state of the art motion graphics. No. All you need is a clear online statement. Who you are, What you do, Why do you do this,  Where do you do this  and How do you do this – WWWWH – something you learn in journalism studies. Everything else is complimenting your site.

Your mission statement is very important. A statement which comes up on the first landing page. Think of it like the elevator pitch – minimum time, maximum impact.

Since most people do not have a large attention span (including me) I am going to continue this series in smaller posts written over a period of time.

Happy Starting up!

Posted in Media babble and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
02 Jul 2012

I dreamt about the Carbon Tax + tech ramble

It’s been a while. I was blogging from a different platform – http://www.sydneyfilmfest.wordpress.com. It’s mainly reviews and analysis of films from Sydney Film Festival, and now that the fest is over I’ll still continue to post film reviews on it.

What’s up lately? Well. I dreamt about the carbon tax last night! I think it’s purely because it was on the news continuously whether I tried to watch News Limited or The Project. It took way all the limelight. The Asylum seeker debate is also in full swing, both the debates are important for Australia. But wait till the US elections 2012 begin. All my local and world news will be traded for it. The only upside it Jon Stuart’s political commentary.

I understand it 1st of July 2012 will be remembered as the day the Carbon Tax came into action. There is a great divide on this debate, and the media does not make it any better to decide. But then again, when does the media make it easy for anyone?

On a slightly different note, there are interesting updates from the tech world. Apple decided to ditch Google Maps. Surprise, surprise, like they were going to be friends forever. While this battle continues strongly, there are already doubts looming over Apple’s decision. How will Apple get the extensive network of street view that Google currently has? But then again, Apple’s job is to surprise us.

I am a Mac user, and ex – iPhone user too. Their innovations are on the lines of digital gadget cult. I mean it’s a bit crazy when you see ‘fans’ (read consumers) queuing outside the Apple store one night before the new iPhone releases. Get over it guys, it’s a brand.

The second battle is involving Apple and Samsung – iPad vs. Tab. Oh well patent wars. I do not know the technical aspects. But it’s also the obvious case of controlling competition for Apple. In late 2011, the Tab was banned from selling, and it lost out on significant Christmas sales.

LinkedIn is not partnering with Twitter anymore, so no more annoying feed from connections! Spotify started its operations in Australia. Yay! Facebook offers to ‘highlight’ your post for a 6-7$ per post. So, your friends can see it on top of their feed! Yeah right, they are not getting any money from me!

I am itching to write something about urban life – Australian cities. Coming up shortly!

Posted in Political babble and tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
22 Mar 2012

I share – you share – we all share!

ImageWith the advent of technology and news media, it feels like we are caught in an information warp.

It’s a dangerous place to be in. I used to be the newspaper addict three years ago. Now, I read it online. I find myself reading news on social media recommendation. People are  tweeting articles, images and videos. It may seem trivial at first glance, but looking at the bigger picture, they make a huge difference in my online life. Let’s face it, most of our lives our online now. We shift from screen to screen. From the smart phone to the laptop, from the laptop to the tablet and maybe in between the poor old idiot box may find a place. The back to our smart phones. Digital communications is a powerful tool. What we share reflects our views. Our likes, tweets, comments and pins can represent us, and misrepresent us.

We share something, and then gets comments. Sometimes, it backfires, and which leads to the wall wars! It’s also a place that one may or may not like to consider reality. Sharing a certain article may reveal your opinion on something, which you would otherwise may be apprehensive of expressing in the ‘offline’ aka real world.

I am curious about what people think of shares? Does it affect your selection of news, I think I read things which I would have never searched otherwise. With the internet penetration being at around 8% in growing countries like India, it’s not very impossible to think where social media is mainstream form of communication.

Posted in Political babble and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
23 Nov 2011

Will Egypt rise from the ashes of revolution?

Another violent clash, another news headlines, the Middle-East is bursting with angry demonstrations, some people may think it’s a mob. They’re not. The military rule is getting  wee bit too fond of power, causing anger among Egyptians. If you missed the news, see it here.

The interim rulers of Egypt, namely chief of Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) Field Marshall Muhammed Hussein Tanawi declared that power will be handed over to Egyptians no later than July 2012. But the actions of the Egyptian army don’t match this promise. There have been wide concerns over the toxicity of tear gas being used by SCAF and the overall treatment of the citizens.

People around world are wondering if these angry protestors are bunch of mobs, who are not able to comprehend the SCAF’s messages? Or genuinely expressing their anger? The Army intervened in January 2011 revolution, and earned accolades for its duty and responsibility, but what after?

The SCAF’s actions have earned interesting comparisons in the media. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria compares Egypt with a possible Turkey, which has embraced secularism (at least on its face) and a possible Pakistan, where the military rule took over, and resulted in the death of democracy.

Additionally, there are parallels being drawn by Amnesty International on the Human rights abuses under Egyptian army and Mubarak’s rule. The situation is tense, the army which upheld the people’s rights against a dictator is displaying greed and lust for power. Among  Tahrir square turning into a battle field, there are other pressing issues that Egypt must deal with maturity – women’s rights and secularism (read mass violence against Coptic Christians)

For now, we wait and watch if the elections in Egypt commence next week as announced. If there is a chance for the Arab Spring to prove its potential, it is now.

Posted in Political babble and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
07 Nov 2011

Noam Chomsky meets Bill O’Reilly in Sydney

Kim Kardashian and Noam Chomsky were in town the same day. Guess where I went.

Manufacturing Consent was my ever first media theory. Yes, there it was, explaining the agenda of the corporate media power to journalism students. How the masses are exploited, and kicked like a football among the elites. Impressive, I thought. Finally a man who has the courage to speak up, stand up and fight for it.

Ah, at that time, I was an undergraduate student, getting influenced was a piece of cake. We were bombarded with many other theories, principles and fundamentals. But in retrospect, Chomsky did have a profound effect on me. His filters on advertising explained the tactics used by media conglomerates to influence the masses. It was radical, but true. Everyone uses them, whether you are in corporate communications, project management, advertising, marketing, PR and of course in politics!

Moving on –  I saw the man live few days ago! It was a full house at the Opera Theatre in Sydney. The opening act was simply fabulous. A spoof of the famous  journalist and presenter – Bill O’Reilly. Mr.Bill rapped  brimming with disappointment about Chomsky winning the Sydney Peace Prize, and numerous mocks towards Murdoch and Fox news! Hillarious start to an insightful talk. Chomsky articulated in simple and understandable language, I was concerned if he was going to be too academic for my taste, but those doubts were soon put to rest.

What followed intense Q & A with Mary Kostakidis. Prof. Noam Chomsky spoke on the Occupy movements, Wikileaks, Israel-Palestine, agenda setting of news, Guantanamo Bay, resource exploitation of developing countries…phew!

He was asked his views on Julia Gilard’s use of the term  ’anarchic’ for Julian Assange. Mr.Chomsky boldly said that if anarchic implies to question authority and demanding the truth then everyone should be anarchic. Well, that set the mood for the rest of the talk, the Opera Theatre burst into loud applause for a few seconds!

Occupy movements are gaining momentum around the world. He stresses on the emergence of a parallel public opinion which did not occupy space in the mainstream media before. Chomsky put forward the discrimination practiced by the elites in nations like USA. The rich have abundance of surplus money which they can use to create jobs in struggling economies, but its instead used for personal benefits, or degrading work standards leading to exploitation.

He went on to address the main concerns on the miserable failure of Obama’s Middle East peace solution and expressed support for the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN among other things.

He also spoke about the problems existing with contemporary language in context to his theories in linguistics.

Oh well, very Chomsky stuff. He’s considered a left wing political thinker. Left or Right, Chomsky has produced few of the most influential theories of this century, and hoping he will continue his great work in media theory. His theories can be too conspiracy centric, unreal and make you feel uneasy, but it makes you think.

The talk was brilliant, although was a bit disappointed the host took a vote of the audience and decided not to proceed with a Q & A round.

It was an honour to see the 2011 Sydney Peace Prize Winner in person.

Posted in Political babble and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
03 Nov 2011
7 Comments

Wiki-leaked

Mr.Assange just lost his appeal in UK against the extradition to Sweden. What now? The last hope is the Britain’s supreme court. Assange’s hope appears bleak, the world (read governments) is literally against him.

So what’s great? The fact that he did something different? Or because he cracked some of the most secure layers of communication and made confidential  information public?

Some say is he all talk no shock (you get the drift). Maybe he is only talk, maybe he likes to create a hype about himself, how brilliant he is in getting these whistleblowers/ sources, how he is the single most courageous man to reveal all in public through the world wide web.

I wonder if it will create the same buzz and express outrage if Assange is apprehended just as when Steve Jobs passed away? Both represent technology associated milestones. While one created the technology worthy of sharing information, the other sourced information worth sharing through technology. If it hadn’t been for the iPads, iPhones, Macs, people around the world wouldn’t share the way they do now, and if it hadn’t been for Wikileaks, the technology wouldn’t be used to its full potential in spreading Assange’s message. It’s a comparison based on philosophy not on methodology or personality.

Some feel Assange risked the security of nations through his cable leak. Governments will try and do everything to maintain confidentiality, it’s basic risk management, but does Assange have the right to take charge of what information should be made public, or he wants it all public regardless? Seldom do governments react the way they did when the cables were made public.

All I can say is the most important lesson taught in media theory-

Medium is the message. 

Some people invent it, others deliver it.

Posted in Political babble and tagged , , , , ,
24 Oct 2011
2 Comments

Elections in Tunisia – the first Arab spring nation

Remember when Tahirir Square in Cairo was echoing with chants of protestors? Well something happened before to trigger it. A small north African nation, which was buried under its President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s rule.

Yesterday, Tunisia went to polls. According to Al-Jazeera’s report, some of the voters were going to election booths for the first time in their lives!

African elections have never been easy for its citizens. Eruption of violence, foul play in campaigning, tampering with votes etc. have been very common in African elections. Once elections are underway, the masses live with the underlying fear of instability and violence. On one hand we can look at Kenya in 2007-2008, it was torn after post electoral violence, thousands of people were killed, women were raped and families were displaced. It took some time for the nation to recuperate from these scars.

On  the other, Ghana represents the success of African democracy like no other nation. It endured military coups in the late 60s, but sprung back to democratic reforms, and conducted a successful election in late 2008. A close election which went to several rounds before the final decision was made. The Ghanians took to the polls fearlessly each time, and displayed the right of the people stands supreme. Fears of rigging were common, so journalists started taking advantage of technology. Every time a voting number was released the journalists would record it over their mobile phones and post it on the news website immediately.This vastly helped the observers to keep track of the first original numbers that released before they could be manipulated. Small forms of democracy led to a victorious elections in Ghana.

Egypt and most recently Libya have similar challenges lying ahead. The revolutions are just the beginning of the battle, the passion and patriotism of the people during the revolution should be used to fuel free and fair elections. Without them, the revolutions would just become any other event as part of our history textbooks, and probably given few entries on Wikipedia.

Voter turn out has been 70%, this is a good beginning.

Posted in Political babble and tagged , , , , , , , ,

Post Navigation

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 33 other followers

%d bloggers like this: