Archive for the ‘Epic Win’ Category

Ah Kerry

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

The next big sport from the Kingdom:

The Bagger

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

For those that would like nothing more than winning the Lotto and buying a JCB, why not upgrade to the Bagger 288:

Giant Ws all the way – The Web Awards are back, get nominating, get sponsoring

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Off ye go to nominate your favourite websites. Don’t be shy about nominating your own work. Some people were “shocked, surprised and disappointed” (direct quote from an email) that the Wizards behind the Web Awards didn’t consider them. One needs to be nominated, don’t assume your Mam will do it for you.

Sponsorship opportunities are available though going fast.

Irish Web Awards

And this sums up what a No Black Tie event means:
No Black Tie

Rent in the Olympia was most excellent

Friday, June 19th, 2009

“Not bad for DCU students” is a bit patronising for what is one of the best musicals I’ve seen. These kids rock at this. While the material is decades old and probably out of sync with life today, the numbers, costumes and talent were something else. One of the most entertaining shows around, thank you to all those who put it together as I’m on a high from the energy of it. Shame some people in the audience were physically reacting with horror because the musical has gay and lesbian characters. They kiss, get over it.

Rent DCU musical

Ze Frank is talking at the Science Gallery on Friday

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

A genius comes to talk.

Here’s a reminder of Ze who starts off with a song about ugly mySpaces and then riffs on cheap design tools used by the masses scare the shit out of the design gatekeepers:

Stop, now, what’s that sound

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Sometimes, starting a blog post with some music gets people into into the frame of mind you want. So if you could, play the vid, it’s the music not the images that matter, and then scroll to the rest of the text:

In recent chats with everyone on Twitter, blogs and in person, we’ve been talking about massive growths of online activity. Blogging, well, the Blog Awards show that blogging is mainstream, it ain’t just the nerds now. Facebook, 545k people on it now in Ireland. At a recent Bord Bia event, Jane from Thinkhouse was also saying that there’s been something like a silent Tipping Point, people now get the whole idea that online is a place, it’s a function. The constant hard work convincing companies that they need to engage with people online is a little less graft now. I know with my own work I’ve been getting people and companies contacting me pretty much every day asking me to do work for them and they know they need to do so. They don’t want convincing to blog or to market on Facebook, they just want to know how to do it and what way to do it. Businesses are getting it.

And then there’s Twitter. Never have I heard a tech hyped as much except for maybe the iPhone. Every bloody media organisation is talking about it and for those on it for ages we’re going “so?” but again, if we stop and step back, it’s an amazing place. An iPhone can improve your life, so can Twitter. Watch the snarky people guffaw at that!

Heather‘s two twitter messages confirm that the community feeling some get with blogging is on steroids for Twitter:

Something in Ireland

Something in Ireland

There is a very interesting feeling of togetherness on Twitter and on other places online. Shared experiences you might call them. I’m almost reminded of the English and the Blitz except it’s not people together because of being bombed. People tell you they failed their driving test and the group gives them a hug, people celebrate a new job and they get cheered, they say something stupid and get corrected or challenged, they ask for information and they get it in abundance. With the right followers and it seems in Ireland most people are in that demographic, Twitter is a very nurturing place to be. This is one reason as to why it’s taking off faster than blogs, faster than Facebook.

You hear all this waffle on radio shows “but I don’t want to know what someone had for breakfast”, well it’s not being informed about what you had, it’s a textual description of what is happening, you are there in their space but also on Twitter. It’s like a game of Sims but via text bursts and it’s real life. Some people are getting it though. 12,000 Irish people are getting it since they’re on Twitter though that’s a convservative number, it’s surging way faster than the 23% growth from Facebook last month too.

You also get the knockers saying that this stuff is antisocial and keeping people away from people. Bollox. Ask Anthony. More kids have more friends because of tech than any time before. The more friends and takes on life a kid and an adult has, the more world experienced they’ll be.

I despise the term social media due to all the snakeoilers talking it up and abusing the idea of it but we seem to be at some turning point where humanity is getting to shine through more in business and life because of these social-minded tools. And they’re not forcing us to be kind or nice or helpful, we’re doing that, the tools are just letting us send these sentiments to wider groups not based on geography. So you know world, despite the polar icecaps disappearing, employment declining, murderers back on the job in Northern Ireland and a rougher world, we’re doing pretty damned well and some tech is helping us along.

I’m playing the song again. Happy Friday the 13th!

A giant game of Twister, a bride walking down the aisle, Xbox360 Rockband, speech bubbles

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Where else but the Irish Blog Awards? I’ve stuck up an overdue thank you post on the Awards blog to say thanks. I’m totally biased here but seriously, what a fun event. Got some great emails from people saying it was in a different league or a different world to most awards shows. I guess the Blog Awards are a fun event with an awards show in the middle more than a pure awards show.

Giant Inflatable Twister:
Game of Twister at the Blog Awards

We got it from Bob over at Irish Inflatables. Maybe someone should chat to Bob about tarting up the site?

The original idea was to build a giant ball pit but the balls proved too expensive.

From my own experience attending events and awards shows, I think they actually beat down peoples’ personalities instead of bringing them out. The suits and tuxes and standard MC and denying people the right to say thank you to the people that got them to the winning podium, it takes the humanity away. A few hundred quid for the experience shuts out more people that deserve a show too. So the Blog Awards and hopefully the Web Awards make people relaxed and enable them to have fun and when you have fun and are relaxed you can network. Everyone should be able to network. Friendships begin or get stronger at the Blog Awards. I hope the same will happen at the Web Awards. Where personal relationships are built, business relationships can follow, not the other stuffy way.

I suggested before the Awards that Ciara bring her work uniform (a wedding dress). A midway-through-the-event decision and we decided that Ciara would walk down the aisle at the end to the sound of Billy Idol singing “White Wedding” and present Rick with the Grand Prix Winner Gold Envelope. And she did. Another thing about Awards, make them flexible so you can change things around.

Ciara Crossan walks down the aisle

And a quick sweep around before the event started:

This is my fav video too for the intro of Best Technology Blog:

Of course with this type of expectation management, people are already demanding a bigger, better and crazier 2010 Blog Awards. Ok…

Vids from the Blog Awards Hotel

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

I went up to the Blog Awards Hotel today (Cork Airport International Hotel) to take some videos in order to show a few people what it will be like.

This first video is how it looks as if you are looking out the main door. Check-in for the hotel is on the first floor.

This is how it looks behind the stairs in the coffee/meeting area. Check out their hair salon!

We’ll have access to this whole area before and after the Awards ceremony.

This is the cloakroom/registration area:

And this is the area outside the function room: