Archive for the ‘irishblogs’ Category

Buh bye: Door, hit, ass. Pay Per Post fakebloggers hammered by Google

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

And sometimes I really like Google. It seems anyone that sold out and polluted the web by fakeblogging for Pay Per Post have now received almost the ulimate punishment and have gotten a Pagerank of zero. Just checked a few sites who use Lie Per Post and yup, zero. Trouble is my ranking has gone down from 5 to 3 too but I wonder is that because of the increased diluting of link weight? Though it doesn’t bother me as I’ve never been obsessed about it.

Update: Loving how Pay Per Post claim censorship by Google yet mysteriously there are ZERO negative comments about their service on their blog post. Everyone is positive.

Science Week Competition Day 5 – The best invention in 2007?

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

Final day. Final chance. With so many people not going online to blog today, you might have a greater chance. The question for the Science Week competition today is:

In your opinion what was the best invention in 2007?

Now don’t forget to link to the Science Week website for this and every entry this week! Happy blogging.

David is already out the gates and suggests the One Laptop Per Child.

M Buckley says Functionalized Nanoporous Thin Films.

Sinéad says the ZymeQuest Blood Simple Machine

Johnny says Xerox’s Erasable Paper.

Bernie says MammaPrint.

Kevin suggests a Facebook Application.

Daragh says Monkey Cloning.

Cian says something better than Velcro.

Joe says the Facebook API.

Treasa doesn’t know.

Conor says the BiancaMed Overnight Sleep Monitor

Tensare says a hamster shredder. No, not that kinda of thing.

Simon says his son. Best answer ever.

Will says the haptic screen.

Darran says the iPhone.

Science Week Ireland blogging competition Day 4 – Which invention has helped you most with your working life?

Friday, November 16th, 2007

There’s a Wii to be won for blogging an answer to the question:Which invention has helped you most with your working life?

Off ye go. Am sure it being a Friday and everyone being busy you’re allowed to take your time with this one. Another day to go too, this is the question to consider for blogging on Saturday: In your opinion what was the best invention in 2007?

David says (shock!) books.

Pedro says the alarm clock.

Johnny says the World Wide Web.

Simon thinks the treasury tag.

Daragh says the dry-wipe whiteboard and the non-permanent marker.

Bernie says the Moleskin.

Sinéad says the Filofax. Old school!

Darran says the Internet.

Tensare says Tea!

Conor says the Internet.

Joe says the Internet.

Kevin says the database.

Adam says email.

I’m meant to say something here then

Friday, November 16th, 2007

Right, thanks for those that voted for me and judged me for the Netvisionary Award. I won for Technology Journalist.

Damien Mulley in a tux

We were not allowed give speeches except for the overall netvisonary who was Fergus Burns from Nooked. Met him twice now in the past seven days and the guy is a networking dynamo and someone with a very progressive attitude about Ireland and technology and what needs to change. Well done Fegus. About time and very much deserved.

Anyways, if I was allowed to make a speech I would have said the award was dedicated to Richard Delevan who hired me for the Sunday Tribune and guided me for the past 10 or so months. It would be great to see more people scouting the very talented blogging community that we have in Ireland and offering them various opportunities. There are a fair few bloggers out there that can and do give a lot of journalists a run for their money.

I should also thank Ralph Averbuch, Ciara O’Brien, Eamonn McGrane, John Kennedy, John Collins, Adrian Weckler, Max Kelly, Mark Tighe, Kathy Foley and so many more journalists who have interviewed me when I was at the other side of the fence causing trouble (and mostly still am) and in doing so helped me to communicate my own thoughts in a better way. Same goes for everyone that leaves comments here and gives feedback whether they agree with me or not.

Thank you everyone for being my army of editors and my free R&D team.

(Picture nicked from Keith)

Live Jaiku/Twittering from Net Visionary Awards tonight

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

Best of luck to everyone. I just paid 120 quid on RENTing a tux for the night. Crazy price. All just to keep y’all updated. Very best of luck to the bloggers nominated: Grandad, Denise Cox and Krishna De.

Also best of luck to Eamon McGrane and Ciara O’Brien for the Journalist Award.

Science Week Competition Day 3 – What’s the next gadget that you want to buy?

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

Next question, next chance to win a Wii. Get blogging on what’s the next gadget that you want to buy? And g’wan, go into florid detail as to why. Funny pictures too. Maybe even make a video and do a song. Earn that Wii!

Update:
Simon says a keyfob.

Suzy says a Jawbone.

Cian wants a wallet/keys/phone combo device.

David wants a bookmark.

Gerry wants Shades.

Seán wants an OpenMoko phone.

Liam wants a Three Skypephone.

Treasa wants an ipod Shuffle.

Sinéad wants a creative Zen.

Simon McGarr says he wants an Internet Radio.

Kevin still hasn’t found what he’s looking for.

Tensare wants a Chinook.

Johnny K wants an Energy Monitor.

Joe wants a GPS device.

Pedro wants Lego Mindstorm.

Bernie says a Free Ride Pen.

Conor says a hybrid Nokia.

Joe says a home cinema system.

Adam says the Zoom H4.

Don’t buy a cow, buy an OLPC

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

Because it’s more selfish and god knows people in Africa need a laptop over a cow. I wonder are African charties and other groups going to suffer because of geeks getting into charity? I’d be supporting Bóthar, had I a social conscience.

Some Facebook ads that have started showing up

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

Rob mentioned recently the dodgy ads he was getting in Facebook. So with their new highly targeted ad system, here’s the type of ads I’m getting on Facebook.

Facebook Ads
This seems just to be targeted to Ireland

facebook ad
Same with this, nowhere did I say I was into guys. Targeted to all males in Ireland?

Facebook ad
Seems like this is targeted just to Cork? Though they have a Dublin office too.

Facebook ad
Targeted to all of Ireland?

Blog Awards 2008 – Category suggestions wanted

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

The 2008 Blog Awards will be in February, not in the usual month of March. As a result planning for it is starting earlier this year for it. I’ve been getting feedback all through the year so I’lll be removing some categories and I’ll be adding others. If you want to suggest a category please do but do remember I’m looking for a category/niche where there are least 20 blogs covering that area. Otherwise I’m not sure it is worth creating a category but perhaps the next year there might be numbers for Blog Awards 4.

These are the existing categories for the Blog Awards:

* Best Blog
* Best Blog Post
* Most Humorous Post
* Best Photo Blog
* Best Arts and Culture Blog
* Best Political Blog
* Best Group Blog

* Best Personal Blog
* Best Use of the Irish Language in a Blog
* Best Contribution to the Irish Bloggersphere Replaced with another award along same lines
* Best Technology Blog/Blogger

* Best Designed Blog
* Best Sport & Recreation Blog
* Best News/Current Affairs Blog
* Best Specialist Blog

* Best Newcomer
* Best Business Blog
* Best Music Blog

These will be in the Irish Web Awards instead:
* Best Podcast
* Best Podcaster
* Best Videocast

Suggested new categories:
* Best Youth/Under 18 blog
* Best Food/Drink Blog
* Best Arts and Crafts Blog
* Best Popculture blog
* Best blog from a journalist

Science Week Ireland blogging competition Day 2 – “What invention do you want to see most in the future?”

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007

Another day, another Wii. Yesterday saw a load of entries and they’re all worth reading. Some of them are dripping with nostalgia and brought back a lot of old memories.

Today the question posed is “What invention do you want to see most in the future?”.

Already out of the blocks early this morning is Roosta with Giant Fighting Robots.

Daragh – Star Trek-like Transporters.

Simon wants room temp superconductors.

Gerry wants Rocket backpacks.

Kevin wants a Provigil prescription.

Darran wants free energy. Not love. Well. Maybe…

Rumble Strips wants calorie killers and self-cleaning houses.

Treasa wants a Bueqonit.

Liam wants a DNA analyser/fixer.

David wants a hyper-book.

Brian wants a big bloody feat of technology engineering, not something namby-pamby. Right on!

Red Mum wants a transporter.

Bernie wants a CarSynch.

Raptured Ponies want Super Strings.

Johnny K says he wants a product that will guarantee healthy teeth and gums.

Joe wants an ultracheap data plan for world travel.

Conor says a medical diagnostic machine.

Joe says a landmine detector.

Adam says wireless electricity.

And since people keep asking me, not the Science Week people, prizes are awarded next week after all the postings.