Wizard New Media

As predicted wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back. When I commented on the Bebo generation moving on over to Facebook.
the Guardian newspaper reports “The announcement that AOL is likely to close or sell off the social networking site Bebo comes as no surprise to industry watchers, marking the latest in a string of acquisitions that seem to have become the kiss of death for web startups.

Two years after an $850m (£748m) cash deal that surprised even the most optimistic pundits, AOL has said it can no longer fund the social media service and yesterday told employees it would sell the site or close it completely this year.

Bebo’s popularity peaked in 2008, at about the time of the sale, but steadily declined as Facebook aggressively expanded its international user base, particularly in the UK.

According to figures from ComScore, Bebo’s global unique visitors in February totalled 12.8 million, which was down 45% on February 2009. Facebook had 462 million visitors, MySpace nearly 110 million, and Twitter 69.5 million.”

Tags: Bebo, facebook

In a great discussion in  E-consultancy Andrew Girdwood suggests there  has been a lot of change in deciding what ranks on a Google search result page over the last few months. According to Andrew, ‘Too many SEOs are in denial about the radical changes that have overhauled Google in recent months.’

One of the biggest changes Andrew’s talking about is the importance of ‘real time search’, which requires a fundamental shift in how you go about producing content.

So how can make your content production process more suited to the demands of real time search?

The article is entitled Adapting content management to real time search

Tags: share this, trends

Econsultancy are running an Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) PR Training Day, with Jeremy Spiller, on 17th March 2010.

An important element of search engine optimisation is to build relevant links but many organisations and agencies risk damaging their reputation through unethical link building practices. This workshop focuses on how PR communications and brand engagement can help improve natural search engine visibility whilst managing online reputation.

Delegates will learn how Online PR and social media marketing can be integrated into a search marketing strategy. They will learn how to create a SEO driven online PR campaign, select the appropriate tools and develop compelling brand or business ‘social objects’ and ‘social currency’ to trigger conversations and manage reputation.

“Lots of new PR and SEO ideas from this workshop. Very inspirational.” – A. Hall – Avanquest Solutions

Jeremy has worked with the internet since 1990 and with the web since 1994. In 1995 he founded Clockwork Web which went on to become one of the top ten agencies in the UK, working for clients such as The Rank Group, Dun & Bradstreet, Hi-Tech Sports, Red Dwarf, Pete Townshend and Premier Brands.

Tags: e-consultancy, Jeremy Spiller, PR, SEO

My favourite story, from way back, was my local development agency telling me the Internet would never catch on – when I proposed electronic publish in 1995. Sadly some believe that this is still the case. Like it or not, how we receive our news and other important information has changed.

I’m 50 years old and now read the papers on a Sunday to get a more in depth view of what has been happening during the week. The rest of the time I have BBC News 24 or Sky, or the BBC Scotland Website, or numerous RSS feeds from a variety of newsfeeds. Scottish Enterprise, local councillors and other government agencies keep me up to date on Twitter and so on. Now, I may be more Internet savvy than others but I am far from being alone.

The young adults of today get the bulk of their info from their mobile phones and the Internet. As they enter the workplace they will expect to see similar facilities available to them at work. Let us move forward instead of back.

I suppose you could say that it’s evolution – people will always need news and views – but in a format that suits them. Local papers ( and nationals) are struggling to make ends meet. Sadly it can only get worse to the point were newsprint all but disappears. Watch out for electronic paper – once that is fully ready there is no going back. That is why I launched Argyll Free Press

The Times Online and The Guardian are excellent. However, if you want real innovation then step forward Scotland’s newest newspaper – Caledonian Mercury ( http://caledonianmercury.com/) it is bang up to date, features top journalists and is a damn good read.

Local papers currently fill a need but the Internet is where it is all going to happen in the very near future.

Nowhere is this more telling than at our local recycling centre. Two years ago I started counting the number of bundles of the Dunoon Observer that had been consigned to the skips. I would estimate is has doubled in that period. Just an observation you understand:o)

Tags: Argyll Free Press, Caledonian Mercury, local newspapers

Now even the church has turned on GORDON BROWN.

via Who will save the Kirk’s son?.

Any takers?

Operation of ferry services between Gourock and Dunoon, Scotland

Tags: Argyll, Calmac, Dunoon, Ferry, Gourock, Western Ferries

What with family re-unions and dark nights ( I hate the winter) I haven’t been attending to this particular blog.

It’s very hard these days to keep up with the world of technology. Recent observations.

• The Bebo generation are now firmly ensconced on Facebook – this will change its dynamic as a business tool, and not for the better.

• I still don’t much care for Twitter, however, I have been introduced Tweetdeck by my good friend Laurena McKenna – its a winner.

• I have been playing about with Netvibes again but that login bit does my head in.

• The world has gone Mafia Wars and Farmville crazy. Apparently 70 million people are now invloved. Do you know anyone who doesn’t play one or the other, or both?

More later

Tags: Bebo, Farmville, Mafia Wars, netvibes, Tweetdeck, Twitter

My signature edition of Windows 7  Ultimate has arrived – hurrah!

I had just fallen in the door after an exhausting trip back from Edinburgh. The rain, the traffic – I swear my next bike will have a fairing. I was greeted, firstly by the dog and secondly by a rather large box. There was no plain packaging to be seen. The package is actually larger than the one Hayley’s Dell laptop arrived in yesterday, and is emblazoned with Windows 7. As Rolf Harris would have had to say, you’ve guessed what it is then!

As I write the install is underway. Update to follow.

Tags: david farrell-shaw, microsoft, windows 7

I downloaded the new E-consultancy report “Effective Web Design” Here’s my thoughts on it.

Tags: 3f creative, 3fcreative, best practice, david farrell-shaw, e-consultancy, web, web design, YouTube