Today I saw a tweet from Library and Archives Canada that their catalogue, Amicus, will be down from this afternoon until Sunday evening.
For some reason Amicus seems to be unavailable one a somewhat regular basis. What's up with that?
Anyway, if you were planning on doing any Amicusing you should either do it now or be prepared to wait until Sunday afternoon.
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twitter. Show all posts
Friday, May 04, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
A Few Quick Notes 574
-While today was beautiful, it was nothing like yesterday's mid-twenties masterpiece when we reached something approaching weather perfection. It was a pleasure to have the chance to live through such a beautiful day.
-I guess I'm now 8 for 24 in this year's RUTRTW contest. Unfortunately at least three of these wins have been for 'donuts,' and I have no idea what to do with the winning rims. If someone wants them maybe I could mail them out all at once or one at a time depending on demand. Anyway, if you think you might be interested in up to three free donut rims leave me a comment and I think about how to proceed.
-At least my record isn't 0 for 68, which how bad the RCMP's was when it came to picking Canadian politicians with connections to the USSR. You can find the CBC's story on the topic here.
-The NDP leadership convention has not started. And while I didn't pay too much attention to the first few months of the race, over the past few days I have been enjoying watching the final manoeuvres. I will also be curious to see who is eventually selected to be the leader and how the preferential voting system ends up working out.
Today while thinking about convention coverage I thought to myself that I would 'watch it on Twitter,' and then realized that that is likely how I will follow the convention. It's kind of amazing that reading a series of short updates is sufficiently engaging and informative that I would consider doing this.
-I guess I'm now 8 for 24 in this year's RUTRTW contest. Unfortunately at least three of these wins have been for 'donuts,' and I have no idea what to do with the winning rims. If someone wants them maybe I could mail them out all at once or one at a time depending on demand. Anyway, if you think you might be interested in up to three free donut rims leave me a comment and I think about how to proceed.
-At least my record isn't 0 for 68, which how bad the RCMP's was when it came to picking Canadian politicians with connections to the USSR. You can find the CBC's story on the topic here.
-The NDP leadership convention has not started. And while I didn't pay too much attention to the first few months of the race, over the past few days I have been enjoying watching the final manoeuvres. I will also be curious to see who is eventually selected to be the leader and how the preferential voting system ends up working out.
Today while thinking about convention coverage I thought to myself that I would 'watch it on Twitter,' and then realized that that is likely how I will follow the convention. It's kind of amazing that reading a series of short updates is sufficiently engaging and informative that I would consider doing this.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
New Twitter app idea
As some of you may recall, a few years ago I developed a free Twitter app (and provided an upgrade). Unfortunately this product did not bring me the fame and fortune I was so desperately craving. In a fit of frustration/apathy gave up on developing any additional Twitter apps.
It seems that enough time has passed that some of my old wounds have begun to heal and the creative juices have begun to flow through the long-dry creek beds of my mind. I guess this is a pretty convoluted way of saying I have been thinking about another idea for a Twitter app, though this one may require more technical know-how than I currently have.
Anyway the basic idea is that the app would allow me make inane/ill-advised replies to tweets but would then automatically discard these replies instead of actually posting them. To the user it would look as though the tweet had been posted.
Such an app would allow me to get the satisfaction of making my unfunny/limited value comment but then not have to live with the shame of realizing that my comment wasn't really that funny or witty or remotely useful. And as much as I would like to be a good Twitterer, I think at this point I would be willing to settle for just not posting too many bad responses.
Maybe I need the same kind of app for this blog?
It seems that enough time has passed that some of my old wounds have begun to heal and the creative juices have begun to flow through the long-dry creek beds of my mind. I guess this is a pretty convoluted way of saying I have been thinking about another idea for a Twitter app, though this one may require more technical know-how than I currently have.
Anyway the basic idea is that the app would allow me make inane/ill-advised replies to tweets but would then automatically discard these replies instead of actually posting them. To the user it would look as though the tweet had been posted.
Such an app would allow me to get the satisfaction of making my unfunny/limited value comment but then not have to live with the shame of realizing that my comment wasn't really that funny or witty or remotely useful. And as much as I would like to be a good Twitterer, I think at this point I would be willing to settle for just not posting too many bad responses.
Maybe I need the same kind of app for this blog?
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Has Occupy Halifax fizzled?
Last week's news coverage of the Occupy Halifax event spoke of protestors who were dedicated to the cause and interested in spending days or weeks on the Grand Parade (at least they would be back this weekend). Interestingly, there seems to have been little to no mainstream media coverage of the protest since last weekend (or at least any coverage that I can find through Google News). I was starting to wonder if the protest even made it much past last weekend
I did just find a post that suggests that the protest lasted at least 6 days. Of course, as this was posted about two days ago I don't know if the protest is still ongoing or if they have packed up camp and moved on.
Twitter activity does suggest that as of last night there may have still been something happening Occupy Halifax-wise, though the extent of the occupation is completely unclear to me.
What seems a little clearer is that news outlets that were covering the event a week ago seemed less inclined to cover the event through the week. And can such an event continue without relatively widespread media coverage? Given media disinterest how long will the Occupy Halifax event be able to hold out?
I did just find a post that suggests that the protest lasted at least 6 days. Of course, as this was posted about two days ago I don't know if the protest is still ongoing or if they have packed up camp and moved on.
Twitter activity does suggest that as of last night there may have still been something happening Occupy Halifax-wise, though the extent of the occupation is completely unclear to me.
What seems a little clearer is that news outlets that were covering the event a week ago seemed less inclined to cover the event through the week. And can such an event continue without relatively widespread media coverage? Given media disinterest how long will the Occupy Halifax event be able to hold out?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
A rather bold statement for a former Governor General?
Earlier today while skimming my Twitter feed I happened to see a Tweet from Canada's former Governor General Michaëlle Jean.
The content of the Tweet, while not inherently shocking or any more radical than the normal anti-status quo jargon, surprised me because of author's previous job atop the Canadian governmental hierarchy. Is there is a position in the Canadian governmental system that might be more associated with the maintenance of the status quo than that of Governor General? Not only is the Governor General representative of the Queen, a person whose financial stability can be attributed to nothing other than to have been born heir to the throne, but they also personally sign all government legislation.
I can't help but wonder if she could have been more complicit in the maintenance of the system about which she is now complaining?
The content of the Tweet, while not inherently shocking or any more radical than the normal anti-status quo jargon, surprised me because of author's previous job atop the Canadian governmental hierarchy. Is there is a position in the Canadian governmental system that might be more associated with the maintenance of the status quo than that of Governor General? Not only is the Governor General representative of the Queen, a person whose financial stability can be attributed to nothing other than to have been born heir to the throne, but they also personally sign all government legislation.
I can't help but wonder if she could have been more complicit in the maintenance of the system about which she is now complaining?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Reporters on Twitter
Maybe even before I had a Twitter account I was aware of the fact that quite a number of reporters and media types were making use the aforementioned service. As I have spent time on Twitter I have seen that reporters frequently use the service to do such this as promote stories, cover events live, or seek information from fellow users. All of these uses, and more that I can't think of, seem like pretty reasonable uses of Twitter by members of the media. Actually, that there are so many reporters doing things like this on Twitter is one of the reasons that I am so fond of the service. Particularly during election campaigns I have found this entertaining as one might have the ability to simultaneously hear about the daily campaign events of the competing parties as they make their way through the campaign.
But it seems that one major consequence of the fact that Twitter makes the provision of content so easy is that editors are no longer involved in filtering the content of these reporters. Content is going directly from the reporter to the consumer (often times this information seems to be accompanied by more editorializing than one might find in the accounts that are eventually published).
Consequently, many reporters in their Twitter profiles suggest that their tweets don't represent the views of their employer, or something to that effect. They, to at least some extent, are trying to separate their Twitter content from the content provided by their employer.
Of course this separation seems to be only partial at best, and sometimes veering towards misleading. Not only is the connection between the media organization and the reporter made apparent by such disclaimers, but in many cases it is the connection that brings their account it's sense of legitimacy. Furthermore, the reporter has access to the content they are tweeting about only because they are reporters working for their employer. And it should also be noted that they are typically covering stories on Twitter that they have been assigned to cover by their employer.
I think that it is also worth pointing out that these reporters are tweeting about these stories on work time, and probably with work phones. Given that these actions are accessible to the public it seems reasonable to assume that the reporters who are engaging in this behaviour are doing so with the support (and possibly encouragement) of their employers.
Another practice that seems common, particularly among CBC reporters, is to include some form of the network name in their Twitter handle. This further blurs the boundary between the individual's private persona and their media persona and arguably undermines the believability of the profile disclaimers claiming that they don't speak as a representative of their employer.
I guess I generally feel that if you don't want your comments to be attributed to you as the employee of a particular enterprise don't make a point of highlighting your relationship to that enterprise and don't use an supposedly private Twitter to report and comment on things that you are simultaneously being paid to report and comment on.
As things stand now, I think it is hard not to see many reporter's tweets as extensions of the media services for which they work. If reporters or media agencies aren't keen on this public perception they will need to work harder to find ways to clearly differentiate the private and sanctioned web 2.0 content of their employees.
But it seems that one major consequence of the fact that Twitter makes the provision of content so easy is that editors are no longer involved in filtering the content of these reporters. Content is going directly from the reporter to the consumer (often times this information seems to be accompanied by more editorializing than one might find in the accounts that are eventually published).
Consequently, many reporters in their Twitter profiles suggest that their tweets don't represent the views of their employer, or something to that effect. They, to at least some extent, are trying to separate their Twitter content from the content provided by their employer.
Of course this separation seems to be only partial at best, and sometimes veering towards misleading. Not only is the connection between the media organization and the reporter made apparent by such disclaimers, but in many cases it is the connection that brings their account it's sense of legitimacy. Furthermore, the reporter has access to the content they are tweeting about only because they are reporters working for their employer. And it should also be noted that they are typically covering stories on Twitter that they have been assigned to cover by their employer.
I think that it is also worth pointing out that these reporters are tweeting about these stories on work time, and probably with work phones. Given that these actions are accessible to the public it seems reasonable to assume that the reporters who are engaging in this behaviour are doing so with the support (and possibly encouragement) of their employers.
Another practice that seems common, particularly among CBC reporters, is to include some form of the network name in their Twitter handle. This further blurs the boundary between the individual's private persona and their media persona and arguably undermines the believability of the profile disclaimers claiming that they don't speak as a representative of their employer.
I guess I generally feel that if you don't want your comments to be attributed to you as the employee of a particular enterprise don't make a point of highlighting your relationship to that enterprise and don't use an supposedly private Twitter to report and comment on things that you are simultaneously being paid to report and comment on.
As things stand now, I think it is hard not to see many reporter's tweets as extensions of the media services for which they work. If reporters or media agencies aren't keen on this public perception they will need to work harder to find ways to clearly differentiate the private and sanctioned web 2.0 content of their employees.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
A Few Quick Notes 547
-For the past few days we have been in the midst of something that feels quite a bit like a heatwave. Even now, just before 9:00 PM, it is still over 25 degrees and quite hot. Of course, I know that what we are going through is nothing as bad as people in big cities are dealing with, but it is nonetheless quite unpleasant.
-Tonight I took a trip to the grocery store. As I was approaching the store's entrance I noticed a Jaguar with the vanity license plate "MYY JAG." I couldn't help but thinking "JAG OFF" might have been more appropriate.
-It seems that in the past few hours there have been a series of attacks in Norway that have resulted in the deaths of more than 90 people. In the same timeframe British singer Amy Winehouse also died. The CBC has sent me four email alerts about the former story and two about the latter. Is it just me, but does the Amy Winehouse thing really even deserve a first such alert, and on a day when their is meritorious of an alert? Interestingly, the CBC Alerts Twitter feed seems to be have provided many more Norway updates than those they sent via email and has not really provided much more news about the Winehouse death (as sad and unnecessary as it may be).
-Over the past few days we have been able to harvest about 2 dozen beans. And while this may now sound like much, it does mean that we have now harvested more beans than we have bean plants (at least of a particular variety of bean plant). Jeannette was also able to harvest enough lettuce for a salad earlier today. If things keep up like this we may actually get our money's worth out of this year's seeds (though I think that that might be a little ambitious).
-Tonight I took a trip to the grocery store. As I was approaching the store's entrance I noticed a Jaguar with the vanity license plate "MYY JAG." I couldn't help but thinking "JAG OFF" might have been more appropriate.
-It seems that in the past few hours there have been a series of attacks in Norway that have resulted in the deaths of more than 90 people. In the same timeframe British singer Amy Winehouse also died. The CBC has sent me four email alerts about the former story and two about the latter. Is it just me, but does the Amy Winehouse thing really even deserve a first such alert, and on a day when their is meritorious of an alert? Interestingly, the CBC Alerts Twitter feed seems to be have provided many more Norway updates than those they sent via email and has not really provided much more news about the Winehouse death (as sad and unnecessary as it may be).
-Over the past few days we have been able to harvest about 2 dozen beans. And while this may now sound like much, it does mean that we have now harvested more beans than we have bean plants (at least of a particular variety of bean plant). Jeannette was also able to harvest enough lettuce for a salad earlier today. If things keep up like this we may actually get our money's worth out of this year's seeds (though I think that that might be a little ambitious).
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Internet coverage of election night
It seems that just recently some members of the media, including former member of Moxy Fruvous and current CBC broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi, have just recently figured out that tweeting about elections results before all of the polls have closed is prohibited by the Canada Elections Act.
The most important section of this act seems to be s. 329, which would appear to pretty clearly prohibit such behaviour.
I guess what I find a little strange about this coming up now, especially coming from CBC employees, is that television and radio broadcasts produced by their employer have had staged broadcast coverage for years precisely because of this clause. Did they fail to notice this fact during their coverage of the last election?
That being said, I think it is pretty clear that this section of the law was written without the understanding that it would restrict millions of people from engaging in everyday social media behaviour. Furthermore, given that it is almost impossible to expect 100% compliance with this law might it not make a little more sense to find a way of modifying the law so that loopholes/non-compliance don't negatively impact those who do comply with the prohibition?
The most important section of this act seems to be s. 329, which would appear to pretty clearly prohibit such behaviour.
329. No person shall transmit the result or purported result of the vote in an electoral district to the public in another electoral district before the close of all of the polling stations in that other electoral district.
I guess what I find a little strange about this coming up now, especially coming from CBC employees, is that television and radio broadcasts produced by their employer have had staged broadcast coverage for years precisely because of this clause. Did they fail to notice this fact during their coverage of the last election?
That being said, I think it is pretty clear that this section of the law was written without the understanding that it would restrict millions of people from engaging in everyday social media behaviour. Furthermore, given that it is almost impossible to expect 100% compliance with this law might it not make a little more sense to find a way of modifying the law so that loopholes/non-compliance don't negatively impact those who do comply with the prohibition?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Campaign Event Recap 3
As I mentioned a few minutes ago, Jeannette, Neil, and I (along with our friend Andrew) decided to head to the Halifax farmer's market to try and see Jack Layton.
Almost as soon as we arrived on the premises of the market we observed signs that suggested we may have missed the big event. Most notably, reporters and people with NDP lanyards were streaming out of the building. Once we made it inside we did manage to spot the remnants of the event, including some of the partially packed equipment and local candidate/MP Megan Leslie.
I just realized that I didn't see anyone handing out literature. I don't think that I even so any evidence that any one had been handing out literature. And mention of the event seems to be absent from most of the relevant NDP Twitter feeds. I guess they were going for stealth this morning? It is unclear to me why they would try to sneak in and out of downtown Halifax, an NDP district, without letting anyone (aside from the media) know in advance.
As close as we came to actually seeing Jack Layton was walking by his campaign bus as we entered the farmer's market.
By the time we left the market the bus had pulled out and was nowhere to be seen.
Almost as soon as we arrived on the premises of the market we observed signs that suggested we may have missed the big event. Most notably, reporters and people with NDP lanyards were streaming out of the building. Once we made it inside we did manage to spot the remnants of the event, including some of the partially packed equipment and local candidate/MP Megan Leslie.
I just realized that I didn't see anyone handing out literature. I don't think that I even so any evidence that any one had been handing out literature. And mention of the event seems to be absent from most of the relevant NDP Twitter feeds. I guess they were going for stealth this morning? It is unclear to me why they would try to sneak in and out of downtown Halifax, an NDP district, without letting anyone (aside from the media) know in advance.
As close as we came to actually seeing Jack Layton was walking by his campaign bus as we entered the farmer's market.
By the time we left the market the bus had pulled out and was nowhere to be seen.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A Few Quick Notes 532
-As predicted, today was definitely a less than ideal day. While today was not rainy from beginning to end, it was overcast all day.
-It seems that both Jeannette and I had our headphones break on us recently. These developments necessitated a trip to a store where we each purchased replacement sets. The only upside seems to be that we both have slightly newer headphones (and in my case a set that seem to fit a little better).
-I made a satisfying, vegetable-heavy batch of chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight. Now that the leftover noodles have expanded it seems that we have more than we did after dinner.
-Though I haven't completely given up following online election coverage, I have had to dial back the time I spend following the up to the minute developments on Twitter. I just can't afford to spend 5 hours a day watching tweets flow in.
-Developments that I did manage to spend a few minutes following today related to the Auditor General. The first development of the day was a Canadian Press story releasing details in a leaked draft version of a report that makes it look as though the government may have broken the law when it came to spending related to the recent G8/G20 preparations. The second development, which hit a few hours later, had to do with Conservative MPs using an old quote from the Auditor General out of context to make it look as though she was saying something complementary about the Conservative government though she had actually been talking about the previous Liberal government. All in all, it doesn't sound as though it was a particularly good day for the Conservative party.
-Yesterday I should have mentioned that Jeannette helped out with our haircuts. Jeannette helped buff out noticeable lines that we had each given other.
-It seems that both Jeannette and I had our headphones break on us recently. These developments necessitated a trip to a store where we each purchased replacement sets. The only upside seems to be that we both have slightly newer headphones (and in my case a set that seem to fit a little better).
-I made a satisfying, vegetable-heavy batch of chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight. Now that the leftover noodles have expanded it seems that we have more than we did after dinner.
-Though I haven't completely given up following online election coverage, I have had to dial back the time I spend following the up to the minute developments on Twitter. I just can't afford to spend 5 hours a day watching tweets flow in.
-Developments that I did manage to spend a few minutes following today related to the Auditor General. The first development of the day was a Canadian Press story releasing details in a leaked draft version of a report that makes it look as though the government may have broken the law when it came to spending related to the recent G8/G20 preparations. The second development, which hit a few hours later, had to do with Conservative MPs using an old quote from the Auditor General out of context to make it look as though she was saying something complementary about the Conservative government though she had actually been talking about the previous Liberal government. All in all, it doesn't sound as though it was a particularly good day for the Conservative party.
-Yesterday I should have mentioned that Jeannette helped out with our haircuts. Jeannette helped buff out noticeable lines that we had each given other.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
A Few Quick Notes 531
-We had the pleasure of having another beautiful day today. It seems that the first part of this week isn't supposed to be quite as nice as this weekend was.
-I am now 5 for 33 for this year's RUTRTW contest. Maybe not surprisingly, all of the 5 prizes have been been free coffees.
-This weekend I was again able to take advantage of the fact that our building has not yet increased the laundry prices as promised. I am quite happy that the promised price increase has not yet been implemented, though this impending doom of the price change is a little nerve-wracking.
-A few days ago it became clear that one of the two local grocery stores has stopped carrying pate. This seems a strange development as they had been carrying a number of varieties until a few weeks ago and because the other store is continuing to carry a number of varieties. What I can't figure out is why this change would have happened at this particular moment in time.
-A few days ago I saw a CBC story about a local sexual assault that had a pretty distrubing line.
How is it that similar attacks have happened to the same woman three times?
-Gilles Duceppe seems to have requested a time change for the French language debate from Thursday to Wednesday because of a scheduling conflict - with a NHL hockey game.
Though I get the sense that at least a few of the other parties aren't opposed to such a change, I haven't heard if the change will actually be approved.
Update: Neil just informed me that the debate has in fact been changed and will now be taking place on Wednesday.
-Neil and I traded haircuts this afternoon.
-I am now 5 for 33 for this year's RUTRTW contest. Maybe not surprisingly, all of the 5 prizes have been been free coffees.
-This weekend I was again able to take advantage of the fact that our building has not yet increased the laundry prices as promised. I am quite happy that the promised price increase has not yet been implemented, though this impending doom of the price change is a little nerve-wracking.
-A few days ago it became clear that one of the two local grocery stores has stopped carrying pate. This seems a strange development as they had been carrying a number of varieties until a few weeks ago and because the other store is continuing to carry a number of varieties. What I can't figure out is why this change would have happened at this particular moment in time.
-A few days ago I saw a CBC story about a local sexual assault that had a pretty distrubing line.
The woman told police she recognized him as the same stranger who had touched her three times previously in similar incidents.
How is it that similar attacks have happened to the same woman three times?
-Gilles Duceppe seems to have requested a time change for the French language debate from Thursday to Wednesday because of a scheduling conflict - with a NHL hockey game.
Though I get the sense that at least a few of the other parties aren't opposed to such a change, I haven't heard if the change will actually be approved.
Update: Neil just informed me that the debate has in fact been changed and will now be taking place on Wednesday.
-Neil and I traded haircuts this afternoon.
Friday, April 08, 2011
A Few Quick Notes 529
-We are in the midst of another beautiful day in Halifax. Amazingly, even though it has been sunny all day the puddle outside my window (which was featured in yesterday's video) has still not dried up.
-I am now down to a shameful 4 for 32 in this year's RUTRTW contest. I guess all of this year's Dal luck when to the girl who won a car the other day.
-I have been spending far too much time following a variety of Canadian politics types on Twitter. The problem is that as reporters are reporting on things from the field one can basically watch stories as they break and as the various parties respond to them. One can easily have an entire day sucked up without really accomplishing more than gaining a familiarity political brouhaha of the day.
-Last night Neil and I attended our final DAGS meeting of the year, and this was after we had already attended our union's AGM. Talk about a day full of large-scale meetings.
-Neil and I will be heading over to our local Yuk Yuk's tonight to see Graham Clark of Stop Podcasting Yourself fame. I am curious to know if I will be the only bumper/MaxFunster in the audience tonight?
Though Neil isn't much of a MaxFunster or a bumper, tonight's show will mean that he is something of a Stop Podcasting Yourself completist in that he will have seen both Dave and Graham perform live in Halifax. Presumably one of the few people in the world to have accomplished such a feat?
-I should either get back to work or start making dinner. Probably the latter in this instance.
-I am now down to a shameful 4 for 32 in this year's RUTRTW contest. I guess all of this year's Dal luck when to the girl who won a car the other day.
-I have been spending far too much time following a variety of Canadian politics types on Twitter. The problem is that as reporters are reporting on things from the field one can basically watch stories as they break and as the various parties respond to them. One can easily have an entire day sucked up without really accomplishing more than gaining a familiarity political brouhaha of the day.
-Last night Neil and I attended our final DAGS meeting of the year, and this was after we had already attended our union's AGM. Talk about a day full of large-scale meetings.
-Neil and I will be heading over to our local Yuk Yuk's tonight to see Graham Clark of Stop Podcasting Yourself fame. I am curious to know if I will be the only bumper/MaxFunster in the audience tonight?
Though Neil isn't much of a MaxFunster or a bumper, tonight's show will mean that he is something of a Stop Podcasting Yourself completist in that he will have seen both Dave and Graham perform live in Halifax. Presumably one of the few people in the world to have accomplished such a feat?
-I should either get back to work or start making dinner. Probably the latter in this instance.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thank goodness for spam bots
It now seems as though Neil is now trying to use the fact that my Twitter account is tied to our blog to post things of an unseemly nature to my Twitter feed. I think it is fair to say that I didn't imagine that this is how this service might be abused. Though seeing as how I am dealing with Neil I probably should have guessed that he would figure out how to game the system and try to find a way to 'humiliate' me.
Anyway, I guess I am now a little glad that so many of my Twitter followers are spam bots and faceless corporations. Who would have ever imagined that I would be glad that most of the people following me on Twitter aren't living and breathing individuals?
The worst part is that any submissions made for this devious purpose will not only be attempts to embarass me, but they will also bring Neil five steps closer to victory.
Score
Cameron 64
Neil 15
Anyway, I guess I am now a little glad that so many of my Twitter followers are spam bots and faceless corporations. Who would have ever imagined that I would be glad that most of the people following me on Twitter aren't living and breathing individuals?
The worst part is that any submissions made for this devious purpose will not only be attempts to embarass me, but they will also bring Neil five steps closer to victory.
Score
Cameron 64
Neil 15
Taking care of one's Twitter account
It has just occurred to me that I don't mind that my blog posts are going to Cameron's twitter feed; it gives me free access to post to Cameron's twitter account without his consent.
I'm taking suggestions in the comments of this post on clever things to post to Cameron's twitter account. Please include all of your good ideas, as I can do this seemingly as much as I want. I presume Blogger doesn't scrub # from titles, so feel free to use hashtags too. I can probably use @ too, so if you want a shout-out let me know. Note that the auto-included url is about 20 characters, so 120 characters or less please.
Score
Cameron 62?
Neil 15
Stealing credit where little credit is due
I hadn't intended to blog again so soon, but it appears Cameron is stealing Twitter credit for my posts. (Perhaps I would have noticed if I had blogged more recently.) As I'm not familiar with the service Cameron is using to do this, it is necessary to assume that there is an option for him only to post his own contributions, and that he is consciously stealing credit for my posts.
I'll update later on Cameron's correct score; I haven't had a chance to review his previous sneaks because I'm too busy uncovering new ones.
Score
Cameron 62?
Neil 10
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Picking up steam?
This afternoon I was interviewed by a Telegram reporter about Doyle Pitches. Two weeks ago, or whenever it was that we started Doyle Pitches, I couldn't have imagined this development. The idea that there would be any media interest in this endeavour would have seemed as crazy as having the Halliday's guy look after a stolen horse being hidden in a house across from the aforementioned meat market.
I guess we now just have to wait and see how this all plays out. I will keep you updated if I hear anything else on this subject.
Oh, and the Doyle Pitches Twitter account now has 31 followers, up from 18 yesterday.
Score
Cameron 27
Neil 0
I guess we now just have to wait and see how this all plays out. I will keep you updated if I hear anything else on this subject.
Oh, and the Doyle Pitches Twitter account now has 31 followers, up from 18 yesterday.
Score
Cameron 27
Neil 0
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Isn't this the same guy who has the power to overrule CRTC decisions?
Tony Clement's Twitter feed continues to blow my mind. Earlier today he was talking about the songs he was playing on guitar, reminiscing about attending Super Bowls past, and now he is providing Canadians with access to American Super Bowl ads that are blocked from Canadian broadcasts of the game.
In one of Clement's latest tweets he provided a link to a YouTube account that seems to have copies of the Super Bowl ads that can be viewed world-wide (or at least in Canada).
I really wonder if Clement gets the irony of this last tweet.
The same guy who just used his Twitter account to announce that he would be encouraging the reversal of a CRTC decision is now using the same account to complain about another policy in the same policy area. Given that Clement is clearly aware of the popular opinion on the matter (people want to see these ads as part of the live broadcast) and that he is a member of a government that seems to claim that they want to represent such views, maybe he might consider using his Twitter account to announce that this policy will also be subject to further review or reversal.
By the way, is this now the position of the current government on Super Bowl ads?
Score
Cameron 17
Neil 0
In one of Clement's latest tweets he provided a link to a YouTube account that seems to have copies of the Super Bowl ads that can be viewed world-wide (or at least in Canada).
I really wonder if Clement gets the irony of this last tweet.
The same guy who just used his Twitter account to announce that he would be encouraging the reversal of a CRTC decision is now using the same account to complain about another policy in the same policy area. Given that Clement is clearly aware of the popular opinion on the matter (people want to see these ads as part of the live broadcast) and that he is a member of a government that seems to claim that they want to represent such views, maybe he might consider using his Twitter account to announce that this policy will also be subject to further review or reversal.
By the way, is this now the position of the current government on Super Bowl ads?
Score
Cameron 17
Neil 0
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Tony Clement/the Canadian Government and Twitter
A few days ago Canada's Industry Minister, Tony Clement, used his Twitter account to publicize the government's decision to get the CRTC to revisit their decision on usage based billing (UBB).
While I guess that things like this are likely to be the wave of the future it is, nonetheless, a little strange.
While in some ways making announcements via Twitter might increase access to the content of the decision, this approach might disperse official policy stances of the government across the web. Determining which of these positions are the official positions of the government, given that they are on non-official sites, might be challenging.
Also, who controls this data? Will these tweets be available permanently and in venues other than Twitter? Will these tweets be considered official government statements? Who will manage this information? All in all, the switch to this platform seems to have been taken without much planning or thought.
All of this is not to say that the current government doesn't have a number of good reasons to move to this platform for official announcements. Firstly, Twitter is fast. For instance, Clement was able to get his message out to thousands almost instantaneously. This speed means that news cycles can be skipped or toyed with. Secondly, Twitter provides a way for the government/ministers to communicate directly with interested parties and the public, a feature that must be particularly appealing to this somewhat media-phobic government. The government does not have to rely on the mass media to transmit their message to the public nor worry that their message might be distorted by devious journalists. Furthermore, follow-up questions from the public (or media) can be addressed directly and quickly (and these are things that Clement seems interested in).
And finally, it seems that with same Twitter account that Clement is using to make policy statements he is also commenting about important topics such as the quantity of Red Bull his squash competitors have consumed or what he thinks about the half-time entertainment at the upcoming Super Bowl.
Thus Clement is blurring the lines between his public and private persona. When he says something on Twitter, as he has been for the past while, is it a reflection of the government's position (i.e. Does the Canadian government think that the Black Eyed Peas suck?) or are such positions reflections only of Clement's personal beliefs? How are citizens to know when Tony Clement is speaking for only Tony Clement or when he is actually speaking for the Government?
Anyway, given that this trend is likely to increase in popularity rather than diminish I think that a few of these issues (and likely a few that I have neglected to discuss) are worth considering somewhat seriously before we proceed too far along this path.
Score
Cameron 13
Neil 0
While I guess that things like this are likely to be the wave of the future it is, nonetheless, a little strange.
While in some ways making announcements via Twitter might increase access to the content of the decision, this approach might disperse official policy stances of the government across the web. Determining which of these positions are the official positions of the government, given that they are on non-official sites, might be challenging.
Also, who controls this data? Will these tweets be available permanently and in venues other than Twitter? Will these tweets be considered official government statements? Who will manage this information? All in all, the switch to this platform seems to have been taken without much planning or thought.
All of this is not to say that the current government doesn't have a number of good reasons to move to this platform for official announcements. Firstly, Twitter is fast. For instance, Clement was able to get his message out to thousands almost instantaneously. This speed means that news cycles can be skipped or toyed with. Secondly, Twitter provides a way for the government/ministers to communicate directly with interested parties and the public, a feature that must be particularly appealing to this somewhat media-phobic government. The government does not have to rely on the mass media to transmit their message to the public nor worry that their message might be distorted by devious journalists. Furthermore, follow-up questions from the public (or media) can be addressed directly and quickly (and these are things that Clement seems interested in).
And finally, it seems that with same Twitter account that Clement is using to make policy statements he is also commenting about important topics such as the quantity of Red Bull his squash competitors have consumed or what he thinks about the half-time entertainment at the upcoming Super Bowl.
Thus Clement is blurring the lines between his public and private persona. When he says something on Twitter, as he has been for the past while, is it a reflection of the government's position (i.e. Does the Canadian government think that the Black Eyed Peas suck?) or are such positions reflections only of Clement's personal beliefs? How are citizens to know when Tony Clement is speaking for only Tony Clement or when he is actually speaking for the Government?
Anyway, given that this trend is likely to increase in popularity rather than diminish I think that a few of these issues (and likely a few that I have neglected to discuss) are worth considering somewhat seriously before we proceed too far along this path.
Score
Cameron 13
Neil 0
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
She's supposed to be a storm pt. 7
It just came across on the Twitter that Dalhousie will be closing for the evening. So I guess, at least according to the university, this is something of a real storm.
Rebecca is now waiting to find out if the yoga class she is planning on attending this evening has been cancelled or not. My guess is that it will eventually be cancelled, especially now that the universities are starting to close.
Amazingly, we still don't have that much accumulation.
Rebecca is now waiting to find out if the yoga class she is planning on attending this evening has been cancelled or not. My guess is that it will eventually be cancelled, especially now that the universities are starting to close.
Amazingly, we still don't have that much accumulation.
Monday, May 10, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 426
-Though some of the past few days have been nice, it seems that today has been largely overcast (though not yet rainy). Unfortunately, it seems that this weather is expected to stay until at least tomorrow (though this wasn't what yesterday's forecast predicted for Tuesday).
-It seems that Twitter experienced a few problems today. It seems that the first problem was that one could 'force' others to follow them followed by a second problem that made it look as though everyone had lost their followers and those that they follow. Shortly after my attention was drawn to the problem I read a BBC story that explained what was going on. By the time I went back to get a closer look at the situation it appeared to have been resolved. Of course what has not yet been satisfactorily resolved is why I might want a Twitter account (aside from it being of use when I want to feel like a cool kid).
-Actually, I probably shouldn't crap on Twitter so much. Just this afternoon, because I follow the Nova Scotia House of Assembly's Twitter feed, I was reminded that the legislature is in session and that the public is free to attend. So if all goes well I will try to make it to at least some of today's sitting, though I don't imagine that I will really need to spend all that much time there to get a general sense of how things work (though based on a quick assessment of the Order Paper I do get a sense that it works slightly differently than the Newfoundland House of Assembly).
-While it seems that the Brits have not quite figured out who the next prime minister will be it is clear that it won't be Gordon Brown as he made it clear this afternoon that he will be resigning.
-A few days ago I purchased a few bamboo steamers.
I am looking forward to breaking them in with some shark steaks and vegetables tonight.
-On Friday night Neil, Rebecca, Jeannette, and I took a trip to my favourite rock throwing beach.
After a relatively passionate rock throwing session we made our way back to downtown Halifax before sunset (though it may not look like it in the picture included above).
-It seems that my relatively passionate and long rock throwing session on Friday evening did have some consequences, other than reducing the number of beach stones available to future rock throwers. It seems that I must have over-exerted my right elbow and shoulder so much that when I tried to play squash on Sunday I was able to handle only a very short session (during which I was worse than normal). Hopefully everything will be back in shape by Wednesday, as that is when I am scheduled to play next.
-It seems that Twitter experienced a few problems today. It seems that the first problem was that one could 'force' others to follow them followed by a second problem that made it look as though everyone had lost their followers and those that they follow. Shortly after my attention was drawn to the problem I read a BBC story that explained what was going on. By the time I went back to get a closer look at the situation it appeared to have been resolved. Of course what has not yet been satisfactorily resolved is why I might want a Twitter account (aside from it being of use when I want to feel like a cool kid).
-Actually, I probably shouldn't crap on Twitter so much. Just this afternoon, because I follow the Nova Scotia House of Assembly's Twitter feed, I was reminded that the legislature is in session and that the public is free to attend. So if all goes well I will try to make it to at least some of today's sitting, though I don't imagine that I will really need to spend all that much time there to get a general sense of how things work (though based on a quick assessment of the Order Paper I do get a sense that it works slightly differently than the Newfoundland House of Assembly).
-While it seems that the Brits have not quite figured out who the next prime minister will be it is clear that it won't be Gordon Brown as he made it clear this afternoon that he will be resigning.
-A few days ago I purchased a few bamboo steamers.
I am looking forward to breaking them in with some shark steaks and vegetables tonight.
-On Friday night Neil, Rebecca, Jeannette, and I took a trip to my favourite rock throwing beach.
After a relatively passionate rock throwing session we made our way back to downtown Halifax before sunset (though it may not look like it in the picture included above).
-It seems that my relatively passionate and long rock throwing session on Friday evening did have some consequences, other than reducing the number of beach stones available to future rock throwers. It seems that I must have over-exerted my right elbow and shoulder so much that when I tried to play squash on Sunday I was able to handle only a very short session (during which I was worse than normal). Hopefully everything will be back in shape by Wednesday, as that is when I am scheduled to play next.
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