Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Almost famous?

Ages ago the lovely ladies at NZGirl asked me to write for their 'Postcards from' section about my trip to Egypt.

Well, tomorrow it is going to go live, but in the meantime, here is a sneak peak CLICK

It's about as close to famous as I am going to get, but that's ok by me.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Section 92(A) - my take, now.

Quite impressed with how the online community has embraced the internet blackout against guilt upon accusation laws, everywhere avatars have been blacked out. I didn't quite manage blackout bingo on Twitter, but I follow a few too many overseas twitters.

So, everyone is up in arms about Section 92(A) which means that the
general public can be found guilty simply on accusation of copyright infringement. This is something I am not so cool on. Now, I must admit, I have not read section 92a, but I have read a lot of opinions and listened to a lot about it.

Most people seem to be getting their information from the creativ
e freedom website, and of course Russel Brown. As much as I support copyrights, and not ripping off New Zealand musicians, however the guilt upon accusation part, I'm not so keen on. At what point did we suddenly lose the right for a fair trial?

Creative Freedom have been very busy in their fight against this bill and getting the buy in from all and sundry around the NZ online community:



Which culminated in some serious blackout action today:


Same site, but this is what it looked like until midday today, and this was by no means the only site which looked like this today.

I have recently changed my mind about this law. Don't get me wrong, guilt upon accusation is not cool, and by no means do I support it, however I do support artists being able to protect their work. This was brought even more to light when listening to lawline on bFM last Thursday. It is most definitely worth a listen, Russell Brown vs. Chris Hocquard
two grown men arguing over the top of each other, just brilliant. At any rate, Hocquard totally swayed me, I think he is right, there is nothing wrong with the bill, it is the code of conduct that needs looking at.

At any rate, it has been pushed back again, there won't be a call on it right now. Obviously the online community has found its voice in NZ and is being listened to. Thank goodness. Now, how can we use these powers for good?

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Still waiting for Stuff

We were told ages ago that Stuff was getting a makeover. That was exciting.

Then nothing happened.

Then more nothing happened.

Then I asked early next week when the new site was going to come. I was told it was going to be a matter of days.

Then nothing happened.

Then it was Valentines day and they put hearts in the masthead. That was pretty.

But we still have no new site.


I was getting a little excited when I saw that their top level menu kept dropping out:

That's been happening for a while now, I thought they were ignoring it because the new site was going to be up momentarily. Or not.

Awesome also that us agencies have gotten a heads up on what's happening and what the advertising possibilities are going to be. Choice. Makes planning very easy.

On Fairfax... are they selling Trade Me or not? Gossip gossip, rumours rumours.