Paul Walsh, the Irish Opportunist

I asked the question on Twitter this morning, “Why can’t people who are nasty or sarcastic have to be anonymous on my blog?!”

Jemima Kiss’ response was so funny I felt it deserved a permanent placeholder.

Posts that mention me on TechCrunch seem to attract anonymous comments so bad that the type of people leaving them, are formally known as ‘trolls’. I don’t mind anonymous comments per say, mainly because we get them from companies such as Google and Microsoft on the Segala blog - they leave their real names and judging by the conversations I know their identities.

In general, I hate anonymous comments. If you don’t feel you can associate your name with a comment, don’t comment. Should we ban anonymous comments altogether? Should professional blogs such as TechCrunch ban them?

By the way, if we’re not yet connected on Twitter, feel free to follow my feed.

The BIMA Awards (BIMAs™) now rightly take their place on the top shelf of prestigious Awards, alongside the BAFTAs, the Brits and the Oscars.

To win a BIMA, therefore, is truly the highest accolade in a very competitive world.

BIMA has never shrunk from its responsibility to reflect the very highest standards of creativity and innovation and caused controversy some years ago when it considered that the measure of work in one particular category was not of sufficient merit to be awarded a winner’s trophy. More recently, the industry applauded BIMA’s decision when it announced that the judge’s favourite – the BIMA Grand Prix – was the winning entry in the student category.

The Association is run by 12 strong Executive team with me at the helm as Chair. I know I know, I don’t look old enough

Until now, the Awards Committee has included only members of the Executive. For the first time ever, the Committee for 2008 is made up of Executives and non-Executives. This demonstrates how the Association is more engaging and transparent.

The bold move is already proving to be the right thing to do. The enthusiasm amongst the team is electric. Watch out for a new format. If you thought it was difficult to win a BIMA before, wait for 2008. It will be easier to identify where your work fits in, but we’ve halved the number of trophies. Why sit through 21 announcements when you could be enjoying a fantastic gala followed by a cool after-party.

So, here it is, the committee…

BIMA Awards Committee

Clare McDonald

Committee Chair
Creative Director, Interactive Media Agency, Bskyb

Having started life as a print designer of unwearable computeraided fashion, Clare realised that her passion for the pixel needed to be directed into a relevant world. No one ever was going to wear her LCD coats!!! While studying at the RCA Clare worked on the very first RCA CDRom for the end of year show and helped push forward the concept of digital design and its marketing potential within the fashion department and beyond. This left Clare with both a huge passion for collecting shoes, wearing odd outfits, dodgy CDRoms and also a desire to help people achieve their ambitions. It also allowed her to truly develop her cross platform approach to the design process and solution building. She also fell in love with “the web”. Over the next 15 years a series of interesting positions in the UK and the US in fashion, interactive and entrepreneurial businesses landed Clare finally as Creative Director of the Interactive Media Design Agency in Bskyb.

Responsible for the creative direction of interactive properties, Clare helps build visual strategies and creative solutions with her award winning team to develop online, mobile, interactive tv, blue sky thinking and brand solutions for Bskyb. This is a highly directional and strategic position, that is forging a new creative force within Bskyb and the European entertainment market. Utilising earlier experience with early online video and projects for the likes of Microsoft, Office Shoes, IT Network, Open TV and the likes Clare and her team are truly pioneering online entertainment design. The future is looking incredibly interesting for Sky and a future that marries Clare’s cross media approach, mixed with a bit of pizzazz will have great results.

Paul Walsh (me)

You can read my biog here if you’re really bored.

Matthew Gorzkowski

Managing Director, Play

Matthew Bagwell is Conchango’s Creative Director and founder of creative agency, SignalOrange. Matthew has been called digital evangelist, offering insight into how people want to interact with organisations through multiple channels. He is capable of bridging the gap between inventing experiences made possible by web 2.0 phenomena and delivering them in reality.

Matthew Bagwell

Creative Director, Conchango

Matt began his Marketing career working for Saatchi & Saatchi in Europe and Shafter Advertising in the US where he helped to launch new products for major brands including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Fujitsu and Nokia.

Recognising the potential of digital media, Matt joined Itraffic in San Francisco as Account Director. Here Matt led key accounts such as Disney and Buena Vista Entertainment before returning the Europe to join Itraffic London as Client Services Director where he oversaw the interactive marketing activity of brands such as British Airways and Hilton. In 2005, Matt co-founded Pay in conjunction with M&C Saatchi and former Itraffic colleagues Jon Sharpe and Ethan Segal.

Dr. Scott Gallacher

Director of Online & Partner Marketing, BskyB

Scott is responsible for Sky’s online sales & marketing across their full product portfolio including digital TV, Broadband, Telephony, HD, Mobile TV & Sky +. Sky, according to Nielsen, are the largest online spender in the UK underlining a commitment to digital, with their pioneering work in Behavioural Targeting winning the 2007 award for best use of research in media.

Scott is well regarded industry commentator & speaker, Chairing last year’s Revolution conference on Brand Advocacy and speaking at the Economist Marketing Director summit in March on the challenges facing marketing in the next 5 years as well as addressing Cranfield business school on the maturing of digital marketing.

Previous to BSkyB, Scott worked at OgilvyOne as Client Services Director for the American Express International Online account covering 38 countries. Prior to this he served as a Vice President for Digitas. Scott holds a PhD in Multimedia innovation & social learning from Edinburgh, M.Sc. in Human Computer Interaction from Heriot Watt and a BCom in Business Studies from Edinburgh.

Chris Clarke

Executive Creative Director and President, Digitas London

Chris has been at the forefront of the digital industry since the late 90s. In 2000 as a UK founder of pioneering digital agency Abel & Baker, Chris brought a new level of creative excellence to the nascent digital industry and won a number of awards including Campaign Direct, Revolution, Clio and Cannes Cyberlions for clients such as Virgin Mobile, The AA and MTV.

In 2002 Abel & Baker was bought by leading web agency Wheel. While at Wheel, first as Creative Director of Abel & Baker then Executive Creative Director of Wheel, Chris helped turn the creative reputation of the agency around, delivering award winning work and driving an extensive change management process to make Wheel an ideas led creative business. Key client achievements at Wheel include winning BT, the global roll out of Brahma beer, and bringing prestigious clients such as ABSOLUT Vodka and Sony PlayStation Europe on board. Chris also oversaw numerous corporate website projects for clients such as Allied Domecq, United Biscuits and Unilever for whom Wheel managed the global rollout of Unilever.com in 26 languages.

Since joining Digitas London in April 2006, Chris has re-invigorated the creative product, winning new business with Vauxhall, Shell and HP, rolling out a network of offices in Europe and winning a Campaign Digital Award.

Chris is a multi-award winning creative with Cyberlions, LIAA, Clio, Revolution, Campaign Direct, Campaign Digital and D&AD awards to his name. As a founder in the UK of digital pioneers Abel & Baker, Chris was responsible for some of the first Rich Media and viral work done in this market.

Daniel Birch

Creative Director, Freestyle Interactive

As a Creative Director who has worked at a number of top London agencies LBi (then Oyster), AKQA and twentysix Daniel now leads the creative and delivery teams at the midlands largest digital agency Freestyle Interactive. This gives him genuine perspective across all aspects of digital channels.

As a Creative Director of Freestyle it is his role to lead and define the user experience on their clients. With wide ranging experience in leading multidiscipline teams of designers, developers, writers and architects he is able to bring the right solutions to a wide range of online of projects.

As the board level role responsible for project delivery through the project management team Daniel has a clear understanding of the delivery challenges faced by project managers and can appreciate what it takes to deliver an awarding winning creative solution.

Daniel’s belief in balancing the desire to win awards with developing the right user experience for client’s customer puts him in a unique position. As a Creative Director Daniel has found the opportunity to have an opinion on all this creative but will be frequently found client side asking awkward questions or bothering project manager’s to try and understand how Isle Interactive can be more efficient – all with the goal of giving the creative a better chance to design better and with more insight.

A genuine understanding of all aspects of the digital build process and experience across kiosk, mobile web and iTV means Daniel is able to combine a wealth of experience to developing a framework for creative teams to work in. A desire to work on projects that are created in a less that ideal situation, short time frames, limiting timeframes or conservative outlook means he has an affinity for recognising others who have succeed in this conditions.

The client list is long and varied, as you’d expect from nearly 12 years of working in the industry. From mobile guidelines for Orange to ground up redesigns for Natwest and Abbey and campaign work for Volvo and Drambuie the experience is there.

Janice Cable

Principal Administrator, BIMA

When she joined BIMA, Janice brought with her the experience of a lifetime working with trade associations, mainly in the music industry where she considered herself extremely privileged to be able to work with some of the most influential industry doyens and talented composers, artists and broadcasters in the UK. She has considerable experience in arranging and coordinating exhibitions, seminars and conferences, both in the UK and abroad, and was responsible for organising industry social events, both lunches and black tie. Her previous involvement has been extremely valuable for the administration of the BIMA Awards as, amongst many other tasks, she prepared and managed the selection of the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. She hasn’t done this for ten years which, incidentally, was the last time the UK won!

About BIMA

Established in 1985, the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) is the industry’s longest established association to represent the diverse interests of the UK interactive industry.

In short, it’s BIMA’s mission to ensure the UK remains the centre of excellence worldwide for creativity within the interactive industry.

I was flicking through my RSS reader this morning and noticed that Donncha O Caoimh from Wordpress has upset a few Mac buddies by putting some stickers on the front of his Mac. I’ve had similar jibes in the past. Mine is a Mozilla head in the jaws of the Microsoft Blue Monster.

Have I insulted the Mac extremists?

I’m taking part on a panel tonight to discuss (debate I hope) where is Web technology now, what enabling technologies are happening, where will that drive innovation, what skills will people need and how will this translate in to job demand. The debate will be the opening of the IWTC Conference, held at the Cineworld Cinema in Dublin.

I’m a great lover of new technology and debating how it can enable a more accessible Web to more people around the world, irrespective of what device they use. However, I also think we need to look at getting the basics right. One such basic on my agenda for the new Industry Association I’m setting up in Ireland will be broadband. It’s a joke in Ireland and I intend to solicit feedback on my opinion tonight. I’ll save my new technology chant for the same conference on Friday.

On the subject of the basics

Damien Mulley, one of Ireland’s finest bloggers (and Technology Journalist of the Year 2007) has been campaigning for better broadband in Ireland for some time now. I’m hoping I can leverage the fantastic work he continues to do, whilst getting his ongoing assistance and advice to enable a better digital ecosystem in Ireland. Only then can Ireland play a major role on the digital stage.

As a side note, it amazes me that Damien was diagnosed with MS recently and still continues to work like a horse. I’m sure he’s likely to shed a tear behind closed doors (who wouldn’t) but he should be held up as a fine example to anyone unfortunate enough to have been diagnosed with an incurable disease. I know, to a much lesser extent, how Damien must be feeling as my sister was diagnosed with the damn thing about 10 years ago.

Anyway, I hope you can make it along to the event tonight, followed by the launch party. Let me know if you’d like to come as I’ve got some guest passes. If you don’t get a response from me just email barry@irishdev.com and come along anyway - I’m sure you’ll get in (oops, I’m sure I’ll get my wrists slapped).

Can you help?

I’ll post the date for my next meeting to discuss the new Association. Please let me know if there are specific dates in March that I should stay away from.

I’m looking for some sponsors, so please get in touch if you’d like to support a new Industry Association in which your own interests will be looked after too.

Blacknight and Microsoft were very kind and sponsored my kick off dinner meeting. I still have enough in the fund to setup the legal entity and perhaps get a basic Web site done, but that’s about it.

Every month, Robert Loch and I host an event called Top Cats. The goal of the event is to forge stronger ties and greater collaboration between the internet start up, mobile, interactive marketing, TV and advertising communities.

There are no formalities apart from my introduction to the evening and we don’t have speakers. It’s an informal gathering of likeminded people, many of whom end up collaborating on very interesting projects.

Who qualifies to be a Top Cat

• Established Agencies = Founder/CEO/Chair
• Technology Providers & Brands (big companies such as Microsoft and the BBC) = Director/Head or other senior decision maker
• Startups = Founder/CEO/Chair + secured VC funding or have a seriously good track record
• Other = Publishers, Editors, Authors, TV Personalities, Establish Journalists, you get the picture.

I’m going to have a chit chat with a few people tonight and stream it live via my mobile. Keep an eye on my Qik account and feel free to comment and ask questions in the live chat room. It might be better to subscribe to my Twitter feed so you get a text message each time I stream live.

So, another Top Cats event is upon us. Check out the names of those who have said they can make it this month.

Who’s coming tonight

• Alex Hoye, Chair, Faction/Buildersite
• Alexis d’Amecourt, 19 Entertainment
• Andrew Shorten, EMEA Platform Evangelist, Adobe
• Andy Co Founder, Agency Mobile
• Andy Finney, Founder, ATSF
• Andy MacLaren, Co-founder, Agency Mobile
• Angela Kirkham, Publishing Manager, Online Marketing, O2
• Armando Ruffi, Co-founder, Zubka
• Ben Johnson, Principal, Both Vitruvian Partners
• Brian Hoadley, Managing Director , phunQube
• Caspar Craven, Co-founder, Trovus
• Catherine Toole, MD, Sticky Content
• Cathy Grimes, Marketing Manager Personal Solutions, Equifax
• Charles Astwood, Founder, London Eating
• Chris Wood, CEO, Top Table
• Craig Hill, Founder / Chairman, Digital Outlook
• Dan Morris, Managing Partner, Splendid
• Daniel Appelquist, Senior Technology Strategist, Vodafone Group
• David Hart, Director, Codegent Ltd
• David King, Director, APCO Online
• Dennis Greene, Head of E-business, Royal Mail
• Dr Anxo Cereijo Roibás, User Experience Research manager, Vodafone
• Edward Charvet, Co-founder, Trovus
• Elizabeth Varley, Editorial Director, Online Content UK
• Farzad Jamal, Group Internet Controller, Northern Shell
• Felix Velarde, Founder, Underwired
• Hamish Gordon,
• Irfon Watkins, CEO, Coull
• James Booth, Co-founder, Rockabox Media
• James Pimentel-Pinto, Managing Director, Agency Mobile
• Jasmine Birtles Founder/MD, Moneymagpie.com
• Jemima Kiss, New media reporter, Media Guardian
• Josephine Fraser, Social/Educational Technologist
• Julia Eilon, AMF Ventures
• Justin Bradley, Head of Digital Television, Sixth Sense UK
• Justin Champney, Head of Brand Innovation EMEA, McCann Worldgroup
• Justin Cooke, Managing Director , Fortune Cookie
• Mairi Clark, Editor , Revolution Magazine
• Mark Fallons, Head of interactive, McCann
• Mark McDermott, Director, Codegent Ltd
• Martin Lowde, 19 Entertainment
• Mike Butcher, Editor, TechCrunch
• Mike Risman, Managing Partner, Both Vitruvian Partners
• Nick Halstead, Founder, Fav.or.it
• Omaid Hizwazi, Co-founder, Crayon
• Paul Canty, Founder, Preloaded
• Paul Duncanson, Managing Director, Creativebrief
• Peter Ogden, Producer, ITV
• Richard Daish, Head of Mobile Services, Chelsea FC
• Richard Titus, Acting Head of UX&D, BBC FM&T
• Rob Corradi, Founder, Preloaded
• Rob Walk, Managing partner, NovaRising
• Robert Killick, MD, cScape
• Robin Charney, Sr. Marketing Manager - Web Platform Solutions, Adobe
• Robin Howard, Client Services Director, BT
• Satish Jayakumar, Co-founder, AdJug
• Scott Gallacher, Director of Online & Partner Marketing, BskyB
• Simon Grice, Founder, ideas.org
• Stephanie Bouchet, Marketing Director, Joost
• Theodore Emiantor, Managing Director, Westminster Accountancy
• Tim O’Neill, Founder / MD, Reactive
• Tom Nixon, Founder, Nixon Mcinnes
• Tom Sacchi, Founder / Director, Unit9
• Tony Cocks, Microsoft
• Will Jeffery, Managing director, Maverick Media
• Will McInnes, MD, Nixon McInnes

Hosts

• Robert Loch, Founder, Internet People & Founder, That’s Useful
• Paul Walsh, Chair, BIMA & Founder, Segala

Thanks to Adobe for their sponsorship this month.

I was going to leave a comment on Bernie Goldbach’s blog post entitled Silent LinkedIn Generation but thought better of it, mainly because it’s a post I’ve been meaning to write anyway. I started to enjoy reading the post until I saw a link to a post that I had written last year. Linking to my post in confinement would have been ok.

However, it followed this assumption from Bernie

Their dismissive approach papers over their youth. Because most of the social networking gurus strutting their stuff did not use e-mail before 1990.

That’s a wild assumption and one I didn’t appreciate. Before I reiterate my thoughts about Facebook and LinkedIn in full, I’d like to address his assumption because you should ‘never assume’. I was one of the very first employed by AOL when it was a small startup during the mid 90’s. Amongst launching 56k modem protocol and many other interesting technologies such as AIM, I had to self-each myself how to build a Web site so I could teach the trainers, who then taught the technicians. So, like many others who have commentated on the subject, I’ve been around a while. Now that I’m finished with the anatomy size comparison in the mirror I’d like to address the debate.

I don’t dismiss LinkedIn or any other site/tool/technique for the latest fad. I make the switch when the current incumbent adds little to no value to me personally. I like LinkedIn. It does what it says on the tin. But for me, that’s not enough anymore. I continue to use Facebook for many business related activities. For example, I offered the position as Chair of Segala to one of my connections on Facebook recently. Why? Well because it’s the only way we communicate (apart from face to face of course).

As I’ve said before, the people with whom I’m connected on Facebook include some of the most senior people at the biggest brands in the world, as well as government agencies and design agencies. Facebook isn’t dead. It’s only dead to those who move from fad to fad.

I never went to university so I don’t have university friends on Facebook. My 586 Facebook connections is mostly made up of the people with whom I’m connected in real life. Although Facebook has and continues to help me create and build new meaningful relationships with people I may not otherwise have met.

I was going to link to my post to which Bernie links, but it’s still on the Segala blog. It was supposed to be moved to this blog along with everything else that’s not related to Segala’s business so I’ve published my original thought piece below. The original post attracted 40 comments so it managed to stimulate a debate. I believe it triggered a few email forum debates too.

My original thought piece which holds truth today

Ok, for the last time and to put an end to some speculation, I’m no longer updating my LinkedIn profile (full stop).

The reason is simple. I use Facebook as my shop window, into which you can see who I am, who I know, what I stand for, what I’m working on, where I am and anything else I’d like you to know. If I write a blog post, send a twitter or have pictures taken of me talking at an event, you’ll see them via my RSS feeds which are pulled in from various Web sites.

You’ll even see pictures of me looking pissed (even though I’m not in 99% of them, honest). You’ll also see information about projects I’m working on and networking events I’d like my friends and colleagues to attend. Think of Facebook (my use of it anyway) as a very discrete marketing tool, albeit a byproduct of using the tool and network for fun.

I don’t expect all my LinkedIn connections to ‘move’ to Facebook, but I woud like them to register a Facebook account if they’re really interested in ‘connecting’ with me. Some are likely to be skeptical, assuming Facebook isn’t for business people. If you’re one of these people, think again and look at my list of friends. Amongst them you’ll find very senior, connected and respected people from organisations such as Microsoft, Vodafone, O2, emap, BT, New Media Age (NMA), Haymarket, Conchango and the BBC to name but a few. Then, look at their network of friends… you’ll notice that many of us have mutual friends. This is the best implementation of technology I’ve seen to help build circles of trust.

Facebook enables me to ‘engage’ with friends and colleagues on a regular basis. It helps me to build new relationships and strengthen current ones seamlessly. It even helps my close friends and I to communicate more frequently. I even find myself checking Facebook messages before opening an email client. Most of my personal messages are business related so it’s not as if I’m turning to fun before important work (although they are the same thing for me). I think it must be the personal touch of Facebook.

I would like to point out, that you are not forced to show people anything you’d rather not share. You can also control what you see of others, to ensure you don’t get swamped with stuff you don’t care about.

I will sometimes (however rare) accept Facebook connection requests from people I don’t know personally. This however, only happens when they’re friends of people I know well and trust. It must also be relevant. I also connect with people who are associated with organisations with which I’ve got a strong relationship. For example, I’ve started a group for BIMA (British Interactive Media Association). I Chair BIMA so it would be rude not to connect with members, all of whom I do want to engage with as much as possible! Facebook won’t replace the BIMA Web site, blog or email. It’s intended to aid the build of a community and promote BIMA related activity. Perhaps we’ll extend this to promoting the exclusive projects I’m working on with major brands.

For the record, I will continue to accept LinkedIn invites from people I know, but they’re worthless because I won’t be updating my profile and I won’t ever log in to use it. That is of course, assuming they remain Social Network 1.0 status while Facebook steams ahead as Social Network 3.0 service pack 16. Heck, I don’t even us Upcoming anymore for events.

So, get yourself onto Facebook if you wish to grab my attention or promote business and fun related stuff that’s relevant to both of us

This post is also intended to address blog posts written by people such as Richard Sedley, Wired Gecko, Aidan, Dennis Howlett. Jemima Kiss from the Guardian has written a nice light hearted piece. It’s also intended to address the few email forums that picked up on my twitter message about my move. Who said twitter doesn’t work?!

It’s sometimes easier to write your own post than it is to write huge comments on other blogs.

[Update] I definitely don’t need LinkedIn anymore as I’ve just exported my entire address book. They should look to import more feeds, rather than export everything.

I use Facebook less but only because I now use other tools with it, such as Twitter, with which I communicate with very early adopters of social media.

Do you think it still holds true. Have you stopped using Facebook? Do you use it more or less?

The Web Mission is taking 20 UK Web Entrepreneurs out to Silicon Valley at the end of April this year. The point is to enable the successful entrepreneurs to build relationships with great people in the US and to explore opportunities for their companies.

The Web Mission is supported by UKTI (UK Trade and Investment), Microsoft and Make Your Mark (the National campaign for enterprise). It’s organised by Oli Barrett (also found at http://dailynetworker.co.uk ) and by Polecat.

The trip itself will be a blend of organised activities from drinks receptions to a one day ‘Momentum’ event at Microsoft, one-to-one meetings and opportunities to visit companies in Silicon Valley, from VCs to start ups to high growth success stories. It is designed to coincide with Web 2.0 Expo, so there will be time to drop into that if this is interesting to the companies. They will be working with colleagues in the US to help populate a ‘local calendar’ of coffee shops events and informal drinks, the vibrant business scene for which San Francisco is rightly famous for.

Agenda

Day One. Saturday, 19 April
Arrival and welcome drinks

Day Two, Sunday, 20 April
Digerati Lunch and Optional Event

Day Three, Monday, 21 April
Momentum Event at Microsoft Campus

Day Five: Wednesday, 23 April
Web for Good Event: UKTI

Day Six: Thursday, 24 April
Optional Event: Meet an international Web 2.0 company located in the US
Wrap up Drinks

Day Seven: Friday, 25 April
Depart

Today, they’re opening up the application process to companies all over the UK. The entries will be filtered by UKTI, and individuals who have agreed to feed into that process include Mike Butcher from TechCrunch UK and entrepreneur Doug Richard. They will be looking at the organisation’s market potential, technology, traction, go to market strategy, management team and commercial viability.

Polecat will be assessing the applicants’ sustainability impact. The successful companies will pay a nominal fee which will cover flights, accommodation and passes to Web Mission activities. This will come at a subsidised rate, thanks to the sponsors.

Below are some views from a selection of people who they asked to give their take on what they’re doing.

The Web Mission represents an amazing opportunity for the best of entrepreneurial UK talent to visit Silicon Valley, and learn for themselves the differences that make the US a breeding ground for innovation and more importantly successful execution of ideas. With a spark of inspiration the UK has every opportunity to replicate that success on UK soil.

Michael Birch, Founder, Bebo

Innovation is global, and what better way to help than Web Mission: get the disruptors from both sides of the Atlantic to meet and discuss how they are creating the future. A great initiative!

Fred Destin, Atlas Venture

San Francisco is the world’s leading startup centre. The importance of building ties with the web community there can not be underestimated. I congratulate all involved in this hugely positive initiative.

Robert Loch, Founder, Internet People

I think The Web Mission is a great idea. The best businesses are global from day one and initiatives like this help entrepreneurs build the networks they need to grow their companies internationally.

Nic Brisbourne, DFJ Esprit

In reaching across the Atlantic, the Web Mission is leading the way in networking key talents here with great opportunities in the USA. Good luck in Frisco!

Mark Prisk MP Shadow Minister, Enterprise & Competition

When we create a web business we create it for a global marketplace, we source our products globally, and we’ll probably end up being acquired by a global company or listing on a worldwide stock exchange. It’s absolutely right that we encourage the hottest web talent to look to the unequivocal pace-setter- Silicon Valley – for opportunities, inspiration, and partnership as we build Europe’s answer to the Google, Microsoft and Facebooks the other side of the Atlantic.

James Murray Wells, Glasses Direct

Successful in business comes from meeting people, sharing ideas and creating partnerships. ViaPost has benefited greatly from a close relationship with key partners in the UK such as our Accelerator partnership with Microsoft and we are really excited about the upcoming Web Mission in April.

Simon Campbell, CEO ViaPost

The Web Mission couldn’t come at a better time. The entrepreneurial spirit in the UK is more electric than ever, with communication channels to the US improving all the time. The current climate is one of collaboration and networking, with passionate individuals going out of their way to connect other like-minded peers so they can build stronger relationships, leading to more business.

The Web Mission is testimony to the kind of thought leadership that the UK could do with more of. Again, people going out of their way to help other entrepreneurs to build stronger ties with the US. This is a fantastic opportunity for the UK’s top entrepreneurs to build their businesses by either securing investment, collaborative, partnership opportunities. This is also an opportunity for the Americans to see exactly what the UK has to offer.

Paul Walsh, Chairman, BIMA (British Interactive Media Association)

As you can see from my quote above, I had way too much to say as usual. Please note however, that the opening of my second paragraph is dedicated to the guys responsible for putting this initiative together and driving it forward.

Hat tip to Oli Barrett, Bronwyn Kunhardt and Jim Lawn

The Paddies have done something like this before

I just wonder when Damien Mulley (my new Head of Communications at Segala) is going to arrange the next Paddy’s Valley. He managed to pull this off last year with the help of Conor O’Neill and James Corbett. Whats more, they did it without sponsorship and state agency support! The upstarts, I mean, startups, that went out from Ireland included mysay, Loudervoice, Glowday, Nubiq, PutPlace, justroutes, pixenate, Pix.ie touristr, polldaddy, Eoghan McCabe, Spoiltchild, CoClarity, Bench’d, Relevant Media, Mobonode and Lukulu.

This is a call to Ben Metcalfe and any other Valley based person who would like to help, please do

Register now for the UK entrepreneur mission

A fellow Twitter buddy asked for feedback regarding the hardware and software we use. I twittered my answer but it’s something I’ve been meaning to write a post on, as I think it says a lot about who we are in the context of our working environment. Drew Buddy is the Head of ICT at his college and I think, he’s using this feedback to collate a report.

So, what does the picture above say about me? Well take a close look. It’s a sticker of the Microsoft Blue Monster eating the head of Mozilla on my Apple MacBrook Pro. That sums it up nicely; I’m happy to use the most approproate hardware and software as long as it meets my requirements.

The picture should demonstrate that I’m open minded because although I’m a known standards enthusiast, I like to use the proprietary technology produced by Apple and products produced by the perceived monster and non-standards compliant Microsoft.

My hardware

• Apple MacBook Pro
• Apple iPhone
• Apple iPod
• Cannon Ixus 950
• N95 for Qik streaming

Software

• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Vista (but don’t use it often)
• Waiting for Live Writer for the Mac (blog authoring tool)
• Apple Mail (the ‘geniuses’ at the Apple store recommend Entourage)
• Apple iCal

Internet

• BT Broadband (they are the most reliable!)
• Google Docs (but don’t use it often)
• Google Reader for keeping up to date on blogs
• Gmail (but only as a backup for my POP account)
• Wordpress for Corporate Web site and personal blog

My Social

• Facebook (for connecting/communicating with non-geeks)
• Twitter (for community building with early adopters/geeks)
• Qik (for live streaming my presence)

Office environment

• Home office
• Adam Street private members club

The fact that I’m happy to work from home demonstrates that I’m overly generous to my staff as our HQ is in the heart of Dublin’s most affluent area and designed by John Rocha

This post is intended for Drew, but please feel free to help him collate enough data to produce a meaningful report by leaving a comment about the stuff you use every day. I’d like to know also.

Here’s some good coverage of our kickoff dinner to discuss the creation of a new Industry Association in Ireland. I must point out that I wasn’t actually negative towards the IIA in anyway. Maria did a great job with the article but it looks like I was constantly comparing what I have in mind for a new Association, with the IIA.

We need more of this kind of press, to help raise awareness amongst the organisations that need help with digital. Why? Well because they’re not likely to read blogs, or at least, the ones which have been covering this topic so far.

Original article starts here.

There is a need in Ireland for an organisation that can represent the entire digital industry including web, mobile and any medium that digital content can be delivered through, says Paul Walsh, chair of the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA), which plans to set up a like-minded body in Ireland. Walsh said he would like to have a body that would act not only as a way of connecting and representing all those involved in the digital industry but one that can set standards and best practice also.

Ideally, such an organisation would not only give pricing guidelines to clients and freelancers but also act as a body of endorsement for future digital technology or digital media courses.

Through BIMA, which has been around since 1985, Walsh has been putting all of these practices in place: “I changed it from what it used to be – it was perceived by people as an IIA (Irish Internet Association)-type organisation – and I have turned that around so it is seen as more engaging and really out there in the industry.”

Walsh, who is also founder and CEO of web standards specialist firm Segala, said he would like this new association to position Ireland on the global stage in terms of the digital sector because he feels the country is too reliant on the service-based companies here for tax incentives.

“There are enough intelligent people and companies already in Ireland to change things so that we’re not reliant on the IDA bringing in big companies. We could encourage an ecosystem so that we have Irish-grown businesses.”

While the IIA has been around for quite awhile, Walsh says that the organisation looks at only one piece of the digital pie, the web, and even at that smaller players in the industry tell him they don’t feel catered for.

“I think we need a fresh approach because most IIA members are the bigger companies.

“What I’m hearing from smaller members of the IIA is that it focuses on specific areas like search marketing while they would like a voice for the smaller company or the freelance developer so their interests can be represented as much as the big players,” said Walsh.

“It would be nice to have an association that would bring other organisations together, like the IIA and the Agency for Direct Marketing, to endorse and embrace the stuff that they do well,” he added.

Key members of this new association should be diverse enough to represent the interests of each of the stakeholders, says Walsh.

This would mean including someone from academia, a representative of a big organisation like Microsoft or Google, someone who has set up a couple of small companies and who has the entrepreneurial instinct, as well as individuals with expertise from the mobile, television and broadcasting industry.

Some freelancers and small Irish firms say a number of initiatives to encourage the growth of the digital industry here in Ireland have a bias towards US companies and tax incentives.

The Digital Hub, an incubation space for such development, has 55 desk spaces reserved for US companies yet one Irish entrepreneur said that he found it difficult to secure a single desk space.

The inaugural dinner of the for-now-named Irish Digital Industry Association was held last week and attended by various members of the digital industry community, including Boards.ie founder John Breslin and Joe Drumgoole of digital storage firm PutPlace.

Original article on Silicon Republic by Marie Boran.

Twitter is where I:

1. Scrape all the news that’s relevant to me, without having to read a blog or even glance my RSS Feed. This covers news about stuff which happens offline as well as online. I heard about the Microsoft bid for Yahoo! before most, whilst the bad news included the death of actors.
2. Solicit opinion from an audience of people I trust thereby reducing my dependence on search engines. This has included asking for information on open WiFi hot spots in Dublin, to asking for the phone number of someone with whom I had a meeting with in London.
3. Learn about new initiatives and events
4. Learn who’s going to be where and when
5. Highlight where I’m going to be in case people want to meet up with me
6. Inform people of events I’m attending or hosting
7. Promote specific blog posts that I’ve written
8. Answer questions to help others in the community
9. Meet new people
10. Strengthen relationships with people I already know, and with those I’ve met through Twitter

However, as Rob Loch pointed out on one of my previous posts, it’s difficult to see how Twitter will gain mass adoption. I’d like to add that it’s difficult to see how Twitter could gain mass adoption in its current form.

I can’t ever see my parents using Twitter for example. Yet they send picture and video messages. If however, Twitter was bought and used as an engine it could be a different matter.

So, when you open your address book on a mobile, you’d find out where your contacts are and what they’re doing. This would enable us to create communities around our address books seamlessly.

If you don’t use Twitter, why not give it a try. You need to sign up and communicate with friends before you can make an informed decision though.

How do you eat your Twitter?