The Original Sims

I could only stay for the first hour of picamp  on Wednesday. Picamp is an off shoot of Slugger O’Toole . While I wish I could have stayed longer, it looks as if this is the beginning rather than a one off.

And good to see Hearts and Minds there; it has aleays been the most forward looking of political programmes.

If you look hard at the video, you will see designer of www.davysims.co.uk @goodonpaper in the top left hand box at one point. Plus @alaninbelfast and @keithbelfast who gets a speaking role.

The video is here 

Invest Northern Ireland have just issued this invitation. Places are limited and this is a really interesting and valuable event.

I shall be your humble host at both events. Be there or be uninformed …

No I’m not at the stage where I’m employing people, but a friend in a design business (web and print) is looking for great freelance designers with a portfolio to show.

The business is in Belfast – almost city centre. Let me know if you want an introduction (no fee either). My email address is on the footer at davysims.co.uk

Invest NI is about to announce two sessions on Intellectual Property.

You own what you create (thinks - that would have been a good title …) but many people working in the creative industries don’t quite understand that and if they do how to really take advantage of it. There will be two half day sessions; 16 June in Conor Lecture Theatre at the Art College and on 17 June in Magee College in Derry. People lined up include Marice Cumber founder of Own-IT, Malcom Barclay Developer of Tube Deluxe App and Andrew Ferris, Smalltown America, Stuart Worthington, Music Tank. The official word should be out in the next few days; I’ll blog it here and I expect it will be in [digitalcircle.org]9http://www.digitalcircle.org). I seriously recommend that anyone making their business out of creativity should sign up as soon as you get the chance. Places are very limited.

I was asked to put together a few thoughts about the Belfast Telegraph’s web site. It was the quickest of quick reviews, and confidentiallity was not requested so as journos once said "Published and be Damned".

People buy bottled water.

If information on the internet is free – like water from a tap – then at some point, newspapers will need to have the equivalent of bottled water. The most likely paid for content will be business information. So the Belfast Telegraph’s strategy of developing business information (perhaps later to hive off as premier content) is probably the correct strategy.

The information needs to be unique – or at least presented in an easy, timely and accurate; but preferably unique. So let’s start with ease of getting the information. I don’t want to have to go th belfasttelegraph.co.uk to see what’s new there. I want it to be sent to me – so RSS feeds, good.

But I want it accessible where ever I am – is there a mobile/iphone/cutdown version for simpler wireless devices? I can’t see it. Think Business News on Kindle. Avantgo http://www.avantgo.com/frontdoor/index_uk.html hasn’t really become common, it was probably too early, but there is something to build on. I can’t see a Belfast Telegraph channel for Avantgo.com So I’m busy bit not at my computer – can I get the Belfast Telegraph?

Quick word on finding stuff: There is a hell of a lot on a page – looks good – but can I reorder that as relevant to me, please? No? Well can to do something with the navigation to make the good stuff rise to the top? Better still can you put in a voting system, so the “crowd” can do that? The “new” tag is no help, really. “New” is a relative concept; “New to what?” I ask. I can Digg and Facebook and Stumbleupon and delicious the story – but I want to rank it, too please. And when I’m signed in (can I sign in – I’d like to sign in – that would make commenting easier) … when I sign in, can I put a story into my own personal archive, so I can check back later and compare.

Quick word on Content: Company Profiles: Transport, haulage, construction, older established industries. I have zero interest in these and very disappointed to see nothing on new and emerging industries based on technology, knowledge and creativity. “I’m interested in investing in these industries”, says a foreign direct investor. “Where is the knowledge industry in Northern Ireland?” And I make this point because one of the crucial areas for development for BelTelBusiness is readers abroad.

Why does it all have to be text. The TV on the telegraph was worth trying, but was not a good move. If you are going to serve video, then make it something I can’t get in text in the BelTel or on BBC/ITV. Also I’m a slave to the static PC – “I’m a business man, busy and on the move – give me something I can take with me.” Get ahead of the curve – start servig poscasts that are unque to the BelTel and address an audience with the depth a Newspsper can give but a web page can’t.

Finally – use social media – use it now and you won’t have to play catch-up later.
Finally Finally – do all this now! Then teach Independent News Group how to do it – it’s the only route to survival.

Oh and finally finally finally - have an Editor’s Blog and have a great conversation with the readership.

On Wednesday I’m off to speak to the Invest Northern Ireland International Team about social networks. I’m hoping INI and the people who work there will give serious consideration to developing a social media startegy for the business and for the indivuals who work there.

Andor Technology is a specialist camera maker. The business started 20 years ago at Queens University. Earlier this week they posted a hike of 65% in pre-tax profits for the year to the end of September.

The company said its profit had amounted to £2.11m, up from £1.28m last year

Gary Wilmot is Head of Engineering at Andor Technology in Belfast. We began talking about Andor’s main products.

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I met David Kirk last night. We’d only exchanged comments on Facebook and Blogs up until now; important stuff like managing online communities and the joy of a fish supper on a Friday night.

There was clearly something on his mind and he quickly came to the point. It was a challenge; how to raise the game in Northern Ireland for the businesses he had been coaching at the Science Park’s Entrepreneur Academy and the industry they are part of? Specifically how can I help with that through journalism, blogosphere, social media and so on.

Well, I had a lot of ideas, but no real answer.

• I’d love to see a TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) style thing in Belfast.

• I know that we need a real website to show off the work that is done in Northern Ireland.

• I know that we have to stop being insular and be more open to ideas.

• I know we have to stop looking to government and grant giving agencies for leadership (as do they).

But that’s what I know, and that doesn’t account for much. The question is what do you know? No, that’s the sub-question.

The questions are “What obstacles do we face in raising the game for the Creative-Tech?” and “How will we break those obstacles down?”

So here’s the offer from David Kirk – if I pull together some form of communication between the Creative and Tech industries (or is it just industry?), he will pull together his friends in Silicon Valley to comment and encourage. That’s a big offer.

This cannot be top – down. This must come from the creative community. DK and DS cannot create a community response. We can foster and encourage and from time to time help focus.

So I’ll start with a few community guidelines:

• Open to anyone who is prepared to work for progress – creative, technical, or neither but in support of creative-tech.

• No negativity – frankly I’m tired of people telling me why I can’t do something “because …” Like brain storming, can we make the comments “Yes, and … “ rather than “No, because …”

• We start here on a Facebook page, but we eventually migrate to a place which makes interactivity easier. I’m only using Facebook to start with as it’s a fairly common platform, free and disposable.

• This MUST be a place where there are ACTIONS taken and DECISIONS made.

I’m starting this group with David and a few email addresses I picked up last night. Please invite anyone to join and begin discussion. David and I will try to lead at the beginning to give it focus, but we don’t own this; we’re just part of it. To stop this just being a place where we talk even more — we need to set the first objective. Let’s start with this and make it stronger and clearer, then let’s do it. “By September 2009, create a means of communication to show the work of the Technical and Creative Industry in Northern Ireland.”

I’m starting as a closed group. I don’t intend keeping it as a closed group. I don’t like SPAM and to be frank starting this as an open group sends what appears to be spam to everyone linked to me in Facebook - for many, this is an irrelevance.

If the group decides, it will be open to join without approval. In the meantime, I’ll approve all who ask for membership.

The starting point is here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=74685156378

NI People - yes, trendy and cool and all that. But when a friend asks for help, let’s do what can be done.

On Tuesday morning at 6am, Maurice Jay from U105 (who I have known since literally he was in short trousers) will be going into the window of Debenhams at CastleCourt to live for 105 hours in aid of the Northern Ireland Hospice. Eating, sleeping, broadcasting etc until Saturday afternoon.

Louis Walsh and Westlife visited a similar event at our sister station FM104 in Dublin, so we too have lined up a number of visually recognisable “celebs” and luminaries to visit me in the window, but in order to keep the money flowing into the buckets, we are keen to have as many visitors as possible.”

So what can the underground music, artistic and creative community in Belfast and NI do to support MJ? I’m of an age where the Hospice has a meaning beyond just a name (OK?).

 

I won’Also I have challenged U105 to be more imaginative and use social media properly.  So I guess this is part of the challenge.t be there at 6 am on Tuesday - but I will be there from time to time over the 105 hours.

Here’s the deal. If you feel local media does not give you the support you think you deserve (or in my mind the support you DO deserve) then start by supporting them when they do good.

I leave it to you. Unconferences and so on are wonderful - but sometimes you need to look to the wider community.