I'm going blogpost bonkers today, aren't I?
I just had to share this news. I posted about football coach David Nicholson back when they had the fun run at Safa Park to raise funds for him. Today's Gulf News (800g) carries the very welcome news that David's been able to return to the UK for treatment following the fundraising efforts that raised over Dhs200,000 to enable him to be treated. Thanks to a team of close friends, led tirelessly by Susie Kermanschahchi, he'll now get the best treatment without everyone having to worry about who's going to pay the bill.
David is in a coma and has been since he suffered a heart attack last November. He couldn't afford health insurance because of his ongoing medical condition: he had bad arthritis. All the very best to him for a recovery now he's back home.
Monday, 26 January 2009
Identity
I'd just like to say that the Emirates' Identity Card website thingy appears to be working and I've just used it to book two appointments for myself and Sarah. They're both at Rashidiya in April, because Sharjah is apparently booked all year, but I'm not complaining. They're both on different days, too, because there were no contiguous appointments, but I'm not complaining. And the system just wouldn't buy a family application for two people, but I'm not complaining.
Now we can go an use the new and enhanced application application.
It looks as if it might go right this time. The site's here. I even got a text from them confirming the appointment a few minutes after I'd completed the form.
Yayyy!!!
Now we can go an use the new and enhanced application application.
It looks as if it might go right this time. The site's here. I even got a text from them confirming the appointment a few minutes after I'd completed the form.
Yayyy!!!
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Speed and the Barrier
How do you manage a ‘social media’ campaign? The breaking down of barriers that Internet communication has encouraged is probably faster and more fundamental than many communications managers realise. One major problem is the challenge of speed – you can no longer take a few days to respond to a media enquiry while your exec finishes travelling or deals with ‘more important’ business. In a social media environment, people expecting total access and answerability from your organisation are beating on the door right now. There’s no gatekeeper anymore, remember?
It’s also worth bearing in mind that social media is user-driven so you’re leading a conversation and, like all conversations, it will have ebbs and flows. You can’t expect relentless positivity but are aiming to have an overall dialogue that puts your position and proposition.
Another issue facing social media campaign managers is that of approvals. In the old paradigm, your agency made sure that every single communication was approved. It would never do, for instance, for the agency to be speaking in your place. And agencies, for their part, wanted to be indemnified from clients’ actions and liabilities. If you’re running a campaign that cuts across websites and interactive, ‘social’ media, someone needs to be posting, responding, commenting, Tweeting, filming and uploading content on your behalf. And that either means that you, as a campaign ‘manager’ need to be 100% engaged 24x7 in your campaign or you need to redefine the rules so that your agency has a wider scope of responsibility, empowerment and response-ability. That means you have to let your agency take more risks on your behalf, and therefore that your agency is sufficiently indemnified to take those risks. Dispensing with indemnity can be an expensive game for the hapless communicator.
Likewise, you need to be sure that you’re working with an agency that understands those risks, that gets where the pain points of social communication lie, but also that understands the issues of corporate governance in this changing environment as well as new expectations of corporate behaviour. It can be a complicated trade-off – ensuring that the company is answerable at every level and yet also responsive at every level, that it is transparent and yet decisive and that it communicates with its stakeholders appropriately, despite the immediacy and ubiquity of online ‘social’ access.
This piece originally appeared as one of the chucklesomely named 'A Moment with McNabb' columns in Campaign Middle East magazine.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that social media is user-driven so you’re leading a conversation and, like all conversations, it will have ebbs and flows. You can’t expect relentless positivity but are aiming to have an overall dialogue that puts your position and proposition.
Another issue facing social media campaign managers is that of approvals. In the old paradigm, your agency made sure that every single communication was approved. It would never do, for instance, for the agency to be speaking in your place. And agencies, for their part, wanted to be indemnified from clients’ actions and liabilities. If you’re running a campaign that cuts across websites and interactive, ‘social’ media, someone needs to be posting, responding, commenting, Tweeting, filming and uploading content on your behalf. And that either means that you, as a campaign ‘manager’ need to be 100% engaged 24x7 in your campaign or you need to redefine the rules so that your agency has a wider scope of responsibility, empowerment and response-ability. That means you have to let your agency take more risks on your behalf, and therefore that your agency is sufficiently indemnified to take those risks. Dispensing with indemnity can be an expensive game for the hapless communicator.
Likewise, you need to be sure that you’re working with an agency that understands those risks, that gets where the pain points of social communication lie, but also that understands the issues of corporate governance in this changing environment as well as new expectations of corporate behaviour. It can be a complicated trade-off – ensuring that the company is answerable at every level and yet also responsive at every level, that it is transparent and yet decisive and that it communicates with its stakeholders appropriately, despite the immediacy and ubiquity of online ‘social’ access.
This piece originally appeared as one of the chucklesomely named 'A Moment with McNabb' columns in Campaign Middle East magazine.
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Sunday, 25 January 2009
Snow!
No words.
Amazing pictures in both the Gulf News (800g) and The National. Apparently only the second time this has happened in recorded history!
Amazing pictures in both the Gulf News (800g) and The National. Apparently only the second time this has happened in recorded history!
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Thursday, 22 January 2009
Sexist
Look, I know I go on and on about radio advertising in Dubai. But this is really too much.
Man: (sings) Happy anniversary to you!
Woman: Thank you honey!
Man: Now, close your eyes! I have a surprise for you.
Woman: OK!
Man: Open your eyes! You wanted a new refrigerator and washing machine. Here they are!
Woman: Wow! A new LG steam washing machine and a side by side refrigerator. Can we afford both?
Man: Of course! Exchange any old washing machine or refrigerator and bring a new LG washing machine or refrigerator. As part as part of their five year leadership celebration, LG is offering three exciting rewards. We also get an extended warranty on LG home appliances.
Woman: Wow!
Man: Plus we get free one year's supply of detergent powder for washing machine and a microwave oven for the fridge
Woman: Fantastic! Honey, this is the best anniversary ever!
Man: Add magic to your festivities with LG's exchange offer! Pre-register by calling blblabla. Conditions apply. LG. Caring for you in every way.
I shall refrain from adding any comment beyond noting that the woman sounds like a helium breathing chipmunk on speed and the man is excruciatingly wooden. There are no typos, this is an accurate transcription apart from the word 'steam' which I can't quite make out but which sounds like steam.
Man: (sings) Happy anniversary to you!
Woman: Thank you honey!
Man: Now, close your eyes! I have a surprise for you.
Woman: OK!
Man: Open your eyes! You wanted a new refrigerator and washing machine. Here they are!
Woman: Wow! A new LG steam washing machine and a side by side refrigerator. Can we afford both?
Man: Of course! Exchange any old washing machine or refrigerator and bring a new LG washing machine or refrigerator. As part as part of their five year leadership celebration, LG is offering three exciting rewards. We also get an extended warranty on LG home appliances.
Woman: Wow!
Man: Plus we get free one year's supply of detergent powder for washing machine and a microwave oven for the fridge
Woman: Fantastic! Honey, this is the best anniversary ever!
Man: Add magic to your festivities with LG's exchange offer! Pre-register by calling blblabla. Conditions apply. LG. Caring for you in every way.
I shall refrain from adding any comment beyond noting that the woman sounds like a helium breathing chipmunk on speed and the man is excruciatingly wooden. There are no typos, this is an accurate transcription apart from the word 'steam' which I can't quite make out but which sounds like steam.
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Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Law
A great day for press freedom in the UAE?
The UAE media law passed through the Federal National Council yesterday and the newspapers, struggling to find any positive angle on the story, can only reiterate that the new law means that journalists won't face jail terms 'for carrying out their duties'.
The draft law just needs to be ratified by the cabinet and the President to pass onto the statute books. There has been a great deal of unhappiness expressed by the newspapers over the new law, which replaces the positively archaic 'old media law' of 1980. You can find an e-copy of the old law here and wonder for yourself at how much has changed. Or then again, perhaps not.
I tried, but failed, to find a copy of the new law anywhere, but The National does give more information on its provisions that anyone else today. Sure enough, the law stipulates fines of between Dhs 50,000 to Dhs 1 million for, to quote the Khaleej Times: "...newspapers or the rest of media, or the employees of the same receiving aid or donation, or similar benefits from foreign entity without the permission of the Council; repeating publishing or launching press campaigns with bad faith, and after being warned by the Council, in a way that demerit the reputation of the country, or its foreign relations and contacts, or violates its public order, or distort its national identity; publishing news that mislead the public opinion, in a way that harm the national economy of the country; carrying false news with knowledge; violating the conditions and restrictions stipulated for practising media activities governing the licence in regard."
The law would be enforced through the courts and not by the National Media Council (NMC), which drafted it. Journalists and editors alike have expressed dismay at the lack of clarity in the law. The editorial in today's The National makes the point: "Yet the new press law, approved yesterday by the FNC and sent to the cabinet for ratification, is unclear about what a newspaper can be punished for, and how it defines whether a newspaper has published information damaging to the country’s reputation or economy. The financial system should react to just the kind of information we print in our business pages every day. And if we are not distributing information that influences the choices people make in the marketplace, then we are not doing our job."
As far as I can see, the law makes no reference to the 'e-world' and remains firmly rooted in the idea that 'the media' is content produced by licensed entities that squash ink onto dead trees and that would be held to account according to the terms of their trade license.
Where does that leave someone writing a blog, commenting on a forum or posting up to You Tube? Where does it leave the UAE's fast-growing band of Twitterers or the groups of unhappy residents airing their grievances online? Where does it leave someone posting a comment to a blog, tagging a photo, founding a snarky Facebook group (like this or this!) or publishing an e-book?
It leaves us all relatively unsure of quite where we stand, that's where, with a court system that has no provision in law whatever for online activity, a judiciary that is unlikely to be trained or cogniscent of online systems and a minimum fine of Dhs 50,000. Oh, and that's assuming that a 'blogger' will be treated as a 'journalist' and not just an unlicensed entity.
In short, I suspect it rather leaves us all, journalists and others, exactly where we were in 1980, except that now we (possibly) can't go to prison - until, of course, we can't find Dhs 1 million and then we'll presumably be banged up anyway for defaulting on the fine.
BTW, I am mildly surprised that none of our media have pressed the point about the media law and how the National Media Council views the online world. It's really quite important, chaps...
The UAE media law passed through the Federal National Council yesterday and the newspapers, struggling to find any positive angle on the story, can only reiterate that the new law means that journalists won't face jail terms 'for carrying out their duties'.
The draft law just needs to be ratified by the cabinet and the President to pass onto the statute books. There has been a great deal of unhappiness expressed by the newspapers over the new law, which replaces the positively archaic 'old media law' of 1980. You can find an e-copy of the old law here and wonder for yourself at how much has changed. Or then again, perhaps not.
I tried, but failed, to find a copy of the new law anywhere, but The National does give more information on its provisions that anyone else today. Sure enough, the law stipulates fines of between Dhs 50,000 to Dhs 1 million for, to quote the Khaleej Times: "...newspapers or the rest of media, or the employees of the same receiving aid or donation, or similar benefits from foreign entity without the permission of the Council; repeating publishing or launching press campaigns with bad faith, and after being warned by the Council, in a way that demerit the reputation of the country, or its foreign relations and contacts, or violates its public order, or distort its national identity; publishing news that mislead the public opinion, in a way that harm the national economy of the country; carrying false news with knowledge; violating the conditions and restrictions stipulated for practising media activities governing the licence in regard."
The law would be enforced through the courts and not by the National Media Council (NMC), which drafted it. Journalists and editors alike have expressed dismay at the lack of clarity in the law. The editorial in today's The National makes the point: "Yet the new press law, approved yesterday by the FNC and sent to the cabinet for ratification, is unclear about what a newspaper can be punished for, and how it defines whether a newspaper has published information damaging to the country’s reputation or economy. The financial system should react to just the kind of information we print in our business pages every day. And if we are not distributing information that influences the choices people make in the marketplace, then we are not doing our job."
As far as I can see, the law makes no reference to the 'e-world' and remains firmly rooted in the idea that 'the media' is content produced by licensed entities that squash ink onto dead trees and that would be held to account according to the terms of their trade license.
Where does that leave someone writing a blog, commenting on a forum or posting up to You Tube? Where does it leave the UAE's fast-growing band of Twitterers or the groups of unhappy residents airing their grievances online? Where does it leave someone posting a comment to a blog, tagging a photo, founding a snarky Facebook group (like this or this!) or publishing an e-book?
It leaves us all relatively unsure of quite where we stand, that's where, with a court system that has no provision in law whatever for online activity, a judiciary that is unlikely to be trained or cogniscent of online systems and a minimum fine of Dhs 50,000. Oh, and that's assuming that a 'blogger' will be treated as a 'journalist' and not just an unlicensed entity.
In short, I suspect it rather leaves us all, journalists and others, exactly where we were in 1980, except that now we (possibly) can't go to prison - until, of course, we can't find Dhs 1 million and then we'll presumably be banged up anyway for defaulting on the fine.
BTW, I am mildly surprised that none of our media have pressed the point about the media law and how the National Media Council views the online world. It's really quite important, chaps...
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Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Free
The UAE Journalists' Association has told the mighty Gulf News (800g) today that it will provide legal support to bloggers facing legal action in the UAE 'provided they abide by the ethical and professional rules of the profession'. The piece comes as part of a spread on press freedom and the state of media in the United Arab Emirates.
"The new policy helps in improving the quality of blogging in the Emirates and enhances the transparency and the credibility of news reporting on cyber sites. The only condition on the bloggers to avail themselves of the services of the association is to identify themselves clearly and follow 9 ethical rules in reporting or casting their views, including offering a level playing field for different parties related to the issue of reporting.'
And what, you may as, rules are they? Thanks to GN, we find out that they are:
"Bloggers should refrain from using inflammatory language or tarnish the credibility of an establishment or individual without substantial evidences. Those who continue casting their views under vague identities will not be able to seek the association's help."
So no more anonyblogging, folks. Not if you want the help of the UAE Journalist's Association, anyway. 'Vague identities' are out. I wonder just what a 'vague identity' is...
Or 'tarnishing the credibility of an establishment'. That's a nono, too. Damn. So no criticising any companies, then. Hands off HSBC and Al Habtoor, Alexander. Let alone the RTAs and EIDAs that make our lives so very wonderful and joyous.
There's no mention of what precisely the '9 golden rules' are but I did post here about the UAE Journalists' Association Code of Ethics, which is a list of 17 rules. Strangely, it's not available on the UAE Journalists' Association website which is, incidentally, only available in Arabic. So I guess you might as well just pick the 9 you like best from that list and abide by them, folks.
Interestingly, there's also quite a grumpy editorial from GN's editor-in-chief, linked here, which is worth a read, flagging up major concerns with the much-awaited new UAE media law. I do recommend a read of this piece most heartily:
"Furthermore, the long-awaited new press law, currently under consideration to be issued soon in its final version, has failed considerably in addressing the needs of the journalistic body and the changes that have taken place so far in the country."
Hot stuff indeed from Abdul Hamid Ahmad about the new draft law that, among other things, replaces a prison term for journalists (and bloggers, then?) with a million Dirham fine.
"The new policy helps in improving the quality of blogging in the Emirates and enhances the transparency and the credibility of news reporting on cyber sites. The only condition on the bloggers to avail themselves of the services of the association is to identify themselves clearly and follow 9 ethical rules in reporting or casting their views, including offering a level playing field for different parties related to the issue of reporting.'
And what, you may as, rules are they? Thanks to GN, we find out that they are:
"Bloggers should refrain from using inflammatory language or tarnish the credibility of an establishment or individual without substantial evidences. Those who continue casting their views under vague identities will not be able to seek the association's help."
So no more anonyblogging, folks. Not if you want the help of the UAE Journalist's Association, anyway. 'Vague identities' are out. I wonder just what a 'vague identity' is...
Or 'tarnishing the credibility of an establishment'. That's a nono, too. Damn. So no criticising any companies, then. Hands off HSBC and Al Habtoor, Alexander. Let alone the RTAs and EIDAs that make our lives so very wonderful and joyous.
There's no mention of what precisely the '9 golden rules' are but I did post here about the UAE Journalists' Association Code of Ethics, which is a list of 17 rules. Strangely, it's not available on the UAE Journalists' Association website which is, incidentally, only available in Arabic. So I guess you might as well just pick the 9 you like best from that list and abide by them, folks.
Interestingly, there's also quite a grumpy editorial from GN's editor-in-chief, linked here, which is worth a read, flagging up major concerns with the much-awaited new UAE media law. I do recommend a read of this piece most heartily:
"Furthermore, the long-awaited new press law, currently under consideration to be issued soon in its final version, has failed considerably in addressing the needs of the journalistic body and the changes that have taken place so far in the country."
Hot stuff indeed from Abdul Hamid Ahmad about the new draft law that, among other things, replaces a prison term for journalists (and bloggers, then?) with a million Dirham fine.
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Monday, 19 January 2009
Bye George
I'd just like to say goodbye to George Bush.
Goodbye, George Bush.
Just before he goes, here's a chance to reprise one of my favourite things written about him. I'm sorry it's written by me, but a chap's gotta give himself the occasional pat on the back, no? It's here: I do hope you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I'm sorry about the insanely heavy weight of expectation on Barack Obama's shoulders. I hardly dare to think that anyone can live up to all that. But if he comes through and is a decent, straightforward man with a gift for oratory and backed by a strong advisory team that he has the guts to go with, then he'll be a million times better than the bumbling hick cretin that has done so much damage to our world in so many ways.
The invasion of Gaza now stands as the last shameful act in a shameful and venial Presidency. It is a fitting testament to the man who chose to be the puppet with the fat fingers of right wing America up his arse.
Goodbye, George Bush.
Just before he goes, here's a chance to reprise one of my favourite things written about him. I'm sorry it's written by me, but a chap's gotta give himself the occasional pat on the back, no? It's here: I do hope you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I'm sorry about the insanely heavy weight of expectation on Barack Obama's shoulders. I hardly dare to think that anyone can live up to all that. But if he comes through and is a decent, straightforward man with a gift for oratory and backed by a strong advisory team that he has the guts to go with, then he'll be a million times better than the bumbling hick cretin that has done so much damage to our world in so many ways.
The invasion of Gaza now stands as the last shameful act in a shameful and venial Presidency. It is a fitting testament to the man who chose to be the puppet with the fat fingers of right wing America up his arse.
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WOMAD
ADACH 2 WOMAD!
Yayyyyy!
According to today's thunderous Gulf News (650g), WOMAD is coming to the Emirates! A three day world music festival will take place in Abu Dhabi in April, put together by the organisation to promote 'world' music set up by the rather talented Mr. Peter Gabriel. WOMAD (World of Music and Dance) has been breaking new artists from around the world, and particularly its more far-flung locales, for something like 26 years now. Everyone always goes on about how it discovered Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou D'Nour, but I've always been more of an Afro Celt Sound Machine fan, myself.
The National adds that the festival will start with a gig at Al Ain's Al Jahili Fort but, like GN, gives no dates for the 3-day festival.
This is a real coup for the chaps and chapesses over at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and should be a truly fantastic event. We await dates and acts - but this is potentially a great platform for the region's more 'traditional' musicians, as well as artistes like Toufiq Faroukh and even possibly bands from the region such as Arab/rock fusion outfit Blend...
PS: Anyone interested in WOMAD and the gigs can log into www.womad.org and get on the mailing list or wander around in the forums and bibble about music and stuff.
Yayyyyy!
According to today's thunderous Gulf News (650g), WOMAD is coming to the Emirates! A three day world music festival will take place in Abu Dhabi in April, put together by the organisation to promote 'world' music set up by the rather talented Mr. Peter Gabriel. WOMAD (World of Music and Dance) has been breaking new artists from around the world, and particularly its more far-flung locales, for something like 26 years now. Everyone always goes on about how it discovered Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou D'Nour, but I've always been more of an Afro Celt Sound Machine fan, myself.
The National adds that the festival will start with a gig at Al Ain's Al Jahili Fort but, like GN, gives no dates for the 3-day festival.
This is a real coup for the chaps and chapesses over at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and should be a truly fantastic event. We await dates and acts - but this is potentially a great platform for the region's more 'traditional' musicians, as well as artistes like Toufiq Faroukh and even possibly bands from the region such as Arab/rock fusion outfit Blend...
PS: Anyone interested in WOMAD and the gigs can log into www.womad.org and get on the mailing list or wander around in the forums and bibble about music and stuff.
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Sunday, 18 January 2009
Yes we can!
Does anyone know who's trying to block the desert stretch between Dubai and Sharjah? It's really most odd that anyone would go to these extremes just to stop a few people in 4WDs taking a short-cut.
As I've mentioned before, there are extensive earthworks out there right now that look more like trench warfare than a few hundred yards of sandy snicket - ditches and high piles of sand interspersed with a huge number of concrete barriers that stretch for kilometres along the Sharjah side of the border. Every day someone finds a new way through, every day the JCB moves in and either piles huge heaps of sand or dumps a few more concrete barrier blocks on it.
But we're still getting through. For now. It's become a source of perverse satisfaction to beat 'em, to tell you the truth...
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