Get cheap airflights via RSS

Posted Thursday, August 25, 2005 at 4:01pm in Blogging | 5 Comments

Just The Flight has become the first UK online travel agent to offer flights via RSS feeds. Subscriptions are available for most major UK airports. I’ve already subscribed mine for Newcastle Airport.

Read the news release here.

(Tip of the hat) RSS & Blogging News

Technorati tags:

, ,

“Journalists don’t flog the blogs”

Posted Monday, August 22, 2005 at 10:31pm in Blogging, Media | 1 Comment

Good interview in cyberjournalist.net with Wall Street Journal tech reporter Nick Wingfield, telling how journalists use blogs for sources for information. He mentions that journalists and bloggers can help each other out at times. Sometimes the MSM will break the story first and the bloggers will react or vice versa, in a sort of complimentary way.

My favourite quote:

“Journalists don’t flog the blog” - they see blogs as useful websites. “The term `blogs’ is meaningless in a way,” Wingfield says. “Once they’ve become a useful tool, they’re really just a bunch of websites with useful information.

What is becoming apparant to me (and this is may sound like I’m stating the obvious) is that the majority of journalists I come across blogging or using blogs are all technology orientated. I rarely see many journalists blogging about something non-technical. Perhaps it’s just me not looking in the right places. If any one does know of any, please point me in their direction.

Technorati tags;
, ,

The free WordPress blog - it’s good but it’s got a way to go

Posted at 10:04pm in Blogging | 1 Comment

There’s been one or two PR bloggers talking about the new free WordPress blogs over at WordPress.com. Steve Rubel mentioned he’s even considering the switch from TypePad. But Lorelle VanFossen gives a pretty detailed description of what you can and can’t do on the free WordPress blogs.

Let’s start with what you can:

* Upload images.

Well this is good, but I can do that on any blog platform, and the downside is, you’re only allowed 15mb. A TypePad Plus account (although paid for) will allow you 500mb. Or even the TypePad basic at £2.59 per month allows you 100mb.

* You can set up categories.

Again good, but all other platforms apart from Blogger can do this.

* You can view and move images in your post when you’ve inserted them.

This is good. I’m currently using the 1.5 version of WordPress and I can’t do that.

What you can’t:

* You can’t edit your template or banner.

This is definitely a minus. I find WordPress templates sometimes a little plain, so if you have the know how, you can change it to your preference. That’s one of the key features of WordPress. Just look at The Digerati Peninsula for a good looking WordPress blog.

* There are limited themes you can use.

Another no no! Although some people put a lot of effort into designing themes, everyone has different taste. A blog with flowers scattered all over isn’t going to appeal to 50 year old lawyer.

One thing Lorelle doesn’t mention is, if you can domain map your blog. Changing it from www.example.wordpress.com to www.example.com. I think a lot more people are preferring a much regular domain name these days. I know I do.

I think the best option, when using a WordPress blog is to host it yourself. You then have full rights to do what you want with it and no annoying restrictions keeping you from making the best blog in the world….ever! You can edit it, have a lot more disk space, upload as many photos as you want and also have your own domain.

It’s definitely not a knock at WordPress, infact I’ve got my name down for a free blog and I’m just waiting for the invite; BTW once you get your free WordPress blog, you also get a spare invite to send to whoever you want.

Do check out Lorelle’s blog which is hosted on the new free platform.

Can’t wait for your free WordPress blog? Go out and bid for one!

Technorati tags:
, ,

Internet usage in UK business

Posted Sunday, August 21, 2005 at 9:30pm in Business, Technology | Leave a Comment

I’ve been reading a Key Note marketing research article about Internet usage in UK business, and it’s looking promising. It says:

“In 2004, total business expenditure on Internet services, software and hardware was an estimated £8.29 billion, a rise of %15.8 on 2003″

Showing how businesses are using the Internet to improve their operations and generate revenues for their online activities.

It also says:

“Key Note forecasts both rapid growth in both e-commerce revenue and business expenditure on Internet services, software and hardware over the next five years to 2009. Greater consolidation among vendors of Internet products and services is expected, with services such as voice over Internet protocol and on demand computing being prime drivers in the uptake of higher capacity broadband connectivity among businesses”

It then goes on to say how Google and Yahoo! will play a more significant role with business Internet marketing among SMEs. Providing their platforms to provide IT and business solutions.

So will this mean there will be a greater demand for more UK Internet PR firms? Will we see an upsurge?

Technorati tags:
,

Online US newspapers reach $1 billion in revenues

Posted at 8:40pm in Business | 3 Comments

eMarketeer reports that online publishers saw revenues climb 38% last year totalling the $1 billion mark and signalling similar gains this year. It says:

“Online newspapers, in other words, grew faster than the overall online ad market last year, which grew 32.5% in 2004, and are on a pace to do it again in 2005.”

The chart shows the continued growth to 2008. In my opinion, I think chances are it could succeed this measuremet.

The increase of revenue is by no way shocking. Everyone knows that people are increasingly turning to the Internet for their news and information. I wonder if the UK stats show the same increase?

(Hat Tip) Newspaper Index

Technorati tags:
,

Next Page »