links for 2009-04-27
by Martin Belam, 27 April 2009
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I think Jakob Nielsen fails to credit the role of CEEFAX in BBC sub-editors consistently delivering meaningful headlines that are only 34 characters longs. This isn't writing for the web, they've been doing it for 35 years.
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"For me, Steve Molyneux hasn't done anything wrong - he didn't Twitter whilst sitting in court hearing a case and the only information he gave out was in the public domain. But he was doing something right - helping demystify our legal system and bring the public and the system a little bit closer together. We need more of that, not less".
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"One argument put to me in recent times is such multi-functional journalists are putting jobs at risk and shouldn't be encouraged. However I look at it another way. If I was just starting out, if I had those various skills, then surely it would make me not only more sellable to potential employers, but also open up the prospect of a media career with some longevity. The way we are offering and presenting news - or content - is changing. Shouldn't that mean we have to take a look at ourselves too if we really want to be a part of the brave new media world now upon us?"
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A very interesting, and time intensive, look at how to squeeze more value out of your blog archive. Probably more relevant to a blog that is specifically about generating cash than somewhere like currybetdotnet, but it chimes with some thoughts I have been having about the growing unruly mess of content I've got here.
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Great post from James Svoboda which brings a nostalgic tear to the eye for the good ol' SEO days when it seemed like every couple of days there was a new engine, technology, or bizarre paid-for program to play around with, and nobody had 85%+ of the market for both search and advertising online ;-)
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Well, that's an amazing 6 minutes and 5 seconds of your life gone...pure retro geek joy
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Diamond Geezer is giving my old home stomping ground the once-over.
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"Tarkovsky's Stalker seems to be a parable about the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is set in a wilderness area full of decay, where the normal laws of physics no longer apply". I suspect I shall be in trouble next time I visit the parental home thanks to this blog post...
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"The killer phrase in the fight aginst the Nazis was 'NF=No Fun', something which I presume to be as true today as it has ever been. I can't say I know this as a fact. I don't knowingly socialise with any members of the BNP, a successor to the NF, but I do get the strong feeling that it's not a great night out: I will be showing my own prejudices here, but you only have to consider the negative way they think and the boring way they dress. They are a past that never was the future". Great line.
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On May 4th the British Library is attempting to set "the unofficial world record for the most Henry VIII look-alikes ever gathered" to promote their exhibition. Bank holiday genius!
Talking to someone in BBC News, apparently many journalists really don't like the Ceefax related headline limit and would like to write more.
However it's just too much effort to adapt the content management system to add in an "long title" field :)
Did you write that all content in The Guardian database is tagged by journalists, sub-editors and a keyword team. In addition, articles are tagged with relevant keyword and “Tone” allows you to classify content in types. Based on this work to organize online information, could I say that Guardian journalists use the same search engine that readers use in a simple search? Or, considering just online content not print version in web, do you have a different database for journalist?
Good spot but Nielsen sort of credits Ceefax at the end of the article in the "roots of success" bit. "Ceefax (one of the few surviving videotext services) also helps instill conciseness in BBC's journalists. "