E-Campaigning Forum Take-aways

I had the chance to attend the E-Campaigners Forum in Oxford last week. I spent two days in workshops learning all sorts of exciting things about the world of online campaigning today. There were loads of things that looked really exciting and which I hope I’ll get to use someday, but I’ve written this with a focus on low-cash situations.

The Hero and the Media Whore

Its perhaps natural that the names “Bradley Manning” and “Julian Assange” are often written together on banners and in agit-prop. They are, after all, both names associated with Wikileaks, and are both wanted in America for punishment over the release of cables relating to America’s conduct of war. But that’s probably where the similarities stop.

Welcome to Planet Blackberry

So I guess this proves I’m a sucker for the most cliché politician type of phone, the Blackberry. My initial thoughts have been pretty positive and its certainly a different league from my old handset.

The Art of Advertising

Advertisements penetrate every corner of our modern lives. As my body clock settles back from Canadian to UK time, I’m recovering from the ad-fest that being host country to the Olympic Games always inspires. But is advertising an art form? Can an advert actually be worth watching just to see the advert? And if so, what does this say about the arts as we now experience them?

Personal Web Development

This might be exciting announcement, I don’t know. It is for me. Anyhow, I’m very strongly considering (as in, trying not to rush into creating it this minute) setting up a website for myself. “But what about the blog?” Well, it has its purpose, carrying writing that is mostly timely opinion. So what will go on it, and what will it look like and how will it differ from the blog?

Freedom of Expression

Some of you know this, but I lost my laptop charger at Greenbelt 2 weeks ago. Its been winding me up ever since, and its partly why a few days got missed in the usual blogging cycle. And its driving me potty. Its also reminding me just how important the gift of expression is, and how thankful I should be for it. From the political right to expression, to having the wherewithal to do it, its becoming rather obvious just how much I take it for granted.

Finding faith in Social Media

Several weeks ago a Roman Catholic Archbishop said one of the most regrettable, misguided and short sighted things I’ve heard from a church leader in a very long time. Did it concern the role of women, or gay marriage, or perhaps even abortion? No, none of these. It concerned the internet, social media and new communication technologies. (Warning, this post may contain unwarranted levels of bitterness).

The “Climate Change Affects Us All” Myth

Like many myths, the myth that says that Climate Change will affect us all is based on some degree of truth. But it is also somewhat unhelpful if we are to understand the imperative to act. We in Britain are already likely to fare much better than those elsewhere in the world, for instance Tuvalu, where the danger of total landmass submersion is now so great, they’ve been forced to act much more decisively than anyone in Europe has managed thus far.

Perfecting Humanity: Nihilism or Celebration?

Reflecting on a recent discussion with a friend about the impending ban on hi-tech swim wear in competitions, I was musing about the different attitudes to what sports is actually all about. Essentially, I found that on an individual level, it came down to one question: is sport a celebration of human capacity, or an attempt to overcome one’s humanity?

On Space Exploration

This month has seen the 40th anniversary of the first human visit to the moon, and so discussions of Space Travel have been in the news. The one which caught my eye was the announcement of a 12-week consultation on giving the UK its own Space Agency, much like NASA. Space is an area of fascination, but beyond specific scientific benefits, is investment in space travel really a great thing.