Day: August 15, 2003

The British Broadcasting Corporation is in my humble opinion the uncontested global king of quality broadcasting.

So when I found out they have published their style guide online I jumped to it.

Now allowing for local differences, namely the use of International English (and a section entitled “Americanisms”) it includes a wealth of tips and advice.

Worth the download.

Thanks to the ever wonderful I-PR mailing list for the link.

“One of the things that most exercises our listeners and viewers is our use of words and constructions which we are accused of slavishly copying from the United States.”

To put a smile on your face this Friday, have a read of the brilliant “SCO” version of the Nigerian 419.

Further proof (if it were needed) of the brilliance of the Internet!

Dear reader,

I hope your electricity is on.

It is human nature that when people are interested in a subject it becomes very important to them.  As a result they spend a lot of time thinking about the given subject and as a result they lose perspective.

This is why many bloggers have been going on about how blogs are now mainstream, when in fact, they are still in their infancy.

Any new technology goes through a series of well worn steps before it makes it into the mainstream.  After pioneers and early adopters, products then move into the wider market before finally “laggards” or late adopters take the plunge.

Blogs are a good case in point.  They’ve been adopted by the pioneers for two or three years now, and there are signs they are beginning to move into the wider market.  One sign of this movement has been the migration of politicians into blogging – “hey a place on web I can rant!”

Another sure sign that blogs are becoming accepted is negative press.

The New York Times has a piece questioning is the Internet over and uses blogs as an example. And the Register has a sharp look at the changing face of blogs.

The pioneers don’t like these pieces.

So are blogs mainstream? Not by the patented TM mainstream index they’re not. (e.g. my mother doesn’t have one 🙂 but they are maturing nicely.

I personally love the quote from ex-Presidential candidate, Gary Hart, who is blogging but says he doesn’t read other bloggers:

“If you’re James Joyce,” he said slyly, “you don’t read other authors.”