the(new)mediaslut

TGIF and  let this YouTube video ready your senses for the weekend.

22 unique PCs from the Hill and Knowlton Singapore office visited this site yesterday.

From the visits, it is also interesting to note that one HnK PC is using Firefox. 12 are still using Internet Explorer 6 while 7 has upgraded to Internet Explorer 7. Lucky 7!

The remaining two were still using the old version of Firefox 1.5.

Go upgrade your browsers!

Ohh what a PR boo boo!

Wired journalist Fred Vogelstein was somehow accidentally emailed a secret pre-interview dossier from PR agency Waggener Edstrom prior to his’s interview with Microsoft, Waggner’s client, on their blogging initiative known as Channel9. 

From Wired.com:

I’ve been a journalist for more than 20 years and always assumed that the people I interview do as much homework on me as I do on them. So the existence of a document like this didn’t surprise me. But that still didn’t make it any easier to read lines like, "It takes him a bit to get his point across so try to be patient." I know my long-windedness drives my wife nuts occasionally. I didn’t know it had become an issue for Microsoft’s pr machine too.

What "surprised" Vogelstein was to learned that his story idea about Channel9 was nothing more than a "end game" for the PR.

"Indeed, if you read the memo closely it’s clear that my experience with Microsoft on this story was their end game," wrote Vogelstein. 

"For something like six months prior they had been plotting to get Wired to write a story about Channel 9 and had dispatched three executives to meet with editors at the magazine in hopes of setting their hook." 

The "secret" memo can be found here.

Chris Anderson, Wired’s editor in chief, posted his views about the leaked memo and Waggener Edstrom Worldwide President Frank X. Shaw gives the PR spin on the leaked documents.

themediaslut has read through the memo and found a statement showing Waggner Edstrom taking a stab at Edelman’s blogging fiasco. Edelman PR is also the PR agency for Microsoft.

From the Memo, page 7:

Every company wants to do this, but very, very few are good at it. Look at Wal-Mart and the blogging fiasco there as an example of wanting to do this, but not knowing how. It isn’t as simple as just blogging.

This incident reminded themediaslut about a PR boo-boo which has become a classic warning tale to PR noobies entering this side of the communications field.

A prominent CEO for a local Singapore company was being interviewed by a journalist for a top-tier Singapore newspaper.

Halfway during the interview, the CEO suddenly took out a binded memo, almost as thick as two chapters of a Harry Porter novel, turned to page 23 and pointed to question number 35.

"Here is the answer to the question you just asked me," said the CEO.

"You want to copy the answers? Here, keep the whole memo. 

"Or I can send you the soft copy later so you cut and paste later for the story."

The interview came to the end and the CEO was reportedly seen grinning confidently as he thought he helped the journo do a better job.

The PR was left red face as the journo left the interview room and she could only wish Harry Porter was there to make everything disappear!.  

(Update 09:00am March 28, 2007: The same friend on Singtel mobile was finally able to call themediaslut on the L3 number. A friend on M1 mobile said she was still unable to connect the Starhub L3 number, she gets a "number not in use" whenever she tries.)

themediaslut has been spending the last few days on the Pfingo VoIP service when she is hooked onto a wireless AP in office or home.

While themedialsut is able to make VoIP calls out to Starhub, M1 and Singtel users, only friends using Starhub mobile service can call her back.

Friends on M1 and Singtel mobile were unable to call the Level 3 numbers and was prompted that the number could not be connected.

Interestingly, Starhub and Singtel mobile users can see the Level 3 number on their mobile phone when themediaslut call them.

As most home landlines belong to Singtel, themediaslut was also unable to call the Level 3 number from home.

For M1 mobile users, the number remains hidden.

themediaslut could not find any  IDA (Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority) annoucement that it is legal requirement that the competiting mobile phone operators to connect to their respective VoIP numbers.

A IDA spokesperson, however,did highlight the inter-operatability issues at the recent CommunicAsia 2006.

From Computerworld Singapore:

These VOIP operators will also be required to allow other operators to interconnect with their networks, must offer number portability, and will only be able to offer these services to domestic subscribers, Leong said, noting that these are standards required of fixed-line operators.

The spokesperson is Leong Keng Thai, the IDA’s deputy chief executive and director general of telecommunications.

This could be the trial period and maybe all three telcos, Starhub, M1 and Singtel, have not switched on their interoperability servers just yet.

However, if potential Pfingo users cannot get their friends on M1 or Singtel mobile call them back via the L3 numbers, it could potentially prevent them from signing up for the Pfingo service.

PS: Kudos to the Starhub Mobile and Pfingo for reading and reacting to themediaslut and to the other blogs as well. themediaslut highlighted in an earlier post that the overview page at the Pfingo Talk website did not show clear instructions to set up the service for the PC and mobile phone. The Pfingo team has since added the instructions on the overview site with the necessary instructions. Well done.

pfingo

themediaslut was reading Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post and Lai See, with Ben Kwok, related an acquaintance who applied for a PR position in a casino in Macau.

From South China Morning Post :

Boss: Do you drink?

PR: Yes, a little.

Boss: How much can you take?

PR: Maybe two glassess…

Boss: Do you swear?

PR: Only to my husband.

Boss: $%#!$!, can you take that?

According to Ben Kwok, the PR didn’t get the job and the position is still available six months after the interview.