the(new)mediaslut

They say that one should not talk about sex or politics at the dinner table at the risk of upsetting fellow guests or hosts. Well, perhaps that is true, but in a highly polarised society like the one Thailand is in today, it can also results in great friendship as well as being dumped by a PR on the other side of the fence in the middle of a strange town.

A couple of months ago, before all the current mayhem started, Smartbrain was on a junket in Phuket with a company that shall remain unnamed. Come dinner time, the foreign executives do what every foreign executive does when confronted with a Thai journalist in Thailand, ask him what he thinks of Thaksin.

Most readers of TMS know what Smartbrain thinks of Thaksin already.

The PR who was, as PRs are often ordered to do, shadowing Smartbrain gave his opinion that perhaps both sides should back down before the country is ruined.

“Yes, that’s a good idea. The PAD should stop their street protests unblock the roads and the pro-Thaksin camp should resurrect missing-and-presumed-murdered Human Rights Laywer Somchai Neelapaichit as well as the 1,500 plus people murdered in the war on drugs that the Senate investigation has cleared of any involvement in drugs,” I said.

The PR laughed the usual PR laugh.

The point I was making to the foreign executives is that there are some things that can be compromised on, but not mass murder and police-state style abduction and execution. Somchai was abducted in broad daylight by police and the investigation has been stalled. It seems like two junior police officers just wanted to abduct one of the thorns in Thaksin’s side all of their own accord without any orders from above.

Still, Smartbrain was quite unprepared for what was to come by the obviously pro-money, pro-Thaksin PR.

He simply left and joined a friend across town, leaving Smartbrain having to care for a Vietnamese reporter and a few others who found themselves suddenly abandoned by their carer. Not that it was a big problem, but still.

Actually, Smartbrain would like to commend that PR for standing up for what he believes in, even though our points of view differ. Most PRs would just laugh, smile and play along rather than show anger, emotion or in this case, dumping the journos and going AWOL in anger. At least this guy has the guts to stand up for what he believes in.

Generally speaking, the more open companies seem to be generally anti-Thaksin and, if not pro-PAD, at least think beyond their financial bottom line and do something about it. Smartbrain knows of one big multinational IT company director who has actually taken to the PAD stage in front of the Singaporean Embassy two or three years ago. Yes, he made a lot of enemies that day, but he also made a lot of friends. During the last push on Government House, he said he was super busy as the bosses from Singapore were in town (makes one wonder what exactly it was he said at the rally on mic in front of the Singapore Embassy) so his staff had to take turns going to the Mob that day, keeping the illusion that everything was business as usual.

On the other hand, the company that dumped Smartbrain in Phuket had a previous country manager who was happy to tell all the journalists at a press conference that she was neutral and has actually been to both the pro and anti-Thaksin rallies to see what it is all about.

Quite how she managed to go to the anti-Thaksin rally and not come back with a strong opinion as to who is right is beyond comprehension.

Smartbrain has lost many friends because of his vocal views on Thaksin, but he has also made many new ones. All things considered, it seems to have been for the better.

The New Media Guide for SG government is out.

Read it here.

Does this mean New Media will go mainstream sooner than later?

Who says reading the newspaper isn’t fun anymore?

You should not try this at home though.
The Star reported that a man in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, tried to get elongate his love tool with a nut to impress his bride-to-be in a week time.
Unfortunately, it got stuck. The hospital couldn’t do anything and the Fire Department wasn’t successful either.

Wrote The Star,

A department spokesman confirmed that they received a call from the hospital yesterday, and sent seven firemen to help out.

They, too, were unable to remove the nut.

At press time, the nut was still firmly attached to the base of the man’s genitals.

There are just some things you shouldn’t be doing for love.

Singapore may have won its first silver medal for table tennis (ping pong) during the recent Olympics 2008 but the post focus is on the sudden dismissal of the table tennis team manager.

The sacking of the team manager was said to be a result of Singapore’s only male representative in the same contest not having a coach by his during his match. The male player eventually lost to an unknown player from Croatia.

Seah Chiang Nee, a columnist for The Star, wrote of the saga that resulted in fierce debate on both the online forums and coffee shop talk.

Wrote Seah,

The fiasco started when a livid People’s Action Party MP chastised and sacked the team manager over national television without holding an inquiry.

She not only fired the manager, Anthony Lee, without telling him but also hinted that the future status of the popular head coach was being considered.

Many Singaporeans reacted angrily while players were upset – not by the idea of disciplining wrongdoers – but by the summary, arrogant way it was done.

The column included a link to another MP whose daughter caused controversy over the topic of “elitism”. Coincidentally, both MPs are part of the Singapore Prime Minister’s Ang Mo Kio group constituency.

Seah has written a column on Little Speck of the International Table Tennis Association’s decision to restrict imported ping pong players in the Olympics.

A blogger at Techgoondu has found a pen at Comex 08 which could be a godsend for journalists.

Comex 08 is currently held at the Singapore Suntec Convention Center till this Sunday.

Wrote Gin Lee,

This is a really cool gadget. it’s a pen with a built in mic and recorder. As you take notes, you are also recording what the speaker is saying.

Now every word that you type is bookmarked to the corresponding portion of the recording, think of it like every word you write is an automatic bookmark.

So if you want to jump to line 3 of your notes to hear what the professor is saying about macroeconomics, just click your pen on that third line and the corresponding recording will playback.

There are loads of other cool stuff you can do, like drawing a set of piano keys and then playing a tune usinig Do Re Mi, getting the pen to do calculations for you and even translating a foreign language. It’s hard to describe this $265 device - best you check it out for yourself.

Tagging has gone to the devices.

Check out the Comdex 08 updates at www.techgoondu.com.

Smartbrain was at the mob last night and ran into a Brazilian reporter who was on holiday in Thailand and received a call from his editor to get to the protests and find out what was happening.

Quite why out of a huge crowd of people, this fellow journalist asked Smartbrain if he could speak English was quite unclear. However, after explaining the whys and wherefores of the mob, Smartbrain suggested that the chap make his way to the press room and drew him a simple map within the Government House compound.

“They have a press room? At a Mob?” he asked. Apparently the fact that most of Bangkok was still calm or the fact that a huge crowd of people (thousands according to he BBC, tens of thousands according to people who can count) was singing songs and having a garden party in the Prime Minister’s Office’s gardens paled in comparison to the news that the mob had a press room.

“Of course, all good protests have a press room. It has air-conditioning, Internet and most of the journalists are chummy and would be ready to fill you in if you ask nicely,” Smartbrain replied.

Despite a lot of high profile lawsuits, freedom of press here in Thailand is still pretty good. Whether it is because they - whoever they may be - believe in freedom of press or if they just want to use and manipulate is is another matter.

Two years ago, from day zero, Sondhi’s mob always had a press section. Most of the time it was just a area cordoned off with power plugs run off the protester’s generator, but still, it was a press room. Don’t they have press rooms in anti-government protests and riots in other countries?

Finally, another interesting point is whether a journalist is ever off the job. This chap was on holiday and dressed in backpacker mode, yet his editor told him to get down to the protests and report on it.

Insiders have highlighted that the Malaysia Government has instructed the country’s ISPs to block Malaysia-Today.net and bloggers have posted that the action goes against the MSC Malaysia 10-Point Bill of Guarantees ensuring no censorship of the web.

Wrote Wong Chun Wai for New Malaysia,

It is not the job of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to decide what is seditious or libellious or slanderous. Let the proper authorities do the job. The MCMC order to internet service providers to block his site is myopic and ridiculous. It goes against the Multimedia Super Corridor Bill of Guarantees which promised no censorship.

The new Malaysia-Today blog can be found at http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com/2008/.

If Malaysia-Today started a blogspot address, one wonders if the MCMC would also consider blocking blogspot.The censorship of the blog might have bigger implication than democracy threatened.

In January this year, this blogger posted an entry about Malaysia being considered as a location for a large Google data farm.

In that post, a telecom insider wrote that Malaysia was probably selected because of this Bill of Guarentee.

Whatever happened to the Google data farm, no one really knows. However, if this censorship is just the begining of the end, the Google data farm in Malaysia might just evaporate!

In April 08, this blogger wished for the next SG Prime Minister to be a web2.0 junkie.

Recently at the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke of how New Media will change Singapore and how Singpaore is going to adapt to it. 

PM Lee even demostrated “live” streaming via his mobile phone.

Even that blogger-politician Jeff Ooi was mentioned in the Rally.

Sadly, the Prime Minister is getting a old media guy to regulate New Media.

Wrote Channel NewsAsia,

The Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society - led by former Singapore Press Holdings editor-in-chief Cheong Yip Seng - will set out its recommendations on these issues later this month.

When will they learn that New Media does not equal traditional media?
 

Which SG journo was chatting to a Thai journo at a press conference loudly and non stop  that an Aussie journo told them to shut up and pay attention?

Following on from this article, PR O’s country manager called Smartbrain today and apologised for the mix-up, taking full responsiblity for providing his name for the Dellli (no, that is not a typo) trip to their client and for the late invitation.

Apparently O provided D with Smartbrain’s name for the invitation, not as confirmation that Smartbrain had accepted to go. Not that Smartbrain ever got an invitation with the junket details, late or otherwise, but still, apology accepted and he does appreciate someone having the guts to apologise rather than disappear and get someone else to manage the account which happens once in a while after big mishaps in this industry.

Meanwhile, the start of the Olympics brings back some sour memories. Smartbrain never got an apology from the other, er, episode he had, the Atos-Origin “people like you” incident where the country manger of Atos Origin said he personally withdrew Smartbrain’s name from a junket to the Olympic venue in Beijing as he didn’t want his precious games associated with “people like you”. He also had the nerve to CC Atos’ VP for communications and neither of them sent me a reply afterwards.

Smartbrain is still trying to figure out what “people like you means” and he can only assume that the Atos country manager does not want any investigative reporters on the trip, especially ones who might ask why he married the daughter of an arms dealer and, through his father in law, won a big payphone contract with the state owned Telco TOT that was being investigated by the (now defunct) Assets Examination Committee set up post-coup to prosecute corrupt politicians. Of course, it is probably just a coincidence but it would have been nice to ask the question in person. But, after deep thought (read: burning hatred), Smartbrain is taking it as a compliment.

All of that has left Atos Origin, who have done the RFID ticketing system for the Genocide Games, sorry, Olympic Games, with zero coverage in Smartbrain’s paper for now, or forever, as long as he writes there.

Yes, Atos Origin does the ticketing for the Genocide games.
Atos Origin does the ticketing for the Genocide games.
Atos Origin does the ticketing for the Genocide games.

Ok. Perhaps Smartbrain is being a bit silly today.

The rumour going around in the Singapore PR grapevine is the mass exodus at Fleishman-Hillard Singapore.

A total of 9 senior staff  left the PR agency during the months of June and July 2008.

They include the following:

Karen Ho (SVP, tech)
Ronald Wong (VP, consumer)
Yeo Siang Hock (financial controller)
Gavin Foo (AD & head, digita)
Adrian Lee (AD, tech)
Lars Voesdisch (AD, tech)
Sonia Chen (AM, corporate)
Kevyn Eng (SAE, corporate)
Navin Nambiar (SAE, tech)

Insiders have hinted of rumors of alleged mismanagement and alleged unhappineess over salaries & benefits.

This is also reflected by the sentiments of local headhunters that FH offers on of the least competitive remuneration packages in the industry.

Two of the ex-FH team have started their PR agency.

One of the biggest no-no for a blog is the use of vulgarities in any of the post.

Bloggers may argue that it is their freedom of speech to post what they want. That’s your right as a blogger but if you want to be considered to be engaged by the PR agencies or the big brands, it is better to refrain from using vulgarities.

There are some popular blogs out there that are on the PR agencies blacklist because of vulgarities found on the post.

Many of the PR do not want to have to deal with a post that has too much vulgarities especially with the client.

PR are also caught in between so it is better not to add fuel to fire. If the blog post were to have something vulgar in the post, the vendor might not want to be associated with  that post and demand that the PR get the blogger to pull out that post.

But if the PR were to ask the blogger to pull out that post, a backlash might happen as the PR might be seen as wanting to control the blogger’s so called “freedom of speech”.

Hence, PR would rather refrain from engaging such blogs despite their popularity.

Singapore bloggers are posting their anger over the “dragging” of the Singapore flag by the country’s table tennis representative and flag bearer, Li Jia Wei, during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

As the Olympic opening ceremony is on the eve of Singapore’s National Day, The “dragging” incident has also turned into a spat of how imported “foreign talents” are representing Singapore in the sporting arena.

The incident also sparked these bloggers’ interest into “Googling” the rules of respect for the Singapore flag.

Wrote DK of blog.dk.sg,

It is dragging on the stadium floor most of the time. How could someone be so careless when holding the national flag infront of the whole world? If she put in extra care when holding the flag, this wouldn’t had happened. I already find it disgraceful when our national flag is being carried by a foreign talent during the opening ceremony. She have to rub salt into the wound by dragging my flag across the stadium.

Wrote IZ.Reloaded.com

I guess that’s what you get when you purchase an athlete from China - they just have no respect for your flag. According to the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act, no person must treat the national flag with disrespect, nor must any person in possession of the flag allow or cause the flag to touch the floor or ground. The penalty is a fine not exceeding S$1,000. Ouch.

Curious, why didn’t any of the other Singapore-born athletes in the march past go up to Jiawei to correct her flag carrying posture?

The Singapore Olympic Council has yet to respond to the incident.

Here’s a little clip of how a Mexican flag was dragged in protest against Mexican immigrants in the US.

Bloggers are now getting invited to events organised by PR agencies for the clients.

In Singapore, it seem those who are invited are the “In Group” bloggers from Ping.sg or those who are usually hitting the Top 10 at the same blog aggregation site.

If you do not qualify in either category, here are some tips, from the inside, on how you, as a blogger, can get yourself invited to such events.

Tip 1: Improve your “About” page

When PR selects a particular blogger to an event, the PR person needs to submit a brief to the client in order for the client to understand who the blogger is.

To assist the PR person, you, as a blogger, should fill up your “About” page accordingly with as much details as possible.

The essential details should include your name and your email address. If the PR person have selected your blog and can’t contact you, how would you expect the agency to invite you to the event?

Unfortunately, most PR would not put the invitation in your comments field as they fear that the event might end up too public.

In the about page, you should include a description of your blog and what interests you. This would have the PR person to have a better understanding of your blog and you as a blogger, thus increase your chance of selection.

Tip 2: Use a public  webstats page

In the PR industry, it is still a numbers game. The more readers or visitors you have,  the more likely you will be invited for the event.

Hence, its advisable to share your stats with a open webstats page. These numbers will provide further justification to have you invited for the event.

Otherwise, most PR person will make use of Alexa.com to get an estimation of your blog numbers and this estimation may not best reflect the true popularity of your blog.

Tip 3: Send an introductory email to the PR agencies

Take a look the bloggers that have been invited for these events and you would most likely see the names of the PR agencies  that have organised the events.

Some of the agencies, in Singapore, that have invited bloggers to events include Waggener Edstrom, Ogilvy PR and EASTWEST PR.

Go to their websites and email them a quick description of  your blog and yourself. They will definitely keep you in file and select you for events in the future.

Seen the McCain ad that spites Obama as too much of a celebrity to be a president by positioning Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton?

Thanks to McCain’s “endorsement”, Paris Hilton has decided to run for US president too.

Here’s the McCain ad.

A couple of Singaporeans turned crocodile hunters when a retiree and his daughter caught a photo of about one meter long.

This despite advice from a crocodile expert who said crocodiles, like any wild animals, are unpredictable and advised the public to stay away from it.

Wrote The Straits Times,

Working jointly to trap the reptile are the PUB, the national water agency, and the National Parks Board.

Several other ‘hunters’ are on its trail as well: a mix of curious onlookers and nature lovers all eager to shoot it - with their cameras, that is.

Among the people combing the area for signs of the crocodile yesterday were Mr K.C. Wong and his son.

If text won’t work as a warning, maybe the authorities should screen the trailer of “Rogue” at the area to scare away buaya (Malay for crocodile, local slang for playboy) hunters wannabe.

Australia’s Channel 7 investigative journalist Mike Duffy has uncovered a Nike contractor putting workers in sweatshop conditions in Kepong, Malaysia.

Kepong is about an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.

The journalists at Malay Mail have come down hard on the remarks made by the Malaysia Human Resource Director.

Wrote Frankie d’Cruz and Francis C. Nantha of the Malay Mail,

OUR Human Resources Minister apparently has not seen the Australian Channel 7 television report on “forced labour and appalling working conditions” at a Nike contract factory in Kuala Lumpur.

Otherwise, Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam would not have lashed out at Nike, the athletics apparel giant, for interfering in the internal affairs of Malaysia.

He had also said it was not appropriate for Nike to impose its own standards on a local supplier here.

Nike sweated out a reply saying “it is unsuitable and not up to Nike’s standard..”

FutureGov - Solutions for Government | Education | Healthcare

Check out the latest of FutureGov at their website at www.futuregov.net.

Wrote James Smith in an earlier comment on this blog,

FutureGov is not so much a replacement, as simply the new name for ‘Public Sector Technology & Management’ - a public sector solutions magazine that has been published in Asia Pacific for the past five years. The circulation remains largely the same, and the content is similar - what’s changed is our focus on public sector objectives and challenges, rather than IT execution.

Last week Smartbrain got an email from a certain computer maker thanking him for agreeing to go to a PC launch in Delhi and asking for passport particulars and further details so they could expedite the visa documents.

A trip to Delhi would be nice (sure beats Singapore) if it weren’t for the fact that up until then, nobody from company D or their PR, O, had contacted Smartbrain at all. In fact, Smartbrain has not done a piece on D (they can be a bit boring and generic) for many, many months.

“Perhaps there’s a mix-up”, Smartbrain’s reply began.

D’s internal PR sent Smartbrain the email from O as an attachment which clearly put down Smartbrain’s name, position and contact details as one of the two journalists going to Delhi. D was profusely apologetic and offered an invitation on the spot, unfortunately it clashed with another interview. D also cc’d O asking for clarification as they needed to get the letters out as soon as possible.

No communication was received from the PR company since. No email, no phone call, no invitation, no clarification, or as they say in the US of A, “no nothing”.

So, dear PR people, please check with a journalist and at least ask him at least verbally if he wants to go on a trip to India first before telling your client that the journalist is going.

Methinks that O was under pressure to provide names and sent their client Smartbrain’s name in panic to pretend that they were on the job doing the work that they were charging D big bucks for. Bad PR! Bad!

Quite why D, a tech company, would hire O is beyond me. O has no other tech clients here and their only regional one they represent, Novell, is barely active in this country.