tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29051201453006795472024-03-13T09:50:03.848-07:00AWExposureBands in social mediaAshley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-76016554885350216462012-04-30T06:00:00.001-07:002012-04-30T06:00:47.536-07:00<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SzEvcS01Cl0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-56521399659150226272011-08-03T07:10:00.000-07:002011-08-03T08:35:10.750-07:00Updated: o2 told me to jailbreak my iphone to block a nuisance caller<a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRW4gesMJOuZ5K_JiLziQ1ihQi4dEbNT5BrhdbmkvO-IOkvL7eg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 220px;" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRW4gesMJOuZ5K_JiLziQ1ihQi4dEbNT5BrhdbmkvO-IOkvL7eg" border="0" alt="" /></a>
<br />
<br />UPDATE - Nice swift response from the o2 Twitter team who have already spoken to our mate "Fred"
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<br /></div><div>
<br />...and then backtracked once I had told them what they were telling me would void my warranty. Full transcript below!
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<br /><meta charset="utf-8"><p class="infoText" style="line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(72, 79, 163); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Welcome to O2. Someone will be with you soon.</p><p class="infoText" style="line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(72, 79, 163); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; "><span class="infoText" style="line-height: 18px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(72, 79, 163); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; "></span>You're through to Fred.</p><p class="visitorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="visitorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Ashley: </span>Hi</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Hi I'm Fred. How can I help?</p><p class="visitorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="visitorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Ashley: </span>I keep getting called by this number 033 3344 0272, I did a google search and it seems like it is some sort of scam</p><p class="visitorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="visitorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Ashley: </span>is there anyway to block their calls?</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Yes, you can block it. I'd like to inform you that its a handset feature and you can find the steps in your user manual.</p><p class="visitorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="visitorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Ashley: </span>I am on an iPhone and not aware of that feature</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Let me help you with the steps.</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Make sure the data connection on the iPhone is turned on. This means that regardless of whether the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi, EDGE or 3G network, it must be connected to at least one of these three. If it is not, it will not be able to complete the steps required to download iBlacklist</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Look for the Cydia application on the iPhone and press the icon with your finger. This icon is often kept somewhere close to the first application page because it is needed to download jailbroken applications.</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Wait a few moments until Cydia completely loads. After it loads, locate and click on the "Sections" link on the page. After this is clicked on, a new page will open.</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>On the scrollable list on the new page, scroll down until reaching the selection that says "Utilities." Select it by pressing on it. On the next page, scroll down to the letter "i." There you will be able to find the iBlacklist package.</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Select "iBlacklist" and install it. After it has installed, click on the new "iBlacklist" icon on your phone.</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>When the application opens, click on "blacklist." Then enter the number(s) you want to block and press "Enter." You no longer will receive calls from the numbers you have blocked.</p><p class="visitorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="visitorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Ashley: </span>seriously suggesting i jailbreak my iphone?</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Yes, you need to follow the instructions for block a number.</p><p class="visitorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="visitorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Ashley: </span>but you are aware that voids my warranty?</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>No, if you'll download it , your warranty will still remain . </p><p class="visitorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "><span class="visitorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Ashley: </span>but you must jailbreak your iphone to get cydia?</p><p class="visitorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="visitorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(58, 73, 188); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Ashley: </span>and jailbreaking voids your warranty</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><span class="operatorName" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Fred: </span>Okay, then please don't try these steps and please visit on below link and they'll block that number from backend.</p><p class="operatorText" style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(63, 63, 63); font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">
<br /></p></div>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-90272017310191124012011-01-10T01:23:00.000-08:002011-01-10T07:20:19.220-08:00A little bit of history...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://encefalus.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bad_economics.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 430px;" src="http://encefalus.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bad_economics.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />- I studied Business Economics at the University of Reading<br />- I did an internship at a bank in Tokyo<br />- The office I worked in was known as the morgue<br />- I then made the decision that this really was not the industry for meAshley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-22854838675560513312010-09-02T09:38:00.001-07:002010-09-02T09:50:23.370-07:00Ping<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01707/ping_1707272c.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 288px;" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01707/ping_1707272c.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I watched a live stream of the apple conference last night and was fully expecting, as was the rest of the tech world, the updates to the ipod range and apple tv. What I was not expecting was Ping, Apple's own music social media platform. I have read plenty of reviews and so far, the response has been pretty underwhelming but will pass judgement once I have had the chance to have a play.<br /><br />In terms of what this means for the other social media platforms such as MySpace, Last.fm and Spotify, it's pretty big. These other services are often used in conjunction with iTunes and Apple have surprised everyone by taking on this market. I use last.fm to track what I am listening to and to also see what my friends are listening to. The ability to do this within iTunes is certainly an interesting proposition and I cannot wait to try it out!Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-82074982893567625232010-09-01T05:37:00.000-07:002010-09-01T06:46:52.950-07:00The Wilderness Down Town<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGPTPQf4YhxXaiyj-9RQNJSt6j-oxm0NQW6rG4tc9Webxle-wGY41ZwqsQK5QelEX9COFWi1zX07hmFRK_PacUjxOsKb5vABs0AGW2CCwdr_G8-lNRj0BIV1AnspkBYYET8jA8Vu8pcvR/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-09-01+at+13.51.25.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGPTPQf4YhxXaiyj-9RQNJSt6j-oxm0NQW6rG4tc9Webxle-wGY41ZwqsQK5QelEX9COFWi1zX07hmFRK_PacUjxOsKb5vABs0AGW2CCwdr_G8-lNRj0BIV1AnspkBYYET8jA8Vu8pcvR/s320/Screen+shot+2010-09-01+at+13.51.25.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511927055977319826" /></a><br /><br />Wow.<br /><br />That was the only thing going through my mind as I watched this sensational new music video by Arcade Fire. You really have to watch it for yourself to truly appreciate how spectacular the whole experience is. I know I sound like I am gushing but it simply has to be watched <a href="http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/">here.</a><br /><br />The video was created in partnership with Google and is part of the Chrome Experiments project. This aims to showcase the latest browser based experiments using open standards such as HTML5, Canvas and SVG.<br /><br />The user watching the video actually becomes part of the story after entering in their childhood address. Google maps and Street View is then used as part of the story and you can see where you once lived and this evolves through the video as trees grow and birds fly across the screen. The various tools used are explained <a href="http://www.chromeexperiments.com/arcadefire/">here.</a><br /><br />This video is a fantastic use of new and emerging technology and has created a truly engaging experience for the user. You feel like a part of the video and contribute through your address and then writing a message to the younger you. There are additional features to increase its reach such as sharing your video and sending your postcard "downtown." Explained on the website, this means it could end up as part of the visuals for the next Arcade Fire tour or be sent to another user. <br /><br />This really is a game changer in terms of music videos and expect to see a lot more like this in the future!Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-6580513214185230132010-08-23T08:06:00.000-07:002010-08-23T08:19:39.976-07:00Lady Gaga has more friends than you do...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Gaga_front_profile_cropped.jpg/500px-Gaga_front_profile_cropped.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 300px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Gaga_front_profile_cropped.jpg/500px-Gaga_front_profile_cropped.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />...well, I would assume that in the real world she is pretty damn lonely but according to <a href="http://www.famecount.com">Famecount,</a>she now tops the lists for the most followers on Twitter with a staggering 5,720,931 and also the most Facebook fans of any living person with 16,372,106.<br /><br />Those are some pretty incredible numbers and the Facebook Fan Page in particular will provide some pretty incredible insights into all of her fans. Being able to potentially contact 16 million fans with a simple status update could go viral in an instant!<br /><br /><br />Photo source: WikipediaAshley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-90099837388619259612010-08-23T02:20:00.000-07:002010-08-23T03:22:47.139-07:00This blog will finally have some direction!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N5N08D2_QHccuVNcsdbTIwZfC6KSPD64XnXgFgDGzfuLXCHzaUSCbF6LssPPP6wQ8xF0DFWq_cr9frlRd8chC4NmAS5KojHszwoCK3KFUIJCEmPH4C6s3a-0kR__MXLpUSq2qcnUdCtQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-08-23+at+11.18.43.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N5N08D2_QHccuVNcsdbTIwZfC6KSPD64XnXgFgDGzfuLXCHzaUSCbF6LssPPP6wQ8xF0DFWq_cr9frlRd8chC4NmAS5KojHszwoCK3KFUIJCEmPH4C6s3a-0kR__MXLpUSq2qcnUdCtQ/s320/Screen+shot+2010-08-23+at+11.18.43.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508547951369009650" /></a><br />Obviously this blog has lacked any posts for a long time. I lacked direction and didn't want to simply repost random social media news articles like every other blog out there. I wasn't really sure what I could write about and what I could really give an opinion on. Then i started thinking about all the things I like and how I could combine them to create some kind of meaningful blog. I then had that eureka moment when taking photo's at the Hevy Music festival in Kent a few weeks ago. Why not focus on bands in social media? I love music, I love gigs and I am fascinated by the way that bands become popular so why not look at all things music in the world of social media?Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-58237078056946537692010-06-17T09:02:00.001-07:002010-06-17T09:04:58.689-07:00Bands embracing social media<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCGaUFHrftr1DC7CHTlZE4RoNGOLWTOP723eDoq-2LaPCv-yczQhstnZjQzdkNf6RD6DZD0NfX_aN7TXUCtDYcfURSmDqKNbq5bKfhm50u5afdeGO-48l9r6HrUTvrmyZP9i8UNMl19gr/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-06-17+at+16.53.36.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCCGaUFHrftr1DC7CHTlZE4RoNGOLWTOP723eDoq-2LaPCv-yczQhstnZjQzdkNf6RD6DZD0NfX_aN7TXUCtDYcfURSmDqKNbq5bKfhm50u5afdeGO-48l9r6HrUTvrmyZP9i8UNMl19gr/s320/Screen+shot+2010-06-17+at+16.53.36.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483773725554815650" /></a><br />Now I have seen it all...Frank Turner advertising gig tickets on Facebook!Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-51977633524208856692010-05-12T06:02:00.001-07:002010-05-12T06:25:02.752-07:00Brands on Twitter...get ready for a good critiquing!It's cool to be on Twitter don't you know, your nan might not be tweeting yet but you can bet that a lot of high street stores/supermarkets/big brands are all trying to get in on the action and join the "uber cool" new found land. Well, uber cool might not be true but marketing/pr gurus will have decided that they MUST be on Twitter and have dived in without any objectives set or any real purpose, other than to show face in this new landscape.<br /><br />We have two lucky contenders today whose Twitter presence and practice will be examined but I am generally quite nice so I usually just have nice things to say. Unless you do something wrong, then i will be quite unpleasant.<br /><br />First up we have the Carphone Warehouse. http://twitter.com/carphoneware<br />CPW once had a bad reputation, cowboys and hard sellers often resulting with angry customers. Twitter is a great place to vent your anger and so it only seems natural that CPW should have a presence here to actually feedback on the criticism. I was very anti CPW but i have to say that their Twitter account is pretty good. They reply to any mention of their name with what appears to be a lot of happy customers. They also share relavent news articles and improvements to their service. You don't feel like they are just on Twitter for the sake of being on Twitter but that it actually adds value for their customers.<br /><br />Second up today is Magners Cider. http://twitter.com/magnersuk<br />Magners use their social media channels as a way of associating itself with comedy as well as plugging its product. They run lots of competitions and post up links to events they have sponsored. They reply to lots of tweets and often tweet some entertaining content. They blend the art of plugging their product and making the content interesting enough to keep following them and winning their competitions feels very achievable. <br /><br />Short and sweet.Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-11796939044415293372010-04-19T03:44:00.000-07:002010-04-19T07:06:39.833-07:00IAB SMC Practitioner ProgrammeFirst session this morning at the IAB headquarters. Wonderful bacon sandwiches to start...<br /><br />Full write up to come but a great first session and corporate twitter accounts beware, a critique will be coming your way soon!<br /><br /><br />http://www.iabuk.net/en/1/socialmediacertificate070610.mxs<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3329/3196650975_66c20da703.jpg" /><br /><br />7B33C95GMCY4Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-66618355100881938082009-12-05T08:49:00.000-08:002009-12-05T09:28:35.154-08:00Apple Magic Mouse Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c0378172.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/apple-magic-mouse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 529px; height: 298px;" src="http://c0378172.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/apple-magic-mouse.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I got the new <a href="http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/">Apple Magic Mouse</a> a few weeks ago and i have to say that it is beautiful. The first sight of it in the box it comes in simply leaves you in awe. Once out of the box the awe continues and you question why such a magnificent looking mouse hasn't been made before.<br /><br />It was very simple to get working; you simply turn on bluetooth on your computer, flick the switch on the back of the mouse and you are ready to go. Already used to multi-touch with my macbook, i was very interested to see how this carried over to a regular mouse.<br /><br />The Magic Mouse works on every surface although i felt a little bit of resistance on the table i was using at work. Clicking is very satisfying and it's nice being able to left and right click without having 2 different buttons. Scrolling also works very nicely and reacts very quickly. Two finger swiping is nice when going through photos but i rarely use it in my browser. The 360degree scrolling is also useful, especially on my Macbook when my browsers windows are not often maximised.<br /><br />My only issue with the Magic Mouse was that having been used to the multi-touch trackpad on my Macbook, I am very used to the 4 finger swipes for Expose and show desktop. These are my 2 most used multi-touch functions and are particularly useful on a laptop with a small screen.<br /><br />This issue was solved however when browsing through Twitter posts and stumbling upon a Tweet about <a href="http://blog.boastr.net/">BetterTouchTool.</a> This application makes the Magic Mouse completely customisable. This includes a 1 finger tapping, 2 finger tapping, 2 finger swiping, 3 finger swiping etc. This opens up the possibilities of the the mouse massively and becomes a very efficient tool. You can set any gesture to do pretty much anything, for example copy and pasting.<br /><br />I first set up the mouse to start Expose with a 3 finger swipe down and a 3 finger swipe up to show the desktop (like the 4 finger functions on the Macbook trackpad) but after a few days decided to change these to 2 finger swipes because 3 fingers swipes didn't feel as natural or easy.<br /><br />Whilst the Magic Mouse is quite expensive, if you want a fully customisable mouse that looks beautiful and is a dream to use then you will have no problems paying over the odds (as you do with all Apple products but most enthusiasts feel the extra cash is worth it).Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-66504387121609867362009-12-03T07:13:00.000-08:002009-12-03T15:35:21.446-08:00Indian Lamb in Spice and YoghurtI love cooking, read <a href="http://awexposure.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-cv.html">my C.V</a> if you don't believe me. I love things that take ages to cook. I am of the opinion that everything tastes better when it is slow cooked. <br /><br />Anyway, when ever I cook something I really like I will be writing the recipe in this blog and sticking a picture if I remember to take one.<br /><br />So last night was Indian Lamb in Spice and Yoghurt. I really like Indian food and lamb is probably my favourite meat so this was a winner before i even started cooking.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />2 onions, chopped - I used shallots<br />125g plain yoghurt<br />1 teaspoon chilli powder<br />1 tablespoon ground coriander<br />2 teaspoons ground cumin<br />1 teaspoon ground cardamon - didn't use this<br />1/2 teaspoon ground cloves - didn't use this either<br />1 teaspoon ground turmeric<br />3 garlic cloves<br />1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger<br />400g can of chopped tomatoes<br />1kg boned leg of lamb, chopped up - i used a shoulder joint and cooked it a bit longer<br />1 teaspoon garam masala<br />chopped fresh coriander leaves<br /><br />1) heat oil in a wok over a medium heat and add the onion, stirring for 5min or until softened.<br />2) stir in the yoghurt, chili powder, coriander, cumin, cardamon, cloves, turmeric, garlic and ginger.<br />3) add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt then simmer for 5min<br />4) add the lamb and stir until coated<br />4) cover and cook over a low heat, stirring every now and again for 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours or until lamb is tender<br />5) add the garam masala to the curry and mix through<br />6) Sprinkle coriander leaves over the top.<br /><br />This recipe was taken from "The Essential Wok Cookbook" by Murdoch Books<br /><br /><br />It was delicious, i had expected to have some left over for lunch today but when I got to the fridge found that my bloody sister had taken what was left for lunch at work. <br /><br />Not impressed.Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-60607298084974682812009-12-03T05:17:00.001-08:002009-12-03T05:28:34.840-08:00New York, New York. 2009These are the photos from my trip to New York with my girlfriend in the Summer after my exams had finished.<br />There are lots from the helicopter ride we took over NYC but i would like to add that i will certainly never be doing this again after the <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/08/national/main5226965.shtml">tragedy</a> a few months ago.<br /><br />Awesome trip though.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dydNqUKMgZ8DrbvMkEPJI6HMkwMJlxuFi66kFpc9qEyS9y8TvFpdzQvqQjUUBq8rZkKjOnaLGkfXa-TuU5BFg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-69880374917032051332009-12-03T05:11:00.001-08:002009-12-03T05:29:16.825-08:00Tokyo, Christmas 2008And then Christmas 2008 in Tokyo plus my trip to Nikko:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx2YpulQX5AfE9GMutqK2YhHAsTwoHTbbrWvmO6A-q6unWVp_1X7qw6gUNOcRG85Qa_FoXBwD8XwKRcjiZ7Gg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-23975148064289323872009-12-03T04:59:00.000-08:002009-12-03T05:10:40.376-08:00Tokyo, Summer 2008Here is a video with all my pictures from my trip to Tokyo in 2008. <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxdL7d004TVoR55IDAWnXIfqjT_WXH7FnjXpwwdgjfXiXcIdPczQnyEvXEW-9CJuClT3JU9LIycjfAsytfyOw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-42081244966283965552009-12-03T03:58:00.000-08:002009-12-03T03:59:02.260-08:00Grammatics @ The Rivermead, ReadingThis was a few weeks ago now but i got a photopass for the Bloc Party gig in Reading, unfortunatley i was only allowed to shoo the support band, here are a few shots:<br /><br /><br /><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5ZBkqobVWRHAX8sanEAcFDFSLcx7FselkOMQxAJF_vsKinlUlA5e6zThAvaaH-XJ3yCr-XJXPq4IGaNp0eTeEW9e2qP4WRNk2VO_ZSeJ9a5R2Y7QhPTSTAGtdcVviGlIa1QKmWS5sJei/s1600-h/IMG_5197.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5ZBkqobVWRHAX8sanEAcFDFSLcx7FselkOMQxAJF_vsKinlUlA5e6zThAvaaH-XJ3yCr-XJXPq4IGaNp0eTeEW9e2qP4WRNk2VO_ZSeJ9a5R2Y7QhPTSTAGtdcVviGlIa1QKmWS5sJei/s160/IMG_5197.JPG' border='0' alt=''style='clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;' /></a> <br /><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfpIGT94yKGq6IN59zuxXAofl01_uTJz7PgJ_-4uTdbs6iU9bc_usrSFGy_VRLAS9dJWwIbSikFjcG7Eof2qoYAzHCUNBCNPggcpTKltvYDsLMcBQS9oqWuMxMnh8mvtEMiHI-MY5yoib/s1600-h/IMG_5211.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfpIGT94yKGq6IN59zuxXAofl01_uTJz7PgJ_-4uTdbs6iU9bc_usrSFGy_VRLAS9dJWwIbSikFjcG7Eof2qoYAzHCUNBCNPggcpTKltvYDsLMcBQS9oqWuMxMnh8mvtEMiHI-MY5yoib/s160/IMG_5211.JPG' border='0' alt=''style='clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;' /></a> <br /><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZQ6hp0AHBqvzXWyZW-AbY3zd7XaB3CnJJmX6TGWEatuSuMZpzEvbgyzBjnLUOO_XmmFKnb5t5vfEngE_WFaoxwEUUySyY3XHLS9gZH3_5k8CfgtfVh-u14u5s_xq0ab48bwhyphenhyphenpxn2x96/s1600-h/IMG_5212.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZQ6hp0AHBqvzXWyZW-AbY3zd7XaB3CnJJmX6TGWEatuSuMZpzEvbgyzBjnLUOO_XmmFKnb5t5vfEngE_WFaoxwEUUySyY3XHLS9gZH3_5k8CfgtfVh-u14u5s_xq0ab48bwhyphenhyphenpxn2x96/s160/IMG_5212.JPG' border='0' alt=''style='clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;' /></a> <br /><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiEm_mBvpfBzSnjMgGFiZbGpR7WR4PKZ2UECVFHoEZiya7WvIz3bxAi4wn_r8qpDM-9iCBlU8jKgF2nW48watdJpkRVenVvukBLHylXjawdM7UCHYmgxNfUGuDziBjUng4_yR1l1_Sh44/s1600-h/IMG_5214.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiEm_mBvpfBzSnjMgGFiZbGpR7WR4PKZ2UECVFHoEZiya7WvIz3bxAi4wn_r8qpDM-9iCBlU8jKgF2nW48watdJpkRVenVvukBLHylXjawdM7UCHYmgxNfUGuDziBjUng4_yR1l1_Sh44/s160/IMG_5214.JPG' border='0' alt=''style='clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;' /></a> <div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-10182047629225766132009-12-03T03:36:00.000-08:002009-12-03T03:44:51.235-08:00My C.V<span style="font-weight:bold;">Objective</span><br />I am a motivated, hard working, organised team player whose aim is to always achieve his goals and get the job done. I have a real passion for brands and a keen interest in the digital world and the way that it is evolving.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Education</span><br />09/06 – 07/09 The University of Reading Upper Second Class (2:1) in Business Economics (BA)<br />Studying for this degree has allowed me to study economic principles and quantitative techniques and develop a broad understanding of economic theory and its practical applications, particularly within business. I have developed successful research and analytical skills and enhanced my time management skills during my course, always meeting my deadlines. I was an active student, being a Treasurer and President of the Indie Society and then on the PR team for the student newspaper.<br /><br />09/04 – 05/06 Maidstone Grammar School The International Baccalaureate:<br /> English - 5<br /> German - 4<br /> Economics - 5<br /> Computer Science - 6<br /> Physics - 4<br /> Maths – 5<br /> Bonus Point - 1<br /> Total Points - 30;<br /> UCAS equivalent - 419<br /><br />I opted for the International Baccalaureate as opposed to A-Levels. It gave me a greater variety of subjects to study and I felt it was a more well rounded course.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Marketing Related Work Experience<br /></span><span style="font-weight:bold;">07/09 - Present Face Group Intern</span><br />Face Group is a Co-Creation agency. Their focus is on bringing major brands and consumers together to create and develop ideas for product development, marketing strategies and advertising. I am currently interning at their office.. My role involves a wide variety of tasks including data analysis, writing blogs to do with current projects or relevant issues, writing copy for online projects and helping to manage the online communities. (See bottom for links to blogs)<br />The most interesting project I worked on was a social media monitoring project for the Carphone Warehouse. This involved researching the different platforms that consumers talked about the brands on and used sites such as Omigli and a twitter tool on Yahoo called Important People to compile the brand mentions. We then analysed the data to create a overview of the companies online presence and sentiment of this presence so that they could understand what was being said about them and where.<br /><br />I have also taken part as a consumer in projects over the last two years for Orange, Unilver (Lynx), Doritos and other brands. This involved attending focus groups, giving opinions on new product and advertising ideas and coming up with new ideas. For these sessions I had to be creative and able to work well in a team so that we could we could generate usable ideas and give valuable opinions on the items discussed.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">01/07 – 07/09 Blackjack Promotions Promotions Staff<br /></span>This involved working with brands such as Kelloggs, Luxxotica (Chanel, Prada, Rayban.), The Times etc. The work includeded handing out promotional items, merchandising, encouraging people to buy the products and raising awareness of the brands. For this job I needed to be outgoing, confident and able to communicate well with customers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">01/09 – 01/09 Spark* Newspaper PR Team<br /></span>I was a member of the PR Team for the University newspaper. My job involved contacting companies for items to review such as games/CDs. It also involved making sure the correct permissions have been obtained for all images and other copyrighted materials that appear in the paper.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">09/07 – 04/08 Ponanas Night Club Promotions Staff<br /></span>I flyered for a club called Ponanas. For this job I had to be friendly and persuasive to get as many people into the club as possible.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Other Work Experience<br /></span><span style="font-weight:bold;">07/08 – 08/08 WestLB Tokyo Credit Risk Management - Summer Intern</span><br />I spent the summer in Tokyo following the head of CRM. I assisted in day to day tasks, carried out research on particular deals and analysing and presenting the relevant information. I was able to asses problems involved in the adoption of new internal procedures and come to conclusions when specific issues arose.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">09/07 – 11/07 First Point IT Data Entry<br /></span>I had a 3 month contract doing data entry at an IT recruitment consultancy until they migrated to their new database, using MS Outlook and Access until I then helped them migrate to their new database system called ITRIS. I had to be accurate and consistent to ensure that the required information was migrated correctly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Interests<br /></span>Music is a big part of my life. I go to lots of gigs and used to do a lot of work for a music marketing company, distributing promotional materials and doing data collection or reviewing the gigs and taking photos for various publications. These have included Rock-Sound, Alternative Magazine, Xtaster Xine, Rock Beast and also my own music webzine.<br /><br />I was the Treasurer and then President of the Indie Society at Reading University. We organised socials, helping bring new students together and provided an environment where newcomers to the university can easily meet like minded people. My job involved keeping track of our finances and then organising the events.<br /><br />I love to cook. I make the best roast potatoes, my lamb hotpot is delicious and my Thai curry tastes as good as the real thing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Links<br /></span>Photography:<br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/ash_ymb/Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-32569206510376716702009-12-03T03:29:00.000-08:002009-12-03T05:16:13.919-08:00Bye Bye Myspace?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3748291097_2a2e1550e4.jpg?v=0"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 456px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3748291097_2a2e1550e4.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I remember when I first started using MySpace. I was chatting to a friend from Australia, we were both bored and he said I should check out this thing called MySpace. I set up a profile and filled in some simple information. After browsing through a selection of other profiles I soon learnt that with some basic html you could personalise your profile in any way you wanted. I spent days playing around with my profile and adding new friends.<br /><br />MySpace was big when I was at school, everyone had a profile. Most people checked their profiles several times a day and eventually the school blocked MySpace access (along with anything else of interest.) Fast forward a few years and MySpace is only ever mentioned with disdain and Facebook is the only social networking site that any of my friends use.<br /><br />When Facebook first arrived on the scene, no one was interested. It was all very clinical and bland, it lacked any personality. Your MySpace profile was a reflection on your personality and made a big statement about who you were. Facebook on the other hand had the one size fits all approach and wasn’t the creative outlet that we demanded.<br /><br />As time went on however MySpace slowed down. It was full of spam, pages took far too long to load due to excessive images, videos and flash plug-ins. Communicating with friends was slow and difficult and this allowed the once bland Facebook to launch its attack. Facebook became the easiest way to find your friends, send messages and post comments in a very effective manner. Communication was now the key, with no easy way to find particular friends in your friend list it just didn’t give the fast results you wanted.<br /><br />When I started university, the only reason we used MySpace was to listen to music on band profiles. It was a legal way to check out a bands music before you saw them at a gig or bought the album. It was also a great place to discover new bands. Facebook use increased because it was an easy and informal way to chat with people you had just met in halls or at social events. MySpace was about individuality and personal expression whereas Facebook focussed on communication.<br /><br />I think MySpace appealed to a younger audience who cannot go out whenever they want, it allowed them to create a persona, much like with role playing games such as World of Warcraft, and talk to people that they may not ever know in the real world. Older users, who are more independent and actually know most of the people on their friends list, just need a method of communication and something to help them procrastinate, avoiding work at all costs.<br /><br />Today I check my MySpace profile every couple of weeks if I am bored just to see if I have any messages or comments but cannot remember the last time I actually had any. T<a href="http://www.readplatform.com/r-i-p-myspace/">here is an amusing article on Platform Magazines website where the writers look back at their profiles</a>. It is like visiting a former self because as they discuss, no one has changed their profiles since 2006 and it is a chance to take a nostalgic visit down memory lane.<br /><br />With founder Tom Anderson now shafted, Rupert Murdoch has set out a new direction for MySpace. It is weird that just a the day before The Independent published it’s article,<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/5877921/MySpace-to-tap-in-to-youth-creativity.html"> The Telegraph recieved some information on the new direction that MySpace will be going in</a>. The new vision is that of a creative outlet for all young people’s talents, not just the focus on music. Only time will tell if they can restore themselves to their former glory. MySpace will also be playing catch up in the free ad based music streaming services. With its launch being delayed once again, services such as the hugely popular Spotify and Last.fm have even longer to attract new customers and with MySpace’s somewhat tarnished reputation, I find it hard to see how they will be able to regain the lost ground.<br /><br />It’s strange to think that something that was so important just a few years ago is probably now going to slowly disappear in to the ether without anyone really caring, I guess it’s a reflection of the ridiculously fast and continuously evolving world we live in. I am not really sad to see MySpace go; the only question that its disappearance leaves unanswered is, who will be next?<br /><br />P.S. Perhaps in a few years all that will be left of MySpace will be this wonderful spoof clip, MySpace the Movie.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AAh6WwKILfk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AAh6WwKILfk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This blog was originally written for <a href="http://www.faceyouthlab.com/?p=177">Face Youth Lab</a>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-1359209648799364822009-12-03T03:18:00.000-08:002009-12-03T05:15:32.423-08:00DIGITAL CANNIBALISM - WHERE DOES MUSIC GO FROM HERE?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.drownedinsound.com/resized_images/185x185/44447.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 185px;" src="http://images.drownedinsound.com/resized_images/185x185/44447.jpeg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />According to a <a href="http://drownedinsound.com/news/4136081-95-of-music-downloads-in-2008-were-illegal-dis-reacts-and-suggests-two-solutions?most-read">recent report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries</a>, 95% of music downloads in 2008 were illegal. The report claims that more than 40 billion songs were illegally downloaded and popular music website DrownedinSound calculate that this left the music industry with £48 billion shortfall.<br /><br />The music industry is apparently only making 5% of its potential and with the already dramatic decrease in legitimate physical sales due to the “digital revolution,” the age of file sharing appears to be causing irreparable damage. Whilst these figures are dubious and many will question how they could ever calculate such a figure, it highlights the degree to which illegal downloads towers over legal downloads.<br /><br />I am only 21 but I remember when I was at school spending all my money on CDs, as did all my friends. I remember eagerly waiting for new albums coming out and rushing into HMV to make sure I secured a copy. Now I don’t even own a stereo; my music system is a set of speakers that plug into my laptop.<br /><br />The vast majority of my friends download music. The uneducated use p2p applications which are full of viruses and fake copies of songs and albums. Others use torrents, good download speeds, comments to verify the material and hundreds of sites that index what is available. The hardcore use newsgroups, you have to pay for access but the download speeds and available downloads are huge.<br /><br />I download most of my music first. If I really like the album then I will buy the CD or more often, buy the vinyl. Because my laptop is my media system and the only other way I listen to music is on my ipod, having CDs becomes unnecessary. I don’t like paying for downloads because I don’t like not having something physical to show for it, hence the preference for vinyl. You also worry that if your computer dies, you could lose the music. If I really like the band or album however, it is nice to have the vinyl, the artwork looks cooler as its either in a 7” or 12” case and is more collectable. The vast majority of my friends download music; those that say they don’t are usually lying. Sharing music with friends used to mean swapping albums for a week but it now means sharing the torrent or rapidshare link.<br /><br />It becomes very hard to pay for music when you are given the choice of using very similar software, say iTunes and BitTorrent, similar download speeds and similar quality but then also the option of paying or not paying. Radiohead released their critically acclaimed In Rainbows in 2007, <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9811013-7.html">they told fans they could pay what they wanted</a> and as a result, about 62% walked away without paying anything. Only 12% paid in the region of what an album usually costs.<br /><br />When you are at home on your computer and you have the choice of getting something you want for free or paying for exactly the same thing, most people will take the free option. This assumes that the person downloading the album cares nothing for the band. Paying for the album can ensure a smaller bands future. If I go and see a new band and I like them, I will buy the album. This is more relevant for smaller bands because you know the money means more to them. One album sale can be the difference between having petrol money to get to the next show or not. The bigger a band gets, the less of a direct relationship exists and so you can become less inclined to pay for the album because that real relationship with the band can fade.<br /><br />File sharing is stealing. Every song downloaded for free is lost revenue. Many smaller bands however can benefit from file sharing. <a href="http://drownedinsound.com/news/4135420">I read an article by an artist </a>called Fakesensations who tried releasing an album via the major online stores. Very little happened and about $50 was earned. The artist then put the album up on a torrent tracker site. In 2 days, 500 people had downloaded the album. This is 500 people that probably never would have bought the album but now may go to a show, buy some merchandise or buy a physical copy of the album. The record labels would see this as 500 lost sales but to the artist, it is 500 potential new fans. This highlights the difficulty in regulating file sharing because sometimes artists do benefit.<br /><br />As long as music can be easily downloaded, it will be downloaded.<a href="http://drownedinsound.com/news/3110449-banned-from-the-internet--virgin-media-file-sharers-first-over-bpis-knee"> British internet service providers have started to send out letters informing customers that they are doing something illegal</a>. France has introduced a 3 strikes policy where you can get banned from the internet for continuing to file share. I think this is an interesting policy and could have real effects. The choice of downloading for free now has serious consequences. Whilst not as severe as fines or prison sentences, consumers now must choose between legally downloading or losing internet access.<br /><br />With the likes of Spotify, Myspace and Last.fm, there is a wealth of free music out there. The internet has made file sharing so simple and common place that I think the rights of artists need to be championed a little bit more. Letting people know that file sharing is stealing and that it has a direct impact on the artists is needed. Perhaps the letters ISPs send out to users should not be a standard letter but actually contain a list of what has been illegally downloaded and how much should have been paid in the first place. This way you can actually see the value of what you have stolen.<br /><br /><br />This blog was originally written for <a href="Http://www.faceyouthlab.com/?p=107">Face Youth Lab</a>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2905120145300679547.post-29018116021653199472009-08-03T07:54:00.000-07:002009-08-03T07:54:53.885-07:00Hevy Music Festival<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9mxiEAqueuIITFLs5EopV0EaDuNzZozPfmcSr7yVJ9DcqVbJMjNjWHAScul2sDpy4rwfnspEtDaMFuqcWEtDII9z-hyw1hGP-Xw1FplQE7FwmN_Atu2NwKgvDqZE0WxarKJhRHW1-rQW/s1600-h/IMG_4292.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9mxiEAqueuIITFLs5EopV0EaDuNzZozPfmcSr7yVJ9DcqVbJMjNjWHAScul2sDpy4rwfnspEtDaMFuqcWEtDII9z-hyw1hGP-Xw1FplQE7FwmN_Atu2NwKgvDqZE0WxarKJhRHW1-rQW/s320/IMG_4292.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lejDLKYDQz-QRuQwLoIBzLb81fZGR1DUXeX2zB0s3-ZRVGBD3F0QwPDg6RylenFdOt1E4F1vuf901yM3lyIS55llU51RXCR_KZoXUL3MBtf74dsCV6abjymW4SUk7w6LfQQ_XnMhl0eo/s1600-h/IMG_4304.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-lejDLKYDQz-QRuQwLoIBzLb81fZGR1DUXeX2zB0s3-ZRVGBD3F0QwPDg6RylenFdOt1E4F1vuf901yM3lyIS55llU51RXCR_KZoXUL3MBtf74dsCV6abjymW4SUk7w6LfQQ_XnMhl0eo/s320/IMG_4304.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUE0ms7NKHPuRxy1HQTxNfFs1cV80UXBM2O1cX8qVqeGFPHASQsRUAxKRLWLSSxfyreZHyeZILnPRxPrtGE6E2CR2jyRoojxjUYFc-ENOsu_HRgtVX_y3lhM1PIj0jSMEUlCzhSS6lcbf/s1600-h/IMG_4341.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUE0ms7NKHPuRxy1HQTxNfFs1cV80UXBM2O1cX8qVqeGFPHASQsRUAxKRLWLSSxfyreZHyeZILnPRxPrtGE6E2CR2jyRoojxjUYFc-ENOsu_HRgtVX_y3lhM1PIj0jSMEUlCzhSS6lcbf/s320/IMG_4341.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabiSYM2DRLfzrVcqapy-r4aerv3WA4h3uQqkcozDXdBDSvwtBP5bfoLuAiBSLE5sKBD233wg-7_ppUrAzruKW3E7q80BD1rRLswRdR72LgW0qVmcIXBadBESdfHNilsocsqLn_AelsfcJ/s1600-h/IMG_4343.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabiSYM2DRLfzrVcqapy-r4aerv3WA4h3uQqkcozDXdBDSvwtBP5bfoLuAiBSLE5sKBD233wg-7_ppUrAzruKW3E7q80BD1rRLswRdR72LgW0qVmcIXBadBESdfHNilsocsqLn_AelsfcJ/s320/IMG_4343.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="clear:both;float:left; margin:0px 10px 10px 0;" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Ashley Wilkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03071672083442636289noreply@blogger.com0