http://speaka.org Do you make words make sense with plain english? Or do you still think your managementspeak and bullsh*t fools people? Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:00:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The blogosphere is abuzz today after an entry on French Communities Minister Jean-Jacques Atác's web blog was apparently programmed to be released dated April 8th, but which appeared in error today. The blog (which has since been pulled offline) reveals details of the Minister's sponsorship of controversial ten-day week legislation, ... http://speaka.org/2008/04/01/french-minister-blog-error-reveals-10-day-week-planned-for-europe/ I couldn't quite believe that an organisation had spent time, energy and money, but still expected me to read this web page... I am speechless, and glad that some people study design, typography, and measure the effectiveness of how they present their messages. I am not even providing a link to ... http://speaka.org/2008/02/08/just-in-case-youd-forgotten-why-design-was-invented/ I'm grateful to Jason Calacanis of Mahalo for bringing this to my attention - a refreshing take on what the proposed Microsoft/Yahoo merger might mean for Silicon Valley startups. Just a fine example of plain speaking and logic. Read "Silicon Valley after a Microsoft/Yahoo merger: a contrarian view" http://speaka.org/2008/02/05/plain-speaking-on-microsoft-yahoo-merger-from-marc-andreessen/ Buy ten of my daughter's cards online for £6.50, and £1.50 will be donated to her school. They're lovely - I bought 60 already! You can also get the same design as a gift tag. On sale here: http://httv/biz/cards/ http://speaka.org/2007/11/24/christmas-cards-by-angelica-petherick-on-sale-online/ Gmail (or Googlemail if you're in the UK) keeps on improving. And its free. And you never have to delete anything, and it's pretty good at dealing with sp*am... yes, I like it. But I just came across a blog from Google with 5 great time-saving practical features I did ... http://speaka.org/2007/11/17/5-little-known-gmail-features-you-may-not-yet-know-about/ Edinburgh's fantastic International Book Festival was buzzing last night, as a sell-out audience of 600 witnessed the first ever Canadian-Scottish translatlantic book signings, when Canadian Author Alice Munro, in the Bayfield Bookshop, Bayfield, Ontario, signed books for audience members in Edinburgh, using author Margaret Atwood's amazing "Long Pen". The signings ... http://speaka.org/2007/08/16/edinburgh-book-festival-atwood-munro-translatlantic-book-signing-via-long-pen/ I hate bullies, bigmouths and know-it alls who bash people - especially those new to forums, social networks and community web sites. So you and I are going to gang up on those bullies! (And we're also going to be nice to people who are good guys and girls). If you ... http://speaka.org/2007/08/07/speaka-no-evil-campaign-against-cyberbullying/ Having been interviewed by the BBC last week, the results appeared online at the BBC website today. The article focuses on my work for Thomas Power at Ecademy who reveals that I am the "digital biographer" who helps to manage his online presence. I am glad I managed to embed the ... http://speaka.org/2007/07/16/digital-biographer-david-petherick-bbc-news/ The BCC journalist Alan Johnston, kidnapped in March in Gaza, has been freed by his captors today. Full story from BBC here.Those thousands of people round the world who campaigned for Alan's release always hoped that reason would triumph over violence and coercion. Today, those people have a little victory. Welcome ... http://speaka.org/2007/07/04/alan-johnston-bbc-abducted-reporter-freed/ A video of Alan Johnston, the journalist abducted in Gaza on 12 March has appeared online. First news breaking here on the BBC. Reuters details and transcript. Times Online http://speaka.org/2007/06/01/alan-johnston-bbc-abducted-reporter-video-appears-online/