Read one Irish entrepreneur's blog as she operates a business in Dublin
How people use search engines
April 30, 2004
Interesting read this - confirms a lot of things that I cover in Web Writing Training. Eye tracking studies and how the centre panel is prime real estate on sites. Interesting comment about how Google has removed the colouring behind it's Adwords to make them look less like ads and more like results.
Scroll about two thirds down the page to the
Study Shows How Searchers Use The Engines
by Christine Churchill article.
Baton down the Hatches
April 29, 2004
It's nearly May Day weekend, it's really crept up this time, not 2 weeks after Easter. Apologies for not being more prolific with the blog, I got taken to task about not writing enough by a reader recently. It's not through laziness, or lack of something to write about, it's just that I've been extremely busy. This blog is a supplement to the business of internet marketing - work always comes first.
Wow, I would make a great Goldman Sachs employee with that kind of attitude!
I probably mentioned that I had a load of proposals on the go just before Easter, I was a bit worried that they'd all land at the same time (image of me frantically juggling everything) - but it's all worked out rather nicely actually. One is starting in mid May, another next week, and another as soon as they get their IT equipment updated, probably mid-end May.
I'm staying in Dublin this weekend. I like the city on bank holidays because there's less traffic than usual and people are prepared to move at a slightly slower pace. It reminds me of how Dublin used to be pre-Celtic Tiger.
This weekend there will be even less traffic as, according to the Gardai, Europe's leading anarchists are converging on this city to protest against globalisation and other gripes, while the world looks on as we welcome the 10 new accession states. Between the protesters and the EU leaders, it looks like most of the centre of the city will be closed to traffic - but open to pedestrians like me!
Actually the protesting mood was set earlier this week when an accountant friend of mine mentioned that he and a group of other accountants were converging on the Revenue this week to protest at the lack of service we (small business) receive.
Wow - when accountants take to the protesting game, you know society is in freefall!!
The only other thing to say, on this pre-May Day is: welcome to the people of 10 new EU member states - we know you're not out to steal our jobs, in fact we know that you are looking forward to getting roads built with EU money just like we did. Please forgive any of my countrymen if they are not as warm as our tourist board makes us out to be - they're the ones who are the bottom of our society, they've never had anyone to look down on before, so just ignore their misconception.
Failte mor romhaibh!
(And thanks to Mrs O'Farrell my Irish teacher who drummed those Irish prepositions into me. I knew it'd come in handy some day)
Intranets are Go!
April 21, 2004
It seems that the whole of Ireland's abuzz about intranets!
In organisations where the planning process is a little arduous, attention has been turned to intranets and things are starting to happen. Projects that have been shelved in some companies due to lack of internal accountability have - all of a sudden - revived.
This is all good news for Brightspark. We offer a service that is unparalleled in this country.
Recognising that clients are often forced into buying intranet services for the first time, with little experience or knowledge of what's a must have and what's simply a push from the vendor, we can help.
Starting from planning the right kind of intranet to match the organisation's knowledge management needs, we advise and assist through all stages of the process: content management system selection, creating internal processes to ensure flow of content, design, build, testing, and promotion.
Again, it's a demonstration that Irish industry has licked its wounds from the dot com bomb and is looking to technology for generating cost savings and increasing efficiencies in business processes...and not for websites that deliver dogfood to the home!!
Global Spam Artist Tackled
April 15, 2004
In a Dublin internet cafe, no less!!
I just came across a great story about how a wily systems administrator in a busy internet cafe in this city, foiled an African dude as he was in the act of sending out spam to thousands of people around the world.
He became aware that the guy was doing it because his IP address was blacklisted by a US college. He thought the guy wouldn't be stupid enough to come back in, but he was!! Our hero ran to the scene, monitored and waited until the spammer was in the act and there was sufficient proof, and then he called in the gardai.
A scuffle ensued caused purely by the spammer's attempts to get away. The upshot is: the spammer was arrested and taken away, the streets of Dublin are 1 scumbag down, and the proof will be sent on to interpol and the FBI.
Nice one to the systems admin guy, I'd love to buy you a pint or 4. You've done a great service to all of us internet users.
Loud annoying mobiles
April 13, 2004
No, I'm not just being narky after a hectic bank holiday weekend, it's official and has been scientifically tested - mobile phones are annoying.
Jacob Nielsen writes about the research carried out by Andrew Monk and his colleagues in the University of York into why it's so annoying when people have mobile conversations in public.
You know the ones - brrinng bring....Yeah I'm on the bus. Yeah. No. Really? . .. and so on, with the person not embarrassed to share the inconsequential nature of their lives with others.
The research was conducted in a rather unique way, and it came to the conclusion that it's not the ring tones that bother us. Nor is it to do with how loud the person is speaking.
The real reason we find it so tiresome is because we pay more attention when we only hear half a conversation! It's easier to tune out the sound of 2 people droning on face to face, than the sound of 1 person talking!
Approaching Full Capacity
April 08, 2004
Like every other new business owner in the world, I have never turned away business! In the first 10 months of Brightspark anything that comes my way is treated with care and attention. I enjoy working. I get a kick out my clients reaping the benefits of my work.
However, in the next week or so, my business is going to reach capacity. I will soon have to say to people, "yes I can implement some great strategies that will help your business, but you'll have to wait til June."
So as we reach Easter and the much needed rest of a bank holiday, I can switch off my computer and feel quietly confident about the future of Brightspark.
Happy Easter!
Want more blogs?
April 03, 2004
If you like reading this blog. . well you must do, you're here now, right? Then you might like to read more blogs from around the world, about almost any topic you might care to mention. Check this link for a lovely review of my blog, God bless you Mick Cunningham!
There's blogarama, nice site design, and the funny's section is great. 
Blogwise is another good one, run in the true sense of the internet, by real live people who are passionate about it and do it in their spare time. Nice one guys! 
And finally, not to forget Blogstreet.
