Took me some time to land there, but I’ve become a regular visitor now: De Nieuwe Reporter.A group weblog they call it themselves, but as I even haven’t got a clue how to label my own digital playground – blog, photo blog, weblog, website, web2.0, (mini)portal? – I call website what’s got http before URL.Like VillaMedia and De Journalist, and hundreds, thousands of websites in The United States and all over the web, dedicated to journalism, they offer non-journalist to have a peek backstage, behind front-page or screen. In Dutch at @ DutchCowboys Pre-Internet one had to take an expensive… >> Lees verder . . . >>
Zune: no future?
Do you ever care what I am writing here about Mac or PC, iPod or Zune? While I harbour yes for an answer, there’s a writing super trio that does make a difference. One Microsoft doesn’t care about at all, not at least because it’s not for sale. Walt Mossberg writes about computers in The Wall Street Journal, David Pogue – mostly in Circuits – in the New York Times, and John C. Dvorak for everybody anywhere, except for Microsoft. In Dutch at @ DutchCowboys Worldwebwide Dvorak is the most famous, because his columns are also translated and published in… >> Lees verder . . . >>
The Dutch Diebolds
The longer, the more I work with computers, the less I trust them. Next Wednesday is election day over here in The Netherlands, so it’s all about voting – and voting computers – in the newspapers over here every day. Some people, who know a lot about it, come and tell that there’s nothing wrong with our voting computers, and that they’re much more reliable than the red pencils. Even though in a number of cities in Holland the red pencil is the preferred way of voting next week, because of problems with the machines. I know some people, who… >> Lees verder . . . >>
Bitten by the Video Bug
Almost an old geezer, finally bitten by the video bug. Two reasons that it took so long: no bandwidth, no affection. Until recently useless to do something with video and Internet, like sucking Haagen Dasz trough a straw. I must admit the lack of affection was due to the fact that I left The Utrecht School for Journalism as a writer. In a paper past, when one could graduate without having done ‘Radio and Television’, as it was called way back in the late seventies. I visit my old school every once in a while, earned a certificate English writing… >> Lees verder . . . >>
The Real Origin of Spam
‘Spam’ is a very popular Monty Python sketch, first on television in 1970, 36 years ago. In the sketch, two customers are trying to order a breakfast from a menu that includes the processed meat product in almost every item. In the sketch, a restaurant serves all its food with lots of spam, and the waitress repeats the word several times in describing how much spam is in the items. When she does this, the Vikings (don’t ask what they are doing there) in the corner start a song: “Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, lovely spam! Wonderful… >> Lees verder . . . >>
Running new browsers?
Already unpacked your premature Xmas present, a new browser? Tell me more, because those who know me, know that I – sadder and wiser through trial and error in the past – will wait for some time, and then wait for some more time to come. In the meantime I read and listen, shudder and enjoy, while a keep riding my old Internetbicycles. When profanity, grumbling and ululating are beginning to dim, I might give things a try, and will install Firefox 2.0 on my Mac. Coincidence or not, in the same week that Firefox proudly presented number 2.0, Microsoft… >> Lees verder . . . >>