My new role with Hotwire PR

Alternative title: “He’s so Hot(wire) right now”

I’ve been holding some very exciting news inside for a few weeks now and it’s finally time to start talking about it…

Since 2001 I’ve spent 7 inspirational years at Plusnet but a new opportunity has come up that I need to grab with both hands, feet and perhaps some teeth.

Later this month I’ll be joining Hotwire PR, as one of their Digital Programme Directors in the digital media practice. I’ll be joining some talented people I already know, including my gaffer Drew Benvie, and will be moving down to London (as soon as I find a flat!).

As the official site will tell you “Hotwire runs business and consumer PR for international companies in the technology sector” and I’ll be joining a growing team of digital media specialists. The upside of Hotwire’s exhaustive recruitment is that I’ve met the whole team already and been very impressed with what I’ve seen.

All that’s left to say then is ‘goodbye’. At Plusnet I’ve had the pleasure of working with a great bunch of colleagues and many have become close friends. We’ve already done the teary-eyed stuff face to face so I’ll simply say “good luck guys”, you’ll continue to go from strength to strength I’m sure.

Don’t forget to keep in touch - I’m barely off Twitter so you know where to find me

Ubiquity for Firefox - has Mozilla got another success on its hands?

Have you seen the Ubiquity plug-in for Firefox yet?

Launched 5 days ago by Mozilla, it’s an “early experimental prototype”. That’s Mozilla’s way of saying it’s not for the faint hearted, but it’s not as rough as the version number suggests and already it’s got many uses.

What is Ubiquity?

In Mozilla’s words: an “experiment into connecting the Web with language… that could make it possible for everyone to do common Web tasks more quickly and easily”.

I’d say it’s a funky app that lets you use natural language to command your browser to do complex tasks without getting your hands dirty. An online butler made possible by Web 2.0 technology.

Here’s an example of how to use Ubiquity…

I use Twitter (philsheard) quite a lot. Twitter’s 140 character limit means that big, ugly URLs hog too much space so I use TinyURL to shorten these addresses. If I’m using the web version, I’d need to follow these steps:

1. Browse to www.twitter.com
2. Start typing my message
3. Switch tabs to the URL I want to include
4. Copy it
5. Head over to www.tinyurl.com in a new tab
6. Paste the address copied earlier and hit the ‘Make TinyURL’ button
7. The short address is coped onto m clipboard
8. Switch back to Twitter
9. Paste the TinyURL, finish my message and click ‘Update’

Here’s how Ubiquity simply cuts out some steps. 1-4 are the same, but watch closely after 5:

1. Browse to www.twitter.com
2. Start typing my message
3. Switch tabs to the URL I want to include
4. Copy it
5. Head straight back to Twitter
6. Activate Ubiquity (Option+Space on my Macbook) and type ‘tinyurl’ and paste the URL. Ubiquity interprets the command as I type and goes away to the TinyURL site in the background to shorten the address



7. Press return and voila the shortened address is pasted into the Twitter box. I finish my message and click ‘update’

A basic example to save a couple of steps but already it feels intuitive to type ‘normal words’ into Ubiquity instead of browsing (with its associated pointing and clicking).

The boffins at Mozilla have bigger plans. Imagine typing ‘Add meeting with Steve to diary and email Steve a map of Starbucks, Division Street, Sheffield‘. This one command could add your diary entry to Google Calendar, map the location of the meeting using Google Maps and then compose an email to your contact. It would take seconds and using APIs provided by Web 2.0 services you’d never have to visit any of the sites to achieve it

What does Ubiquity mean for the web as we know it?

If Ubiquity takes off, it could take all the usefulness of the web but consolidate it into one simple interface. No competing branding. No advertising. No page impressions or eyeballs. All the good stuff for the user, but not necessarily the service provider.

It’s also another wedge between companies that enable their products for Web 2.0 and those that don’t.

Ubiquity is a power-user application for the near future, but don’t be surprised if your gran’s desktop has a version of this built into it in 5-7 years time. I believe there’s great potential if Mozilla continue to develop it.

Video blogging with Seesmic

I wanted to share my first Seesmic vid with you.

Internet video sites like YouTube have been around for ages and to me they have taken over the role of public access TV stations, or clip-sharing sites for commercial TV programmes (like Flight of the Conchords, my current fave). The personal videos have always been present but are being drowned out.

This gap invites some new personal video sites to emerge. Seesmic, the one I used, is designed to be conversational, with ‘video replies’ woven into the heart of the site. Then there’s 12Seconds which flips Twitter’s 140 character limit and turns that into a 12 seconds of video max. Both of these sites are pushing people to produce ever more content through their short, punchy formats and responsive communities.

When launching the new look for Plusnet, a video seemed like a perfect fit to accompany our text-based Community site. The rest is history.

Wait, don’t click play yet! Best place to view is embedded in Plusnet’s Community site post about the new look- it was always designed to accompany the launch post over there, so makes more sense.

If you’re just too eager then here it is embedded.

My next post will be advice on the pitfalls and problems to avoid when posting to internet video sites, as well as the tips I found along the way to make a good video post. I didn’t follow 100% in mine, but it’s a learning experience.

PlusNet’s new look and brand refresh announced

A cheeky, work related post to share some good news:

I posted on PlusNet’s community site about the new look PlusNet that’s on its way. There’s not much else to say until we’ve released the updated site. What I can say is that it’s been a long project for my team, and we’re really proud of the end result.

Here’s an exerpt of the Community site post:

What’s the difference between PlusNet and a ‘Marathon’ bar?

Answer: PlusNet isn’t going to change its name. It will, however, change the way it looks next month.

In a few weeks we’ll be making some bold changes to the way the PlusNet website looks. It’s not just the layout of the website: after 8 years of faithful service the current PlusNet logo is being retired. In its place, we’ll be launching a new website and with it a new logo.

Why? Over the last year PlusNet has been strengthened, invested in and awarded as the best overall broadband provider in the UK. To build on this, we decided it’s a good time to refresh the website. The new look site will bring our products, the member centre and our beloved Community site together better than before.

Read the full post over at the Community site

Is PlusNet a ‘mini’? (new blog on PlusNet’s community site)

I just bought a new car. It got me thinking about the different reasons you buy a car, and how this translates to buying broadband. Fixed usage or unlimited? Do I trust the seller? So many things to think about!

Read the post Is PlusNet a ‘Mini’? and I’d love to hear your comments too - whether you think I’m right or wrong

Wake up! (Social) Multimedia is taking over the internet

When PC adoption exploded in the late 90s, I remember the ‘multimedia’ idea really capturing my imagination. Watching videos of Martin Luther King and moon landings within the Encarta encyclopedia was an eye-opening experience.

In 2008 multimedia has matured and it has broken onto the Internet.

In my 7 years as a web professional the most oft-quoted approach for websites has been KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Use simple text links, go easy on the graphics, avoid flash unless it’s really necessary.

But there’s a definite movement in the world of social media online that is rebelling against that trend - and as a user I love it!

A perfect example is a recent post on TechCrunch. The post, about Google’s dominance in the search medium, isn’t key here; it’s the execution that’s interesting:

1. Michael Arrington posted to disagree with Tim O’Reilly’s view that Microsoft should give up trying to compete with Google
2. In an update to the story, Arrington links to a video comment response filmed using Seesmic. Tim accompanied this video with a full post on the subject too.
3. Later, Arrington replies with a video comment himself to explain what originally made him post.

Take a look at the story, and immerse yourself in the videos. This all adds up to a very rich experience for the reader. I see the whites of these people’s eyes when they speak in videos and I believe in what they are saying. In a very spam-intense world, the interest in multimedia seems to be an attempt to humanise and filter out the wheat from the chaff.

I’ll be heading into the office tomorrow to ask how PlusNet can make more use of video to get news out to our current and future customers, and once my Macbook arrives next week I’ll be trying out video blogging for myself.

Icesave’s website - An exercise in simple and confident branding

Amid the credit crunch coverage there is plenty of chatter about savings accounts at the moment. Stocks and shares seem to have lost a little, to the benefit of these trusty and reliable money-makers. Also, according to a Motley Fool savings article, it’s an low-risk route to cash flow for the banks.

Icesave, the Icelandic bank, has a wonderful website that positions it far and away from the global monoliths that we are concerned are eating our cash.

The site is bright and simple, and is incredibly focussed when it comes to product information: there is a fixed savings account, a flexible savings account, and an ISA. That’s it. Each product is explained simply, with tables explaining interest rates (no small feat - I struggle to find my current rate from the Alliance and Leicester site).  I’d have absolute confidence in putting my money into their system and I trust that I’ll get what I’ve read.

Good job Icesave, a refreshing change for a bank’s website.

First in an occasional series of website mini-reviews

“PlusNet’s response to Google trademark rule changes” (from Community)

Today I posted on PlusNet’s community site about what the team is doing to respond to Google’s changing rules on trademarks. Below is an excerpt, and the full post is over there

If you’re anything like me, you’ll use your browser’s built-in Google search more than the address bar itself to find websites. The search engine is so pervasive (it’s in my desktop browser, Nintendo Wii Internet channel and the iPhone I’d love to own) that ‘googling’ is often the easiest way.

That’s why this week’s changes to Google’s trademark rules are quite significant. Until 5th May, companies were not permitted to bid against trademarked terms. I commented on this story in the Financial Times a couple of weeks ago (requires free registration), and it’s also been covered in The Times Business Section this weekend.

Google’s trademark rule changes effectively force every company to pay for advertisements as well being listed in natural search, or face losing clicks to competitors.

Here’s how it works: If you enter ‘PlusNet’ into Google, it made sense that you should be shown results that are relevant to your search. This is very different from searching for ‘UK broadband’ for example. New rules have changed all this, and it’s all going to drive extra cash towards Google. Already other companies are starting to bid against PlusNet’s terms. It’s natural that we would want to be the top result - after all, you’re searching for PlusNet, right?

Read the full post >>

If you’re looking for Phil Sheard…

Well done, you found me. The intial idea for this site is to aggregate all of my other online activities into one place.

Work colleagues are best off heading towards my LinkedIn profile.

Friends can reach me via Facebook

You’ll also see feeds on the right to my Twitter profile (philsheard) and Flickr (philsheard)