I’ve had it with Carte Blanche
Filed Under (Random Note) by Nic on 03-03-2008
Tagged Under : Carte Blanche, Derrick Watts, Journalism, Online, web, web 2.0
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I’m done with Derrick Watshisname and the Carte crew. I am honestly disappointed with the quality of their stories. More and more often I am seeing one sided, ill-researched pieces that lack any semblance of coherence. I’m also not sure what Tyler was on about in his post, lauding the piece as decent and fairly accurate. Think I might have caught a different show in a parallel universe on a different tangent to the one Tyler watched.
Their piece on Web 2.0 was horrific. Congratulations to Rafiq and Dave for cracking the nod and showing some sense in a show filled with rambling and jumping from topic to topic.
I followed Twitter throughout the show and there were some interesting responses to it throughout. Jason from Zoopy was insistent that we should take the story from where it comes, ie: old media. Boring argument that means nothing to me.
I work for an “old media” company that is moving forward in leaps and bounds. M&G have been relentless in their new media endeavors and have definitely been heading the web 2. shove in SA.
Carte Blanche, it appears, searched for “blogging” using this new toy they’ve found called “google” or something and came up with two names. Dave and Rafiq were both interviewed and made alot of sense. But what happened to getting more than one side of the story and more than one opinion in a piece? Dave and Rafiq work relatively closely with one another and are both based in CT. Now to the average viewer in SA it appears as if there is only web 2.0 development happening in CT. What about George, JHB, Durban and developers who roam the country? What about innovation on a national level?
Why did they not take a look at the gurus of web 2.0 in SA who are pushing the envelope? Props to Rafiq for doing what he does and Dave for spreading the ideals and concepts to those who don’t know, but I know for a fact that UKZN is also pushing new media as well as Rhodes University. Why not talk to those people too? Why only UCT as an institution.
One twitterer commented: “@rafiq @daveduarte @zoopedup nice one guys…wife still doesn’t get it though LOL ;P”. That reflects bad journalism.
John Webb has done some brilliant stuff with 702 Talk Radio and Carte Blance but this was dismal. The story jumped from web, to Mxit, to Facebook, flashing screenshots of TED conferences, YouTube videos and a host of other irrelevant pictures to look more web 2.0. None of these things were spoken of in the actual story.
Another whopper of a quote from the story: “The pace of change has exceeded our ability to keep up.” What exactly does that mean and who exactly are they referring to?
In essence all that I am saying is that a show like this should never have been broadcast without an actual point. In fact, an explanation of something would’ve been great. There was no definition of what web 1.0 was, never mind what web 2.0 is and where it’s headed.
Pictured in a few of the scenes were Charl Norman and his site BlueWorld. Not a word spoken about the site, its competition with Facebook or a peep from Charl. I wonder if they knew Charl was behind BlueWorld when they filmed him with Rafiq, having coffee?
I’m disappointed but not surprised with the level of their reporting and hope that they read this post (if they’ve learned anything from their own story) and realise that there is a lot more going on out there than two gurus in one city.
Please don’t mistake my post for ranting. I have no value to add to the show that was broadcast so this is not a jealousy thing. It’s a responsible journalism thing.
Again, congratulations to Dave and Rafiq who both deserved their exposure and it’s great to see some exposure around the topic.
See for yourself:
Valleyway expose on Jimmy Wales & Nic H on Carte Blanche - what a monday morning!
I don’t think it’s that bad, however, they do kind of go overboard nearing the end. Nice exposure for Quirk - Rafiq, did you get a little thank you gift for that?
How about we go on an SA roadtrip to film our own Web 2.0 documentary? Start a wiki for input on who people would like to see included.
P.S. Though I *am* addicted to the web, my URL is not webaddict.co.za
of course they knew who charl was. There Was a comment on this on muti and i did some digging.. John webb from carte blanche is in business with charl and his company via a site called podsouthafrica.com .. Built by blueworld! So john just interviewed his friends charl and brad.. And they must’ve suggested their fellow car site friend rafiq, who probably suggested dave. And there you have it.. No time for anyone else.
@Jason sorry dude, correcting that now!!
Got a bit carried away with myself last night.. Plus. What a brilliant idea. I’m in, lets do a roadtrip dude. Serious.
Yeah congrats to Dave and Rafiq. I agree with you on most points - I watched the feature with my dad and brother who are both fairly web savvy, both still asked me afterwards “so what the hell is web2.0 and what does that Rafiq guy do” - not much was done to explain anything really.
[...] opposing views are expressed by Nic and Tyler. I agree with both of them, partially. What were your thoughts on the Web 2.0 show on [...]
look here.. http://www.podsouthafrica.com/videos/view.aspx?id=9yPCAOqba4I= john webb is marketing director of a blueworld company and disclosed none of this on last night’s show.
look at this.. http://www.coolwhois.com/d/podsouthafrica.com registered by charl norman and hosted on blueworld servers
The Web 2.0 documentary with wiki as a reference point is the best idea I have heard in a long time. [Now that would make a brilliant story].Imagine of what value that can be!
Congrats to Dave & Rafiq for making it on. I’ve still got agree with Nic and Wezz however in that the average person still doesn’t understand anything about web 2.0…from my experience the average marketing / ad exec isn’t even familiar with the basics like RSS, blogging, social media etc.
We need to open up and share the knowledge in an accessible way…I wasn’t impressed that the story wasn’t well investigated and presumed a certain level of understanding, (I wonder if Carte Blanche now fully understand web 2.0?? ;))
[...] I commented on Nic’s blog this morning, I was not overly impressed. In my opinion the content wasn’t well [...]
[...] questions were left unanswered according to Nic Haralambous, where he asks what exactly the quote “The pace of change has exceeded our ability to keep up†[...]
OK Nic, it’s on our event calendar for 2 or 3 months from now. We’ll get in touch when we’re ready to kick off
Hahahahaha - more to do Jason, more to do!
It never ends
Didn’t Dave make the comment about there being too much info and having to make choices about what to consume and how (or something along those lines)?
Bla bla bla. Instead of bitching and moaning, why don’t you write an article pointing out what they SHOULD have said and done, since you’re so well-informed and know all the facts.
I thought the show was fantastic, and the 4 others with me also thought so. (And they’re aren’t internet savvy at all.)
Fokjulle good idea. But let’s be honest, the nature of web 2.0 is such than anything i have to say is rehashing information that is EASILY accessible to anyone willing to look in to it.
But nonetheless maybe something should be put together like that.
Im am not a carte blanch fan these days..i have to say that i like thier investigative journalism but the standard has seemingly dropped but i have no idea why coz i have not watched it in a while..!
I thought that what they said WAS related to web2, and it WAS informative. Since there is no EXACT definition of what it is, and since web2 can’t be put into a little box, Carte Blanche did quite alright.
My feeling is that you’re too caught up in the web2 hype, for your own good.
Hahahahaha ok Fokjulle I can see how you might think, but I’m actually not “involved” in the movement in any way other than to say that I am a blogger really. I’m not at the forefront of things, I just exist in a web 2.0 state like many other people online these days.
I think that being caught up in it is the best way to know about it, to be quite frank about it, I think that if you thought that the Carte Blanche piece was good then you actually aren’t informed enough about it at all. Interviewing two people and saying it’s a story about web 2.0 in SA is incorrect and blatantly bad journalism.
Conversely, had they interviewed 10 people, or 100 people, or whatever, a bunch of guys would have slated that too. Their show is only an hour long, and they had multiple inserts to get through.
In closing, I got the feeling from that show that web2 is about faster and easier digital global interaction and communication via the internet on PCs or cellphones etc. It was about bringing media to me. It was about web2.
Wow, you got all of that from such little information. I think you are blurring the lines of what you know, assumes and were told in the show.
If they didn’t have enough time to do a full and comprehensive story they should rather have not done a story at all and waited till it could be comprehensive.
I think you’re missing the point. The idea was to present a concise viewing. If it’s supposed to take up hours to explain, then viewers will get bored.
You haven’t once actually stated what web2 is, other than saying what it isn’t, and making accusations at lesser well-informed mortals.
And your rant is anecdotal anyway.
Web 2.0 on Wikipedia
i think, fokjulle, that if the presenter of the show didn’t present only the people he’s in business with and their friends, which he failed to disclose unethicly, we might’ve had a more balanced and informed show to watch
According to that Wikipedia reference, Carte Blanche succeeded in bringing across the feel and vibe of web2. Thanks Nic.
Sure sure! Dude, whatever. You can think it was good journalism till the cows come home, I know better and so do most of the people out there. And if they don’t they were duped in to thinking they now know what web 2.0 is, when they don’t and nor does Carte Blanche. End of story in my opinion.
[...] Nic, I am not overly impressed with Carte Blanche but at least they dealt with the subject matter, in [...]
Cool. Whatever.
Yet, other than linking to Wikipedia, you still haven’t stated what web2 actually is…
Fokjulle, Web 2.0 is what happened when someone thought it clever to have regular people produce content on the web.
Carte Blanche conveyed that message.
I really think the segment wasn’t that bad in terms of looking at it from a layman’s perspective. I haven’t watched the whole thing (amazingly for a local site Zoopy takes longer to load that Youtube) but it seemed acceptable to show the Web 2.0 world from that perspective.
The salient point of your argument seem a little bit petty…they only interview two people. Should they have gone around the country for an 11 minute segment? One day when the movie about South African bloggers gets released then sure, countrywide is critical but it’s a small segment.
Nic, my issue with this rant is that you’re doing the exact thing you’re complaining about: being vague about the topic.
My blog was not about web 2.0. If you can’t see that then your blinded by your opinion. I understand what you are asking me for completely. I just don’t think that I am doing an indepth investigative piece to a national audience of hundreds of thousands. If I had labeled this post “What web 2.0 is” then you could complain about it. I didn’t do that however. I labeled it what it is for a reason.
Someone’s getting defensive.
Similarly, Carte Blanche didn’t in any way suggest that their segment was supposed to be in-depth, or who it was targeting. It was merely, and obviously, an overview.
Err I’m not sure the last comment was directed to me or not but sorry I disagree, you’re complaining about Carte Blanche and you have no real relevant points to fault them about.
I think they did an okay job; nothing amazing but it was short and basic. The average Carte Blanche viewer doesn’t actually care about the Web and consists of a 40+ audience who don’t really understand the concept. This is a “look how wonderful the world out there is” type of segment not an in depth hour long view.
Honestly, can you understand a vast concept like Web 2.0 vicariously?
Fokjulle, I reckon the bantering is a bit stupid, why don’t you enlighten me with an objective opinion on my post?
(Sorry Nic, gotta steal him for a second
http://www.mobilemarketingsa.com/?p=50
@SaulK that’s where I think you are mistaken. Why should it be a “fluff” piece for an “ignorant” market. That’s short sighted and ignorant on Carte Blanche’s behalf. My mom watched that and even she knew more than they were telling us.
Similarly, the bunch of people I was with, thought that it was already complicated, but were blown away with the magic of “what you can do these days”.
Like I’ve said, it’s all anecdotal.
And it’s funny how it’s only the web2 keenbeans making all the noise. The segment about rates and taxes, however, is far more worthy of public hype.
Let me re-quantify my point yet again:
The average person has no idea about the “web 2.0 revolution” going on around them. While this segment was fluff for an ignorant market it is an excellent method to get those ignorant fluffers to go and see what’s out there for themselves.
Mass media recognition for bloggers is excellent news for the local blogging community no matter how brief and high level it is.
I feel that complaining about this piece of public relations is a slap in the face for the producers of this segment. It’s no wonder why there is minimal mass media coverage on the Web 2.0 community in South Africa.
The question was posed earlier: What would you highlight in South Africa anyway?
SaulK, I agree with you. My comments are not aimed at you. (Just in case.)
SaulK, I think when Jon Stewart spoke about New Media and pulled out his iPhone at the Oscars was a very clear indication of how slapstick Web 2.0 is viewed overseas too.
We’re scared, in a rush, and looking to penetrate too fast, too accurately and as a result become agitated when our message is not portrayed exactly as we wanted.
It’s still mass media and it’s still aimed to entertain. Hence the flippin dooming soundtrack that accompanied the “parallel universe”.
I thought we lost Rafiq there for a second.
I didn’t watch the show because I figured it would be crap and then I’d have to write a blog post like this one. Television is notorious for failing to communicate the online story accurately and in the proper context. The idea that all the innovation is happening in Cape Town is probably just a consequence of the parochial attitude amongst some Capetonians though. Either way, its better that the TV-watching masses see this sort of thing once in a while and can feel good that life is not all about crime, mismanagement and corruption.
But Vincent, all the innovation comes from Cape Town. We’re all dreamers…and then, when we wake up, you guys up north give us big salaries and traffic!
[comment deleted due to graphical or offensive content]
[...] at Nic Haralambous’s site and I thought I would sound off on my own site. Take a look at his site first which has the video embedded as well as some comments from [...]
Ok I can’t read through 45-odd comments so I’m just going to give me take but first - who the hell is shocking who ranted about ipodsouthafrica.com being hosted on blue world servers? Geez man, if that’s shocking then I just don’t know.
Anyway, back to the point. I agree with Nic. I said it on twitter last night that Carte Blanche missed the point. People will argue it was objective but really it was just confusing.
As I said to Nic, if they titled this piece The Changing Face of Communication then it would have been fine but to call it Web 2.0 was a mistake.
I don’t think a single person who watched that show before knowing about web 2.0 is any clearly as to what this “fad” is all about.
It’s clear Carte Blanche didn’t have enough knowledge on this topic but isn’t that all the more reason to find out and research the topic more?
Fokjulle, you said:
“In closing, I got the feeling from that show that web2 is about faster and easier digital global interaction and communication via the internet on PCs or cellphones etc. It was about bringing media to me. It was about web2.”
No offense to you but this point really illustrates why the Carte Blanche article failed. What you have described there is nothing to do with Web 2.0. So while you may be satisfied with the show because you came away with some sort of definition, its the wrong definition, not your fault but certainly Carte Blanche’s.
Ha ha ha. And the wheels of the bus go round and round…
All these comments and not one single definitive answer to what web2 actually is, other than a Wikipedia link. The answers given are flimsy and everything I’ve said and what CB said does come close to what the Wikipedia page says.
Who else for a bus ride?
Fokjulle, you have a good point, none of us have given you a real definition yet so I will attempt give my own (partial) definition here which is mainly from a technical standpoint.
Firstly, realize though that there is not a “single definitive answer” as Web 2.0 is a fuzzy term and there is no litmus test for “web2.0ness.”
As I said earlier this is a technical answer so here goes:
“Web 2.0″, lets break that term down because this is important. the first part “web”, means we are talking about the web here, not SMS, not cell phones, not IM (There may be some web applications that incorporate these technologies but in general this is not what we are talking about) From a technical stance this means we are talking about applications that make use of the http protocol.
Secondly “2.0″, this indicates a move away from previous tools and technologies to a set of newer and richer ones. These are (in no particular order: CSS, XML, Ajax, JSON, REST, XHTML and a few others. So web 2.0 applications make heavy use of at least some of these technologies (Note that this is not always directly visible to the end user)
Again I must emphasize the fuzziness here because there are many sites that would not be considered 2.0 that may make use of one or more of these technologies.
Another important attribute: Web 2.0 sites in general do not produce their own content. Another way of saying this is that web2.0 sites are “platforms”. (Examples: Delicious, Flickr, Digg, Afrigator, Amatomu, Youtube)
Back-End, Serverside technologies: Again fuzzy but a common trend in web 2.0 applications is the use of Open Source software
and a move away from “enterprise” software (ie away from Java, ASP, Oracle etc to MySQL, Python, PHP and so on)
I would love to be able to give a fuller description as there are many aspects I have left out (e.g. business model as web2.0 is as much about attitude as it is about technical details) but I have already taken up too much of Nic’s blog page here
Finally I would just like to add something about the term “new media”. I see it cropping up a lot when people talk about “web 2.0″. This is unfortunate because “new media” and “web 2.0″ are NOT the same thing.
Please note that this is by no means a complete definition (as there isn’t one) and it is my own definition which may differ significantly from others.
fokjulle - I was also going to comment but seeing as Neville just did such a great job I’m going to simplify it somewhat.
The problem with web 2.0, even as a phrase, is that it is so difficult to define. But really it’s all about social media (blogs, etc), user generated content (flickr, youtube) and interaction with the user (voting, ratings, etc).
Web 1.0 was all about what others wanted us to see/read/consume and web 2.0 puts the power back into our hands. We decide what content we want to see and how we want to consume it.
Fokjulle, Web 2 is a label for the phenomenon of increasingly rich client applications embedded in the browser, increasingly social behaviour in the creation of content and increasingly open service infrastructures through APIs that use web services, XML or JSON.
Bringing the content to you is just one aspect of it, the rest is about a shift from the Web of pages to a Web of applications, hence a cultural shift in the way people do things on the web.
I say “increasingly” a lot because its just a marketing term to describe the post-dotcom-crash shift towards democratising complex web applications.
HA HA SNAP
I guess I get points for brevity then hey guys LOL
Carte Blanche has been in free-fall for ages. Remember a while back they practically endorsed Danie Krugel’s people finder?. Then they made a sensational and inaccurate report about Nuclear power? They really are terrible journalists. p.s. your site is doing strange things… it keeps loading from widgets.clearspring.com in a never ending loop… causes my browser to slow down to a crawl.
Fair enough. But now, after reading that, I wonder how much of it Carte Blanche viewers will understand.
Fokjulle, this is Justin’s point, rather just say its about the web, IM and blogging. Using Web 2 in this context was a little inappropriate, but who cares actually. If people watch TV for information then there is a bigger problem than whether or not they get the subtleties of Web 2.
@Fokjulle web2.0 - interaction, social media etc vs. web1.0 static one way info. I think most would be able to grasp that.
I think Justin and Vince’s replies illustrate why I am not a blogger and they are
Well done guys, if I had known you were typing I could have saved myself some time and had an extra cup of coffee!
Wow dudes. Crazy times. This has really become a pretty intense. I really appreciate all of you putting in your views on what web 2.0 is! I really didn’t have the energy. It’s been a very, very long day.
Fokjulle, hope that’s what you were looking for?
Nic - I totally agree with you, they did a pretty rubbish job and didn’t really capture anything! Props Rafiq and Dave for representing, but fsck me, could Carte Blanche not have been a little more accurate. Seeing Rafiq organising his dating schedule on mxit in bed really didn’t tell us much
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Isnt it amazing how everyone looks right past the good points that came out in the show? Its no wonder most of the SA companies are so stone age and are rapidly going downhill! O well you snooze you loose.
Anyone who watched this show and totally missed the important pointers and who said WTF at the end, fell off the WEB1.0 bus along time ago, don’t fool yourself you never even made the 2.0 bus, just lay still guys you seem to have a severe case of internet lessness, Nashua Mobile maybe able to help you..
I am not sure about the weight or relevance of Nic’s comments. The insert could be criticized, however, for the use of jargon by Jon Webb and quoting statistics for the US and making general conclusions for SA. Carte Blanche is a tabloid show, but this insert from what I saw while in SA or on the web, this is not as bad as Nic makes it out to be.