Nic’s blog
I write about building businesses, failing and building a life, not a legacy.
Proud To Be White... Is That Right?
I have just received an email outlining the difference between the white race and any other race having racial pride. The email illustrates (very well I might add) that it is OK for Black people to have rallies, groups, parades, protests, pride, dedicated funds, colleges, schools and many other things, but when a school is explicitly for white people it is a racist school. Oprah's new school is a good example I think.This email is more American-centric than South African-centric so much of it is not applicable. However I do think that there is a lot of truth to this sort of mentality. The race card is played very often by various demographics in SA. I am classified (I am not sure who does this sort of classification any more) as a white male although I have never looked like any classically white male in my life. This has really never had an impact on my life. Yet I have dealt with the race card in various situations.I studied Politics back at Rhodes University. I will never forget the day that I almost received the beating of my life when I tried to proclaim that I was an African. I believe that I am African. I am born and bred in Africa and that makes me African. Mark Shuttleworth has launched his Ubuntu Linux System and I believe that he is a man who truly understands the concept of Ubuntu. So is he not African?In the end, I am all for having pride for oneself, for ones culture and for anything else that anyone wished to be proud of as long as that pride is not inflicting some sort of harm on anyone else. I am not talking about a perceived harm here, where one persons belief system conflicts with another persons belief system, that is avoidable and resolvable to a certain livable extent. I am talking about harm in the true sense of the word.Let the Satinists be Satinists and let the KKK be the KKK, but let them be who they are own their own in the privacy of their own home and heaven help any group if they start to bash people around and attempt to enforce their perceived superiority on others. Is this sort of approach correct? I can't say. I think that what the email i received is trying to portray is that if white people have to be quietly proud and restricted then so should everyone else. If other ethnic or racial groups are allowed to proclaim a school to be all black, asian, hispanic or anthing else, then so too should white schools be able to be proclaimed as such.This is where I think the line needs to be drawn, freedom of speech rocks, it truly does, as long as it too does not detrimentally impact on any person, group, culture or nation.I think that South Africa is on the right track, tolerance is of the utmost importance. I think that we have much to be thankful for here in SA. Integration is a slow process and one that needs to be fought for tooth and nail. People need to proactively work towards integration. It is not something that will simply happen. Just as practicing a sport makes you better at it, so too would practicing tolerance, integration and appreciation for others.
Controversy = Visits. So Proves Bullard
Legitimate controversy will always bring hits, pageviews, visits and unique visits to your blog. This is a certainty in my opinion much like death (I am Greek, taxes don't apply). I might have been bugged on Sunday when I broke the Bullard incident, and I think I still am, but who the hell am I to complain when looking at the Amatomu graphs?
The Graphs above clearly illustrate that I am laughing all the way to the pageview bank thanks to Mr Bullard and the Sunday Times!! So, WOOHOO to that.With that said I need to ask a few questions here with recent events in mind; Is it actually better to go straight for the controversy and maintain it much like 1000Mnms and Peas, or is it better to quietly sneak in controversy like Bullard has done? Should I now become a blogger who rants and raves and calls people names 'cause I can?I think that the answer is somewhat of a mixture of approaches. Blogs can quickly become boring and events from Sunday and yesterday clearly illustrate that bloggers are trying so hard to find interesting things to blog about. This is the crux of blogging is it not? Maintaining a level of interest for your readers and keeping them coming back.As far as I have read, every successful blog maintains that to create a successful blog one needs to find or create a niche in the blogosphere and stick with it. For the first time in a long time I understand why. Blogs can be boring, niche markets are often not boring and rake in the unique users interested in the niche.I am happy to be controversial, I really am but I think that there are better ways in the long term to create pageviews. For now, I'll take the Bullard business!
The Truth About Tech Support
I am willing to bet that every person working in technical support at Telkom feels this way:
Image courtesay of PostSecret.
David Bullard Attacks Blogs
I am not sure what David Bullard ate this week but it has upset him and I think a blogger fed it to him. Bullard has chosen to take on the blogging community and done a great job of misunderstanding what Blogs are and the potential therein. I think that he hates us, us bloggers, us vocal individuals who are not employed by "the man".Bullard says, and I quote:
Most blog sites are the air guitars of journalism. They’re cobbled together by people who wouldn’t stand a hope in hell of getting a job in journalism, mainly because they have very little to say. It’s rather sad how many people think the tedious minutiae of their lives will be of any interest to anyone else.
What is this man going on about? I am sure that the thousands of readers on So Close and Peas would disagree immensely with Bullard. Unfortunately in my opinion he has missed the boat this week. The "air guitars" of journalism, I think not Mr Bullard. I can understand how many bloggers think that they will make it big if they simply write something on a blog. This is ignorant and naive and not true, obviously. But there are many, many, many blogs and bloggers who in fact work as journalists and many other professions who are bloggers too, yours truly for example.This seems to be a case of witch hunting, he doesn't understand something [blogs] and couldn't be bothered to actually do enough research to determine the extent of the reach of a blog, and especially of an effective blog at that. It is fairly strange to me that Bullard knocks blogs so hard when he interacts with many steadfast and established bloggers every day. I would love to know what CrazyRant, Groogle and YoungBlood think about Bullards attack on bloggers.To add insult to injury, Bullard then proceeds to attack the readers of blogs:
It’s even sadder when someone reads them.
Are you kidding me? Now he is insulting the choices that people make? Who is this print columnist kidding? Readers can read what they like, I choose to read Bullard's column every week as much as I choose to read Chumpstyle, 1000Mnms and many other blogs.It seems to me that Bullard is talking about the average Joe who thinks that he/she has something profound to say and then finds out that someone has said it before. I get it, there are millions of blogs out there that are ridiculous, but there is a market for them all.I am not even going to start the discussion of print vs. new media, old vs. new and which will prevail. It's not worth it and I think that if Bullard was to do a bit more research he would see that there are many great writers, journalists and citizens who are making use of their blogs for more than mindless ranting.I am disappointed.Update:Check out the following:http://vincentmaher.com/mit/?p=347#comment-28411http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2445995529http://www.unodewaal.com/2007/05/06/david-bullard-plays-air-opinion/http://www.henriska.com/blog/?p=162http://wiredgecko.net/2007/05/ill-just-write-some-drivel-then-bullard/http://justinhartman.com/2007/05/07/is-david-bullard-an-utter-wanker/http://www.greenman.co.zahttp://www.mikestopforth.com/2007/05/07/dont-prove-david-bullard-right/http://www.sharepointexpert.co.za/?p=17
Technorati Changes "Links" To "Authority"
It seems as though Technorati have been working to change the naming of certain features on their site. I popped on today to see how SA Rocks is doing and it seems as though SA Rocks has an "Authority of 98". I am assuming that this means that there are 98 links to SA Rocks in the previous version of Technorati.Have a look:
I think that I like the Authority use over the Links in Technorati. Not sure that it's the first thing on the site that I would've fixed or changed. Maybe the developers should have considered an Amatomu approach to ranking and rating blogs in certain areas? Just a thought.I think that this change it terms is some sort of an attempt to add weight to the rating and ranking that Technorati does. In my little mind I think that it does make a difference. The word Authority does carry a certain... authority to it. I am not sure that this is the way they should be heading to improve their services. If anyone else can tell me a bit more about this change in terms of technicality then please do educate me!!
I Should've Been A Vibrator Tester
According to a little Excel program thing that Jen sent me just now. You enter your name and it pops out your ideal job!!
I dig...
So thanks to Kev I am blogging something nice about another SA Blog. There were so many to choose from and so many that have already had so many good things said about them. I have chosen...
These dudes go above and beyond to ensure that they don't over or under blog, but when they do blog most, if not all of their posts are useful and informative. Well written posts add flavour and create ease and lets be honest, with a kick ass mascot kid like that in their header you cannot go wrong!
White Men Dominate Media Industry
According to an audit conducted by the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) white men are not only paid more than any other demographic, but they also occupy a large majority of the top managerial positions in the media industry. Black women come in at the bottom of the list while black men occupy a mere 6% of newsroom top and senior management.I find this extremely strange, not unbelievable, just strange. I have been turned down from a few positions due to the colour of my skin and thought it was OK cause shit happens. I think, and had previously thought that the media industry was always fairly balanced with regard to demographics. I guess I was wrong. Ignorance is bliss I guess.According to SouthAfrica.info nine media houses were surveyed, including SABC, the Citizen, Kaya FM, Media 24, Primedia, the South African Press Association, the Independent group of newspapers, Johncom and the Mail and Guardian. That is an extremely comprehensive survey that leaves very little to debate.I think that this is an extremely important study done by Sanef and no doubt one that is close to Ferial Haffajee's heart. Lets hope that reform and change are upon us and that equality in the industry of the watchdog is near!
Mushy Swearing And A 1000 Damnations
I have been following 1000brownmnms for a few weeks now. I enjoy the way Martin Marcus writes (I still can't bring myself to call him Dr Martin Marcus). I have posted a few comments and must say that I have found it hard to not feel hypocritical when talking to or about the way Martin Marcus posts and the things that he says. I am often taken aback, offended, laughing and left confused on occasion. Is this not good blogging?I love miss peas and her toasty bits, I do, really. I also think that Martin Marcus went a bit far with her. End of story, that's it, it's done and that simple. It was said and it is done. That's how I feel (Peas, we spoke and we're cool).I just can't help but wonder why all the uproar? Why is everyone taking this dude so seriously? This is nothing new, the whole "lets swear a lot and blog about topical things in an adverse manner to spark reaction". I've seen it before and it's come and gone. So what makes this blog different and these swear words so potent? I am not 100% sure to be honest.My very first reaction is this: If I had thought of swearing and ranting and pissing people off I would have done it myself. Is that not what paperburner did a few years back? Miz Ritz posted on the topic a while back here and here. Then I think that any bafoon can swear and blog and it's free and easy so whatever, let the guy rant.Then I thought about the mini "outcry" that has taken place and I immediately feel the need to back up Mr 1000 rants and his Dr Martins Marcus. Why are people freaking out? Why have we made such a performance of one bloggers opinion? Is he right, is it because we all love Peas so much?? Possibly. But at the end of the day, the dude has the right to swear, rant and pretty much do what he likes. We also have the right to respond and to further rebut our positions. But let us just be honest, there are billions of blogs out there and if you don't like reading anything why do you go back? Stop reading, delete the RSS feed and let it ride.Fuckin' hate swearing on blogs.
An Essay On Blogs
The subject of Blogs has been covered intensively by the world press over the past decade. Advancments in Blogs can be linked to many areas. Until recently considered taboo amongst polite society, its influence on western cinema has not been given proper recognition. It is an unfortunate consequence of our civilizations history that Blogs is rarely given rational consideration by so called 'babies', many of whom blame the influence of television. At the heart of the subject are a number of key factors. I plan to examine each of these factors in detail and and asses their importance.Social FactorsInterweaving social trends form a strong net in which we are all trapped. When Thucictholous said 'people only know one thing' [1] he must have been referning to Blogs. A society without Blogs is like a society without knowledge, in that it is quite good.Our post-literate society, more than ever before, relies upon Blogs. It grows stonger every day.Economic FactorsEconomics has been defined as 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine.' To my learned ear that sounds like two people with itchy backs. We shall examine the Inter-Spam model. For those of you unfamiliar with this model it is derived from the Three-Amigos model but with greater emphasis on the outlying gross national product.What a splendid graph. Obviously housing prices sings a very different tune. The financial press seems unable to make up its mind on these issues which unsettles investors.Political FactorsPolitics was once a game featuring competitors from elite classes. Comparing Blogs and much of what has been written of it can be like comparing Blogsism and post-Blogsism.To quote the uncompromising Kuuipo Rock 'A man must have his cake and eat it in order to justify his actions.' [2] What a fantastic quote. It would be wise to approach the subject with the thought that 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'. However this can lead to missing out important facts.One thing's certain. The Human species liberally desires Blogs, and what's more human than politics?ConclusionTo conclude, Blogs has played a large part in the development of man in the 20th Century and its influence remains strong. It sings a new song, ensures financial stability and never hides.Here with the final word is Hollywood's Keanu Jackson: 'I wouldn't be where I am today without Blogs.' [3]End.I wish that I had written this essay, wait, I am not sure about that. Anyways, this essay was produced by Essay Generator. Give it a go, type in a word and it pops out an essay! I wish that I had this sort of site when I was a student.
Telkom VS Eskom
If my Telkom ADSL isn't down then my Eskom electricity (as if there is another option) is off. Today I have had trouble with both. The joy.First my ADSL wouldn't work, issues with Mac settings and wireless router. Solved that problem. Then as I get down to business with Digspot the electricity cuts out. Thanks Eskom. One forgets that it takes electricity to power a modem and wireless router. What to do? Simple, go to MacDonalds on Rivonia Rd and order some shitty food that makes you feel like crap so that you can use their wireless.. so here I sit.
