People's Republic of South Devon » technology

Not spots and microwave broadband in Devon

PRSD — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:16:45 +0000

Microwave tower: there’s more than one way to heat up a broadband not spot, as the people of Northlew have found out

There’s always a small cheer in the PRSD office when we’re reassured the Central Devon MP Mel Stride actually exists (we’re worried he’ll fall through the cracks of the system). So imagine our micro cheer when his smiling face popped up associated with a microwave broadband network in Northlew.

Here’s his question in the Superfast Broadband debate on June 16:
“In Northlew, a small village in my constituency, a local not-for-profit organisation has ensured that about 200 subscribers now receive broadband using a microwave network. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that such technology will be covered under Broadband Delivery UK funding guidelines, so that other villages in my constituency may benefit from it?”

And here’s Jeremy Hunt’s response:
“I can confirm that our policy is technology-neutral. We are asking local authorities to come forward with a broadband plan that will secure 100% 2-meg connection, and 90% superfast broadband, but how they do that is up to them. I am aware that 8% of my hon. Friend’s constituents live in “not spots”, where they have no broadband access at all, and 13% of them live in houses with less than 2-meg connection. That shows what a priority this is. We want to be extremely imaginative, and I hope that we will have the support of the Labour party—”

Which begs the question, when will a not spot be hot, as Michael Barrymore didn’t say.

Find out how a forgotten part of Devon jumped on the internet superhighway with Northlew wireless broadband – they are now helping other overlooked communities achieve broadband internet access – a case of not spots of the world unite!

(image: microwave tower Some rights reserved by cyrusbulsara)

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If Dickens wrote today? New writing project combines new technology with age-old practice

PRSD — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:37:50 +0000

Diary of a Mall Girl: Luisa Plaja’s tale unfolds in episodes on the web

A Devon author is leading the way in a new project which aims to turn the tide of the book industry by going back to good ole Dickensian values – selling stories in episodes – with the modern twist of voting on which way the story should go.

The new project by Fiction Express featuring Devon author Luisa Plaja (along with three other authors), gives the episodic take on novel writing with a twist, and we know, ’cause we share an office with said author (that’s our declaration of interest too, by the way).

Luisa’s books focus on the themes of identity in a so-called post-feminist consumer world… and snogging (what do you expect from teenage chick-lit?).

Her story, Diary of a Mall Girl, follows the trials and tribulations of 15-year-old Molly, who lives with her family in the housing part of a massive modern eco-mall.

So, what’s it like to be the electronic age *naughties* teenage chick-lit answer to Dickens?

“I can’t compare myself to Charles Dickens!” said Luisa, a little taken aback. “This is an exciting project and hopefully will engage new readers in teenage fiction.

“The authors involved cover different genres so there should be something for everyone, with the added incentive of having your say over where the story goes.

“And with readers voting on the plot, it keeps us on our toes because until the votes are counted we don’t know which storyline will get picked. It’s pretty exciting.”

With e-book sales having double digit increases it could be the way the publishing industry is going in the future, but at the moment Luisa has her feet in e- and traditional publishing. Her next book, Kiss Date Love Hate, is published by Random House and will be out in early 2012.

• Pop over to Fiction Express to catch up with Diary of a Mall Girl

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Somerset town telephonic chaos continues

PRSD — Thu, 05 May 2011 12:07:10 +0000

Off the line: telephonic communications in Somerset have been disrupted for days

We’re getting reports – from carrier pigeon, no less – that a town in Somerset has been without telephonic communication (that’s landline and internet to you) for most of the week.

The rumour is that roadworks in the Somerset town of Curry Rivel exposed BT’s copper wire, which was then pinched, leaving the area in telephonic silence.

The phone lines have since been reconnected, only so far the numbers are all mixed up, so no one is getting the right person. In the wrong hands the town could turn into a call centre for the News of the World.

So much for the technological superhighway.

• If you know more about the disruption, drop us a line. Comments below, please.

(image: Some rights reserved by Kevin Byrom)

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Plymouth spends £1,620 on websites to nowhere

Stuart Bonar — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:43:12 +0000

Disconnected: Plymouth City Council spends around £1,620 on web addresses that don’t go anywhere

Plymouth City Council owns and pays £60 per year for the rights to use a total of 61 website addresses at a total annual cost of £3,660.

That sounds like a lot of URLs. You’re probably wondering what they all are. Well, I asked, using the Freedom of Information Act, and I was amazed when I went through and tested each one – 27 led nowhere. With each costing £60 per year, that’s £1,620 of taxpayers’ money down the drain.

While www.visitplymouth.co.uk works fine and promotes the city as a destination for tourists, there are others that just left me scratching my head… why, for example, has the Conservative-run city council spent a total of £360 on www.buymountedgcumbe.co.uk, www.buymountedgcumbe.com.uk, www.buymountedgcumbe.net, www.buyplymouth.co.uk, www.buyplymouth.com and www.buyplymouth.net? Is it planning some kind of massive sell-off?

Then there’s the £240 spent on www.plymouthpcn.co.uk, www.plymouthpcn.com, www.plymouthpcn.net and www.plymouthpcn.org. None of them lead anywhere, and I am not even sure what they’d be about – Penalty Charge Notices (parking tickets)?

What about www.plymouthwinterfestival.co.uk and www.plymouthwinterfestival.com? They sound promising until you click on them.

We are in a time of acute spending restraint. Every penny saved on waste like this is a penny that doesn’t have to be taken from the frontline. It’s time for Plymouth’s ruling Conservative councillors to stop paying for these websites to nowhere.

(Note: the original sum of £1,660 has been amended to £1,620)

(image: Ethernet Cable Some rights reserved by David Davies)

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Twitter: it built my team, but didn’t win me votes

Stuart Bonar — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:58:23 +0000

I stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Plymouth Moor View in last month’s General Election. While I didn’t unseat Labour’s incumbent, Alison Seabeck, I did learn a great deal more about campaigning.

From the off I was determined to use social media as an integral part of my campaign. Why so determined? Well, not least because I was hardly rolling in campaign funds and I had about 70,000 voters to reach.

Central to this was Twitter. I have to confess to having become a Twitter addict. It is wonderful, and of course free. Follow the right people and you can know straight away if something’s happening, what and where.

How useful was it as a campaigning tool? Well, I just checked and @stuartbonar (that’s me) has 455 followers. Not all of them are from Plymouth, say 300 are. Halve that to exclude those in the other Plymouth seat and I am maybe down to 150 constituents. I suspect that’s an overestimate, and bear in mind that many will be opponents (@CouncillorTudor being an example… and someone worth following).

Bear in mind too that I had 70,000 voters to reach, so 150 followers turns out to be a tiny fraction of one percent. In terms of broadcast then it’s not a runner. Leaflets, getting in the Plymouth Herald and door-knocking were far more important in reaching lots of different people.

To end my analysis there however would be a big mistake. Social media and Twitter are not broadcast media. That’s not what they are about; Twitter is about quality of contact, not quantity… well it is for those of us who aren’t Stephen Fry anyway.

By enabling people to get to know me and ask me lots of questions, I probably picked up a few new members and a few new deliverers – a much deeper level of political engagement than just a cross on a ballot paper. And remember it’s free – very important for a cash-strapped candidate.

Online campaigning generally, like blogs, are just the same. For a lucky few, their blog is a broadcast medium reaching hundreds of thousands, but for most they are a new way of opening up lines of communication. I felt open and accessible to local voters thanks to social media in a way that I would never have been previously.

Many long-standing politicians don’t seem to get that yet, but with each year and with each election, more and more politicians will start using these new tools properly. That can only be a good thing.

So, if you’re not on Twitter, I’d urge you to dip your toe into its warm waters. Watch any TV programme, and you’ll be chatting about it simultaneously on Twitter – the water-cooler of the 21st century. Just be sure to follow me, @stuartbonar, for lots of sage and witty bon mots.

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Creeping commercialism on the PRSD!

PRSD — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:37:16 +0000

We’re happy to report a creeping commercialism at the People’s Republic of South Devon.

Being a not-for-profit social enterprise doesn’t mean that we don’t make money. It means the money we do make goes back into supporting what we do, rather than paying shareholders or proprietors.

We aim to provide reasonable wages for core staff and reasonable rates for contributors, while giving businesses affordable advertise opportunities to our growing and highly discerning readership.

Because we don’t charge loads for anything (except maybe a banner ad for the whole year), we aim to reach our ‘commercial’ goals through plenty of small, incremental moves, like £3.50 a week for an ad thru’ the Addiply system (where you can also check on our stats). Many thanks to the artist T-Shirt people Sabcat for coming on board!

Or you can take an ad for £120 a year – that’s the route which Dartmoor Nature Tours has used.

Addiply also provide text ads on the site: Totnes Monster, Fierce Media, The Art of Stillness and Touchdown Transfers, many thanks.

There’s also a chance to get your ad in our stories, either throughout the site (see the Euroffice ad at the bottom of the stories on the site), or in the RSS feed.

We’ve also diversified. The PRSD store is doing ‘steady’ business, and we occasionally lend our hand in providing websites, the latest being the Equestrian Construction site.

If you’d like to support the PRSD – or any of the News and Media Republic Ltd sites – take an ad, or get in touch. We’re also interested in other collaborations.

Email sa...@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk

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Question for Exeter’s #likeminds – how deep is the social element of social media?

PRSD — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:52:50 +0000

With the Like Minds conference taking place in Exeter tomorrow (Friday, October 16), we thought we’d ask about the social element of social media.

We’re not talking about increasing your ROI (that’s Return on Investment for you non-marketeers), but creating community cohesion and confidence through digital communication.

There should be plenty of views on the topic. One of the speakers will be South Devon’s own Laura Whitehead. Laura is apparently “the queen of nonprofit technology in the UK”, according to Fast Company.

Rick Waghorn, whose “community-focussed, self-serve advertising system, Addiply” we use ourselves (check us out being mentioned on Journalism.co.uk) is booked in.

And so is Daren Forsyth of 140Characters.co.uk – ‘a new venture dedicated to creating and promoting social change via strategic social networking across the corporate, governmental and nonprofit sectors’ (which ironically takes up more than 140 characters).

We’ve just posed the question in our headline – follow the Twitter feed below.

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English Riviera by any other name – Torbay’s tourism either changes track or carries on the same (we can’t work it out)

PRSD — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 08:57:33 +0000

It’s difficult keeping up with the tourism to-ing and fro-ing in Torbay. For example, not six months since marketing guru Carolyn Custerson appeared on the scene telling the world that no one knew where the English Riviera is, she’s pushing it as the overall marketing strategy for the whole of Torbay.

But apparently, ‘If Carolyn Custerson was cut in half you would see the word tourism written right through her,” according to Malcolm Bell, chief executive officer of South West Tourism, which seems a rather macabre way to prove your credentials – a CV would suffice one thinks. Then again, what if she had English Riviera written through her?

The upshot is, another trade body and/or organisation funded by members and working together with the other South Devon and other tourism bodies. You’d think tourism was rocket science, but then again, it’s not like it’s a major industry or anything.

posted by Cptn

Here’s a note for the English Rivera from the BusDriving blog.

• What’s in a name? Any alternative names to market Torbay… we mean the English Riviera. Comments below, please.

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Got photos? Share them with the People’s Republic of South Devon

PRSD — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:54:29 +0000

If you’re a photographer from Devon, or you take pictures of Devon, we’re keen to show off your work on the People’ s Republic of South Devon. You could be a photo-journalist, an portraitist or a happy snapper – it doesn’t matter, as long as your images do the talking (and if there’s a story with the picture, so much the better).

Of course, you keep all the copyright, you’re just letting us show them. And to make it easier, you could even join the PRSD Flickr account

For more information, read our submission guidelines and our community guidelines.

And as the building blocks of our Crowd Sourcing site are being put together, we’ll be increasing looking for feature photographers and photo journalists who fancy lending a hand.

posted by Cptn
(image: Parliament Street, Exeter – the narrowest lane in the world?)

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Get ready for the latest media revolution! Er… local paper limps into technology

PRSD — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:09:54 +0000

With the quaint hyperbole of ‘pushing the boundaries of information technology’, it seems the Mid-Devon Advertiser is taking its turn to follow what we’ve been doing on the People’s Republic of South Devon for ages – page-turning technology for publications, and apparently you can click on ‘links’ to get through to ‘advertisers’. Now that’s what we call the ‘wow’ factor.

Using the already well-tested technology of PageSuite, the Tindle Empire has shuffled further into the web after creating a woefully inadequate website – five news stories a week does not an online newspaper make. And the RSS doesn’t work. Perhaps they are outside their comfort zone with new technology.

According to the front page story: “Advertisers can link their websites with the advert so that one click takes customers straight through to their website or email address.” And, “news stories and advertisements may also be enhanced by video and audio clips”.

Well, you can see why the story made the front page!

But the revolutionary idea is that it’s a subscription service, and all these goodies are behind a pay wall. Tindle will lead and Murdoch will follow, eh?

In the interest of disclosure, I used to work for the Mid-Devon Advertiser, and technology isn’t what the company does. The strength is the brand and the old-fashioned values, and the company has been insulated against the latest media carnage.

What with the Mid-Devon Advertiser and the Tindle Group flexing its muscle, and the recent hyper-local Daily Mail-backed Newton Abbot People site, there are more ways than ever to be informed and engaged in current affairs and the community, and not forgetting our uniquely not-for-profit approach, that can only be a good thing.

posted by Cptn

• Front page news? What’s your opinion on this media revolution? Comments below please.

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TARDIS deployed to fight the brain drain

PRSD — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:51:41 +0000

A £1.7 million programme to keep highly talented people in the region has been approved by the South West Regional Development Agency.

Focusing on the specialist skills of the aerospace, advanced engineering and creative/digital industries, the TARDIS (Talent Attraction, Retention and Development In the South west – surely TARDISW), it will ‘increase the chances of highly skilled and talented people, who may be at risk of redundancy, finding alternative work or training’.

To our uninitiated eyes it looks likes two jobs boards run by the Engineering Employers Federation and Bristol Media, but using words like ‘redeploy’ and ‘rapid match’.

All very Battlestar Gallactica and well worth the £1.7 million price tag.

posted by Cptn

How much does it cost to keep the world safe from alien attack – sorry, we mean keep people in work?

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Latest People’s Republic of South Devon newsletter out now

PRSD — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:41:47 +0000

With all the inside gen on what’s been going down at PRSD towers, plus a little heads-up on one of our (not too secret) secret additions of offers and giveaways on the site, the latest newsletter has a unique insight into the current PRSD developments

Exciting much!?

Well, we think so, so we’ve decided that if you sign up for the newsletter and email info@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk, we’ll send you the link to the newsletter you missed. Now, you can’t say fairer than that.

All that and you can still follow us on Twitter; Facebook; MySpace; Friendfeed and via RSS

And remember, sign up to the newsletter

posted by Cptn

(image: an old email newsletter)

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