Trunk Media

Do NZ courts understand the internet?

26 August 2008

Carrying on the theme of the BBC site last week, this week we have a NZ judge declaring that online media is seperate and distinct from other media outlets.

Now this to me is ludicrous and would indicate an almost luddite understanding of the internet. However it appears Judge David Harvey is well accomplished in the online field.

He [Judge David Harvey] has been involved with computers for 21 years and teaches the Law and Information Technology course at the Faculty of Law at Auckland University. He has written widely on Law and Internet topics.

It seems it is the ease that I have found out the information about this Judge is the ease with which he is trying to limit potential jurors from finding out information about the defendants in the case this ruling applies to. Google, apparently, provides too easy a source of information.

The scary thing is the precedent this sets. If we suddenly decide that online media is different and distinct from “offline” media, a point I highly dispute, then we are suddenly opening the pathway for rules and regulations against what can and can’t happen on the internet. Do we want to create our own Great Firewall of China? I can’t see what alternative we have as the rest of the internet is outside the jurisdiction of New Zealand courts.

Information is information. The sooner countries stop running scared of open information and start dealing with the outcomes of this liberation the sooner that country’s society will progress. Open economies and free societies flourish, lets not start limiting where and when we can access information lest we start to blur the lines of freedom. Most of all, lets not pretend that we can control the internet; the best thing we can hope for is to guide it in a positive direction.

Posted in Technical | No Comments »

Casual-speak – the death of corporate language on the web?

25 August 2008

I’ve been noticing for some time now the infiltration of looser language into professional websites. At first it was smaller websites, boutique advertising agencys trying to be different. But that’s their game, trying to be different and appeal to the bigger market but now we’re seeing it move into more mainstream media and could now become the norm for the online medium.

Facebook, Bebo and MySpace all dominate the interaction of people on the internet. Were you aware that social networking passed webmail as a method of communication on the internet around the end of 2007? If it’s not bleedingly obvious, social networking is huge business and this is the market that the bleeding edge content providers are trying to tap. To tap a market you need to speak their language and that language is short, sharp and casual – an advertisers boon! Twitter and texting, instant messages and forums. Short. Sharp. Casual.

(more…)

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TMD Crew win back to back World titles at Write4Gold 2008

22 August 2008

After taking out the Graffit World Title in Germany 2006, a lot of people on the international Graffiti scene stood up and took notice of this little, relatively unknown crew from the opposite corner of the globe.

Around rolls 2008, new year, new crews, new competition. Congratulations boys for putting NZ on the map and cementing it!

Bring on 2009!

Read the full Write4Gold artice

Make it Funky - TMD 2008 - Photo Credit www.write4gold.info

Posted in Creative | No Comments »

Updated your Facebook profile lately?

22 August 2008

This is a great Seth Godin blog article about how the little things you do online everyday affect how people perceive you:

Who’s telling you the truth about your online personal marketing?

I’m off to change my Facebook profile photo now…

Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Ferry prices go up

21 August 2008

Fuller’s ferry prices to Devonport, Stanley Bay and Waiheke go up on the 1st of September. Chalk another one up for rising petrol prices. Tickets to Devonport have gone up by $1 per return trip (from $9 to $10).

I think that Fuller’s provide a fantastic service. Having been a bus patron for several years, I really have enjoyed the change to ferry passenger. Virtually no waiting – the ferries are usually running on time (not much traffic in the harbour…). The ten-minute ride from either Bayswater or Devonport to the Viaduct is bliss. I used to live in Grey Lynn and frequently it would have been quicker for me to walk 35 minutes into town than wait for a bus and traverse K’Rd and down Queen St.

I hate to think how much time I would spend sitting in a car and driving from the North Shore to the city, not to mention the expense of both petrol and parking.

I wish more North Shore residents who work in the city would utilise ferry services. Rather than (or in addition to) improving the wharf and terminals (Auckland Regional Transport Authority), I would like to see Auckland City and North Shore City Councils discount ferry travel to increase ferry patronage and help reduce traffic over the bridge and into the city.

I’m glad that prices to Bayswater haven’t increased; however, it will be frustrating having to buy another ticket if I want to use the Devonport service as well. Currently your ticket is valid for all inner harbour services as the fares are the same price. I can see this being a problem on Friday and Saturday nights when the Bayswater ferries have finished for the night.

Maybe the cheap petrol project can also approach Fullers for discount ferry tickets! In fact, I’ve added that to their suggestion list…

Posted in Other | 1 Comment »