Category: Blogging

Happy Christmas to all of my very nice readers. Here’s to a joyful and IMF-laden… oh wait no doom and gloom (or reality). Things are grand Ted, sure everything will be just grand. 🙂

On the bright side, it’s not raining.

Or lunch, depending on how you time it. I am looking forward to meeting the faces behind the blogs tomorrow, and having some wine and umm, food. Those attending (Hi everyone!):

Niall Harbison (Thanks for organising!)
Joe Scanlon
John Keyes
Suzy Byrne
Jenny
Conor Lynch
Sean Fee
Christine Coen
Frank
Lar Veale
Dee Murphy
Robin Blanford
Laura Daly
Andrew Deegan
John McA Williams
Joe Drumgoole
Mike Kelly
Jillian
Marcus Mc Innes
Niamh Redmond
Emilly Tully

Today I officially finished my time as an undergraduate at University College Cork. I was conferred with a Joint Honours Degree in Politics and History.

Starting university in 2005 coincided naturally with a decline in my output both in print and here on the blog. Perhaps now I will find my mojo again! 🙂

I would like to thank the loyal readers (you know who you are) who have stuck with me over the last three years. I have a huge amount of catching up to do, and perhaps a good place for me to start is to look at writing more about the stuff I bookmark on delicious every day. If you are curious about the stuff I come across, do have a nose.

The original target for membership has been met (just about). The Facebook group now has 10,000 members after just over two weeks of existence. Membership contribution has been significant, with 164 wall posts, posted videos and dozens of links to newspaper stories.

The group has been covered, or mentioned by, TV3, the Irish Times, the Irish Examiner, the Irish Independent, the Belfast Telegraph, the Evening Herald and the Daily Mirror.

I have run an extensive advert campaign to achieve higher membership, and as far as I can tell from the stats, it has been highly successful. Membership growth (these are ballpark figures taken towards the end of each day). The invited numbers are also estimated, as Facebook does not show number of invites once it passes 6,000.

November 12: 255 members, 1,760 invited
November 13: 1,012 members, 5,534 invited
November 14: 2,122 members, 6,000+ invited
November 15: 2,987 members, 6,000+ invited
November 16: 3,815 members, 6,000+ invited
November 17: 5,685 members, 6,000+ invited
November 18: 5,900 members, 6,000+ invited
November 19: 6,850 members, 6,000+ invited
November 20: 7,120 members, 6,000+ invited
November 21: 7,450 members, 6,000+ invited
November 22: 7,567 members, 6,000+ invited
November 23: 7,900 members, 6,000+ invited
November 24: 8,100 members, 6,000+ invited
November 25: 8,464 members, 6,000+ invited
November 28: 8,938 members, 6,000+ invited
November 29: 9,245 members, 6,000+ invited
November 30: 9,400 members, 6,000+ invited
December 1: 9,500 members, 6,000+ invited
December 2: 9,700 members, 6,000+ invited
December 3: 10,000 members, 6,000+ invited.

To my knowledge, this makes the group that largest ever Ireland-specific single issue group ever. As you can see, in the first week of the campaign, 1,000 people were joining per day.

Furthermore it has led to people who joined the group going on to organise events off their own bat, inspired by events organised by the admins. Shauneen is organising a candlelit vigil for the Dáil on December 10th at 6.30pm. On foot of that vigil, a member in Cork is organising a similar event there. Another one in Limerick is also in the works.

Blogging has its place in campaigns like this one, and so does Facebook. But you have to say that Facebook is a great tool for this particular type of cause – and no doubt we will see a lot more like it in future. I guess the question is – where is this use of technology leading us, and second, how can the blogosphere contribute?

I have to say, this is one of the best Daily Show clips I’ve seen this year. John Oliver tells it like it is about the Mumbai attacks.

Via Dan.

I remember hearing this when it was broadcast back in the 1990s. Great to see it on YouTube. Pure hilarity.

Via Cian.

The extended interview:

Nothing I can add. Join the 7,500 people on the Facebook group demanding the cervical cancer vaccine programme is reinstated.