A promotion – I assume – for REAL crisps. Their people approached you and offered you the crisps, you had to choose according to what you intended to vote. Not that you had to, you could take all three if you . . . → Read the rest of this entry...]]> This lunch time at a central London location these crisps were given out.

A promotion – I assume – for REAL crisps. Their people approached you and offered you the crisps, you had to choose according to what you intended to vote. Not that you had to, you could take all three if you wanted.

Each pack had a ‘thank you’ message and a prompt to register your vote on their website.

I think this is a brilliant and cheeky way to product promote during the election.

Can I please be introduced to the person who thought this up so that I can declare myself their humble student?

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It is a horrible, horrible day.

Athens Uploaded by Verani Federico on 2 May 10, 11.15PM BST

Athens Uploaded . . . → Read the rest of this entry...]]> I’ve started writing something and deleted it numerous times.

It is a horrible, horrible day.

Athens Uploaded by Verani Federico on 2 May 10, 11.15PM BST

Athens Uploaded by Verani Federico on 3 May 10, 12.21AM BST

GREEKS PROTEST AUSTERITY CUTS Uploaded by PIAZZA del POPOLO on 5 May 10, 3.25PM BST.

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We had a really good time – it was actually snowing in Greece – and . . . → Read the rest of this entry...]]> It’s been a while but I have no intention of apologising. I was on holiday – of which we tend to take it kinda long over here in Europe – and had a lovely time in Greece and Bulgaria.

We had a really good time – it was actually snowing in Greece – and we managed to see our family and friends, which is a rare treat at the best of times. The experience in Bansko, Bulgaria was such that a post about good technology – bad customer service is already writing itself in the back of my head.

On another note I did not post anything over the holidays for two fundamental reasons. First of all I was away from any internet connections. I could possibly find a solution to this but it was my vacation so I was not prepared to spend any time in an internet cafe with pre-pubescent excited kids playing ‘skeleton’ mage (I think they meant Undead) in WOW.  

Secondly I don’t believe in remote posting (or even worse writing something and post-dating it) because I would not have access or time to participate in the discussion. So it would be me shouting and then neglecting anyone who bothered to shout back. Hence my blog New Year’s Resolution is to keep it up and stay away from the blog whenever I can’t really participate.

Any blog New Year’s Resolutions for you?

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There is a very good reason why. ‘Old media’ either have a . . . → Read the rest of this entry...]]> With the monitoring and analysis of social media by the journalists and analysts of the ‘old media’ we are seeing a vast improvement in the coverage of international news – especially when it comes to understanding the cultural, economic and political background.

There is a very good reason why. ‘Old media’ either have a correspondent in other countries (if they do it right) or they ‘parachute’ people in whenever a story breaks. Parachuting someone in means that they rely on the existing governmental and official structure to get the news. Being a correspondent means that they still have to rely on the official structure – otherwise they will be ostracised in the future – but at least they have a better understanding of the country. What they usually lack – due to their reporter, or time constraints, or their policies – is a deeper understanding of the background and the way the ‘common man’ perceives the situation.

This was extremely apparent to me with the Greek riots. Since I live in Britain I was watching the coverage predominantly on the British media – outlets like the Guardian, the Times, BBC News and Sky News. Initially I was left with an impression that the riots were down to the unfortunate death of the young boy. As a Greek, I know this not to be true, because I have an ‘insider’ understanding of how protest works in Greece. As the days went by I saw more in-depth coverage and actually a turn away from the violence, towards an analysis of the underlying reasons for the protest.

That is when we started hearing about unemployment, scandals, patronage and the ever present problem of corruption. In other words – we turned to the real issues.

How did this happen? Apart from having people ‘on the ground’ I think that social media actually help enormously. The discussions held on twitter, friendfeed and facebook, the blog posts, the photographs and videos uploaded give a glimpse into the complex psyche of the Greek citizens and highlight the underlying social, political and cultural norms behind the riots.

This glimpse into the background of the news is an important lifeline to ‘old media’ – especially the press I would think. With breaking news taken over by television, and now increasingly by the internet, the press needs to retain the lead in well-thought out and balanced analysis of the news. Here is an opportunity – in the form of social media – to glimpse behind the curtain of government press releases and official positions to what people really think.

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The Greek social media scene has been boiling for days now. The blogs started by discussing alleged police brutality . . . → Read the rest of this entry...]]> The Greeks have been using social media like blogs, twitter, friendfeed and facebook as well as e-mails and SMS messages to organise a peaceful sitting protest in front of the Greek House of Parliament today.

The Greek social media scene has been boiling for days now. The blogs started by discussing alleged police brutality and the death of young Alexandros Grigoropoulos who was killed by a bullet on the chest on Saturday. Comments abound in the Greek blogging community but the interest the situation sparked saw an increased level of debate with people venting their frustration or discussing what has been happening.

As the whole country seemed to errupt in violence Greeks continued discussing the situation on a variety of social media. #griots was started and updates were pouring in from people on the streets up and down the country, with reports of closed of spots to the traffic, police presence, destruction of property, teargas and hooded youths.

Most discussions conceded that the situation in Greece was bleak. Helena Smith, a Guardian correspondent, calls this

a lost generation without work or hope, it is a rage that has been fuelled by allegations of corruption and the seemingly relentless scandals involving sex, money and the church which have swirled around the conservatives – and for which, despite public outrage, no one has been punished.
(via)

As the violence continued frustration mounted. On the social media scene people started pleading for calm, for an opportunity to protest peacefully and to stand against the hooded destroyers that seem to be taking control of the situation.

People not normally associated with protecting peaceful demonstrators or participating in any way started going down to the streets to stop the violence. A blog reported that some politicians from PASOK (the opposition party) went to the street and made a human chain, to allow students to go through the police ranks and leave flowers at the spot where Alexandros was killed. A friendfeed update reported that in the city of Patras the citizens went downtown “to do what the police couldn’t do. To stop the hooded people.” A twitter call for calm and ideas for peaceful protest was taken up by twitter users, friendfeed, blogs and Facebook.

Almost immediately the idea to get together for a peaceful protest at 11.00 in the morning in front of the House of Parliament was shared via RSS feeds, blog posts, twitter and friendfeed updates, e-mails and SMS messages. A facebook group brought this to the attention of a wider crowd as well.

Is this really going to be a peaceful protest? I doubt it. Tensions are now running high and when in a crowd your individual sense of ethos tends to break down.

But I am hopeful. The citizens reached out and spoke to each other. Now that we have found a way, I can only hope that we can stop the violence and go on with the discussion.

————
Follow the events as they unfold
- on the #griots hashtag
- on the #griots friendfeed room
- on the Guardian website

———–
Update:
Photos from the silent / peaceful protest. Vrypan snaps away and cpil uploads them.

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Contrary to some reports, Exarcheia is not “a district of central Athens long associated with lawlessness and drug abuse” (via). It is an area . . . → Read the rest of this entry...]]> I lived the first years of my adult new found independence in the Athens area of Exarcheia and I have some of my best memories from that time and that area.

Contrary to some reports, Exarcheia is not “a district of central Athens long associated with lawlessness and drug abuse” (via). It is an area of extremes, but still what the Greeks call gitonia (neighborhood); a mix of students, older residents, immigrants, rockers, anarchists, nihilists, drug users, students form the nearby universities of Law and Technology. There are small shops is Exarcheia, as well as big supermarkets, but the area still maintains a distinct air of bohemia and has a small community that bands together when times are hard.

There are others that have described what is going on to Greece and I am ill-placed to report on it. I don’t doubt that there has been police violence because as a student in Greece I have been in demonstrations and have seen it for myself. I don’t doubt that at the moment the situation is critical. The death of a young teenager pains me – as well as the dwindling restraint among protesters and police alike.

I was listening to a radio report this morning – even if you don’t know Greek you’ll realise that there are screams of pain as – according to the reporter – 10 to 15 police officers are beating up two young demonstrators. But the key words for me were these: “There are people all around, recording the scene on their mobile phones”.

A part of me is enraged that passers by would record the scene and not get involved or try to separate the police officers from the demonstrators. Some apparently did. Others stood in the sidelines, afraid of repercussions perhaps. But at least they did something, however voyeuristic it seems; they kept a record of the event.

Old media cannot be everywhere. Citizens can. And that, gives me small but significant comfort.

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