hackbash

Yeah, I know, it sounds like self-help bullshit, but allow me to explain. Last night saw a cracking thunderstorm over Brighton. It lasted for maybe three hours, with a good couple of hours of forked lightning and proper pyrotechnics.

I was trying to work. Consequently, by the time I’d finally realised that it was a special, […]

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Nick, bless him, recently shored-up my self-esteem no end by posting Bill Hicks’ if anyone here is in advertising, or marketing, kill yourself routine. Hicks may be long gone, alas, but his spirit menaces iCrossing’s Content & Media department, proffering guns from a Yank friend at opportune moments.
Truth be told, there are times when it’s […]

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Hi. I’d like everyone who works in marketing to sit down and take a deep breath. You can make a cup of tea if it will help.
I’m not an online influencer.
It’s true. Really; I’m a nobody.
Oh, I’m not a brand advocate, either. I’m not sure I even know any. Are you sure you didn’t make […]

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We’ve recently hired another journalist at iCrossing, the wonderful Jo-ann, but we’re still looking for one more to work with us in the Brighton office.
The job advert wording is here. Attention to detail, experience, enthusiasm and an ability to spell ‘liaise’ are the main things we’re looking for.
If you’re interested, or know someone who might […]

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I’ve come to a mini-realisation. There is no getting away from IT.
Let me fill you in - I used to work in tech support, which was OK, but there’s only so many progress meters a man can take. If you laid mine end to end they’d probably reach Belgium.
My plan was to begin my career […]

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I’m lucky enough to have a regular freelance gig, explaining to the good readers of Computer Shopper ‘how it works’. The only problem is that I generally don’t know how it works, and it can be extremely hard to learn enough about a topic to write it up quickly and competently, and to do so […]

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Right at the beginning of this year we became a two-Tamsin family, as Charlie, me and copywriter Tamsin Mac were joined by Tamsin H, our new content strategist.
Since then, things have evolved much faster and better, and in more ways than we’d have managed on our own. We’ve even hired two new journalists, which is […]

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I’m still not using BigNews, are you?
If the answer is “What?” you’re probably not alone. BigNews is Ask.com’s answer to Google or Yahoo’s news services, launched earlier this month. I wrote about the launch for iCrossing, observing at the time that an Ask search for “BigNews” didn’t return a link to the site.
Still doesn’t.
The service […]

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Not every day can be great. Work today was up and down, ending with a surprise sucker punch.
When stuff goes wrong - and I mean everyday, non-life changing stuff - it’s easy to mope about it. I frequently do - there are plenty of toys around my pram.
I’d recommend picking up the nearest Kurt Vonnegut […]

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I’m somewhat consumed by work at the moment.
Not the sort of ‘consumed’ where an awkward genius with a shock of white hair locks himself up in an attic to emerge seven months later with the answer to the universe, alas, but the kind where an arseload of freelance descends to snuff out every weekend and […]

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