My online news consumption

December 2, 2009 in Business, advertising | Tags: , , , , | 1 comment

So I haven’t written anything in a while and this morning I was reading the news (as I do each and every morning) and decided that I would write about the shift in my consumption patterns over the last few months.

It turns out today was a very good day to write this piece as the main driver for my shift in consumption has been the invasive nature of advertising that is becoming ever more prevalent on Australian sites (I have written about this previously).

Lets start 4 years ago, I was out of school and working full time. My daily routine was to get into work, grab a coffee and read the paper online, my publication of choice was SMH, with the occasional visit to The Australian in order to read their business section. My morning ritual hasn’t changed all that much over the years, I still get a coffee in the morning and I still read while enjoying it. What has changed dramatically however is the way in which I consume news. There has been two primary drivers of this behaviour, the first is a want for deeper analysis and conversation around business news and the second and probably more significant is that I am fed up with invasive advertising taking over my screen (see today’s SMH screenshot) or bursting my ear-drums when an automatic video pops up and starts blaring some cheesy, generic TVC.

The result of this is that my online news consumption has become fragmented, I am going to niche sites in order to get my information around different items. My current morning reading list can be dissected as follows:

- Business Spectator
- Mumbrella
- AdAge
- Crikey

In addition to these staples I then use Twitter as a filter for articles throughout the day and I will occasionally (maybe once a week, if that) visit News.com.au. However I do not visit any Fairfax properties, if I can avoid it and this is the direct result of their choice in advertising.

Now, I am in no way indicative of the behaviour of my age group or any particular demographic profile. Indeed, my online use is highly skewed by what I do for work, however what I am interested to know is:
How, if at all has the increase in invasive advertising impacted your online news consumption?

Sponsor my mo

November 8, 2009 in General, Man Week, Personal | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Hi all,

I am currently taking part in Movember, an initiative to raise money and awareness around Prostate Cancer and male depressions.

I am calling my mo Mo-hammed and will be growing some accompanying sideburns, it will be filthy.

If you feel like supporting this very worthwhile cause you can dig deep and donate here, every cent helps!

Thanks,

Joel

Chewing gum in class; Cool is the new nerdy

October 28, 2009 in General, lessons | Tags: , , | 1 comment

Chewing gum in class; an action once reserved for only the most wicked rad rebellious badass kids in class should really be an action performed by the geekiest of nerds.

There have been many studies conducted on the effects of chewing gum on both alertness, stress levels and peoples ability to learn and absorb information however a recent report by the Baylor College of Medicine shows that there could be direct academic advantages to chewing gum as a result of the previously established facts.

With this in mind one must wonder about the strict discipline with which children are met for doing, what is in essence, nothing more than enhancing their ability to learn and perform well in class.

Perhaps it is time for teachers and administrators to think about what is in the children’s best interest and, instead of banning chewing gum, making it an essential part of the schooling experience, like a pen license.

Googles predictive search is… interesting…

October 15, 2009 in LOL, Search | Tags: , , , , , | 5 comments

Google’s predictive search bar is pretty much the most insightful thing I have ever seen, here are just a few pearls of wisdom from the Google Machine to your frontal lobe!

I am e....

I have an...

I really hope...

I want to...

Inglourious Basterds: An extremely short review

October 5, 2009 in Movies, Personal | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

First off apologies for my lack of activity over the last couple of weeks, things are rather hectic at the moment and I am struggling to find the time to put any thoughts down in a post.

Things should be back to normal in about 2 weeks and so I should be able to resume semi-regular postings then.

In the mean time I thought I would throw down a very quick review of Inglorious Basterds. So lets keep it short and to the point…

The Basterd!

To start with let me say I am a massive Tarantino fan. I really like most of the stuff he has done and this was no exception. The film is AMAZING. The pacing, direction and acting is all excellent and the film delivers laughs a minute while keeping you engaged and on the edge of your seat. A bit of a warning for those that are not strong of stomach, the film has a fair amount of extreme violence.

In my opinion this has been his best film since Pulp Fiction. I strongly recommend everyone see it, now… GO!