At work
Dictators are (also) on Facebook
Damascus is only a three hours flight away from Brussels, yet an infinite distance runs between Syria and our understanding of the recent events. I have been to Syria two years ago. Like in the other “Arab spring” countries, nothing could lead to imagine what would have happened today under the puzzled and incredulous eyes of us Europeans. Likewise, we are far from understanding the spam attack on the European Parliament’s Facebook page by pro-Syrian messages that started two weeks ago is still going on.
It’s not all about cute puppies and people falling down a flight of stairs
Cultural diversity, for all us Europeans, is like a nice bowl of steaming hot soup on a late December night. It allows you to enjoy yourself, oblivious of your surroundings. You can stay exactly the same in a multicultural environment without being judged for your culturally bound actions. It allows me to say that I [...]
Love your geeks, love me
“Love your geeks!” So we have been told. We could not do what we do without them. We could not progress without them. It is they, not us, who come up with the ideas which take the internet forwards. But should this love for our geeks extend to letting them loose on the blog? Read on, if you dare.
We sexy things
When you are in Brussels, go and see the Palace of Justice and at the same time think about the European Union. I’ll explain you why. The Palace of Justice is one of those monster buildings, a beautiful one though, that no one knows what to do with. On its completion in 1883 it was [...]
A new kid in town – Parliament in action
On 11 May, Touteleurope.eu opened its new website fully dedicated to the European Parliament, “Parliament in action”. I was at the pre-launch, a week ago in Paris, and while I am happy semi-external entities produce online content on the European Parliament, I couldn’t help leaving the event with mixed feelings. Let’s see the positive [...]
I have a book, and I’m not afraid to use it!
When I’ve been told that I could write something for the European Parliament’s blog I felt like I was asked to write a sequel for the Bible. My first thought was that everything must have been said and done by now, by the trainees before me or by the other editors. I was wrong. Sure [...]
Yes, Facebook matters. Bahrainis show the way
It’s been a big week on Facebook for WebCom. You know how we’ve been obsessing about what happens to all those comments we get on our Facebook page? Well, this week provided one answer.
Is shaking hands with a Prime Minister worth it?
14 May, 13:55, in front of the Permanent representation of France in Brussels. Tens of people were queuing on the street to enter the room where French Prime minister François Fillon was expected to give a speech to European civil servants.
Digital authority: back to the future?
Is the time of new Facebook friends over? Is the role of social media in the Arab revolutions just the end of an era? Yes, according to a digital media guru that was this week in Brussels. Social media are far from dying, but they are changing their skin. Are we ready for the mutation?
Taking a photo
Sometimes the office routine is broken by people bearing orange juice, photographic equipment and crawling under the table. Another day chez WebComm. All in the interests of art, naturally.
Lessons from America 5: Living in 1996
Professor Sreenivasan has a sense of the passage of internet time. The first thing you find on entering his office in Colombia School of Journalism, on the right as you come through the door, is a small mortuary of defunct gadgets, physical testimony to the faddishness and rapid progress of communications technology.
Lessons from America 4: Why America loves a failure
America is of course famously, notoriously even, the country which loves a winner. So why is everyone so keen on failure?
Lessons from America 3: Life beyond Facebook
Mid-life, it turns out that some of our obsessions are shared. One of these is worrying continually about What It All Means. Facebook, I mean.
The loop of infinite perfection
Ok I will come clean on this. I’m a moderate Mac fan, and have been for a very long time now. I sometimes can’t help lusting after the stuff the boys from Cupertino come up with but, for some reason, sometimes it all leaves me a little cold. In good old days of the Mac [...]
Some web analytics for a change.
Figures and naked truth.
Lessons from America 2: The Panic is Over
“The Panic is Over”; these were the words of David Plotz, gravel-voiced editor of Slate.com and personal (anti?)-hero of mine. It has to be said that, as he leaned back in his chair and sized up the three be-suited euro-dudes who had unaccountably pitched up in his premises (actually the meeting was in Slate’s kitchen), Plotz looked anything but panicked.
Lessons from America 1: possibly surprising things we learned stateside
This was the kind of visit where you envy almost everyone you meet their cutting edge, exciting and oh-so-cool jobs. It was a visit of contrasts: we met people from the administration and Congress, people from the media, people from academia, people who had just done extremely smart things. Meeting all these people, we learned a great many things. This post, and those to follow, will outline a few of them, in no particular order.
About the importance of being “outside”
Yes, I’m an insider, explaining the European Parliament from the inside. And yes, I do believe in the power people outside the institution can have. They may need us but, for sure, we need them as well.
Reportage: a day in the life of EP President Jerzy Buzek.
For a long time the WebCom unit has wanted to do a photo reportage of a day in the life of the President, but we had to wait for a special occasion to get a spot in a delegation for the unit’s photographer. We didn’t really want a visit to or by a Head of State, [...]
This is how they see us
It’s been a while since the Web Studio proposed a post on this blog. This time, Fred just grabbed a photo of the Boss and the Co-ordinator sitting together in their way back to Brussels after last Plenary meeting. This is how they see us: über-connected and lost in our music bubble. Can’t say they’re [...]
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