Items by Stephanie Migot

Inari Media

• I Love Your Blog, I Just Hate your Comments

  Posted: March 15, 2010, 5:26 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I am trying to build up the blogroll for one of my other projects that the moment, and I’ve been going through my regular reading list to see which websites would be a good fit. What I’ve noticed is that even though I read each and every post I get via RSS feeds, there are [...]

• Spy on your Enemies or Competiton with Twitter Lists

  Posted: March 10, 2010, 2:54 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Although I mainly use this blog for tech and web-related business, I have strayed into politics from time to time, and have sometimes used events outside of my sphere of interest as a jumping-off point for posts. I am one of those bleeding hearts that cares about what’s going on in the world, and when [...]

• The Perils of Choosing a New Mobile Phone

  Posted: March 10, 2010, 2:51 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Yesterday brought the news that a 13 year-old boy had been selling nude pictures that his girlfriend had texted to him to classmates for $5 a pop. Leaving aside the possible prosecution for distributing child porn for a second, the first thought that occurred to me was why a child needs a mobile phone with [...]

• Picture This: ‘Free Belarus’ 2010 Action Day

  Posted: March 9, 2010, 2:34 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I’m going to hijack the blog today to highlight a protest that I’m going to be involved with soon. March 18th is the Young European Federalists’ fifth annual “Free Belarus” day, a day of protest against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, the last remaining dictator in Europe. While I don’t believe that the protest will lead [...]

• International Women’s Day 2010: Progress

  Posted: March 8, 2010, 2:26 pm by Stephanie Migot

  International Women’s Day is here again, and this year the theme is “Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all.” We can’t really argue with that, can we? Because while steps have been made, and laws have been enacted, there is still too much inequality between the sexes. The tables, however, could be turning. There has been [...]

• Facebook or Twitter: Which is Better for News-Gathering?

  Posted: March 6, 2010, 2:36 pm by Stephanie Migot

  With the news last week that more Americans use social networks as a source of use than use traditional media, and that Twitter has passed the 10 billion tweet mark, it’s obvious that social media is an increasingly important source of discovering and disseminating news. If Facebook and Twitter are the main arenas for such [...]

• Single Ladies (Don’t Put a Ring on It)

  Posted: February 14, 2010, 1:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re female and are waiting for your significant other to pop the question, I’m here to give you a couple of things to think about before you start planning your wedding. I’m not against marriage as an institution; hell, I imagine that I’ll be tripping up the aisle of a registry office [...]

• Where Toyota Went Wrong

  Posted: February 10, 2010, 2:48 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I wouldn’t like to be a Toyota dealer right now. Angry and anxious customers will receive letters this week telling them how to deal with the unprecedented recall of millions of vehicles, and it is the dealerships and authorised mechanics around the world who are first in line to face the fallout from consumers. For the [...]

• Do You have a Backup Twitter Strategy?

  Posted: February 9, 2010, 1:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  If you are a heavy Twitter user, you probably have favourite programs that you use regularly. There are any number of alternatives, all with different features and their own distinct advantages, but for whatever reason, there’ll be one (or a few) that you favour over all others. When this goes wrong, it can throw your [...]

• After the Rubberneckers: How to Stay Up to Date on Haiti

  Posted: January 25, 2010, 5:28 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Thirteen days after the country was hit by a powerful earthquake that has devastated the country, Haiti is already beginning to slip down the news agenda. From being the lead item all of last week, news outlets are now reporting other items, from local politics to celebrity news, ahead of the plight of the Caribbean [...]

• Are You Always Game-Ready?

  Posted: January 11, 2010, 1:00 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Over the weekend, intoxicated by the power of Twitter lists, and falling down into the rabbit hole of looking up the followers of the followers of the people I had decided to follow, I went on a bit of an adding spree. My numbers have been bumped up across all my accounts, I had a [...]

• Whining About Weather and Work

  Posted: January 6, 2010, 7:56 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I’m working from home today, but then that is my default setting. The UK is gong through a cold snap at the moment, and the advice has been to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, so I’d imagine that I am not as much of a rarity as I usually am. Thousands of schools [...]

• The Personal, the Political and the Professional

  Posted: January 4, 2010, 10:15 pm by Stephanie Migot

  The story behind this post occurred before Christmas, but is still rumbling on in various forums and on Facebook, so I thought it might be worth addressing here, as it’s something that everyone will probably have to deal with at some point in their career. Basic story: a teacher has been  suspended from her [...]

• Who Are Your Real Connections?

  Posted: January 3, 2010, 8:05 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Doing some social network housekeeping last night, I lamented my tiny number of LinkedIn connections, and marvelled at the number of Twitter followers I have managed to gain while not doing much more than sending out links to news articles. While one set of people are easy to come by, the other seems more elusive. [...]

• Could Anonymous Recruiting Cut Discrimination?

  Posted: January 2, 2010, 8:56 pm by Stephanie Migot

  News comes that various groups are lobbying the UK government to legislate so that an applicant’s gender and race are not revealed during recruitment, leaving only their experience and qualifications as the basis for whether to invite them for interview. At first glance, it seems like a good idea, but I’m not sure how it [...]

• Regrets, I’ve Had a Few…

  Posted: January 1, 2010, 12:00 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Hi! If you’re reading this, you either haven’t gone to bed yet, or you — like me — were blessed with the inability to get hangovers, unlike the poor unfortunate I’ve chosen to illustrate this post with. This post was written in advance, so I can’t actually regale you with tales of how I spent [...]

• Sexism is Bad for your Business

  Posted: December 16, 2009, 5:51 pm by Stephanie Migot

  There’s been a bit of a storm in the blogosphere teacup in the last couple of days, after James Chartrand, a well-known blogger and copywriter, turned out to be an as-yet unnamed woman. “James” decided to come clean on Copyblogger after her cover was blown by a disaffected acquaintance, and explained that she had come [...]

• Let the End of the Year Be the End of Spam

  Posted: December 15, 2009, 5:11 pm by Stephanie Migot

  According to security firm Symantec, the world’s email inboxes were inundated this year, with 87% of messages sent and received being spam. My first thought on seeing this was “Who on earth gets that much spam?” My second one was that despite having a hit rate of around just one in 200, unsolicited messages are [...]

• The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference Could Be Good for Business

  Posted: December 7, 2009, 3:34 pm by Stephanie Migot

  The United Nations Climate Change Conference kicks off today in Copenhagen. Ministers, policy wonks, scientists and their various hangers-on — protesters, denialists, celebrities, lobbyists, NGOs and charities — are all descending on the Danish capital to secure the future of the planent for future generations. Or at least that’s the warm and fuzzy version. If [...]

• Where Do Ethics End and Profits Begin?

  Posted: November 30, 2009, 1:40 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Last week, the UK parliament’s House of Commons Science and Technology Committee heard evidence from supporters and critics of homeopathy to discuss its effectiveness and whether it should continue to be funded under the National Health Service. Now, I am friends with a professional aromatherapist, and also have a personal interest in herbal medicine. Nevertheless, [...]

• Bringing Together Your Different Career Personalities

  Posted: November 25, 2009, 3:53 pm by Stephanie Migot

  A few days ago, desperate to address a number of topics that would not fit in with this blog or on Kenya Imagine, I put together a couple of drafts for posts and decided to start a new blog, along with a linked Twitter account. Now, this could be ill-advised, as I’ve already got multiple [...]

• Freeware of the Week! [Stylizer Basic]

  Posted: November 20, 2009, 6:00 pm by Stephanie Migot

  If you want to dabble in web design, there are all sorts of options available to you. You can splash out on Dreamweaver, though the price sticks in the craw, especially if you only build the occasional website. You could put together a collection of various free tools and programs, that I’ve mentioned in the [...]

• Careful with your Corporate Gifts

  Posted: November 17, 2009, 3:51 pm by Stephanie Migot

  As the end of the year approaches, many business will be sending out tokens of their appreciation to their most valued clients and suppliers. These serve as a tangible “thank you” for doing business with for the past year, and can range from a day out driving a Ferrari, or a batch of branded diaries. [...]

• In Praise of Quality Stationery

  Posted: November 16, 2009, 5:41 pm by Stephanie Migot

  The notebooks that I use for scribbling down my thoughts when I’m away from a computer are nearly full, so I’m going to have to go shopping for new ones. This will entail a trip to four or five different shops before I find what I’m looking for. I’m not bothered about the price so [...]

• Freeware of the Week! [Paint.NET]

  Posted: November 14, 2009, 11:10 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I know that I’ve mentioned this week’s pick before, but I don’t think a couple of brief sentences really does it justice. I was reminded of this yet again when I had to deal with a couple of graphics for a website that weren’t behaving themselves and needed more than the lightest bit of fiddling. [...]

• Tips to Help Your Charity Event Go Off with a Bang

  Posted: November 12, 2009, 6:21 pm by Stephanie Migot

  As most people’s thoughts turn towards the big push for Christmas sales and the lull that will follow in January, I’m already thinking about next summer. Not just because I am averse to cold to a reptilian degree, but because that’s when the charity event that I’m helping to organise takes place. I volunteered after [...]

• Get in Shape for Guest Blogging

  Posted: November 11, 2009, 7:17 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Guest blogging is something that everyone should do at least once, either as host or guest. For the host, it gives editors and writers a break from writing and can also offer a fresh perspective on the topics they cover. In addition, guest bloggers can pull in their readers as extra traffic if they publicise [...]

• Don’t Forget Social Media when Choosing Your Domain Name

  Posted: November 10, 2009, 3:43 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Choosing a domain name is difficult. I agonised over choosing the name for this blog, and even then I managed to choose one that wasn’t quite right. Still, it works, and it’s too late to go back to the drawing board now. Had I been paying for the privilege too, I’d probably be much less [...]

• Freeware of the Week! [LogMeIn Free]

  Posted: November 6, 2009, 4:16 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I know that I’ve blogged about remote software before, but I may have glossed over the fact that it can be tricky getting it to work on several different computers, especially if you’re using it for tech support and the people you are helping never do more than browse and email. Getting them to configure [...]

• Deleting Comments Doesn’t Kill Free Speech

  Posted: November 5, 2009, 6:53 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Recently, there have been a number of newspaper articles in the Kenyan media on homosexuality and the rights of LGBTQ people, specifically whether their rights should be enshrined in the constitution. Now, given that the gay scene in Kenya has been very much underground, and because there are a great number of people who hold [...]

• Do You Know Who Your Twitter Followers Are?

  Posted: November 4, 2009, 4:53 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Either everyone but me is using a VPN, or the people making the most use of my tweets don’t actually follow me on Twitter. I came to this conclusion last night after looking at the stats for my various Twitter accounts. While I tweet throughout the day, I don’t expect my followers to click [...]

• Is Social Media Under Attack?

  Posted: November 2, 2009, 6:02 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Two articles caught my eye over the weekend, and got me rather worried about how traditional media and big business might be changing their approach to social media. While there have been encouraging noises made about the greater openness that social networking encourages, I wonder whether the former gatekeepers of information are quite as enthusiastic [...]

• Freeware of the Week! [Tungle]

  Posted: October 30, 2009, 4:00 pm by Stephanie Migot

  So yesterday I had a meeting, or rather a group IM chat. All was going swimmingly until we tried to arrange follow-ups, whereupon there was much humming and hawing amongst us from our three respective time zones and with our competing schedules. Had I had this week’s offering to hand, the process of setting up [...]

• Discounting Into Oblivion?

  Posted: October 29, 2009, 3:31 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I went out for dinner last night and what struck me within minutes of taking our seats was the number of promotions on offer at the restaurant. If we had been going to the theatre, we could have had 20% off just for showing our tickets. If we signed up to a mailing list, we [...]

• Why It Isn’t Difficult to Market to Women

  Posted: October 28, 2009, 4:27 pm by Stephanie Migot

  There has recently been an article, stating that the global recession has highlighted the increased purchasing power of women. This isn’t anything new: whether they spend the money or not, women are responsible for the majority household spending decisions. But as they have entered the workforce in greater numbers and have increased their own incomes, [...]

• Who Benefits Most From Charity Tie-Ins?

  Posted: October 27, 2009, 7:55 pm by Stephanie Migot

  It’s charity season again and last night, while watching a television program on the amount of fat, salt and sugar in breakfast cereals (I am a nerd and proud), I saw an advert featuring Gordon Ramsay. He has a range of sauces out for Children in Need, and “and least” 10p from ever jar sold [...]

• Freeware of the Week! [MahTweets]

  Posted: October 23, 2009, 4:15 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Social networking has been chugging along nicely for a while now, and has grown into something that you’re almost expected to do, rather than fool around with once in a while. Along with that have grown a number of applications that profess to make your online social life easier to manage, but there hasn’t been [...]

• Why Do Consumers Still Fall for Psychological Pricing?

  Posted: October 22, 2009, 4:18 pm by Stephanie Migot

  We all know what they’re doing. The half-price sale that only has a few unappealing goods at 50% off. The promotion where the discount that you can actually receive is capped after a certain level. The numerous hoops you have to jump through before receiving your free product. The “free trial” that will turn into [...]

• Deindustrialisation Can Kill a Region

  Posted: October 21, 2009, 3:52 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Interesting numbers released by the Guardian recently, concerning the areas of the UK with the highest number of graduates. After a quick look and some unscientific cross-referencing, what seemed most apparent is that those areas with the fewest graduates also had the largest number of people claiming some sort of unemployment benefit. Stick with me, [...]

• Should Your Political Views Be a Sackable Offence?

  Posted: October 20, 2009, 1:18 pm by Stephanie Migot

  I might still be curled up asleep when you read this, but at the time of writing, the leaked British National Party list hasn’t gone public yet; there are just a few Wikileaks teases and a lot of speculation on Twitter. Now, I don’t know if anyone who joined and voted for the party is [...]

• Could Technology Save the World?

  Posted: October 15, 2009, 2:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Today is Blog Action Day, and also the first time that Inari Media has participated in a such an event. I have gone through multiple calendars and jotted down all sorts of events (it’s also Teachers’ Day in Brazil today), but I don’t tend to do many themed posts. Hopefully, by the end of the [...]

• What You Need to Know Before Starting a Business in Another Country

  Posted: October 13, 2009, 2:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Yesterday, a couple of friends and I were discussing what we would do if a) we won the lottery, or b) the next British government turn out to be a bunch of incompetent scumbags. As winter is going to be here soon, my first thought was emigration to somewhere warm, with decent broadband speeds. But [...]

• What is the Point of Free Speech if the Media Self-Censors?

  Posted: October 12, 2009, 2:26 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Last week, on the Kenya Imagine website, S Abdi Sheikh wrote a cogent piece on why he no longer bothers with Kenyan newspapers. I’m forced to agree with the main thrust of his argument, which is that there is no longer no real news in the Kenyan media. Press releases are recycled virtually word for [...]

• Freeware of the Week! [Orbit Downloader]

  Posted: October 9, 2009, 2:00 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Very easy choice this week. I download a lot of stuff, and I don’t mean obscure Azerbaijani folk music, unless it is Eurovision season. To do my work, I need all sorts of files, sometimes entire cohorts of them. I also need videos, and occasionally need to review audio, sometimes from websites that are less [...]

• Keeping Children Safe Online

  Posted: October 8, 2009, 2:31 pm by Stephanie Migot

  When I first started using the internet, I was roughly at the same level of computer literacy as my father, Within a year, however, I was lightyears ahead of him, ready to give him lessons in how to navigate the chatrooms, Usenet groups and discussion boards that made up the bulk of my browsing experience [...]

• Quitting: Doing it With Style

  Posted: October 7, 2009, 6:18 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Whether you love or hate your job, if you decide to move on, at some point you will have to let your bosses know. Now, tempting as it may be to leave a note on the noticeboard saying “Later, suckers!” or to make a big song and dance about resigning in front of all of [...]

• What Next for the Unemployed?

  Posted: October 5, 2009, 6:20 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Optimistic governments and economists may be seeing the first signs of recovery from the global recession, but that doesn’t mean that things are going to be any easier for employees. With businesses still looking to cut costs and staff wages being amongst the highest overheads, the job market is likely to remain tough, and possibly [...]

• If you’re trying to break into a ...

  Posted: September 23, 2009, 6:33 pm by Stephanie Migot

  If you’re trying to break into a new industry or have just been made redundant, why not consider giving up your time for free? No, I’m not talking about an internship, though that’s also a valid way of getting ahead. I’m thinking more along the lines of helping out a charity or voluntary organisation. Not [...]

• Why You Can’t Just Demand to Be Placed on Somebody’s Blogroll

  Posted: September 22, 2009, 6:31 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Every so often, the form on the contact page will generate an email that goes along the lines of this: “Hi! I read your blog and enjoyed it. I have a blog too. Add me to your blogroll!” Not even a please. Now I knw that being on somebody’s list of recommended websites is a [...]

• Why You Can’t Just Demand to Be Placed on Somebody’s Blogroll

  Posted: September 22, 2009, 6:31 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Every so often, the form on the contact page will generate an email that goes along the lines of this: “Hi! I read your blog and enjoyed it. I have a blog too. Add me to your blogroll!” Not even a please. Now I knw that being on somebody’s list of recommended websites is a [...]

• Pricing for Profit

  Posted: September 21, 2009, 3:16 pm by Stephanie Migot

  How do you know how much to charge your customers for goods or services? In some cases, where manufacturers give recommended retail prices, or where your competitors are selling similar products, it’s easy enough to figure out what you can get away with. If you offer a specialised product or provide a unique service, however, [...]

• Freeware of the Week! [EditPad Lite]

  Posted: September 18, 2009, 2:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  While I was wandering around with a face like a kicked puppy in the wake of my computer-related horror, I busied myself trying to get my notes into some kind of rational order. I carry a couple of notepads with me wherever I go, filling them up with things I need to remember or that [...]

• Twitter or RSS: Which is Best for News?

  Posted: September 3, 2009, 1:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  If you follow this blog on Twitter, you’ll know that I read quite a few websites. I read them to keep informed, expand my knowledge and for inspiration for posts here. I also tweet headlines that I think other people might find useful on a regular basis. Recently, when I’ve sent a headline and link [...]

• How to Decide on a Commercial Lease for Premises

  Posted: September 2, 2009, 3:43 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Whether you need a shop front or an office, a commercial lease on premises is one of the biggest commitments that you can make when starting a business. Unlike residential letting,  there is more money at stake, over a longer timeframe, so take steps to make sure you don’t get burdened with a property that [...]

• Time Your Promotional Activity for Maximum Impact

  Posted: August 31, 2009, 1:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Today is a bank holiday in the UK, but the advert I saw on TV last night may have come a little too late to reap the benefit of a possible tie-in. A new adaptation of Wuthering Heights was being broadcast, and in one of the later ad breaks, there was a 30-second slot promoting [...]

• Thika Highway Construction: Route 66 or Road to Hell?

  Posted: August 29, 2009, 9:00 am by Stephanie Migot

  In the last fortnight, I’ve noticed an upswing in the number of visits to the blog triggered by queries on the Nairobi-Thika highway construction. I did blog about it back in November, but that post probably isn’t of much use to anyone looking for information on the project today. So, in the spirit of giving [...]

• The Difficulty in Pinning Down “Marketing”

  Posted: August 26, 2009, 3:21 pm by Stephanie Migot

  There’s been a healthy discussion on one of the forums I frequent about the function of marketing departments, particularly in large companies. A number of contributors bear the battle scars of trying to work effectively in PLCs with competing priorities. One of the biggest gripes is that in too many businesses, marketing is considered to [...]

• D’oh! Are You About to Commit a PR Faux-Pas?

  Posted: August 24, 2009, 2:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Word reached me early last week about a rumpus over some dolls that had been stocked by US retailer Costco in a number of its stores. Baby dolls boxed up with stuffed animals wore headbands stating they were “pretty pandas” or “lil monkeys.” All very cute and not worthy of note until you realise that [...]

• Freeware of the Week! [Revo Uninstaller]

  Posted: August 21, 2009, 2:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Have you ever tried to uninstall some software and then realised that it has left bits and pieces of itself all over your hard drive, even though the main program itself isn’t there any more? The default Windows Add or Remove Programs feature doesn’t seem to be very good at realising that when you ask [...]

• Liaising with Clients: Getting it Right

  Posted: August 20, 2009, 1:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Whether a coder or a consultant, working life is made easier when you can deal with your clients efficiently and effectively. When faced with a project that seems to be hellbound, most of the time it is not a clash of personalities or competing priorities that is to blame, but communication difficulties. It doesn’t have [...]

• The Importance of the Freelancer Contract

  Posted: August 18, 2009, 1:30 pm by Stephanie Migot

  Whether a coder or a consultant, if you are working on a freelance basis, you will occasionally find yourself involved with a client who has a rather eccentric view of your professional relationship. They may ring you at all hours of the day or night, changing the details of your brief. They might ask you [...]

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Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes