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Elinor Olisa of www.degreeart.com on Hockney's current show The Bigger Picture

2012-01-23T04:24:00.001-08:00

The excitement surrounding Hockney's 'Bigger Picture' solo show extravaganza is reaching fever pitch as art critics from around the world release their reviews following their sneak peek at this undoubtedly landmark exhibition.

It is highly amusing to me, as a curator of an online gallery, that I will be more likely to view this must see exhibition on a computer screen than on the walls of the Royal Academy as its almost impossible to get through on the ticket hotlines.

I bet Hockney would approve of people looking at his work online as he often refers to his fascination with technology. Like so many of us today, Hockney used his iPad to plan and prepare for his big presentation.

Hockney sketched 'The Arrival of Spring, East Yorkshire' on his Apple tablet. This combined with his employment of cameras, mounted on Jeeps Google Earth style, to capture the Yorkshire landscape’s changing seasons, has cemented him as a pioneer of our digital era. (You can view the result of his ground breaking 'multipartite' film created for the BBC's Country File program, here).

The paintings I have glimpsed online and in print achieve an admirable feat for UK tourism giving you a yearning to visit Yorkshire. Hockney’s frequent referral to his admiration of Post-Impressionist painter Van Gogh, explains much of his life’s ambition to encapsulate a snapshot of time - be it LA or Bridlington - on his canvases by layering more than just imagery onto the surfaces resulting in truly tangible viewing experience for the viewer.

I have been trying to put my finger on what it is that makes Hockney, a man in his 70s, so attractive to so many and such an inspiration to the emerging artists I work with. I wonder if it is his ability to get us to pay greater attention to the world around us using traditional techniques effortlessly and unquestioningly combined with the latest technology - a feat that should leave many a tech entrepreneur quaking in their boots. After seeing his work you are left compelled to examine and appreciate your own 3D landscapes through Hockney tinted glasses.

The fundamental consequence of this exhibition for me personally is a combination of the fact he makes it OK for artists to use technology to enhance their practice and the eternal legitimacy it has provided for the enjoyment and benefits achievable from viewing fine art online. This has been achieved by the exhibition of his on-pad sketched on multiple iPad screens.

I believe that this exhibition will be the artist's most successful ever not only because of the huge appetite our nation has developed for blockbuster exhibitions or because he is a proper artist painting proper landscapes en plein air (outside) but because he captures and preserves moments of our times successfully merging techniques of old with those of right now.

I am ending this review with sneaky hand of crossed fingers behind my back praying that I manage to reserve my tickets (perhaps I'll abandon the phone and try booking online this time) and also thinking - gosh - a good old fashioned artist using an iPad - Brilliant!

Some examples of Hockney-inspired Degree artist’s work:

From Eggerdon Hill

By Lachlan Goudie

Bart's Treehouse
by Rob Reed

The Great Escape
by Hannah Lewis Davies

www.degreeart.com is an innovative company selling, renting and commissioning the finest art work created by the students and recent graduates emerging from the most prestigious art establishments.

Guest blogger: Felice Hardy of welove2ski ... on snow

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Travel writing is my business but skiing was where it all began. I first put on a pair skis in Switzerland at the age of four and gradually became so hooked that I later found I had to make my living out of it.

The first time I fell in love was in Obergurgl in Austria. I was seven years old and his name was Walter. He was my ski instructor and seemed ancient at 25. My heart broke when I had to fly home without him. Next year I was back again, but by then Walter had moved on to Squaw Valley in California. Another instructor, Pepi, swiftly replaced him in my affections.

And my heart is still in skiing today. I have been to hundreds of resorts – from well-known destinations in Austria and France to lesser-known villages in Japan and Chile. I have skied fresh deep powder in winter and on sunny glaciers in summer, and I am never bored.

It’s the reason why I enjoy my job as co-editor of the ski information website welove2ski.com. Every day is different and every skiing year varies enormously. No more so than this season, which started in late November without a flake of the white stuff. “Snow drought!” The newspapers yelled. But they were wrong.

Within a week the skies dumped bucketfuls of snow on the worryingly brown Alps. By Christmas more snow had fallen in France’s Three Valleys than during the whole of last season.

At other resorts across the Alps similar records were broken – and still the snow continues to fall. High resorts such as St Anton, Zermatt and Val d’Isère have been cut off from civilization for days at a time; even if there wasn’t a drop more snow all season they’d still have enough to last until April.

It’s the best start to a European winter in a generation – maybe two generation – and a huge boost to the British ski industry in these hard times. For a decade, global warming experts have spouted gloom and doom. But the storms in early January have made a travesty of it.

It can all be viewed on my website, which has some of the most accurate snow and weather maps on the internet. They're produced exclusively for us by the Swiss forecasting service meteoblue, and are based on cutting-edge NASA technology. It's complex stuff that allows us to make precise predictions, and we run two forecasts daily.

But welove2ski isn’t just about weather forecasts. ‘No bull no bias’ is our motto. It’s a specialist website loaded with independent information compiled by acknowledged experts for all things in skiing and snowboarding. There are detailed reports on over 100 ski resorts, equipment and fashion, fitness, ski news and competitions. All of it is a vital tool to help people enjoy what is surely shaping up to be the best Alpine ski season ever.

Felice Hardy is editor of www.welove2ski.com, an independent guide to skiing and ski holidays.

Guest Blogger: an introduction from Alice Kahrmann, new web editor of The Good Web Guide

2012-01-11T03:21:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

I am your new web editor and I’m incredibly excited about my new role in bringing you the very best content from the deepest darkest reaches of the World Wide Web. Just think of me as your intrepid explorer, searching out those rough diamonds and wayward needles lost in the vast haystack that is Google.

I love this site - the tips, the features, the guest edits, but most of all the incredibly inspiring interviews with successful entrepreneurs who have seen the power of the web and harnessed it in their own right.

Suffice to say, I cannot wait to get started.

Now when Arabella (esteemed MD of the GWG) told me my first task as was to write about myself, I felt a little nauseous. I’m a writer – yes, but I write about other people – real and fictional, whilst I stay, safely ensconced behind my little white Macbook, occasionally venturing out in search of a venti soya latte.

Since I find it hard to put myself into words I thought I would share with you some of my favourite quotations instead. ‘You can tell less about a person from the words they write than the words they read,’ - so says my very wise and very old friend friend Neville. Hence, here is my biog (in quotation form).

1) “When I meet God at the end of my life,
I would but have one thing to say to him,
That I had used all the talent he ever gave me.”
– Anon.

This will be etched on my tombstone. It came in very handy when I was redrafting my first novel for the sixth time, travelling round India researching it and every time before that I started another piece of writing. It also chimed merrily the first time I saw a piece of mine published and saw my work reviewed in a national paper. Not to go all Anthony Robbins on you, but I am of the humble opinion that life is just a block of time, and I would dearly like to use every second in the pursuit of great artistic talent – both online and off.

Secondly…

2) “If only we could have two lives;
The first in which to make one’s mistakes,
And the second in which to profit by them.”
– DH Lawrence.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes – this is evident. But I really do appreciate the experience they’ve afforded me. I’m quite looking forward to that next life ☺… If only I could have more light bulb moments in this one!

3) "I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again."
- Oscar Wilde.

I hold my hands up – I’ve spent more than a few hours considering a comma, this blog excluded - of course.

And last, but certainly not least…

4) “There is always some madness in love,
But there is always some reason in madness.”
- Nietzsche.

Good old Nietzsche - he really knows how to sum up the more defining moments of my life to date.

And just to finish - for a bit of real biographical detail, I have a cat called Charlie, a mischievous red tabby I rescued from Battersea. I love him more than life itself.

There it is - that’s my intro, dear readers. Approximately 500 words – not all of them mine.

I wish you all, the very best year ahead.

Please contact me on a.kahrmann@thegoodwebguide.co.uk with any thoughts or suggestions you may have for the site.

I would dearly love to hear from you.

Guest Blogger: Susie Pearl, writer, coach and mentor, talks about the promises of a new year

2012-01-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

Well, hello there 2012. Are we going to be friends?

I’m not really a big fan of Christmas. It’s lovely to soak up a sense of ‘good cheer’ but in general it often ends up feeling more stressful and hectic rather than full of peace and glad tidings.

CHANGE AND TRANSITION

For me, it’s the bringing in of the New Year that lights up my imagination. I love the change and a sense of transition into the new. 2012 is tipped as a powerful year of planetary shifts and has been predicted by the mystics to be the year when change kicks in and major transitions take place. Let’s see what unfolds...

This brand new year feels full of promise. A sense of optimism sweeps like a new broom. It’s a new blank canvas where all mistakes and regrets of the year gone by can be swept away under the carpet with a good kick and we can press the ‘reset’ button to start afresh and begin over again, with new rules and new balls in the life game.

Whether that’s true or just imagined, it doesn’t really matter. What I do believe is that this year will be a time of major transition for the planet. There will be some very big changes where we’ll all have to look at things differently. The way we live, how we consume, the way we think and the way we handle the planet’s resources. We are going to have to face some big questions and come up with some answers fast, in order to cope with some of the effects we are seeing in our bio-sphere, culture, banking, economic systems and food chains.

Some friends and I were talking on New Years Eve about what we would do if knew that we were only going to be around for a short time. A lively debate followed with some common themes. All involved us slowing down, taking time out, doing more simple activities, living more from the heart and being more attentive to those we love.

DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY

Here’s a list of the top 10 things that people said that they would do differently if they lived life over again:

1. Spend more time with friends and family, and spend a lot less time worrying about things we had little control over.

2. To realise that happiness is within us and is a choice. We can choose to be happy whatever is going on around us. To feel happy ever day and to make a point of living life this way.

3. To take time out regularly to really talk, listen, engage and laugh out loud.

4. Realise that the world doesn’t stop if we stop working. To work less and live more.

5. Take time out to tell others how much we love them. To express our gratitude for the good things and boost our appreciation of the simple natural things in life that make life so good. To slow down and appreciate it all.

6. To smile more, laugh at ourselves and drop the inner critic.

7. Get healthier and look after our bodies – doing some physical activity every day with enjoyment and to eat fresh uplifting food.

8. Take a walk in nature each day and breathe in the air. To notice the incredible beauty of nature. Reduce the days spent indoors staring at computer screens.

9. Be kinder to ourselves, forgive others' mistakes, and make an effort to build stronger communities with kindness being a central part of the infrastructure.

10. To live a bigger life where we step out of the safety and the sameness of our daily lives and head for some big new adventures and take a few risks to experience more in this vast world.

Maybe this is the year for just one simple resolution: to cut out the boring bits, get happier and cram in a lot more fun. That’s my plan for the year. How about you?

Happy 2012

Susie Pearl is a writer, coach and mentor to successful entrepreneurs, musicians, actors, artists and creative people around the world. She ran her own international celebrity brand PR agency and a personal enhancement training business with Paul McKenna and NLP founder, Dr Richard Bandler. She now runs seminars, courses and personal training in her unique reality creation system.

Instructions for Happiness and Success by Susie PearL (Quadrille, £12.99) is published on 5th January 2012.

For more information, visit www.happinessandsuccess.org

Guest Blogger: Sarah Beeny, founder of Tepilo.com asks if now is the right time to be putting your home on the market?

2011-12-20T02:11:00.000-08:00

Traditionally there are busier and quieter times of the year for house selling. These are based on what much of the population is doing. December is quieter as everyone builds up to Christmas but the market tends to pick up in the New Year - equally August tends to be quiet. However in these more uncertain times, I personally recommend that you don't wait, as despite what you endlessly read, the truth is nobody has any idea what is actually going to happen in the market. If now is a good time in your life to sell, sell now, as you never know, the market may have moved down if you wait.

There are many random statistics about how many seconds it takes us to make up our minds about a person or place, but the underlying truth is that buyers decide whether they like a property very quickly indeed. So, without doubt, the first impressions of a house are very important. I believe that the way a house looks from the front is one of the most valuable selling tools around. What you don't want to do is to put off buyers before they actually reach the front door.

Fifty years ago, city society was very different from today; people took pride in washing their steps, polishing their brass letterboxes, even scrubbing their bit of pavement. Nowadays, though, it tends to only be the inside of our homes that we lavish ‘tlc' on, abandoning the space beyond the front door as if it didn't exist. Even if it's not littered with bits of car engine, crisp packets or drink cans, it generally doesn't match up to the sparkling interiors within.

It need not take a great deal of money to make the front look cared for. Just picking the litter up is a start. Follow that with a lick of paint and bit of weeding and planting. If you have a communal front door, whether you're trying to sell or not, my theory is that it is often easier to scrub the common parts yourself than to argue with whoever's turn it is.

Of course, you can give a house a complete façade lift, changing the front door and windows, replacing dilapidated drainpipes and gutters, or even adding cladding. It's pricey, but it can often add substantial value to a plain or uninteresting property in a sought-after location. But whatever you do, remember the outside of a property remains a reflection of the inside. If you're selling, make sure it looks smart. The front of a house is a statement to the world about how you live.

Here are my top things to do to your home before putting it on the market

CRUCIAL STEPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR PROPERTY

* Clean the windows - inside and out.

* Clean the whole house - if you smoke, stop smoking inside and clean all ashtrays - if you have pets, wash their beds. Pet and cigarette odour are the two smells that come up most often in ‘put off' smells list.

* Look at your kitchen and bathroom from an outsider's point of view - if they are really manky, do something about it - often it only requires bleaching the grout and cutting out and re siliconing - get in behind the basin and loo and get scrubbing there, too.

* Deal with outside - start on the street - what do you see - potential viewers will stand and pause just there too and it's their first impression.

* Don't argue with neighbours about who is going to do what - check if they don't mind and get on and clean it up yourself.

* De-clutter - as if you haven't heard it before, but use this as the perfect moment to move the piles of stuff you don't use to a charity shop - if you do a good clear out in one go, you will be better about getting what you don't need to a suitable recycling unit or charity shop where someone might actually use your silly unwanted nonsense. You are then able to clear surfaces - this will give a much greater sense of space and almost more importantly, less of the feeling that the house is rather hard work to live in.

* Outside space - however small, in fact even more importantly if it's small - outside space is a real luxury and one that should be cherished, especially in an urban setting.

* Give it a clean - get a few cheapie pot plants and look out for an inexpensive table and chairs to show you can use the space.

* Small rooms - like small gardens it's rather more important to dress small rooms well, otherwise people may not be able to really envisage how the room could work.

* Try to avoid putting things just inside the door of a room - you ideally want to be able to get inside a room before you trip over something.

Tepilo.com enables buyers to sell or let their home with no charges or commission.

Guest Blogger: Alison Cork, home expert, writer and broadcaster, on her Christmas at home.

2011-12-05T03:19:00.000-08:00

Categorically, Christmas has to be my favourite time of year. On the one hand , I genuinely do find it a time for reflection and almost meditation. But on another level, it’s all about noise and happy activity.

I’m a sucker for ritual, and regardless of faith, I think Christmas presents a fabulous opportunity to be with family, take time out, and indulge in some time honoured traditions.

When it comes to decorations, I always choose a theme – this year, in the sitting room at least, it’s Decadence! I am going for the rich pinks, purples and turquoises of the orient, and as far as the tree is concerned, the more decoration the better. Minimalism is OUT.

I am particularly fond of peacocks, and have seen some stunning and really inexpensive peacock inspired decorations at Wilkinson, Matalan, House of Fraser, Angel At My Table and others. One thing I saw at Fortnum and Mason was a bejewelled peacock tree topper – cheap it was not, but I am lusting after it something rotten. Retailers really seem to have pushed the boat out this year –take a look at Tesco and Sainsburys too.

In the dining room I’m going for a White Ice theme, and will be hanging a myriad of white baubles from the central chandelier. Over the mirrors I’m going for the silver eucalyptus wreaths from B&Q! A completely white and silver table with my silvered fruit centre piece and walnut place name holders will finish it off nicely.

At which point my mind turns to food. I think this year it’s going to be very trad, with a turkey and trimmings. Boxing Day will be beef and Christmas Eve some sort of salmon and prawn dish. I have a fantastic recipe for trifle, and on the drinks front, its Gluwein (mulled wine) and Lidl champagne for me – it beat all the other supermarkets on taste (according to Which magazine) and costs half the price. For festive cakes and chocolates, you can’t beat the selection at Aldi and Lidl.

In terms of traditions, we have a bit of a hotchpotch. My mother is German, so we always have a special dinner on Christmas Eve, and indeed, as a child that was when we opened our presents. We also celebrate Hannukah, which begins on the 21st December this year. Then there are presents on Christmas Day. So basically, we start on Dec 21st and keep going until New Year – it’s never quiet in our house!

Finally, my preparations would not be complete without involving Henry, our six foot bronze stag who lives in the front garden. Henry gets his own tree and looks for all the world as if he is just stepping out of the Scottish woodland. Passers by love it and so do we. Christmas really is my favourite time of year.

Find some more great Christmas tips and tricks from Alison on AlisonCork.com. Find home and garden bargains at HomesandBargains.co.uk and recommended and vetted tradespeople at ProblemSolved.co.uk

Guest Blogger: Nicky Sherwood, Editor of FromBritainWithLove.com

2011-11-29T02:59:00.000-08:00

If you’re about to embark on your Christmas food shopping, it’s likely that you’ll be paying close attention to the provenance of your ingredients... maybe you’ll choose organic, free range, locally reared, or you may even buy direct from the producer. But what about the rest of your Christmas shopping list...?

At FromBritainWithLove.com, the guide to buying British, we’re here to help you find an alternative to mass-produced generic high street offerings, and discover beautiful products made by Britain’s talented designers, makers, artisans and craftspeople. By shopping local you’re not only helping to support local businesses and the wider economy, but also cutting your carbon footprint, and best of all you’ll be giving an original and distinctive gift that has been created with love and is sure to be received with pleasure. Here I’ve selected a few of my festive favourites...

MY FESTIVE FAVOURITES

I love the idea of a Christmas decoration which is brought out year after year and becomes part of the family. This Nativity Tea & Egg Cosy Set by Cornish designer Poppy Treffry is handmade using a vintage 1930’s Singer sewing machine, and has heirloom written all over it.

If you’re buying for little ones, take a look at new children’s knitwear label Picaloulou. Made from British farmed Merino and Alpaca, each limited edition garment is made by a dedicated team of local knitters, and is sure to be passed on to future generations.

One of the advantages of buying locally made products is that you can often get your gifts personalised by the maker. At The Stylish Dog Company, which sources all of its products in Britain, even your pooch can have his bone and eat it with this appliquéd linen Dog Stocking.

When it comes to gift wrap I favour simple over bling, so this cheerful polka dot print on brown craft paper by Hampshire-based designer Sophia Victoria Joy gets my vote.

For the ultimate in eco-friendly seasonal greetings, why not send a personalised Christmas e-postcard by Bristol-based designer Rachel Goodchild? For an annual subscription of just £5 you can send an unlimited number of e-cards and choose from over 150 original designs.

Men are notoriously tricky to buy for, but I think any man worth his gadgets would be delighted with this jaunty red leather iPad sleeve from family-run leather company Tusting, who have been producing fine English leather goods since 1875.

One of my favourite gift companies, Biscuiteers are known for their stylish iced biscuits, but they’ve recently brought out a range of iced cakes which are just as pretty and would make a fabulous centrepiece to your festive dinner table.

These are just a handful of British made Christmas gift ideas from some of the talented businesses you’ll find on FromBritainWithLove.com. Discover hundreds more in our Directory and celebrate the wealth of talent that exists on your doorstep this Christmas!

Watch the video from our Website of the Year 2011 Awards Reception

2011-11-25T02:20:00.000-08:00

The Good Web Guide's third Website of the Year Award 2011 was announced by Jo Malone MBE on 16th November. Aimed at small web-based businesses and organisations, the awards provide online enterprises the opportunity to gain recognition and support for their businesses. WeFund scooped the top prize and was awarded the accolade of Website of the Year 2011. Runners-up included The Rare Tea Company and designer dress rental service, Girl Meets Dress. Parcel Monkey was awarded the People's Choice Award.

The shortlist of twenty-four sites demonstrated innovation, passion and a commitment to harnessing the full power of the web, some that you will definitely want to bookmark.

The 2011 Awards Reception was held on 16th November at The Royal Institution of Great Britain in London. Find out more about the award here.

Guest Blogger: Olly Smith, Drinks Ambassador at The Ideal Home Show at Christmas

2011-11-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

This week, I'm the Celebrity Drinks Ambassador for the Ideal Home Show at Christmas (16th-20th November) and, although I have yet to receive any formal attire - surely ambassadors wear red sashes and twinkly medals - I couldn't be more chuffed for the opportunity to share my Christmas drinks tips.

I passionately believe that you don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy great wine. Try Cuvée Chasseur 2010 from Waitrose for just £4.13 a bottle (you can get a case delivered from waitrosewine.com). It's a brilliant vibrant fruity red from the south of France that I'm delighted by. Great value, top flavour and the perfect wine for mulling - fruity, light and delicious! This year, I've created a brand new recipe especially for the Ideal Home Show at Christmas. It's simple to make and utterly delicious - you can find it at the end of this blog.

If you're hunting down drinks for Christmas parties, I've found a sensational white wine bargain at Majestic - Aspen Pinot Grigio 2011 from Australia, just £4.99 and, for a party tipple, it is light, refreshing and perfectly simple. As for fizz, Prosecco has been a big hit this year but if you hurry to Tesco.com, its bubbly Tesco Brut Cava is just £3.79 online at the moment - perfect party fizz. If you're after a beer, Thornbridge Brewery gets my vote - its Jaipur IPA is an intense citrus spanker and its Wild Swan is light, easy and refreshing - smashing beers from a leading brewery.

In my book Eat & Drink, I pair recipes with drinks to show how the combinations can unleash a hidden dimension, a playful sense of adventure and deliver extra enjoyment with a touch of ingenuity. Parkin with Mincemeat Ice Cream paired with my Chai Latte recipe is one of my favourite winter treats. And if you pop along to the Ideal Home Show at Christmas, I'd be delighted to sign you a copy of my book and share more tips with you!

For more info on the inaugural Ideal Home Show at Christmas visit idealhomeshowatchristmas.co.uk. You can also ask Olly your drinks questions on Twitter, Facebook and through his website, ollysmith.com.

Olly's Mulled Wine Recipe
Red Wine 1 bottle Cuvée Chasseur 2010 from Waitrose.
Port 50ml
Orange Juice (no bits) 100ml
Half an orange studded with 4 cloves (Cloves are a powerful flavour so I prefer to keep it subtle. You can add more cloves if you wish to boost the Christmas flavour).
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 vanilla pod halved lengthways
Dark Muscovado sugar 100-120 grams depending on taste (I love it sweet!)

Olly's Mulled Wine: Method
Pour the orange juice into the pan and add the Dark Muscovado Sugar.
Dissolve to make an even syrup.
Add the orange studded with cloves.
Gently pour in the red wine.
Warm up gently but do not boil or you risk losing the booze.
Add the spices.
Gently warm for 8 minutes but do not boil.
After 8 minutes, add the Port - it boosts and enriches flavour and colour.
Gently stir and leave to warm for 2 more minutes.
Remove the orange and spices and serve warm in glass mugs with an orange twist for a garnish.

Guest Blogger: Tamie Adaya blogs from her desk in California

2011-11-07T02:49:00.000-08:00

My only decision as I amble towards my kitchen each morning is whether to have a cup of PG Tips or one of my own homemade chai brews. My morning bliss formula is Tea + Walkers Shortbread + BBC World Service.

I created the Hotel Shangrila in Santa Monica, California, for young-minded sophisticates of any age, who, like me, wear many different hats. Shangrila exists, in part, as a cultural crucible where I expose my guests to whatever I'm inspired by at a particular time; in turn they inspire me. It's a cultural exchange of sorts.

In 2012, I'm launching a restorative lounge at the Shangrila partnered with ILA Spa products, which utilise wild-harvested natural plant and mineral ingredients and follow traditional, sustainable practices. Hotel Shangrila is a convergence of culture and sensuality at the ocean and my version of the 'hotel spa' seeks to complement that by capitalizing on Shangrila's streamline-modern architecture, lush green courtyard and zen-like ocean-front atmosphere - a modern-day Sybaris.

On the wall to the left of my office desk hangs a gift from rock 'n roll photographer Lawrence Watson: a framed large-scale print of Liam Gallagher draped in a vintage Union Jack. The window to my right frames Santa Monica's Pacific Ocean sunsets. I have old blighty to my left, world-class edible sherbet sunsets to my right, and rather too much work straight ahead on my desk.

Tamie Adaya is the owner of the Hotel Shangrila in Santa Monica and blogs on her cultural inspirations for The Huffington Post and Tamie Adaya.

What's the Next Step for Crowdsourcing? Read our latest blog for The Huffington Post

2011-11-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

Trawling through entries to The Good Web Guide's third Website of the Year Award recently, it was gratifying to see an overall improvement in the quality of website entering our award and intriguing to note an increased number of sites entered that are using crowdsourcing as their model.

Defined by Wikipedia - the crowdsourced encyclopaedia - as "sourcing tasks traditionally performed by specific individuals to an undefined large group of people or community (crowd) through an open call," crowdsourcing uses the web to invite small contributions from multiple people and, in doing so, fund projects, build content, create ideas, solve problems or perform tasks that traditionally would have been completed by one person or organisation, or, in some cases, may not have been achieved at all.

Driven by the rise in and uptake of Web 2.0, crowdsourcing embraces social media as a way of directing communication and encouraging collaboration that can be advantageous when applied to many different scenarios. This has been particularly true for the consumer, who - via sites such as Groupon and Crowdity - can now enjoy much larger discounts on events, products and services than they could before by simply spreading the word amongst their friends and using the power of the group or crowd to drive down prices.

In Australia, an interesting development of this idea is currently being applied to energy companies via a new crowdsourcing business, One Big Switch, which uses "the power of group switching" to help consumers get the best possible deals on their energy bills. As British energy companies continue to hike prices, despite increases in their profit margins and many people facing fuel poverty this winter, this is something that is clearly needed in the UK.

To read the full blog, visit The Huffington Post. And do feel free to share the article on your social media pages, or use the comments section to give your own views on the subject.

Guest Blogger: Polly Robinson of Food Safari on British Sausage Week

2011-10-31T03:00:00.000-07:00

There’s seems to be a week for everything these days, and believe it or not 31st October - 6th November is the 14th British Sausage Week! Staggeringly over 5 million people eat sauages in the UK every day but very few of us think about what’s gone into them.

Cheap sausages can be made with as little as 30% pork and 20 per cent mechanically recovered meat, a process that sucks it from the bones and mashes it to a slimy paste. Other ingredients include 15% water, 30% cereal rusk plus 5% additives, flavourings, colour, sugar, flavour enhancer and preservatives. That’s to say nothing for the welfare of the pigs.

On Food Safari’s Free Range Pig in a Day we teach people how to make sausages from scratch, starting with a visit to a free range pork farm, Blythburgh Pork. Like home-made bread versus cheap bread, home-made sausages have a much shorter list of ingredients. We use 80-90% pork, a little rusk and water and let people be as creative as they like with other flavours from leek and blue cheese to chili and cumin.

If making your own sausages is a step too far for you, then take time to read the label or better still buy from a butcher who can tell you exactly what’s gone into your banger.

Loopholes in the law allow a sausage filled with imported meat to be labelled British, even if it has only been made or packed in the UK. Look out for the Red Tractor or the RSPCA Freedom Food label as some guarantee of the animal welfare.

What is the difference between organic, free range, outdoor reared and outdoor bred? It’s worth taking a bit of time to understand the labels. The RSPCA and the pork industry are working to standardise these terms and encourage the supermarkets to adopt them, but at the moment there are no clear definitions.

My preference is for Free Range, such as the excellent Blythburgh Pork, which we visit on Food Safari. The pigs are born outside and remain outside with plenty of room to roam, play and forage producing a slower growing more tasty pig.

Outdoor reared pigs are outside for about half their lives before moving indoors or to enclosed pens, they won’t necessarily have access to pasture, but will be kept in an outside pen with plenty of straw bedding. Outdoor Bred is a rather looser term, meaning the piglets are born outdoors but are moved indoors (to unspecified conditions) to be finished after about 4 weeks.

As you tuck into your sausage and mash or toad in the hole in British Sausage Week, it pays to think a little about what’s gone into your sausage.

Polly Robinson is the founder of Food Safari, which offers 'field to fork' experiences in Suffolk ranging from visiting farms or going wild food foraging to off-shore fishing or behind the scenes visits with artisan producers. www.foodsafari.co.uk

Guest Blogger: Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation on Tech4StartUp Britain

2011-10-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

Last week was Tech4StartUp Britain Week; a schedule of events where companies, large and small, offered their top tech tips to start ups and growing businesses. Hosted by national campaign, StartUp Britain, topics covered ranged from how to get online, making the most of mobile, and becoming a Twitter pro.

FROM MACRO TO MICRO

What quickly became clear was how technology that used to be only accessible to large businesses is now being made freely (or at low cost) available to start ups and micro enterprises. At the kick-off event held at Microsoft on Monday, we heard from James Akrigg on how the cloud is enabling small businesses to work how, where and when they want with services on a pay as you go basis that meet most budgets. On Wednesday it was time for Wendy Tan White and Joe White of Moonfruit to demonstrate their newly launched and incredibly impressive Shopbuilder which provides small business owners with a professional presence on the web, including replication to Facebook, for an affordable price. Tools and techniques previously only available to large companies with big budgets are now opening up to the benefit of thousands of start-ups.

FOCUS ON PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY

The tools and tips demonstrated throughout the week had a clear focus; they were aimed at helping small business owners save time and money. Mark Shaw www.markshaw.biz, the UK’s leading Twitter expert, showed how to use this free tool to promote your business and engage with clients (ie increase sales) and Ural Cebeci of Skype www.skype.com presented on how this global voice over IP tool connects you with partners, suppliers and staff without the need to travel (saving time) and with skype to skype calls being free, it’s a money-saver too. Whether starting or growing, small business owners focus on how to increase revenue, make the most of hours in the day, and keep overheads to a minimum. The majority of the presentations focused on these key needs and I guarantee attendees will be testing out their discoveries this coming week!

EXPERIMENT

During the week I listened to many speakers as well as presenting myself to an event of Country Homes magazine readers interested in starting a business. In promoting tools such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as powerful promotion channels, I was asked the question as to how much time it takes and which the most effective tools to use. This brings me back to a final key theme of Tech4StartUp Britain speakers which was their advice to experiment; it’s quick, easy and cheap to try a number web and social media tools and platforms and work out which ones work best for you.
Let’s embrace the tools being created to improve our business performance and keep minds open to constant experimentation!

With thanks to Arabella Dymoke of The Good Web Guide who was one of our top guest speakers of the week.

Emma Jones is founder of small business support company, Enterprise Nation www.enterprisenation.com and co-founder of StartUp Britain www.startupbritain.org

Should Restaurants Forbid Customers from Taking Photographs of their Food? Our latest blog for The Huffington Post

2011-10-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

It used to be considered bad manners to take photographs in a restaurant. Now, it seems like everyone is doing it and some restaurants are beginning to put their foot down.

Recently, an article on the site of Australia's Herald Sun newspaper reported that Grossi Florentino, a smart Melbourne restaurant, had admonished a diner after it spotted her trying to take photographs of her lunch-time tortellini. "If the photographs aren't taken well or aren't taken properly, it can be very misrepresentative," said Guy Grossi, owner of the restaurant, adding, "pictures of half-eaten dishes can be misleading ... and there are other patrons dining, so we are very cautious and sensitive."

He's not the only restaurateur for whom dining photography is a touchy subject. In New York, David Chang of Momofuku Ko in East Village and César Ramirez, chef at Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, have both banned photography in their restaurants and several other New York restaurants, while not quite adopting an out-and-out ban, keep a watchful eye on diners who may become too snap-happy.

But are they right to lay down the law in this way? Is taking photos really offensive to other diners? And does it matter if photos, taken by paying customers and shared online, are less than perfect?

To read the full blog, visit The Huffington Post. And do feel free to share the article on your social media pages, or use the comments section to give your own views on the subject.

Guest Blogger: Mott Green, founder of The Grenada Chocolate Company on Chocolate Week

2011-10-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

Here I am in London’s Bonnington Square, my favorite home away from home. Staying with the Coady-Booths, of Rococo Chocolates. Together we are formulating our GROCOCO CRU chocolate bar, made from beans grown on our joint venture farm in Hermitage, St Patricks, Grenada and made into chocolate right there too.

I slipped right through Gatwick with 10 cocoa pods I picked up three hours before I flew out of Grenada on Sunday evening and am looking forward to sharing our chocolate and cocoa pods and stories with the chocolate-loving public at Chocolate Unwrapped this weekend. We will also be launching our two new chocolate bars there, the Salty-Licious (71% dark chocolate with Himalayan salt) and the 100% cocoa bar (surprisingly not bitter and full of flavour!)

The most exciting recent development at The Grenada Chocolate Company is our partnership with The Tres Hombres, a Dutch Brigantine square-rigged, old fashion sailboat with no engine at all. The Tres Hombres moves cargo from Europe to the Caribbean and back sustainably using only the power of the wind. Teaming up with them, we will be moving eight tons of our chocolate bars from Grenada to NYC and the UK, offering North America and Europe the first sustainably delivered chocolate bars, made on the cocoa farm in the deep tropics and brought to market with only wind power!

Because it is a life-long dream for me and to make sure the chocolate remains in perfect condition, I will be taking the whole journey myself from March to May, 2012. Charlie Boxer of Italo is hosting a tasting this Friday afternoon, as well as planning to join as crew on the way back from Grenada with the chocolate shipment. You will be able to follow our movements as we will be putting the journey on our website when we set off… Watch this space! www.grenadachocolate.com

Mott Green is the founder of The Grenada Chocolate Company
@GrenadaChocolat

Guest Blogger: David Gilston of Once Was England on 'Yesterday's Best'

2011-10-03T03:27:00.000-07:00

Bounding forth from the past into the present, from the refreshingly chilly concrete bunker of the Churchill War Rooms, back into this unseasonally foreign, October sunshine, one bagged the wisp of a thought as it wafted through the rippling green haze of London's St. James's Park. It was this: since time immemorial, ever since our nocky, loin-clothed ancestors scratched their charcoaled fingernails across the musty cave walls of Cheddar Gorge, we Englanders have been driven to record, to pot and to pickle history, our history; for today and tomorrow, for ourselves and Johnny Foreigner.

One deduced that this habit was as English as tuppence, that it should be branded the 'Tiptree Syndrome'and that our nation's most favourite blend is called ‘Nostalgia’; a sugary, thick cut conserve that is each and every Englishman's relish. Instantly recognisable by its sturdy, rose-tinted jar, it is best spread thick when one feels all colly-molly, with its invigorating flavours of better times past. Now is an especially good time to twist open its lid.

These days it would seem, the world is rather fond too of the taste of ‘olde’ and what once was England. This fashion season, from Hoxton to Harajuku, one can see legions of Tricker-booted, Barbour-jacketed young buffers swagging the sidewalks; fellows for whom all things English are now most proper and champion. What a bit of jam!

Dam silly, you might say. I say, it’s a jolly kick up the collective corybungus for those who’ve forgotten from whence they came from. To paraphrase old Winnie, a country that knoweth not its history simply has no future. Here, here.

David Gilston is a British designer and brand developer whose blog Once Was England "harks back to a disappearing age in our history - the time of the gentleman - when people ate faggots and tripe, drove Rolls Royces and Bentleys, had their clothes made with their tailor and holidayed by the sea." Read the full GWG review of his blog.

Guest Blogger: Jo Casley of furniture & design website, mydeco.com

2011-09-28T23:21:00.000-07:00

This week marks the end of London Design Festival 2011, bringing to a close a smorgasbord of design delights, with almost 300 different events taking place across the capital.

The Festival is always a fun and inspiring – if hectic – fortnight, and this year it was especially interesting to see London’s design highlights through the eyes of a group of American design and style bloggers, here as part of ‘BlogTour 2011’ – the first cultural exchange of bloggers between the UK and US.

I had the priviledge working with Modenus who organized BlogTour 2011 on the London itinerary – and boy, did we squeeze a lot in! Here are a few highlights.

Textile Field by French designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec at the V&A museum is a creative and beautiful installation in the gallery’s Raphael Cartoons room. The gigantic upholstered boards reflect the Raphael canvas’ colours, and encourage visitors to view the wonderful paintings from a totally new perspective – sitting or lying down. It’s immersive and a very comfortable way to view art! (See it at the V&A until October 20th).

Image credit: Textile Field via Creative Review

Also at the V&A, a real highlight for me was the interactive Beyond The Valley takeover in the Clore study, where visitors could experience the digitally printed wallpapers and fabrics, and design their own on special iPads.

Image Credit: Anna Zeuner at Arts Thread blog

Designersblock offered a rare chance to see inside a fascinating London building, the Farmiloe building in Clerkenwell. Originally a Victorian bathroom warehouse, it used to be the most heavily reinforced building in the city! A great place to see energetic student design.

mydeco.com is the site set up by Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane-Fox of Lastminute.com fame. It aims to make home design easy by giving visitors the chance to visualise new furniture in their homes and the opportunity to compare and shop for products online. www.mydeco.com

Why Bloggers Rule the Roost - our latest blog for The Huffington Post UK

2011-09-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

In The Times' Saturday magazine last weekend, new fashion editor, Laura Craik squeezed into a designer dress, climbed into a pair of towering high heels and took centre stage in her own feature. These days, she said, fashion editors don't have much choice but to get in front of the camera and model the products themselves and this is thanks largely to fashion bloggers, who, "without a budget, created their own visual content" and made their blogs "all the more compelling for it."

Editors and traditional publishing outlets have been trying to harness the power of the blog for a while now - by forcing their writers to step into the limelight, by launching their own blogs and by inviting bloggers to write for them - but brands too are actively courting bloggers in their attempt to extend and add value to their publicity.

To read the full blog, visit The Huffington Post. And do feel free to share the article on your social media pages, or use the comments section to give your own views on the subject.

Guest Blogger: Clare Macnaughton - A Modern Military Mother

2011-09-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

When I met my RAF pilot husband, nicknamed Hagar the Horrible, for his Viking warrior status, he was a vibrant, bouncy energetic shade of yellow. I was deep shade blue as I had broken my leg and couldn’t walk. He burst into my life, loudly declared “hello, dream date”, swept me off my feet and we rode off into the sunset. Over time and evolution, rank, role, combat and age Hagar lost his colourful brightness and moved into an intransigent black and white.

First, because I loved him so, I tried to be a bit of black and white, but it was too rigid for me, so then I adopted a steely shade of grey. Eventually, I could bear it no longer and I went for pink and green, sometimes red, sometimes purple, turquoise and yellows. I wanted to roll myself in colour and tiptoe barefoot through the tulips. I couldn’t live with black and white anymore.

The difficulty with black and white is that the military precision is such that it doesn’t allow for flaws, fun and chaos. It’s very restrictive and our two children, our son, The Grenade, aged 8 (nicknamed so because when he younger he could destroy a room in 20 seconds) and The Menace, our daughter, aged 3 (called this because she quietly goes about her business silently creating disaster in her wake) can’t breathe in the rigidity of Hagar’s need for order, structure, command and control.

It’s harder when he returns from war because the war is run like a well-oiled machine. The focus is time, precision, prepping, delivery and execution – everyone know their place and their role.

Hagar returns; he is tired and angry. He doesn’t even know he is angry. He thinks it’s ok to shout but we don’t shout in anger here. We have been rolling in sunshine, colour and laughter, while he sweltered in the darkness. I give him a spoon; a wooden spoon and I take him to a light room for him to breathe out the dark smoke and breathe in the white light.

Life is complex, post war and we watch out for loud bangs and tired, grumpy Hagars. We try and bring him back down to earth with beauty and life. Meanwhile the battle continues on. Peace and love.

Clare Macnaughton is a Modern Military Mother, juggling a busy career as a writer and marketing consultant with a husband serving in the RAF and two small children. amodernmilitarymother.com

Guest Blogger: James York, founder of Blokely

2011-09-14T01:21:00.000-07:00

Never before has the average man had access to, let alone needed, so much lifestyle information. But if 'knowledge is power', why are the majority of male-centric publication's readerships falling like dodos off a cliff?

One could make assumptions about the proliferation of the internet or boldly claim that men 'just don't buy magazines anymore'. But it might be that they simply don't relate to what they are being presented with. Put simply, their personal aspirations are not congruent with the market model in which the word ‘aspiration’ has been synonymous with the content.

Aspiration doesn't require economic value to play a part and, instead of reinforcing male self-confidence and virtues, it has latterly, and inadvertently, threatened to turn the masses into expensive-shoe chasing, self-conscious paranoids. It's interesting to see men rebelling against what risks becoming a contrived consumption-driven paradigm. They are defiantly showing that, whilst all life's frills have a rightful place at the table - few put them at the head of it all.

Modern men have become cynics, impervious to these expensive and colourful lifestyle peacocks that dance in front of them so blatantly. And while they still buy clothes and shaving products, try to find wives and lovers and watch movies, more of the same unattainable, aspirational content is the last thing they require.

Let's take a step back and get back to value-adding practicality - the flint-like tools of male lifestyle. Afterall, the pace of falling readership in the magazine world runs in parallel to the fortunes of Western economies over the last ten years. Perhaps the market needs to reflect that? Be ready for the next boom and bust. There is a remodelling of collective identity taking place in reaction to the new realities of modern digital life. It's a measured approach to consumption and the choices available. Now, the ambition is to be secure and avoid repeating the mistaken attitudes that got the economies of the West into such a pickle in the first place.

James York is the founder and editor of men's lifestyle online magazine Blokely. www.blokely.com

Our first blog for the Huffington Post

2011-09-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Our first blog for the Huffington Post UK, written by The Good Web Guide's editor, Emily Jenkinson, has just been published.

The blog, which looks at the rise of video broadcasting online and how this is threatening the written word, is the first in what will become a monthly blog spot on the Huffington Post UK in which Emily will look at online trends and news stories.

Do feel free to share the article on your social media pages, or use the comments section to give your own views on the subject.

Register now for the Guardian Activate Summit on 22nd June 2011

2011-05-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

Anyone interested in joining the Guardian Activate Summit at Kings Place, London on 22nd June 2011 should register by tomorrow to gain 20% off tickets.

Activate is a platform, created by the Guardian Newspaper, Guardian News and Media as a way of "harnessing and employing technological and social innovation for human betterment." Bringing together some of the world's most influential figures, it aims to discuss and debate the influence of technology in different areas across global society and how can it help make the world a better place.

SPEAKERS

Now in its third year, this year's Activate will see speakers including Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay and Omidyar Network; Alec Ross, Senior Advisor for Innovation at the US State Department; and Sobia Hamed, Founder of DataGiving discuss subjects covering The Future of Democracy in a Networked World; how data can save the world; and ways of creating sustainable and effective models for tech-led social innovation.

To find out more, read speaker interviews online and register for the summit, visit www.guardian.co.uk/activate/london

The Uniqueness of Everyone and Everything

2011-04-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

The internet celebrates an egalitarianism of feeling. No one viewpoint can ever be said to be more enlightened or of greater importance than any other. As a result, online culture, or so it appears to me in the non-Geek constituency, is reminiscent of Aldous Huxley’s technologically advanced but culturally barren Brave New World.

‘Crowdsourcing’ or ‘the wisdom of crowds’, to quote two contemporary expressions which locate the creative impulse in the mass, can stifle individuality. It does not automatically follow that unfettered access to a machine of self-expression leads to the expression of anything of particular value.

We are all critics and journalists and writers and photographers and filmmakers and artists now. What matters to us is that we allow for the possibility of mass creativity. But will any of what we are rushing to produce with our new technologies have any significance beyond this moment in time?

Garan Holcombe

Make Do and Mend

2011-04-08T01:54:00.000-07:00

If, to use current parlance, a ‘creative’ has produced some ‘content’ which you would like to ‘consume,’ shouldn’t you pay for it? Or should you simply continue to download songs and films illegally and pretend that you are a revolutionary intent on destroying the old bourgeois world of controlling intermediaries?

There is nothing new in sharing artistic work. We once copied tapes and films. Those of us who still read borrow books from one another. The P2P impulse, at first sight, might appear to be a communitarian one offering an appealing resistance to the dogma of individualism. But it leaves us with a problem.

How are the people who live by their imagination to make money in a time of romanticised theft? Is it not the moment to bring to an end the Manichean conversation about Corporate Bad Guys versus Online Good Guys? Surely the ones we should be worrying about protecting are not those who receive, promote or sell, but those who make.

Garan Holcomb

Spoilt for Digital Choice

2011-03-18T01:30:00.001-07:00

Flirtbox.co.uk has the great benefit of being free. Setting up a profile is painless. Within minutes you have a presence on the site and are ready to flirt and be flirted with. My introductory e-missives to Beautifulsweetlittlething and HuskyDarlingtonLady were ignored, but the lovely Julia84 responded almost instantly to the message I sent her.

We had so many interests in common: film; music; literature; travelling. George Orwell was her favourite writer. She listened to the Velvet Underground and Ella Fitzgerald. She worshipped Casablanca. She wanted to live by the sea and learn to sail.

Our early exchanges went well enough. Cari84 would choose Rick over Lazlo. She agreed that the Velvets were much better with Nico. Not that she put any of this in full sentences of course. Full sentences are not the stuff of this sort of chat. The latter sentiment went something like this: OMG! vu w/ nico? vu w/o nico? erm??? idk. w/ nico. Not only did this fail to make me lol, there was absolutely no chance of it making me rofl.

Cari84 responded quite favourably to the wizened looks my profile photo displayed, but didn’t take too kindly to my failure to abbreviate. 'WTF!' I said, 'I’m fond of the fuller form'. When I mentioned that I wasn’t really six foot four as my profile had suggested, and that my six pack was five cans short, I never heard from her again.

Cari84’s disappearance caused me a monetary despair. I was a dating site non-entity. The only message I had in my inbox was from AmazonEssexGirl who wanted to do unspeakable things with tropical fruit. Few people were clicking on my profile. And the more profiles I looked at, the less my interest was aroused.

The experience of online dating reminded me of when Rebecca Llewellyn stood me up in Cardiff in 1989. But at least this time I didn’t have to spend two hours standing outside Marks & Spencer listening to elderly shoppers discuss the evolution of undergarments. Instead, I logged off, snapped shut the jaws of my laptop, and spent the evening wandering around the house in a state of increasing doubt and self-recrimination.

Say Hello, Green Wave Goodbye

2011-03-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

Can social media change the world? Evgeny Morozov doesn't think so, and perhaps he has a point. A tweet might enable one protester to link up with another with a fashionable rapidity, but try throwing one of those micro e-missives at a tank and you'll begin to see the limits of the digital telegraph.

The Green Movement in Iran in 2009 sought to bring down Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following a disputed presidential election. In that fervid hour, when internet evangelists like Jared Cohen rushed to proclaim the protest "the one that social media built," the cliché of choice was that Twitter would transform Iran, 140 characters at a time.

The failed attempt to unseat Ahmadinejad is the subject of Iranian-German filmmaker Ali Samadi Ahadi's film, The Green Wave, which receives its UK premiere on March 25th. Drawing upon techniques seen in Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir, Ahadi animates the work of Iranian bloggers, thus imaginatively recreating moments from the 2009 protest not recorded by TV cameras.

It is clear that the internet offers a novel locus for dissent; it also allows governments, both authoritarian and democratic, a new means of tracking down citizens who are resistant to established authority. Can social media change the world? Why don't you write a blog post about it?

Manufacturing Content

2011-03-07T04:47:00.000-08:00

Aaron Sorkin, the creator of The West Wing and the screenwriter of The Social Network, doesn’t like the internet. “There’s just too much bad information getting out there,” he told the Dairy Goat Journal, “and I have to believe that’s mostly the fault of the internet, which isn’t held to any standards of accuracy.”

Mr. Sorkin’s view is that the internet has undermined the role of newspapers. Surely, that perspective is a correct one. After all, didn’t the print rags once contain all the information we needed to help us make sense of the world around us? I too remember that glorious time when the Daily This or the Morning That would arrive through the letterbox each day. Oh, how we were once enlightened by the informed objectivity of the great columnists! Oh, how we gobbled up the accurate truth like a plateful of nutritious and healthy info-food!

Here in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland commentators such as the Daily Mail's Peter Hitchens and The Guardian's Polly Toynbee, must be allowed to continue to run the information in our lives. There can be no other way. The media class to which the aforementioned duo pertain are interested in nothing other than the purest truth. They are untainted by personal interest, prejudice and subjective political conviction. They wish only to inform. Need it even be said that their work is based on the purest accuracy. Of course it is. That is self-evident. Let us thank Mr. Sorkin then for reminding us bloggering souls of our place in the information order. Ours is not to question. We must simply receive.

Infamy, Infamy, They've All Got It Infamy

2011-03-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

We all know that the United States allowed Pearl Harbour to be attacked so that Frank Sinatra could win the Best Supporting Actor for From Here to Eternity. But websites like the insider.org and bilderberg.org will try to convince us otherwise. ‘Wake up’ is the battle cry of the conspiracists. If we refuse this imperative, we must be one of the ‘sheeple,’ or else a disinformation agent in the pay of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Conspiracy theories elevate the importance of the individual: we feel flattered that we are privy to a truth hidden from public view, just as we feel cheated when fed a line from our elders and betters. The websites devoted to the investigation of the shadow government running the world not only satisfy our demand for control and assurance, but also flatter our sense of our own importance. They make us believe that if we, the online mass, noble citizen journalists all, merely swallow the official version of history then we abrogate the essential responsibility of the investigative reporter: to get at truth, whatever it might be and wherever it might be found.

The likes of Alex Jones, David Icke, Alan Watt and Glen Kealey represent a paranoid counter-culture that has extraordinary currency online, particularly on YouTube. They peddle psychological horror as genuine insight and analysis. Their infantile Manichean separation of the angelic and demonic is fine for a bedtime story, but has nothing to offer any considered engagement with real life. When such idealism is allowed to dominate realism the result is a dogmatic refusal to countenance serious intellectual discussion.

I must confess to being a sucker for these clandestine and nefarious games. Plots and inside jobs get my blood flowing like little else on our spinning top of a planet: cover ups; patsies; shadowy figures on oddly named bits of grass; tall buildings that fall as if detonated, fluttering lunar flags, the Bilderberg group. Conspiracy theory is as emotionally thrilling as a Wilkie Collins novel, but as intellectual stimulating as Eastenders. Jump into the matrix and fall down the rabbit hole – to use two of the conspiracists’ favourite cultural reference points – is the way to madness of course. Spend too much time with those who have made a cult out of getting six from adding two and two – and you’ll soon forget your name. One minute you’re asking yourself whether Tower 7 was brought down by a cackling and sinister cabal of Masonic overlords, the next you are sweating pure fear and have forgotten that 1984 (the conspiracists’ bible) was a black comedy.

Oops. That’s the doorbell. I’ll just peep out the window, see who it is. Probably someone selling flannels or horticultural services. Good Google. There are two of them, both wearing black suits and Ray Bans. They look as if they are from elsewhere. Neither is smiling.

Feeding the Troll

2011-03-03T02:04:00.000-08:00

Internet message boards are the sites of pitched battle. Threads on YouTube soon become arenas of abuse. On imdb.com there is open war between lovers of art-house cinema and those who favour Hollywood blockbusters or genre films. The arguments follow a familiar line: a poster will declare that Bergman’s Wild Strawberries is a work of artistic genius. Someone else will confess to having been bored by it. After which, a third commenter, horrified at this cultural blasphemy, will say: ‘Well, go and watch The Nutty Professor then.’ At some point, the word ‘pretentious’ will be thrown in; the nationality of posters often becomes an issue. And on it goes until the coffee break of the site moderator is interrupted.

The internet mood is one of an anger waiting to be expressed, an offence longing to be taken. Arguments are ‘won’ simply by saying ‘it’s only your opinion so nahhhh.’ The notion that wit, wisdom, patience and self-possession should characterise debate is quaint. Restraint and tolerance are not suited to the adolescent state of the internet, nor do they apply to the querulous times through which we stumble. The statement that we all have the right to an opinion is the ultimate modern argument breaker, splenetic disagreement with the opinion being expressed the current height of riposte.

The notorious problem of online tone makes confrontation on the internet inevitable. A sarcastic remark is seen as direct attack, a point is misunderstood, a row ensues. Mischief making is oxygen online, the superficial anonymity of the system allowing us to bait others without consequence, before we disappear into the electronic undergrowth. Online, we are more susceptible to the trolls within and without. Now, I wonder what the Three Billy Goats Gruff are up to.

All Voices Are Equal, But Some Are More Equal Than Others

2011-03-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

Technology has given each of us the opportunity to share our thoughts and feelings with a potential audience of millions, without the inconvenience of having to convince publishers or editors of the worth of our words. Our wise and witty screeds may be ignored, but at least we are expressing ourselves. Isn’t getting into our own grove what it has all come down to online? Mid flickr and blog, I will vodcast my barbaric yawp across the YouTubes of the world.

Whether on blog or social networking page, by user-generated text or image, our view, our take, our opinion is what moves us. Text in. Tweet. Phone in. Email. What do you think? Tell us your story. It may be that you tried a new recipe for shepherd’s pie for dinner last night that involved actual shepherds, or that you recently escaped, under gunfire, from a violent corner of the Maghreb. No matter. Each tale is equal, each teller equally equipped with the means to tell it.

What a load of Simon Cowell. Being witness to a drama doesn’t necessarily mean that we possess an ability to stage it. We each have a story to tell, of course, but it doesn’t automatically follow that we have an ability to tell it. Don’t get stuck with my grandmother whatever you do.

The idea of collective creative parity online is a romantic one, which fools us into believing that we are being listened to, that we matter now more than we ever have before. But the world remains a place in which some have and some have not, some will and some won’t, some can and some can’t. It is not flat, whatever Thomas Friedman and other professional exaggerators would have us believe. We are babbling away like never before, but some voices are more equal than others. The authorities, social, political, economic and cultural, still exist, and these authorities are being influenced by the new priestly caste, the evangelists for the democratic possibilities of technology. Power isn't being challenged. It is simply learning to pretend that it is just like you.

Clearing the mist at Foggy Bottom

2011-02-18T02:41:00.001-08:00

In a speech this week at George Washington University in Foggy Bottom, Washington, the World Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined her plan for internet freedom and the US government's commitment to tackling oppressive regimes.

At the beginning of her speech, Mrs Clinton stated the following:

"Perhaps today in my remarks we can begin a much more vigorous debate that will respond to the needs that we have been watching in real time on our television sets."

She then turned to those real time needs:

"A few minutes after midnight, on January 28th, the internet went dark across Egypt. During the previous four days, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians had marched to demand a new government. And the world on TVs, laptops, cellphones and smartphones, had followed every single step. Pictures and videos from Egypt flooded the web. On Facebook and Twitter journalists posted on-the-spot reports, protesters coordinated their next moves, and citizens of all stripes, shared their hopes and fears about this pivotal moment in the history of their country. Millions worldwide answered in real time: you are not alone and we are with you. Then the government pulled the plug. Cellphone service was cut off, TV satellite signals were jammed, and internet access was blocked for nearly the entire population."

At this point a noise was heard. A man shouted out: "So this is America?" Mrs Clinton, her eyes moving this way and that, raised her voice, forced her mouth into a defiant aperture of positivity, and, in the attempt to disguise her obvious discomfort, continued:

"The government did not want the people to communicate with each other. And it did not want the press to communicate with the public."

The voice was silenced. The World Secretary of State could once more relax:

"It certainly did not want the world to watch."

You can watch the ejection of the protester here:

You can watch a full video of Mrs Clinton's speech here:

You can read an article on the protester here.

Too Much Information

2011-01-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

Norbert Wiener

There was a time when the phrase "too much information" referred to a friend's unusual propensity to reveal a superabundance of intimate detail regarding recent amorous encounters. However, at the beginning of the second decade of the third millennium the cliché has been restored to its primary meaning. But the mere act of expressing the fact that there is too much information now puts us all in something of a fix. In order to make the point that there is too much information we only add to the information. It is surely time to return the words 'knowledge' and 'wisdom' to a central place in our culture. And time is what both of those words require.

The father of modern cybernetics, Norbert Wiener, whose work on the study of feedback helped popularise the idea of the information loop, and hence that most fashionable of notions of being 'in the loop', believed, in the way that only a scientist truly can, in the improvement of the species. This story, as told in James Harkin's compelling book Cyburbia, needs to be read. We would adjust and adapt in response to a continuing stream of information Wiener suggested, improve our direction, evade capture or destruction, move ever onwards with an improved sense of momentum and purpose.

However, in our age of global information witness, when we are all looking at, commenting upon and sharing the same information, the space for the radical, the surprise that refashions a conception of where we are going, unsettles our conviction as to why we are going there and challenges our assumptions as to what we will find if ever we are to arrive at our destination, is shrinking. Perhaps it is now only to be found offline.

According to the OED 'cybernetics' comes from the Greek word kubernetes meaning 'steersman,' 'helmsman' or 'pilot'. The internet, in its current form, encourages us to pilot ourselves in the same direction, towards one another, in a carnival of communality. In the glorious rush of digital feedback, the automatic input and output, who is keeping a look out to check that we are not steering ourselves into an abyss? '

You Are Free Not To Criticise

2010-12-13T05:15:00.000-08:00

There have been many responses to the strange case of Julian Assange, from the idealistic support of those who see him as a subversive cyber-guerilla hero, to the wild disdain of detractors who believe that the Wikileaks founder is dangerous and megalomaniacal, and, for a whistleblower, ironically obsessed with protecting his own privacy.

However, what has emerged, in the battle between those who are willing to fight to keep the internet free, and those who all too quickly fall into line with the demands of government, is that hypocrisy is alive and well.

The following speeches by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, reveal that freedom of speech is guaranteed, as long as whatever it is you wish to say has first been vetted.

Happy Talk

2010-11-29T04:09:00.000-08:00

Are you happy? Would you like to tell the Coalition government about it?

The Prime Minister wants to spend £2m of the money he insists the country no longer has on asking Britons how they are feeling. The resulting Index of Felicity will be used to inform us how, despite mass unemployment, repossessions and the denuding of state support for everything from welfare to culture, we are really quite remarkably chipper.

While you are kicking away the ladder, it is always wise to remind the poor fellow desperately clinging to it just how much he will enjoy his fall.

The Conformity of Crowds

2010-11-29T02:17:00.000-08:00

In our social networking playgrounds we are fearful to be different least we offend or contravene the rules. The new heresy is not only to have an alternative perspective, but to communicate that perspective. Dispute an online fashion or a beloved digital authority and you are labelled a hater. Where is the love of argument? Why the rush to consensus? Why sign up to the utopian celebration of social media's endless updating of its possibilities without questioning our need for the service provided?

Social networking supports the contemporary myth that we each have voice a worth attending to, while simultaneously seeking to deny the uniqueness and originality of all our voices by trapping us within systems, databases and pre-ordained templates. We are free only to be the same as everyone else.

Were Descartes alive and fiddling with the ends of his moustache in the second decade of the twenty-first century, he might be tempted into a new metaphysical formulation: Others are therefore I am. What’s thinking got to do with it René?

Watch our video of our Website of the Year Awards Reception!

2010-11-24T06:27:00.001-08:00

The Good Web Guide Website of the Year Awards from Jez Kay on Vimeo.

For more information on our Website of the Year Awards, click here

A Novel Departure

2010-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

What of the novel in the digital age?

Is the future Tim Burton’s twitternovel, where anyone can contribute a line in the creation of a story that has the potential to involve millions of writers around the world? Is it the mobile phone novel, which has become a craze in Japan? Penguin has had a go at interactive storytelling, but the excitement surrounding that project was more to do with interactive novelty, than radical content.

At present, we play with our technological tools in search of a new literary art, but find ourselves lost somewhere between form and content. We know there is no sense in carving a longbow in the age of the sub-machine gun, unless we want it for quaint decorative purpose.

Is it time for the novel, as a form, to acknowledge the virtues of brevity? War and Peace was produced in a time when the only distractions were sex and alcohol. Our attention is now so fragmented that even the idea of producing a novel of 300 pages in length seems a little absurd. So how to go on? Twitter proves that you can be a philosopher, a wit and a journalist in 140 characters or fewer. Can you also be a novelist?

The Good Web Cast Show Eight: I Never Promised You A Walled Garden

2010-11-24T04:28:00.000-08:00

In 1990 the World Wide Web went live at the CERN particle physics laboratory in Geneva. Sir Tim-Berners-Lee’s hypertext application, which he made freely available, transformed the internet, helping to take it out of the universities and the laboratories, and into all our lives.

This week Berners-Lee warned of threats to the web’s principles of universality and neutrality, claiming that gated communities on Facebook and proprietary spaces such as iTunes undermine the free flow of information online.

This week’s Good Webcast examines Berners-Lee’s claims, and asks, in the battle to control the web, who will win?

And the Website of the Year 2010 is...

2010-11-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

This week, over a hundred movers and shakers in the web world gathered at the Royal Institution in London for The Good Web Guide’s Website of the Year 2010 Award Reception, which took place as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

ANYVAN SCOOPS WEBSITE OF THE YEAR AWARD

Shipping & delivery company, ANYVAN.com, was announced as the winner by ex-BBC Dragon, Doug Richard, who commented:

“Entrepreneurs see problems and manufacture opportunities. They come up with innovations the world has never seen before, and they put them to work. AnyVan.com saves money, time and natural resources by connecting those who want to ship something with those who transport things for a living. A simple thought… a simple online solution… a critical change in the logistics of transport, not just for London, but the UK.”

ABOUT ANYVAN.COM

Set up in October 2009, the idea for ANYVAN.com came about one and a half years earlier while Angus Elphinstone, aged just 25, was running a delivery business, White Van Gentlemen. After spotting a gap in the market for cheap nationwide deliveries and shared vans – known in the industry as part loads, he registered the url and began planning the business. 25% of vans travel empty in the UK and 50% travel half full, meaning a lot of air is transported at large cost to transport companies, wasting unnecessary fuel - it wasn't difficult to get the couriers on board with the idea, and ANYVAN.com was born.

Angus expressed delight and surprise at winning the award, "Winning the award was beyond our expectations against such tough competition! As the ANYVAN concept is such a new service our greatest challenge to date is communicating the concept and winning this award will without doubt add further credibility to the ANYVAN brand. Thank you The Good Web Guide."

THE PRIZES

As winner of The Good Web Guide Website of the Year Award 2010, ANYVAN.com will win:

* £1,000 cash to spend on the business and £500 of advertising on The Good Web Guide.
* A one-day photo shoot with Tim James from The Gray Gallery (£1,500)
* A full SEO audit and follow up consultation with SEOptimise (£750)
* A press release prepared by Kenyon Communications on the subject of their choosing with full media distribution (£500)
* Two hours free singing for 8 people at any Lucky Voice venue (£180)

THE JUDGES

ANYVAN.com was picked as winner of this year’s award after long deliberation by a panel of four judges. These included: Sophie Cornish, co-founder of NotOnTheHighStreet.com, Mark Glynne-Jones, founder of JumpTo Consultancy, JumpTo.co.uk and Jamie Murray-Wells, founder of GlassesDirect.co.uk and HearingDirect.com.

The final judge Sarah Beeny, founder of Tepilo.com and MySingleFriend.com was unable to comment on ANYVAN.com due to its partnership with Tepilo.com, but noted: “The Good Web Guide Website of the Year had some fantastic entries and there was some incredibly strong competition. It was a tough job judging the entries as so many of them got very high scores. The finalists all had some aspects which made them worthy of winning.”

HIGHLY COMMENDED

The five Highly Commended sites in this year’s award include:

* Ooh.com – “A great concept which is fun to browse and easy to use. It provides a fantastic platform to connect activities and events with people and their interests across the globe.” Sophie Cornish, NotOnTheHighStreet.com

* Made.com – “Appeals on a number of levels particularly for content and functionality. Discounted designer furniture with no compromise on quality, a fact underpinned by profiles of designers and production and nice touches when it comes to tracking orders.” Mark Glynne-Jones, JumpTo.co.uk

* Looklet.com – “Lets people define their personal style and visual identity online, connecting shoppers with their clothing designers worldwide in the process.” Doug Richard, founder of SchoolforStartups.co.uk

* TheSleepRoom.com – "A truly integrated site that makes it remarkably easy to find and buy quality beds, mattresses and bed linen." Arabella Dymoke, The Good Web Guide.

* Findababysitter.com – This user-friendy site helps parents to fulfill very specific childcare requirements without going through an agency, the idea being to save money. It is “developing a niche extremely effectively,” says Jamie Murray-Wells, founder of GlassesDirect.co.uk and HearingDirect.co.uk

THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE 2010

This year, we opened up the shortlist to our readers to let them choose the site that they thought should win. Their choice in The People's Choice Award was none other than Netmums.com! A very big congratulations to the team.

ABOUT THE AWARD

The Good Web Guide Website of the Year Award is now in its second year and aims to champion start-up web businesses. The judges decided that this year’s winning site should have been trading for at least and have the potential for exponential growth. AnyVan.com is an interesting concept well executed with lots of real-time information available on the site and operates in step with our times, both on the economical and green fronts. It is hoped that AnyVan.com will gain lots of mileage from winning the award.

"The Good Web Guide once again showcases how an entrepreneur’s innovation and creativity can translate into important efficiencies and new wealth for the communities they live in.” Doug Richard, founder of SchoolforStartups.co.uk.

The Good Webcast Show Seven: The Website of the Year Award

2010-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

The second annual Good Web Guide Website of the Year award ceremony took place on Tuesday 16th November. At the Royal Institution in Mayfair, where Faraday helped make the modern world, a large crowd of web entrepreneurs gathered to hear erstwhile Dragon Doug Richard read out the winners.

The big prize went to ANYVAN.com, while the People's Choice award went to Netmums, whose co-founder Siobhan Freegard described it as being "like X-Factor for websites."

Arabella Dymoke, the MD of the Good Web Guide, spoke to the Good Webcast about why the awards were set up and what they seek to recognise.

The See Through Coalition

2010-11-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

It's been a big week for Mr. Cameron. No, no, no, not the visit to China, where our noble premier is pretending to be interested in that country's human rights record to please the Liberals in his Coalition, but the launch of the Transparency section of the Number 10 website, which gives humble voters the chance to check up on the government, a review of which you can read here.

On an extremely similar theme, Seren Lloyd, who occasionally pens casual frippery for The Good Web Guide on matters pertaining to the internet, has come up with a few suggestions for ways the government can make itself even more open to the public.

As they say in Whitehall, if you can't see through it, it ain't transparent.

The Good Webcast Show Six: Fry's Last Tweet

2010-11-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

A specially reduced length podcast this week in honour of the subject matter: Twitter and how best to leave it.

With Stephen Fry having departed the microblogging website in what appears to be a considerable huff following the controversy over his views on women and sex, we take a brief look at how to say goodbye to your followers and what impact Fry's leaving might have on the popularity of Twitter.

Look who's Talking Now: Read the latest interviews

2010-10-28T03:35:00.000-07:00

Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet tells us what she thinks of the coalition's child benefit cuts and why she always has time for a biscuit. Read the interview.

Catherine Gazzoli, CEO of Slow Food UK talks about why we have lost touch with food, how we can restore this relationship and what her happiest food memories are. Read the interview.

Edna Fry, the devoted and long-suffering wife of Stephen, muses over her favourite sites. Read more.

Website of the Year Award 2010 closes

2010-10-08T02:38:00.000-07:00

Entries to our Website of the Year Award 2010 closed last week. This year's award was once again geared towards small businesses and non-profit organisations, although terms and conditions for entry were left purposefully loose.

The response to the award was good with 1809 entries received in total. Some of the sites entered are fantastic and unknown to us, others already favourites and some that fall woefully short of the mark. This year, we seemed to be inundated with baby and child-inspired sites, selling nappies and kids' clothes and although some of them were fun, in general, we've steered away from then when considering the shortlist.

All the entries have been screened and around 100 were chosen to go through to the next round. The sites range across a number of interests from forums and community sites, entertainment, travel, retail, information, property, services, food, parenting and gardening.

Twenty-four sites were shortlisted and all have something unique to offer, whether it's an interesting concept, useful information or plain fun. To view the full shortlist of sites, and vote for who you think should win in the People's Choice, click here

The Website of the Year 2010 will be announced by ex-BBC Dragon, Doug Richard during Global Entrepreneurship Week (15-19th November 2010), alongside the site that has had the most votes in the People's Choice. The Awards Reception will be held at The Royal Institution in Albemarle Street, London W1 on Tuesday 16th November. Tickets to attend the reception can be purchased for £29.38 inc VAT via Eventbrite. The Eventbrite fee is extra.

The Good Webcast launches!

2010-07-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

We've just launched the first of our podcasts as part of The Good Webcast, a new feature on The Good Web Guide. The Good Webcasts will cover topical news and issues relating to the internet in discussions led by GWG Contributing Editor, Garan Holcombe. Joining him are Arabella Dymoke, MD of The Good Web Guide; Emily Jenkinson, its Editor; and Nick Wills, The Good Web Guide's resident tech guru.

Show One discusses the Great Paywall of Rupert Murdoch on The Times and whether it's doomed to failure.

Show Two discusses SEO: what it is and how you crack it.

Listen to the first two shows here and watch this space for the next show, broadcasting in September.

New Designers: the graduate designers who are set to impress

2010-07-09T01:48:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, The Good Web Guide went along to the showcase for graduate designers at The Business Design Centre in Islington and found much to excite.

Graduate designs such as the Cuppa Luck - a stainless steel look tea-set, which can be scratched to reveal a pattern underneath - by Jo Westrop (www.jowestrop.com); magnetic tableware from Oliver Boulton; and a wealth of stunning furniture designs by designer/makers including Jórun Høgnesen (www.jorunhognesen.blogspot.com), Keith Gibbons (www.keithgibbons.co.uk) and Philip Clay of Zealous Furniture Design (www.wix.com/zealousfurniture/design) impressed with their ingenuity and attention to detail.

A new area of the show this year was One Year On, featuring a hand-picked group of designers who have done well in their first year out of college. Beautiful wallpaper from Kate Usher Surfaces (kateusher.wordpress.com), furniture from Robin Grasby (www.robingrasby.com) and mixed media illustrations from Hannah Davies (www.hannah-designs.com) are proof, that despite a tough financial year, with dedication and bundles of talent, new designers can find success.

To find out more, visit www.newdesigners.com

Fashion to follow at the Bright Light PR Press Day

2010-05-13T01:08:00.000-07:00

I - Emily (The Good Web Guide's editor) - popped along to the Bright Light PR press day yesterday where I was greeted by Kerri. She showed me around the display room, where a number of Bright Light's fashion clients were showcasing between them a choice selection of clothes, boots, jewellery and lingerie. I found loads that I would have happily taken home myself, including:

These hand-crafted Tall Eskimo boots from Mou. Sarah Jessica Parker has been papped in a pair of these apparently and styles include the antelope cowboy boot, calfskin slipper, eskimo, blizzard and goatskin nanuk.

A dragonfly pendant necklace from Annie Haak. Other designs include charm bracelets that jingle with hearts, tassels, butterflies and dazzling silver charms; long necklaces with angels, birds and other silver pendants; and rings with charms attached.

A colourful scarf from Dominique Mosley, whose collection of a bright scarves have been designed, printed and finished in the UK, making them even more desirable. Perfect for Spring!

A black postman bag from luxury Italian lable Pavoni, which has a host of colourful designs for Spring/Summer 2010.

Other fabulous fashion destinations present were: Chesca, Damsel in a Dress, Getmyfashion.com, Lanky Bird, Simone Perele and Implicite. All ones to watch out for next time you go shopping!

Look Who's Talking Now? Read our latest interviews on The Good Web Guide

2010-02-17T06:06:00.000-08:00

Will Ramsay, founder of Will's Art Warehouse and the world-renowned Affordable Art Fair, talks bagpipes, rastas and the artist he thinks you should be snapping up now in an exclusive interview. Read the interview

Bec Clarke, founder of luxury online jewellery site, Astley Clarke, counts Nicole Kidman and Sarah Brown amongst her roll call of famous customers. So what's the secret of her success? Where does she like to escape? And what are her top beauty secrets? Read the interview

Rachel Johnson, columnist, author and sister of Boris, is The Lady's 9th editor. So what’s it like to work at this British institution? How are its fortunes being turned around? And what does it mean to be a lady in today’s world? Read the interview

Enjoy!

The Month: The best book, blog and film of February.

2010-02-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

Each month, we do a round up of the best culture, including book, film and blog reviews. Here are some of our favourites for February.

Film of the Month: A Prophet is a true masterpiece from a director in complete command of his material.

Book of the Month: It's Only a Movie - Mark Kermode might not be as entertaining as his weekly performance on Five Live with his long time civil partner Simon Mayo, but Mark Kermode remains by far the best film critic in the country, if only because he's got nicer hair than Kim Newman.

Blog of the Month: I am Neurotic is a blog for those who cannot read blogs without standing on one leg while humming the opening bars of The Bangles' Manic Monday.

Win a luxurious silver French style bed from Flemington Design.

2010-01-11T05:04:00.000-08:00

One lucky winner will win this fabulous Luxury Silver French Bed as shown in the photo, chosen by Kylie Minogue for the launch of her Autumn Winter bed linen collection in 2009.

This luxurious King size bed, measuring 1600mm x 2000mm, features striking and beautifully ornate carved decals, curved legs and club feet and is hand finished in luxurious Silver. The Luxury Silver French bed is usually priced at £925.00, and now available on the Flemington Design Sale page with 25% off £693.75.

Enter the draw here http://www.thegoodwebguide.co.uk/?PAGEID=12357

Closes 31st January!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! After a much needed break, we're back and ready to take on 2010. To kick start the new year, here are some of our picks of the month:

Film of the Month: Moon, the feature film debut of director Duncan Jones channels Kubrick's 2001 and Tarkosvky's Solaris but manages to make something new from the fusion. Read our review.

Book of the Month: Open is Andre Agassi's account of his life in tennis and is far superior than the average sports bio. Read our review.

Blog of the Month: /Film (or Slash Film) has news and reviews, trailers, the latest rumours and information on films in production. It covers festivals like Sundance and can count directors like Darren Aronofksy among its readers. Read our review.

And less we forget, here is our pick of the Best Films of the Noughties and the Best Books of the Noughties....

Last minute Christmas Shopping

2009-12-18T02:44:00.000-08:00

If you still haven't done your Christmas shopping, then you had better get on with it! Get some last minute inspiration and offers from the pick of our retailers on these specially tailored Christmas shopping pages.

Stocking Fillers
For Gardeners & Gourmets
For Women
For Men
For Home Lovers
Christmas Books
For Kids

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE GOOD WEB GUIDE!

Win a festive 'Party Pack' from Martini Rosato and Pomegreat

2009-12-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

The coming party season will see us all enjoy a cocktail or two but none so delicious as this new tipple, The Melograno, which combines the light, fresh taste of Martini Rosato with Pomegreat, the original pomegranate juice drink (which contains the juice of eight pomegranates in every 1 litre carton).

The cocktail was launched into the celebrity circuit and parties this summer, with the likes of George Clooney, Jude Law and Thandie Newton spotted sipping the drink during glamourous events such as Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix.

The handy Party Kit contains a bottle of Martini Rosato, a Pomegreat Original juice, a jug and glasses and a branded trinket. The Martini Rosato is complimented by the juice, helping to bring out the seductive notes of suitably festive spices like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, alongside the light aromatics of raspberry and lemon.

How to make the Melograno - fill a highball glass with ice. Add a single serve of 70ml of Martini Rosato and fill the glass up with Pomegreat pomegranate juice. Garnish with a lime wedge and add ice to taste.

To enter the draw to win, click here.

Giveaway of the Month: November-December

2009-11-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

WIN £500 TO SPEND ON DESIGNER JEWELLERY AT ASTLEYCLARKE.COM

With Christmas not far away we’re turning to AstleyClarke.com for ingenious jewellery gift ideas. Discover fine Designer Jewellery gifts from £35 to £25,000. Its exquisite collection includes 1,000 pieces of contemporary and fine jewellery from over 50 internationally renowned designers.

All Astley Clarke jewellery comes delivered in elegant boxes and can be gift-wrapped in hand-printed Japanese wrapping paper, tied with an Italian blue satin bow. Until Christmas, Astley Clarke is offering Free UK next day delivery, same day London delivery and fast International delivery - making it the perfect place to shop for designer jewellery gifts. Shop online at www.AstleyClarke.com, call 0845 680 6848 or visit 6 Junction Mews, London, W2 1PN.

For a chance to win a £500 voucher to spend across the range, just enter CLICK HERE

Christmas Shopping Guides

2009-11-10T07:08:00.001-08:00

Why does Christmas shopping always have to be so stressfuland expensive? The truth is it doesn't - well not when you've got one of our handy guides to help you find presents for all the family, and at discounted prices too.

Gifts for Her include jewellery, super fine cashmere blankets for travelling and more...

Gifts for Him include wine decanters, silver cufflinks, shirts and the finest darn pair of socks we've ever seen...

Gifts for Home Lovers include all candelabra's, scented candles, cushions, door stops and more...

Keep an eye out for more Christmas Gift Guides coming soon!

SimonSeeks wins The Good Web Guide Website of the Year 09

2009-11-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

Simonseeks.com was picked as The Good Web Guide's Website of the Year 2009. The new concept travel site launched in June 2009 and now attracts over 2000 unique visitors per day, with numbers growing. Founder Simon Nixon talks us through the business.

Explain your business

Simonseeks is a new concept in travel websites, combining quality user generated content, in the form of detailed travel guides of approximately 800 words, and expert moneysaving tips with a comprehensive choice of booking options. Often described as the YouTube of travel, the site now features over 2000 guides written by celebrities, professionals and amateurs alike who share their favourite destinations and insider tips with the community.

What makes Simonseeks unique?

We are unique as we are the only user generated content website to share revenue equally and directly with our writers. This will encourage our writers to take an active interest in the quality and detail of the guides they write for us. This enables us to offer our visitors the very best travel guides free of charge, combined with expert consumer travel advice, moneysaving tips and booking options.

How do you make money?

The revenue comes from commission generated by people reading the guides, clicking through to travel partners’ websites and making a booking. Display advertising revenue is also generated. All the revenue from each guide is shared equally between the writers and Simonseeks.com and each author has a Simonseeks Paypal account and the revenue is generated is paid directly into this.

How much can contributors earn?

The amount will vary depending on the standard of accommodation booked, for example, and the length of stay. The more informative, interesting and easy-to-read a particular guide is, the higher its rating will be and the more income it will generate for the author. A guide is also more likely to attract readers if it looks appealing and has photographs to illustrate it.

To read the full interview with Simon Nixon, click here

Website of the Year 09 - Winner Announced!

2009-11-05T08:20:00.001-08:00

The Good Web Guide's first Website of the Year Award attracted over a thousand entries.

A shortlist of 25 sites was chosen and sent to judges including Emma Jones, founder of Enterprisenation.com, Sháá Wasmund, founder of Smarta.com, Liane Dietrich, MD of Linkshare.co.uk; Yanique Francis-Lalin, senior web analyst at Twenga.com, Nick Wills, founder of Beatsdigital.com and MD of Thegoodwebguide.co.uk, Arabella Dymoke.

The standard of the shortlist was very high and judges found it hard choosing a winner. In the end, Simonseeks.com, the new concept travel website which combines user generated content with expert moneysaving tips and a comprehensive choice of booking options was picked as the overall winner.

An awards lunch was held at Quo Vadis, Soho where Nick Trend, the editor of SimonSeeks, received a cheque for £1,000 and a selection of other fantastic prizes. For more details, click here.

Judge Yanique Francis-Yalin (Twenga) said of SimonSeeks, 'I especially like the way the user content is organised and that there are standards to ensure good quality content.' Meanwhile, Nick Wills commented, 'It's solid, executed well and could go a long way.'

Nick Trend spoke on behalf of the team at Simonseeks.com when he accepted the award saying, 'Everyone in the office is delighted and it is a huge boost to our confidence after many months of hard work!'

Runners Up in The Good Web Guide Website of the Year Award 2009 included: Songkick.com, which tracks artists, venues and festivals to ensure you never miss another gig; Findinvestgrow.com, which works with and supports young entrepreneurs; and Shiply.com, which helps visitors to find cheap courier services already making trips across the UK and Europe.

A big thanks to all those who entered the awards. Please do watch out for our Website of the Year Award 2010 - launching soon!

4 November 09

Website of the Year Shortlist Announced!

2009-10-23T02:01:00.001-07:00

The Good Web Guide Website of the Year Award 2009 was geared towards small businesses and non-profit organisations. Over 1000 nominations were received. There was a high standard overall. One excellent site, YoungDebaters.com was submitted by Edward McGovern with the plea, ‘I am 13 and need to take the website further, but don’t have the money to do so.’

The sites ranged across a number of interests from forums and social networks, entertainment, travel, retail, information, property, services, food, parenting and gardening. The following sites have been shortlisted and all have something unique to offer, whether it’s an interesting concept, useful information or plain fun. The winning site will be announced online no later than 6th November 09.

To view the full shortlist, click here.

Win one of two £250 vouchers to spend online at ME & EM

2009-10-12T02:03:00.000-07:00

ME & EM believes that if you’re not in work or party mode then you need clothes that you can look good in, but at the same time feel relaxed in.

Whether it’s something to sleep in, lounge around in, jump on a plane in, wear at the weekend, do the school run in or enjoy wearing on off duty days, ME & EM has a full range of fabulously comfortable and stylish clothing and accessories.

Following its recent re-brand, it has brought in a new range of luxurious new fabrics, sumptuous new colours and fabulously flattering new styles. It also has some great new brands, including Monica Vinader, Penelope Chilvers and LA Made. To find out more, visit www.meandem.com

And for a chance to win one of two £250 vouchers to spend across the range, just click on the link below. Entries close 16th November 09. Good Luck!

http://www.thegoodwebguide.co.uk/?PAGEID=12129

Win a leather Eaton handbag, worth £475 from Aspinal of London

2009-09-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

Our giveaway of the month for September is a corker: a classically structured Eaton bag, worth £475 from elegant brand, Aspinal of London.

The Eaton has a luxe, vintage feel and is individually handmade by master craftsmen from vegetable tanned mock croc or smooth calf leather. It has two separate zipped pockets on the outside and a large middle compartment, perfect for daily essentials. The interior is lined in quality grosgrain, includes a handy mobile phone pocket and is finished with fine Italian hardware and Swiss made zip.

Available in black or navy. Entries close on 10th October 09. Enter the draw to win here.

We launch our Website of the Year Award 2009!

2009-07-20T08:21:00.001-07:00

We have spent nearly ten years researching and reviewing the best websites across a range of topics and this year we’re launching our first Website of the Year Award, aimed at small businesses and organisations. There will be only one winning site, picked by a team of qualified judges. If that's your site you will win:

£1,000 to spend on their website plus an advertising campaign on thegoodwebguide.co.uk during 2010 worth £500.

A press release prepared by Kenyon Communications on the subject of their choosing, with full media distribution, worth £500.

A full SEO audit and follow up consultation with SEOptimise, worth £750.

A Vistaprint Custom Business Kit to help build their brand and market their business like a pro, worth £178.

Professionally taken portraits of the website founder(s) and/or team worth £350, by award-winning photographer Dave Watts.

To find out more the awards and how to enter, just click here.

Kelly Hoppen talks interiors with The Good Web Guide

2009-07-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Renowned British designer, Kelly Hoppen is the pioneer of a simple but opulent style that has permeated interior design. She has designed apartments, houses and yachts for an international list of clients and also undertakes commercial comissions including houses, restaurants, offices and aircraft interiors. Her latest project, however, is the one that she considers to be her most successful yet: the renovation of her own Notting Hill home. This 2,500 square foot classic Georgian townhouse features her trademark neutral colour scheme throughout and took just five months to complete.

So where does Kelly get her inspiration? What are her interior dos and don'ts? And how can those who can't afford her get the Kelly Hoppen look? The Good Web Guide steals five minutes with the designer herself.

Read the full interview here

Win a new summer wardrobe of clothes from Kew, worth £250!

2009-07-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Mrs Johnson, who won £500 to spend on jewellery at Leblas in last month's draw. This month, we've got an equally fabulous giveway from Kew, which is donating a £250 spending spree on its classic clothing as its prize.

Kew’s gorgeous range of summer styles and accessories is made with the attention to detail and quality that you’d expect from a sister brand to Jigsaw. With up-to-date classics and trend driven pieces in natural fabrics – there’s something in the range for everyone. Check out the full range at http://www.kew-online.com/.

Enter the draw here before 20th August!

Summer Birthday Present Ideas

2009-07-06T04:06:00.000-07:00

Just posted our new shopping feature for July and August - Summer Birthday Present Ideas has exclusive offers and discounts from a number of our top retailers, who have hand-picked gifts for friends and family and provided a welath of inspiration.

To see the full range of offers and present ideas, just click here

Brixton deli-owner, Rosie Lovell talks good food & friendship

2009-06-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

Five years ago, after finishing her History of Art degree at Edinburgh University, Rosie Lovell set up Rosie’s Deli Café in Brixton market. Since then she has welcomed an eclectic mix of hungry customers from across the globe and counts Basement Jaxx amongst some of her most enthusiastic fans.

Between juggling orders, serving up her famous scrambled eggs, going to gigs and taking time out to recover from a brain haemorrhage that nearly killed her two years ago, Rosie found the time to write her first book, Spooning with Rosie: Food, Friendship and Kitchen Loving, which is published by Fourth Estate this June.

Read our interview with Rosie here
Read our review of Spooning with Rosie here

Win £500 to spend on any piece of jewellery at Leblas

2009-06-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

A rare bird in the world of jewellery design, Leblas combines traditional techniques, modern design and sustainable practices in the creation of its beautifully made selection of rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and specially commissioned pieces. This year, it is proud to have won the accolade of Coutts New Jeweller Award 2009, part of the annual Coutts London Jewellery Week (8th-14th June 09).

There’s 15% off across the range for visitors who enter goodwebguide at checkout when ordering at www.leblas.com. To enter the draw to win £500 to spend on Leblas jewellery, click here.

Our new shopping pages

2009-05-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

As you know, Thegoodwebguide.co.uk re-launched earlier in the year with a whole host of new features. One of our favourites is on the Shopping & Lifestyle channel where we can now produce image-driven shopping features from a selection of our top recommended websites.

This month, we've got two new shopping features running with a wide selection of discounts.

Father's Day

From quality cufflinks and tasteful ties to shaving kits and special Father's Day hampers, you can't fail to find your Dad something for June 21st. Click here for more.

Get Fit for the Sun

From fitness equipment and sports clothing to beach wear, body moisturiser and spa days, this feature helps you to look and feel your best this summer. Click here for more.

Enjoy!

Talking business with NotontheHighStreet's Sophie Cornish....

2009-05-19T03:01:00.000-07:00

In April 2006, Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish started Notonthehighstreet.com, an online showcase and shop for small UK businesses. Since the website’s launch, Holly & Sophie have watched Notonthehighstreet.com grow to include over 800 small UK businesses and today they receive 300 applications for membership each month.

It provides a much-needed community, a source of information and marketing support for the best of Britain’s small creative businesses - 97% of which are run by women. In a mark of their success, last October, Holly & Sophie were invited to a business focused question and answer with the Prime Minister.

So what makes a successful small business? Why are so many women running them? And what was it like meeting Gordon Brown? The Good Web Guide talks to Sophie Cornish…..

Read the full interview here

Photo credit: Founders of notonthehighstreet.com, Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker. Photographed by Rankin, for BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur 2008

2009-05-11T03:40:00.000-07:00

Win one of two £250 vouchers to spend on contemporary art at Arty Prints.

Arty Prints provides customers with a one-stop shop for high quality fine art prints, posters, framed and canvas art from many of the world's leading artists. There are over 70,000 artworks to choose from, which range in price from under £10 to £500. With such a wide range of styles and prices, Arty Prints makes it easy to find something special, whether it’s a budget piece to brighten your home or an exclusive piece for the office.

To enter the draw, click here. Entries close 8th June 09. Good luck!

2009-04-30T04:15:00.001-07:00

Our chairman at The Good Web Guide, David Teale launched his latest online venture this week, My School Book Club. which aims to make the best children’s books more accessible and affordable to kids, parents and teachers, and eliminate the negatives (ie the organisation and paperwork) of current school book clubs.

Schools across the country are being encouraged to register in order to get their own school website for free. Parents can then order discounted children's books directly from the website earning their school 20% in free books each time they make a purchase online. It's a great site, colourful and easy to use with a fantastic selection of books available - and we're not just saying that because he's our chairman.....

To read our review of My School Boook Club, click here
To read our interview with David Teale, click here

Introducing our new columnist...

2009-04-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

We're delighted to announce that founder of Enterprise Nation (enterprisenation.com), Emma Jones has joined The Good Web Guide as a columnist on our Money & Property channel.

The UK's largest website for home based business, Enterprise Nation provides information and inspiration through its homeworking news, views and feature profiles.

Continuing along this theme, Emma's column will give weekly advice to small businesses (like many of those found on The Good Web Guide) covering a variety of topics including the art of selling, advertising, marketing, outsourcing, new trends and much, much more. This week's column talks about developing niche business.

To read The Good Web Guide's full review of Enterprise Nation, click here.

Two brand new channels

2009-04-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

The relaunch of the new and improved GoodWebGuide took place at the end of March, with a clearer design and layout, improved navigation, wider pages, an interactive facility through which visitors can now write their own ‘mini reviews’ of recommended sites plus two BRAND NEW CHANNELS.

Entertainment & Culture
This channel helps you to find out what's on when and recommends the best blogs, books and films of the month. We've reviewed countless websites covering sport, museums & galleries, music, reading, writing, theatre and more. Watch out for monthly dispatches from our roving reporter, Rulwynn Mann.

News & Information
This channel provides a huge variety of web resources covering news, consumer advice, legal information, reference sites, genealogy, research services and more. Catch up on the headlines or look up family members, find a job abroad or at home or discuss current affairs come an evening with some like minded souls. It's all there when you need it.

Just use the Index down the left hand side of each page to browse the full list of reviews.

April Prize Draw

2009-04-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Win one of two £250 vouchers to spend on luxury bath linen and accessories at Balineum.

Only ten days left to enter the draw at Balineum, which designs and sells elegant linens and accessories for your bathroom. Its fabric shower curtains are designed to be a two-part shower curtain and combine premium cotton and linen curtains with a waterproof liner. Meanwhile, its luxury 820 Anatolia towels are heavy and absorbent; or choose a lighter weight towel from the Syrie collection, hand-woven using organic Egyptian cotton. Don’t forget the newest addition to the Balineum collection, the Braga Bath Mat, which is handwoven with an elegant floral design and is oh-so-soft underfoot.

To enter the draw or receive a 10% discount across the range click here