#Mumbai and the news from Twitter

I don’t have a problem with Twitter being used as a new source. After all it’s simply another form of communication like TV, Internet, phone, two cups strung together etc . The value or worth of what it produces is entirely down to the person yelling into the cup.

I'm frequently #Mumbai on Twitter. The full extent and scale of the horror is yet to be fully realised. However, it has provided an example of social networking works in such a situation. There is a mixture of eye witness accounts, outbursts of disbelief, political commentary, outlandish claims and general pontification. All live and unmediated.

The downside was the inevitable rise of unsubstantiated rumour and counter-rumour that has surfaced. This is hardly surprising and perfectly understandable. However it does represent a set back to those who advocate Twitter as a legitimate news gathering source.

I'm not necessarily arguing that Twitter can't reliably break news. However, it is difficult to establish if some Tweets are

a. First hand information

b. Not originally sourced from a third party which could be found out through another means (like watching it on the telly).

c. Complete bollocks

So from a news gathering or news breaking point of view, Twitter is no better or worse than any other form of communication in that it depends entirely how trustworthy the source is.

On the other hand, when it comes to news coverage, Twitter has huge potential.

The enormous reach and portability of Twitter means that anyone with a basic mobile phone can relay information from anywhere within range of a cell mast. This means that any sort of event can be shared with people from all over the world. Within the context of news it could be an unconference, a demonstration, a natural disaster or a war zone.

What makes news coverage via Twitter so effective is the myriad audio and video applications it supports like 12seconds, Seesmic, Phreadz and QIK to name but a few. It’s this element of citizen journalism that some professional hacks may not like because they’ve become so used to using news wires to break stories that all they have to give them an edge over the rest of us is the quality of the coverage. Others recognise its potential and get involved.

Twitter empowers citizen journalists and allows them to not only report on on the spot but more importantly, enables them to reach a huge audience. Its not a complete solution as it lacks the objectivity in the same way embedded journalism does. However, it doesn't go through the usual news media prism and is received without being framed to suit anyone else's agenda. That, for me is its true value.

As post script I'd like to mention the emerging notion that Twitter is or was being used by terrorists with phones in Mumbai to monitor #mumbai for locations of potential targets.

The idea of terrorists sifting through thousands of tweets from people all over the world expressing concern, relating CNN feeds and cracking the odd bad joke on a mobile while hiding from the Indian security forces in the faint hope that there is still a politician or high ranking soldier foolish enough to still be out in the open is frankly laughable. At least it would be if you removed the appalling backdrop. I for one am not having a bar of that and would question the motives behind anyone propagating the idea.

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I think I'm turning into a transport geek

It began in 2004. I was working as a Fleet Manager for a in car security firm in Mitcham. The MD had a 1964 Routemaster bus (It was an RMC 1496 actually) parked up in the one of the hangers and for reason's I won't bore you with I was charged with trying to get an MOT for the beast.

This proved to be an amazingly difficult task. The local DfT centre kept failing it (presumably they didn't want vehicles of that size and class on the road anymore) and we had to arrange to have it driven to a centre in Guildford where it passed with flying colours (and perfectly legally I should stress). This in itself is not easy since the last time it was driven above 35 mph the carburetor went bang.

Suffice to say it was a bit of a saga which afforded me more than a passing knowledge of that particular vintage of bus. Shortly afterwards I suggested to Mrs RD that we visit the London Transport Museum right here in swinging London. To my delight and astonishment she didn't divorce me and even bought me a toy Routemaster in the shop.

After moving employer (to an office around the corner from the LT Museum funnily enough) I fell in with some uber-transport geeks who have been delighting me with the joys of the Crossrail Saga and the East London Line Extension and other wonder of the TFL empire. Each morning my train takes me past building work at New Cross Gate which is a construction ambitious enough to rival a Bond villain and each morning I press my nose against the window to see what has changed.

I've discovered such blogs as London Connections and its successor London Reconnections plus the gloriously self indulgent Going Undergrounds Blog.

I suppose part of it is that as a Greater London resident working in central London and not owning a car, I need to be familiar with the capital's myriad and to some, baffling transport infrastructure. However, if that was all it was about, I'd be kidding myself.

As I look into the future, I can see myself becoming genuinely enthused. This is a worry. I've never regarded trainspotting as a worthy past time and am concerned that my growing interest in all things alightable may result in standing at the end of Platform 13 at Clapham Junction Railway staion whispering into a dictaphone.

I would like to think that Mrs RD would be on hand to steer me clear of such an appalling fate. However, the joint year's friendship to the LT Museum that she bought me for my birthday suggests that she is happy to accompany me on this perilous journey.

Ding ding

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I have now seen the new Bond film...

And it was wicked.

That is all.

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I still have not seen the new Bond film

I've just finished writing an Onion Bag about William Gallas. This piece maintains that the reason why the Arsenal skipper has blown a gasket once again is because he still has yet to see Quantum Of Solace. The piece is semi-autobiographical.

I should qualify that last sentence by pointing out that I am not professional footballer. However, it has been three weeks and I have still not seen the latest Bond film so while the Bag is not my life story it is the story of my life.

The problem is that Mrs RD has expressed a desire to miss out on the film. Which means I probably have to go on my own and I hate going to the cinema at the best of times, even more so on my own.

As a younger man I wouldn't flinch at the idea of dropping in at my local flea pit by myself to watch a movie. The main reason for this is that most of the time my local flea pit was almost always empty save for a few hardy souls who just wanted to be left alone to watch Star Trek III: The Search For Spock for a third time.

Modern cinemas are too clean and too popular. They are populated by spotty teens with mobile phones who won't shut up. Don't get me wrong, I've done my fair share of irritating the fuck out of adults as a child in the Odeon Croydon. But the shoe is on the other foot now and all I really want is a nice little Astoria Purley or ABC Brighton to go to and watch a film in a slightly sticky floored environment with second rate sound and projection.

After all whats the point of surround sound and large screen if its going to cost you close to a tenner to get in and you have to put up with oily ticks planning what they're going to do once they finished ruining the movie you're trying to watch.

I realise what this makes me sound like and that's fine. Its my blog after all. What doesn't change is that for as long as there is a James Bond film in existence that I have not seen, things are not in their proper place in this world. I've see all the other Bond films many times over. I could quote huge passages from some of the older ones. I've read the books (most of them anyway) I've got the soundtracks and I consider myself an aficionado. The fact the QoS remains unseen disturbs me greatly, even more than the thought that Maggot Bombs may not affect zombies.

So tomorrow (or tonight depending on when you read this) after my shift ends I'm going to resist the temptation to go home and brave Leicester Square. I'll send Tweets of my progress. Wish me luck...



I must remember to tape I'm A Celebrity though.

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Could zombies survive a maggot outbreak?

I had this discussion with Castro a couple of months ago one hungover morning in Cologne. The pair of us are obsessed with zombies and both spend much of our time plotting our plan of action were a zombie outbreak to occur at any moment.

I posited the theory that one way of defeating zombies is with maggots. I got the idea from an episode of House where they used them to get rid of all this burnt dead flesh off this kid. Maggots (as we all know) only eat dead flesh. Surely a zombie is reconstituted of dead flesh therefore sufficient quantities of maggots them used correctly would consume an undead creature completely.

Arguably the critters would not be able to work fast enough to consume all zombies, especially in a global outbreak. However, if a species of super-fast munching maggots could be developed with a high reproductive system the could be unleashed on a zombie horde and reduced to mere bones in no time. Castro and I even speculated that a range of anti zombie projectile weapons and bombs could be developed to disperse the maggots over a wider area. Then, the survivors could hole up somewhere safe while the the little fellas do their work.

Once all the zombies had been consumed the survivors could use the maggots as an ongoing form of pest control. Lets face it, public health is going to be a major issue post outbreak so when someone dies and is inevitably transformed into a flesh eating creature of the undead, Maggot Bombs could be used to dispatch it before it spreads its 'infection' to the remainder of the already dwindling population.

Wonderful creatures maggots. they make me sleep much better knowing they're around.

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Moral Dilemma #1

The first in what may prove to be a disturbingly regular series.


Should I open this? on 12seconds.tv

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One of the lesser known but tragic consequences of the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege

Having said that, you've got to love that Roy Budd music score.

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Metro loves Terry

John Terry that is as the following headline reveals:

TERRY SPARES CARSON'S BLUSHES

I didn't read the article as I was concerned about the message I'd be sending to the young woman who's paper it was (mind you I've always thought that Metros ever belonged to anyone). However, if I infer from the headline that the blame for Germany's hilarious equlaiser against England in last night's actually quite decent friendly match lies solely with Scott Carson. This would be in spite of the fact that it was clearly JT's responsibility to clear the ball and the great man (of whom I'm not a great fan it must be said from the off) was big enough to take the fall. Either that or Fabio told him it was his fault and he should confess to save face for Carson, a 'keeper sorely lacking in confidence.

When that headline was approved the folks at Metro were probably were not aware that JT had 'fessed up to the blunder and we saw a glimpse at the level of sycophancy that exists for the Chelsea skipper. In fairness, much of this is down to London bias from a local London paper. However, I'm beginning to think that the best part of John Terry are his PR people.

Turns out that the Metro website has published a follow up to their bold headline.

I'm grateful to Chris for setting me straight on the headline (see comments). I haven't changed it as a reminder to myself of what an ill-informed cock I can be.

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Alfie

Anything that comes out of my brain which won't fit in to The Onion Bag, Some People Are On The Pitch, Some People Are On The Telly or cannot be squeezed into 140 characters will go here.

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