Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Hi

Long time listener, first time caller.

Read an interesting article in newsweek the other day on the rise of Christianity in the Gypsy and Traveller communities. Thought would be interesting to get your views on it. Is it a phenomenon you've observed?

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/10/17/how-roma-are-becoming-europes-new-moral-army-276033.html

Yes. it's a phenomenon I've observed. It first came to my attention about 25 years ago and imo (unsupported by hard data) peaked about 10 years ago.

Overall, I think the the article gives a fair if somewhat exaggerated impression of the reality.

Life and Light is a significant movement within the Gypsy/Traveler community, but it's nothing new.

Ah OK, thanks. It did mention it was the second time around, but made it sound like it was having a greater impact on communities this time.

Nice of you to contribute to my flagging diary btw.

I always enjoy your forthright opinions, even if I don't always agree with you.

Any chance of a potted biography? I love to find out what makes people tick.

[AlunB]

Hi

Long time listener, first time caller.

Read an interesting article in newsweek the other day on the rise of Christianity in the Gypsy and Traveller communities. Thought would be interesting to get your views on it. Is it a phenomenon you've observed?

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/10/17/how-roma-are-becoming-europes-new-moral-army-276033.html

Yes. it's a phenomenon I've observed. It first came to my attention about 25 years ago and imo (unsupported by hard data) peaked about 10 years ago.

Overall, I think the the article gives a fair if somewhat exaggerated impression of the reality.

Life and Light is a significant movement within the Gypsy/Traveler community, but it's nothing new.

Ah OK, thanks. It did mention it was the second time around, but made it sound like it was having a greater impact on communities this time.

Nice of you to contribute to my flagging diary btw.

I always enjoy your forthright opinions, even if I don't always agree with you.

Any chance of a potted biography? I love to find out what makes people tick.

Thank you. Likewise, always enjoy reading your posts.

I do have a tendency to be a tad forthright. A lovely euphemism that. It's got better with age, but not a great deal. A bad habit for sure.

Potted bio is mercifully short really. Born in SE Wales, went to uni in London. Dicked around for a few years doing various things. Did a journalism training course. Freelanced for a bit. Got a full time job as a staff writer. Rather fortunately inherited the editor's gig at eGaming Review pretty quickly. Moved to do gambling mags like InsideEdge and PokerPlayer for a long time. Recently moved back to the B2B world as head of content at the (now rather larger) eGaming Review. Next steps presumably to go freelance then unlearn my journalism training before dicking around again. The ciiiiiircle of life....

[RED-DOG]

Hi

Long time listener, first time caller.

Read an interesting article in newsweek the other day on the rise of Christianity in the Gypsy and Traveller communities. Thought would be interesting to get your views on it. Is it a phenomenon you've observed?

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/10/17/how-roma-are-becoming-europes-new-moral-army-276033.html

Yes. it's a phenomenon I've observed. It first came to my attention about 25 years ago and imo (unsupported by hard data) peaked about 10 years ago.

Overall, I think the the article gives a fair if somewhat exaggerated impression of the reality.

Life and Light is a significant movement within the Gypsy/Traveler community, but it's nothing new.

Ah OK, thanks. It did mention it was the second time around, but made it sound like it was having a greater impact on communities this time.

Nice of you to contribute to my flagging diary btw.

I always enjoy your forthright opinions, even if I don't always agree with you.

Any chance of a potted biography? I love to find out what makes people tick.

Thank you. Likewise, always enjoy reading your posts.

I do have a tendency to be a tad forthright. A lovely euphemism that. It's got better with age, but not a great deal. A bad habit for sure.

Potted bio is mercifully short really. Born in SE Wales, went to uni in London. Dicked around for a few years doing various things. Did a journalism training course. Freelanced for a bit. Got a full time job as a staff writer. Rather fortunately inherited the editor's gig at eGaming Review pretty quickly. Moved to do gambling mags like InsideEdge and PokerPlayer for a long time. Recently moved back to the B2B world as head of content at the (now rather larger) eGaming Review. Next steps presumably to go freelance then unlearn my journalism training before dicking around again. The ciiiiiircle of life....

Great potted bio, but it made me wish the pot was bigger.

[RED-DOG]

Hobbies, pets, family, ambitions....  Just throwing stuff out there.

Rod Paradise mentioned a tarmac drive and going home for his camping gear. Has he moved out or bought a house or something?

I'm so out of touch.

More potted bio's please.

[RED-DOG]

I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to deal with information in the same way that those blokes who stand by the skips at recycling plants deal with the proceeds of a garage clear out. Big dollops come in and I process them quickly, but later I find myself re-examining the shiny or unusual bits that really interest me.

What does this line mean?

Next steps presumably to go freelance then unlearn my journalism training.

[AlunB]

I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to deal with information in the same way that those blokes who stand by the skips at recycling plants deal with the proceeds of a garage clear out. Big dollops come in and I process them quickly, but later I find myself re-examining the shiny or unusual bits that really interest me.

What does this line mean?

Next steps presumably to go freelance then unlearn my journalism training.

It was just a joke as my career appeared to have reached a mid-point and was now going backwards.

[AlunB]

I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to deal with information in the same way that those blokes who stand by the skips at recycling plants deal with the proceeds of a garage clear out. Big dollops come in and I process them quickly, but later I find myself re-examining the shiny or unusual bits that really interest me.

What does this line mean?

Next steps presumably to go freelance then unlearn my journalism training.

Although it actually raises what is to me a really interesting point. An awful lot of the old rules of journalism just don't apply any more and yet they are rigidly adhered to.

The interwebs has fundamentally changed not just how people access news and longer-form writing, but how it's created, distributed and consumed. It's changed the content, the format, the tone and even the reader themselves.

So in reality I probably do need to unlearn things. Maybe I accidentally made a very prescient point.

[RED-DOG]

I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to deal with information in the same way that those blokes who stand by the skips at recycling plants deal with the proceeds of a garage clear out. Big dollops come in and I process them quickly, but later I find myself re-examining the shiny or unusual bits that really interest me.

What does this line mean?

Next steps presumably to go freelance then unlearn my journalism training.

It was just a joke as my career appeared to have reached a mid-point and was now going backwards.

Bugger!

It seemed to suggest a conflict between free-lance writing and journalism training.

[RED-DOG]

Lol. I posted that before I saw your reply.

[AlunB]

Haha! You were probably quite right though. Freelance writers these days need to write for a much broader number of outlets to make a living, and that means not being restricted to old-school ways of doing things. But this doesn't mean throwing the baby out with the bath water. Most of the things you learn are still hugely useful and beneficial for the reader.

[RED-DOG]

Haha! You were probably quite right though. Freelance writers these days need to write for a much broader number of outlets to make a living, and that means not being restricted to old-school ways of doing things. But this doesn't mean throwing the baby out with the bath water. Most of the things you learn are still hugely useful and beneficial for the reader.

Alun, would you say that being opinionated is a good or a bad trait in a journalist? 


I'm not talking about you btw- I've always fancied myself as a bit of a journo 

[RED-DOG]

I've decided to do my own potted bio's of a few people. I'll just let my imagination fill in the blanks.

I'll probably do Tal first. He's got more blanks than a set of dominoes. (I was going to say the French National Front but then I realised it wouldn't work)

But more of this later... right now I have conifers that need a haircut.

[AlunB]

I've decided to do my own potted bio's of a few people. I'll just let my imagination fill in the blanks.

I'll probably do Tal first. He's got more blanks than a set of dominoes. (I was going to say the French National Front but then I realised it wouldn't work)

But more of this later... right now I have conifers that need a haircut.

Very much looking forward to these...

[AlunB]

Haha! You were probably quite right though. Freelance writers these days need to write for a much broader number of outlets to make a living, and that means not being restricted to old-school ways of doing things. But this doesn't mean throwing the baby out with the bath water. Most of the things you learn are still hugely useful and beneficial for the reader.

Alun, would you say that being opinionated is a good or a bad trait in a journalist? 


I'm not talking about you btw- I've always fancied myself as a bit of a journo 

It depends really. Lots of types of journalist. Good trait in a columnist, bad trait in a news writer. In general it's bad as it can make you miss things and make bad assumptions. But it can help a lot with tone, angles, colour etc. A man lacking in opinions will often be rather dull company after all. As with everything too much will usually be a bad thing.

[Tal]

I've decided to do my own potted bio's of a few people. I'll just let my imagination fill in the blanks.

I'll probably do Tal first. He's got more blanks than a set of dominoes. (I was going to say the French National Front but then I realised it wouldn't work)

But more of this later... right now I have conifers that need a haircut.

The blanks are the fun bits. The rest is boring. Leave 'em blank IMO. Be like a tourney report with all the open folds in.