Craig McGinty

Howzat for a view from Cheapflights

AN interesting new site you may want to keep an eye on is the Howzat Media blog being written by Hugo Burge and David Soskin.

They are the two people who have taken Cheapflights.co.uk on to become one of the leading travel related websites in the UK; if you've looked to track down airline tickets there is a good chance you have used it.

I met them both when I helped set up the Cheapflights news service, which uses blogging software to post daily stories, and I am still writing for the site.

Howzat Media is different, but related, as it is an investment vehicle looking to support innovative online projects, something that Cheapflights has been doing for a long time, while the blog provides an interesting peek into the thoughts and ideas of both Hugo and David.

Charitable groups and blogs

I THINK charitable groups, of whatever size, should take a serious look at what blogging technology could allow them to do.

The first thing to remember is that blogging software is just another form of publishing, so whatever size your group is there is a good chance you want to tell people about your work.

Notes on BBC Manchester blogging workshop

I WENT along to the BBC Manchester blogging workshop yesterday and it turned up a wide selection of people, all with different questions, thoughts and ideas.

It was great to chat with people and thanks to both Richard and Robin for putting on an interesting event.

I was asked to give a quick five minutes on earning money from a blog and for those who were there, and for anyone else, here is the basics of what I said:

Setting up a blog
Thoughts on the actual how and why of setting up a blog, one thing I think is important to stress is that blog software is just a way of publishing your work, in the same way that a notebook and pen is. Also make sure you write on a subject you are passionate about and that will keep your interest for a long time - this will then come out in your writing.

MEN drops in on Manchester blogs

THE Manchester Evening News takes a look at a number of blogs, and the people behind them, which have a touch of the city about them.

And for once it is a balanced, level-headed piece that doesn't stray off into the clichéd "us versus them" type of article.

BBC Manchester blogging workshop 2

BBC Manchester is to have another attempt at a blogging workshop this Thursday (February 22) after the first event was blown off course by the strong winds of a few weeks ago.

Whether you are new to blogs, or a bit of an old hand, there is sure to be something of interest as just some of the items set to be covered include how to get up and running using tools like flickr, Blogger, Vox and YouTube.

It is at the BBC on Oxford Road and starts at 6pm, more details here, I'll be heading down myself - see you there.

Chelsea move to YouTube

NOW I'm a Man City fan by birth, but this is a smart move by Chelsea to promote the club and its TV service through YouTube via a branded page. (The Guardian)

Related article:
How newspapers could use online video

A tidy page, is a page that's read

ONE of the things that can produce a poor website are pages that are difficult to read.

If you have taken much time and effort to put together a well written piece, only to place it on your site in a page layout that gives readers a headache, then you are likely to have a struggling website.

Here are some simple pointers:

- Make it very easy for people to read your words; simple fonts such as Verdana or Ariel, preferably in black on a white background is a good place to start.

- But also give your words some room to breath with plenty of white space around them, break up paragraphs with clear carriage returns so people don't suffer from word tiredness.

- And don't go overboard with bold and italics, simple bullet points may be more suitable if you are keen to highlight a point.

- Study the websites you read the most as there is a good chance they have got the basics right, otherwise you wouldn't be visiting them regularly.

On writing and publishing

TWO very interesting pieces by Suw Charman that look at the way writers can use the changing use of the internet to their advantage.

Her first piece looks at publishing books for free which neatly dovetails with a piece titled Open publishing - Writing in an age of pirates.

Both highlight the potential that a writer, or any other creative artist, could enjoy from turning their back on the old ways of publishing/marketing, and instead look to allow a piece of work or writing to thrive once free of a fee.

All writers, artists, musicians and creative individuals are yearning to be listened to and today the web allows many to be heard.

Stormhoek and its love thing

I WAS hoping to chat with Hugh MacLeod yesterday as he takes a tour around the UK promoting Stormhoek wine.

Unfortunately he was running late, and I was up to my neck in it by the afternoon, so maybe another time.

Free the books and pregnancy

A COUPLE of stories for you to check out this Monday morning, the first of which is from Chris Anderson about freeing books so they spread.

Author of The Long Tail, he has discovered the audio version is freely available for people to download, which he is more than cool about and as he says "I just want to be read/listened to by the largest number of people".

I am currently playing around with ways to bring together the interviews, audio and photographs I have produced over the past few years to help promote the sites I run, beyond said sites.

And my friend Claire is hoping her experience of being pregnant in Australia will prove helpful and calm the nerves of expectant mums looking to live in Oz.