More publicity for the Blackout (The Star)!

aidan_dunne

After mentions on 2FM and Elena's excellent interview on 5-7 Live yesterday, The Star gave a nice big-ish column to the blackout in todays business section. Seems that the publicity wagon rolls ever onward which can only be good news for the blackout. Hopefully all the publicity and mentions in the media the past couple of days will cause more people not only to support the blackout but also Ireland Offline in general.

yellum

The PR momentum is building. Its getting better daily. Any chance of seeing a link to information about the Blackout on the index page of the IrelandOffline.com website ?

DM

NeVeR

I read it , i hope more and more Papers and pll start doing something,

Question:
Does anybody have a Political member in there Family that might be able to Help. My Uncle was the Depty Lord Mayor 2 years ago.

I could ask him Some questions if i knew what to ask him, I'm not giving his name out. but u might be able to Guess it ,, I think it was 2 years ago , mght be 3 .

hmmm

Originally posted by aidan_dunne
The Star gave a nice big-ish column to the blackout in todays business section.

I couldn't resist asking - the Star has a business section?

(yes I'm a snob bite me :P)

NeVeR

Look at page 38 ,, it's a Money matters page ,,

NeMiSiS

FIRMS ASKED TO BOYCOTT INTERNET

Businesses and consumers have been asked to abandon the internet next Friday in protest against high access charges.

The protest is being staged by Ireland Offline,a pressure group that came into being when Esat cut cut internet access to 2,000 users in May because they were using the "No Limits" service too much.

An Ireland Offline spokesman said Irish users still do not have access to high-speed and flat-rate internet services,although it is the norm elsewhere.

The group recently met with Public Enterprise Minister,Mary O'Rourke,to discuss the lack of cheap internet access.

But their plans to raise awareness of the problem have been slammed by business groups.Pat Delaney of the Small Firms Association claimed the protest was a "ludicrous" idea. "The internet is a powerful medium for them. There is absolutely no way that businesses should support this," he said.

Eircom has claimed that a wholesale flat rate of internet access simply isnt viable here at the moment.
The group recently delayed the launch of its new,low-cost high-speed internet-access service,I-stream,for the second time.

---

low cost high speed me arse ffs if it was low cost
there wouldnt be a problem

and as for Pat Delaney..I have no idea why a small bussinesses would have a problem with lowering internet prices,the company i work for would be considered a 'small business' and my boss goes mental at the sight of our internet bills

aidan_dunne

Originally posted by NeMiSiS
and as for Pat Delaney..I have no idea why a small bussinesses would have a problem with lowering internet prices,the company i work for would be considered a 'small business' and my boss goes mental at the sight of our internet bills

I agree entirely. Pat Delaney should be offering support, not critising the blackout or Ireland Offline. Does he not see that if Ireland Offline's campaign is successful business as a whole will benefit? Okay, so there will be a few bob lost if businesses support the blackout but if it goes towards bringing about broadband and flat-rate internet access in the long term the benefits far outweigh the few pound they would loose next Friday.

What's the betting, however, that Mr. Delaney and all the others who have slagged off Ireland Offline would be their "congratulating" them if the campaign is successful? God, I just hate hypocrites!

Dont be at yourself

If small firms are annoyed at internet costs, who don't they write to Mr. Delaney?

dahamsta

If small firms are annoyed at internet costs, who don't they write to Mr. Delaney?

Unless the envelope contains £288, I doubt it would have much effect. My email to Mr Delaney has gone ignored by the way. I'll be penning a calm but factual response to the Irish Times this weekend.

adam

sceptre

If Pat Delaney had any idea of the situation in other countries he wouldn't be making silly comments like that.

As a businessman himself (presumably) he should also be aware of the idea of short-term sacrifices for long-term gains. Maybe he's not a very good businessman, I don't know.

In any case he should be aware of the benefit lower net and comms costs would have on small businesses (maybe he's just annoyed he didn't think of the idea himself or that another group is making more of an effort to help the people he represents than he himself)

Venting spleen so the above might be heavy-handed.

I'm sure Pat Delaney is not an idiot - however with public comments like that he's doing a good impression of being one.

seamus

As trojan pointed out in another thread, it sounds like Pat Delaney doesn't actually know what's going on, but instead was given a 20-second explanation and then asked for his comments - which was 'ludicrous', which is what many people would say when asked simply 'Would you boycott the internet to attempt to lower prices?'. This is probably what some interviewer said to him, which as you'll agree, certainly does not embody the aims of IOffl.

Ooh, ooh, and a tasty little article I found(good oul electricnet), which could be used as suitable ammo. 'Subscriptions doubled in the last year. Don't expect to make a profit until 2003.' Sounds like the counterarguments to eircom's arguments. You probably know about it already though, cos IOffl are mentioned.

dahamsta

I wouldn't say he's an idiot, but I don't think he's helping the credibility of his organisation any with his comments. I'm sure there are some small businessmen out there with enough intelligence to see through the IrelandOffline Blackout to the underlying aims of the organisation. It's a pity that Mr Delaney didn't have that clarity of vision, at least at the time.

Of course I'm not your common-or-garden small businessman, but if I was a member of the SFA, I would be questioning Mr Delaney's ability to represent me. And as a non-member of the organisation, I can state for a fact that I won't be handing over £288 any time soon, because he certainly isn't in touch with the goals of my company.

And those goals aren't unrealistic. I would imagine most small businessmen would like cheaper communications bills. If they don't, well, I'd have to question their abilities as small businessmen...

adam

dahamsta

Seamus, I'm sure you're right, but again that raises questions of credibility. As the director of an association like the SFA, it's simply not on to make off-the-cuff comments without being fully aware of the consequences. If Mr Delaney was unsure of exactly what he was commenting on, he should have asked for more detail.

Of course there's also a chance that Jamie misled him, in which case I'm absolutely wrong and I will adjust my perception of him accordingly, but to be fair, I did offer him an opportunity to explain himself, and received no response. (I might add that another member of the committee tried phoning, to no avail.)

I might drop Jamie an email, see what he has to say, without, of course, prejudicing his position as a journalist. At least Jamie will probably answer.

adam

sceptre

Electric News gave a nice writeup on the Blackout also:

http://www.enn.ie/news.html?code=4546002

(That Beecher chap seems quite good)

Shame they didn't follow up the Derek Kickham comments with explaining Eircom's per-minute pricing though (the article looks as if Derek is contradicting Adam, whereas obviously he isn't)