Ad-blocking in web browsers has been going on for years, but it’s generating more press lately because Apple have started doing it. (Possibly also it’s reached sufficient levels that it’s starting to hurt). I have very little sympathy for the organizations impacted by this for a number of reasons, but in particular:

1. Online adverts represent a ( Read more... )

It’s a shame that Dennis Ritchie and Steve Jobs died at around the same time. I don’t say this out of a belief that the news about the latter somehow eclipsed the former; indeed I’ve seen a number of mainstream obits and no shortage of blog and Usenet traffic about the DMR.
( Rather, the reason is the claim that Jobs would have been nothing without DMR. )

What’s the going rate for a kiss-and-tell story? How does it compare with the cost of a superinjunction. i.e. would it be cheaper to pay off the women currently going to the press with stories about footballers and actors? One wonders how many public figures have already adopted this approach.

Obviously it’d only work for rich people.

Legally ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

As well as the £1/day and £2/wk online subscription charges, weekly subscriptions to the print Times will include online access. (As before, see their FAQ.) This is pretty close to the approach used by The Economist, which I subscribe to.

The first difference (from my own parochial point of view), though, is that I subscribe to the Economist ( Read more... )

A few people have expressed the objection to PR that it might lead to BNP MPs (I think twelve is the figure currently being bandied around). Rather than repeat my responses to that each time someone says it:

1. Some of the BNP votes may be protest votes. The BNP ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

( Screenshot of FB ad under cut )

I don't think they've thought this through:


( Read more... )

"Chief executive Paul Walsh told the BBC World Service that it was already "very difficult" to employ staff in the UK where they could face a 50% tax rate". So how many of his staff are in the 50% band then?