It's an oft quoted notion, but you really shouldn't believe everything you read. Apart, of course, from the words on this blog!
The motivation behind spreading non-truths is more often than not fairly transparent. Newspapermen are clearly the chief culprits for muckspreading, invariably they will have been misled by a PR of dubious standing or a member of the public keen to 'kiss and tell'. But the press print the 'news' and, by and large, most of it gets believed, or if not entirely swallowed, it ends up in the box of our mind marked 'No Smoke Without Fire'. The internet, of course, has revolutionised the fib. Lying can now cross boundaries and borders at will. The motivation behind it tends to be financial, I've lost track of the number of Nigerian businessmen who have selected me to share in their millions.
Now, sadly, more and more, people need to be on their guard while using their mobile phone. I saw a story recently that I found in part confusing, and in part worrying.
Every so often you hear about a great new service, a boundary pushing innovation that revolutionises the lives of millions. In an earlier post I mentioned research firm Gartner's top ten data services for 2012, strangely one new service in the Danish capital Copenhagen, wonderful as it is, did not make the top ten.
The local authorities, in this most forward thinking Scandinavian country, are enabling the citizens to carry out one of mankind's most vital activity via the medium of SMS.
I saw a note recently that made me smile. The Mobile Marketing Association thinks 2009 was the year that mobile marketing took off. Well, I suppose they would really wouldn't they?
Mobile marketing is alive and well and has been for some years, plenty of our customers benefit from the advantages of SMS and MMS marketing services. In fairness to the MMA though, if mobile marketing has been up and about for years, perhaps in 2009 it took its first steps towards taking off, and in 2010 it really will fly. Cellular phones are, arguably, the most widely used technology in the world.
Global mobile penetration stands at over 50 per cent. That means more than three billion people are calling and texting one another on a daily basis, three times the number of PC users and two times the number online.
As we approach the last year of the 21st century’s opening decade it heartens me greatly to see that SMS will be leading the charge in terms of driving data revenues for operators. Analysts at ICT research firm Gartner recently looked into their crystal ball and predicted that SMS-based money transfer would be the number one smartphone activity in 2012. My happiness at this news is partly out of bias towards the cause – more SMS revenues for the operators will help Routo move from strength to strength – but it is also because I’m part of an industry that is helping make a real difference to the world’s general economy and in these times of financial uncertainties that can only ever be a good thing.
Oh dear, why do people do it? Why won’t they learn? I have to confess I’ve sent the odd message that I’ve later regretted. But then I’m not a celebrity under the constant glare of the world’s media.
As well as being widely cited as the greatest golfer ever, Tiger Woods also has a reputation for being a thoroughly above board all around nice (married) guy.
The highly polished public image has started to dull. During the last week of November it was reported Woods crashed his car, however, suspicions were raised when the damage caused wasn’t really consistent with a regular shunt.
Rumours started circulating that Woods has been arguing with his wife – who had smashed his motor with, appropriately enough, a golf club.Fuel was then added to the fire the following week when a cocktail waitress called Jaimee Grubbs (really, you couldn’t make it up could you?) claimed that she has over 300 text messages from the golfer.
The police have since dropped the investigation into the car crash as there was no evidence of domestic abuse and Tiger has refuted the grubby claims of Jaimee. Crucially though, the texts remain.
Woods can take comfort from the fact that he’s not alone in being publicly embarrassed by the SMS – check out this piece in the Daily Telegraph for some more hapless texters.
