Manchester Academy

One thing that is great about living local to Manchester is the music. The venues and the musicians rock the city every week and if you are determined enough, maybe even every day of every week. UPDATED I went to two gigs recently, 16 and 20 Feb. The plan was too post pics and vids from both Aussie Rockers Grinspoon and US Indie Kids Cold War Kids but having forgot my camera at the second gig, you're just going to have to make do from some of Grinspoon - Manchester Academy 3, supported by Dear Superstar and Jett Black.

Also planning to get to a Wombats gig and didn't plan my short break away right as I am missing Elbow - who I saw at V FESTIVAL 2009 in Australia - but sure a few days in Athens will cure the sore spot! 2011 promises to be a musical year folks :)

rettiwt

Aahh, you have to love (hate) social networking don't you? With all the joys come all the dismays and trouble we get from putting content online which "others" weren't meant to see or misinterpreted.

I really don't think most folk know what you put online, anyone with an internet connection can read unless you take precautions by restricting access.

We all remember my post from a bit ago now about this poor fella. No more airport-related jokes going online anymore.

Twitter has thrown up two points of interest lately. First, is on tweeting from a court-room and the differences between it just being a judge and there being a jury present. A professional judge is capable of not being influenced but a jury. Hmm.

As Joshua Rozenburg discusses on the Guardian site, live tweeting in court looks set to run into legal problems.

This has all come about because of a consultation paper from the Judicial Office in England and Wales.

Court reporting is sensitive stuff and heavily involves the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the attached reporting restrictions. Now, the problem is even if the journalist obeys this, as the consultation paper says: "other users of Twitter may respond to these posts by posting or linking to prejudicial material or commentary which would not be admissible in court"

Lets not forget, courts are open to the public so who can tweet is another grey area. Who do you define as a member of the press? The NCTJ have law examinations which prepare a journalist for court reporting and many media outlets have legal advisors when the grey area comes into focus.

With our contempt laws, if Twitter and other social networking is to be used, restrictions on who and what can be broadcast from the court to the online world have to have some restrictions to avoid a substantial risk of serious prejudice. Maybe a case-by-case basis?

The other question is about the demand for it? Do we need tweets from court? Probably not, with 24 hours and almost instant filing of copy during a recess, but we want it because we can do it and that could run into some sticky legal treacle.

The second twit-astrophe, read about it here from the Independent, is the first time the PCC (Press Complaints Commission) has ruled on the reproduction of material from Twitter. Please read the comments section as well for a good suggestion?!

A Civil Servant has had her complaint of invasion of privacy rejected. Her "Tweets" were published in the Daily Mail and Independent on Sunday in November, but she said there were only meant to be seen by her followers.

However, the PCC ruled the fact the tweets were publicly accesible was the key - tweets can be re-tweeted, meaning original followers can forward on tweets outside of the original group and civil servants rules on polictical impartiality.

I do wonder how many people really consider the things they put online and the consequences of them - let's not forget this social media is still fairly new and the fact that anybody can use it, has to be asking for trouble.

With all these legal difficulties with social media it has got me questioning my participation in twitter, facebook and this blog - one wrong move and bang! You are right in the mess.

update of a down date

It is that time to come into the diary room that is this blog and dust off the cobwebs oncemore to post my random gibberish.

In my defence though, I haven't been around these parts much because not much is going on that I want/feel comfortable with blogging about and putting online.

1) I am still at Asda, working as a shop assistant. I have been asked if I want to go on "development" which means progressing from general busy-body to team leader of a department before management in the long term but I am still mulling over that idea.

I was specially invited to a free "celebration lunch" this Friday, not sure why though, but I can't make it but I have been told some gift will be coming me way so is always good news! Recognition for hard work is gratefully received.

2) I was debating the idea of doing a post-grad, possibly at UCLan or anywhere really but have missed UCLan's deadline for journalism and most others probably. I am not dead set on the idea but it might be time to shine my skills a bit more and update them.

Maybe a night course somewhere offers the same and can get my qualifications back up to speed or am I just looking backwards in time and want the University experience back? It would mean quitting Asda and a lot of expenditure so unsure about my final call on this.

3) I am still applying for journalism jobs and have had a number of knockbacks already this year. Starting not to knock the confidence as much now but I am having times when I wonder if I really am cut out for journalism and can be successful. I proved this in Australia but that was a while ago now . . .

4) On the social side, I have an England V India Test Match booked for later in the year, plan to go to Athens in March for a few days which will be a fantastic experience and a well-deserved break after being UK-bound in 2010 and three gig tickets already booked and pictures etc will be posted on here I hope when they happen.

Still trying to stop this blog coughing up its final bit of phlegm and keeling over but we aren't travelling much above crawling level most of the time and I only have myself to blame for that.