Enniskillen Ladies Rugby build confidence with a home win

Enniskillen ladies took on Queens at home at Mullaghmeen at the weekend. Queens travelled short a couple of players but confident in their abilities however with Skins having previously been defeated by queens in the cup final last season were defiant to redeem themselves at the weekend.

Skins kicked off into Queens half and put the pressure on from the start. Some strong phases of play from queens tested the skins ladies defence. Skins made some hard tackles turning over the ball and playing some great phases that allowed Collette McMorrow to storm over the try line touching down the first try for skins. Queens regained the ball and again challenged the skins defence with one of the Queens players making a break through on the wing but they were stopped with a try saving tackle from skins full back Shauna Murphy. Skins then regained possession and made their way back up the field towards their try line. Possession was maintained by skins and by setting up the ball skins granted Noreen Nethercott a try close to the posts which Shauna Murphy converted with ease. From the restart skins used their newly gained confidence to again make their way down the pitch allowing Shauna Murphy her own try which she again converted leaving the score 19-0 at half time.

The second half kicked off back into skins hands where some more dominant play began with Queens players beginning to pick up injuries causing the referee to have to pause the game on several occasions. The skins ladies got together as a team and set up phases allowing both forwards and backs to play the ball. Some good communication from the skins ladies again set up play easily and allowed them to ship the ball out to the backs allowing skins to score three more times with Aoibhin Kelly, Sarah Teague and Eimear Corrigan each touching down to add to the scoreboard for skins. Queens did not drop their heads and fought through their injuries breaking skins defence for a moment to score themselves a try in the top corner just before the final whistle.

The final score was 34-5 to Skins breaking the Queens Ladies previously unbeaten record. Skins next game is this Sunday away to Belfast Harlequins with a 1pm KO. Enniskillen Ladies welcomes all new players with training taking place on Tuesdays and Thursday’s at 7.15pm. Girls youth training takes place on Thursdays 6.30 – 7.30pm for all girls aged 13-17.

A time for more regulation of social media?

A friend recently asked me to fill in a quick dissertation questionnaire about social media and general media self regulation. While filling in the questionnaire it got me thinking about self regulation and if more rules should be set in place for social media outlets.

When answering the questions like, does social media need to have guidelines in place I myself thought that at the moment they have the initial foundations of regulation. Sites such as Facebook, twitter and Instagram give the reader the ability to report any content they find displeasing or offensive and then it is looked into by their offices and dealt with accordingly. However there have been some cases recently in the UK where people have gotten into trouble for what they have said on social media sites. One case was where a young teen posted racially abusive comments online. This resulted in the teen being arrested by the police for their actions. This does open the question whether if a more regulated system was in place messages such as this could be prevented.

A suggestion for this would be for further actions to be made by the social media sites. The idea to not allow abusive or offensive words to be used on a post on their site would seem like a small step to combat bad behaviour. A big problem with this seems to be that people are unaware of the public stage their social media accounts can be viewed from. However I personally do believe that if you are going to use social networks you should be responsible enough to know the consequences of your actions. More action should be taken by social media sites to warn users of their content and publishing privacy to hopefully educate users to use social media to the best of its ability.

Social media is ever on the rise and being picked up by more and more people each day. When used correctly it can have very positive and profitable results, but used incorrectly it can have quite the opposite. I believe more responsibility should be given to the user to account for their own actions while at the same time not letting the freedom of speech be abused.

Return to the blog

I have been somewhat AWOL from this for quite some time but that is to change! Since my last blog I’ve graduated from university and living back at home in Enniskillen.

I’ll just make this a quick post and get something new up soon! But to leave as a note I want to share an ad I like at the minute from the Co-Op. This quirky ad has a different edge where it uses a traditionally Christmas song but in the context of the summer holidays.
This ad has received both negative and positive feedback but anybody talking about the ad whether it is positive or negative is a plus for the Co-Op as it is successfully drawing attention to the brand. Personally I like the edginess and bravery of their choice and think it works to catch attention to their ad but one Christmas song in summer is enough until the holiday season begins again.

One man and his guitar

My music library has been in need of a vital update for a few months now and the inspiration to envigorate my library came through discovering a BBC Radio 1: Live Lounge cover by the one and only Newton Faulkner.

I first seen Newton Faulkner preforming at one of Ireland’s largest festivals Oxegen many years back. I was never a huge fan of Newton, just hearing his music on the radio but seeing the man play live was instantly captivating and I’ve been hooked since.  A one man and his guitar kind of artist that I have no doubt has influenced the likes of Ed Sheeran and many other artists.

Both Newton Faulkner and Edsheeran have been two of the best live gigs I have ever seen. They both take completel contrl of the stage and audience keeping you mesmorised for the entire time they own the stage.

So from this I want to share the link that inspired this blog, which shows Newton Faulkner covering Maroon 5‘s newest single Payphone.

Listen. Watch. Enjoy.

 

Cute overload..

Take a look at this article, I guarantee smiles.

HERE

 

Sharing the secret of Postsecret

It’s been a while since my last blog as this blog was initially set up as part of my university degree so once I was no longer required to update it regularly I stopped. I have been meaning to get back into it but deciding on an overall theme to my blog seemed impossible so I’ve decided to just post things I find interesting and noteworthy and express my views and opinions, that is what blogs are for after all.

So I am in my final term and final year of my degree and things are starting to become very real. As all students do I sometimes procrastinate but I’m hoping that if I use this as procrastination it might be slightly more mentally stimulating than other things.

So in this blog I want to share a unique website that I stumbled across not long ago, PostSecret. This is quirky website where it takes the idea that people write down their deepest secrets on a postcard and send them to this site, hence the name postsecret. It is completely anonymous and acts as a public platform for people to express their feelings and is updated with new secrets every Sunday. Some of the secrets shown on the site are very emotional and also saddening but others are fun and inspiring. The site is almost used as a counselling and support network for the members posting secrets.

There is a strong online community using postsecret. The strength of the community is seen all the time through messages of support and encouragement and sometimes in physical forms. Here is one heartwarming story on the site this week.

“—–Email—–
Dear Frank,
Last week I posted a secret on the PostSecret App about how hurt my daughter was going to be on Christmas morning when she realized that she didn’t get the one thing she wanted. Her ballerina jewelry box had been delivered to the wrong address and the people who received it kept it for themselves.

Someone named Hayley in Pennsylvania read my secret and searched for me via her own secret because she had lost track of my post. Other people read her post and worked hard to make sure that I got Hayley’s message. Hayley found me and we talked early Friday morning. I gave her my address and she purchased a ballerina jewelry box for my daughter. I was shocked when it was delivered the very next day. It was on time for Christmas and my daughter absolutely loved it.

She’s four and when she saw that the box played music and that the ballerina spun around she almost started crying because she was so happy. It’s all because of you Frank. You and your wonderful work that you do bringing strangers together. Without the PostSecret App, my daughter would have missed out on something that has meant the world to her and me. I can’t thank you and Hayley enough. Please, always remember what was good about the App and not just the bad.

Sincerely,
Susie in California (with permission) “

This post shows the greatness of some people online. The above does mention an unfortunate side of the postsecret site that has recently come to the foreground. The site also had a very popular live app where people could upload their secrets and post comments however some people took advantage of this and uploaded crude images and left malicious and threatening comments to other users. Now the app has unfortunately been removed due to a small minority of people abusing this site.

I personally really enjoy the site and find myself checking in for new secrets every Sunday. I hope it continues to stay successful. Try the site out for yourself and see what you make of it, it isn’t for everyone. If you do enjoy it and want to see more than the posts uploaded every sunday you can visit this archived site I also found which has previous posts all stored.

Enjoy.

Comparative analysis of the BBC and CNN websites

Online journalism is continuously growing in popularity. BBC.co.uk and CNN.com are two of the top news journalism websites that provide up to date news, sport and entertainment articles online. BBC and CNN are both big names in the news industry. The usability and design of each website will be compared and discussed.

 

The popularity of a website depends on its search engine optimization (SEO). Fleischner (2009) describes SEO as “a road map” saying that to have a successful website you need an easy to read road map. By this he means that the website must be searched and visited by many to reach the high ranks of Google and yahoo search engines. A high SEO can also be obtained by buying rank off the search engine providers. When you search “news” on google.co.uk the first result is the BBC website and the CNN website is the tenth result. This means that BBC.co.uk has a better SEO than CNN but this may be because the search engine is .co.uk instead of .com and the CNN website is considered an international website. Although it may be seen as a disadvantage to the CNN website, the BBC website still maintains a better SEO for its users.

 

Jakob Neilson image from google

Jakob Neilson said in an interview to CNN “Get to the point — that’s the number one guideline for Web design.”(2004) A website with good usability must be easy to utilize without having to go through several pages and hyperlinks to get to what you are looking for. Both the BBC and CNN websites are quite successful in their usability. The BBC website has its menu bar at the very top but it is quite small and does not stand out as much as it should. The CNN website has a slightly better menu bar as it is quite a clear menu bar at the top of its page with different continents and categories to get easy access to news. The header of the BBC website has three main stories from three different categories in a slideshow like set up. This is a good feature that the CNN website lacks as it gives you a quick look at some of their top stories to grab the users’ attention and possibly make them click and view that article. It also provides motion to the site which livens it up and makes it look more interesting. Another advantage that the BBC website has against the CNN website is that all the websites content is its own which makes it easier to use. As BBC uses the license fee to avoid advertising it frees up their website so it contains only their content however with the CNN website they have quite big and distracting advertisements in several places around their site. Having top stories and the editors choice on the main homepage is a good feature for the CNN website as this will generate views towards those other pages and also show what other people are interested in looking at. A main advantage the CNN website has over the BBC website regarding usability is the language feature it has at the bottom of its page. You can view the CNN website in seven different languages which is very helpful for non English speakers.

 

Having high speed audio and video settings will increase the usability of any website because if the users have to wait too long for a video or audio clip to load they may lose patience and try another site. Both the BBC and CNN websites contain both audio and video clips. They have a high upload speed which makes them easy to watch and listen to. The video and sound quality is also good. For online news journalism websites they have to take normal news reporting to the next level and they can do this by providing relevant video clips and podcasts from the related articles.

 

Online content today is greatly generated through social networking sites and sites that allow for interactivity between users and contributors. Sethi (2010) talks about the advantages and disadvantages of using social networks to boost online communities, she says that interactivity “Involves connecting and sharing information with other like minded people via the web.” The CNN website does this immediately on its homepage with a feature to add your Facebook page so you can share news stories with your friends and see what they are reading also. This also will help their SEO as people may click the link someone has on their Facebook to check out the site therefore generating it more traffic. There is also an interactive poll to involve the reader and users are given the opportunity to send in images they capture to be featured on the site. These are all great features that will keep the user interested in the CNN site as it makes them feel involved if they contribute to the polls or images that are featured on the site. The BBC website has a different kind of of interactivity on their site. They allow for the user to move the 12 different widgets around the page and place them in the order they would like them to be. On the BBC website you can also listen to their radio podcasts or view news videos or shows from their iplayer. Having these features allows for the users to connect with the site on a further level. Both websites allow for their users to share their content on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter this is of an advantage to both the user and the website themselves. It helps generate traffic to the website but also allows the user to share something they find interesting with their friends and followers. Both the BBC website and the CNN website have very useful interactive features for their users which only boost the usability of their sites.

 

User generated content is important for a successful website just as interactivity is. How much the user is allowed to connect with the website will determine whether there will be a relationship formed with the website. On the CNN website users are encouraged to leave comments on articles and communicate with other people that may have similar or opposing views. They also give the opportunity to like other people’s comments. This is a very effective way of involving users of their site. The BBC website does not allow for comments to be posted on their site which may prohibit people from connecting further with the articles and maybe try a different site.

 

The CNN and BBC website are both very effective websites. The BBC website has a better SEO than the CNN website and the CNN website has more user generated content than the BBC website. Apart from those two categories both the sites are pretty similar in their interactivity and usability. If one had to be chosen it would be the CNN website as it has more interactive features and user generated content which helps the user to connect more with the site.

Video killed the radio star, but is video killing the music?

The music industry changes almost as quick as it comes around, with new genres and styles coming into the spotlight all the time. The vinyl changed to tape, then to cd and now to online download. Since the music video was introduced it appears to have only grown in popularity.

There is much speculation of what was the first music video, but research showed two main videos coming up repeatedly. The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever is claimed to be the first.

Ironically The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star is also speculated to be the first ever official music video as it was the first video to be played on MTV.

From here the music video only gained fame. Artists from all over the world began making music videos to accompany their records.  A new art form was created and many spent thousands on producing their videos. The most expensive music video ever produced was Michael Jackson‘s “Scream” video which cost $7 million to create.

Music videos play a huge part in the music industry today. It has become second nature that almost every single that is released has an accompanying music video, with the video usually being released in advance to the actual record. Many videos have elaborate storylines and plots which are dramatised in many ways in different videos.

Lady Gaga is no stranger to a dramatised and controversial music video. The videos behind each of her singles have become more and more extrovert. In 2010 she released her video for the single “Telephone” which featured Beyoncé. The video, which is shown below, has generated over 100 million views on youtube which further proves the success of the music video in todays industry.

But are we becoming too interested in the music video and forgetting about the record that is the inspiration for the video?

To gain success in such a competitive industry artists need to pull out all the stops to remain relevant and interesting and the music video is a way in which this can be done. An artists style and messages can be expressed through their videos showing what they stand for and the passion in their music.

So for now, the music video is here to stay.

Feature: Bournemouth University make history with womens rugby team

Nerves were high and adrenaline was overpowering thoughts.  It was at this moment that everyone was crowded together on the fresh grass, holding on tightly to each other, in preparation for a final pep talk, waiting for history to be made.

Standing in the middle of a marked green field there were 15 anxious but excited ladies in navy kit.  All preparation had been done, and all girls were now fully focused and anticipating the first contact and their first rush of the game.   It was now time to attentively wait for the referee’s whistle to blow, and signal the start of the first 90 minutes of women’s rugby played by representatives of Bournemouth University.  On Wednesday 3rd November 2010 these 15 ladies made history in Plymouth as Bournemouth University’s first ever women’s rugby team.

Breaking the barriers in a predominately male sport is never easy, but Bournemouth University was ready to give it a try.  This year an all female rugby union team has been officially developed for all female students that attend Bournemouth University and it’s affiliated colleges.

The hard work was not just for those 90 minutes on the pitch.  Twice a week, and on some numbingly cold evenings, the dedicated Bournemouth University women’s rugby team braved the elements to attend their essential training sessions.  The sun regularly set with the only form of light coming from generator powered flood lights which illuminated the training grounds at Meyrick Park.  The team players always arrived in numbers, wrapped up in several layers, ready to take on whatever the weather might throw at them.  They were prepared and more that willing to learn the skills and become knowledgeable about the sport of rugby.  After a quick briefing about the aims of Bournemouth University Ladies Rugby, the session the training began.

Creating a women’s team was a daunting task for coach Libby Peak.  How would you encourage young ladies to play a sport that is mainly seen to be played by strong burly men that can result in several nasty cuts and bruises?  She explains ‘I tend to try to start with non contact games such as tag,  that this helps to get the girls interested and then you can slowly introduce contact.’  Libby added ‘for any gender, you have to make training fun and entertaining. Girls tend to enjoy the social side of training a lot more than boys so a more relaxed atmosphere works well too’.

Good publicity about the new team meant that there were ample eager young ladies, turning up to training, willing to give it a shot.  That was the hardest part done.  The next step was to slowly ease the players into the format of rugby, taking the training at the pace they were comfortable with.  This had a very positive effect on the team as they progressed greatly through each session, rapidly learning more and more about the sport they would come to be passionate about.  As the pioneer team consisted mainly of eager newcomers the sessions began with basic, but essential skills.  It was not long before all the girls, many of whom had never picked up a rugby ball before, were showing great potential, picking up skills and taking to rugby like ducks to water.

Following such great progression, by all players, the team moved on to rugby’s trademark skill, ‘the tackle’, and that’s where the fun began.  The girls are told in their pre-match huddle to “think about your first hit”.  From there it is in their mind; they see their opponent; the adrenaline is pumping through their bodies; they gear themselves up in full confidence that they will make that tackle count.  A physical sport like rugby is loved because of the intensity and adrenaline involved in the game. The tackle is something, that when perfected, weakens your opposition, it lets you control, allowing you to play the rugby you want. With confidence Libby told how she was really impressed with the teams’ progression over the first term, “They have come on leaps and bounds since the beginning and really got stuck in.  Hopefully we can start more technical training now that the basic skill level has reached a very  high standard.”

Most of the team had similar motivations and influences to come play rugby.  Newcomer to rugby, Ruth Daniel, had a few reasons why she got into rugby, “I joined because I love rugby and my dad plays, so that has a slight influence.  I love the atmosphere on and off the pitch and being in the team makes me feel like I’m doing something original.  I’ve made friends on the team and discovered not only do we have a common interest but we seem to have similar personalities.”

Other members like Vicki Hibberd and Ruth Lilley also enjoy the social side of being part of a closely knit team.  Ruth says she joined originally to keep her friend company at training but then stayed because it’s very social, keeps her fit and gets her into playing sports again. Vicki had played before she joined Bournemouth University, “I joined because I missed the team feeling and all the good friends that I had made and to get some aggression out!”  She said the fitness side is also a main reason why she, and many of the other ladies, joined the University rugby team.  Sophie Lord agreed, “I love rugby and needed to get fit. I’m enjoying it because I’ve actually had the chance to be on the pitch and play.”

It’s not just all work and no play for the squad, come April the team will be trading Bournemouth’s green pitches for the soft sands of Salou.  The boots will be left behind in England and flip-flops worn in Spain as the team plans to try their hand at beach rugby against the other British Universities who will join them in Salou.  The girls are hoping to pick up a win in the competition and not just a tan.

The future looks bright for Bournemouth University Women’s rugby team.  Starting from nothing in September, there is now a strong team of girls who are becoming more and more accustomed to the rugby way of life.  Coach Libby is very excited about the future of the team and she said ‘the University team has a lot of players with lots of potential”. Libby has set out some very clear goals and proclaimed with great confidence, “I hope to get the girls integrated with the local women’s team in Bournemouth and increase Bournemouth University Women’s rugby squad size to 22 by the end of the academic year.  I think next year we can really compete for league champions”.

The hardest term is now over and there is much to look forward to for the rest of the season.  The ladies made history on Wednesday 3rd November 2010 and they will make sure that the women’s rugby team of Bournemouth University is here to stay.

Willow Smith heating up the music industry

People of all ages have had success in the music industry from 48-year-old Susan Boyle to 16-year-old Justin Bieber. It can’t be denied that the music industry has an opening for everyone, even those 10 and under.

Above is the music video of 10-year-old Willow Smith. Willow is the daughter of famous “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” actor Will Smith. She has previously acted alongside her father in the 2007 film “I am Legend” before entering the illustrious music industry. Willows debut single “Whip my hair”, shown above, reached no.11 in the american Billboard charts making her the youngest solo artist in history to reach that spot. This is an incredible achievement for someone who has only just reached double digits in years.

It seems as though Willow Smith has broken the ice for child stars with musical talent.

This is MattyB possibly the newest child star trying to break the music industry and he seems to be making quite an impression. MattyB is a seven year old rapper from america who covers songs from artists like Katy Perry and Justin Bieber putting his own seven year old twist on them saying he “sits and analysis’ the world from his swing set”. His youtube account has received over 25 million views and he seems to be set for stardom in the music industry with people such as celebrity blogger Perez Hilton supporting him.

Will 2011 be the year that child stars take over the music industry?