By Melissa Gardiner We assume that First World countries introduced social media tools, such as blogging and digital storytelling, to Africa. In his speech “From rock paintings to mental acrobatics”, Ndesanjo Macha kicked off the 2007 Digital Citizen Indaba in Grahamstown on Sunday saying that Africa already had social media before the emergence of the […]
2007
Posted inGeneral
Madeleine McCann mystery: Another theory
Any parent of a young child would have gone cold when the news of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann hit the world’s media in May this year. Since then there has been some criticism of the extent of the media attention. It’s a fair point –given the hundreds of thousands of children who go missing […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Finding myself
Along with about 300 other Capetonians, I have started a process of establishing my heritage. I was one of the people invited by the African Genome Education Institute, in partnership with Ancestry24, to take a test that would determine my family’s geographical origins. The event took the form of a town-hall meeting at Bishops High […]
Posted inLifestyle, Tech
The challenges facing online shopping in South Africa
Online shopping has become a worldwide phenomenon due to the increasing availability of broadband and computer literacy. But is South Africa on par with the rest of the world? Not yet, but we will be if we can overcome a few stumbling blocks. The number-one reason for online shopping in South Africa not being where […]
Posted inLifestyle
Worschach test
Instead of wasting National Braai Day on Wednesday, why not combine it with a psychological evaluation while waiting for the meat to cook? As you may be aware, psychologists employ the “Rorschach inkblot test” to ascertain whether a patient who is otherwise reluctant to open up has some kind of underlying mental disorder. This involves […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Media beware!
It doesn’t look too grand for media freedom in South Africa. I recently surfed the net on the search for some facts on how well we’re doing in growing our child, the new democracy with all its newly won freedoms, into a healthy teenager (now that we’re 13). What I found was a blow: according […]
Posted inLifestyle
What the %^&* ?
Ever not put an emoticon into a quick SMS, Twitter, IM or email? Ever gotten one that confused the punctuation out of you? The first two emoticons were proposed by Dr Fahlman. He suggested using :-) to indicate jokes, and :-( to indicate serious matters. Of course, we didn’t listen, and we use the latter […]
Posted inGeneral
What the %^&* ?
Ever not put an emoticon into a quick SMS, Twitter, IM or email? Ever gotten one that confused the punctuation out of you? The first two emoticons were proposed by Dr Fahlman. He suggested using :-) to indicate jokes, and :-( to indicate serious matters. Of course, we didn’t listen, and we use the latter […]
Posted inMedia
Innovative Book Marketing 101
Today is the day. Almost a year of non-stop obsession over my book, Strange Nervous Laughter, and today (today!) it hits stores. Hits them. Like a tidal wave (or, more likely, like a gentle wave lapping on the shore, seeing as there are usually only a handful or two of copies in each store.) I […]
Posted inSport
Rugby, the toffs’ game
Rugby is a toffs’ game. At least that’s what most Argentinians think. Not that you would be able to tell by the Pumas’ trademark rough, on-the-verge-of-the-rulebook style of play. The working classes play football in this country, even though there are be some footy-playing toffs around. But there are no working-class guys playing rugby — […]
Posted inGeneral
Homophobia: the irrational hatred
Over the past few months I have found myself being pursued by one or two gay guys who, for some obscure reason, can’t figure out that this is not my preference. Like in any other office, I’ve also had to put up with enormous mickey taking, as you do, whenever “romance” is in the air. […]
Posted inGeneral
Get ready to rumble
This is an open letter to Riaan Wolmarans, editor of the M&G Online. Dear Riaan, A street war has been raging in the public domain for a while now. The main protagonists have been the cream of intelligentsia in our land. On one side you have All the President’s Men, led by none other the […]