If Nicole Kidman has named her child ‘Sunday Rose’ then a trend of weird names for children is about to hit the fan. So I figured why not put it to my panel of readers to assist celebrities and politicians from around the world with suggestions for interesting names that they can call their offspring. […]
2008
Can search emulate the web browser?
Firefox, as of its recent third incarnation, must be one of the most successful software projects to date. It’s common knowledge that it’s challenging Internet Explorer for supremacy as its user base grows with every release and every year. There are three things, in my mind, that set it apart from most other software projects […]
Press freedom and philanthropy
Philanthropy has spearheaded major movements globally including the women’s movement, the environmental movement, the hospice movement and now the fight against Aids. In the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, it was not government or business that acted fast, it was the non-profit sector. This sector is supported by philanthropy and we underestimate the role […]
Springboks: Fear factor
Imagine for a moment you were Peter de Villiers for an hour. Alone. Abandoned. Attacked by your own. 24/7. It seems to me that we are spectators to some grotesque Cape Hunt and Polo Club chase of the fox through the Tokai forest, with the cacophony of baying basset hounds, the tooting of horns and […]
Ten reasons developers should embrace search marketers
The battle between Development agencies and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) agencies is almost as widely discussed as the Search Wars (battles between MSN, Google and Yahoo for web dominance). In South Africa, as the importance of search engine marketing is becoming more apparent, and more so, to see the results that could be achieved from […]
Boks need to spark
I was surprised, I have to say, at the Boks’ performance on Saturday, and if I am being really honest, disappointed, as I was hoping for a full on battle of a test match. England had not managed to pressure the All Blacks for any great length of time, hence I am not sure just […]
Interviewed by Ning: My thoughts on niche social networking …
I had an interesting opportunity recently to air my thoughts on niche social networking. Specifically, the shallow nature of “social networks” in general — and why business in this country is still hesitant and still searching for real value from the Facebooks of the world. The interview came about as a result of our pioneering […]
Mbeki from Kigali to Harare
If you’re like me, then much of your school life was spent in front of the principal explaining why you did the wrong thing even though you knew better. Of course, in those days we were in for a good hiding, while today’s little shnookums are untouchable. Shame. Anyhow it got me thinking about two […]
Tripped by the first hurdle
Can we all just take a moment to breathe and inject some perspective into our thinking? Now. So Saturday did not go according to plan. Is it time for panic stations? Not on yer nelly. It says a lot for our national mentality that when our players are entrusted with the freedom to make their […]
Viagra to harden the Springboks?
I very seldom laugh like a dog while I’m driving, but a headline in the Citizen about Viagra enhancing sports performances nearly caused a crash. Can you imagine the Test in Wellington on Saturday if the Bokke were on “the pill”? Just for starters, the haka would have been of grave concern to the All […]
I am a counter-revolutionary too, Mr Mantashe
Dear Gwede You seem to have a habit of attacking anything that poses a threat to your lord-and-master’s accession to power. First it was the Scorpions; now the judiciary. Of course I can’t really blame you — a lot is riding on the gravy train that departed from Polokwane last December, and I dare say […]
To BEE or not to BEE?
The brouhaha surrounding the Pretoria High Court’s ruling to reclassify South African-born Chinese (pre-1994) as coloured is turning into a “broken telephone” message — ironically, also known as a “Chinese whisper”. When viewed from outside the country, the issue would seem quite farcical, if only it were not so tragic. The nitpicking and mud-slinging that […]