Comments on: Terror scare shows we still need to learn how people are using the Web http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/ Irish Communications Consultant - Be Noticed Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:57:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: fmk http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/#comment-34464 fmk Tue, 29 Aug 2006 18:26:56 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/#comment-34464 that's not necessarily a pr problem, per se, but actually a techie / it infrastructural one. i've worked on lots of large sites that had no cms backend - every page was hard-coded (i once was put in charge of a site which had in excess of 5,000 hard-coded pages - and you would be surprised at the names of some of the organisations even today operating without a database-driven cms and are still reliant on coders to code up new content manually). this is partiicularly true of corporate brochure-ware websites, which aren't even structured to handle breaking news - in a corporate pr environment. updating such sites is actually quite time consuming. on top of the coding time, you have to add in the buffer time of how long it takes the marketing department to fashion a response, and then clear that response with the legal department, the corporate world is not like a 24hr news channel. if a 24hr news channel is like a sleek racing yacht, able to jink thi way and that at a moment's notice, most of the corporates are like breat big takers - they take an age to turn. that’s not necessarily a pr problem, per se, but actually a techie / it infrastructural one. i’ve worked on lots of large sites that had no cms backend - every page was hard-coded (i once was put in charge of a site which had in excess of 5,000 hard-coded pages - and you would be surprised at the names of some of the organisations even today operating without a database-driven cms and are still reliant on coders to code up new content manually). this is partiicularly true of corporate brochure-ware websites, which aren’t even structured to handle breaking news - in a corporate pr environment. updating such sites is actually quite time consuming. on top of the coding time, you have to add in the buffer time of how long it takes the marketing department to fashion a response, and then clear that response with the legal department, the corporate world is not like a 24hr news channel. if a 24hr news channel is like a sleek racing yacht, able to jink thi way and that at a moment’s notice, most of the corporates are like breat big takers - they take an age to turn.

]]> By: Piaras http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/#comment-34447 Piaras Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:49:14 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/#comment-34447 That's what I'm getting at Fearghal. I just don't think that PR practitioners fully realise that and in general don't give the Internet enough respect in general. The fact that people do turn to it but we don't always have the information there for them is the problem. That’s what I’m getting at Fearghal. I just don’t think that PR practitioners fully realise that and in general don’t give the Internet enough respect in general.

The fact that people do turn to it but we don’t always have the information there for them is the problem.

]]> By: fmk http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/#comment-34434 fmk Tue, 29 Aug 2006 15:15:10 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/#comment-34434 a series of points: 1) people *do* turn to the web for breaking news in times of crises - that is what the mahor news sites spike on days of crises (concorde crash, 9/11, 7/7) and why some of them actually crash (or, in the bbc's case, lock on non-uk users, tmeporarily); 2) the news sites are responding to the way people use them in times of crises. unlike rolling news channels where the same reporter presents the same story live every hour, the web sites are able to put the story up once, let you watch it when you want to watch it, and only need the reporter to re-represent the story when there is a change in the story; 3) you say: "nobody reads the newspaper in moving traffic" - are we talking about motorists or public transport? and what's the point of a newspaper *during* a breaking news story? newspapers are there for post-incident depth and analysis, not breaking news; 4) flipping open your laptop on public transport depends on what the transport medium is. it seems acceptable to do this on the planes and trains, but not the dart, luas or buses. and why use a laptop when you can get the same story on your mobile phone? the benefit of the internet over traditional broadcast media in a crises is that you can get updates when you are aready for updates - and don't have to wait for the rolling news channel to roll the story around one more time. and that is why people *do* turn to it - in massive numbers - in times of crises. a series of points:

1) people *do* turn to the web for breaking news in times of crises - that is what the mahor news sites spike on days of crises (concorde crash, 9/11, 7/7) and why some of them actually crash (or, in the bbc’s case, lock on non-uk users, tmeporarily);

2) the news sites are responding to the way people use them in times of crises. unlike rolling news channels where the same reporter presents the same story live every hour, the web sites are able to put the story up once, let you watch it when you want to watch it, and only need the reporter to re-represent the story when there is a change in the story;

3) you say: “nobody reads the newspaper in moving traffic” - are we talking about motorists or public transport? and what’s the point of a newspaper *during* a breaking news story? newspapers are there for post-incident depth and analysis, not breaking news;

4) flipping open your laptop on public transport depends on what the transport medium is. it seems acceptable to do this on the planes and trains, but not the dart, luas or buses. and why use a laptop when you can get the same story on your mobile phone?

the benefit of the internet over traditional broadcast media in a crises is that you can get updates when you are aready for updates - and don’t have to wait for the rolling news channel to roll the story around one more time. and that is why people *do* turn to it - in massive numbers - in times of crises.

]]> By: Tom http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/#comment-34427 Tom Tue, 29 Aug 2006 13:25:53 +0000 http://www.pkellypr.com/blog/2006/0829/terror-scare-shows-we-still-need-to-learn-how-people-are-using-the-web/#comment-34427 That's a good point, and the use of e-mail and text messages could have alleviated some of the chaos at the airports as people were informed that all flights were cancelled. If only twenty percent of people due to fly got the text and didn't turn up, that's a massive decrease for the authorities to deal with. Dark sites are also a good idea, as online, in the event of a crisis, people are as likely to go directly to the website of the company or organisation involved as they are to go to a news outlet. Dark sites allow a company to provide hysteria free information to customers in a timely fashion and allows it to present unedited information and advice as quickly as possible. Any method of communication that allows a company communicate quickly in a crisis is important, as it ensures that any 'information gap' can be filled by the company, and it means that the companies credibility is boosted as it is seen as being on top of the problem (as much as possible). Relevant information quickly presented also allows the company to steer the covereage and shows an openess that people will find reassuring. That’s a good point, and the use of e-mail and text messages could have alleviated some of the chaos at the airports as people were informed that all flights were cancelled. If only twenty percent of people due to fly got the text and didn’t turn up, that’s a massive decrease for the authorities to deal with.

Dark sites are also a good idea, as online, in the event of a crisis, people are as likely to go directly to the website of the company or organisation involved as they are to go to a news outlet. Dark sites allow a company to provide hysteria free information to customers in a timely fashion and allows it to present unedited information and advice as quickly as possible.

Any method of communication that allows a company communicate quickly in a crisis is important, as it ensures that any ‘information gap’ can be filled by the company, and it means that the companies credibility is boosted as it is seen as being on top of the problem (as much as possible). Relevant information quickly presented also allows the company to steer the covereage and shows an openess that people will find reassuring.

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