DISQUS

Congratulations, Mathew! Looking forward to seeing what "strange and contentious" ways will look like. This can only be good. All the best in your new role.

I am looking forward to reading your blog, Bernard. I've added it to the Canuck PR toolbar (that's how I read Ryan's blog, where I found the link to your blog). I try to include all Canadian PR blogs on that toolbar. You can find more information at http://www.mrh.ca/tech/?cat=17 and, if you are interested, download the toolbar here: http://CanuckPR.communitytoolbars.com

In the City University study that Paul Kedrosky quotes, the Drudge traffic figure is based on only one month of traffic: June 2005. It is impressive but it would be interesting to find out what the percentage is over the course of a year and whether it still holds true in August 2007.

Hi Ryan,

We use Vocus PR software-as-a-service for our media database (and other things). It may be a closed concept but in a limited way it already does what you are asking for.

Database entries can be tagged as a private entry or a system entry. If it is a system entry, then everybody else who uses Vocus can see the entry (after the Vocus research team verifies the info). If it is a private entry, then only the members of your company can see it and it doesn't get shared with the rest of the Vocus world.

We are trying to make as much information as possible a system entry because we believe that it will help everyone if everyone helps to update it. If it is a cell phone number that a reporter doesn't want to share, then we keep it as a private entry.

The golden rolodex is an outdated concept in some ways already. I don't think it is a competitive advantage for us if we have updated contact info and another agency doesn't. It's the relationship (and not being stupid about a pitch) that matters.

What we are using isn't perfect by far, and I have no idea how many other Vocus users are contributing to updating the system info (vs. keeping private records). A free system would probably encourage more people to willingly share.

But I like what we have, and I think it is okay that it isn't free because Vocus has a research team working on updating and verifying information on their end, too.

-- Martin

For owners of the BlackBerry Pearl, bragging has just become more difficult, if not a thing of the past. :-)

I wonder who Apple will partner with in Canada. According to Kris Abel's blog Apple Canada hasn't made a decision yet on when to release it here. With number portability for cell phones supposedly coming to Canada this year, it could be an incentive for people to switch to either Telus, Bell or Rogers if only one of them gets exclusive rights to the iPhone for Canada.

Great post, Ryan! I wanted to comment here but it grew and grew and finally became its own post on my blog: http://www.mrh.ca/tech/?p=64 :-)
-- Martin