Blog > January 2006 Blog archive

Blue Planet web site live!

31 January 2006

Great news. Our site for the incredible Blue Planet Aquarium is now live. We've been developing this one for a while so it is great to see it out there.

If you happen to live anywhere near Liverpool I recommend Blue Planet, great for anyone (like myself) with young kids.

Posted by Nick Warren at 10:22 AM 0 comments

Nick out of the office, Chris and Mike here to help.

I am off to Bristol today in advance of the USBAH eConference tomorrow. If you need to speak to me urgently my mobile is 07976 836506, but Mike and Chris are in the office as normal.

Posted by Nick Warren at 8:44 AM 0 comments

Semantic at the Races

27 January 2006

I haven't forgotten about Part Two of 'Is Advertising Dead?', it will probably land in the second half of next week.
In the meantime I am happy to announce that Sponsorship is very much alive.

A week today Semantic is sponsoring ones of the virtual races at the of Braishfield School Race Night, a fun and fund-raising event held by the excellent of Braishfield School Association. I have never attended this sort of race meet, but as a sponsor we get to name some of the horses, which is kind of fun. Here they are:

- Interactive Rabbit
- Gaussian Blur
- Prime Portfolio
- Max Loaf
- Twisted
- Simplicity
- White Pelican
- Deep Design

Aside from the fun we'll have next Friday, I'm proud that Semantic can make donations like this. Coincidentally today we will also be donating some old (but perfectly good) monitors to another local school.

In the meantime if you live in the Romsey/Southampton/Winchester area and fancy a different night out next Friday (3rd Feb) e-mail me, and I'll send you some details.

Posted by Nick Warren at 8:32 AM 0 comments

Semantic recruitment drive over!

25 January 2006

It's great when things work out.

This morning Mike and I met Chris Moses, whose many skills, interests and achievements I would not have time to do justice to here. Suffice to say that we are officially impressed.

Even more so because this afternoon Chris has accepted our invitation to join the Semantic team. He starts on Monday.

Posted by Nick Warren at 2:22 PM 1 comments

In London

24 January 2006

I am in London all day today, meeting old friends and clients. Mike is manning the office if you need anything.

Posted by Nick Warren at 8:45 AM 0 comments

Is advertising dead? Part One.

22 January 2006

Well no, but a large part of what we traditionally know as advertising may be heading towards life support.

At Semantic we are proud of the fact that we've never advertised in eight and a half years... not once. The closest I ever got was sitting in a room with a yellow pages rep trying to design an ad for Twisted, the freelance precursor to Semantic. In the end I never placed the ad, it seemed obvious even then that the Yellow Pages was not going to be a good idea for a business like ours. Rightly (as it turned out) I felt we should be positioned above that kind of advertising.

Since then, by a combination of good fortune and quality of service, we have avoided the need to advertise. Our clients have come to us... first as a dribble, then a flow, and latterly as something of a flood. All without advertising... unless you count the numerous examples of our work that are out there.

In that sense 'advertisements' for our work are all over the web. We've certainly benefited from the fact that we have high-profile clients in many areas... and the subsequent referrals that have come thorough both the sites and the clients themselves. But we would never, for example, take on a client because their site might become a Semantic ad. It's not our way... too knowing.

And that's the problem I have with most ads... pitching for business just isn't Semantic's style. We want our clients to arrive already wanting to work with us. It's like asking someone out (yes I still remember those days)... it is easier to do if you already know she wants you to.

The other thing about advertising (the big thing) is that it doesn't work... at least not for us. At Semantic we are pretty picky about the kind of projects we want to do, and the clients we like to work with. Advertising would do a poor job of sorting out our slightly eccentric criteria. We are after:

- friendly clients
- with interesting projects
- and a proper respect for the quality of service we offer
- and realistic budgets to pay for it
- and the prospect of long-term business relationships

Now you can try writing an ad that captures those things (good luck), but where would you place it?

Exactly... I've never been able to think of a way that Semantic could advertise sensibly... until now. And next time I'll tell you why I am changing my mind.

Posted by Nick Warren at 10:29 PM 0 comments

When the mind kicks in...

18 January 2006

A couple of days ago I mentioned that I am speaking at a Client conference in a couple of weeks time. Up until I got the phone call on Monday I had not thought a lot about it... as I've mentioned my Semantic horizon has been pretty short-range over the last couple of weeks... not exactly fire-fighting but certainly nothing you could call planning.

But the call rocked me a little. I am unprepared.

I am not a great public speaker by any standard, but I have been pretty successful in the past... usually as a combination of passion & preparation. I am pretty good at the former but lousy at the latter.

Given out commitments between then and now I honestly don't have much time for preparation... but fortunately my mind has started coming to the rescue. Since Monday's 'wake-up' call ideas for the presentation have been dropping fully-formed into my head. Without any real effort I now have the shape of my talk mapped, a couple of good gags, and the close. Of course to make it really good I will still need to work as hard as possible getting it just right... but at this stage it is great to think that the hard part of any presentation... the story... is done.

Thanks to whichever part of my sub-conscious is doing the work at the moment... keep at it. I'd hate to have to rely on my brain at this stage.

Posted by Nick Warren at 6:12 AM 0 comments

Mike back at Semantic

Mike is back from paternity leave - hurray! After a couple of really mad weeks at Semantic it is good to know we are back to full strength. We have a very busy 3-4 months ahead. Looks like it is going to be quite a fun ride.

Posted by Nick Warren at 5:18 AM 0 comments

Up to the Minute

16 January 2006

In a couple of weeks time I am talking to about 80 representatives of one of our clients, specifically about the planned development that will affect them over the next six months or so.

One of our clients on that account, a friend of mine, rang up today to check out some details of what I'd be presenting. The thing is I have no idea. I probably won't have any real idea until a couple of days before, when the fear of standing up in front of 80 people pushes preparation to the top of my to-do list.

It's a good thing we believe in spontaneity...

Posted by Nick Warren at 6:13 PM 0 comments

Semantic Office closed: Use mobile for emergencies!

10 January 2006

The Semantic Office will be closed on Wednesday 11th January. Mike is still on paternity leave and I'll be in Edinburgh for the day.

I'll do my best to check email if there is a) time and, b) a handy wireless hotspot. Alternatively you call call my mobile on 07976 836506. Back on Thursday, bright-eyed and bushy tailed :-)

Posted by Nick Warren at 3:50 PM 0 comments

Whirlwind

It's 3.40 on Tuesday and I am in the eye of the hurricane. I have worked on 12 different projects today... juggling I believe they call it.

Actually reading that back it looks like I'm complaining... but I'm not. I am saying that it is incredible what you can do when you are really focused on knocking things off the list. In the past I worked with one of those guys who went on and on about how much work he had to do... and I promised myself I would never become him :-)

I like it busy.

Posted by Nick Warren at 3:45 PM 0 comments

Stealth site goes live...

09 January 2006

The micro-site for Stealth, Thorpe's amazing new coaster is now live at: stealth.thorpepark.com.

Posted by Nick Warren at 1:00 PM 0 comments

2006 Web Site Live!

06 January 2006

It's a small thing, but the new site is now live at www.semantic.co.uk.
We've started modestly, as you may no doubt think when you see the site... but it is nice to finally have a site that is fresh, clean and modern.

Posted by Nick Warren at 3:35 PM 0 comments

Server crash... but we're still here!

Our Windows Server turned into the world's heaviest paperweight this morning... I decamped to home as net access was curtailed. Back now though... and determined to get the new Semantic site out the door in time for the weekend :-)

Posted by Nick Warren at 2:18 PM 0 comments

New Semantic site incoming...

05 January 2006

Work on the new Semantic site is going well. If I'd only stop having ideas I'd be done already.

Still I think we'll comfortably have something live by Monday, and I can easily knock out any areas I'm not happy with. It's been a mad couple of days, working on it between the more pressing needs of our clients. We've had a steady trickle of emergencies... I've even done some Flash work.

Also had the great news that one of our four sleeping sites will be going live next week. Three to go...

Posted by Nick Warren at 9:34 AM 0 comments

As yet unseen...

04 January 2006

While rebuilding the Semantic site I have noticed how little news we posted over the last quarter of 2005... this seems strange given how much work we did.

As it turned out a lot of it was confidential technical stuff, but it has also occurred to me that we have completed at least four sites that are waiting to go live. Watch this space... Semantic web sites are like buses.

Posted by Nick Warren at 11:38 AM 0 comments

9.06am

03 January 2006

Thought I'd try to sneak in under the radar this morning, rather than announcing loudly that we are back... the first call came at six minutes past nine... and I currently have 17 things on my to do list...

But it is still good to be back :-)

Posted by Nick Warren at 1:39 PM 0 comments

And we're back...

Okay, so the last two weeks have belted by. Semantic is now officially back for the New Year... and it's proving to be an exciting one for us... two days in and Mike's become a father AND we've committed to updating the Semantic.co.uk site. I wonder what will happen today.

Now that we are back officially we wish all of you a HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. Have fun, and let us know if we can help.

Posted by Nick Warren at 6:34 AM 0 comments

Semantic welcomes Matthew Thomas Gillett!

02 January 2006

Fantastic news, Semantic's newest recruit arrived this morning at 12.44am. Matthew Thomas Gillett and his Mum and Dad are all doing fine. Everyone at Semantic (er... that's just me at the moment) wish them all the love and best wishes possible. Obviously Mike will now be on paternity leave, and will return frazzled and haggard in a couple of weeks :-)

Posted by Nick Warren at 5:08 PM 0 comments

Committed...

Sometimes the smallest things build up their own head of steam. On the 30th December I wrote a short piece about how fed up I was with the Semantic site. But rather than exorcise these feelings they have simply festered, and I ended up doing some work on the new site while Jack was ill. Now, despite Mike's absence (for the best of reasons) I have promised an updated site by the end of next weekend.

This blog already has a lot to answer for. Committed... I probably should be.

Posted by Nick Warren at 4:39 PM 0 comments

Semantic's New Year Resolutions

01 January 2006

All being well Semantic will turn 9 years old in June... at least if you count the three years of business we did before becoming a Limited Company.... and like all nine year olds we want:

- more toys
- more pocket money
- more time with friends
- less (home)work

But actually setting goals is a serious business for any, er, business... so here are the things I'd like us to achieve in 2006.

- delighted clients (if this isn't number one then you might as well just pack it in)
- updated Semantic web site (since I wrote about the issues with the current one this has been festering in my soul)
- new recruit (finding the perfect guy to add to the team... quite quickly please)
- 30% growth in revenue and profit (assuming we get the previous goal sorted out, otherwise no thanks)
- sorting out the external development server
- more tech (freeing Semantic from the office)
- an increased focus on consultancy (we've enjoyed stretching these muscles over the past couple of years)

That's it for now, I'll add more if they occur to me.

Posted by Nick Warren at 2:12 PM 0 comments