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Richard Cudlip (V23) has
been on DaC since 2006, is a self-confessed general computer
geek with his own blog and who in a previous life worked for
several IT companies. "Because of that," Richard told Call Sign, "I have been using Twitter for a while and been talking to other drivers - both DaC and non-DaC - about how it could be a useful tool for cab drivers." For those unable to raise a Twitter, Richard went on to explain to this mag what it was all about, because most of the publicity from celeb Twitterers such as Stephen Fry and DaC client Jonathan Ross using accessories such as Twitterrific while conversing on what time the pooch needs his next walk, mean little to us seemingly dull folk at Call Sign! Richard went on to explain: "It’s a free web-based service that allows you to stay in contact with a group of people via short text messages. You can send and receive messages via the web or text message. Most modern mobile phones can be used to access the service. It's like messages sent via our DaC terminals, but potentially open to a much wider audience." Now in full flow, Richard continued: "I agree with a few of the drivers I’ve been talking to who think that it could be a really useful tool for cab drivers and the likes of DaC. The implications of this kind of technology on DaC could be huge. I can easily see how it could let groups of cab drivers get organised and, in the not too distant future, even be used to try and get work. Technology is moving apace and things like Twitter, whilst possibly just being the current buzz thing, are going to change even old fashioned trades like ours." Call Sign asked Richard about the danger of taxi drivers sending messages while driving and what the difference between Twitter and just sending someone a text message was? "If your phone is in a proper holder," said Richard, "it shouldn't really be a problem to have a look once in a while when you are stationary - not much different to the DaC terminal. Maybe it's something for the IT men to have a think about? As for Twitter itself, the difference is really how easy it is to get and receive messages whilst you're mobile, plus the fact that it allows you to connect to as wide an audience as you want. You can send / receive messages from most decent mobile phones so that up-to-date and useful info can be accessed while you are working. It's nothing that our message facility doesn't already offer DaC drivers, except that what gets sent and viewed is |
To Twitter or not to Twitter… Apologies to William Shakespeare, but in 2009 - THAT is the question! |
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never will. I used Facebook for
a while but have since closed my account, as I don't like their
ethics. Personally, I think all this ‘social networking’ is
highly overrated and only became popular when the proletariat
got computers at home and many of those people used social
networking to justify their own existence by collecting
‘friends’. "Ok, I’m joking about the proletariat, but back when computing was a black art that was only accessible to the elite few who actually understood the science of computing, we used to rely on two main forms of electronic communication - email and usenet (newsgroups). I think both of these are still more than adequate (albeit antiquated by today's standards) and are the best forms of communication for grown adults. Leave the likes of MySpace, Facebook and Twitter for children, the uneducated and socially lacking celebrities amongst us! Not usually a luddite, considering my job and my passion - but: 1. Why reinvent the wheel when the current wheels are superior? 2. Why must we insist on telling everybody else what we are doing every minute of the day, irrespective of how mundane and pointless it is? Richard Cudlip’s blog can be found at www.thecabbiescapital.co.uk and an article by him can be found in Time Out (31 March)… |
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controlled by the user. Also, it could
connect drivers even if they are on other circuits or not on
radio at all." Richard ended by adding: "I have already had people that "follow" me (ie read my Twitter blog updates) asking if I could pick them up from somewhere when they know I’m working. I haven’t acted on any of these yet as I've never been in the right place at the right time. But I can easily see how even a small network of drivers could start using Twitter to try and get work. I think the potential is huge, but then I'm a great advocate of technology and the web. Whether the average driver would get involved in this sort of thing is another matter, but I think the likes of Dial-a-Cab shouldn’t ignore it. There’s much publicity surrounding Twitter currently thanks to people like Stephen Fry, so even as some sort of publicity stunt, it might be worth DaC trying to get in on the act!" So we asked DaC’s Network Administrator, Jonathen Winterburn, to give his view on this social networking phenomenon. He told Call Sign: "I've never used Twitter and |
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Handel Reveal’d: The story of George Frideric Handel |
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Marking the 250th anniversary
of the death of the great composer, George Frideric Handel, a
new exhibition will explore his life and character. It opens in
April 2009 at Handel House Museum, the Georgian building
at 25 Brook Street, which was his home for thirty-six
years. Handel Reveal’d will investigate many aspects of Handel’s life, drawing on objects from the Museum’s own collection, significant loans from national museums and private collections. The exhibition will run from 8 April - 25 October 2009 and will be one of many events, performances and broadcasts arranged to mark the anniversary. It was at Brook Street where Handel composed some of his most celebrated pieces, including his most famous work, Messiah. A visit to the exhibition will also take in Handel’s bedroom, in which he died early on the morning of 14 April 1759, having announced the previous evening he would no longer be receiving guests at the house as he had ‘done with the world'. Among the exhibits will be a rarely seen life mask of Handel by Roubiliac, loaned from a private collection. A key object will be the score for the final piece of music written by Handel, Jephtha and written in Handel’s own hand. Visitor information |
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