Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Scientists date too

Okay, I know I'm boring about Nature Publishing Group and its initiatives but, I ask you, how could I not post this link from the Guardian all about our recently launched Nature Network London? The writer of the column has (quite rightly) picked up on the dating (sorry, I mean relationship building) aspects of social networks such as facebook. I'm sure NNL (as it will be known, I'm sure) will be addressing the needs of scientists in this arena shortly - probably via the Holtzbrinck-owned and highly successful Parship (lousy name in English, great service).

While on the subject of social networks and their importance I have been musing on the concept of an anti-social network. I suppose the mafia was an early adopter in the field but you'd think there was a significant opportunity using modern networking technology to create establishment alternatives. Throw off your ASBOs (anti-social behavious orders for those of you not in the UK), meet your peers, build gangs, exchange safe-breaking tips, see ads on the best stolen goods handlers in your local area... The opportunity is huge but I suspect someone is already there, as usual!

Another aspect of techno-networking is tagging, which I don't understand in spite of having just been tagged myself. So far, nothing terrible has happened but I (as usual) fear the worst.

I'm on holiday for a few days, so the blogs might be even worse than usual. Sorry. 

#    |  Comments [9]  | 
7/4/2007 6:00:12 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Enjoy your holiday Richard ; while away please spare a few minutes thought each day for those Fopp employees who have been dropped totally in the shit, unable to meet their mortgage payments, overdrawn at the bank with end of month DD payments and no wages until Ernst & Young kick in the redundancy paperwork.

Perhaps the book distribution trade should take the Fopp affair as a gypsies warning and not be in such a hurry to supply stock to sellers who do not trade profitably. Oh but they were according to the un-named Fopp spokesman last Friday "we are profitable"....er yes, me laddie with a mere £20 million debts.
Clive Keeble
7/4/2007 10:17:00 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Richard - when I first saw your phrase anti-social network it made me think of http://isolatr.com/ - worth a glance.
Dan Penny
7/4/2007 11:00:11 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Re "I'm on holiday for a few days, so the blogs might be even worse than usual."

Your blogs are one of my daily pleasures. I'm amazed that, with so much else on your plate, you manage to blog so regularly and so well...an example other CEOs of giant publishers should follow but probably won't.
Anne Weale
7/4/2007 3:15:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Rudy Kruger wishes you the happiest of holidays. One day we shall meet at the awards ceremonies. Enjoy, my bookish webfriend.
Paul Drewitt
7/5/2007 6:40:33 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Clive, Why do you think publishers area always stupid? Sometimes maybe. We all have credit control departments whose job it is to balance risk versus reward when it comes to dealing with customers. I suspect that Fopp owes a lot more to wholesalers than to publishers. Richard
richard charkin
7/5/2007 7:07:17 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Richard

My main point is simple : if a discount seller is prepared to offer stock at a price which cannot gauarantee their long-term profitability then the booktrade (wholesale, publishers or general distribution) should *not* supply.

It is no use saying that the supplier has no control over the price at which the seller offers goods.

What a great pity, in your response above, you didn't show some sympathy for the Fopp employees who are being put through hell because the Fopp bod managed to rack up £20 million debts yet failed to ensure that their wage-slaves got paid their dues on time.

Credit control fucked up there good and proper : the wage slaves are the biggest losers.
Clive Keeble
7/6/2007 7:21:18 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Of course I feel sorry for anyone losing their job but I think it would be hypocritical for me to single out Fopp employees. I don't know any of them personally. Our relationship with them is so small it could not possibly have been a cause of their demise. Credit control did not screw up - we've very little debt outstanding. Our guys do a terrific job. My job is to do my damnedest to protect the jobs of people who work for Macmillan and I am proud that our worldwide work force has increased - 6378, 7090,8441 - significantly over the last three years through careful investment. Actions speak louder than words.
richard charkin
7/6/2007 8:21:21 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Richard

Don't you ever put down the ceo songsheet and ever start to think and react as a mere pleb.

The Fopp debacle has to be the unacceptable face of capitalism ; (in much the same way as Kwik Save.)

You seem to take all my words as though they are directed at yourself and Macmillan, whereas I am speaking about the trade in general when I state that credit control fucked up, good and proper. The main losers were the shop-floor employees who were left without wages to feed their families and pay their rents and mortgages.

Kwik Save staff have been shafted : another case of the unacceptable case of capitalism. Lest we should all forget they sold HP6 on launch afternoon for only a flim - that's a fiver guv.

Loss leading traders, over-extended and aiming to be the last man standing : only problem is that their staff were left flat on the floor.
Clive Keeble
7/10/2007 5:58:44 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
Dear Clark and readers,

More information about the Spanish Prince of Asturias Awards at http://www.lacoctelera.com/ap/posts/edit/763871. This is our blog (Gineblog: Women's health).

Best regards

F. Pérez