Mike Butcher

Live blogging notes from Essential Web 2007.

Startup showcase notes:

Parkatmyhouse.com

Parkatmyhouse.com has 1000 uniques per day and has a had a lot of press coverage. Partnered with Zipcar and which is helping them to move to the US market. The founder claims to have had a sudden amount of adoption by users in London. The future is increasing the user base and syndicating content around restaurant web sites. Also extending the brand into: Liveatmyhouse, Sleepatmyhouse, Holidayatmyhouse.com and is looking to raise investment.

Seedcamp.com launches

New initiative for starups launches. Here’ the blurb form their site:

“Seedcamp is where Europe’s top young founders can come together in one place. From securing funding to developing the right network, young entrepreneurs in Europe face challenges in building globally competitive technology businesses. Through the provision of seed capital and a world class connection of mentors, we are providing a catalyst for Europe’s next entrepreneur generation. We welcome Europe’s brightest and most ambitious young entrepreneurs to take part in Seedcamp.”

More to follow…

Jon Snow, presenter, Channel 4 News spoke at The Media Guardian's Changing Media Summit.

He had a lot to say:

He doesn't see any problem with new media I just see and "erosion of crap." In the end the webmaster is a key figure of any organisation. Utter gold dust can come flying your way.

"Old media used to be so one-way and irresponsible. Now we have a way of introducing material that we would never have had before,."

He mentioned an SAS men who could be brought into a show because they'd emailed in, whereas before it would have taken "endless lunches."

3G mobile phones with video are great.

Doctor Ali Fadil – a GP in Faluja who gave Chanel 4 news video into the barbarity of US troops.

Snow gets 20 direct communications a day at least. He has no worries other than time management.

We're into a new world and the only issue is how we manage it.

I can't see the secret society surviving. We're entering an unprecedented period of anarchy and it's fantastic.

The media's problem is merely to know how to use this stuff.

Transparency is an issue. There should no longer be a one-way street in media activity.

Blogging, vlogging etc is often considered an extension of the day-job in media firms, but there is a danger of "stopping being a journalist and just becoming a transmitter."

You can't con all of the people all of the time, otherwise we wouldn't be here.

Libel is a strong consideration. The lawyer has grown in stature beyond recognition. And is now a massive presence in our newsroom. Libel is a huge aspect and we have an repressive system. All the web has down is power the existing system.

Snowmail has to go through lawyer now.

There was a weekend when Amazon outed book reviewers by mistake and the same applies to Comment is Free – they know who comments.