How do online bike shops make any money?

I just bought a few things from Wiggle: a new bike light, the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioche and a reflective rucsac cover.

* The lights were cheaper than buying the separately as they were in a combi pack.
* All three items were listed for lower than the RRP.
* There's an extra 20% off lights in November.
* There's an extra 10% off all orders over £50 in November.
* P&P was free.
* I got a fiver off my order with an e-voucher that they'd sent me because I'd not bought from them for a while.
* Hamsterley Trailblazers get 10% of the order, because I used their affiliates link to go to the shop.

How the hell do Wiggle make any money?

Update: Everything arrived this morning, with a free pack of Haribo jelly sweets. The lights are bloody bright!

New Media in Darlington politics

In the last year or so, and particularly in the run up to the local elections in May, I've been reading/using a variety of local websites, both political and non-political. One of these sites, Councillor Nick Wallis's blog, has been nominated for a New Statesman Award. In the comments of his blog, a small discussion of the way parties locally are using the web started, which I started to add to. The comment got really long, so I turned it a post here instead.

I think what people are looking for from newmeedja is honesty and interaction, which is where I think Nick has things right with his blog. If he keeps on posting as he has been, people will come and read it. Posts like those about the Springfield School site or where he posted pictures of new bike lane features and then responded to questions raised are particularly useful examples. These posts also give a good insight into what Nick's doing as my ward councillor and in his role within transport; which will help people make decisions when it comes to polling day.

I'm not sure that a ward level is the right level for the parties to aim at in Darlington as the number of residents is just too small (especially when you discount the technophobes). A town-wide site, which makes it possible for people to look at specific areas of interest or geography, would be more useful - the Darlington Lib Dems have done this to an extent, but their site lacks the interaction of Nick's blog.

The local Tory site had some interesting features, but was a little haphazard. Most of the updating took place within the Feedback section, but it wasn't possible to reference individual posts when responding and the feedback received was added infrequently, making conversations stilted. The site had some videos added, and a 'blog', but there was no way of commenting upon individual posts.

An interesting local site is HarrowgateHill.co.uk. This is set up as a community site, although it is run by new (and New?) Labour Councillor Mark Burton. The site has a fairly lively forum, and seems to be attracting a different sort of contributor from the more obviously political sites.

The discussion about new media Nick's blog was started by Graham Robb; a name I've seen on the Town Liar forum but who I didn't really know much about. From Graham's posts on Nick's blog, I've discovered he's a bona fide political PR guru, and that he has a My Space account and a slick-sounding Internet TV studio.

I'll be following the local New Media goings on with great interest, and possibly even taking part myself, centering the Bike Darlington blog. I'm interested in seeing how free online tools can be used by campaign groups like ours, making use of free and/or cheap online services and technology. I feel a summer project coming on.

Update: I forgot to mention local Conservative blog Darlington Tory. Newly-elected Lib Dem Councillor Mike Barker has also just started a blog, which I look forward to reading.

This Man can Move Anything

Wally Wallington has demonstrated that he can lift a Stonehenge-sized pillar weighing 22,000 lbs and moved a barn over 300 ft. What makes this so special is that he does it using only himself, gravity, and his incredible ingenuity.

This Man can Move Anything

Probably a mistake

Posting this is probably a mistake, but it is genius.

Line Rider

I may never work again...

Darlington Bike Commute Video

Darlington Bike Commute Video

I videoed my ride to work this morning. The quality's appaling, but if David "Dave" Cameron's videoblogging, I should too!

The Hamster's Dragster Crash Video

The Hamster's Dragster Crash Video.

newtorylabour

New Tory Labour : Climate Change

As made by Tim at Bloggerheads.com

The Internet is a Series of Tubes

Just testing putting YouTube videos on here...

Swapsies

Kyle MacDonald and I am trying to trade one red paperclip for a house. I started with one red paperclip on July 12th, 2005 and I am making a series of trades for bigger or better things. My current item up for trade is one year in Phoenix.

- One Red Paperclip

Sofa competition

Sofa Search 2006
- What do you love about your current sofa?
- Alternatively, what do you hate about it?
- What is it about sofas that interests or intrigues you?

Tell us all about the sofa (or sofas) in your corner of the country,
and you could WIN one of three top-of-the-line sofa packages.

[via Bloggerheads]

In the last competition that I entered that Manic plugged on his site, I won a Swiss Army Card, whiich was fantastic, but I lost it when I lost my wallet. We could do with a new sofa...

Seeing the web differently

I just came across a website that looked really washed out, so I adjusted the angle of the leptop screen to try to improve it. I tilted it back much further than I usually have it and, wow!, the web has loads more colours than before.

Oops.

I'm back baby!

Wireless internetting, with a fresh XP install. Fabbo.

Also, drinking a lurverly 15 year old expression of Laphroig single malt my dad brought me back from Scotland. Thanks, dad.

Blogging the blogging course

I'm currently on a course, learning about the use of blogging in education. We're currently being told about podcasting. I also discovered that the guy, Steve Thompson, leading the course works alongside my thesis supervisor from my MSc course, who has his own blog, notes in the margin.

Update: We're using B2Enterprise blogging tool, which I think has similar 'DNA' to Wordpress, which is what powers this blog.

Update 2: B2Enterprise has some issues with cookies, when used by loadsa people on a closed network like this; it's a local authority network, so it's very locked down.

Update 3: 2000 Feet - "This haiku collection is inspired by particular places and events along the course of the three main rivers in County Durham – the Tees, the Wear and the Derwent. Each of these has its source high up in the North Pennines, approximately 2000 feet above sea level."

Update 4: We're playing with a media uploader at the moment, to allow uploading and posting or images, sound, video, animations, etc. That's also not working too well in this ICT room...

Update 5: We're now playing with an online quiz called Community Challenge, which allows people to compete against other quiz teams online. Apparently Tony Blair took part in an online pub quiz using this and his team lost. Apparently, he was crap.

Update 6: We came joint first in the quiz. We rock.

Quickie

A quick update.

• Still no baby (2 days overdue now...)


• Got soaked riding to work today; mainly because I aim for muddles though. Bikes are still ace. If I walked to work and deliberatly jumped in puddles, people would think I was mental, but on a bike they just think I'm mad (and most people would think I was mad for riding to work even if I wasn't aiming for the puddles).


• Should I start podcasting? Blogs are soooo 2002 :)

On identity and anonyminity in an interconnected world

When I first started using this domain name it was because I'd decided I wanted a slightly more anonymous blog, because my students had found my old site way too easily and, while there wasn't anything dodgy on my site, it linked to some sites that linked to some dodgier stuff.

So, I created this site, mothballed my old one, didn't give a forwarding address and started again. I even deleted old usernames for various forums, which were linked to the old site and used my full name, to make it less likely a student would stumble across this site.

But, it's been very difficult to decide when to use my "real identity" for things, or my Mactually ID. Some areas have merged and blurred, so a blog I started to talk about cycling in Darlington became a blog for the Darlington Cycling Campaign, which was all done under my real name. I registered with the Hamsterley Trailblazers forum, using my Mactually name and email, but not linking to the site. I registered with the North East Cyclo Cross League forum as 'Mike', using my Mactually email, but not linking here, because some students also went to the races. I felt like I shouldn't link from here to the results, because that used my full name.

I set out to make something completely anonymous, my proxy blog for Alan Milburn MP, and ended up with my real full name printed in The Times! (I still haven't found out how the journalist made the link...)

Being completely anonymous on the internet doesn't work, when there's crossover between the real world and the 'virtual world'. Someone at the cyclo cross asks me if I'm Mike; does he know me from the Trailblazers site, the NECCL site, the On-One forum, the Bike Darlington blog, a friend of a friend? Should I comment on my friend's blogs as Miketually or with my real name?

There's too much crossover between the real world and the internet and Google sees all so I'm no longer going to try to keep everything separate. I was probably being a bit over-paranoid anyway, since there's not really anything here I would discuss with my students anyway.

Google sees all:

• a blog comment when I mention students finding my website is the second result for my name


• a photo of me in my bike lycra is the first


• the old version of my old website is third


• my first recent website is next up

After that, there's various blog comments and spam links (including some for penile enlargements worryingly). Perhaps it's best my students find this site first after all...

My name is Mike McTimoney and this is my blog.

Blog To Learn

Next Friday I'm going to a course on the use of blogs in education. It's going to cover what blogs are, so I think it'll be very basic, though I hope to come away with some useful information. I'll report back.

Another video

This one a rather bizarre cycling safety film from 1963, One Got Fat.

"Monkeys" riding bikes. Deaths. Odd.

Some way-cool bikes.

[Update:] I'm watching it now and someone's just been run over by a steamroller! You've got to watch at least as far as this just to hear the sound effect!

[Update 2:] Yay for Oliver Slump! He isn't a monkey, right?

A List Apart Redesigns

Web Design magazine A List Apart has just launched a newly redesigned website. Newly rebuilt might be a better way of describing what's been done, since everything from the database software upwards has been changed. And, it's gorgeous. I've only seen it on my 1280x1024 biiiiig monitor at work so far, but it's sure purdy.

Internet gems

You have got to go and see Sweet Smelling Sweater Salad @ gemsweater.com. Make sure you click through for the full effect. Love the bored expression on her face.

A blogging course

If I were to be running a blogging course, what could I include? The course is 12 hours on one weekend, six hours on Saturday and six on Sunday (i.e. four 3 hour sessions, with lunch breaks).