links for 2011-03-25

"If Google Wave is anything, it's solid proof that even a multi-faceted communication platform full of useful features can fall flat."

Good round-up of some of the tools available.

If ever you need a quick checklist of "Do your website properly"...

Depressing story. Even more depressing seeing Port Vale fans in the comments basically saying, despite the clear evidence of the video clip: "The abuse wasn't racist and anyway, he wouldn't be getting shouted at if he wasn't rubbish".

Useful post as an introduction, and like the usability tips list above could also be titled "Just do your website properly"

"I take what I’ve read and I pass the best bits on, because that’s the other kind of journalism I do, and because I hope that my personal Twitter account is just as much a resource and a source as any professional one, and I hold myself to higher standards still. And I keep what’s relevant and use it every day to inform the decisions I make and the way I work, to back up my hunches and make sure I’m always learning more about what I’m doing". Must read post outlining the core skills that I think every digital journalist should have an understanding of

Cites Rewired State as showing how Government IT could be delivered cheaper and faster.

*That* militantly racist Littlejohn column expertly taken apart. I noted with some irony that just at the point the link to his article was gaining traction on Twitter, I was in a presentation by the Dentsu London agency talking about how one of their inspirations was "Mukokuseki" - a Japanese concept that roughly equates to multiculturalism being a good thing.

"Most hyperlocals are run by volunteers and activists But it’s not a recipe for sustainability. The husband-and-wife-team behind the award-winning Ventnor Blog admit to ‘constantly wondering how they’re living’ despite running a site that’s become central to life on the Isle of Wight since it started five years ago." [via Sarah Hartley]

"If Red Shirts beam down to the surface with Captain Kirk, 57.5 percent of the time they’re not coming back. 42.5 percent of time if there’s a fight on board, the red shirts are getting vaporized". [via @newsmary's Tumblr]