Rupert Goodwins' Diary

Friday 12/10/2001

It's nearly time for the Diary's annual Evil Bert awards for mixed messages in the cause of publicity. Nominations aren't quite closed yet, so send 'em in, but meanwhile here is this week's crop.

Telindus, for sending eighteen identical press releases boasting of the company's communication skills, to our news guru Matt Loney. Dead easy to do in these days of email, but Telindus went one step further and managed it in old-fashioned snail mail, each individually enveloped, addressed and stamped. Was this the entire mailout incorrectly addressed, or did everyone on the mailing list get eighteen releases?

Demon, for sending a promotional item to a pal proclaiming Demon's wonderfulness as an ISP. The company's much vaunted skills at looking after his data were called into doubt when he examined the object – a large and powerful fridge magnet. As he says, it's a good thing the DAT backup he was expecting in the same post was delayed in transit.

Abacus Communications, for telling me of a conference at the University of Reading that will have huge numbers of "carefully targeted" attendees. Or rather, for telling one Rupert Goodwin, technical advisor to 2DNet, that he should cough up £5000 in sponsorship because said conference would be of great interest to the press.

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