It’s 2008 people, wth are you doing thinking about 2007?

Wikinews has compiled a quiz of the year 2007 (the one just been for those inebriated). It only covers topics of high interest that were published on the international news site. So that means the questions have a world wide event slant on them.

Sadly there were no questions on New Zealand events, despite there being two reports on the anti-terror raids around the country late last year.

Take the quiz (link below) to see how well you know about the events of last year, and see if you can beat my score of 32/51!

Quiz: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:Dynamic_quiz/quiz/2008/01.

This blog post was also published on my Bebo blog (profile blocked to public access) .

My ego is in shatters

Well, I just got back from my school’s prize giving tonight and I won a “Certificate of Merit” in Year 12 Computer Studies.  I was really hoping to get: a prize in Computer Studies, a prize in Information Processing (proceeds TIM), the Ray Cairns Memorial Award for Journalism, or a combination of some.

Now the latter of those three would have made my night, especially considering the amount of journalism I actually do; Wikinews, Practical eCommerce, our school’s failed student newspaper, etc. I know I was in the running for the award because I had been nominated. A few people I talked to prior to the awards ceremony believed I deserved the award.

Last year I won a prize in Text and Information Management (TIM).

A prize means you were best in the class and you get a NZ$20 book voucher (Whitcoulls). In my case, a certificate meant that I was about second or third best out of the two Computer Studies classes.

However, I congratulate all those who achieved higher than myself. And I thank my Computer Studies who noticed the hard work I had been completing in class.

You win some, you lose some.

Citizen journalism could have done it better

A Saturday article that ran on 3 News and subsequently uploaded onto their website about the iPhone had one serious problem about it, they spelt it “I-Phone”.

I told them about their problem over spelling via the “Your Say” feature, they ignored it first go, and then acted upon the second letter, with changes visible today. Note, they didn’t post the comments live on their site which is moderated.

This highlights one area, among others, where citizen journalism, or even the idea of a Wiki, is and works better. If that article had been uploaded onto, say, Wikinews, then the article would have been fixed, and that error wouldn’t have been a problem for very long.

Hell, even a quick Google search would have told you that it is spelt iPhone.

Exclusive report finally published

Published today was an exclusive, and special report conducted by Gabriel Pollard on New Zealand’s latest digital TV service, Freeview.

The story idea was first thought up when a press release was issued by Jonathan Coleman (one of those interviewed) last month stating that Steve Maharey (also interviewed) should release Freeview subscriber numbers.

This request was denied and well, one thing led to another and a full fledged report was published.

Interviews, interviews, interviews

I have published yet another Wikinews exclusive interview. This time it was with republican, Lewis Holden, who runs the Holden Republic blog and is chair of the Republican Movement.

I much prefer doing these nice exclusive interviews and original reporting. I love every second of it. Next stop, doing them face to face, pen to paper (or fingers to keys). Which actually might not be too far off as I have joined our school magazine team. In this team, we will conduct interviews with those ‘worthy’ enough to be included in our end-of-year magazine.

This interview follows an exclusive video interview with John Key, leader of the opposition in New Zealand; and an interview with prominent New Zealand-based blogger, David Farrar.

John Key’s interview has landed

John Key’s interview has been released publicly today, but in a different form to my interview with David Farrar, and the upcoming one with Lewis Holden.

John Key filmed his answers to the questions posed to him by me, Gabriel Pollard.  This does suit the topic of the interview, that being social media and, in particular, video blogging.

I have things I am slightly unhappy with; firstly I am a guy, but confusion does happen when I do not state what gender I am due to my name, Gabriel. Secondly, it is not Wikipedia’s Wikinews, it is just Wikinews, a sister project of Wikipedia. And, finally, they made a mistake in their titles, stating that is “From citizen journalist Gabriel Pollard for Wikipedia.”

There are two versions out on the Internet, one released onto YouTube by John Key (also embedded into his website), and the other branded with the Wikinews Video logo, which includes a voice introduction by me.

This video can be considered to be the first Video Wikinews, a new idea being developed over a long period of time (including once being relatively ‘dead’).

The very small Wikinews article that really just contains links is available online.

More exclusive interviews for Wikinews

I have just secured another two exclusive interviews for Wikinews. The first with New Zealand’s leader of the opposition, John Key, and the second with Lewis Holden, head of a republican movement group in New Zealand.

The interview I did with David Farrar on May 10 sparked me getting the interview with Key in two ways. Firstly, I was so excited about the fact that I had done an exclusive interview and was seeking that same feeling. Secondly, Farrar said that John Key was doing something different to all other politicans in New Zealand, vlogging. And I wished to get his view on that topic.

The interview with Holden has a great deal of help coming from Brian New Zealand, but I will be the one conducting the interview. Some of the questions for Key’s interview, like Farrar’s, were contributed by Brian.

Look out for the first interview soon, as Key’s press secretary stated that he will try to get the questions (which were sent off today) in front of Key a.s.a.p..

Exclusive interview on Wikinews, conducted by me

I have just published my Wikinews exclusive interview with David Farrar, prominent New Zealand-based blogger at kiwiblog.

When I e-mailed David Farrar, I expected that he would either ignore the e-mail or decline the request, as the former is what usually happens. I was very surpised when he agreed to the interview, but even more estatic.

The one thing that got me down was those people who got him confused with a 3 News reporter who goes by a similar name, David Farrier, when I told them that I had this interview.

I got help with this interview from Brian Anderton (Brian New Zealand).

Regrets of Youth Parliament 2007

I received a letter today from New Zealand’s Ministry of Youth Development regarding my application to become one of ten Youth Press Gallery members for Youth Parliament.

As well as many other people who applied, they regretted to advise me that my “application was unsuccessful on this occasion.”

I was hugely excited about an opportunity to act like a real, accredited press gallery member sitting in on, and reporting on the Youth Parliament. Being able to talk to other, professional journalists about their chosen career, and advancing mine even further could have been a huge stepping stone for me.

Over 100 people from all over New Zealand applied to become a Youth Press Gallery member in the Youth Parliament being held between the 8 and 11 July, 2007, and I had to be one of the unlucky ones

I guess I have to stick to Wikinews for now, and wait another three to four years for the next Youth Parliament.

Wikiwiki wikiing

Wikiwiki wikiing is just quickly doing stuff on a wiki (see definition of wikiwiki).

Today New Zealand’s Mount Ruapehu had a lahar, and I was quick to notice it on the Internet. In fact, so fast that there were only two sources available, now there are over 30 indexed by Google News.  So I created a breaking news story about a possible lahar on Wikinews, made it the top story on the main page, and on the New Zealand portal page.  Then as more sources grew and 3 News managed to confirm it with their helicopter (before the official confirmation) I had to quickly update the Wikinews article.

So remember, the next time you do something that has just happened recently, or you do it quickly, it’s called wikiwiki wikiing (or something like that).