http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk Good web writing? Get to the point. Be clear. Have a conversation. Make people smile. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:36:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I went to the Taste Festival in London the other week (if you're thinking of going next year, it was a collosal, pretentious waste of money). But one of the companies promoting its wares there was Gü, the people who make those nice puddings you can buy in Sainsbury's. Not exactly ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2008/07/03/are-u-annoyed-yet/ I moved house this weekend and hired a car; a tank-like Vauxhall Vectra. Actually, despite having the appearance of a lumbering behemoth, it wasn't that bad being behind the wheel. Bizarrely enough though, the car's indicators got me thinking about how important it can be to conform to people's expectations. Conventions abound ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2008/05/27/the-vauxhall-vectra-usability-study/ I've been running through the photos on my cameraphone this evening and as well as an exciting shot of a Virgin Media van, I found this classic. It's a small ad - I spotted it in a newsagent's window in West Drayton the other day: 'No cigarettes before the Dentist! If ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2008/04/15/the-strangest-small-ad-ever/ I've spotted a few Virgin Media vans about with a slogan that's tempting fate. 'Forward, back, back a bit more, stop!' just seems to be inviting a parking mishap. And it's surely only a matter of time before we see a van with 'near miss' on the side stuffed into a ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2008/04/15/asking-for-trouble/ I'm not exactly a frequent flier. But I'm occasionally on the look out for good value flights to various places - usually for a holiday or short break. It seems to me that booking flights is one thing the internet manages to be simultaneously really good at and really bad at. On ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2008/02/23/how-to-find-cheap-flights-a-beginners-guide/ I've always found Digg an interesting place to kill a few minutes. There's usually a story or two on the homepage worth a read, usually for amusement value. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a trend: articles from the Daily Mail seem to make it to the front page quite ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2008/02/04/the-daily-mail-and-digg-an-unlikely-success-story/ Ok, so by and large trains in the UK are too expensive. Frequently they don't run on time, and quite often they're filthy as well. (As a long-suffering First Great Western customer, I know these things all too well.) But I've just encountered a glimmer of hope on the new National ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2008/01/11/wireless-on-the-move/ One of the projects I've been working on in my day job is to write a series of interviews with some internet 'celebrities' and entrepreneurs. It's fair to say that I wasn't massively optimistic about being able to secure big names, but it's actually been easier than I expected. So far I've ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2008/01/07/free-thinking-i-speak-to-chris-anderson/ It's not uncommon to visit a website and be impressed by what's there. Encouraged, you buy from them. It's only when you need some assistance with your new purchase that you realise the online help is woefully inaccurate. Lacking in depth and quality, it feels like a last minute bolt on. And ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2007/11/25/tips-for-writing-good-help-articles/ The England football team's performance this evening was dire. Rubbish. Awful. But it did get me thinking about how big football stories tend to bring out the best in tabloid sub-editors. When it's open season on an England manager, the puns start to flow - so look out for a ... http://www.mcgarvey.co.uk/2007/11/22/best-tabloid-headlines/