The Dublin Community Blog

From: TheEconomy@brightwater.ie [mailto:TheEconomy@brightwater.ie] On Behalf Of David Bloch
Sent: 01 May 2009 06:01
To:
Subject: Irish Media – Please stop spreading the misery!

Below is a copy of the 2nd email I sent to my address book, to massive and almost universally positive response.

Yesterday, The Media headlined an ESRI report about THEIR view on the miserable outlook for Ireland. Some people were angry about it, others like me disagree with the report and the majority shrug their shoulders, claiming it doesn’t affect them. It does!

We are a recruitment company and have seen real signs of some green shoots (and no new waves of redundancy announcements), with April the best month of the year to date. Yesterday (Wednesday, 28th April) due to the negative, sensational reporting making people nervous and anxious, we had 3 jobs pulled, 5 put on hold and no offers in at all. It DOES matter! Yesterday, The Media cost thousands of people their jobs across the country.

Please read the email below.

Thank you.

***********

The Irish media is spreading fear and panic!

I am the MD of an Irish Company. I have a job and I want to keep it. I also want to keep the jobs of my staff and my friends… and I want to live and work in an upbeat country!

The Irish Media is spreading fear and panic – it makes me think about cutting more costs, salaries, staff and saving money. If it affects me, it must affect other people.

With the positive American attitude, do we have any doubts that the US will recover?

Ireland has one of the youngest and well-educated populations in the first world (after the US) – let’s use our energy and can-do attitude and get out of this.

I sent a similar e-mail to a few people from my address book a couple of weeks ago.

Here’s a few comments from the dozens of replies I’ve had which show I’m not alone in my thinking:

From Senior Manager at Big 4 Accountancy Firm:

“…it’s giving a desperate impression to investors, commentators etc. Also too much time spent pummeling those who are easy to blame – bankers, developers etc. By all means accept there have been mistakes, learn the lessons, add regulations etc. but now time to move on and have plan for the future.”

From MD of major European Bank, based in Ireland:

“I know RTE would argue that in criticising them we are in danger of “shooting the messenger” but “the medium IS the message”.

“Those in RTE are relatively “bullet proof” in their jobs. They are playing “Russian roulette” with private sector jobs as visiting business people and others latch on to our depressive outlook. Other development agencies will also use this to argue against Ireland as a location to invest in, in favour of their own place.”

From Partner at medium-sized Law Firm:

“What irks Me about say RTE is that the doom laden voices of George Lee, Ann Doyle and others announcing yet more job cuts etc as the lead item. It is literally depressing. It is usually preceded by a really sad ad from one of the NGO’s with pictures of starving emaciated Africans. I know their plight is tragic but the continuous subliminal effect of all of this is to drag one down in terms of “mood”. The best piece of news is in fact “Nationwide” at 7pm with Mary Kennedy and Michael Ryan. They are cheery and upbeat.”

From Irish person recently moved to New York (don’t know her details):

“Hear Hear I say!! I live in New York and although things are tough here, people are getting on with the new reality and figuring out creative ways of dealing with the downturn.”

From Owner of private Irish company:

“Frankly, I’m enraged about what RTE specifically are doing. They’re destroying hope and thereby destroying Ireland. ”

From Director of Big 4 Accountancy Firm:

“I have come across a lot of clients who I am dealing with on other issues, non recruitment related and they are definitely looking at costs and savings because they feel they have to because everyone else is!!”

Anon – PLC Board Director:

“I am having to respond privately as Company Policy does not allow for me to endorse anything!

************

I have voiced the same concerns privately in conversation with many people and whilst many agree with the view that the Media is spreading doom and gloom, there is no action being taken to reverse this”.

I’ve also started a campaign on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/10/336/ab7 and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=76003642139#/pages/David-Bloch/76003642139?ref=nf (you will need to be a member, and then become a ‘fan’ to comment / reply). Please feel free to add me to your network.

Most business people seem to feel this is an important message… Ireland is a special country, but this constant negativity (glass half empty) is very bad for the country – nationally and internationally.

If you agree with this email, please be brave and send it on. It might make a difference!

Thank you.

David Bloch

Managing Director

PS. In my company we have created a little enclave of positivity and energy, but it is hard to battle the daily media barrage of misery – please help!

PPS. If you want to read the hidden Good News, we have been running a “Good News Corner” on our website since October last year www.brightwater.ie (including yesterday’s ESRI report that actually said “While on average 1,000 jobs were being slashed every day in January and February, that figure dropped to about 500 a day in March and dipped slightly again in April”)

I’ve been long absent from writing for this blog (living the other side of the world from Dublin is a slight contributing factor!), but I’m still tinkering away in the background making things work and keeping it alive! Having come up with the idea for a Dublin Community Blog quite a few years ago, I’m delighted to see it still ticking along and with a healthy global readership and still plenty of interaction with those readers! Many people have come and gone over the years, but there’s still a hard core crew who started out on this project as part of the team, and still producing some great insights into life in and around Dublin.

Firstly, to, and secondly on behalf of all the team behind this blog, I’d like to thank everyone involved, writers, readers, commentators, who make it what it is. Secondly, for everyone who has nominated us once again in the ‘Best Group Blog’ category at tomorrow’s Irish Blog Awards, a massive thank you for your support! In the face of some excellent competition, I don’t expect us to pick up the gong (Red Mum, need you to collect it if we do win!), but just the satisfaction of being shortlisted is good enough.

As always, we are always on the lookout for new contributors, so if you are interested in joining the team, click on the ‘Write For Us’ link at the top of the page.

To everyone heading along to the awards, have a fantastic night, big shout out to Mr Mulley once again for all his efforts in putting together what I know will be a fantastic night based on previous experience!

There is a new camera club starting in Dalkey, called offshoot. The club will meet on a Monday night in Dalkey United’s Club House, on Hyde Road Dalkey.

The first meeting is 15th of September at 8pm

The plan is to have an energetic, proactive club, where everyone has the chance to get involved.

Photographers of all levels are welcomed

For more information, see the website www.offshoot.ie or contact Darragh on 0871204654

It’s just made it into the flickr blog, flickr member, Colleenm has put together a fantastic collection of scans of images taken around Ireland during a trip in 1972. Of particular interest to readers of this blog would be the set of images in and around County Dublin. It’s amazing to see just how much the city has changed since then, and even more so just how much the people have changed as well. This is a fantastic collection that’s well, well worth checking out when you have a spare moment.

Colleen has also been in touch with me, and would love to try and identify some of the people in the pictures here. If you know, or indeed are one of the people photographed, please feel free to leave a comment here, or over on Colleen’s photos.

If like me you are photography crazy, and like to keep an eye on photoblogs from in and around Dublin and the rest of Ireland, you life has just become a lot easier. Donncha has done the Irish Photoblogging community a great service by developing irishphotographers.org a site where all of the best photographers from around the city and country can submit a feed of their blog so that everything appears in one nice, neat centralised place! I think it’s a fantastic idea, and I’m only raging that I didn’t come up with it myself sooner! But, big shout out to Donncha for putting it together, and I really think that you should go check it out and sign up!

I used to walk past a living legend in Dublin quite often, nearly every day when I was working in Temple Bar. He’s a man who certainly brightened up my childhood, and that of many, many Irish people of my age. The man in question is poet and artist Pat Ingolsby. One thing I always wanted to do, both for my personal satisfaction, and also as it would have made for a fantastic post here on this blog, was to stop off for a chat with Pat. However, for reasons that are beyond me, that never happened!

There is a brilliant post by another Darragh (albeit with different spelling to my name!) over here that is well worth reading. And, if you are around and about Dublin, and pass by Pat, it really looks like you should stop off and say hello!

Well, I’ve decided that after a few years with our old theme, it was time for a bit of an upgrade around here. Things are still a bit of a work in progress, but, hopefully you like the new theme and layout, and if anyone has any feedback / comments on how things are looking here, they would be very much appreciated.

If you’re reading this blog, no doubt you are familiar with RSS feeds. But, perhaps you are not. RSS feeds allow you to use a RSS reader to subscribe to your favourite blogs, and have any new articles that are created on your blogroll automatically placed into your reader. One such reader that is exceptionally easy to use, is web based allowing you to read from anywhere, and has a raft of filtering tools is Google Reader. If you already have a Gmail account setup, you can just use these details to log into Google Reader. When you’re there, you can then add a feed as you desire. In order to subscribe to this blog, you can add our feed which is at http://www.dublinblog.ie/feed

Going to the movies for free sounds too good to be true, eh? Especially in Dublin, where I know the prices of going to the movies are just crazy! But, it appears, based on the email that’s just landed into my inbox that you can in fact go to the movies for free….if you are interested in providing some feedback on the experience as well. This comes in the form of a mystery shopping service. More details here:

I am just browsing the net, looking for suitable places to contact
people in Dublin.

Basically, I am looking for mixed couples who like to go to the
cinema – specifically I am looking for new Dublin Mystery Shoppers
for the following areas……

Tallaght, Coolock and Blanchardstown.

The visitors get to see a film of their own choice and receive a
refund of the price of two adult tickets plus E20 fee to include the
purchase of some refreshments of their choice. Following the visit
there is a feedback form to complete online.

I am wondering if maybe you could point me in the direction of anyone
who may be interested, please?

Our website is www.marketchecker.co.uk – there is a registration form
on there if anyone would like to apply.

Ok, so, seeing as most of the Irish Blogging Community is no doubt drunk or sleeping at this stage, and I’m sitting on my balcony in Oz sunning myself, I thought I ought to post the winners from the Irish Blog Awards which took place a few hours ago. Unfortunately, we here at The Dublin Community Blog didn’t win the Best Group Blog award, but at least our own Rick won an award!!

So, without further delay, here’s the winners:

* Best Popculture blog
DZ-015 by Rick O’Shea

* Best Blog from a Journalist
Present Tense – Shane Hegarty

* Best Food/Drink Blog
Italian Foodies

* Best Crafts Blog
A Simple Yarn

* Best Arts and Culture Blog
The Sigla Blog

* Best Political Blog
Irish Election

* Best Group Blog
Beaut.ie

* Best Use of the Irish Language in a Blog
Blag Ghael gan Náire

* Best Technology Blog/Blogger
Robin Blandford’s ByteSurgery

* Best Designed Blog
Sabrina Dent

* Best Sport & Recreation Blog
Arseblog

* Best News/Current Affairs Blog
Joint winners: The Limerick Blogger & Maman Poulet

* Best Specialist Blog
The Voyage

* Best Newcomer
John Braine

* Best Business Blog
Ice Cream Ireland

* Best Music Blog
nialler9

* Special Recognition Award
Simon McGarr from Tuppenceworth.ie & Ryan from Rymus.net

* Best Personal Blog
Joint Winners: Grannymar & Head Rambles

* Most Humorous Post
Twenty Major – Tonight’s Debate

* Best Photo Blog
Gingerpixel

* Best Blog Post
Fatmammycat.com – Fox hunting, horses and a girl’s awakening

* Best Blog
Twenty Major