Cluckhoff - Latest Comments

Re: Winter Warmer

Cluckhoff — Sun, 23 May 2010 08:59:53 -0000

It's a good feeling. I bought blankets for our gardener last year. He came to me for a loan for a bed so we gave him our spare bed and then I bought some blankets from PEP to go with it. He literally cried.

It's easy to forget the difference something like a bed and a blanket can make when you crawl into a king size with a down duvet every night. I for one take it for granted.

Re: Winter Warmer

Dolce — Sun, 23 May 2010 08:50:49 -0000

My local barman actually goes out an buys blankies each winter for the local street guys.

Re: Winter Warmer

Cluckhoff — Sun, 23 May 2010 07:19:45 -0000

That would be fantastic! Thank you Marc.

Re: Winter Warmer

Marc Ashton — Sun, 23 May 2010 06:52:21 -0000

Great campaign Catherine - its bloody cold and a blanket can make a real difference.

I'll stick a link up on Bundublog and include it in the mailer for the week.

Regards,

Re: Family, f-ups and faux pas

Tristin — Sat, 22 May 2010 17:18:30 -0000

Cath you always put a smile on my face! Hope all is well :)

Re: Friday brain dump

natasharamasray — Fri, 14 May 2010 05:45:44 -0000

The only thing i love about easter is the chocolate but eating the cute bunnies also unnerves me ;P

Re: Agencies eat your own dogfood

Cluckhoff — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:20:44 -0000

Thanks Bev.

Re: Agencies eat your own dogfood

atomicb — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:07:46 -0000

Spot on! It's a great article.

Re: world domination

lisa_jones — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 03:08:21 -0000

You NEVER fail to amaze me my friend! Hope you are managing to make time for yourself... Lots of love! Lisa

Re: Turkey beach

anca — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:29:01 -0000

where is this?
in witch area?
anca

Re: Family, f-ups and faux pas

Cluckhoff — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:37:38 -0000

Indeed we do. I also need a yacht, white beaches, a well stocked bar and tappas. Now.

Re: Family, f-ups and faux pas

cathjenkin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:16:34 -0000

we need cocktails. and a limo. with a driver. and sunshine. that is all X

Re: world domination

Cluckhoff — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:55:13 -0000

Thanks Alet.

Re: world domination

Alet — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:57:07 -0000

This is all so exciting!
I agree with Cath, you are incredibly brave!

Re: world domination

Cluckhoff — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:45:48 -0000

Thank you Cath. X

Re: world domination

Cath — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:49:32 -0000

When i said to you when we spoke of this, that you were brave and you laughed at me that evening we sat on the floor...

i meant you're doing the one thing I know i could NOT ever do.

I could not do it. but you can, and you do, and you live it.

i thank you for inspiring me. every day X

Re: Response from Silicon Cape

Imel — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:04:39 -0000

The guys & gals in the Garden Route watched the formation of Silicon Cape with interest, but in the end it seemed to be an exclusive club for the cool folk and networking types with little real benefit for us.
Instead we are well on the way to setting up our own initiative (http://www.gardenrouteconso...) to help the region act collectively on marketing and project management initiatives.

Re: Response from Silicon Cape

Cluckhoff — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:32:36 -0000

Hi Marc, I agree. Let's chat.

Re: Response from Silicon Cape

marcashton — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:42:38 -0000

Kudos' to both Andrew and Justin who I think have taken a lot of effort to respond personally to a lot of people who have raised the various issues around Silicon Cape.

Been kicking around the idea of maybe pitching the idea of combining forces with a few of the local guys and gals and maybe putting together a Gauteng (Or Jo'burg) focussed event even if it is just for networking purposes?

Any takers? The whole tweet-up concept that Ryan Gibson has been pitching has been super successful and had a ball at the last one. Might be a nice way to get a decent audience? Pretty sure Old Mutual will again give us a venue so costs would be min - would just be a case of maybe getting a representative from the Committee to speak for a coupla minutes and discuss how JHB people could stay in the loop?

Re: Old boys club

Tim Lind — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:41:40 -0000

Yes! I'm happy to see others that are concerned about the effectiveness of this initiative. From the get go it could set itself up very incorrectly so it's a critical point (one which shouldn't be accompanied by silence).

You raise a very good point about the circle, one that's not really being extended. As Miss Feisty points out it isn't really an equal footed stage where everyone can put in their effort and be supported equally, efforts and ideas from certain people are supported much more.

There needs to be a focus on actually spreading the effort and encouraging each other, especially those we don't know.

There are several efforts I would've spread headed toward the initiative goal if there was a platform to make it easier and encourage it.

Re: Old boys club

Cluckhoff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:40:00 -0000

Hi Andrew,

It does help, thank you. I am glad to hear that something is actually brewing and want to encourage all those involved to post more regular updates to the Silicon Cape portal. I know I am not the only one asking questions or the only one with concerns as some of the other comments show.

We all have a vested interest in making this a success, but without information people feel dis-empowered and subsequently lose enthusiasm. I recognize and acknowledge that the race and gender issues will not be solved over night – social issues never are - and I also acknowledge that to make an initiative such as this work takes time, especially when government support is so key. That said, Silicon Cape can only survive if it has the buy-in from the people who it proposes to represent. The current lack of information sharing, the branding issues (i.t.o. it not being inclusive of all of SA in name), and the board looking pretty much like every other board in the industry, does pose some challenges.

I for one don’t believe the committee or the brand represents what I believe it could and should stand for and in my conversations with others many agree. Branding is key on many levels and so is transparency. I will and do support Silicon Cape, but that is by and large because I know and trust many of the individuals involved. I also support it because as an entrepreneur I believe SA needs and initiative such as this to drive investment, skills sharing and support for those of us who chose to go it alone. But what about those entrepreneurs who don’t form part of the ‘inner circle’? (Because let’s face it, it’s a big industry with a few overwhelmingly loud voices who seem to always get the recognition.) How do you convince them that this body will act in their best interests and in so doing win their support? We all know the one hand washes the other and maybe that is why it is so hard for new guys to break in and make a name for themselves. Silicon Cape has an opportunity to change this. The first step however, is to acknowledge it.

Best,
Catherine

Re: Old boys club

Andrew Thomas-Woolf — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:37:06 -0000

Hi Catherine,

Your questions are valid and have been raised before. I am not part of the committee, so can't speak on behalf of the initiative itself, but I have been somewhat involved in some of the various activities.

Firstly, the committee was only elected early December. With the variety of people involved, the December holiday issues (some taking off from mid-December, others to mid-January) and the fact that all of them are at this stage volunteers, the first actual committee meeting is scheduled only for round about now (early February).

This will be the first opportunity for all the electees to meet each other (digitally or in person) and get to know each other. Part of the agenda for this first meeting will to set out realistic and measurable goals and objectives for the year ahead and to put in place, to the extent possible, programs to help measure and meet those objectives.

Certain of the initial organisers' projects have continued unabated in the background, primarily around regulatory issues and also a measure of developmental research. These aren't really "headliners" for reporting, so they won't receive a lot of coverage until they have some kind of visible impact, but affecting the legislative and regulatory process is not something that happens particularly quickly. Suffice to say, we have been interacting with government players associated with the major political parties and with government established organisations and their representatives. Further, there has been engagement with one of the World Bank's technology innovation-related development programs (in Pretoria) and several of the tertiary educational institutions.

The state and progress of these projects will be presented to the newly established committee and responsibility handed over to them, whereupon they may choose if and how to proceed with each and where they will get to choose how, when and what to communicate to the public to ensure that there is appropriate awareness.

Regarding the "Joburg" backlash, I've tried to help communicate and respond to some of the questions raised, based on my understanding and knowledge. I'll try see if I can track down a link to some of these responses for you. (I have been fairly involved in certain of the initiative's projects and happen to live in Johannesburg.)

I may have some comments re: the gender/race issues later.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Andrew

Re: Old boys club

Joe — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:17:28 -0000

The first Silicon Cape Networking event was pretty cool. I agree the idea has lost a bit of momentum and yes, the committee is a bit of a cut-and-paste of the organisers and speakers of the launch event.. but that's normal for the first year of a non-profit. When people realise the work involved the dedicated will stick around and put together a good secretariat to run the show. Seen it all before.

Re: Old boys club

Cluckhoff — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:41:25 -0000

Hi Nic

Thank you for your comment. As I raise in the post, I think the lack of colour in this industry is a huge problem and by industry I am referring to the online, marketing, advertising and comms industry. Looking around the room yesterday made this blatantly clear.

You are right, the issue is not black and white and this applies across the board. The colour issue will take years to sort out, but there are people out there (even if they are few and far between) and they should be recognised.

In terms of standing up, I was willing as were many others. Those who have now been elected - and I respect each and everyone one of them individually - should take responsibility and ownership, take the time and effort to know what they represent, recognise the issues and set a precedent by addressing them and leading the way. Somehow the momentum has been lost and even though everyone thinks it, no one has said as much.

I am sorry you think this is opening a can of worms, but I truly believe that if we want to see an initiative like this work, we must ask the hard questions, prod our leaders and speak up.

Re: Old boys club

Nic — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:43:20 -0000

Heh - thought I'd get that sort of a response. I'm not being defensive. I was sincerely asking, are there any black woman who are qualified, talented and willing enough to step forward? If there are, then why aren't they stepping forward?

Also - it's not my white boys club at all. I look, I've met cool people. Not cool white people, black people, men, woman or whatever, just cool people doing incredible things. I just don't get why we bash those who make an effort?