I don’t know about you, but, just occasionally when I tell people what I do for a living, I get a reaction that can be summed up by the following: Pah! Load of cobblers; lies, lunches, and so on.  Some will be sufficiently unchivalrous as to articulate this view.  A few others will content themselves with looking faintly disparaging.

This is a bit upsetting really, given how hard my team grafts and with what high degree of professionalism they work. 

It doesn’t help when our industry is thrust into the headlines as being a key player in a botched smear campaign, as it has been with the recent revelation that Facebook employed the services of Burson-Marsteller to covertly discredit Google. B-M was paid to try to plant anti-Google stories, which its consultants set about doing, without disclosing who they were acting for.  

This distinctly unedifying fiasco is sure to harden the opinion of those who believe we dabble in dark arts and evil whisperings.  And that’s a real shame. Because we – like the vast majority of PR practitioners – work to raise awareness of our clients’ products or services in a totally and uncompromisingly transparent way.  Smearing just isn’t a word I have ever used in a PR strategy proposal, nor would I ever wish to.

Still reeling from B-M/Facebook-gate, I was met with the stinging words of Celia Walden. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, where she reserved most of her vitriol for the party planning industry, she suggested that PRs are posh, useless and largely illiterate.  She writes: “All those years at Rodean and they still begin emails: “I hope your well.””

Celia, I sympathise and am sorry that your experience of our kind has been so singularly underwhelming.  Actually, there is nothing more guaranteed to send me into orbit than someone writing your instead of you’re.  I’ve gone so far as to sack a repeat offender of this particular horror and would readily do it again. 

If you’re ever up in Manchester, do pop in and witness for yourself that the PR industry does in fact sustain many hard-working and serious-minded individuals who know how to spell.

Oh, and there’s not a single double-barrelled name between us.

There’s that old saying that you should never meet your heroes. We’ve built these people up in our own minds to be so wonderful that actually coming face-to-face with them could never meet our expectations.

Let’s face it: most of us are probably never going to meet those celebrities and public figures we really look up to and admire. And that’s what makes Twitter particularly appealing to so many of us: by following certain people, it makes us feel just that one step closer to our heroes (even if we’re one of two million followers).

However, research has been published today that suggests celebs who constantly tweet may actually be in danger of becoming less appealing to their fans and followers. If we know everything (or nearly everything) that these people get up to via their tweets, they’re in danger of losing their mystique and – shock horror! – we start to see them as normal human beings.  

The worst thing anyone – celebrities included – can be on Twitter is boring or contrived and if tweets start being that, we’ll ‘unfollow’ pretty quickly. Personally, I think celebs become more endearing when they come across as ‘normal’ and if Twitter allows them to do that, they can score a major PR victory. Just as Google’s motto is ‘don’t be evil’, perhaps Twitter’s could be ‘don’t be dull’ – and that wouldn’t just go for celebrities.

The robotic hand of science fiction crawled its way into reality a long time ago. With massive advances in technology being made each day, I can’t help wondering just how far ‘the machines’ are going to infiltrate our lives.

My train of thought was prompted by Google’s announcement on Monday that it had launched an updated version of ‘Goggles’, a visual recognition app that was originally introduced to help smartphone users search for objects on the internet by taking pictures of them.

Some of the features really are impressive. It allows you to solve Sudoku puzzles in seconds (but where’s the fun in that?) and can even recognise print adverts in most major publications, allowing consumers to access information on both brand and product in seconds.

Need to know what that tall thing is in the middle of Trafalgar Square? Goggles can tell you. The app can recognise landmarks, as well as logos. Perhaps one of its main advantages – from a PR perspective anyway – is the application’s ability to upload contact information directly from business cards. When you attend as many events as Peppermint does, this can be a real saviour.

As a PR exec, I know how precious time is for everyone in the office and it’s often those pesky ‘little’ jobs that take the longest. With technology like this available, perhaps some of those jobs can now be performed more efficiently? Google 1.3 offers companies the chance to upload data and conduct basic research on a faster scale – although whether the technology offers quality solutions, only time will tell. As for the machines taking over completely, I doubt it. I know that the Peppermints, at least, will never give up on the personal touch.

Google finds itself in hot water today as an Italian court has convicted three of its execs in a trial over a video showing an autistic teenager being bullied. As keen social media-moguls, the Peppermints have been in lively debate about the case – there’s no denying that this type of content can be deemed offensive but should it be censored or should we be able to access the good, the bad and the ugly?

Some media coverage has argued that the employees in question should be held accountable for their actions, and are responsible for the quality of content uploaded. But social media sites have reached such popularity because of their user-generated content – for this to be subject to strict controls would go against the very essence of the medium. We use social media as a communication platform and user-generated content should also be user-moderated. Most sites have adopted this policy and if users see something they disapprove of, they can report it and request that it be removed.

In some coverage, the case has been compared to prosecuting the postman for delivering hate mail. How can individual Google employees be accountable for an upload of content onto the site?  Surely it should be the user that takes the rap for it? This is not to mention the logistical nightmare this would present for YouTube. Imagine the manpower that would be needed to trawl through all the videos on submission, ensuring each one conforms with guidelines – this would be nigh on impossible.

We relish the free speech that social media brings and we work tirelessly to harness the benefits it can bring to our clients – now we need to take on (and be allowed to take on) the responsibility that comes with it.

I’ve been an avid fan of Google and its products over the years.  I installed their web browser and toolbar and also set up Google Calendar and Docs on my wife’s new Netbook.  Even so, I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the company, to the point where I’ve decided to make the big switch over to Bing.

It wasn’t an easy decision, and I’m still getting used to it.  It’s tough breaking a habit formed over years of internet use.  However, I’ve become fed up with them for a number of reasons.

I haven’t been overly impressed by Google’s recent product releases.  Does anyone actually think Google Sidewiki is a good idea?  Giving people the chance to write anything about your site for all to see was always going to be open to abuse.   I also hated the little icon floating on the left hand side of my browser!

And don’t get me started on Google Buzz.  This product made public a list of people who you emailed most frequently from your Gmail account.  Google has openly admitted that this product didn’t go through their thorough testing procedure and apologised.  This will do little to appease those users who will have been caught out for one reason or another!

Google Wave was also a huge disappointment.  I highlighted a number of issues in a previous blog post and haven’t been back to wave at anyone since.

Finally, the big one, privacy. I don’t want to share my location with Google. I don’t want you to read my emails and display adverts you think I’ll like. I don’t want you to store all my searches and I certainly don’t want you to drive past my house and take a picture of my front room!

So, it’s time to say Goodbye to Google and hello to Bing.  From looking at recent usage stats, I don’t think I’m the only one either. In October last year, Bing held only 9.9% of the market share but this is rising.  I also read recently that Bing is in talks with Apple to become the default search provider for the iPhone.  Since Google developed the Nexus One mobile, it seems like a logical move for Apple to distance themselves from their latest rival.

I’d be interested to hear your experiences and thoughts on Google and whether you’ve made the switch over.  I’ll check back soon and let you know how I’m getting on.

I received my Google Wave preview invite over two weeks ago and wanted to write my initial impressions on this well publicised ‘technical revolution’ – a mixture of MSN Messenger and email.

As soon as I opened the application I received 12 invites to send out to friends and colleagues. As I found out straight away, it’s not much fun having no-one to Wave at! When I sent out a tweet asking if anyone else wanted to join me, I got a sudden surge in Twitter followers so I could tell I wasn’t on my own in looking forward to trying out this application.

However, my initial impression was somewhat mixed. As a regular user of MSN Messenger I was attracted to the idea of communicating with my colleagues in real time.  The problem was that I couldn’t see who was logged in and ready for me to Wave at. I think the realtime communication element would be great if you could see who was online at the same time as you.  There has been a number of times when I’ve left a Wave for someone along the lines of ‘Are you there?’ only to return a while later to find a reply saying ‘Yes I am, where are you?’ I’ve since found out that you can install a Wave notifier extension for Firefox to resolve this issue.

The interface was also quite confusing.  When trawling through long Waves with lots of threads, it’s difficult to see which ones you haven’t read.  This was odd, considering it’s supposed to be used to facilitate long conversations between many people.

Having tried Wave on a variety of screens, I found it really difficult to use at low resolutions.  1024 x 768 was extremely cluttered and it was difficult to follow the flow of Waves between lots of people. It’s also going to be interesting to see whether it’s used in office environments, where most users have quite small, flat screen monitors.

I realise it’s early days and there aren’t many gadgets out there to enhance communication, plus I did enjoy playing with the Google Maps and voting gadgets.  Also the ability to insert video will be very useful.  I can see it becoming a great tool to communicate ideas and concepts to clients without a face-to-face meeting.  I’ll be watching with interest to see how developers utilise the Google Wave API.

From this preview, I don’t think Google Wave will replace email, as it’s been touted by some experts. I think it would be too big a leap for some, as email is already so ingrained in our business practices. However, I do think that it’s a great way for individuals to come together and share ideas.  I’ve got two spare invites if anyone would like to join in. Tweet me (grahamjrobinson) if you’d like one!

Yesterday, Bing was the third most popular search term on Twitter.  If you don’t know what Bing is by now, then you must be either living on another planet or have absolutely no interest at all in all things web-related.

Bing is Microsoft’s latest attempt to break into Google’s monopoly of internet search.  Already dismissed by  Microsoft haters, the service has been in development for several years and promises much in terms of functionality.

One of the key innovations being pushed by the IT giant is ‘guided search’.  This feature promises to quickly categorise results that don’t require the user to sift through pages of content.  I think that many users pick the first link presented to them in Google anyway so why not take on-board the recommendation of a site immediately if the results are exactly what you require?  If Microsoft are confident that they can deliver this then that’s fine with me.

The cashback scheme which is apparently intended to rival with Google Adwords, also sounds interesting.  Users will receive a small dividend each time they purchase an item through the website.  If a site rewards me for using it then this can only be a bonus!

As soon as I heard the news on Twitter, (thanks to eConsultancy!)  I raced over to the site to test out the service to find that it wasn’t actually live.  Instead I had to sit through a glossy corporate video explaining the features to me.  Surely this is a major PR gaffe by Microsoft to announce the service before it’s actually ready for people to use.

With me – and I suspect many other internet users – you only get one chance to impress before I move on to the next site waiting in the wings.  I’m unsure if I’ll have the time, or inclination, to check back with Bing once it’s actually up and running.  I’ll have to wait and see if Microsoft’s $100 million advertising campaign has the desired effect!

Have you heard about Bing and what do you think of its prospects?  Surely any realistic competition for Google is a good thing?

When I’m not arranging my Friday night visits to the pub on Twitter, I find the micro-blogging service very useful for seeking opinions from my fellow IT professionals.  If I’m stumped when trying to find a digital solution, one of my Twitter friends is always on hand to help me out.

It’s also an essential tool for keeping up with industry news.  I no longer have to rely on my iGoogle feed to keep track of the latest Smashing Magazine tutorials.  If it’s an interesting read or big development, someone’s bound to share it on Twitter.

Our team use Twitter to monitor the online conversation around our clients’ brands.  We’re always on the lookout for people discussing their products and services and if required, we’ll respond on their behalf.  I recently gave a  negative review of a search application on Twitter and sure enough, the developer got in touch and asked me for more specific details.

So it came as no surprise when I heard the news today that Google is looking to acquire Twitter.  Google has recognised that Twitter’s real value is in its search facility.  It allows users to search real-time reaction from thousands of people to current events.  This is something that Google doesn’t offer at the moment and it can only add to its search ambitions.

I’m all for the idea of the Google acquisition.  Twitter is flaky at the best of times.  I’m fed up with seeing the smiling whale when trying to update a profile picture.  Google will provide a stable system for Twitter and will also have the skills to develop it further.  I just hope they don’t change the name to Toogle!

As the legal battle between Google and Louis Vuitton rumbles on, I started to think about how the online giant is becoming more like Microsoft every day.

Previously, Microsoft has always been the target of consumer criticism for its unwieldy operating systems and buggy updates. Over recent years however, as Google has grown and moved into new markets, it too has started to receive increasing levels of criticism.

I’ve never felt comfortable with the amount of my personal data that’s stored online. I wasn’t too happy to hear when Google planned to introduce ‘behavioural advertising’ to its mail service. You may think that viewing these ads in your inbox is harmless but it concerns me that Google stores personal data, including the videos you have watched on YouTube and every search query you have Googled.

News this month that the search engine giant can now track your visits to the thousands of sites that show its ads and then assign you to a category is even more alarming. Where is all this data kept and what else is Google planning to do with it? It claims that seeing adverts based on a person’s browsing history will improve their browsing experience – I’m not so sure.

By 2012, Google aims to create the ‘perfect search engine’. Google co-founder Eric Schmidt has stated that the real issue with achieving this goal is that they ‘don’t know enough about you’. I’m just not sure that I’m ready to tell them everything about myself.

Surely I’m not the only one who is concerned about this invasion of privacy? A quick search round the blogosphere has uncovered many comments from like-minded individuals who think that Google should drop its ‘do no evil’ philosophy. The question is, will it listen to these comments and curb its increasing big brother mentality?