[IOFFL Committee] Call To Arms

bk

IrelandOffLine needs you help.

First of all, for those of you who don't know, I'm a Committee Member of IrelandOffLine.

Over the last few months, representatives from Eircom have given interviews on various newspapers and radio shows.
We in IOFFL often feel that these interviews are one sided and that they don't paint an accurate picture of the current broadband crisis here in Ireland.

Generally speaking Eircom refuse to appear on the same interview as an IOFFL representative
and therefore we don't get an opportunity to refute Eircoms claims or to tell our side of the story.

Therefore we need the help of all IOFFL members to counter this. We have seen in the past how, after Eircom have had a one sided interview in the press, IOFFL members wrote to the editor and journalist in question, pointing out the mistakes and a few weeks later a far more accurate and balanced article is published. This is fantastic and we in the IOFFL committee would like to see more of this happen in the future.

What we would like to do is put in place a strategy for dealing with such events and guidelines and tips for how the members can respond to them.

The following are the strategy we propose to deal with various media events:

Newspaper Interviews/Articles:

1) The IOFFL member who first sees the newspaper event or article creates a new thread on the forum with a link to the full text of the article.
2) The member pulls the most important points out of the article and posts them to the thread.
3) We discuss each point on the forum, gathering information on how we should respond to the points.
It is very important that we gather factual information to support our point of view, such as reports, surveys, etc.
4) We find the contact details (email and snail mail) of the journalist and editor.
5) Each IOFFL member who has the time sends an email or letter to the journalist and editor, taking inspiration and facts from the info we gathered in step 3 above.

N.B. It is very important that we just don't send a form letter or just cut and paste the info from step 3. It is much more impressive when an editor receives letters from different people with different ways of looking at the issue and focusing on different points, but all coming from the same basic ideal. So use the info from step 3 as a resource.

Radio Interviews:
1) If an IOFFL member hears of an upcoming radio interview, please post a new thread about it with details of date and time.
2) If as many members as possible could record it that would be great. (Just to make sure we have at least one copy of it).
3) Create an MP3 of the recording (16k -20k is generally fine for radio interviews), upload it somewhere and post a link to it on the thread.
If you don't have somewhere to upload it, then PM me or email the IOFFL committee and we will upload it to one of our servers.
4) If someone could create a synopsis of the points from the interview and post it to the forum.
5) We discuss each point on the forum, gathering information on how we should respond to the points.
It is very important that we gather factual information to support our point of view, such as reports, surveys, etc.
6) We find the contact details (email and snail mail) of the radio show.
7) Each IOFFL member who has the time sends an email or letter to the radio show, taking inspiration and facts from the info we gathered in step 3 above.

N.B. It is very important that we just don't send a form letter or just cut and paste the info from step 3. It is much more impressive when an editor receives letters from different people with different ways of looking at the issue and focusing on different points, but all coming from the same basic ideal. So use the info from step 3 as a resource.

Guidelines and Tips

---

- Be professional and courteous.

The most important thing is to be professional, all the other guidelines stem from that. A professional well thought out and balanced response will get far greater attention then some language filled rant.

- Don't attack the person, attack the content.

Don't attack the interviewer or the interviewee, it only makes you weaker. Instead attack their points and refute them with well-developed arguments supported with factual information.

- No language or rants.

It just makes you look childish and it will cause your letter to be dumped in the bin.

- Don't use nicknames for companies, etc. (e.g. Eircon, Eshat, etc.)

- Support your arguments with verified, factual information.

It makes you look more professional and knowledgeable, has a higher chance of being accepted and is harder to refute.

- Don't copy.

Form letters just don't impress. Add in your own ideas and views and pick the points that are important to you.

- Do add you own ideas and views.

- If the article/show is corrected later, send the journalist/editor a thank you note.

- In closing the letter, point the person to the www.irelandoffline.org website for further information and assistance.

N.B. All of these tips also apply to the thread we are posting to in the forum. Remember the IOFLL forum is often visited by a variety of people including journalists, companies and government types.

The following two threads are successful campaigns we have before and have some sample letters to give you some idea of how to write such letters:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=115313
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=114057

That is all I have for now. If anyone has any other ideas or criticisms, please let me know.
This will be very much a community effort, everyone's help counts.

dahamsta

<applause>

Well done Brian and the committee, great to see the grass roots being leveraged again! Use us baby!

adam

dahamsta

One tip to add: Feel free to write several pages of facts and figures to support your assertions, but just like a CV or an important letter, use the first page to grab their attention. Use short paragraphs and hard-hitting facts, preferably in bullet points. If you don't, there's very little chance they'll read /any/ of it. If you're sending an email, this is even more important -- condense, condense, condense. If they see a big scrollbar on the right, they'll groan and move on.

adam

Ripwave

Originally posted by bk
4) If someone could create a synopsis of the points from the interview and post it to the forum.

Actually, it would be very useful if people could post actual transcripts of what was said, as well as a synopsis.

This is something that anyone can help out with, once the MP3 has been posted - in fact, you don't even have to do the whole thing. If one person posts the first 2 minutes of an interview, someone else can post the next 2, etc. It really will help highlight the inaccuracies and misdirection.

Eurorunner

Actually, it would be very useful if people could post actual transcripts of what was said, as well as a synopsis.

Transcripts for both interviews available on this thread

yellum

Yay about time. As Adam said, use the grassroots. This was discussed over a year ago and its good to see its being done now.

The supporters are the real power for things like this. The odds are 1000+ against each Eircom PR person who makes some dumbass statement.

Now this Grassroots idea would have been a better reason to split the forum instead of Market Issues, but moving on....

Can stickies be made for current Newspaper Articles that need to "corrected" and include the contact details of the news publication and journalist that wrote the piece (or aired the piece if its radio)

Ripwave

Originally posted by Eurorunner
Transcripts for both interviews available on this thread

Thanks, Eurorunner.

You've put me off my breakfast

BoneCollector

why dont IOFL contact the likes of newstalk, journalists etc..
and prompt them to contact you if and when eircom are likely to in an interview and to give you the opertunity to attend or pose questions to be answered

bk

Originally posted by BoneCollector
why dont IOFL contact the likes of newstalk, journalists etc..
and prompt them to contact you if and when eircom are likely to in an interview and to give you the opertunity to attend or pose questions to be answered

In the past, when IOFFL was scheduled to appear on a show with Eircom, the Eircom rep never turned up.

They just don't want an open debate.

Dangger

BoneCollector it has become increasingly obvious over the past 2 years that Eircom will only take part in radio discussions if they are to be the only participants.

RTE, Newstalk, and TodayFM have us on their books as willing participants and that is why we get to appear on their shows.

dahamsta

Ye should turn up on the fly. I'm sure Newstalk would be happy to arrange a surprise visit.

adam /pokes his head round the door and says boo

yellum

You could do a this is your life style thing !

Do you recognise this voice:
" Eircom are bastards "

McRedmond' "Oh **** its beecher ! "

I think to improve the grassroots more you should utilize the members mailing list more or create a new announce list where people are emailed the call to arms on a weekly basis as well as times when some Eircom rep will be on some news show.

If every member was ready to ring it and list a few facts it would undermine the credibility of Eircom even more. We all know what they're like but the general population don't know what we know. Yet,

nahdoic

Originally posted by yellum
I think to improve the grassroots more you should utilize the members mailing list more or create a new announce list where people are emailed the call to arms on a weekly basis as well as times when some Eircom rep will be on some news show.

If every member was ready to ring it and list a few facts it would undermine the credibility of Eircom even more. We all know what they're like but the general population don't know what we know. Yet,

Very good idea. Heck you could even have an sms notification feature.

Moriarty

Stickying.

The Clown Man

Would you not send the interviewer a series of 'Questions from our listeners' that they themselves can ask during an interview?

Obviously McRedmond has a series of pre-rehersed answers so why not have pre-rehersed rebuttle at the interviewers fingertips?

It would certianly make for a good interview from the broadcasters point of view.

ednwireland

could i point out that we need to do this if other representatives from other companies make such statements i know we all hate eircom but i hate esatbt almost as much for completely ignoring a good proportion of the country, just a thought might make us look a little more objective than just eircom bashing (despite it being my favourite sport)

OHP

I have not been here all that long and god know all I do is probably give out about Eircon every time I come on. But I have noticed one thing. Eircon NEVER reply to or acknowledge to a post made here. As far as they are concerned we actually need them more then they need us. The fact is we actually do. Every business / home depends on Eircon and without them we would not be able to function. Several suggestions have been made in the past to bypass Eircon but this is proving impossible. Simple fact is we need them and they know it. And until such time as someone comes with an alternative they have us by the balls. The last Blackout was great but non-effective. A lot of people took part but it was no use. Eircon have more money than brains and until we decide enough is enough they will continue to have enough money to battle us out. I know IOFFL are trying their best. But being non funded and having a lot less than 100% support they will continue to be ignored by Eircon. So what should be discussed here is, what can WE do to make them take notice? I have a few suggestions.

1. Fund IOFFL
2. Press / TV / Radio coverage.
3. Talk to the ESB (merge with them and let them know exactly what is going on)
4. Find alternatives to using Eircon and make people more aware of how they are being ripped off by them.
5. Make an open Statement to the press that IOFFL want to meet in open discussion with EIRCON and point out that EIRCON refuse to.

Need I go on? Eircon ring me 2 maybe 3 times a month to ask why did I leave them. I gave them the same old answers and they ignore me. Now what do I do?

OHP

Eurorunner

Firstly, i would hate to dampen the enthusiasm of anyone whos aim was to break the €ircon death-grip on telecoms development in ireland but....


1. I'm not convinced that a 'funded' ioffl would be much more effective than it is currently? How would cash help?

2. Press /TV/Radio coverage - i agree that this should always be a priority but believe that this is being pursued on a continuous basis and in actual fact, ioffl has gotten a reasonable amount of exposure.

3. IOFFL needs to keep a independent footing - ok, if its determined that progress can be made through one particular organisation over another - in this case the ESB, then OK, IOFFL could try and push things in this direction but must remain independent.

4. Well, i think that the commitee decided that wireless should be the main (but not the only) focus for broadband provision in Ireland.

As regards making people aware that they are being ripped off by €ircon, i am getting the vibe that irish people are beginning to wake up and smell the coffee as regards to this rip off culture (and lets face it, its not just eircom is it) - and that might really help - cos the only thing thats missing is the level of outrage that ordinary people feel about this issue - it needs to be higher!

5. I agree, although i suspect that the lads are only too aware of raising this point in interviews now...

Eircon ring me 2 maybe 3 times a month to ask why did I leave them. I gave them the same old answers and they ignore me. Now what do I do?

Do a search on 'winback' to see what fellow boarders suggest on this ..i believe you should request in writing that eircom leave you the hell alone and thereafter, get in contact with comreg...?

flamegrill

Perhaps if the commitee were to contact Scope or another publishing house and discuss advertising.

Scope are all for whats 'correct' in this sector, I'd say they would publish adds in the likes of smart company, pc live etc for free if the add/article was of good quality and as everyone else has said factual information.

Just a thought, it's almost like a branding excercise except seeing as ioffl has no financial gain to get from the advertising Scope wouldn't have a problem with it. (MY opinion, they may tell us (memebers/ioffl) to shag off)

My 2C

Paul

flamegrill

*bump*

TheSonOfBattles

Total newbie idea here, cause I've only started looking in here within the last day or so, but could ye not set up an interview between yourselves and someone representing some small company/commitee such as Casey's Cablesurf or the Commitee in Mayo doing local broadband on their own on a radio station, and get said party to talk about how they've successfully managed to set up such great services and high bandwidth where massive companies like Eircom and EsatBT have failed/given up. Show them up for the useless bunch they are to the public that way?

Edit: Better yet, set up a radio interview between an IOFFL representative and someone representing a Broadband company from a country of a similar size (both geographical and economical if any exist), with freely available broadband in rural areas. Even if you only do this by getting said representative to ring the company, I'd be willing to shell out a few quid to help cover the cost of the phone call if it meant raising awarness.

Edit 2: Hell, even reveal on air or in printed media how Eircom/EsatBT are unwilling to meet for a live debate, and ask that listeners/readers write to Eircom/EsatBT meet ye for a Live debate to defend their actions. Only a few people would write in most likely, but at least ye'd have a few more supporters, and would have made a few more people of their cowardice.

BlueShaun

Slight Criticism

The focus seems to be moving away from General Broadband Availability, and towards price.
Perhaps a reflection of the increasing availability in the cities, however what about the fight for more national access?