Rhodri Morgan uses the internet for the first time...

Former Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan has been targeted by online fraudsters, MPs were told today.

Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said Mr Morgan, who stood down last year, was sent an email from a woman saying he was “exactly the kind of man she was looking for”.

During Commons question time, Mr Brennan – MP for Cardiff West – joked that the message had not come from Mr Morgan’s wife Julie, the MP for Cardiff North.

After setting out measures being taken to combat online fraud – particularly among vulnerable and older people – Mr Brennan revealed that 70-year-old Mr Morgan raised the alarm after receiving the email.

He said: “The former first minister of Wales, Rhodri Morgan, has just taken up the internet and he recently in the office received an email which he showed to me from someone – from a woman – who said she was exactly the kind of man she was looking for.

“I did point out that it was not from the Hon Member for Cardiff North, his wife.”

P.S. More amusing news comes from Jonathan Morgan AM "Rhodri Morgan's mutterings from the back of the Senedd make him sound like Fr Jack, the old priest in BBC's Father Ted series!

Anti-Conservative Emails

Sustainable transport charity the Campaign for Better Transport is to strengthen its volunteer induction procedures after a temporary member of staff sent out an email to supporters asking for evidence that the Conservative Party was "hostile to good public transport".

Harry Phibbs, a Conservative councillor on Hammersmith & Fulham Council, said he had complained to the Charity Commission. He wrote on the ConservativeHome blog: "Here is a charity behaving in the most blatantly partisan manner."

The CBT's trustees had been asked to read the regulator's campaigning guidance and send "a clarification with regard to meaning" to the recipients of the email.

Stephen Joseph, Executive Director of CBT, said the email had not been seen by any of the charity's staff before it was sent and did not reflect the intentions of CBT. He said its campaigning followed commission guidelines and a clarification email had already been sent. "We have strengthened our volunteer-induction procedures and are confirming this to the commission," he added.

Blow the whistle and they don't come running

The Western Mail's latest leaky story concerns CLAIMS made by an Assembly Government civil servant raise serious concerns about the running of the Department responsible for the Welsh economy, according to the Conservatives.

In a letter to the Western Mail, the whistle-blower lists a series of alleged shortcomings, claiming they illustrate how the Department for Economy and Transport is letting Wales down, and which include:

• Recent Ministerial refusal to meaningfully engage with the UK Government on stimulating bank lending to Wales’s businesses in favour of WAG lending of public money direct to business;


• hundreds of millions of pounds of European aid being diverted from the private sector into the continuation of longstanding, re-branded public sector schemes with poor track records;


• the much-trumpeted Single Investment Fund and WAG’s SME (small and medium enterprises) relationship manager support is only reaching a minuscule number of Welsh businesses;


• millions of pounds of funding intended for SMEs not being used and handed back;


• an expensive IT project to develop a customer relationship management system not delivering;


• major problems with the public transport concessionary fares scheme;


• ministers’ decision to reject connecting with the highly praised Business Link and Direct Gov websites, helping millions of individuals and businesses elsewhere in the UK, on the grounds that they are “too English” and would make the millions of pounds invested in WAG’s site look embarrassing;


• expensive staff events continuing at some of Wales’ best hotels regardless of the recession; and
• the department’s staff having the least faith in senior management, according to staff survey results.
  
  

Shadow Minister for the Economy David Melding said:

Businesses and workers across Wales are looking for leadership and support as the recession tightens its grip. They need to have confidence that after five economic summits and countless policy announcements the Assembly Government is delivering on its promises.

These claims, however, suggest the Assembly Government is failing to match words with delivery. They also highlight poor morale among staff at the heart of the Assembly Government and underline the concerns we have raised about ministers’ failure to implement a proper package to help businesses survive the recession. They also raise questions about the performance of [Plaid Cymru leader] Ieuan Wyn Jones as the Minister responsible.

The Assembly Government needs to satisfy the public it is doing all it can to help businesses and workers overcome the growing economic difficulties – not just in terms of words, but also by providing tangible evidence of delivery on the ground.


An Assembly Government spokesman would not respond on a point-by-point basis to the allegations, but said:

This is merely a list of unsubstantiated and spurious claims [that we wouldn't like to talk about] from an anonymous individual [coward] claiming to work for the Department for Economy and Transport [contradiction in terms]. If a member of the Department has any legitimate concerns [and are not bothered about advancement] then they are encouraged to raise them through the proper channels. *

* Correct course of action: Express concern to senior manager - senior manager rejects your concern and explains that you don't have sufficient experience in such matters - senior manager reports to colleagues - discussion takes place behind closed doors while alarm bells are silenced, hoping that no one else will stir up a fuss - problem solved.

Up a network ladder and down a slippery Facebook snake

During my prolonged absence from blogging - from reading blogs, writing blogs, talking about blogs and sometimes even dreaming about blogs or bloggers - I continued to play about with my second attempt at Farcebook membership.

Sadly (boo, hiss!), my second attempt ended up in the same black hole as my first attempt, but without all the fuss.

Hey! Ho! There's still a Blog Network to join. Perhaps I should revert to my maiden name for my third and final attempt, and slip below the radar.

A possible return to blogging and keyword activity fun

All bloggers need to take a break from time to time. Have you noticed? I've enjoyed mine and will continue to do so until I feel the compulsive urge to get back into the swing of things and post on a regular basis again.

All main contributors haven't posted for a while by mutual agreement. This has left some thinking that the blog is dead to the world, including the shy and retiring Assembly types (Lol... not dead, but resting). However, there has been a lot of interest lately in one particular post thanks to a link from Betsan Powys of the BBC.

Like Betsan, I was disappointed to hear that Christopher Glamorgan had pulled out of the tribunal against the Welsh Ministers/Welsh Assembly Government. I'm sure he had his reasons, but I can't help thinking that we've missed something special and even I was hoping to attend the hearing as a member of the public. Christopher has yet to answer my email and concern for his case, but I'll keep you posted when I return. Remember Christopher, the offer still stands and I'm sure that Matt Wardman also supports my view on this.

I got slightly bored of blogging and if I'm honest, of Welsh politics, although ongoing fiascos and the reckless should inspire posting if I had the time. Family has always been important, and also making a success of business. After all, as a self-employed person no one else is going to support me - right??

Following the large number of hits to the one post, it got me curious about blog stats, so I decided to take a look for myself. Most interest on the Christopher Glamorgan post came from the Assembly itself which was to be expected, and from local government. A look at 'visitor paths' also made me realise how widely read Betsan's blog is in the UK, which was surprising considering the topic of Welsh politics. This must be testament to the blog being hosted by the BBC and Betsan's writing style.

Another blog stat that caught my attention was that of 'keyword activity' and the interesting, sometimes strange, and frankly bizarre search terms used. One slightly controversial search term was 'Tomos Livingstone bias' and made by someone in the office of HSO Trinity Mirror Group.

These are some of the Internet search terms used (in no particular order) which ended up with the inquiring minds clicking on a link to this blog. Some are obvious. Some are amusing. Others are simply mind boggling.

1. Miss Wagstaff
2. Cardiff political issues
3. Pippa Wagstaff
4. One Wales Government
5. Gareth Hall Welsh Assembly Government
6. Leadership of Welsh political party
7. Mike German Jane Hutt affair
8. Biggest wastes of public money
9. Chocolate cheese Switzerland
10. Jolly roger
11. Office relationships
12. Welsh Labour communications officer
13. Jonathan Evans Julie Morgan
14. Cornock Steve Morgan campaign
15. Welsh Assembly Llandudno jobs
16. Swiss known for
17. Welsh civil servant
18. Paul Murphy sentenced Pontypridd
19. 32% of welsh women prefer to do after 18:00
20. Mistress Services Wales
21. Ellis, luke amss carwyn jones
22. Ellis, luke (amss carwyn jones)
23. Carwyn jones luke ellis
24. Carwyn jones luke ellis
25. Petite welsh woman 60
26. Matt Withers surfing
27. Civil service dress code uk foreign office
28. Cocks that don't fit
29. Top ten reasons to limit debate with a troll
30. Martyn Williams Miss Wagstaff
31. Welsh Labour Europe nonentity
32. Jane Wagstaff porn
33. Jane Hutt quote
34. Tomos Livingstone bias
35. Alun Davies AM blog
36. Human Resources email Welsh Assembly
37. Rhodri Morgan dress sense
38. Sacked civil servant
39. Facebook farce blog
40. Failing Welsh civil service

All I can say is keep blogging. At best, we all find it fun and informative, at its very worst... you can guess the rest.

Balancing bookends

Since former minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas was air brushed from a picture of the Cabinet, the Welsh Assembly Government has been busy updating its photographs on their website. As well as posting an up to date Cabinet photo, there's also a complete Welsh Assembly Government shot.

The usual suspects are in the photo - First Minister, Deputy First Minister, Counsel General, Ministers and Deputy Ministers. But wait, I see more! There are also what appears to be two bookend hangers-on.

I've asked Pippa if she knows who they are. She does. She also said that I should be able to guess the one on the right.

I'm guessing the person on the right is the new Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Assembly Government Gillian Morgan from her BBC photo. But who is the person on the left? Miss Wagstaff wants me to find out for myself and is giving me no clues.

Given the negative publicity on equal opportunities in the Assembly, I'll be surprised if this isn't a way to get more women in the official photograph. With two women leaving in 2011, they need all the numbers they can get.

The Benefits of Offline Blog Editors

This is a cross-post from the Wardman Wire, singing the praises of editing your blog offline, rather than using the Back Office of whatever blog application you use.

Offline blog editors are PC-based editors that allow blog posts to be written on a local PC and then uploaded as a separate operation. I was asked about the benefits

I've been using an offline Blog Editor called Blogdesk by Johannes Oppermann. I am very pleased with the software. This is only suitable for a PC, but there are other editors available, and I have a list at the bottom of the article. Here is what Blogdesk looks like: Click on the image for a full screenshot.

Offline Editor Benefits

These are the benefits of Blogdesk which I came up with. This is not exhaustive.

1. I do maybe 95% of my editing offline, and can then "squirt" a post in maybe 10 seconds, rather than having to pfaff with online delays (and I am on a relatively slow - 512kbps - link), and I get a good editor and decent image crop / resize / borders / align utility that is v. quick.


2. Responsiveness is massively better than any online editor.


3. The is no need to login to WordPress every time I do something.


4. I have maybe 25 different post templates some with WP Options and
   
   Custom fields set up as required etc, e.g., with all the different attribution links in for the different cartoonists each morning.


5. In my setup I run with 2 copies of WP (the "Magazine" and "Blog" views) - and things like videos have to be posted to each separately easily.


6. I have boilerplate phrases and paragraphs to hand.


7. There is no need to upload pictures and photos through the Wordpress online image library feature, which is slow.


8. I don't have problems with my connection going down or website response times while editing.


9. I also cross-post quite regularly - I can cross-post just by ticking off boxes next to each one.


10. I can get straight at the last 99 posts without needing to troll through the Wordpress Backoffice.


11. I can automatically upload sound files. I only use this feature for small files since I have a tight limit set on my server for "upload" size. I usually use ftp for media files.


12. I get a full display of categories rather than a little Window showing about 3.


13. I can disable the WYSIWIG editor in WordPress, which removes one past source of hacker attacks. Note that it is safer now, but on this subject it is useful to be slightly paranoid.


14. I can do Wordpress and Technorati Tags, and Customised Fields directly from my PC desktop.


15. I can go and write in a pub over a pint, or on a train without the risks of a mobile connection.


16. A boilerplate text storage area.


17. Configuration was a doddle. You need to know your blog configuration settings, and what a few terms mean - but that is about it.


18. There are decent support forums.


19. Blogdesk is free.


20. Blogdesk supports the blog systems WordPress, MovableType, Drupal, Serendipity and ExpressionEngine and does not support Blogger, which means that it helps get people away from Blogger !
    

A Wide Choice

There are a large number of desktop editors available, both free and paid. A recent post on Smashing Magazine gave summaries of 15, and there was a decent discussion in the comments.

These are the ones they list, which cover different platforms. They are all linked to their home websites in the article:

• Windows Live Writer (Windows)


• MarsEdit (Mac)


• BlogDesk (Windows)


• Zoundry Raven (Windows)


• Ecto (Mac)


• w.bloggar (Windows)


• Thingamablog (Window, Mac, Linux)


• Qumana (Windows, Mac)


• Scribefire (Firefox)


• BlogJet (Windows)


• Flock (Mac, Windows, Linux)


• Post2Blog (Windows)


• Bleezer (Mac, Windows, Linux)

This is the conclusion reached by Smashing:

If you have little experience in blogging you might try either Flock, Windows Live Writer or Scribefire. Those three have fairly intuitive interfaces and don’t have all the advanced features that more robust programs have. Also, they are free so you can check out what application better manages to cover your needs.

Advanced bloggers looking for a bit more firepower should try Ecto, BlogJet or BlogDesk. BlogDesk works especially well for bloggers who frequently use photos in their posts (Image Wizard). Windows Live Writer and Ecto have extra functionality built in, as they both allow you to install plugins to add specific features.

Every desktop blog editor is a great benefit to any blogger’s toolkit, as it saves time and has features that traditional blog platforms don’t always have.

How to Proceed

My recommendation is to try experimenting, while accepting that some people genuinely do not get on with offline editors. If you like it, the benefits can be significant.

Scribefire is worth a look if you do not like separate applications, as it is a plugin for the Firefox Web Browser.

You may need to experiment - I tried about 6 different editors before I settled on the one I like, so patience may help.

A Betsan by any other name would smell as sweet

Another Welsh blogger has taken to reporting about the fate of Christopher Glamorganshire, with more success than I when it comes to the latest gossip.

Betsan Powys' latest post covers what she's heard in "Free speech, huge bills?":

"If you were born in Cardiff, why didn't your parents call you Betsan South Glamorgan?"

A question endured in school over and again but now, of course, I know the answer. As Christopher Glamorgan has proven, it would have been too dangerous a name to adopt.

Who is Christopher? He is - or was - a civil servant of many years, employed by the Welsh Assembly Government and who was sacked as a result of publishing an anonymous blog.

Whether the case against him stands up or not has been a matter of some discussion in parts of the Welsh blogosphere (particularly here) already.

For what it's worth, this is what I know.

The latest suggestion is that his tribunal case is going ahead, that it's unlikely to be heard until next year but that it will be discussed in an internal meeting, presumably in government offices in Cathays Park, next week.

Why was he sacked?

His thoughts on "Who would be a leader in a wicked, wicked world" drew the attention of someone in Cathays Park in July of last year. A flurry of confidential Emails started:

"This is the blog I mentioned earlier - reading it all and the profile places the individual in the Bay picking up plenty of insider stuff on WAG".

The then Permanent Secretary, Sir Jon Shortridge, gets involved.

"The Permanent Secretary has asked me to check if any emails have gone out to this blog site (or if people apart from ... have browsed). The site has contained some detail which may have links with leak enquiries".

He was sacked and and as things stand is taking his case to tribunal, despite his union, the PCS, heeding advice they've been given that he has some mountain to climb, such a mountain, carrying the threat of such a big bill at the end, that they've decided he must climb it alone.

Solicitors acting for the government don't mince their words. In letters I've had sight of they sum up the conclusions of the Employment Judge (and bear in mind I'm quoting their own summing up here, not quotes from a transcript) like this:

the "claim has little reasonable prospect of success", the blog was "contrary to the civil service code" and "has the potential to cause an embarrassment to the Welsh Assembly Government", therefore breaking the code.

Had 'Christopher Glamorgan' been guilty of "excessive internet abuse and potential copyright infringement" alone the judge seems to conclude that a final written warning would have been enough. However the blog, "the most serious of the issues", means dismissal "would fall within the band of reasonable responses available to a reasonable employer".

The letter ends on what I'll call a blunt note: go ahead and we'll apply for a full costs order against you, one that covers all fees, charges, disbursements and expenses incurred by WAG.

Give in now and we won't.

Thanks for the hat-tip Betsan.

Spies like us

I always seem to find something to read after clearing out the rubbish and old newspapers when recycling. This leads me on to a type of recycling of my own - old posts.

The following piece is from the South Wales Echo and just happens to have been published on the same day as I announced that Facebook had erased my account. After reading the following article, I suddenly realised that Mr Wagstaff will have to check Jnr's web activity when he's old enough to use a computer. My experience of Facebook may have been one of eradication, but at least the experience didn't go as far as another young mum of Cardiff. Brings a whole new meaning to the modern philosophy of "Every little helps".

CHILDREN as young as eight in South Wales are logging on to social network sites like Facebook, forcing concerned parents to go online to spy on them.

Thousands of schoolchildren claim to be using the popular sites, despite the minimum age for registration on the majority being 13. And nearly two thirds (60%) admit to posting personal information online, such as mobile phone numbers, addresses and where they go to school.

Fears over young social networkers have prompted two thirds (66%) of parents to take matters into their own hands by secretly logging on to their children’s networking page to snoop on them.

An astonishing 34% have even gone as far as setting up their own social networking page to spy on their children, according to research out today from online identity experts Garlik.

Today there were calls for the three biggest sites – Bebo, MySpace and Facebook – to take their age restriction policies more seriously.

But online experts say it is too easy for children to lie about their age on the internet, and instead urged parents and teachers to educate their children about the dangers of using websites for social networking.

Wanted: IT Consultant for Non-IT Girl

I've added the code for this template and can assure you that it isn't meant to look like this. You could say that I've got a few problems that didn't exist at the testing stage - the 'posts' section doesn't come in the same format as the template, and I'm unable to upload a photo in the header.

At the testing stage, when I created a blog from scratch, the formatting was fine and I was able to upload a photo into the header, and use as a banner (Example of template)

Is there a way of applying this template to an established blog and achieve the same formatting, and be able to add a banner as a header without experiencing the above problems?

IT consultants working for the Welsh Assembly Government need not apply [laugh].

Update: Managed to sort out the problems, and created more by losing all my links in the process. I will be restoring all previous links to other blogs over the following few days. If I've missed your blog, please let me know. Thanks for the advice that's been offered.

DotCYM, an unsavoury opportunity for some

A £20,000 grant to secure a "dot cym" internet address for Wales is to be given by the assembly government.

Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said the money was to support the DotCYM campaign for a Welsh version of the .com or co.uk endings. He said it would "open up new marketing opportunities and help promote the Wales brand."

Broadcasters on BBC Wales news were reluctant to pronounce the proposed "dot CYM" type internet address. Instead, spelling out the name as "dot C-Y-M"

I wonder why this could be. Surely it couldn't be down to the opportunity for some on the World Wide Web. Just goes to show that some things are not thought through from start to finish.

Wiped from the Face (book) of the earth

"Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you." No longer, thanks to the Facebook fascists!

It seems that due to a number of complaints from Labour party members [including a reasonably well-known UK blogger; a Labour Special Adviser; and a member of the National Assembly] and one from a member of Plaid Cymru, my Facebook account is no more.

Those that want to spread a little affection can still join the Miss Wagstaff Presents blog network.
I noticed on 17 July that my account had been disabled:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I have just been informed that my account has been disabled without a warning or explanation. Would you be so kind as to explain the reason why.

Yours,

Pippa Wagstaff (Wales)

On 21 July 2008 I received this response from Facebook:

Hi,
Fake accounts are a violation of our Terms of Use. Facebook requires users to provide their real first and last names. Impersonating anyone or anything is prohibited. Unfortunately, we will not be able to reactivate this account for any reason. This decision is final.

Thanks for your understanding,

Bella
User Operations
Facebook

Fair enough, I thought! Wrong use of "Thanks for your understanding" was another. But why not raise the question with me of the possibility of 'real and fake names' in the first instance - before deactivation.

I wrote back with the following:

Thank you for getting back to me. I can assure you that I am not impersonating anyone or anything. Pippa Wagstaff is my real name, and I have even noticed - to my surprise - that there are others with that name on Facebook.

I hope that you will reconsider.

Kind regards,
Pippa

I should have known better and atleast I'm happy with the name Pippa Wagstaff. I'm slightly disturbed that they haven't even asked me if this is my real name. As I've mentioned, there are others with this name on Facebook - I was curious and looked them up. In fact, there are plenty with some weird and wonderful names on Facebook that haven't been deleted, and I say good luck to them.

I can only imagine that this will put others off from joining Facebook, if their genuine names and account can be deleted without a hint of warning, and with such contempt for the person who joined in the first place. I just hope that like me they don't rely on the social network to keep in touch with others, or they could be in for a shock some day.

In the real world they shouldn't have done this without checking all the facts first. I expect it's too late to reinstate in my case.

Banned internally by the Welsh Assembly Government. Now erased from Facebook without them even questioning me about my identity. I don't know what the world is coming to, but admit that thankfully I will now have an extra 20-30 minutes spare each day. This got me thinking about how much time some of us dedicate to online networking, and maybe we should take note and all free up some extra time in our daily lives and do something more meaningful.

This is a non-aligned blog, but the evidence demonstrates that it must be getting under someone's skin. It's just a shame that I know who - it spoils the surprise!

Assembly IT: Surf's up for staff

Senior management of the Welsh Assembly Government are taking an increasingly harsh approach to abuses of the Assembly IT system; and even to information put up on the internet by staff in their own time or at home.

Throughout 2007 many staff have received final warnings for forwarding risque pictures by e-mail, and already this year PCS is supporting members facing disciplinary actions due to their use of IT. Management aren't interested in debating what is an inappropriate image. When it comes to IT they are the reincarnation of the Puritans. Understandably, they want to avoid what happened in the DVLA, where explicit images were circulated, leading to 18 sackings and another 148 staff being disciplined following a huge amount of negative media coverage.

Assembly Minister Brian Gibbons' act of online listening to 'The Archers' during a Senedd debate would have landed him with a disciplinary - were he an Assembly member of staff.

One of the biggest online developments in recent years has been the growth of social networking sites such as MySpace, Bebo and Facebook. Here people create online profiles of themselves, exchange public messages and post photos and videos online. PCS strongly advise members not to declare that they work for the Assembly, especially if their members post compromising photos of themselves or make political statements.

Some companies even check peoples' online profiles, to vet if they are suitable for employment; and once an online profile has been set up it can be very difficult to remove. PCS urge members to be very careful as to what they say online, as some of their members have run into trouble and been subjected to disciplinary proceedings following comments made on blogs.

[Source: PCS Wales]

Technorati and the Desktop Meme

I've only just noticed that Damon Lord has tagged me into what's known as the Desktop Meme, where you share with others a view of what your desktop looks like - folders [warts] and all.

Firstly, although I think it's an interesting prospect that would bring you a little closer to the psyche of a fellow blogger - good or bad - I find this difficult to carry out in my case as on my desktop is a cute picture of my little boy in 'cheeky boy' pose.

Secondly - and the reason why I'm bringing it up in this post - is that only recently I've noticed this particular tagging, and that I've also noticed that Technorati is rather slow these days in tracking those that have tagged you on their blog, and is becoming unreliable. Has anyone else noticed this? I'm positive that the more technical minded would've already posted on this, but thought it worth a mention.

Before I go. Why do I get the impression that most men have pictures of women on their desktop? ;)