On 02/04/2012 22:10, Arthur Figgis wrote:
On 02/04/2012 18:33, Graham Nye wrote:

How does that constitute a professional PR result?

We are discussing it now, so it worked.

Not in a good way though. And for those who consider there
is no such thing as bad publicity may I remind you of
Gerald Ratner.

Don't confuse the "get our name in the media" style of "research" with
the "attempt to gain an understanding of the universe" research.

I'd agree there are two types of research - I'd divide them into good
and bad though. If PR people want to claim your former type as research
I'll just assess it in the same way as actual research.

A while ago there was some "research" into cockroaches on trains from a
leading purveyor of cockroach removal solutions. Ben Goldacre managed to
get an admission that it was indeed made up, but the story is is still
out there on various news websites.
http://www.badscience.net/2010/03/rentokil/

Interesting.



--
Graham Nye
news(a)thenyes.org.uk

On Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:40:53 +0100
Arthur Figgis wrote:
On 30/03/2012 14:42, Neil Williams wrote:
On Mar 30, 3:31 pm, wrote:

The real blackmail is in the holiday companies and airlines stiffing people
with exhorbitant fares during school holidays. There's no reason for them to
do it , they just do it because they can. Its naked profiteering.

There is more demand for a limited commodity, ergo the price is
higher. That's just market economics.

The cheaper prices at other times encourages those who can (those
without children, primarily) to holiday at other times.

Though the absence of children is also an encouragement in itself.

Agreed. I wish I could understand the mentality of parents who think its
perfectly ok for their little prince or princess to scream their lungs out
for hours when other people are trying to relax.

B2003

In message
, at
05:58:22 on Fri, 30 Mar 2012, Neil Williams
remarked:
On Mar 30, 12:24*pm, "Robin" wrote:

Would you please share your evidence that 1 week is the "norm"?

It doesn't matter that individuals won't take 3 weeks. What does
matter is that some people will be on holiday (more than, say, in
March or October) for each of the 3 weeks. Thus there will be a
reduction in demand.

Anyone who's a regular rail commuter will have realised that the
trains are *noticeably* less busy in July and August because of this
effect. Yet almost nobody is taking all of July *and* all of August
off.

Doesn't this depend on which trains we think are going to be affected by
the "Olympic Rush"? It's quite possible that a lot of Intercity trains
are going to be emptier than usual, but local trains in the East of
London are going to be rammed.
--
Roland Perry

On 02/04/2012 21:39, Arthur Figgis wrote:
On 02/04/2012 19:48, Neil Williams wrote:
On Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:15:47 +0100, roger wrote:
And there should be some exceptionally good deals for cruises this
year.

In today's Times I was amused to note an advert for cruises backing onto
an article about the Titanic.

http://www.anorak.co.uk/wp-content/u...ruise-ship.jpg


I once saw a Sunday newspaper with a box explaining that their "Visit
Sunny place" colour supplement had been printed the previous week,
before the disaster/war/revolution which was dominating the news
section, and it was too late to change it.


I wonder if the client was able to pay up for the advertisement.

In message , at 13:44:50 on
Sat, 28 Apr 2012, remarked:
Just opened my copy of the Western Gazette (our local weekly here in
Somerset) and found an advertisement from TfL warning about hotspot stations
during the Olympics. How widespread is such advertising?

On the M27 Motorway yesterday the information signs were displaying a
message advising people to plan their journeys to the Olympics.

I saw a billboard in Nottingham this morning.
--
Roland Perry

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:47:58 +0100, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:

Just opened my copy of the Western Gazette (our local weekly here in
Somerset) and found an advertisement from TfL warning about hotspot
stations
during the Olympics. How widespread is such advertising?

On the M27 Motorway yesterday the information signs were displaying a
message advising people to plan their journeys to the Olympics.
My Forays on said Motorway have fortunately declined from 3 times
daily to about once every 3 months so I don't know how long this has
been happening.

They're on the M11 as well. Been about 3 weeks, before that it said "think
bike" or "don't drive tired" if there was nothing of real interest to
display.

I want to know how "planning my journey" makes me "arrive on time".

Just because I (reasonably) plan for it to take 2 hours isn't going to make
that happen if "Olympic" congestion causes it to be 4 (boy am I glad that I
shan't be making that journey in August).

tim

In message , at 15:27:34 on Sat, 28 Apr
2012, tim.... remarked:

I want to know how "planning my journey" makes me "arrive on time".

By setting out early enough

It's actually quite a subtle way of shifting blame - anyone who is late
and it's their own fault for a lack of planning!
--
Roland Perry

On 28/04/2012 13:44, wrote:
On Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:47:58 +0100, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:

Just opened my copy of the Western Gazette (our local weekly here in
Somerset) and found an advertisement from TfL warning about hotspot stations
during the Olympics. How widespread is such advertising?

On the M27 Motorway yesterday the information signs were displaying a
message advising people to plan their journeys to the Olympics.
My Forays on said Motorway have fortunately declined from 3 times
daily to about once every 3 months so I don't know how long this has
been happening.


I first noticed them last week.

--
Graeme Wall
This account not read, substitute trains for rail.
Railway Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail

Roland Perry writes:

In message , at 13:44:50
on Sat, 28 Apr 2012, remarked:
Just opened my copy of the Western Gazette (our local weekly here in
Somerset) and found an advertisement from TfL warning about hotspot stations
during the Olympics. How widespread is such advertising?

On the M27 Motorway yesterday the information signs were displaying a
message advising people to plan their journeys to the Olympics.

I saw a billboard in Nottingham this morning.
They were on the M1 maxtrix boards, near East Midlands Airport, last
Wednesday night.

Spray, Slow down would have been more appropriate at the time.

Phil

In message , at 18:04:44 on Sat, 28 Apr 2012,
Phil remarked:
I saw a billboard in Nottingham this morning.
They were on the M1 maxtrix boards, near East Midlands Airport, last
Wednesday night.

Spray, Slow down would have been more appropriate at the time.

Must be very new because I went up to Sheffield and back last week, and
the signs were about the spray.
--
Roland Perry