Journal – Page 47

Dec 21 2009

Clarification of the Issue

I was surprised to hear feedback, to the podcast I just published, so quickly. It just reassures me that bloggers stand beside each other. Because I got some much feedback I have decided to fill in everyone on the details about the situation that I didn’t mention in the podcast. Although I will be leaving out names.

Upon reading a Facebook status that a fellow bloggers posted about how they would be in the Wednesdays edition of the local paper with their blog, I left he/she the comment “neat”. I love it when any NWT/Yk blogger gets traditional media attention, to me it says “we’re not totally ignoring you” or so I thought.

After I had made the comment I received a message from said person. They explained to me why they had been contacted, which was because of the NWT Blog Awards. I thought great but that wasn’t all. They proceeded to tell me how they suggested to the local paper to call me because I am the one with the. passion for blogging and the north. Which makes sense, although I don’t want to be to big headed, because as a journalist are you not suppose to try and find the person with the most information? Anyways the reporter replied with no, they’re not allowed. Their reasoning is because one of my other blog is media related and as this paper is also media, they do not want to promote the competition. Which again makes sense to me, if we were more comparable. I certainly compare my blog to them. I rarely report any facts and when I do it is not very detailed at all. I find it funny that a company that is well established and has many staff working all the time, sees a blog by one person who is not very old a threat.

Before this paper gets offended that I wrote about this, I want them to know that I respect them. I read the paper every time it comes out and I get information from it. I use it as a resource on occasion. Keep in mind that this blog of mine is not some much about reporting the facts but more creating the discussion around the issue. It about promoting Yellowknife and spreading the work about what is going on,

UPDATE: Read what Jason and Megan have said so far.

UPDATE: I have written a follow up post, please check it out.

Note* I will be back to edit and add more to this post later. Need to clear my head.

Dec 18 2009

Fed up with these companies

You know, I’m not really one for bashing companies but I can’t stand the lack of reliable service I have been receiving lately. I understand that things go wrong and may break from time to time. I like to think that they are working on the problem and the service will be back quickly. I like to think they actually care and will recognize that they had a problem and admit it. But maybe I have been wrong all this time.

I live in a town that is, literally, in the middle of nowhere but to be honest I have heard that excuse one too many times. I don’t care if we are; stop hiding behind that wall. Come out and face me like a man. All I ask is that you, yes you, explain to us, the customers, why you are having problems constantly. You know what else you could also consider, refunds. I mean it only makes sense; we pay for a full month, do we not? Ha! I doubt you’d do that, how would you make any money then, it is not like there is any competition up here in the north.

I thought I knew how business worked, I pay for a service and in return I get the service. Currently I am paying for the service and sometimes getting it. On the up side the three companies I am referring to are able to keep their service up more then it is down, that is always good.

I wish you’d figure out that opening up to your customers would better our relationship. Talk to us; don’t just push ads at us. Keep us up to date with what is going on, trust me people want to be involved. Then we might be a little more understanding what when your service goes down.

What I have been experiencing lately is not fun, especially considering parts of my job require the use of these services. It seems like these services are caught in the wind, because one second I have it, then I don’t, then I do, then I don’t again. It is frustrating.

Please keep in mind I still have huge amount of respect for these companies, hence I didn’t name names. I would love to find a solution to this little predicament of ours; can you offer one?

Dec 14 2009

A Note About Video

This is just a quick note to all my faithful readers both here on KyleWith.com and over at YkOnline.ca. I now have the Flip camera and I now know how to import and up load easily. What does this mean? Well it mean you can expect a lot more videos from me. Maybe one a day, probably not. Both random and topical, for both here and YkOnline.ca.

I sincerely hope you don’t mind and will enjoy my adventures are Yellowknife. One of the things I hope to accomplish while doing this is my fear of the “in real life” public. What I mean is, I hope to get rid of that fear where I constantly think people are judging me while I walk down a street with a camera pointed at me. Well actually I know they are judging me, what I hope to do is ignore them completely.

So stay tuned and I will post many of them here rather than sending you all to Youtube. Cheers.

Dec 05 2009

Mornings Like This

We all knew the warmer weather would come to an end here in Yellowknife, and quite frankly I was looking forward to it. Although I do enjoy it being only -5 outside, but while I’m walking around there are things I do miss. The snow on the roads does not stay packed and makes it a mess to drive in and it seems like it is always cloudy.

I can happily say that streak has broken. This Saturday morning, the first in December, I awoke 2 hours later than normal, due to the fact I didn’t have to work, to an very uncommon amount of light coming through my window. I frantically tried to find my phone, to see if I had succeeded in sleeping in for a decent amount of time, but I was surprised to find it only 7am. As I crawled out of bed, it felt that little bit chillier in my basement bedroom and as I glanced out the window I saw the ever so clear blue sky. And at the exact moment I knew it was colder outside than previous days and I knew winter was here in Yellowknife.

One of the beauties of a Yellowknife winter is its pleasant amount of clear sky days. It is like a super charge of life. For those of you who don’t have the pleasure of living in Yellowknife you may not realize how dark it is and how little day light we actually get in the winter. Currently the sun, when it is not cloudy, will come up about 10am and set about 3pm. You can see how someone who works inside with out any windows might not get to see any of the day light. That is why on days like this, where it is so clear and the sun is so bright, I make it a point to get outside and take in as much as I can. I like to think after living in Yellowknife for 13 years I have adjusted myself to the light and darkness.

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