Promoting Scotland

[Alastair]

Having done a significant review of our Electric Scotland sites I decided I also needed to get a handle on what Scotland was doing and also where the web was taking us and what the future might hold.

I felt in this review that Scotland seemed to be falling behind in using the online industry to promote Scotland in the way it needed to be promoted. I also felt that the Scottish Government needed to take a lead in this but wasn't. As I noted that one of Alex Salmond's jobs was meant to be promoting Scotland I thought I'd do an open letter (video) to the Scottish Government. I hope to raise a few issues that they might take a closer look at and thus improve Scotland's place in the world.

One of the quotes I give is from an article headed.... E-book sales soaring as Bloomsbury hails new chapter in publishing...

Jeremy Wilson, the group's chairman, said "the publishing world is handling it own revolution" against the tough backdrop of major public debt and fiscal imbalances. "Digital competence is undermining old business models, spawning new ones and allowing major new forces to transform - or render irrelevant - traditional relationships,"

Here is the video...

Alastair

[Alastair]

Re: Promoting Scotland

While I didn't mention this in my video I should add that since Alex Salmond has been First Minister I've sent him three emails on different subjects. To date I have had no acknowledgement of any of these emails so I haven't a clue if he or his staff read them.

In roughly the same period I've also sent three emails to Stephen Harper the Prime Minister of Canada. From his office each email was acknowledged by a member of his staff and each email tried to address the issues I'd raised.

I said above that the Scottish Government needs to lead and I wonder if that is the problem that Alex Salmond is not aware of these issues and that attitude has peculated down?

So Prime Minster of Canada 3, First Minister of Scotland 0.

Alastair

[1938 Observer]

Re: Promoting Scotland

Alastair,
Sometimes government "Minders" tend to be over protective in regard to what percolates through to their respective elected representatives, why not try an approach through Christina McKelvie who could then pass it through direct to the First Minister, I found individual representatives helpful a few years ago when I emailed Linda Fabiani (who was then 'our' weekly diarist) a couple of times regarding Nuclear Testing issues and she responded with out any problem.

[Alastair]

Re: Promoting Scotland

I was really just making a wee point when I mentioned not getting a response from Alex Salmond but getting one from Stephen Harper. It's just that I don't really know Alex Salmond but it's quite possible that he doesn't personally make use of the web so relies on his staff to do the web stuff. That might also mean he isn't aware of some of the issues I've talked about. And if he isn't aware of it then he can't do anything to fix it. I firmly believe that the Government needs to take the lead here which is why I did the video. And so if the "boss" isn't aware of these issues then they won't be fixed.

I've certainly emailed Linda and Christina and they have been kind enough to respond and pass on my emails. In fact I copied them into the email I sent to Alex Salmond about the video along with John Swinney and Fergus Ewing.

Alastair

[Alastair]

Re: Promoting Scotland

And by the way a certain person working in the tourist trade and quite high profile emailed to say...

Excellent video. Very well articulated. I really hope that they listen to it.

Alastair