Tom Watson MP » Search Results » iggle

Bell Pottinger statement on Wikipedia edits

Tom — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:17:15 +0000

London, 8 December 2011: Today’s Independent (8 December 2011) reports: “Bell Pottinger caught rewriting its clients’ Wikipedia entries”. We confirm that we have edited Wikipedia entries in the interest of accuracy of information for some of our clients.

The changes made by ‘BigglesWiki’ were made in accordance with Wikipedia’s guidelines, i.e. through the use of Talk and discussion pages, so that we sought the approval of the wider Wikipedia community before they were published. We also ensured that any additions to Wikipedia were based on facts that had already been reported in the public domain, so that these changes could be correctly referenced.

The issue of PR agencies and the wider media editing Wikipedia is something that we would welcome a further discussion on with Wikipedia. We are aware of Wikipedia’s guidelines that advise: “editing in the interests of public relations is particularly frowned upon”, but no more so than others using Wikipedia to publish inaccurate information.

We are undertaking a review of our interaction with Wikipedia to date, to ensure that we are collaborating with Wikipedia in the true spirit of the community. If we have fallen short of complying with the code and spirit of the community then we will change our practices.

We view Wikipedia as an essential and positive part of the modern media landscape and want to fully cooperate with the community in the future.

Alan Watkins, Brief Lives (Auberon Waugh)

Tom — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:43:37 +0000

I think I may have mentioned Brief Lives by Alan Watkins before.

There’s an hilarious passage on Auberon Waugh that I must share with you.

“He did his national service as a subaltern in the Royal Horse Guards and was sent to Cyprus. One day he noticed and impediment in the elevation of the Browning machine gun in his armoured car, and resolved to investigate it. He moved to the front of the gun, seized it and wiggled it up and down, whereupon it started to fire bullets into him. He survived, but lost a lung, his spleen, several ribs and a finger. As he was lying on the ground, waiting for the ambulance, he said to his platoon sergeant, a parachutist from Bristol called Chudleigh: ‘kiss me, Chudleigh.’ Chudleigh, however, did not spot the reference, and afterwards treated Waugh with suspicion and reserve…..It was believed by some that he had been fired on by his own troops – similar stories were told about his father – and also that he had lost a testicle, but both these tails were convincingly denied by Waugh”

I’m still laughing, days after reading that passage.

Oliver Postgate, goodbye.

Tom — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:11:33 +0000

Farewell my constant friend in childhood. You remain my generation’s genius. Amidst all the Ben 10 mania, my son is still devoted to your work. Watching Ivor the Engine with him will be a memory I will treasure. Thank you.

In the night garden

Tom — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:55:38 +0000

Like I said only a fortnight ago, they’ll all be wanting a piece of Igglepiggle action.

In the night garden…

Tom — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 22:08:07 +0000

A week away from an internet connection. I was a bit twitchy for the first couple of days but soon got things under control. Whilst away, the nice people at the New Statesman were kind enough to publish my homage to Igglepiggle.

Soul brothers

Tom — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:10:11 +0000

Dizzy and Watson with the genesis of a mass movement. Iggle Piggle – the unifying candidate.

Searching for the night garden

Tom — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:51:00 +0000

In the last week, over 2000 people have found this site using the search phrase “iggle piggle”. The BBC have got a monster hit on their hands. Buy shares in Makka Pakka quick.

Iggle Piggle mania

Tom — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 09:11:54 +0000

I’ve recently updated my stats package to allow the tracking of phrases typed into Google that find this site. Very slow off the mark I know. There are some hilarious phrases in there that I’m going to compile at a later date, but I’m getting innundated for people looking for:

Iggle Piggle
Makka Pakka
Upsy Daisy
Tombliboos
The Pontipines
Haahoo
Tittifers

More politics are required on this site I feel.

Makka Pakka required

Tom — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 13:32:05 +0000

My son has become addicted to “In the night garden“, a psychedelic kids programme on CBeebies. This is one of the weirdest, mesmerising pieces of kids TV since the Teletubbies.99% of blog readers will not have seen the programme. Those that have though – don’t you think that every busy household should have their own Makka Pakka? I think I’m going to run a book on who will be the first MP to mention Iggle Piggle in the House of Commons. It’s usually Steve Pound with these things but Ed Vaizey might get in their first.

Site Update

Tom — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 17:51:44 +0000

At last we’re on the move to a new server. James, who is kindly helping me, is aiming for Wednesday for the actual move. If things get a bit strange over the next day or two, we should be back to normal by the end of the week. I’m hoping to be the first MP to get an RSS feed to ‘they work for you’. Then I’ll update links (apologies to the people who have mentioned this). Then I want to jiggle with the comments box and sort out some meaningful categories. There’s some clever stuff I want to work on over the summer too, but I’ll tell you about that when the time comes.