Matt Cutts posts his Firefox vs MSIE stats and wonders how others are doing.

I’m always dubious of these figures: for websites accessed by corporate users, they’re not telling you much, since most humourless IT departments won’t allow you to install other software. For websites that aren’t accessed at work, then clearly the amount of Firefox use will be much higher. And, as a dramatic case-in-point, see these two:

This is the browser pattern for Media UK, a media directory normally used by people within the media industry. Virgin Radio’s figures are similar (I post those to Virgin Radio’s techblog every so often).

This is the browser pattern for this website.

The difference is quite startling. What’s clear is that Firefox is almost the browser of choice for home users, but that office users are still mostly stuck on MSIE.

Wordpress is quite a clever beast, really; the plugin support is great and really extends the software’s usefulness. (Much like Firefox, of course).

I’ve fiddled about and have added Technorati tags (mainly so that my BBC Backstage posting would appear correctly), and thought I’d add a tag cloud too. It’s not very useful so far, because there aren’t many posts of mine with tags, but at first glance, it appears a rather better way of categorising these posts.

To an interesting party tonight courtesy of the folks at BBC Backstage, who were kind enough to manage to get me into this party at moderate last-minute. Lots of fascinating people, some even saying that the party reminded them of the last web boom. (I was part of the boom, but not part of the scene back then). I enjoyed meeting many people - some, who were talking about their latest web projects, seemed slightly put out when I asked them what their business model was. It appears that ‘build it, people will come and we’ll figure something out’ is the plan. In which case: be afraid, be very afraid.

The BBC’s Matthew Cashmore was mucking about with something called Twitter - and insisted I join. That’s me, then, at http://www.twitter.com/jamescridland. I have no idea what this website is supposed to do, other than a rather less useful equivalent of a custom message in my Google Talk. Interestingly, it does connect to GoogleTalk, but it ignores my status message - I have to send it messages instead. I’ve been told it’s really addictive. I don’t get it. But then, I don’t get MySpace either, so clearly I’m getting old. (However, I do get Flickr, so maybe I’m still vaguely cool).

Good to meet a lot of very clever people. Having posted in the BBC Backstage mailing list a few times, some knew my name, which was quite flattering; some had read my blog (in particular my Indian High Commission rant, which is now an article of its own right); but actually the highlight of the night was one chap coming up to me, seeing my email address name badge, and wondering what my relationship was to Dave. I was proud to say that he was my brother. The conversation then was about the clever things he’s doing with email. Thank heavens I read his blog.

I’m a firm believer that the BBC Backstage project is one of the cleverest things that the corporation is doing - possibly THE cleverest. What I’m keen to do is, through the stations I work for, be able to similarly contribute data. The BBC’s size and resource probably means that it can set the standards; but commercial radio should be able to use the same API standards to ensure that the whole of the UK’s radio data, for example, is available to those wanting to use it. After all; commercial radio is the market leader for people under 55: it’s arguably more important for commercial radio to make their data available in this way. Perhaps this is one of the roles for the RadioCentre in future.

Many fascinating people; many business cards swapped, and a jolly good time had by all - certainly by me. I’m now the proud owner of a BBC Backstage t-shirt, a copy of Make magazine (splendid magazine, not read that before), and assorted pens and other stuff. The team should be congratulated. So I will. Congratulations, team.

(Later: have spent far too long working out how tagging works, so I could tag this as ‘bbcbackstage’. Done it now, I think.)

John Naughton comments on Jeremy Paxman’s grumpy technophobic outbursts. Of course, Paxman’s pretty famous for doing this - and he’s not alone.

Tonight, John Pienaar notes that a recent song about him being a porn star in the 1970s (he wasn’t, it’s a joke) is now on YouTube - but then adds “I don’t really know how you dial things up on YouTube”. Staggering - if true. (Incidentally, either Pienaar has a head twice as large as his co-presenter’s, or someone needs to understand how to use PhotoShop a little better).

Christian O’Connell frequently talks about his web-team being net-nerds, is disparaging towards them, and pretends he doesn’t know what podcasts are; yet in ‘real life’, he owns a BlackBerry and is as in-touch and net-savvy as most people. Elsewhere, older speakers at media conferences joke about not being able to send texts or even set the video - leaving that for “the younger generation”.

Somehow, it’s seen as trendy to be ignorant about technology. Perhaps there’s a feeling that it somehow means you’re closer to your (similarly ignorant) listeners. It’s clearly dangerous to assume that your listeners or viewers are tech-savvy, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the cleverest thing to pretend that technology is too complicated or, worse, that new stuff just doesn’t matter: you stand just as much chance of alienating your audience.

If Terry Wogan can get to grips with emails and text messages, then so can everyone: Paxman included. But I doubt Paxman doesn’t understand it; just that he sees it as useful to his on-screen persona to pretend.

(I did wonder why the BBC is filming its top talent using mobile phones - then realised that the only people allowed to touch cameras are in the cameraman union, I suppose…)