Never proud of anything

My professors in the University of Hong Kong always told me that my English is not good; However, I don't believe at all, the reason I slept well in the past few months.

In fact, it isn't so good as I think. After an experienced reporter told me my weak writing standard yesterday, I felt so frustrated. Yes, never proud of anything, because I still have a lot of things to learn.

Bank of China, a must-buy or not?

Bank of China's coming IPO made every retail investor in Hong Kong crazy. Everyone is waiting for the opening of application on Thursday, because of what? Tycoons' lead in buying the lender's stake, its famous brand, or others?
I am not a huge Bank of China fun, just like this person in the Bloomberg's story today(BTW, it's the only story I considered as "neutral", not "flattered". Personally, the only bank I like in the mainland China is China Merchants Bank, great service and high-quality people.

I may be too narrow minded on the BOC's service, as it doesn't only include retail services. It also has monopoly rights in many wholesale and enterprise services, but I will not buy stocks for the company I don't like.

Maybe a lot of people will blame me on that. Right, there will definitely a short-term profit from buying its shares on the first day and sell them in several days, say, a month maybe. Because the IPO organisers should try to maintain and increase the price(I guess, no factual cause). But don't you remember Warron Buffett's famous words: invest in long-term profit. Short-term investors, especially smaller ones, couldn't win all the time.

I'd better not to say much, but I really want to say something different.

VC aiming Toodou

Toodou.com, a podcasting website set up in 2004(if I didn't remember it wrongly), has got the second round of investment, or US$8.5 million from three VC. Marc should be so happy on that. I have seen how this website grows up, from nowhere to some big idea.
To tell the truth, the website is still small now. But the website does have potential to develop with more people falling in love with the camera shooting and editing. Also, it does have good management. Hope they will have good luck.

P.S. English press release here. (the founder's website)

How to be an effective social network website?

I always get email from Linked in, friendster,and other social websites. Now there is a new website named wealink, started by one of my VC friends Issac. After a round of Internet bubble, the trend now comes to the Internet's social level, more complicated but easier understood by common people.

When I discussed with Lutz Winter, a German Internet enterpreneur, last week, we just agreed that the social network needs to provide more personal details. You couldn't imagine that two strangers could become friends in reality finally without any knowledge of the other. For example, it is always easy to make friends through blogs; after reading one's blog for a while, it is easier to understand the blogger and his/her thought and then next step, be the friends. If social websites could do something just like blog does, it will be much better.

For instance, if I get some messages from people who wanna to be my friends, then the website should provide some functions like trial period, to give me some time to read his/her blogs to really know the person. After that, it will be up to my mind to meet her or not. Then it will be more perfect.

Hukou makes differences

When I was in the junior school, I had classmates who were from rural area. They have to pay more tuition than I did as they didn't have a urban Hukou, which is just like the a born certification for farmers.

This is not good, I always believe.(Except for those family want a second child, they could have the quota if their first child is female and the mother has rural Hukou). But for many, they are curious of having the same treatment as ones from urban areas. At least, all my friends are eager to get them.

So many of them tried through illegal ways such as spending a lot of money, maybe a year's income. Then they will have the advantages to enjoy better schools, better medical system, and even better husband/wife. Also, a Hukou in big cities such as BJ and SH will enjoy special treatments in entering universities and job huntings.

But, wait a moment, how come different borning place, instead of hard working or smart minds, could decide a person's fate? That's at least unfair to almost two thirds of the total populations living in rural areas.

So here I saw some good news: Zhejiang province said it will unit both urban Hukou and rural Hukou together by 2007, Xinhua reported. If Zhejiang could do it, the other areas may be on their way.

The future of E-paper

One day in last August, when I gave a lecture on New Media and Internet to a bunch of experienced reporters, someone raised the below question:
E-media couldn't replace print media as people still prefer to read papers instead of computers.

Suddenly I came up with the idea of e-paper. I answered: right, but rememer technology improves faster than people think; maybe one day we have the e-paper, just like print media; you don't even need to read as it will read for you.

Now, seems my answer comes true. A Belgium newspaper De Tijd, is planting the traditional newspaper style into the electronic form without any change in the format, probably coming in this month. Though the e-paper still lacks color, it is no longer a science fiction, said New York Times.

Wow, amazing? isn't it? That's Amy always like technology. You couldn't really imagine what kind of chocalcate in that box.

It is expensive, but you could imgagine the future. No paper waste, always changing text and advertisement, more importantly, you could only bring a piece of paper instead of inches-thick paper.

When the newspaper is said to be dying, here is another solution. But don't make it too complicated at first. At least, I don't need to update it " Wi-Fi hot spots or through Internet connections", as it will be too expensive charged by greedy telecom operators.

Say, I have a X41 Tablet, but never(maybe once or twice per month) to use digitizer pen; I also have the news service on my mobile for financial news and entertainment news, but I never read them as it is too complicated and easily be charged more than you planned.

So let's say if e-paper will be nichy or mass........

Super boy show was killed by SARFT

The State Adminstration of Radio, Film and Television killed the application from Hunan TV station to hold the Super Boy show, another expected successful show after the Super Girl.
In an annoucement coming out in April published on the website, SARFT said it will only allow Hunan TV to organize the 2006 Super Girl show, but not the Super Boy. In addition, it gave eleven guidelines to the program including right propoganda direction, limiting the size of joining cities as well as delaying the real-time broadcasting.

For Super Girl, a successful American Idol-like show, it may be a pity always having girls joining the competition. If Super Girl is ok, why not Super Boy? It is the period of competition, and the capable program will always attract people.....

always nice to have friends in HK

It's already a week since I came back to HK. A extreme busy week until yesterday when I could have some fun with the friends. Always feel warm to meet and talk with friends, and I think I am lucky.

Julie，one of the best friends, and her fiance Ed, took me to Shek O for lunch. Shek O is based on the east side of Hong Kong island and has a beautiful view of mountains and seas. We tried Thai food which are really good. People there are more relaxed than in Central, and you couldn't believe it is part of HK.

Then in the evening, I met Melissa, the so-called Spicygirl from Sichuan province, through Andrea's online introduction. The world is smaller and closer because of the Internet, isn't it? Though I still dreamed to open a farm and get away from the computer, Internet is something must, I have to admit. Oh, back to the Melissa, she is a fun girl; we talked a lot about life in China, HK, U.S. and Europe. She is a bit older than me, but amazingly, we had a lot to talk about. Maybe that's because of the same culture we come from. At last, we decided to go for some sport later.

That's Hong Kong. When you feel lonely, someone will always come to you. Just like yesterday evening, some stranger in the bar smiled at me for almost a minute. Though I may never want to know him, I still feel happy. At least, friends will always be the reason I stay here longer.

Media_difference between mainland TV and Hong Kong TV

One thing I always enjoy at home(not the apartment in Hong Kong) is the difference in the TV channels. Besides the language, HK TV always brings in the western culture, while mainland's TV stations totally tell different things. My parents, especially, are super funs of the TV series from CCTV-1, the most important official TV station of the central government. Now on the show is about how a emperor three hundred years ago united Taiwan and the mainland.

History is always similar now and then. The series tell the current situation between mainland and Taiwan, everyone knows that. Will there be war or will the officials support negotiations? Questions always remain within people's mind, but apparently, everyone cares.

This is part of the usage of the media. Unlike from HK's which is totall entertainment, mainland's are more concerntrated on politics and country affairs. Media people in Hong Kong, including newspaper, radio and TV, always ask what is the right way to develop themselves. I would argue at least they should care more about the country instead of the city, more about serious matters instead of the entertainment. Then, they may have the way.

Amy_back home again

Amy is enjoying holidays these days. May not have enough time to write blogs coz I spend most of the time with my parents. I am not a good daughter, but I will try to be in these few days. Please forgive me, my dear readers...

Back Home

Amy is back home these days, enjoying a pieceful holiday. Here is some picture from London, and I really like London, except for its expensive goods.

The second day in London

Today is more exciting in London, though cold.

The most interesting thing I did today is to visit the Royal Academy of Arts. It has an exhibition named Three Emporors in Qing period, which I really like. The warm-hearted U.K gentleman Simon took me there when the other "Shopping Animals" are busy working in Havods. My big dream was to visit British Museum, but unfortunately time was not enough. But the exhibition in the Royal Academy was already pretty fantastic with valuable stuffs from thousand years ago.

The work today was really busy. But I learned a lot on hedge funds and funds of funds industry. An interesting part from a top financial manager who has an engineer backgroud: people always say market is already efficient, but we think in reverse. That's the value of engineers, including me(maybe): we always want to change everything.

The first day in London

London, in my imagine, should have been some noisy and busy city. But when I arrived the city in the Sunday morning, it is so peaceful with clouds around.

Staying in the Grange City hotel in the center of the city, I could see half of the city view just from the eight floor.(such a different image from Hong Kong where you couldn't have a full view even you are in the 20th floor in the Central). Buildings decorated with traditional designs tell the long long history of the city. People are not that nice as I thought before, but maybe they are decent gentleman inherited from the royals.

I will have a private tour with London Eye this afternoon(or evening in the HK time). really eager to do it. I should breathe some easy air before starting my busy and serious work tomorrow.

Job_trip to London

Amy will go to London to visit a financial group tonight. The company involves in many businesses, including hedge funds and fund of funds. I am super excited now, just thinking of the visit to the most developed financial city in Europe.

Always staying in Asia, especially in Hong Kong, it it easily to just think about the region, which may only take up several hundred percent of the size of the total financial world. Especially when China is rising, the country and its people are likely to believe the earth is going around the nation. But it is not the truth. The economy of the emerging country always has the fastest growth, but only takes a small percent. The world is not going around it.

Will post more in the future.

Media_Good journalism, bad journalism?

Met a friend in the university today and talked about the current journalism. He said traditional journalism is already going to die. "The problem is everyone could do bad quality journalism online".

In some extent, it is right. When I studied the journalism history, the newspaper was created when people feell the need to exchange informations between each other; now the problem with the born of Internet is people need the medium to exchange "useful" or "valuable" information. With the decentralization coming to the peak, the centralization will start. That's I learned from history: He jiu bi fen, fen jiu bi he.( the centralization always comes after long-time decentralization, and the reverse).

But the most difficult thing is not the result, but the timing. Just like the stockmarket, you could easily guess the price will go up or down, but always hard to get the exact timing.

Revolution from the Edge; the Demoratization of Media---Lecture given by Dan Gillmor

It's already one year passed when I listened to the lecture from Dan Gillmor. He is still with a bunch of enthusiasm to the new media, just like he did in the new media classes, which, in turn, always impressed people. And impressed me in yesterday's lecture held in the University of Hong Kong.

Dan Gillmor is the one who helped the University of Hong Kong to be the first school in the world to teach blogs(Isn't that amazing).He was the technology columnist for San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley's daily newspaper for ten years. Now he is leading a non-profit project named "Citizen Media" with Harvard University and Berkley to help grassroot media. (www.citmedia.org)

Some of the notes I made during the lecture (and the ones who made me think deep)

(1) The media is made up of production, distribution and access. (which one is taking the lead now? of course access, see, Google who helped with easy access with people around the world)

(2) A read-write web (I would like to know how many people are reading, and how many are writing)

(3) Dan asked if it is still right today that "Journalist writes the first draft of the history"? ( hoho, depends how to define the "journalist")

(4) Dan said the truth in the journalism, both print and electronic, is accuracy and trust.

(5) Dan gave us some example on "Every object tells a story". A PDA-like handset could tell people what the medicine is, if it is expires, the price(and the price difference), and if it conflicts with other medicines, after scanning the label.

(6) BBC held a project named Action Network, also another sort of grass media.

(7) Dan said he is amazing to find Hong Kong is using criminal laws in copy rights cases. He thought the copyright law should be a bargain , or balancing rights, between creators and communities, and I totally agree. Law is used to make the society work, not to restrict its development.

(8) Last, the most famours words from Dan, "I learn from people think me wrong, instead of people think me right"

Some questions in my mind during the lecture but I guess I could already solve them as a professional journalist, which I couldn't do when I was a journalism student one and a half year ago.

(1) Does online journalism have a worse quality? (It varies, but there are really good pieces outceeding the print media)

(2) People spends more time on new media now, such as reading online stories. Is it possible to reduce people's creativity by that? (But believe me, sometimes it helps with the creativity)

(3) Will the traditional journalism be used into online media one day? (yeah, I believe, just the issue of the time)

Media_Where to find Chinese Community in Hong Kong?

Maybe I'm wrong, but it's really hard to find some mainland Chinese community in Hong Kong? The media, including newspapers and TVs, almost neglected this group of people, who came to work in decent professions in Hong Kong but always disperse in every corner of the city?

Am I right?

Media_my professor will leave

Andrew Lih, my new media professor, will leave for Beijing to start writing his book on Wikipedia. Mei, his beautiful wife, will start her new job in Beijing, too. Such a great couple will go to Beijing, which is really wonderful, though it means I lost good friends in Hong Kong.

Andrew was the first professor I saw in the University of Hong Kong, and also the one helping me most during my study. I still remember the girl, who was still an engineer-type, came to visit HKU and talk with her dream in China's new media. The one who just sit opposite to me and listened my dream carefully is Andrew. We had same language at that time, maybe because we both know the computer programming. My feeling was that he is so cool that I must join the program to learn from him.

He didn't only help with the study, as time proves, but also on how to dedicate yourself to something. He is stubborn some time, to tell the truth, but a great advantage to achieve the success. When we built the website for Hong kong's politics, he worked so hard on the project, even harder than we students. He also introduced a lot of friends to me, such as fons and Isaac, the two who turned to help me a lot, too.

Unfortunately, I couldn't be one of his best students as I switched my career partly into business journalism, a more "flamboyant" direction, making me feel I betrayed my previous promise. Andrew may feel angry, too, as I guess, the reason we were not close in the second part of my program. But I still believe he is always my best professor and coach and forever.

In Chinese, people say "diffrent routes always turn to the same destiny". The words suit me, and also hope it will suit to Andrew.

Best best best wishes....

Media_Free newspaper

I don't know if China has free newspaper, and I don't think so. (maybe some "illegal" ones). But in Hong Kong, free newspaper already becomes a large market. You could easily see somebody reading the free paper in the subway or on the bus. Now Singapore wants to catch up the fashion,too.

-Singapore Press Holdings will launch a free Chinese morning newspaper in June, in addition toits three existing Chinese-language papers, Southeast Asia's largestnewspaper publisher said on Wednesday. The paper will initially be distributed Tuesdays to Saturdays at underground train stations, offices and some households and shoppingcentres.

hoho, we couldn't live without newspaper, but we could just live on free newspaper. I should start a first Chinese newspaper, and the future looks great.

Media_free newspaper

All the newspaper will become free one day, I believe. They could just live on advertisements. Then how about the paid TV?

Media conglomates always think big futures in paid TV. But I still wonder if customers will pay for it in a world you could always have free things from Internet. See, blog, has already changed people's concept to pay to read; and radio and TV will follow the same trend when people could easily make their radio and video productions online, just like they did to the blog.

Lol, let's come on to get another big business.