omelett.es journalThe journal of team omelett.es //

I’m almost back home after a few days in Paris at Le Web. Many people have written about their experiences, my favourite is Paul Carr’s on the Guardian website. I don’t agree with all of it but I do have a few points of my own:

1. Day 2 was better than day 1, more tech content and interesting speakers
2. Lack of wi-fi was really irritating but it meant as a participant I had more reason to give speakers my full attention
3. What is with all the ‘fan boys’ saying don’t worry Loic, it was still a great conference.

That last point is my biggest bug-bear. I had a great time at Le Web, but because like all of these conferences I went to meet the people that are there, more than for the content. However, having paid for my ticket the conference itself was not great. I understand the issues and Loic is responding to them, however moving venues and all of the problems could have been tested before hand. If it was a problem with Swisscom they should get a refund and pass some of that saving onto people who paid for their tickets surely.

If Loic Lemeur took anything away from the conference it should be from his last interview with Gary Vaynerchuck, you customers are always right and put them first before everything else (or something similar).

I may make it to the next Le Web if it survives, but at the moment I won’t pay for a ticket and I’ll be there for the after conference events which is where the value normally lies for me.

I’m pleased to say the Spend Meter got built for Operation Canine and it looks like an awesome application (if I do say so myself!).

Full details are on the Spend Meter website, and there’s a screenshot below of what it looks like:

I’m on my way to London for a reception for Digital Mission companies and it’s turning into a mission.

First of all I tried to get the Oxford Espress and they don’t take cards – I can understand that, but not having a cash point at the park and ride bus station is stupid. So back into the car to drive to the train station in Oxford city centre. I already knew that I would have to pay for parking, but it’s not an obvious system if you haven’t used it before – which I hadn’t.

1. There are no obvious signs in the car park when you first arrive saying that you have to pay by phone. I knocked on the door of the hut and the guy in the hut told me I had to pay at the station.
2. So I arrive at the station and it is a voice activated system to pay for the ticket. Now I use the excellent SpinVox for my phone voicemail and it is an excellent system. However, not so the one used by RingGo to pay.

The main problems I had was that you have to stand by a stand on the platform next to the tannoy. Trying to speak your registration number, brand of car and colour whilst an announcement is being made doesn’t work. If you shout ‘piece of crap system’ at it, it puts you straight through to an operator. This wasn’t much better as he couldn’t hear me and got my details wrong the first time.

If you’re in a hurry trying to get all of this done before you get onto the train would be a nightmare. I had 5 minutes to spare and still only just did it before the train arrived. As there is a person manning the carpark, why can’t I pay him instead?

This week we are building and launching a new product which we will donate 50% of the first year’s profits to charity. The product is called Spend Meter, and we’re live blogging progress at Operation Canine.