http://yannicklaclau.com personal blog posterous.com YannickLaclauhttp://feedburner.google.comThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:53:59 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/n2Txw4OGTyE/why-i-dont-write-linkedin-recommendations http://yannicklaclau.com/why-i-dont-write-linkedin-recommendations <p> <p>From time to time, I'm asked to write recommendations for people on LinkedIn.</p> <p>I always say no.</p> <p>My problem is that linkedIn recommendations are simply not credible like Amazon book recommendations. LinkedIn recommendations are always 100% positive!</p> <p>Here's what you typically find:</p> <p>Dan recommends Tom: "Tom is just the greatest, most amazing guy. Such a pleasure to work with, a true professional. Simply the best."</p> <p>and of course,</p> <p>Tom recommends Dan: "Dan is always right! Wink, wink. He's so smart and can solve any problem."</p> <p>Sometimes it's funny to see mutual back-scratching recommendations like this side by side on someone's profile page, or even better: right after one-another in the news feed. As in, it took Tom about 30 seconds to reciprocate after Dan wrote his positive review.</p> <p>LinkedIn recommendations are so universally positive that to find a negative one would make me think that the reviewer was a bitter, vindictive person, and certainly not a balanced, credible reviewer.</p> <p>The truth is that a quality reference on any individual will involve more than just an 'x-star rating' or 50 word summary with lots of exclamation points. In my experience people have qualities which can be very positive or negative depending on surroundings, circumstance, colleagues, and other variables.</p> <p>I'm more than happy to provide a reference for anyone I've worked with in the past, and promise to be as objective as possible in assessing that person's capabilities, character, experience, and growth during our collaboration. But I won't write fawning fanboy reviews on linkedin for people because I don't think it's helpful to anyone involved- it undermines the credibility of the reviewer, does a disservice to the reviewee, and wastes the time of the reader of the review.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/why-i-dont-write-linkedin-recommendations">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/why-i-dont-write-linkedin-recommendations#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=n2Txw4OGTyE:2NvpkokpNN4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=n2Txw4OGTyE:2NvpkokpNN4:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=n2Txw4OGTyE:2NvpkokpNN4:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=n2Txw4OGTyE:2NvpkokpNN4:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/why-i-dont-write-linkedin-recommendations Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:17:26 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/01yXIH2rJTM/new-dating-site-for-arabsmuslims http://yannicklaclau.com/new-dating-site-for-arabsmuslims <p> My friend and former colleague Tom Dibaja is soft-launching his new project, an <a href="http://www.lovehabibi.com">arab dating website called LoveHabibi.com</a>. I'm no expert in the arab or muslim internet communities, but I do know they are both very large in numbers, very young in demographic, and with members all over the world. Why not a dating and friendship site for these communities? Sounds like a promising venture. </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/new-dating-site-for-arabsmuslims">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/new-dating-site-for-arabsmuslims#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=01yXIH2rJTM:Jk0fs4INtgA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=01yXIH2rJTM:Jk0fs4INtgA:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=01yXIH2rJTM:Jk0fs4INtgA:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=01yXIH2rJTM:Jk0fs4INtgA:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/new-dating-site-for-arabsmuslims Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:57:27 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/EcOHymPA4R4/foreclosures-in-places-i-lived-in-america http://yannicklaclau.com/foreclosures-in-places-i-lived-in-america <p> I was raised in the US, and it's interesting to look at those cities through the lens of foreclosure markets. You can see that time has not treated the real estate values of the different cities the same way, as some aren't doing that badly and others are a catastrophe. The interesting thing is that I don't know anyone could have predicted how these cities' fortunes would evolve. Makes you wonder about where you currently live! check it out: <a href="http://www.enormo-usa.com/real-estate-foreclosures-detroit-03_6_96_4990729">depressed foreclosure real estate in detroit, mi</a> <a href="http://www.enormo-usa.com/real-estate-foreclosures-st-louis-03_6_96_4407066?pt=96&amp;beds=0&amp;mina=&amp;minp=&amp;maxp=&amp;ft=0&amp;st=6&amp;x=62&amp;y=16&amp;agent=&amp;rs=1">more depressed foreclosure real estate in st. louis, mo</a> <a href="http://www.enormo-usa.com/real-estate-foreclosures-bethesda-03_6_96_4348599?pt=96&amp;beds=0&amp;mina=&amp;minp=&amp;maxp=&amp;st=6&amp;x=23&amp;y=1&amp;agent=&amp;rs=1">but perky foreclosure homes in bethesda, md</a> </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/foreclosures-in-places-i-lived-in-america">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/foreclosures-in-places-i-lived-in-america#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=EcOHymPA4R4:ejnI_YcGVb4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=EcOHymPA4R4:ejnI_YcGVb4:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=EcOHymPA4R4:ejnI_YcGVb4:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=EcOHymPA4R4:ejnI_YcGVb4:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/foreclosures-in-places-i-lived-in-america Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:02:22 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/LFs6r4QMPsM/greenshoots-more-like-brownroots http://yannicklaclau.com/greenshoots-more-like-brownroots <p> Green shoots? Let's call them brown roots: trends that are definitively downward </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/greenshoots-more-like-brownroots">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/greenshoots-more-like-brownroots#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=LFs6r4QMPsM:dkNIxrZOEuI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=LFs6r4QMPsM:dkNIxrZOEuI:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=LFs6r4QMPsM:dkNIxrZOEuI:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=LFs6r4QMPsM:dkNIxrZOEuI:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/greenshoots-more-like-brownroots Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:39:48 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/nW_tehXuZGg/robert-shiller-house-prices-will-continue-to http://yannicklaclau.com/robert-shiller-house-prices-will-continue-to <p> Robert Shiller in the New York Times today makes a case for <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/business/economy/07view.html?_r=1">Why Home Prices May Keep Falling</a>. His argument centers on the idea that people decide to buy/sell/rent based on life factors which are years in the making and not very easily reversed. These can include major changes in life-stage (getting married, retirement), family considerations (job of spouse, continuity of kids' schooling), or psychology (caution or fear from long past experiences). The common message of Japan and the US in the 90's are cited: <blockquote class="posterous_short_quote">After the bursting of the Japanese housing bubble in 1991, land prices in Japan’s major cities fell every single year for 15 consecutive years.</blockquote> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote">Even if there is a quick end to the recession, the housing market’s poor performance may linger. After the last home price boom, which ended about the time of the 1990-91 recession, home prices did not start moving upward, even incrementally, until 1997. </blockquote> It's a simple message, but important to bear in mind. How would your decisions change in the next year if you could be reasonably certain that housing prices would not rise *at all* for the next 10 years? </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/robert-shiller-house-prices-will-continue-to">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/robert-shiller-house-prices-will-continue-to#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=nW_tehXuZGg:q-IBvTLiQ_Y:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=nW_tehXuZGg:q-IBvTLiQ_Y:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=nW_tehXuZGg:q-IBvTLiQ_Y:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=nW_tehXuZGg:q-IBvTLiQ_Y:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/robert-shiller-house-prices-will-continue-to Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:15:02 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/XooQqm3ZbLE/scary-latvia-cant-raise-debt-13-of-school-tea http://yannicklaclau.com/scary-latvia-cant-raise-debt-13-of-school-tea <p> You think the California budget cuts are harsh? From <a href="http://bit.ly/lZeys">Ambrose Evans-Pritchard yesterday</a>: <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote">Latvia has become the first EU country to face a sovereign debt crisis after failing to sell a single bill at a treasury auction worth $100m (£61m), prompting fears of a fresh storm in Eastern Europe as capital flight tests currency pegs. </blockquote> If the US is finding it harder and more expensive to finance it's debt (just have a look at treasury yield curves this year), then what hope does a tiny, massively overleveraged country like Latvia have? <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote">The finance ministry expects GDP to contract 18pc this year. House prices have fallen 50pc , the world’s most spectacular crash. A third of the country’s teachers are being fired and public salaries will be slashed by up to 35pc to meet bail-out terms imposed by the IMF and the European Commission. The policy risks a deflation spiral that defeats its own purpose. </blockquote> Wow...stunning what is happening to these small countries. Will it stop with the Latvia's, Iceland's, and Ireland's, or are larger countries also at risk? </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/scary-latvia-cant-raise-debt-13-of-school-tea">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/scary-latvia-cant-raise-debt-13-of-school-tea#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=XooQqm3ZbLE:-3DAwGROv1E:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=XooQqm3ZbLE:-3DAwGROv1E:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=XooQqm3ZbLE:-3DAwGROv1E:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=XooQqm3ZbLE:-3DAwGROv1E:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/scary-latvia-cant-raise-debt-13-of-school-tea Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:14:06 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/kG2UwvJphXc/the-incredibly-distorted-spanish-housing-mark http://yannicklaclau.com/the-incredibly-distorted-spanish-housing-mark <p> An editorial today in Spain's largest newspaper, <a href="http://www.elpais.com">El Pais</a>, argues that for the real estate market to recover faster <a href="http://bit.ly/xCHOY">prices need to drop faster</a>. Let's put a few numbers in perspective. In 2007 roughly 800,000 homes were sold in Spain. In 2008, just 560,000. So far in 2009, it looks like there will be 300-350,000 sales. It's estimated that there are roughly 1.2 million homes unsold, on the market. This may or may not include a further estimated 400,000 homes which have been repossessed by Spanish banks due to foreclosure. What an incredible overhang of inventory on the market. At current sales rates, it would take 3-4 years to completely remove the unsold housing, without accounting for any additional supply in the market. One newspaper today went so far as to estimate that banks will need 10 years to clear out their foreclosed, or repossessed, properties. The only way for true market prices to re-emerge will be for these homes to be sold at whatever price people are willing to pay today for them, which is probably much, much lower than current asking prices. But there is no choice in going down this route- it's a case of severe pain now, or slow pain over time. The ability of buyers to pay 2007 prices are long gone, and not coming back anytime soon. </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/the-incredibly-distorted-spanish-housing-mark">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/the-incredibly-distorted-spanish-housing-mark#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=kG2UwvJphXc:3NAtQv5OtZY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=kG2UwvJphXc:3NAtQv5OtZY:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=kG2UwvJphXc:3NAtQv5OtZY:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=kG2UwvJphXc:3NAtQv5OtZY:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/the-incredibly-distorted-spanish-housing-mark Thu, 28 May 2009 15:12:30 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/iTHLHU__lys/i-like-the-retweet http://yannicklaclau.com/i-like-the-retweet <p> retweet is like a vote cast in public. its empowering to endorse content, and know that the things you like are being shared. previously you could vote on a site, but it didn´t mean your friends would see or benefit from the vote. </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/i-like-the-retweet">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/i-like-the-retweet#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=iTHLHU__lys:utCE3Co2HKY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=iTHLHU__lys:utCE3Co2HKY:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=iTHLHU__lys:utCE3Co2HKY:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=iTHLHU__lys:utCE3Co2HKY:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/i-like-the-retweet Thu, 28 May 2009 15:11:17 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/a25P_FZsGxo/on-journalists http://yannicklaclau.com/on-journalists <p> why read a newspaper? investment news from a top vc economic news from top economists startup news from former entrepreneurs these people will always crush a generalist reporter...their network and specialist knowledge their conflicts of interest are made transparent, much more so than say the economist- where you don´t even know the names of the writers! talk about no accountability! </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/on-journalists">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/on-journalists#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=a25P_FZsGxo:LGFbgRexhJY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=a25P_FZsGxo:LGFbgRexhJY:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=a25P_FZsGxo:LGFbgRexhJY:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=a25P_FZsGxo:LGFbgRexhJY:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/on-journalists Thu, 28 May 2009 04:36:37 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/mnUuuBc5q1k/us-treasuries-prices-crashing-yields-skyrocke http://yannicklaclau.com/us-treasuries-prices-crashing-yields-skyrocke <p> Even Paul Kedrosky, who is normally irreverant in covering economic news is calling the changes in US debt markets "<a href="http://paul.kedrosky.com/archives/2009/05/dances_with_yie.html">hugely important developments</a>". The price of long-term US debt has been falling steadily for the past six months, with an acceleration in recent weeks, and a "<a href="http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/05/treasuries-massacred-yield-curve.html">massacre</a>" taking place just yesterday. This is really scary. As Ambrose Pritchard-Evans points out, "<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/5379733/US-bonds-sale-faces-market-resistance.html">Governments worldwide have to raise some $6 trillion in debt this year</a>, with huge demands in Japan and Europe." With falling prices, yields go up. There will be increasing competition for scarce capital, which means that eventually borrowing costs are going to increase for everyone. Tom Vanderwell over at <a href="http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=8620">Bloodhound Blog</a> has a great post on how this might impact housing markets. If governments are unable to borrow to fund their "stimulus" programs, then they will have to resort to any number of otherwise deeply unpalatable options: 1- not spend the money. otherwise known as austerity- cut salaries, cut programs, generally reduce the size of goverment spending. (examples: Latvia, Ireland, Iceland...) 2- take the money peacefully, otherwise known as taxation- not terribly popular either. (examples: just the UK that I can think of so far) 3- take the money forcefully. Hugo Chavez and what´s he´s done to Venezuela as an example of this. 4- just create the money. Hello Zimbabwe? Of all the alternatives, 1 is really the most responsible. But 4 is the least painful short term and so the easiest to get away with. No wonder some investors are making statements like they are "<a href="http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2009/05/guest-post-marc-faber-says-i-am-100.html">100% sure that the U.S. will go into hyperinflation</a>". Keep a close eye on America´s yield curve...if it continues to steepen, then get ready for the start of "crisis chapter 2". </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/us-treasuries-prices-crashing-yields-skyrocke">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/us-treasuries-prices-crashing-yields-skyrocke#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=mnUuuBc5q1k:jY2JaeG7G00:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=mnUuuBc5q1k:jY2JaeG7G00:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=mnUuuBc5q1k:jY2JaeG7G00:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=mnUuuBc5q1k:jY2JaeG7G00:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/us-treasuries-prices-crashing-yields-skyrocke Tue, 26 May 2009 11:16:33 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/WkFpE4r3v2Q/disaster-times http://yannicklaclau.com/disaster-times <p> </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/disaster-times">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/disaster-times#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=WkFpE4r3v2Q:A7YPJypD0Z4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=WkFpE4r3v2Q:A7YPJypD0Z4:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=WkFpE4r3v2Q:A7YPJypD0Z4:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=WkFpE4r3v2Q:A7YPJypD0Z4:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/disaster-times Thu, 21 May 2009 10:20:46 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/lpYOHgIzJC8/giving-twitter-another-try http://yannicklaclau.com/giving-twitter-another-try <p> It's been interesting to see how twitter has evolved the past couple of years. There seems to be no single way of using it usefully; like blogs, different people/companies use it differently. Here are some use-cases I've been observing: - <strong>vanity feed</strong>: telling the world about me, me, me - "I like spaghetti", "I think blue is better than purple", blah blah.. - <strong>marketing</strong>: my company just did this, my company just did that, special promotion on today - <strong>short-form communication</strong>: "good to see you at the conference, @whoeveryousaw", "@same, yeah, you too; see you next year" - <strong>voyeurism</strong>: just reading what people we're interested in are writing (celebrities, respected people in our field) - <strong>trends</strong>: who's talking about specific things (<a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23amazonfail">#amazonfail</a>, <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23budgetbond">#budgetbond</a>) - and how do people feel about those things. - <strong>sharing links</strong>: this is replacing the old way of doing things, which was to email a friend something you thought was interesting. Now you just have to publish a link you find interesting and all your followers will have the chance to see it. So I've decided to jump back in and give it another shot. What's my use case? It will have to come naturally, but I suspect what I will enjoy doing most is sharing links I thought were interesting, and leaving comments on brands I want to draw attention to for positive or negative feedback. We'll see how it goes. If you're interested in following, my username on twitter is also <a href="http://twitter.com/yannick">yannick</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/giving-twitter-another-try">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/giving-twitter-another-try#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=lpYOHgIzJC8:IXl0u_vPn1E:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=lpYOHgIzJC8:IXl0u_vPn1E:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=lpYOHgIzJC8:IXl0u_vPn1E:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=lpYOHgIzJC8:IXl0u_vPn1E:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/giving-twitter-another-try Wed, 20 May 2009 11:54:35 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/IMVk4xWe13s/report-on-foreign-investment-in-catalonia-for http://yannicklaclau.com/report-on-foreign-investment-in-catalonia-for <p> I've been invited (thanks, <a href="http://twitter.com/mariasipka">Maria</a>!) to participate in a workshop on the perspective of international entrepreneurs on the investment climate in Catalonia (I prefer the Catalunya spelling!). We're being invited to comment on topics such as: <ul> <li>investment environment</li> <li>investment costs</li> <li>human resources</li> <li>culture in the work environment</li> <li>infrastructure availability</li> <li>services offered</li> <li>tax and regulatory environment</li> <li>financing</li> </ul> Let's face it, no city/region/country is perfect, and who hasn't in the past complained about things which are badly done in the place where they do business? So I think it's great that the local government is taking the time to listen to entrepreneurs on how things can be improved. It's a terrific way to transform criticism into positive feedback. </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/report-on-foreign-investment-in-catalonia-for">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/report-on-foreign-investment-in-catalonia-for#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=IMVk4xWe13s:1lgWQqeIWOQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=IMVk4xWe13s:1lgWQqeIWOQ:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=IMVk4xWe13s:1lgWQqeIWOQ:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=IMVk4xWe13s:1lgWQqeIWOQ:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/report-on-foreign-investment-in-catalonia-for Mon, 18 May 2009 09:30:29 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/u1EYPCA717s/separation-of-banks-from-payment-systems-a-ne http://yannicklaclau.com/separation-of-banks-from-payment-systems-a-ne <p> </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/separation-of-banks-from-payment-systems-a-ne">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/separation-of-banks-from-payment-systems-a-ne#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=u1EYPCA717s:SLTqw7UPjKs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=u1EYPCA717s:SLTqw7UPjKs:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=u1EYPCA717s:SLTqw7UPjKs:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=u1EYPCA717s:SLTqw7UPjKs:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/separation-of-banks-from-payment-systems-a-ne Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:36:21 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/Pnn2ZacJ-pY/our-name-has-changed-welcome-to-enormocom http://yannicklaclau.com/our-name-has-changed-welcome-to-enormocom <p> We're now <a href="http://www.enormo.com">www.enormo.com</a>! After more than a year after launching our website, a lot has changed and it was time to adopt a new name which better reflects the mission of what we do. Growth has been very strong in recent months: Enormo now have 6 million properties for sale and rent in more than 50 countries around the world. This massive database of properties is the biggest of its kind in the world...and it's still growing. Enormo also now serves more than 2 million visitors every month, from all over the world...and the audience is still growing. So welcome to <a href="http://www.enormo.com">Enormo</a>, the largest real estate website in the world! </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/our-name-has-changed-welcome-to-enormocom">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/our-name-has-changed-welcome-to-enormocom#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=Pnn2ZacJ-pY:vZb8vqsuJeM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=Pnn2ZacJ-pY:vZb8vqsuJeM:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=Pnn2ZacJ-pY:vZb8vqsuJeM:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=Pnn2ZacJ-pY:vZb8vqsuJeM:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/our-name-has-changed-welcome-to-enormocom Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:26:46 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/6jFOqOcem64/the-top-search-result-on-cuilproperazzi http://yannicklaclau.com/the-top-search-result-on-cuilproperazzi <p> My friend <a href="http://www.berrebi.org">Jeremie Berrebi</a> let me know a few days ago that the much-hyped new search engine "<a href="http://www.cuil.com">Cuil</a>" was returning a Properazzi page as the top result for the keyword search, "<a href="http://www.cuil.com/search?q=cuil">Cuil</a>" :-) He even posted this on his <a href="http://www.berrebi.org/2008/07/28/cuil-concurrent-de-google-a-ete-lance-il-y-a-quelques-heures/">blog</a> (in French). Funny enough, Techcrunch picked up on this and even included <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/29/how-to-lose-your-cuil-20-seconds-after-launch/">in their post</a> a nice screenshot that has a fairly prominent mention of our name. Considering that getting 125x125 pixels on Techcrunch is worth <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/advertise/">$12,000 per month</a>, I'd say that visual mention of us is worth at least a few hundred bucks of TC front-page pixel space :-) I'd love to say we did it on purpose as part of a diabolical plan to guerrilla-market our way into TC, but this was just serendipitous- so, thanks to team Cuil!! (by the way- greetings from sunny California, where I'm taking a week off to tour the coast with a group of friends. It's amazing here!) </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/the-top-search-result-on-cuilproperazzi">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/the-top-search-result-on-cuilproperazzi#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=6jFOqOcem64:8v_FZGlJFUs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=6jFOqOcem64:8v_FZGlJFUs:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=6jFOqOcem64:8v_FZGlJFUs:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=6jFOqOcem64:8v_FZGlJFUs:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/the-top-search-result-on-cuilproperazzi Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:23:12 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/pWjkiPm0ftQ/cool-article-about-properazzi-in-uks-guardian http://yannicklaclau.com/cool-article-about-properazzi-in-uks-guardian <p> Nice <a href="http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/04/elevator_pitch_properazzi_musc.html">article</a> about <a href="http://www.properazzi.com">Properazzi</a> in today's Guardian! Jemima Kiss's Elevator Pitch column is a good place to catch profiles of interesting startups, it's part of the Guardian's <a href="http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/">Digital Content Blog</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/cool-article-about-properazzi-in-uks-guardian">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/cool-article-about-properazzi-in-uks-guardian#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=pWjkiPm0ftQ:jabZstmCRCQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=pWjkiPm0ftQ:jabZstmCRCQ:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=pWjkiPm0ftQ:jabZstmCRCQ:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=pWjkiPm0ftQ:jabZstmCRCQ:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/cool-article-about-properazzi-in-uks-guardian Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:09:08 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/klwrov1KpDo/are-house-prices-in-barcelona-falling-by-20 http://yannicklaclau.com/are-house-prices-in-barcelona-falling-by-20 <p> Barcelona house prices in theory are only falling by small amounts like 0.1% monthly. But these are based on asking prices, or what owners <em>want </em>their properties to sell for. I've just posted on recurring thoughts (my other blog) about how a friend is simply going around bidding <a href="http://recurringthoughts.com/2008/03/31/another-reason-liquidity-is-good-for-real-estate/">25% below asking prices</a>, and getting plenty of sellers agreeing to sell around 20% off. 20% off asking price! Wow. It wasn't that long ago people would bid <em>above </em>asking price to buy a property. Of course, this is just anecdotal. But when what people on the street actually transacting are telling you something that is radically different than what you read in the papers, it makes you think: what is the truth? </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/are-house-prices-in-barcelona-falling-by-20">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/are-house-prices-in-barcelona-falling-by-20#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=klwrov1KpDo:67Di8e3FsXM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=klwrov1KpDo:67Di8e3FsXM:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=klwrov1KpDo:67Di8e3FsXM:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=klwrov1KpDo:67Di8e3FsXM:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/are-house-prices-in-barcelona-falling-by-20 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:16:52 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/VBitXKiIldg/what-do-marriage-rates-say-about-uk-society http://yannicklaclau.com/what-do-marriage-rates-say-about-uk-society <p> Via <a href="http://drudgereport.com">Matt Drudge</a>, I see that the number of <a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23465208-details/Marriage%20rates%20hit%20lowest%20rate%20since%20records%20began%20almost%20150%20years%20ago/article.do?expand=true#StartComments">marriages in the UK last year was the lowest since records began in 1862</a>. What does that say about UK society? Probably not much at all. English people are still having relationships, still choosing to live together, and still having children (fewer than before, that's true, but I'd argue this driven by economics rather than marriage rates). I expect it means that the English today just feel more free to live their lives as they please, rather than according to rules defined by religious organizations or cultural traditions. Mind you, I'm not saying this is better or worse for people than the way things were before. It just is what it is... </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/what-do-marriage-rates-say-about-uk-society">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/what-do-marriage-rates-say-about-uk-society#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=VBitXKiIldg:30y5klWiiYc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=VBitXKiIldg:30y5klWiiYc:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=VBitXKiIldg:30y5klWiiYc:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=VBitXKiIldg:30y5klWiiYc:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/what-do-marriage-rates-say-about-uk-society Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:37:20 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YannickLaclau/~3/dBdoTyvzIrM/will-barcelona-lose-the-mobile-world-congress http://yannicklaclau.com/will-barcelona-lose-the-mobile-world-congress <p> I read, via <a href="http://www.ojomoviles.com/noticias/el-mobile-world-congress-se-ira-de-barcelona/">Carlos Blanco</a>, that Barcelona is very close to losing its status as host to the Mobile World Congress (for old-timers, the old 3GSM conference). Apparently, the organizers are wanting to leave Barcelona because of: <ul> <li>Price gouging on the part of hotels during the conference. For example, I know a 3-star hotel up the road that normally costs 150 euros/night, which during the conference was trying to get away with charging 2000 euros/night (yes, three zeros!).</li> <li>Lack of transportation, particularly taxis. This I simply can't understand. Taxi drivers complain they're underpaid, then when an amazing opportunity like MWC comes along they don't show up to get the additional work.</li> <li>High volume of theft against participants. This is where Barcelona's ongoing, ever-present problem with street crime come back to haunt it.</li> </ul> I think it would be tragic for the city to lose such a major, prestigious event. Everyone would lose: hotels, taxis, restaurants, the city government, local startups, barcelona's reach and influence... It's almost like there's a common complacency about Barcelona's status/brand that everyone is just milking and abusing...until that inevitable day when the brand becomes so damaged that people simply leave for alternatives. </p> <p><a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/will-barcelona-lose-the-mobile-world-congress">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://yannicklaclau.com/will-barcelona-lose-the-mobile-world-congress#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=dBdoTyvzIrM:YXjt2CterKU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=dBdoTyvzIrM:YXjt2CterKU:2mJPEYqXBVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=2mJPEYqXBVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=dBdoTyvzIrM:YXjt2CterKU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?a=dBdoTyvzIrM:YXjt2CterKU:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/YannickLaclau?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> </div> http://posterous.com/images/profile/unknown75.gif http://posterous.com/people/KIKZSgwaJ3 Yannick Laclau yannick Yannick Laclau http://yannicklaclau.com/will-barcelona-lose-the-mobile-world-congress