Image Dissectors


Twitter Facebook

Home Search All Calendar Phone Copyright Contact RSS
Television Internet Radio News Film Search

Simon Pitt:

Mar
18
Review: The American

Review: The American

Simon Pitt | Monday 18th March 2013

Working through his DVD backlog, Simon watches The American, George Clooney's scrawniest role to date.

Nov
11
Review: Skyfall

Review: Skyfall

Simon Pitt | Sunday 11th November 2012

Bond holds a special place in the British consciousness. But what do we want from Bond any more? And does Skyfall give us that?

Nov
11
Cognitive Bias and the News

Cognitive Bias and the News

Simon Pitt | Sunday 11th November 2012

George Entwistle resigns as the BBC Director General surrounded by bluster, noise and allegations. Do the events surrounding his departure herald an era of spin and cautiousness at the top? And is success down to ability or chance, politics and the press?

May
28
Home Tweet Home

Home Tweet Home

Simon Pitt | Monday 28th May 2012

Simon looks at social media awards, the BBC and Twitter.

May
23
Tomorrow's News Today

Tomorrow's News Today

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 23rd May 2012

The BBC released their latest expense report today. It's like a dream come true for tabloid journalists. A sort of quarterly present, where they get to put up their feet and print numbers and angry faces in the newspaper for a day.

May
13
TV Trends: Effort Gags

TV Trends: Effort Gags

Simon Pitt | Sunday 13th May 2012

Simon looks at the trend in television programmes for adding in detailed jokes that require you to pause the programme to read them. And also at some missed opportunities, where he paused the TV and found nothing to read.

Apr
21
TV Trends: Big White Text

TV Trends: Big White Text

Simon Pitt | Saturday 21st April 2012

Simon looks at the recent trend for using large white text for programme titles.

Dec
21
The Art of Tie-In Comics

The Art of Tie-In Comics

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 21st December 2011

Simon looks through his childhood bookcase and considers what works in tie-in comics, and what doesn't.

Jun
6
The Computing Sapir-Whorf

The Computing Sapir-Whorf

Simon Pitt | Monday 6th June 2011

Simon considers time wasted through doing things in silly ways, known-unknowns, unknown-unknowns, known-gnomes and gnomic-knowns. Oh, and also there's a bit about farting at the beginning, so if you're in to that sort of thing, you'll enjoy the first paragraph at least.

Oct
17
Is this Really the End?

Is this Really the End?

Simon Pitt | Sunday 17th October 2010

Six months ago, the BBC officially switched off their Real Player streams for all but the oldest content. Simon looks back at Real Player.

Oct
10
The 100th Image Dissectors Article

The 100th Image Dissectors Article

Simon Pitt | Sunday 10th October 2010

An Image Dissectors article of great numerical significance.

Oct
3
Review: An Idiot Abroad

Review: An Idiot Abroad

Simon Pitt | Sunday 3rd October 2010

Simon reviews Sky's new heavily advertised Gervais/Merchant comedy: An Idiot Abroad.

Sep
26
Perceived Quality

Perceived Quality

Simon Pitt | Sunday 26th September 2010

The world of technology sales is a confusing place for poor consumers. So why do people buy technology these days? Is it because they want the higher quality, or because they feel they should buy it. Come to that, can they even tell the difference?

Sep
19
How the News: Defines Itself

How the News: Defines Itself

Simon Pitt | Sunday 19th September 2010

Simon considers exactly what the news was and what it has become

Sep
12
Sky is After You

Sky is After You

Simon Pitt | Sunday 12th September 2010

Having bought the rights to the entire back catalogue of HBO, Sky is going after a different segment of the market. Simon looks at what Sky is up to.

Sep
5
Usability and User Ability

Usability and User Ability

Simon Pitt | Sunday 5th September 2010

A few weeks ago I had to set up network drive for staff across the department. Why was this simple task quite so difficult?

Aug
22
More or Less Gurning

More or Less Gurning

Simon Pitt | Sunday 22nd August 2010

Simon discusses BBC radio show More or Less, considers 'gurning', and wonders what makes good programmes do silly things.

Aug
15
Keeping the Children Quiet

Keeping the Children Quiet

Simon Pitt | Sunday 15th August 2010

The summer holidays have brought with them a deluge of children's films, designed to cash in on frazzled parents' desire for a few minutes of peace. But are these really what children want to watch? Simon considers TV and films from a child's point of view.

Jul
29
About Us: Just Who Are you Anyway

About Us: Just Who Are you Anyway

Simon Pitt | Thursday 29th July 2010

Simon considers exactly who he is, and the best way of explaining it, with a look at About Us pages on websites in this contractually obligatory article.

Jul
24
Six Schmix

Six Schmix

Simon Pitt | Saturday 24th July 2010

There was a collective sigh of relief earlier this month with the news that BBC 6 Music was not going to be axed. People were pleased firstly because it was saved, and secondly because they didn't actually need to listen to it anymore. Simon examines the 6 Music saga.

Jun
22
How the News: Gets Away With Lying

How the News: Gets Away With Lying

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 22nd June 2010

They say you can't trust anything you read in the news these days. But why? And how do they get away with it? Simon, a nine foot tall Australian currently living in Tibet, examines lies in the news.

Jun
17
Modern Cliches: Critical Suggestions

Modern Cliches: Critical Suggestions

Simon Pitt | Thursday 17th June 2010

Simon examines another modern cliche - this time with a look at some of the tricks of the trade of the TV and Film critic.

Jun
13
A detective who is also a...

A detective who is also a...

Simon Pitt | Sunday 13th June 2010

As the latest BBC crime drama, Luther comes to an end, Simon looks at some of the options remaining for screenwriters.

Mar
28
Review: Alice in Wonderland in 2D

Review: Alice in Wonderland in 2D

Simon Pitt | Sunday 28th March 2010

Simon manages to find a cinema to watch Alice in Wonderland in 2D, and reviews Tim Burton's latest Depp-fest.

Mar
19
How the News: Killed 17 Million Numbers

How the News: Killed 17 Million Numbers

Simon Pitt | Friday 19th March 2010

In the news today: a look at how journalists use numbers and why the news has destroyed all of the numbers except for two.

Mar
15
Review: Tumblr

Review: Tumblr

Simon Pitt | Monday 15th March 2010

As promised nearly a year ago, Simon starts commenting and reviewing websites. This time, 'new' social media site Tumblr. It may be over 3 years old and have 3 million users but most people still haven't heard of it.

Mar
13
How the News: Conquered the World

How the News: Conquered the World

Simon Pitt | Saturday 13th March 2010

Simon discusses how the news has gone from a dry suited man reading out the events, to being a daily fix that we have to get. Just what is it about the news that makes it so appealing to broadcasters?

Feb
23
Modern Cliches: The Facebook Eye

Modern Cliches: The Facebook Eye

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 23rd February 2010

Simon highlights the rise of a modern cliche; the facebook eye: the best friend of the lazy technology journalist.

Feb
20
One of 'The Best Articles of 2010'

One of 'The Best Articles of 2010'

Simon Pitt | Saturday 20th February 2010

Simon takes a look at some of the overblown phrases on film posters and traces their origin in 'one of the best articles of 2010 about quotations on film posters'.

Feb
17
Media Terms: The Car Park Test

Media Terms: The Car Park Test

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 17th February 2010

Definitions and explanations of new media phrases. The 'car park test' is a test of whether a play (or other radio programme) is able to hold your attention once you have arrived at your destination. Simon examines the origins and usage of the phrase.

Feb
16
Media Terms: BBC Hot Wash

Media Terms: BBC Hot Wash

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 16th February 2010

Definitions and explanations of new media phrases. The BBC Hot Wash is the way the BBC sanitises 'talent', in an attempt to make it suitable for everyone. However, like putting your woollen jumper in the hot wash, this leaves it not fitting anyone.

Feb
9
Links: Google Bombs and Other Crimes

Links: Google Bombs and Other Crimes

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 9th February 2010

The next in the unremitting series of articles about the Hyperlink. In this part, Simon looks at the legal implications of the hyperlink, and explains how you at home can use hyperlinks to undermine friends and demoralize people.

Feb
4
Month Roundup: January 2010

Month Roundup: January 2010

Simon Pitt | Thursday 4th February 2010

A brief overview of everything that happened in the media in January 2010, the month in which the set of Coronation Street was demolished, some fat people were banned from BeautifulPeople.com and scientists prove we can't have any more than 150 friends.

Jan
21
Links: Anchors Away

Links: Anchors Away

Simon Pitt | Thursday 21st January 2010

The seventh in an incessant series of articles about Hyperlinks. In this instalment simon looks at these: #. What are they called? What are they for? Do they mean pounds? And if so why?

Jan
20
Links: Spaces, Brackets and Dead Links

Links: Spaces, Brackets and Dead Links

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 20th January 2010

Another in the interminable series of articles about Hyperlinks. In this part Simon looks at some of the things that can go wrong when giving people links and realises what a fine line it is between success and 404.

Jan
19
Links: Injections and Rejections

Links: Injections and Rejections

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 19th January 2010

The fifth in the unfeasibly long series series about Hyperlinks. This time Simon looks at a few fun games we can play with links to Amazon and shows you how to take over the world from the address bar of your browser.

Jan
18
Links: The Great IP Shortage of '11

Links: The Great IP Shortage of '11

Simon Pitt | Monday 18th January 2010

Another in the seemingly unending series about Hyperlinks. In this article, Simon looks at how all the IP addresses are going to run out soon and talks about reserved characters (like his Uncle Ernie).

Jan
17
Links: Misspelling for Profit and Pleasure

Links: Misspelling for Profit and Pleasure

Simon Pitt | Sunday 17th January 2010

The third in a surprisingly long series exploring Hyperlinks. In this part, Simon looks at domain names. What should you call your website, how long can the domain name be and what do you have to look out for?

Jan
16
Links: The World's Longest Abbreviation

Links: The World's Longest Abbreviation

Simon Pitt | Saturday 16th January 2010

The second in a several part series examining the nature of the Hyperlink. In this part, Simon considers those all-too-famous three Ws, introduces the IP address and enters the domain of the domain.

Jan
15
Links: Urns, Earls and a Guy Called Uri

Links: Urns, Earls and a Guy Called Uri

Simon Pitt | Friday 15th January 2010

The first in a several part series charting probably the most exhaustive examination of the hyperlink ever. In this part, Simon thinks about what we actually call the blooming things, looks at what this 'http' business is all about and considers how we should describe one of these: /

Jan
11
Marketing: The Internet Dream

Marketing: The Internet Dream

Simon Pitt | Monday 11th January 2010

In the second part of a series on marketing, Simon looks at how Search Engine Optimization and our quest for attention, page views and celebrity has led us to pursue a false Internet Dream.

Jan
9
Marketing: We're all Advertisers Now

Marketing: We're all Advertisers Now

Simon Pitt | Saturday 9th January 2010

In the first part of a series on marketing, Simon examines how the Internet has turned us all into marketers, as we struggle to get our friends, potential loved ones, employers and parents to read our statuses, tweets and blog posts. In this new, digital world have we all become the executives of our own brands?

Jan
1
Month Roundup: December 2009

Month Roundup: December 2009

Simon Pitt | Friday 1st January 2010

A brief overview of everything that happened in the media in Decemer 2009. The month in which the newspapers gave up publishing anything except lists of what happened in the 'noughties', the Tories demanded music videos should have age rating, and a Japanese man married a computer game character.

Dec
11
Review: Number 10 Immortality at Last

Review: Number 10 Immortality at Last

Simon Pitt | Friday 11th December 2009

The fifth in a series of reviews of radio plays considering the current state of the Afternoon Play. Like this review, today's play was the last of a five part series. But with no series stacking and no way of hearing the first four parts now that they're gone, how will this episode fair?

Dec
10
Review: Getting to Four Degrees

Review: Getting to Four Degrees

Simon Pitt | Thursday 10th December 2009

The fourth in a series of reviews of radio plays considering the current state of the Afternoon Play. Today's afternoon play is another play that isn't really a play but leaves Simon thinking after it's finished.

Dec
9
Review: One in a Million

Review: One in a Million

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 9th December 2009

The third in a series of reviews of radio plays considering the current state of the Afternoon Play. One part maths whodunnit, one part tale of brotherly sacrifice and one part blatant documentary. Simon examines a rather mixed bag of a play.

Dec
8
Review: Winter Storm

Review: Winter Storm

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 8th December 2009

The second in a series of reviews of radio plays considering the current state of the Afternoon Play. After a dissapointing start yesterday, Simon's faith in the Afternoon Play is restored by this bleak but haunting tale or words and snow.

Dec
7
Review: Zero Degrees of Separation

Review: Zero Degrees of Separation

Simon Pitt | Monday 7th December 2009

The first in a series of reviews of radio plays considering the current state of the Afternoon Play. Simon is unimpressed by the first Afternoon Play of the week; a mismash of three short plays by 'community writing groups' (putting the 'ew!' into 'New Writing').

Dec
6
The State of the Afternoon Play

The State of the Afternoon Play

Simon Pitt | Sunday 6th December 2009

Simon examines what BBC commissioners are looking for when they commission radio plays and begins an investigation into the current state of the Afternoon Play.

Dec
1
Month Roundup: November 2009

Month Roundup: November 2009

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 1st December 2009

A brief overview of everything that happened in the media in November 2009. The month in which the Gruffalo became the nation's favourite children's book, Judy Dench went to the dentist in period costume and the town of Darlington appointed someone as village Tweeter.

Nov
21
How the News: Works

How the News: Works

Simon Pitt | Saturday 21st November 2009

An examination of the way news and journalists work. Where do news stories come from and where do they go when they're not on the front page anymore? An Image Dissectors exclusive scoop!

Nov
19
Month Roundup: October 2009

Month Roundup: October 2009

Simon Pitt | Thursday 19th November 2009

A brief overview of everything that happened in the media in October 2009. The month in which a racist appeared on Question Time, TS Eliot became the nation's favourite poet and laugh-a-minute swear-fest The Thick Of It returned to BBC Two.

Nov
17
Asian Network's Soap Cancelled

Asian Network's Soap Cancelled

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 17th November 2009

The BBC have announced that the Asian Network's soap, Silver Street, will air its last episode in March 2010. It will be replaced by a run of monthly stand-alone thirty-minute dramas. Is this the beginning of the end for drama on the Asian Network? Or maybe for the Asian Network itself?

Nov
14
Why Everyone Seems to Hate the BBC

Why Everyone Seems to Hate the BBC

Simon Pitt | Saturday 14th November 2009

You can't open a newspaper these day without reading a rant about the BBC. With the BBC releasing their expenses, and journalists struggling to find something to complain about, Simon examines why everyone seems to hate the BBC.

Nov
12
Who's Who at the BBC

Who's Who at the BBC

Simon Pitt | Thursday 12th November 2009

With the BBC releasing salary information for their top 107 decision makers, Simon takes the opportunity to examine who some of the key figures are, and how they got there.

Nov
11
Demanding Entertainment

Demanding Entertainment

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 11th November 2009

According to the media, getting video On Demand wherever and whenever you want it is pretty much the most exciting thing to ever happen. But is On Demand all it's cracked up to be? If it is, why isn't everyone doing it, and if it isn't, why not? As the BBC turn off their Real Player streams and move to iPlayer for all TV and Radio, Simon looks at just how popular iPlayer is and examines why it hasn't set the world alight as much as everyone wishes.

Nov
6
A Brief Guide to Radio Drama

A Brief Guide to Radio Drama

Simon Pitt | Friday 6th November 2009

Simon gives a broad overview of drama on BBC Radio and offers a few thoughts on its nature and popularity, before wondering why nobody knows there is drama on Radio 3.

Nov
4
ITV Still Reunited

ITV Still Reunited

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 4th November 2009

ITV's sale of Friends Reunited is to be investigated by the competition committee. In the mean time, ITV is left holding the costly, and very rubbish, baby that is FriendsReunited.co.uk.

Aug
23
What is Television For?

What is Television For?

Simon Pitt | Sunday 23rd August 2009

Simon considers what purposes television has, and ponders some of the reasons why it fails to achieve these purposes.

Aug
22
What Have You Been Watching?

What Have You Been Watching?

Simon Pitt | Saturday 22nd August 2009

Simon examines what programmes we've all been watching, what this says about our viewing habits, and considers whose fault lazy programming is.

Aug
20
Who Owns What?

Who Owns What?

Simon Pitt | Thursday 20th August 2009

The world of media conglomerations is a complex and gnotty web. Simon has a look at exactly who owns what.

Apr
1
404 Error

404 Error

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 1st April 2009

Whoops. Something has gone wrong, and you've ended up here. You may not find what you want by reading this, but at least you'll know why you didn't find it, along with a few anecdotes, trivia and further reading.

Aug
18
The Beano buys Friends Reunited

The Beano buys Friends Reunited

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 18th August 2009

Brightsolid, a subsidary to DC Thomson, publisher of the Beano, has bought Friends Reunited from ITV.

Jul
27
Links: The Humble Hyperlink

Links: The Humble Hyperlink

Simon Pitt | Monday 27th July 2009

As something of a prologue to a more indepth discussion of the Hyperlink, Simon examines the rise and nature of the link, and considers how we all take it for granted.

Jul
11
FM Radio Switched Off by 2015

FM Radio Switched Off by 2015

Simon Pitt | Saturday 11th July 2009

DAB Digital Radio will replace FM Radio by 2015 when Analogue Transmitters will be switched off.

Apr
30
The Internet and Laziness

The Internet and Laziness

Simon Pitt | Thursday 30th April 2009

A brief, and not that well thought out look at whether or not the Internet makes us lazy or whatever... yeah, I'll finish this off later, and put a less obvious joke in.

Apr
29
The fuss about iPlayer

The fuss about iPlayer

Simon Pitt | Wednesday 29th April 2009

In which Simon considers the history of iPlayer and why it's splash isn't quite as big as the BBC would like you to think.

Apr
28
Data Inflation

Data Inflation

Simon Pitt | Tuesday 28th April 2009

In this article, Simon looks at the Internet's obsession with documentation and data, and makes some broad, generalised, and almost outlandish claims about the nature of today's world.

Apr
26
The Nature of the Internet

The Nature of the Internet

Simon Pitt | Sunday 26th April 2009

In this article Simon examines the top ten most visited websites in the world and sees if he can make any broad and extravagant generalisations about the nature of the internet. Not to spoil the surprise, but he can.

Apr
25
A Brief History of Wikipedia

A Brief History of Wikipedia

Simon Pitt | Saturday 25th April 2009

A brief discussion of the history and creation of Wikipedia.

Apr
24
An Introduction to the Internet

An Introduction to the Internet

Simon Pitt | Friday 24th April 2009

Part 1 of a semi-regular review and examination of the internet. In this article, Simon takes a vague look at the size of the internet, its influence and its nature.


Twitter Facebook

Home Search All Calendar Phone Copyright Contact RSS
© 2010 | Contact | About