I am feeling rotten. Yesterday was the first day since I got back from Tunisia at 3.30am on Tuesday where I felt even vaguely normal – I'd picked up some killer cold somewhere along the line.
So, of course, what do I do but celebrate not feeling like death by getting drunk. Resulting in me feeling dreadful today. Ah well.
I've got through all the papers this morning. Well, the Oxford Times, News of the World and Sunday Times. Not much of interest to be honest. Which leaves me free, in my fug, to start preparing stuff for my next trip – to Vancouver on Tuesday.
ICANN is having its first meeting since the World Summit endorsed it as the Internet's overseeing body. It will be interesting to see if there is new-found confidence. Or it could just as easily become one huge punch-up as everyone fights for new positions.
There are going to be lots of things going on. The dotcom contract is going to be a big issue – especially since Ross Rader of Tucows has focussed on it. There's big, big money involved here and that means lobbying and dirty tricks. Great.
Then there is the .xxx domain decision. I can't see that ICANN can put it off any more. Then there's the whole issue about how governments are going to behave and how much greater interest they now take in this technical body. And then there's the big arguments over internationalised domain names. And then… christ, lots of good stuff.
My bigger problem this time will be that actually covering the event may well end up costing me money. It's already cost me £750 to get and stay there. Then there's food etc etc. And then there's the fact that I won't be being paid for three days of normal work.
The previous ICANN conference in Luxembourg that I went to paid for itself because of the interest over the WGIG report. Then the World Summit paid for itself because it was the World Summit – although it was bloody hard work. And I still haven't plucked up the courage to reveal how much my mobile bill was. But I will soon. Maybe.
This trip though – taking place on the other side of the world – is actually going to be pricey. Tough gig being a freelance sometimes. But hey, if you don't do these things, you might as well give up living altogether, get a sensible job and a mortgage and write off that plan to remain interested in life every day. Live without passion and buy your way to mundanity.
I really do need to expand my markets for work. I write mostly for El Reg, because, well, it is terrific and I love The Register, especially since it gave me such a big chance when I was a wet-behind-the-ears cub reporter. In fact, I really must get around to pitching the idea of a book or at least a big feature about it. I'm sure Drew and Linus would talk about it. Not sure about Mike Magee though. Can't remember whether he's talking to me or not.
Also, I have been doing alot of work for The Guardian recently, which is great. In fact, The Guardian is the only newspaper that I've regularly worked for. The Times took some stuff from me at the World Summit and will be interested in more from Vancouver, but they really aren't keen on paying more than peanuts.
Ironically, the one publication that does pay well – the New Scientist – I want nothing to do with. I vowed about a year ago that I would never write for it again after an absolutely appalling experience I had over a feature on the next generation of peer-to-peer networks. But I was emailed by the news editor while in Tunis and asked to pitch any news stories or larger features that might be interesting.
I called the editor (at what I now realise was astronomical cost) and asked for guidelines. She didn't seem to have a clue and was hopelessly vague about what she might or might not take.
Like a fool, I nevertheless built a list of 12 good stories and two possible features and sent them. She replied only saying “tell me more about [one of the features]”. I replied asking about the news stories. Oh, there were probably being covered by other people, not really interested.
Wasting my fucking time. Especially since one of the stories was subsequently covered by someone who was sat several thousands miles away in an office in London writing from a press release. Whereas I had been sat in the room as all the main characters and asked them questions.
It then dawned on me exactly why I'd promised myself never to write for the New Scientist ever again. She still wanted me to waste even more time creating a pitch for the feature though. Even though I would have had to go track down and have a chat with four different people at an extremely busy World Summit in order to pitch – with absolutely no guarantee that I wouldn't get another email simply dismissing it.
The New Scientist really is hopeless and living on name alone. I hear though that there is a new science/business publication due to launch soon. If it's any good, it can expect my patronage.
But, yes, there must be more outlets for vital Internet news. Really should do my bloody job as a freelance and start calling editors up.
Anyway, on with work. One bit of good news, I am gradually progressing toward a book deal for the Sex.com story. It could be just a matter of weeks away, which would be great. Although one thing I have learnt with the book industry over the past two years is that absolutely nothing exists until that contract is signed.
Maybe I should go to the pub for a huge Sunday roast. I wonder if anyone else is about…