My take on Facebook vanity URL's - one day on

OK, so at 5.01 am on the 13th of June i was awake sitting infront of my machine like a lemon, attempting to get the Facebook Vanity URL of my dreams (/kunal). Unfortunately it had already been taken (by a Facebook employee, obviously). So I settled for firstnamelastname. So fine. Got that. Now what?

Exactly. It's not going on a business card or email footer (thats what Twitter and LinkedIn URL's are for). As the name suggests, its vain thing to do. As i've seen on various Facebook status updates yesterday, people are updating their new vanity URL yet seriously, what is the point on advertising your Facebook URL to people who are on your Facebook? *ahem* uber vain.

However.

There is real sense for brands to make use of their Facebook fan pages by having an easy to remember URL - the online and offline traffic potential is very appealing. Facebook have attempted to put some measures into place to stop people trying to take these brand URL's (the account should have been made earlier than the 9th of June, and you need more than 1000 fans!?). Hard - especially if you're a semi small brand. Actually, hard if you're a big brand trying to start things up on the social sites - especially when other people have set up unofficial fan pages that have already built up hundreds or thousands of fans. I believe Facebook will open this restriction up on the 28th of June but by then it will be too late - most names of any use would have been taken up. /PaulSmith was taken up by a guy who has the same name as the British designer - trademarking becomes a harder issue when a person's name is involved!

Overall.

Facebook vanity URLs should be prioritised to fan pages, not profile pages. Checks should be in place to verify true brands to simply make it fair. A bit like how Twitter recently set up verification on profiles. When LinkedIn did the equivalent vanity URL thing it was easier since it was profile based.

Is Center Parcs any good?

In short, yes! Its a great weekend (or week) in the forest where you get to do as much or as little as you want, which makes it as expensive or 'cheap' as you want. I say cheap loosely since it depends on villa deals. You have to pay for nearly all activities (bar swimming) and you either take your bikes with you or hire them while you're there.

The misconceptions:

1. Center Parcs is not a 'slightly better version of Butlins'. It is totally different and something for everyone.
2. No, not everything is in that dome you keep seeing pictures of. Only the pool is in there.
3. The villa's are of really good quality - but I would recommend going for executive if you can. Its nicer.

What I love about CP:
1. You say goodbye to your car after you offload - from then on its cycling in the forest to get wherever you want to go - its great fun - and everything you need is there (supermarket, restaurants, activities, bunnies etc...)
2. If you like watersports, its there. If you like indoor sports (badminton, squash, table tennis) its there. If you like random things like fencing, its there. If you like spa's, they have an amazing spa.
3. You can't get those kind of views in London, you're in the forest with beautiful lakes and animals! Lots of little bunny rabbits run around as well.
4. You can choose from four CP's - and they are in the process of building a 5th slightly nearer to London. The one we went to was in Thetford, Suffolk. If you go, go in the summer because you don't really want to be screwed by the rain...Either way, will definately be going back!

Cassetteboy vs The Bloody Apprentice - hilarious

This is really funny. Funny as in out loud ha ha. Think you need to have watched a bit of the Apprentice though to really appreciate it. Gets good from half way but watch it all!

A week in Pictures on Twitter

From tomorrow i'm going to tweet a week of my life. Lets see how interesting or boring I am LOL. My tweet home estas aqui: www.twitter.com/kramchandani

It should be interesting since i'm going for the India Pakistan T20 'friendly' at the Oval on Wednesday, plus a long weekend at Center Parcs - i'm assuming they have 3G out there in the middle of the forest! Highly unlikely. *sigh*