YATTERBOX
by Adam Coe
Social media entrepreneur and recent York graduate Matt Freckelton saw his “genuine eureka moment” come to fruition with the launch of Yatterbox.com last week.
The website, which tracks every cyber-sound UK politicians make – be that a Tweet, YouTube, Flickr or indeed any web-utterance made by an MP – is based in the Ron Cooke Hub space on Hes East. Freckelton threw his lot in with last year’s YUSU D&S Candidate, and now business partner, Chris Etheridge. The website went live last week and is in its very earliest “soft launch” stages.
The initial signs are positive. Concerning the momentum of the project Freckelton said, “[it’s] hard to work out; it could go viral or it may not. You never know with social media. We have had some encouraging stories already; for example we do know that council workers in Portsmouth are using the website to follow the AV debate while they are at work. We have no idea how they found out about the site.”
There have already been compliments from the other side of the hedge, as various MPs have themselves noticed the site. But the two are keeping features planned for the full promotional phase confidential, and signal the next few months as the real test, with new ideas to be integrated properly.
According to Etheridge, their audience will vary. “During the election season we think that a lot of people will use the site to check up on what their MPs and prospective candidates are doing. However, outside of the election season the hardcore political hacks and news companies will most likely be our main users.”
They also seemed to approve of Vision’s suggestion for the same concept aimed at a student-centric audience here in York: “the University could use it to gather feedback about the student experience, and staff could use this feedback to improve standards in teaching and research.”
As far as the standards go concerning the support given from the University’s Centre of Excellence for the Teaching and Learning of Enterprise (CETLE), the duo couldn’t be more pleased.
Of the start-up business treasure-trove that is CETLE, they told Vision, “the University of York is the best place to set up a business.” They also described the support that they had received in the early days of Yatterbox as “invaluable.” As part of the CETLE programme, Yatterbox are offering internships this Easter.
ECOMMUNITY
by Megan Graham
JOB OPPORTUNITIES are being created by students over on Heslington East campus, where businessman and first-year Shaun Turkington has started his own environmental awareness venture based in the Ron Cooke Hub.
The Environmental Economics and Environmental Management student founded ECOmmunity last year, which he describes as an “environmental social enterprise which believes that working closely with local communities is key to building strong and effective partnerships that assist the needs and interest of local residents.”
Winner of a Higher Education Social Entrepreneurship Catalyst Award, 22-year old Turkington told Vision that “we are committed to helping cut CO2 emissions by 25% from each household by 2013.”
ECOmmunity aims to promote environmental awareness, motivate the local community to become involved in climate protection and sell environmentally friendly products and services.
The small business currently has only three people involved, and Shaun is keen to involve students at the University in his enterprise.
“We are always looking for volunteers and fundraisers and we are also recruiting.
“I would like, and would be willing, to recruit students to work with me to act on climate change and other community and environmental issues with the Union and the University.”
Just wondering….who is going to own the rights to these companies that students or ex-students have set up. Just thinking that it doesn’t seem particularly entrepreneurial if these guys have developed their own ideas (presumably for a fixed salary) only for the university to take the final cut. Also, how much university money was invested in the Yatterbox set up and will it see a return back to the students if any was? Oh, and isn’t Yatterbox very similar to a number of other sites that have already taken rank in which case doesn’t that make it a little less than a genuine eureka moment and a little more of a let’s jump on the bandwagon of a market that is probably saturated by the existence of a single firm? Oh, and finally isn’t the site a little substance lacking…and how does it actually make money? I didn’t see any particular advertising and surely people won’t pay a subscription….just questions really if it is funded by university finance whilst other areas remain distinctly underfunded…
@ Cynic:
1) At the moment, the site is entirely owned by the individuals mentioned in this article and two other people. The University does not own any of the company at the moment.
2) The money used to create YatterBox was entirely that of private individuals; the University has not spent any of its money.
3 YatterBox is not similar to other sites; sure Tweetminster follow UK MPs on Twitter, but they do not follow any other social media outlets. YatterBox is unique in that sense.
4) YatterBox is brand new and will be developing from its initial stages very quickly over the next few weeks. We are currently working on many different things which you will see in due course.
5) In terms of money making; there are concrete plans in place for the site to make money; you will see these appear as part of our development in the next few weeks.
If students have an interest to get involved with ECOmmunity they should first visit our website at: http://www.ecommunityccipc.co.uk if they wish to apply they should contact social affairs at: 01904 567723 or e-mail: [email protected].
“Working Together for a Greener Future”
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