tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134324092007-03-21T18:48:42.057ZMacDaraBlogger51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13432409.post-1120742765188324012005-07-07T14:21:00.000+01:002005-07-07T14:33:55.790+01:00Pretty shocking events today in London. I've <a href="http://macdaraconroy.com/archive/2005/07/explosions_in_london.html">written about it on my own weblog</a>, where I'm keeping track of events, what the blogosphere is saying about it, etc. If you're a friend of Furnace in the city and you're reading this, post a comment and let us know what's happening on the ground.MacDaratag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13432409.post-1118850669856046432005-06-15T16:49:00.000+01:002005-07-07T14:31:36.610+01:00<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/117/3400/640/Furnace.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/117/3400/320/Furnace.jpg"></a><br /><br />It was great of Seamus Dooley to come and help launch Furnace the other night – but the magazine's very existence and the kudos it has gained everyone involved ultimately proves that the opposite of his point is true. Seamus was arguing that what I said in my <a href="http://furnacemagazine.com/media/state_of_the_union.html"> State of the Union</a> piece was inaccurate, and that you should never accept unpaid or low pay work.<br /><br />The fact is that in order to get your foot in the door, you have to suffer a little. Work for low pay and you get a valuable learning experience, bylines and eventually, respect. Any of us who have paying jobs at this stage have done some pro bono work and with a bit of luck, it generates paid work. <br /><br />Way back when I was struggling to decide whether the journalist's life was for me, I did amonth in the <a href="http://www.thepost.ie">Sunday Business Post</a> working for Fiona Ness. I got ten or so article published and learnt a lot. When I started the masters this year, I rang up my contact in there who has been handing me snippets of work ever since. A free article written for <a href="http://www.siglamag.com">Sigla magazine</a> got me a paid appearance on Dave Fanning's evening radio show and an interview with the Tribune. The photos I sent in to <a href="http://www.afloat.ie"> Afloat</a> when I was 17 have bloomed into a constant stream of articles, subbing work, photography and other promotional stuff.<br /><br />And then there's Furnace. It's not just a project, it's unpaid work to showcase our abilities. We're putting it out there for free and hoping to get some attention, and maybe even a job out of it.<br /><br />A journo from the Sunday Independent is already doing a piece on it – so the ball is well and truly rolling. Keep an eye out.Markhamtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13432409.post-1118312914891907522005-06-09T11:26:00.000+01:002005-06-11T23:41:39.920+01:00Testing, testing, 1-2-3. The Furnace is heating up. Launch Monday June 13. Live commentary here?kevintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13432409.post-1118529600513031552005-06-11T23:32:00.000+01:002005-06-11T23:40:00.513+01:00Well the blog is up and running now. I'm not crazy about the templates, since it doesn't match the rest of the site, but it's the best of a bad bunch - and I'm not about to code up a new one by hand. It's Saturday night for cryin' out loud! I've got a blog of my own to neglect anyway.<br /><br />Three of us are signed up and ready to post so far. The rest of the team (and the class) will be invited to join over the next few days; let's hope they all have something interesting to say!<br /><br />The lauch party for the magazine is on schedule. Monday evening at 6pm in DIT Aungier Street. I'll be bringing my camera - <a href="http://inaudibleversification.blogspot.com/">my girlfriend</a> wants a picture of me in my snazzy suit, so I kinda have to.<br /><br />As for the rest of this site? It's ever so close to launching. Say tuned...MacDaratag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13432409.post-1117965532380676462005-06-05T10:58:00.000+01:002005-06-05T10:58:52.386+01:00Testing, one two three.MacDara