The third batch of WordPress UK Locals took place last month:

• London on Wednesday 15 October 2008 at the One Tun, Goodge Street.
• North on Friday 24 October 2008 at Old BH, Leeds.

Keep an eye on the WordPress UK Upcoming group for details of future meetings.

• Interesting Semantic Web links [Tom Scott] Tom asked on Twitter: “What are your top 5 URLs to explain to a Senior Exec type what the Semantic Web is and why it’s important?”
• Ten years [A List Apart] A celebration of the first decade of A List Apart – the site “for people who make websites”.
• Information architecture for audio: doing it right [Boxes and Arrows] “When using audio today [on the web], we face challenges similar to those of written text about a decade ago.”
• New NASA law allows for possible shuttle extension [New Scientist] The problem: “how to get crews to and from the space station between 2010-2011 (when the shuttle stops flying and NASA’s current contract to use Russian Soyuz spaceships runs out) and 2015 (when the agency’s Ares/Orion programme starts flying, maybe)”.

• NASA Mars Lander sees falling snow, soil data suggest liquid past [NASA] Snow detected and evidence of past interaction between minerals and water on Mars.
• Four years [43 Folders] Merlin Mann’s site “about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work” is four years old.
• The 25 most influential people on the web [BusinessWeek] The 2008 list compiled by BusinessWeek readers and staff.
• Time Out at 40 – Covers archive [Time Out] A selection from the distinctive covers of London’s listing magazine.

The second clutch of local meetings bringing together WordPress publishers, designers and developers in the UK have been organised:

• London – Wednesday 17 September 2008 at the One Tun, Goodge Street.
• North – Friday 19 September 2008 at Old BH, Leeds.

Could all those attending or interested indicate on the linked Upcoming pages (registration required).

WordPress UK local groups are one of a number of initiatives to build a strengthened WordPress community emerging from WordCamp UK 2008 held at Birmingham in July.

• Google Chrome why? [Tom Scott] Why have Google built their own browser and how does it relate to Firefox?
• Mozilla Ubiquity [Dan Brickley] A look at the Mozilla Labs experimental Firefox extension.
• Radio Pop – social radio listening [BBC Radio Labs] Background to their Radio Pop experimental prototype site.
• 10 principles of the PHP masters [NETTUTS] “The best principles to follow for high-grade PHP programming” according to the site.

• Stately decline [Media Guardian] and the associated PDA post Kingswood Warren: The end of an era gives the background to BBC Kingswood Warren faces strike.
• Intel unites the internet with TV [BBC News] Intel and Yahoo work towards a Widget Channel, or as Yahoo calls it the Cinematic Internet.
• iPlayer goes for higher bitrates, Olympic Gold and home theaters? [NewTeeVee] Is the BBC looking at a new generation of devices offering internet experiences alongside video content?
• Celebrating a stereo pioneer: Alan Blumlein [BBC News] His contributions to audio engineering, television and radar were amazing – some of his early stereo recordings have been restored.

• Ofcom Communications Market Report: rapid changes in media consumption habits, but much remains the same [Media Guardian] Ofcom’s 365 page 2008 report digested.
• Taking the shine off: Why blog publishing ‘failed’ in the UK (or at least didn’t create a $30m exit) [TechCrunch UK] Guardian PDA responds with is there any money in UK blogging?
• Why blogs need to be social [GigaOM] Blog = digital life aggregator.
• Putting our hot heads together [A List Apart] How can we transform discussion forums and comment sections from shooting ranges into arenas of collaboration?

• New Number10 site goes live [Puffbox] Powered by WordPress!
• Time Out at 40 [Observer] London’s ground-breaking listings magazine is forty, its covers have always distinctive; some background from ex-Editor Dominic Wells.
• Phoenix discovery may be bad for Mars life [New Scientist Space Blog] Has perchlorate, a highly oxidising substance, been found, or is it connected with rocket fuel?
• Obituary: Sir Bill Cotton [Guardian]