Swapping Homes Anybody?

NOW THAT WE'VE WALKED THE WALK, WE CAN GIVE YOU THE STRAIGHT TALK ON HOME SWAPPING. (Season 8)

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Internet still new territory to Merkel




“ Facebook makes it to Bad Honnef “ was yesterday's  headline of the local rag!
Then:  “The internet is still a challenge for most of us, “Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor is quoted to have said on Obama's recent visit. I wonder what must have gone through Obama's mind?
This town where we are staying has about 25,000 inhabitants, 5000 of which are FB users. The journalist suspects, however, that these are students of the town’s new virtual college campus and remain in their virtual world, as usual.
It is true that fewer Germans than Americans. have taken  to FB and are more worried about their privacy to the point of paranoia. As a rule, they don’t want to display their personal affairs on the Internet. “If I want to undress, I do that at home”. Translations lose some of their wit…..sorry.
Or another German is quoted: “I still have a family and a job”. Last year I found about the disproportionate number of available eBooks and readers here. Whereas the Americans had taken to eReaders like ducks to water, German ebook sales are still sluggish.
Bad Honnef recently discovered FB’s marketing possibilities; restaurants and hotels in particular advertise here and look for fans. I found a nice site in this newspaper article that describes the area along the Rhine here from Bonn to Koblenz as The Rhinish Riviera. Clearly in its infancy, it would be a nice showcase for an area that is already very touristy. If only more Germans fell in love with FB.

Today, it's the weekend, no work for hubby! Off to explore the Rhinish Riviera!
(And next door's workmen are at it already.In a hotel, I could claim compensation for loss or R & R at least!)

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