What the Welsh are rubbish at

I come from the country that makes the smallest computer in the world.

I come from the country which was the birthplace of one of the biggest technology investors in the world and one of the greatest technology company bosses in the world.

I come from the country which has the highest percentage of e-book owners in the United Kingdom.

I come from a country where its native language is more appreciated in the digital sphere by US companies like Twitter and Facebook than many of its own media and government institutions.

And I come from a country which has thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people, creating wonderful things online everyday.

That's what Wales is good at. Now let me tell you the one thing it is truly useless at.

Shouting about those achievements so more and more people know about them and use them.

Over the past couple of years, I have worked with some great people making great things online in Wales. In any other country, these things would be supported by at least a social buzz -at best a considered partnership and marketing campaign where all the major bodies and people in Welsh society help to raise awareness and market these achievements.

Neither has happened. Sometimes, it feels like we are ashamed of our own success.

We don't talk about what we are achieving because it'll sound like we're bragging or being arrogant and that's not the Welsh way.

There's only been two times in the past five years that Wales has really said 'look how good we are'. The first was when we won the Grand Slam, the second was when we reached the semi finals of the Rugby World Cup.

Meanwhile, 'foreigners' that come into this country instantly recognise how brilliant we are. They ask in wonder, "Why don't I know more about what you are doing?" "What a wonderful country!"

These were the very points made to me on the balcony of the Celtic Manor by a wonderful American visitor to Wales the other day. He wasn't just any old Yank - he was a Social Media Guru! His name was Mark Schaefer (look him up here) and he spoke at a wonderful conference organised by Real Radio MD Tony Dowling in Newport the other day. (and yes, declaring an interest - I was a speaker!)

The truth is, we struggle to market to ourselves as a nation, let alone tell anyone outside about our achievements -so what hope have we got to get the world to realise what we can do when we can't even tell ourselves?

The irony is that the one thing the Welsh are good at is talking. If there was an Olympic gold for sgwrsio, we'd be the Chris Hoy or the David Weir -we'd blow the field away.

But we have a tendency when it comes to our digital abilities to either talk but not do anything or to talk and not listen. We also have a skill of undervaluing ourselves and of forming cliques which stop us all learning about what everything we do.

I don't blame one institution for this. We are all to blame. And every single one of us should start shouting and sharing the wonderful work being done by lots of individuals and companies in our country to eradicate the lack of awareness about our digital achievements either here or abroad in England :)

And I'm happy to get the ball rolling. Starting this week, I'm going to be blogging about my Welsh Digital Heroes and Heroines. People who you would have never heard of but have created some really interesting things online and are worth a look at.

I hope you will take a peek at their work and tell your friends, colleagues and enemies -so all of us know what's out there and we all get involved in our future.

If you have a 'Digital Hero' and you want them to get recognition for what they have done, then please leave a message for me on the blog and I'll be happy to blog about them.

I'm going to shut up now...these Welsh don't half rattle on, eh?!