Letters from the idiot

Idiot no more

2008-03-11T14:26:00.002Z

Well, I'm leaving. This old blog was nice, but I don't want the "blogspot.com" url any more.

If you want to find me, I'm now blogging at WillKnott.ie and I'll update the dot net address soon.

Since this is a google thingy, can anyone thing of a good use of this blog now?

take care,
Will

A vase full of spanners

2008-02-25T22:31:00.002Z

"I feel like a plumber at a flower show " -- Glen Hansard (of the Frames) on attending the Oscars and winning the Best Song Award for "Falling Slowly" from "Once" which he wrote and co-stared with Markéta Irglová.

Moving house

2008-02-23T20:22:00.003Z

Gentle reader,

I'm almost there with one of my new year resolutions. I resolved to be master of my own domain. And the site is almost ready. It needs a little tweaking, and an about page... but it's nearly there.

You might want to update your RSS feeds and bookmarks. Soon I won't be an idiot any more. Soon I'll be me.

take care,
Will

Initial reactions to Eurosong Ireland 2008

2008-02-23T20:01:00.003Z

RTE has details of all the performers (which might go away once the winner is chosen)

01
Donal Skehan
Double cross my heart
Out of key? Seriously it sounds terrible.
From the reactions, I wonder if the backing track transmitted was the same as the one heard in the studio.

02
Dustin Hoffman
Douze Points for Ireland
Wasn't expecting a "dance remix" performed live. The audience is booing? Terrible... didn't stop laughing one. I do like the backing singers. Much piss was taken in this song. I can't help wondering if it's the overall winner based on the reaction.

03
Maya
Time to Rise
Losses it a little on the higher notes... but I love the song.
Beautiful song, not quite the power ballad. Don't know if it is quite right for the Eurovision... but its the best one so far.

04
Leona Daly
Not Crazy After All
Oh wow. Better. Sam Brown sings the Beatles. I love this one. And the strip halfway through is... yes. My favourite.

05
Liam Geddes
Sometimes
Nervous start, but rapid improvement. He's talented. But somewhere a musical is missing some generic filler. Bland.

06
Marc Roberts
Chances
Eurgh. Ah no. Old sound. I mean the song sounds dated. Pleasant but unmemorable.

First reactions is...
04 Leona Daly should win,
03 Maya for second
02 Dustin will use this entry and fodder for ages.

But listening to the recaps... 05 Liam Geddes was so much better during the rehearsal. No idea why the judges think Donal should win based on that performance.

Oh well, roll on the results...

(Update)
And the results are in

Not going through : Marc Roberts, Maya, Liam Geddes, Donal Skehan or Leona Daly.

Lord help us, Dustin won. It wasn't even the best of a bad lot.
Still, will spectacle beat any musical ability?
eurosong, eurovision, ireland, 2008

they walk in the city hand in hand

2008-02-20T20:30:00.003Z

Given the sheer amount of absolute guff being talked about Dustin entering as Ireland's entry in to the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia. I wonder if I should open ears to non-English songs.

Given that the Polldaddy Poll on All Kinds Of Everything clearly shows that Dustin is the favourite (but has anyone heard any of the other songs?) maybe I shouldn't mock. It's not that bad, the digs are very good.

So I'll show you Jenni Vartiainen from Finland (home of Lordi) with a little ditty entitled Ihmisten edessä. It's a song about a girl who has fallen in love with someone, and the lyrics tell of their first evening when they walk in the city hand in hand.

Oh sorry I missed something there. The someone is another girl.
You can't tell from the video.

take care,
Will

Dustin the Turkey, Eurovision, 2008, Jenni Vartiainen, Ireland, Finland

Write on

2008-02-18T22:18:00.003Z

True, the news is a little stale - the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike is over. And the deal isn't that good. Based on the reaction of Harlan Ellison I think the following quote applies...

"From a screenwriters point of view, the correct rendering should be, 'Film is a collaborative business: bend over.'" -- David Mamet from his 1989 essay 'Film is a Collaborative Business'

tags : quote, wga, Harlan Ellison, screenwriter, David Mamet

4 Ds of Information loss – Divorce

2008-02-14T20:48:00.003Z

There are 2 types of divorce in this world, amicable and complete shafting. This is a quote from Ellybabes' BarCamp presentation on Death and Divorce in the Digital World.

In the case of a divorce, data is just property. As such data has a legal standing. Data also has the "advantage" in that it can be copied. That is also its disadvantage. While you can claim that you should own the only copy of those saucy pictures from that dirty weekend or Valentine's Day, there is not guarantee that your partner hasn't already taken a copy. Or deleted it in spite so neither has a copy.

Every problem which Ellybabes raised in the initial presentation still applies.

However there is an additional wrinkle. There are legal presidents for a divorce. But what if the couple isn't married by choice, or because they legally can't marry yet. If one partner of an unmarried couple dies, then any children, or blood relatives of the deceased partner often has a stronger legal right to the property (physical or data); if an unmarried partner leaves, he or she may not have a legal claim to any property for which the other partner claims ownership.

Is there a solution? Other than ensuring you have a copy of all your data and share neither accounts nor passwords, no.

Unless you love and trust them of course. Which is how this topic began...

Sorry that it's so short, but there isn't really a solution other than not sharing in the first place.

take care,
William Knott

With kind thanks to John Looney of Google (for the tech and social angles) and Simon McGarr of Tuppenceworth.ie (for the legal questions and answers) and for all the people quoted above for providing their perspectives.

4 Ds of Information loss, 4ds, legal, personal information

Are you going to be part of Irish Blog week

2008-02-09T18:51:00.000Z

The first week of March is, well busy.

It all starts on March When the The Irish Blog Awards ceremony take place. Seats are somewhat limited so remember to register for the Irish Blog Awards It costs only ten Euros a head and all cash taken at the door goes to three deserving charities - Brainwave, St. Francis Hospice and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland. Preceding this are quite a few meetings and groupings. Make them if you can.

March 2nd. Very early on March 2nd we have WebCamp - Social Network Portability this time in Cork. I'm trying to figure out logistics and if a bus should be hired, but I suspect that its all aboard the first train from Dublin to Cork for an awful lot of tired bloggers and blog awards party people.

also on March 2nd (this time at a mercifully later hour) Alexia is organising a bloggers dinner in Cork. Should be fun, even if Dear Waters isn't there.

Then on March 3rd and 4th the international BlogTalk 2008 Conference takes the floor again in Cork

Then after a small breather, on March 8th Creative Camp starts in Kilkenny.

Its going to be busy...

See you there?
Will Knott

tags : Irish Blog Week, March 2008, Irish Blog Awards, Dublin, WebCamp, Cork, Social Network Portability, bloggers dinner, BlogTalk 2008, Creative Camp, Kilkenny

4 Ds of Information loss – Demotion

2008-02-07T22:06:00.000Z

Demotion is something of a kludge. I wanted a word which started with D. So "Demotion" covers being fired, leaving a job, redundancy and in a limited case... death. Simply put, demotion covers anything to do with leaving a job or letting someone's job go.

But loosing information? Yes.

It's not yours

Everyone know that, unless you own the company, the computer at work is not theirs to own, in much the same way that the company car does not belong to them, and that the telephone provided by the company does not belong to them. Yet in the same way that a company rep can fill the company car assigned to them with their stuff, many people customize their work computer and fill it with at least a little of their data.

Which isn't a good idea. While a representative can request a little time to remove any personal belongings from the company car, the same shouldn't be expected from the company computer. I know of one case where the staff left their desks to a meeting in the canteen, and upon being told that the company was laying them off, returned to their desks to find that they were locked out of their computers. Anything not on removable data was trapped in there.

With the ubiquity of USB Flash disks and cloud computing, no one has an excuse to have their personal information on the machine. But what if it's not just personal data.

All your database

How would you feel if your boss asked you for every email address and phone number you had accumulated over the course of your employment? This is what happened to Junior Isles. He worked for 9 years as a journalist and helping with putting on conferences for PennWell. When he left to set up a rival company, PennWell issued an injunction on the three requiring them to "return all the claimant's property including any information in paper form or stored on any computer". Isles had uploaded the details of hundreds of contacts into Microsoft Outlook on his desktop when he joined the company. Under UK law a journalist can retain his journalistic contacts. Every time he got a new contact, he added it to Outlook. PennWell claimed that these numbers were company property. Isles went to the high court. He lost.

Had Isles kept his journalistic contacts separate from his other work-related numbers, he would have been able to take them with him. His mistake was to mix the numbers up with non-journalistic ones - those with whom he worked setting up conferences - which should have remained with the company.

The technology used is no defense either. Be it on paper, SIM card, cloud or PDA. It means that legally your employer owns the details of your LinkedIn or FaceBook account if you mix personal and company contacts. And if you do, well its your own fault for doing it.

An untried and nested consequence of this is a small company using cloud computing. Using Google Docs, GMail and a VoIP solution such as Skype, it is possible to create a reasonably cheap office environment. If an employee uses and does all his or her work on these systems using their own personal id, then, legally, the company owns their electronic identity and not the person. The lesson is if you find yourself in such a situation, create a new id. Or use multiple profiles on the same machine. Either that or make sure your contract specifies that you keep all data stored in such accounts when leaving the company.

But let us assume that you have correctly separated (and kept separate) work and play. Lets assume that you leave the company with all your data intact. It is still possible for the company to loose data.

Tarballs

When someone leaves a company, everything that the person learned in there goes with them (which is why you have "no competition" clauses in contracts). Frequently when a person leaves a corporation, everything that the person created is also destroyed. The corporate e-mail account is erased. The machines used are re-formated. This means that unless someone searches for the data and takes it off the machine, its lost.

Even is the data is carefully stored away, its not always possible to get everything back...

What use is building a great home-grown billing system if it's not documented by the implementer? All over the industry are people who make themselves irreplaceable by refusing to detail what their data means.

I'm sure many contractors have been given a tarball of 'code' that someone wrote before moving on, and asked to 'make it go, it just needed some final tweaks'. Alas, without a database schema, some insight into what was being attempted, it's invariably easier to start from scratch again.

-- John Looney

Password unavailable

If someone leaves in an ordered fashion, then data is somewhat recoverable. If someone walks away unexpectedly from the company, there is some recourse. When an employee dies, well you can't ask them for their old passwords. While a company should have some "back door" (or even an alternative "front door") in to their systems, some companies may face similar problems as next-of-kin due to security and procedures of third party providers. Besides. Can you remember a password you last used a few months ago?

While not everything is cut-and-dried, remember to keep work and play separated.

Take care,
William Knott

With kind thanks to John Looney of Google (for the tech and social angles) and Simon McGarr of Tuppenceworth.ie (for the legal questions and answers) and for all the people quoted above for providing their perspectives.

tags : 4 Ds of Information loss, 4ds,legal, demotion, fired, quit, redundancy, cloud computing, personal information, contacts, electronic identity, multiple profiles, documented

Obama the musical

2008-02-03T23:34:00.000Z

I love talented mashups...

and so imagine turning a political speech to music. And what do you know, will.i.am is a talented mash up artist (which has clearly replaced re-mixer sometime since 2006). So please find the Yes We Can Obama Song by will.i.am which took Senator Barak Obama's concession speech after loosing the New Hampshire primary, and turned it to music.

take care,
Will Knott

tags : mashup, politics, music, Will.i.am, Obama, New Hampshire, primary

4 Ds of Information loss – Death

2008-01-31T22:00:00.000Z

Death comes to us all. And from a legal perspective, death doesn't stop data. Data is property. Digital photographs are the same as physical photographs from an ownership perspective.

However, the law and reality split.

Getting your hands on your data

Lets assume that Aunt Bessie has died. What now... well as her only heir you get everything.
All her encrypted files. All her data accounts. All her data is yours, but you can't get to it.

Unless Bessie provided something for you...

As Ellybabes pointed out in her Death and Divorce in the Digital World presentation, unless you leave someone the password, they are going to stay locked out.

There is a method... as was pointed out in the ‘Security Now!’ podcast (episode 72):

Today, while alive, I don’t want to give my sensitive stuff or passwords to anyone, including my wife. But when I eventually die or become very ill, I need to make sure that my family has access.
But I know my wife wouldn’t be able to figure it out to save her life. If I have TrueCrypted all of my data, have complex unguessable password schemes and so forth, how do I unwind all of that for the benefit of other people I care about in my life?

So what you could do would be give to your attorney who has your will, or in a safety deposit box, something where access will be granted in the event of something bad happening to you without your taking any action.
Here’s what I’m thinking is that you separate the information out. So one of the things TrueCrypt lets you do is have an image file and a password. You need both; right? Maybe give the attorney the password, maybe even put it in your will, and store the image file in a safety deposit box. Separate the two, to be opened on your death or whatever.

But if you change your password regularly... then the copy with the attorney is probably out of date.
You could always try to break in to the machine, or maybe you don't need to, after all, if the hard drive is not encrypted, you just need to put it in another machine. Right?

What if the machine isn't local. What if the data is on a remote server. Do you need to go get a wig and break in somewhere.

Well, if you want to keep the data, the answer might be yet.

No right of survivorship

Under the terms of service of Yahoo, which includes the photograph sharing service Flickr,

(section 27 Paragraph 4)No Right of Survivorship and Non-Transferability. You agree that your Yahoo! account is non-transferable and any rights to your Yahoo! ID or contents within your account terminate upon your death. Upon receipt of a copy of a death certificate, your account may be terminated and all contents therein permanently deleted.

Or if you prove that she's dead, you loose access to all her stuff permanently.

For the record, a Flickr.com spokesperson detailed how their system works...

Flickr works with the Yahoo! Legal Compliance team to resolve these types of situations. You'll need to send them a copy of the death certificate in order to have the Flickr
account closed. Please include their Yahoo! ID as well as their Flickr screen name for removal of the Flickr account. Compliance can be reached [via telephone and fax].

After a death certificate is received we are not able to
give access to the account but we can close it.

Memorial State

Sites like Facebook are a little more accommodating. According to a Facebook spokesperson

When it comes to our attention that a user has passed away, put the profile in a Memorial State. In the Memorial State, certain profile sections and features are hidden from view to protect the privacy of the departed. We encourage users to utilize groups and group discussions to mourn and remember the deceased.

I don't know what "Memorial State" means, but it does mean that the data is retained.

Not everywhere has such a formal response... I contacted the Irish based life data organizerPutPlace.com and the photo and social network Pix.ie.

When I posed the question to Marcus MacInnes of Pix.ie he replied...

We do not have a specific policy dealing with the death of one of our users. Our policy on account access however is as follows:
We provide access to a user’s account only under one of the following conditions:
1.via our automated password recovery method;
2. if instructed to do so by a user’s legal personal representative (which may be the user themselves);
3. if we are required to do so by law.

In the event that the owner of an account dies, upon request, we would be obliged to surrender that account to the user’s legal personal representative (usually the executor of their will). The legal representative would then act in accordance with the wishes of the deceased and may for instance request deletion of the account.

And Joe Drumgoole of PutPlace.com explained that

we haven't put the legal framework in place yet. Our intention is that all content gets assigned to the probate or estate and the executor gets to do his stuff. In situations where no estate exists or legal structures don't support it we will allow appropriate next of kin (spouse, children, siblings, parents etc.) with supporting documentation to take over the account. We will support an alternate contact to allow somebody else to recover the account but we depend on the user to keep this up to date.

Its definitely a tricky area and something we will be coming across more and more in the future.

Messages from beyond

Another complicating factor is that with more and more of s spending our lives on line. Frequently out virtual network of friends and "friends" are the only ones that the next of kin cannot contact, because all this data exists on remote servers. Do you have a local or hard copy of all your friends contact e-mail addresses or IM names? (Actually do you have a list of all your accounts?)

If you got access to Aunt Bessie's social network account, should "she" be the one sending the funeral notice. Is parking the account in a "Memorial State" the answer? Marcus MacInnes of Pix.ie explained

[the] moral issue which until your question, we had not fully considered. How would friends react to receiving an on-line message from someone whom they knew had recently died. We cannot assume that the custodian of the account would act in any given manner and it is not clear whether or not we have a moral responsibility to provide reasonable protection to our users from receiving messages via our platform which are likely to cause distress. An example of this may be when a custodian acts irresponsibly, either intentionally or unintentionally.

Because of my questions, their policies are being reviewed.

I would have loved to include details of the policies of other vendors, but only the above companies contacted my in time. If I get any more details I'll include them in the comments.

Take care,
William Knott

With kind thanks to John Looney of Google (for the tech and social angles) and Simon McGarr of Tuppenceworth.ie (for the legal questions and answers) and for all the people quoted above for providing their perspectives.

tags : 4 Ds of Information loss, 4 ds, Death, legallegal, property, Ellybabes, Security Now, right of survivorship, terms of service, Yahoo, Flickr, death certificate, memorial state, Facebook, PutPlace.com, Pix.ie, Marcus MacInnes, Joe Drumgoole, friend, moral responsibility

4 Ds of Information loss – Data loss

2008-01-24T18:59:00.000Z

I have the nasty feeling that I have more questions than answers but here goes...

The old days

Before technology, life in the office was simple. You have documents, and you filed them away. They were big, bulky and paper based (once stone, velum and papyrus had their days). Sometimes documents got lost (down the back of the filing cabinet), sometimes documents were destroyed (blessed be the shredder despite projects to restore shredded documents using software). Rarely did physical documents end up in the hands of the wrong person (but it happened). The came easy duplication. And then came electronic records.

Electronic records, or data to give it an even more generic name, are everywhere. Data can be automatically collected and stored. When I first raised “data loss" I simply assumed I would stay on simple technical grounds such “hard disk crash" or indeed loosing the financial data of 25 million people in the post. Some of the issues are technical, some and legal, but all are social.

Never enough

Disk drives get larger to cope with the torrent of data. Much in the same way that “you can never be too rich" it's true that “you can never have too much disk space". However... As data volume grows, our ability to weed out the what from the chaff declines. It's easy to say 'never throw out anything, in case it's needed'. It also lets you avoid the boring (and possibly compromising) task of deleting data you don't need. However, then your operational budget bloats - it costs as much to look after useless data as expensive data. If it goes on long enough, you can't do anything about it; it's possible you won't never remember what most of it is.

This is where one part of the legal framework stands. If you are, say, automatically collecting all the web sites that a certain IP address connects to, how long should you hang on to it? How long is it legally useful for? And worth keeping for? ( Digital Right Ireland have a few things to say on this.) There is also a technical problem... If an Internet access node is unsecured, is the owner of the node liable for something posted using it? At the moment, yes, but that is because it hasn't been tested in an Irish Court

Sealed with a click

Another part of this is content. Google have an archive of a precursor to the web, called Usenet on archive. This is data. Public data? Well everything was considered public a the time. So this archive is publicly available.

But what about you diary? Not your blog, but your diary. Currently you have automatic copyright protection on everything you write. The contents of your diary become public domain 75 years after your death. Does the same apply to your e-mail? Private musings are supposed to become public domain after a time. If you turn out to be a famous person (at the time of your death) someone will hang on to every scrap of paper in the hopes that it will be worth something.
However every e-mail you write is technically protected under copyright, and replying or worse, forwarding an e-mail is technically in breach of a dozen copyright laws. When should your e-mail become public domain? If that data is on your hard drive, there is some hope that it will be forgotten about, but as a Microsoft anti-trust cases showed, e-mail has a habit of copying itself in other places than your drive. After all, there are the recipients, and all the server between (and a few that shouldn't have gotten it in the first place).
When should this mail become public domain? 75 years after your and every contributor's death? Something like that is impractical. 100 years after the message is sent? 50 years? And what if the message contains still confidential information (like the secret recipe for Snickerdoodles & Chocodoodles)?

Silly idea? Old medical records do go “public", but these are usually stored in archives of interest to few (usually medical students and researchers who would be qualified to have access to the information in the first place).
“Would it be morally right to give public access to email & messaging accounts 100 years after they were last accessed ? How interested would the historians of the future be in a copy of bebo.com from 2005 ? Or the contents of the mailbox of a famous serial killer 50 years after they died ? I don't think we have the option of letting that sort of data lapse. It will be the clearest echo of society's global digital consciousness."

This is the first time that the general public have had their personal messages (not just) information stored. Should I be retailed for your grandchildren (but hidden from your prospective employer)? When should an e-mail be considered an orphaned work?

Backing away

Along with the problem of how long data should be retained, lets look at the actual retention problem. If you 'never throw out anything, in case it's needed', you have an increased storage problem. I hear the call of “backups"?

“As data volumes grow, you either have to put all your eggs in one basket, or have multiple baskets. From experience, it's so tempting to try consolidate your data in one place, to reduce admin overhead. Hopefully that one system won't have a buggy motherboard that's silently corrupting everything it writes. And it's really painful if someone accidentally deletes a few petabytes of data - copying from backups takes ages, for a start."
Or “bugs in archival software ("Yup, that's archived. Oh, wait. No..it isn't. The machine had a bad disk, software crashed, and reported 'everything OK' when it restarted...") and freaky network instability (guys doing rewiring, restarting cluster routers and maybe some dodgy cables) resulting in more than one machine reporting as being the 'one true repository' for a certain type of data."

So the backups might be a problem....

But let's assume that the backups are valid. Then you have 2 format problems.
We don't have the hardware which can read the tapes anymore.
This actually happened to me professionally. I remembered when the archives were made, and indeed the data was found. Documented in place A where where the off-site storage utility had the backups. However, the tape drives had been scrapped years before.
And those of you that remember the Domesday project know tha the BBC fell in to a similar problem.

But let's assume that the anarchic backup archive tape could get it's contents loaded on to a system you can use... can you read the data format?

Earlier this year, Microsoft released a service pack which purposefully disabled older file formats. So your carefully restored data might be unreadable to the world, and worse, yourself. In a business case, the original specifications (or recipe) might be needed. Or your great grandfather's proposal on an on-line forum to the woman you've come to know as your great grand aunt.

Is there a “fix" for this? Well making the older formats fall in to the public domain would help. After all, if you're not using them...

So who deserves the credit, and who deserves the blame

So the disk has crashed, who do you sue? It should be simple, but it ain't. Much like a delayed or canceled air flight is not the cause of refunds if the cause of the problem is beyond the control of the airline, there are ways a disk can go. Legally.

Usually a hard disk will crash in infancy (within a day or two of starting life), meaning little if anything has been lost and it's under warranty of the manufacturer. Or the disk will die was it approaches the end of it's predicted life (well after warranty). The fact that the computer is usually obsolete long before you take it out of the box isn't something to be considered.

And while I'm sure that back-up software and hardware has warranties, the legal click through probably covers some lost data. But since the cost a new hard disk is usually less than the lost of the backup measures... home backing up is rare.

In a corporate setting, the party that looses the data should be held liable, but I don't know of any cases in Irish law on data crashes. Data gong missing however...

it's a steal, it's a loss

Credit card data gets stolen. It's an identifiable crime. Who (other than the criminals) is liable?
Well was a reasonable attempt made to protect the data? If so, was it reasonable enough? Can you sue for loss of data? (and given the ability to reconstruct shredded credit card bills (cited at the start) are you the cause of the data breach?)

Apparently no. If data is lost (in the post) or stolen, there is no case until the data is used and a victim can be shown to have damages (or have lost money) from the act. If personal data goes missing, is there a lawsuit? Liable or slander is not applicable since the data suggests if not proves that the information about the victim is true. There are privacy charges, but currently there is no privacy law in Ireland. Direct financial damages are possible, but the cost of the case is usually more than the loss? And there is the time it takes...

In the case of the recent UK financial data loss a lot of the data is personal data pertaining to minors. In fact everything needed for identity theft for then the minor becomes an adult. So someone sitting on the data would wait 10 to 18 years to strike. Is there a statute of limitations (or similar) for data theft? Or in this case, identity stolen almost a generation ago?

Well, I have asked more questions than I've answered...

Anyone able to answer some of these too?

Take care,
William Knott

With kind thanks to John Looney of Google (for the tech and social angles) and Simon McGarr of Tuppenceworth.ie (for the legal questions and answers)

tags : 4 Ds of Information loss, data loss, technology, hard disk crash, legal, social, data retention, Digital Right Ireland, copyright, copyright protection, public domain, orphaned work, backup, format, identity theft

Passion lives here

2008-01-20T20:29:00.000Z

"The best four minutes of my entire life were those in the Olympic stadium. My husband is offended when I say this" -- Isabel Allende

Isabel Allende spoke at the TED conference in March 2007. She spoke about passion. About helping. About women. About strength. And about feminism.

She speaks with strength. With humour. With power. And with passion.

Watch the lecture, and see what you can change in the world.

take care,
William Knott

p.s. she also passes on beauty tips from Sophia Loren

tags : Isabel Allende, overheard, TED, passion

The 4 ds of information loss - Statement of intent

2008-01-17T21:41:00.000Z

When someone talks about losing their data, the assumption is a hard disk crash. But not always. Sometimes it's something more.

Sometimes its business. Sometimes it's personal. So it's not always technical.

The thought sprung to mind when I was driving to Waterford with Security Now playing through the radio. This was also after the Facebook/Scoble/Plaxo incident around Christmas, so ownership of data was in my mind. Barcamp Waterford was where Ellybabes presented Death and Divorce in the Digital World almost a year ago. (The slides from the presentation are in the link)

At the session few, if any of the questions were answered, so I'm going to take a stab at it over the new weeks. The schedule I'm planning is...

24-Jan-08 D 1. Data losses (from a head crash to lost in the mail)
31-Jan-08 D 2. Death (You're gone, but your data will live on)
07-Feb-08 D 3. Demotion (You're fired, and I own your info)
14-Feb-08 D 4. Divorce (I didn't choose the date to be sarcastic)

I don't have all the answers, or even all the questions. So if there is anything you want me to cover (or corrections after the fact) please let me know either through e-mail or comment

take care,
William Knott

tags : ellybabes, 4 ds, information loss, data, death, demotion, divorce

Pick me

2008-01-09T19:55:00.000Z

That Mulley man is seeking nominations for this year’s Irish Blog Awards. Nominations close at 9pm (Irish time) on Friday January the 18th. In fact Damien wants us all to do more. I don't know if it counts, but for the first round he wants judges. Lots and lots of judges.

It is a way to start...

take care,
William Knott

tags : Irish Blog Awards

Defrosting January

2008-01-09T11:03:00.000Z

Reviewing adverts is one thing, however I never thought I'd be reviewing a trailer for a play.
But it does beg the question, given the potential power of internet video, how come so few theatre groups (especially those seeking funding) don't use such an opportunity.

Anyway, on to "They Never Froze Walt Disney" by Jody O’Neill. The trailer is embedded below, and I'll type about it after that.

Theatre Makers specialise in what I'll call "uncomfortable absurdist comedy". The trailer gives an excellent example. What sounds like an insult and accusation, extended just long enough to fall in to humour. The principle of "don't think of an elephant" or "don't laugh at the funeral" which simply triggers the opposite reaction is what they do very well.

The advert itself is a simple "information" advert. This is when the play is on and where it's showing. The mood is simultaneously bleak and absurd. Which is probably a review of the play too.

Well, would you go?
They Never Froze Walt Disney
The Granary Theatre, Cork
8th-12th January at 8pm (preview January 7th)
Bookings & Info: 021 490 4275

take care,
Will

tags : They Never Froze Walt Disney, Granary Theatre, Cork, advert, theatre, Jody O’Neill, John McCarthy

tweetless

2008-01-02T22:28:00.000Z

I've read a love letter for twitter but Twitter has been a cruel mistress for me.

At first, I thought I'd try it out, and we quickly fell in love. However its interface was a problem for me. I'm not alone in this, which might be why there are so many alternative interfaces for it online. I discovered that the SMS interface was perfect for me. I like to spend time off line, but in contact. True, for a while my phone felt like a tamagochi, but I made friends. Actually met people in Tweet ups and experienced its back channel possibilities. I tried out Jaiku and loved it too. True that “tweeting” via SMS cost a bit, due to the price of an international text, but it was worth it.

On the SMS front, all broadcast posts are also sent to your phone as a text (if you express the choice). On Jaiku all the people you add as contacts have their first or initial post arrive on your phone. Only replies to your posts are SMSed to you. It's actually hard to reply to a post via SMS on Jaiku, you have to start the text with the name of the intended recipient, this means that it might appear as a separate post, but the right person will look at it. You can receive an unlimited number of texts from Jaiku, but given the reply structure, the numbers are low.

On Twitter you can choose who arrives to your phone via SMS. However you receive every post they make to Twitter, since threaded replies are not possible on their system. They also limit the number of posts you can receive to 250 a week. The first day they started this was during the IT@Cork conference (in Cork naturally). The limit was hit by every attendant before the end of the day.

The limit means that I miss out on most of the friends I've made there. I have an old phone. I can't install the mobile client for Twitter on it. Simply put, I can't afford a new phone. I also like not having to remain online to see the conversation. Maybe it's me. Maybe I shouldn't have such high expectation for mobile communications but I LIKE to be spoilt.

The limit means that I've lost a lot from Twitter. If there is an offline client, let me know! (google reader gets filled really quickly with tweets)

Should I dedicate an RSS reader just to my friends?

Any ideas?

Take care
Will Knott

tags :
disruptiveconversations, Twitter, Jaiku, SMS

The most scaryist time of the year

2007-12-31T17:57:00.000Z

Well 2007 is on the way out. And as usual in Ireland, all things come to a halt for a while. Christmas is a scary time of the year because, usually, everything gets changed this week. This is probably the reason why resolutions are saved for this time of the year in this part of the world. You've just survived one week of changes intact. Why not make more...

For some people, this is a time of the year when they are handed responsibilities that they normally don't look after. (Some even learned new skills this way). These people (of which I'm one) have their lives thrown a little off kilter for a while. And they have to consider what's important and what needs to change.

For others everything comes to a stop. Work stops. The life of the office stops (and some people try to hide the evidence of what happened at the office party... ah flickr and facebook) and the news cycle slows. For them this comes as a chance to think. And they have to consider what's important and what needs to change.

So the adverts change from "buy this" to "stop smoking" or "start a new hobby with this magazine" and of course "sale now on..." since the Christmas stock costs too much to store.

And so the resolutions begin. The "I'll never rush in to a sale again" is heartfelt but unheeded within a week. So I'll ignore that one.

Yup... resolutions.

What do I want to do or change? Trust me I've had a while to think about these things so...

1) Be master of my own domain...
I don't mean tidy the house (but now that you mention it, the bathroom mirror does need to b put in the bathroom. I mean it's time that WillKnott.net and WillKnott.ie actually got used as something more than a redirect. Part of this is to do with changes that seem to be afoot. The "cork" in "cork-host" may need to change.
All advice gratefully accepted.

2) On your bike...
Personally, I need to get out more. I've used every excuse not to cycle this year. 2008 will see a saddle put under strain. Regularly. That and go back to Capoeira again. Things sort of stopped over December.

3) Learn (or relearn) a language...
I've always been more a OnLamppp man than an AJAX man. So I'm going to refresh and perfect my Perl, python and PHP. I do intend to get Ruby (and maybe rails) in my head. Sort of useful with a domain eh? Somehow I just know that Java will need something more formal than a commitment by me. Any pointer to classes or tutorials would be appreciated.

What, you assumed French? (Actually Portuguese would be useful for Capoeira but that's another story.)

4) Take time to smell the roses...
Or actually plant them. Simply put, my garden is a mess. Actually that not true. I was careful. My garden is black. Black weed-proof plastic. I need to do some things. Lay a patio. Do "something" with a terrace. I genuinely don't know what should happen out there. I do know I need the hardscaping finished. Help?

5) Give voice...
This is neither a resolution nor a commitment. But my attendance at PodCamp Ireland and the forthcoming Creative Camp gave me an idea... which I'll post later.

I think that is enough. You can't make yourself too many resolutions simply because putting too much pressure on yourself almost guarantees that you won't do any.

Any resolutions or advice?

take care,
Will Knott

tags : 2007, 2008, change, resolution, domain, WillKnott.net, WillKnott.ie, cycle, capoeira, onlamp, garden, PodCamp, PodCamp Ireland, Creative Camp, podcasting

sporadic

2007-12-20T22:33:00.000Z

My access over the next few weeks is going to be sporadic so I'll wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and I hope to post properly soon.

take care,
Will

Get Granny texting

2007-12-16T18:36:00.000Z

There was a minor kerfuffle when Meteor aired an advert which seemed to be ageist.

And while Jessica James, may have had fun filming the advert, as a 91 year old she may not be a regular texter.

Which got me thinking. I know that while Granny Mar is still a young woman, she isn't the first person you would come to mind with when it comes to high end technology... so I'm going to make a request... to Meteor.

Get granny texting. Find and film a senior citizen using your products. Upload it to youtube and try to viral it. Even if you don't succeed you can at least point to it as an attempt to make up for the kerfuffle. You could make a series, and I suspect that not only would it smooth the troubled waters created, you might even sell more product.

There is a niche market in making technology for senior citizens. However any product designed for this market is going to have an interface that most people would love. Large screen and buttons would be a start. It's not as if old people don't get technology. Watch the grandparent playing on a Wii (if you can find a Wii) and you'll see a simple and intuitive interface that everyone will love. That's usability!

Living Control are a UK based company which use the tag line is so simple an adult can use it. Do we loose out ability to do things as we get older. Well, yes, but not that much.

There are frequent adverts on the radio at this time of year about keeping an eye on elderly neighbours. Why not give them the technology and the time to learn how to use it so they can communicate the way we're used to. A friendly chat isn't as good as an IM chat, but it's a start.

And while I'm on the topic. Could anyone recommend the computer set-up I should get my mum using?

take care,
Will

tags : Meteor, ageism, Jessica James, GrannyMar, get granny texting, age action, technology, senior citizens, usability

If IKEA came to this town

2007-12-13T19:42:00.000Z

Part of the main news tonight was that IKEA opened in Belfast. The predicted hordes didn't show (a sign of economic slow down perchance?) The part of the news that didn't mention was that the plans to open such a shop in Dublin is still stalled.

Well right now a new motorway (more M8, but at least its a more usable lenght) is being built between Cork and Cashel. So there is prime retail land for a major superstore which could be built in Cork (or South Tipperary). Add on and off ramps to the motorway (with a long extra lane, an piles of hard shoulder to take the strain) and it might be viable.

And of course, having something like that in Cork (or South Tipperary) before Dublin is something which would make county hall cackle.

How do you go about checking if its viable?

take care,
Will

update : following this shot I wonder if we could get Harney and O'Keeffe on the couch?

tags : IKEA, Belfast, Cork, Cashel, Tipperary, M8

Key to Scorsese

2007-12-10T16:56:00.000Z

Well I said I'd review viral advertisements... and I'm choosing to start with this effort. The advert is called "The Key to Reserva" but if you do a YouTube search you might have to add "Martin Scorsese" and "Alfred Hitchcock" to the search.

Just to explain the format, I'm about to write spoilers now, so you might want to scroll to the bottom of the post to see the embedded video, follow the link above or do a search. I'll wait.

This advert must have cost a fortune to make. Not only did they hire Martin Scorsese to direct but they had to clear the rights to Alfred Hitchcock's posters and to Bernard Herrmann's score to North by Northwest. All of this to market a wine by Freixenet, which sounds like its an online network provider, or a social network (based around wine?). If this is the start of a campaign then it has to be compared to the Hugh McCloud designed Stormhoek campaign.

This advert is an odd fish. The re-created fake Hitchcock movie clearly owes a debt to North by Northwest (notice the R.O.T. monogrammed handkerchief when Robert Thornberry (I read the credits) takes the hot lightbulb. The same monogram appears on Robert O. Thornhill's handkerchief in "North by Northwest"). The look and feel of this movie feels like a Hitchcock, even the Kelly-like blonde (called Grace in the credits) seems right. The script surrounding the movie however feels like something Christopher Guest would write. With the plot of the piece, it would like to see a feature length version of the premise if Guest wrote it.

The advert, with a running time of a little shy of 10 minutes feels like an escapee rather than a viral. In fact, given the number of times the same advert shows up on YouTube, it might be. And a broadcast advert with closing credits has precedent. However if this is a viral it does make some sense. There are frequent rumours of drink advertising being banned from television, and while this format does suit age checked cinema audiences, an internet drive would get more viewers. The subject matter, namely Martin Scorsese making a movie based on a Hitchcock script is also not a subject likely to attract a very young audience. Plus, making the subject of the advert be the the MacGuffin of the re-created movie is an idea that Hitchcock might agree with.

Freixenet aiming for the same audience of most wines... those who like to wrap themselves in a little glamour (a crowded market), and maybe the film geeks. Stormhoek aims for the tech geeks. I'm sure that there is an overlap, but whichever is the more successful has yet to be seen.

As amusing as this advert is, I don't care enough about the product. However I would pass this on to any movie buff friends I have... which may be the point.

Thanks Shane for telling me about the clip.

take care,
Will

tags : viral, The Key to Reserva, YouTube, Martin Scorsese, Bernard Herrmann, North by Northwest, Freixenet, Hugh McCloud, Stormhoek, wine, advertisement, marketing, Christopher Guest, MacGuffin

You can bring an ad to YouTube, but you can't make them link

2007-12-05T10:04:00.000Z

A while back Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz of For Immediate Release said that
a) You cannot design a viral advertising campaign
and
b) All adverts should be viral

This seems like a contradiction, but here goes...

b) first. All adverts should be put online in order to gain the potential of going viral. This seems like a no-brainer. If you want an advert to get maximum exposure, you need to cover all the formats (and have a web site for someone to go to).
There is however a problem.

Right.
Or rather rights.

If your advert (and I'll assume television here, but this applies to radio) has music, you can get the cheaper rights to cover a small region (say the UK and Ireland, or Australia) or get the more expensive world-wide rights. The alternative is to commission music, but the composer can still negotiate world-wide rights at a higher price.

Then come writers, copyrighters and actors rights. In the case of up-and-coming you can probably get them cheap. Given that you'll probably want to use phrases and still on your website, I'd advise you to go for the worldwide rights anyway. It's cheaper than lawyers. Since it is now possible that an advert will run for the rest of time on the internet, you'll probably need a landing site anyway.

In the case of a well know personality, well then things can get expensive. Thanks to the internet, gone are the days when an A-List actor will appear in an advert on the other side of the world where no one that hires them will see it, because everyone know that the bloody thing will eventually show up online.

Which gives rise to a class of advertising I call "the escapees". These are adverts that fans (or rather "fans") have put online by themselves completely independent of the advertisers or the product holders. Personally I suspect that they are slightly ignored for the run of the advertisement in its local market. But the advertiser is legally obliged to start pulling those advertisements eventually.

Which brings be back to a). "Escapees" are adverts that have gone viral despite the intentions on the creators. There are also a class of adverts which are designed to stay on the net.

These "potential virals" were created, at first, because they would not be approved for broadcast (I remember one series of condom adverts where the sexual nature of the adverts more or less guaranteed that they would be online only). Other times a viral is the long version of the advert, a TV spot is 30 seconds... an online advert, or a YouTube clip can go on for much longer.

However a viral advert must be linked to. Word of mouth must be created. People have to care about the bloody thing, either because it's amusing, or very topical.

You can't guarantee that an advert will be popular enough to be viral. You can try, but word of mouth cannot be faked for long on the internet. You can't fool all of the people, because if they aren't interested nor amused, they won't tell others

So why am I typing about this... Well, given the number of adverts and wannabe viral adverts that have been crossing my screen, I've decided that I'm going to start reviewing them.

Wish me luck (and send me adverts)
Will

tags : For Immediate Release, viral advertising campaign, advert, viral, advertisement, online, Rights, escapee, word of mouth, review

What teachers should make

2007-12-03T20:23:00.000Z

I'm sort of on an education buzz a the moment (as I try to inhale manuals again, mashup camp has me hitting the books) which following the Science Week posts make sense. So congratulations Kevin Breathnach, Brian from atrier.com, Pedro Monscooch, Poetbloggs and Johnny Keyes who won.

However things haven't completely stalled on that front. Sinead Cochrane asked what changes would you make to an existing piece of technology? and yes, I do want to see my suggestion made (flashing gnomes are optional).

Of course, combining things would improve an existing technology, so the after effects of the first European Mashup Camp will effect my thinking as well as meeting interesting people and presenters. Also being surprised by some large companies joining the fray.

And speaking of large companies, David Berlind (who set up Mashup Camp) has an interesting wrinkle against the existence of the Kindle, a kind of Fahrenheit 1981.4. Sounds far fetched, well I know one Apple advocate who has turned anti-Apple due to the DRM and legal disputes with iTunes so she can't get music she paid for back. Scary how knowledge could be destroyed.

Going back to education when Adam Beecher posted the the Impotence of Proofreading by Taylor Mali I did a looking searching.

Mali created a poem about what teachers do. About how they inspire and alter the way you think (spot the trend here). Of course, he got something wrong. The video is not what teachers make... its what GOOD teachers make.

and if you're still looking, go see how teenagers talk and should be talking also by Mali.

take care,
Will

tags : mashupcamp, Science Week, Sinead Cochrane, Joseph Johnson, John Herren, Microsoft, David Berlind, Kindle, Fahrenheit 1981.4, Apple, Adam Beecher, Taylor Mali

getting Physical media

2007-11-26T12:19:00.000Z

Don't underestimate the power of "off-line".

While a digital photo can be whisked to the other side of the planet in an instant, a printed photo can be displayed on a wall or held in a wallet.

A pdf can be read on screen, but a book with an inscription can be passed from a long dead great great grandparent to a newborn.

Which would you rather your child have. A video (file?) of you talking to her, or a bundle of letters?

Physical has two meanings. And those meaning are intertwined.

There is also the simple matter of getting your data off the devices. I know lots of people who use their phone cameras, but few ho can do anything with those bits in there.
Remember the BBC Domesday Project from 1986. I think it was the 900 year anniversary of the Domesday Book, so the BBC created a new version for the digital age.

Unfortunately by 2002 they realised that there was hardly anything left which could read the laserdiscs that the project was stored on. So the BBC worked on a project to make a web version. The irony was that the original velum bound book was indeed still readable over 1000 years later.

Sometimes the simplest, physical solution beats the latest digital one.

Best invention in 2007

2007-11-17T23:23:00.001Z

Today's Science Week question is "In your opinion what was the best invention in 2007".

I've been looking in to this, partly to see what exactly was invented in 2007. The US Patent search revealed a few things ( like this completely not work safe item), ah. No.

With 20/20 hindsight we might declare Bruce Crower's improved engine design the eventual winner. Or given the popularity of Lego as the best invention of people's childhood the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT software as the best.

Given my data loss, I'm tempted to award the linkable USB hard disk as the winner, but no.

As Conor asked "How many people are going to plump for the jesusphone in their posts?" Well no. The iPhone simply has one of the best user interfaces on a touch screen created. However the phone itself , without Bluetooth, may make it illegal to use on the Irish roads (I remember that a wired earpiece is not permitted), so it looses out for legal reasons. But Nokia went one better, and offered something that should be in the next iPhone... touch feedback’ touch screen as reported by Red Ferret.

So there you go, a tiny touch that lets you know you've made a tiny touch.

take care,
Will

tags : Science Week, best invention, 2007, Bruce Crower, Lego, NXT, Apple, iPhone, Bluetooth, Nokia, HAPTIC, touch, feedback, touch screen, Red Ferret

I've been ripped

2007-11-17T19:05:00.000Z

Yes, someone is nicking content off my blog in order to give themselves a higher ranking (no idea why). However it seems that babynourishment.com (no follow condom in place) copied part of my favourite invention and mobile phone privacy post thinks I am the "Cobain Music Community".

I don't even own a Nirvana t-shirt. I remember the band, which probably makes me too old to wear the t-shirt now.

So I've been copied... Does this mean I've been noticed now?

take care,
Will

What I want

2007-11-14T19:36:00.000Z

Well you can never be too rich or have too much data? And today's Science Week question is What invention do you want to see most in the future? I'm sure that there will be flights of fancy, but I want something very simple to make... I might even make one myself.

Oddly enough, what I want is something which could be made today. Findable data. Physically findable data.

Back when I was a kid, there was a tacky toy keyring thing which beeped when you whistled. Its one of those things which seem like a good idea but no one ever really praised it.

Nowadays we have USB memory sticks which hold most of our data.

And I've lost 2 in the past few days.

Can someone combine these two things and make a whistle and beep USB memory stick?
Please?

And if someone finds a USB stick with my CV and interesting pictures from Mash-up camp... Contact me.

Will

tags: science week, invention, gadget, USB, data, memory stick

Speed dial

2007-11-13T21:57:00.000Z

What was the favourite invention from your childhood? asks Mr Mulley... and I'm going to be a little strict and look at things released during my life time...

Why lifetime and not childhood... well... I haven't grown up yet. I've grown out, and gotten older but as anyone who has seen me in Smyths will attest, I've not grown up. So I suppose my first favourite is a 1984 invention : "Transformers"
yup these

(an image blatantly stolen from Ben's World of Transformers)

What can I say, its my not so secret shame. The fact that I'm still collecting the toys shows that it' having an ongoing impact on my life.

Why? Well it's not the two toys in one. Partly I think it's the most extreme form of anthropomorphism you can get. Not only are you putting human emotions on to an inanimate object, you're making it take on humanoid characteristics too. It's also less damaging than dressing up your pet.

It also is the aspect that things aren't always as they seem. It changes the way you view the world. Twist it a little bit and... It could be a government conspiracy or (flip body around, open doors, lower head from backside, push along brass neck, unfold arms, unclench grubby little fists, detach brown envelope) incompetence on a grand scale.

However if I was going to pick a proper technoligical invention... it's this

O.K. Its actually another image stolen off Ben from this review but I'm talking about Mobile Phones

I know what you're thinking (other than "Will you're an idiot") which is everyone and their mother has one (even if it did take me three weeks to teach her to text so she could vote for that "nice boy" on "Strictly Come Dancing"), but the mobile phone has changed how people act with each other.

But what other device has caused such a social change?

Once people made exact appointments. Meet you under Eason's clock at 3pm on Friday. And at 4pm, still waiting, you felt very stood up. Now people make rough appointments, aproxi-meetings, and put in a call to the other's mobile to rearrange the meeting at the cinema directly due to traffic.

Once people used phone booths and pay phones.

I remember the "push button A" pay telephones (always press button B on a free phone to see if any change comes out. It's the old version of checking the base of the automatic cash registers in Tesco's). I remember those weird plastic bubbles next to the phones so that the caller could have privacy.
But that privacy is a long abandoned thing. I now know the intimate details of the recent gynaecological exam thanks to a mobile phone call on the bus.

And once we needed to wait for the results of a meeting or conference to be published. (Or passed notes in class) Now text updates can be shipped online while the meeting is still on (and notes are texted between schools).

It can also save your life. No hunting for a phone after an accident... now you hunt for a signal. And in large scale disaster, there have been cell broadcast SMS and tweets to help save lives.

That little handy computer in your pocket has changed the social interaction of not just a nation, but a huge chunk of the world. (It also looks a little like a Wii controller, hint, hint)

take care,
(and set it to vibrate during a solemn occasion, like a tribunal)
Will

Now, who is going to be first to suggest "mash-ups"?

And I'll get around to updating the above photos with my own transformer shots... sorry Ben. I DO know better.

tags : science week ireland, blogging competition, invention, childhood, Mulley, Transformers, bwtf, Ben's World of Transformers, anthropomorphism, humanoid, mobile phone, social change, twitter, jaiku, pay telephone, privacy, text

In the spirit of Nicolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky

2007-11-06T22:52:00.000Z

"I am never forget the day I first meet the great Lobachevsky.
In one word he told me secret of success in mathematics: Plagiarize!

Plagiarize,
Let no one else's work evade your eyes,
Remember why the good Lord made your eyes,
So don't shade your eyes,
But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize...
Only be sure always to call it please, 'research'". -- Tom Lehrer (MP3)

Now then, I have no doubt that most of you think I'm talking about a little kerfulle (called copyright theft) between Daimen Mulley and Ace Internet Marketing, but not quite.

First off, Nicolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky really did exist, but there is no evidence that he plagerized. The entire Tom Lehrer was written for Danny Kaye was a joke but the above attitude exists... because it's legal!

Lobachevsky and Lehrer both work in mathematics... a hard science. And simply put, you can't copyright a fact.

Think about it. What colour is the sky on your planet? "The sky is blue" is a fact and not copyrightable. The line "well, I'm from Ireland so it's mostly overcast grey" is opinion, and so is copyrightable.

If you publish a non-fiction book, then you are stating that everything in it is fact. If someone then used the facts in your book as a basis for fiction, you shouldn't be able to sue. If its a history (or even a pseudo-history) book, then your "plot premise" is probably re-producable without you getting a penny.
However is large chunks of your text have been copied (and not text attributed from another source) then you have a stronger case.

So, if you are going to steal off someone, it is better to take the facts and then reproduce it in your own words.

What about fair use... well let me put it this way, if you take content form another site, make the entire chunk a link. If your post, article, whatever is almost entirely a link... you have breached fair use.

Unless of course you do something to turn it (or them) into a completely different work. Think Andy Warhol and his soup cans. Think any of those music mashups you can think of. Usually it forces you to listen to the sources with fresh ears.

Or think about it creatively. Take other peoples footage from across the world and edit it in to a cheap music video to make a point like Sarah McLachlan does in "World on Fire"

Or mix together 32 songs and 28 different dance routines to make something humorous (laugh-out-loud in places) like Judson Laipply does with "The Evolution Of Dance".

take care,
Will

tags : kerfulle, copyright theft, Daimen Mulley, Ace Internet Marketing, Nicolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, Tom Lehrer, Danny Kaye, opinion, copyright, fact, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, The Da Vinci Code, fair use, Andy Warhol, Sarah McLachlan, Judson Laipply

The Spirit of John Philip Sousa

2007-11-06T21:01:00.000Z

When the precursor to the phonograph arrived, John Philip Sousa was not a happy musician. He fretted that people would stop spending time singing the old songs and the songs of the day.

I don't know if he meant mixing them together, but he was right.
Sort of.

The law changed in such a way to make these mixes illegal. But Mashups still live...

Yup I'm going to Mashup University (and possibly Mashup Camp too). Sousa (and perhaps Larry Lessig) would be proud.

To see what I'm talking about here is Larry Lessig talk on Creativity recorded at TED in March of this year. And yes I so want to go to one of these.

Embedded video from T.E.D. Talks series

tags : John Philip Sousa, mixing, copyright, law, mashup, Larry Lessig, creativity, TED

Confide in me

2007-11-06T12:23:00.000Z

According to Jyri Engeström, while wearing his anthropologist hat, all social networks are based around objects. Not necessarily a physical object, but a focus. Flikr for example, is based around photographs and locations. Networks built around people have a problem; for a while it is all about "how-has-the-most-friends" but that game stops being interesting fairly quickly. (Of course a network built around, ahem, dating has a focus, just a very different one. You might get photographs but...).

But what about a network build around a person?

I've been reading reports that Kylie Minogue (of the music charts, Neighbours and Dr. Who) is setting up her own social network called Kylie Konnect.

Now I don't know how well it will work out for anyone, but I can see the appeal.

You have a fan club where all the fans can talk to each other. Pick up the opinions of the fans and sell the music directly to them thus by-passing the record label (if you want to, this site is being run by EMI). Inspired or a silly idea. Add to the mix that it's a dot mobi, which means it might be a source of ring-tones and other gphone-ish goodness. Or use an Open Social API so that they can leverage the fans in other networks, from their own hub here.

At least that's what I think is the idea. If its just to replicate another social network, then its going to quickly have digital tumble weeds on it's site.

take care,
Will

tags : Jyri Engeström, social network, Kylie Minogue, Kylie Konnect, EMI

When Cork does Graffitti

2007-11-02T00:14:00.001Z

CORK HALLOWEEN 07 (view in Original size)
Originally uploaded by K's Photo's

This is one wall at the back of the South Parish community centre where all the graffiti contests take place.

It's a winner

which explains the healthy glow

2007-11-01T14:32:00.000Z

..."the death of a star and how that throws elements out in to space, and how those elements are the same ones that you and I are made of. So we are all the children of stars."..." Or there is another less poetic romantic way of putting it, you could say we are all made of nuclear waste. Kind of depends on how you are feeling that day".

-- Lucy Hawking on Guardian Science Weekly

tags : overheard, Lucy Hawking, science

A Halloween with Bite

2007-10-31T17:29:00.001Z

pink31 Creepy Milk Teeth
Originally uploaded by cork_host

And so its over. This is the last pink photo for the Pink for October gig. You can see all the pink photos on flickr if you like.

The bad news is I think I got the photoblogging bug. Just as well I have a crap camera...

Will

p.s. Happy Hallowe'en

Talking Shite

2007-10-29T15:54:00.001Z

Would you be willing to donate time you already spent, to help give people more time to live?

This is international breast cancer month. It's why I actually started putting up the pink images here. At the time I joked about what would be done with Bowel Cancer Awareness month. Bowel cancer does not have any glamour to it. We are talking about a part of the body which we tend not to think about until something goes wrong.

Two things occured this week and it sparked an idea. One where I'll need your help.

I listened to the Podcast Sisters creating a book by re-using your blog (I'm paraphrasing). And I came across Chris Anderson talking about Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World's Top Bloggers by Mike Banks.
Bank's book is a series of interviews with bloggers. Sales are presumably going to be based on the fact that everyone likes to see their name in print...

Which is where "Talking Shite" comes from.

A book of Irish bloggers (which means Bloggers in Ireland, from Ireland or about Ireland) by Irish bloggers doing what we do best. Talk and blog (same thing really).
This is about being a patron, not being patronising to a cause.

Would you be willing to donate a blog post for inclusion in a book which would be sold in aid of bowel cancer?

Would you be willing to donate time you already spent, to help give people more time to live? And would you buy the book? And get your friends to buy the book?

Let me know in comments and such?
Will Knott

tags : donate, cancer, charity, Bowel Cancer, Podcast Sisters, Chris Anderson, Mike Banks, book, writing, blogs, bloggers, irish blogs, irish blogers, Talking Shite

Candyfest bonbon

2007-10-28T21:49:00.001Z

pink28 bonbon
Originally uploaded by cork_host

Halloween wasn't always the candy-fest it is today. Once we had to put up with apples and peanuts.

Kids these days. They'll expect to drive on their second provisional yet... oh hang on...

I haz computr lanage

2007-10-27T09:26:00.000Z

LOL cats have been doing the rounds... now a .NET compiler for the LOLcats language

Oh dear....

What would Rabbit do? Do Rabbits and cats get along?

Still, I have my spleen

Will

A little early

2007-10-27T09:16:00.000Z

I'm ashamed to say that I've already bought a christmas decoration...

One of these.

And yes I'm putting up a Hallowe'en tree again this year.

And then I'll have to see if any whingebags with an L plate wants to hire a qualified driver.

take care,
Will

Roosters

2007-10-26T22:11:00.001Z

pink26 Roosters
Originally uploaded by cork_host

the answer, for those not reading the comments, was indeed Roosters.

He sure knows his spuds

2007-10-25T14:13:00.001Z

pink25 Not Irish Pinks
Originally uploaded by cork_host

But do you.
As part of my photo-blogging for Pink For October I have to be me. And well Irish. For some reason potatoes are always associated with being Irish (which if you think about it is odd for a South American plant).

Anyway, these pink potatoes are perfect for combining these to things (and sunburn isn't that common this time of year). So name the breed of spuds. The winner will get a marvellous Knott "no prize".

take care,
Will

p.s. For the record, they aren't "Pinks". The breed called "Pinks" are actually white skinned, with a pink tinge to the inside.

Mrs. Geek in the Pink

2007-10-21T15:35:00.001Z

pink21 mrs.geek
Originally uploaded by cork_host

I suppose it's my own fault. I told Ellybabes about the Mrs. Geek t-shirt (which is a recent thing).

So she sent me a photo of the shirt when it arrived.
Well it's pink and this is Pink for October. Still it might be this one. I like blue...

take care,
Will

tags : Pink, pink for October, pinkforoctober, Ellybabes, La Fraise, shirts

knackered

2007-10-17T21:27:00.001Z

pink17 hydrangea
Originally uploaded by cork_host

I'm knackered. While others have been BIMA Great Facebook Debate I've been on a film (OK The Tudors TV Series) set.

I'm knackered. I'll blog properly later, but in the meantime, enjoy the on set pictures. Sorry, no beheadings were captured in the making of these pictures

take care,
Will

tags : pinkforoctober, p4o, filming, filmset, The Tudors

Run Rabbit

2007-10-16T09:02:00.000Z

This is an oddity, but I'm looking at the Rabbit the Programmer site (which is just the one cartoon at the moment). It's rather charming, but is it C#?

Pink (and) triangle

2007-10-15T06:28:00.001Z

pink15 Brunch
Originally uploaded by cork_host

No the title has nothing to do with coming out but a combination of my Pink for October photo-blogging and Blog action day's blogging about the environment.

To begin with, look at the picture. Yes its Brunch ice cream lollies in their pink packaging. However take a closer look and can you see what's missing.

You can just about make out the circular "this can be recycled" logo. Which really means "in theory this can be recycled but probably can't".

Now with a bit of invention, everything can be reused. Spectacle frames can be reused. Spent party poppers can be reused. Even cold porridge can be reused (Cut into wedges, fry and top with golden syrup). But recycling is something else.

Recycling is reprocessing an item back to its constituent parts so as to convert it (sometimes unrecognisably) in to a new item. Paper that has been pulped and reprocessed in to a new sheet of paper is still a sheet of paper. But it could have been a newspaper or junk mail in a previous life. A child's toy is still plastic, but it could have been a milk carton or a bottle in a previous life.

In order to do this processing, a processor needs to know what the item is. Sometimes, as in the case of glass, its easy. Frequently in the case of plastic, its almost impossible. Not all plastics are created equal, but identical plastic bags may not be made from the same type of plastic. In order to tell them apart, the plastic should be marked (printed, stamped or embossed) with an international universal recycling code usually a number inside the international three arrow recycling symbol. Sometimes it's the descriptive text written beside an empty arrow triangle. Without that identifying number or text, you have something for landfill.

Many recycling facilities and collection facilities won't accept plastics without that logo and code (and sometimes they only takes a subset of the plastics). So keep an eye on the packaging. The circle means nothing, but the triangle might save the world. And complain if the packaging does not display the logo.

After all, without it, it's junk.

Junk which will sit in a landfill for about 100,000 years and help deplete resources (unless landfill mining is an industry on 100 years time).

Of course there is always that suspicion that stuff sent for recycling goes to landfill anyway, but doing your part in this helps.

take care,
Will

tags : pinkforoctober, blogactionday, blog action day, reuse, processor, plastic, triangle, resource, recycling, landfill, flickr

pink for October 11 Supervalu bags

2007-10-12T13:30:00.001Z

pink11 bags
Originally uploaded by cork_host

Well it's pink for October, and its for Breast Cancer. Supervalu are selling these "pocket" sized bags for the Irish Cancer Society.

Cabbage on a stick

2007-10-09T15:44:00.001Z

pink 08 - plant
Originally uploaded by cork_host

Snapped this bunch of flowers as part of my Pink photo-blogging (it's all single focus camera phone folks). However this has me stumped. The plant look like a cabbage on a stick. Any idea about what it is?

Will

tags : pinkforoctober, Pink, pink for October, Breast Cancer, photo, flickr

Einstein Transfarming

2007-10-09T08:49:00.001Z

Following a discussion about La Fraise and Threadless, I took a look at the sites.

I love the Einstein T-Shirt which is a portrait of the man made ot of his equations.

As a Transformers nut (let me know when the deluxe size Bumblebee Camaro 2009 model is back in Cork) I HAVE to by the Transfarmers T-Shirt. (Cowotbots wage battle to defeat the evil forces of the Desceptictanks). For the record, Energon Landmine if fairly close the the tractor bot.

What can I say, I'm in a playful mood today.

take care,
Will

tags :
La Fraise, Threadless, shirts, play

Rose pink

2007-10-07T23:01:00.001Z

pink06
Originally uploaded by cork_host

More of the pink for October shots, finally up to date. There will 31 in the set by Hallowe'en

tags : pinkforoctober, Pink, pink for October, Breast Cancer, photo, flickr

Pinking about cancer

2007-10-06T09:08:00.001Z

pink01
Originally uploaded by cork_host

Well this is Breast Cancer Awareness month (and yet there is no Bowel Cancer Awareness day). And I was thinking what could I do.
There is a move on to turn your website Pink for October. I wouldn't be the first Irish blogger to do so, however its a pain to change the template of a blogger blog without causing damage to the layout.

So I thought, what else could I do?

I'm starting late, but every 2nd day I'll post a pink photo here and on Flickr. And yes, thats my idea of a pink photo?

take care,
Will

tags : pinkforoctober, Pink, pink for October, Breast Cancer, photo, flickr

One time at Mashup camp

2007-10-05T09:00:00.000Z

To be honest, the word mashup makes me think of music before technology, but technology internet technology mash ups are the best thing to happen to the web.

A mash up is a mixing of two disparate elements to make a unified whole. Those elements could be Lilly Allen singing "LDN" mixed with Chad Jackon's "(Hear the drummer) Get wicked" or a Google map mixed with Dublin bus routing information and timetable to generate all the usable bus routes near any location.

Well Mashup Camp and Mashup University are coming to Dublin (after an abortive attempt earlier in the year) in November, and personally I want to go to the Uni sessions as I want to learn this. What can I say, I'm used to half of this, taking data from a single source and manipulating it to reveal the underlying structure. Mashups mean that you take the data from one (or more) source(s) and manipulate it to fit the structure of another data set (e.g. crime data and a geographic map).

Of course the sign-up for the uni isn't working but...

In the meantime, here is a mashup of a different sort... Dunproofin's "LDN WDK"

take care,
Will

tags : mashup, music, technology, mashupcamp, Mashup Camp, Mashup University, Dublin, Dunproofin

Breaking up

2007-10-03T14:27:00.000Z

Dear Will,

Forgive me, but I'm taking it slow. You see, when I first met T, it was wonderful. All the attention I got, all the stories we shared. Even friends of friends became my friends as the conversation flowed like cheap wine at a party.

But things changes. For no reason all contact would be lost. It would last all day, calls going unheeded, connections being refused. It was almost as if all the focus was on a different time zone.

Then, old messages started to go. Friends didn't want anything to do with T any more and moved elsewhere. I realised that I simply couldn't rely on T.
And that's when I met Jaik. Not as easy as T. Things were more complicated (on occasion sleep keeps being interrupted, but I'll forgive that). I still see T sometimes. But my friends don't call around as often. They seem to prefer Jaik.

I'm not sure I should rush headlong in to this! Am I being unfaithful by seeing two systems at the same time? Should I take things slow?

Yours,
Burnt.

Dear Burnt,

Social media is all about relationships. If a system abuses you, should you keep using it? What do you get out of it. Sometimes it's OK to be selfish.

As for using multiple systems at the same time. No problem. Do what feels right for you. If taking things slow make sense to you, then take things slow. Build or prune your "friend" list as yo see fit. No one will take it badly (but if you're following over 150 people, you may want to make sure you actually care about all 400 of them).

Despite what some people say social media isn't a fad or a phase. More importantly its not about business value either. It's about links to other real people.

True, some are for geeks, and some really appeal to the cool kids or the business set. However each group will welcome you in it's own way. Or not. You should at least take a look at each group before you decide it's not for you. And if the site treats you badly, you don't have to continue.

If you feel you need to leave; leave. You have nothing to loose but your chains of friends... and if they are leaving too, you really have nothing to loose.

break free,
Will

tags : twitter, friends, jaiku, facebook, linkedin, bebo, myspace, social media

Podcamp Ireland - the gift that keeps giving

2007-09-29T13:21:00.000Z

Well Podcamp Ireland 2007 is over (and Podcamp Ireland 2008 is already being talked about. I'd like to thank everyone who made it possible.

And I'd like to thank those who couldn't make it, but joined in on the Edgecast Media uStream feed chat and kept things interesting... even contributing in some of the panels.

Just when you thought it was all over, more come out. Like this John McGuinness TD, Irish Minister for Trade and Commerce interview he gave at Podcamp which is part of the Intruders.TV series

take care,
and thanks,
Will

tags : podcampireland, podcamp, John McGuinness, Edgecast Media, uStream, intruders.tv

Live blogging Podcamp

2007-09-29T10:49:00.000Z

Thankfully things started a little late, I'm convinced that the road signs around Kilkenny are designed to stop people finding the city centre. Anyway, currently watching the "social Media and business" panel.

Keith Bohanna Pure Play "Most businesses have no use for microblogging"

Michael Byrne QBC "Conn is my neighbour" which explains how he got dragged in there, despite how suitable it was for his business.

Tom Murphy Microsoft "Social media to me is a whole range of tools to allow people to talk together"
"The blog was the first social media tool"
It was passive, you sat down and watched TV. Now people are making content and watching each others" ... but there is life in old media yet.

Neville Hobson
"It's now called mainstream media" - there is a big back channel

Ellybabes
"its as techie as you want it to be".. "It's about finding your level"

Neville
"You can be online in 10 minutes if you want"

Keith
"Rss goes way over their heads"
"For non-techies, RSS doesn't come in to it at all"
RSS feeds "is exactly the same list as your favourites"... "but you see the new content"

Neville
"How I explain it yo my mother... If you visit 20 websites a day... to see if there is anything new posted... if you ever do think is there a better way of doing this? ... with RSS... All the content is on one screen"
"Does anyone really care what its called?"

Krishna
on RSS "It comes to your door"

Keith
"Over the last year, there is much lower resistance for blogging with small businesses".. after talking to Mulley "its much easier since they have been converted"

Tom
"Its all about your audience"
Neville
"The platform ... automatically generate the feeds"

How do you make money (no consulting fees allowed)

QBC "Value is in the eye of the beholder"... "One company we work with has a rep in Donegal... and another in Munster. If you are a sales manager with a diverse workforce... what do you do? There are lot of books about motivating people ... the number one postulate is 'do not demotivate them'
If the guy in Dingle has a great day, he doesn't get the praise, and if you fall in to a puddle and have a bad day, you want to share that. So I get them to call in to a conference call... That call is tuned in to a podcast internal in the company and everyone hears it"... "The power of this stuff is that it's now and it's instant" ..." and it's heard in the whole internation comany" "when [the marketing people] hear the real stories on the ground are shocked since the perception does not match"
"Adding the value and making money .. means setting up quite strict structures [so the value of the content can be seen] and then you can be creative"

Tom
On companies blogging
"It puts a human face on the company" "Blogs ... give a much more colourful insight to the internals of a company.. and allows you to go much broader. ... Allows the [blogger] to go in to features. ... There are issues and dangers ... people can get

marketing was 'we control the message and you have to take what we tell you' social media is a loss of control to them. ... They 'buy' the value of social media, but they are nervous.

Neville
"What all companies should be doing is paying attention to what others are saying about them out there" ... "you will write about your experience with them"

QBC
"Usually when a customer goes nuts its because of the gap between their expectations and what they got." ... "Send them a twitter before they visit your hotel and ask 'What were you expecting' and another 'what did you get' and let the people in the organization see this" -- Finally a business use for social media!

Directed soundbytes
If you're in the area of business and you are looking at lead generation, what is the one thing (social media) you would engourage
Tom
"Know your audience. If your audience is using this, then use it"

Neville .. PR
"Sign up for google alerts for yourself competitors what ever and technorati (ice rocket, (some are paid for) custom scoop, and the other 4 or 5 places so you have the ways and means to tell what people are saying about you. And the conversations are exponentially growing

Micro/small business
One of the things behind successful blogging is time. Credibility can't come from a well developed website by itself. e.b Worldwide cycling, and they blog about the races for over a year on the pro-am circuit... that gives them credibility

internal
"Mind the gap"... "the experience that the product makes IS your brand"

overheard, podcamp, podcamp Ireland

telephone tag

2007-09-26T21:28:00.000Z

Stephen D. Levitt of freakonomics fame wants people to wear a freakonomics t-shirt if they are audtioning for Sci Fi’s "Brain Trust" reality TV show. When did they show showing sci-fi and start showing reality TV?

It seems that the thrust of the show is to solve previously unsolvable everyday problems. So far so pointless.

But since they want applicants to solve a single everyday problem of no major social importance what would it be? And what out of the box approach would you use to solve it?

So I thought about it...

I would like to get a training programme running for people leaving phone messages. Teach them to slow down when leaving a reply number if nothing else.

How to do this... telephone tag.

A phone based contest where a baton "phrase phone number" is passed from one person to another. Cash (or mobiles) for prizes, but the person who drops it looses out. All contestants must be pre-registered.

Sorry about the "his", its being used for ease, pretend its his/her or her...

A contestant gets a recorded message on his voice-mail with the phrase number and a number to call. The contestant must pass a message and the phrase number and the number he is calling to the number in the message.
This message is recorded, and passed another contestant.

If a contestant does not call before a certain both the contestant and the person before him are deemed to have dropped the baton.

Both are dropped, and the "telephone tag" continues with the rest of the contestants. Continue until you have the required number of winners.

Now could I get Nokia or Apple to sponsor it... (or a launch idea for MaxRoam?)

take care,
Will

tags : Stephen Levitt, freakonomics, Brain Trust, reality TV, telephone, telephone tag, contest

The other financial gap

2007-09-18T17:54:00.000Z

Why does this spoof on the Onion remind me so much of David McWilliams "Generation Game". I'm not as financially comfortable as I'd like to be (I'd like a Euromillions win this weekend if it can be arranged, thanks) but I don't think that Mr McWilliams quite thought out all of his argument.

RTE seems to be hell-bent on making us nervous as opposed to shaking us from our complacency. How about going through possible fixes so the public can lobby for them (without the need to post nappies please).

Its a guy geek thing, you've given us the problem, now how about helping us find the solution?

In The Know: Are America's Rich Falling Behind The Super-Rich?

tags : Onion, David McWilliams, Generation Game, RTE, solution

Its smart to be an idiot

2007-09-18T10:49:00.000Z

"Being an idiot, means losing the sense of self-criticism that is often found in programmers, sysadmins and engineers and truly learning." -- Noah Gift

Thanks to Gordon of Yell if it Changes for passing on to me Noah's article called The Importance Of Being An Idiot which as you can tell from the blog title, its something I believe in.

Admitting that you are not an expert, or don't know everything is hard, however, if you are an indispensable expert... you can't get promoted. And I certainly hope that all CEOs are jacks who hire experts rather than being an expert who only looks at one thing (usually that quarter's bottom line).

And Noah's article has a nice quote from The Edge -- "Most people lost in the wild die of shame. They didn't do the one thing that could save their lives –thinking"

Being an idiot means not being ashamed to ash the questions stupid questions.

Like how do I...

Will

tags : overheard, idiot, programmer, sysadmin, engineer, o'reilly, Noah Gift, Yell if it Changes, jacks, thinking, stupid questions

Pixenate your book

2007-09-12T20:34:00.000Z

Let me tell you about Walter Higgins...

Walter created the Pixenate site which allows you to do online photo editing (so no need to download Gimp et al).

I think Walter explains it better in his interview with Intruders.TV

Well, at 9.30pm last night, after a bit of annoying him, he started working on a FaceBook version of Pixenate. At 3.30pm today he finished the FaceBook edition of Pixenate... yes folks that's 18 hours later and that time included a full nights sleep and at least on school run.

So now you can edit the photos you uploaded to FaceBook (or like me, failed to upload due to Java incompatibilities with my FireFox)

So please tell me how well it works...

Hopefully I can get to congratulate him in person at tomorrows Open Coffee. unless of course he's gone off celebrating with the Junior certs tonight.

take care,
Will Knott

tags : Walter Higgins, Pixenate, photo editing, intruders.tv, FaceBook

Bringing up nerdy

2007-09-07T09:16:00.000Z

The leaving certificate results came out with a crisis. Too many people are not choosing honours maths.
The CAO / CAS results came out with a crisis. Too few people are choosing science and engineering courses.

If only we could make science sexy...

Well, we can't. We can however make science a little more accessible. When I was young, computers were these strange untouchable standalone machines. Now... well the playstation generation is all grown up. No,it's the Wii ones I'm wondering about. The intrigue of the machines has gone. The stories of new inventions are laid out in the papers.

That go unread by the target... kids.

Which is why I'm glad to hear that Tomorrow's World is coming back to the BBC. The programme showcased pioneering science as well as inventions that never came into commercial use. It was a Top Gear for science, full of cool stuff and the vaguely silly.

However I think it inspired techie people in these islands. And I'm wondering if Irish TV (yes, sorry mass market and all that) should be showing more of this type of thing.

For example, ready to roll and already broadcasting is The Lab with Leo LaPorte (responsible for so many good (sometimes) tech podcasts) and the Labrats spinoff.

And for all thing Irish, I've already mentioned Intruders TV Ireland brought to us by Edgecast Media. Expand these interviews (or include them in a larger tech themed regular night and...

Would that help increase the size tech generation?

Just wondering,
Will

tags : leaving certificate, maths, mathematics, CAO, science, engineering, Tomorrow's World, BBC, Irish, TV, televison, The Lab, Leo LaPorte, Labrats, Intruders TV, Intruders TV Ireland, Edgecast, TV3

So the idiot does something stupid

2007-09-05T15:17:00.000Z

... because I can.

As much as I would like to blame Grandad for giving me the idea I suppose I can't.

I entered the "Best Blogging Website" contest at The Golden Spiders, partially because I'd love to live blog the show, but mostly because I can.

I think every Irish blogger, and blogger from Ireland, and every blogger not from Ireland but living in Ireland should enter this. Why... because you can. And I'd love to see what happens next. (Besides, Mulley should win it, but since when does the "should-have" actually become the "did-it")

So I filled out the form and off went the entry.
I seem to be asked for a cheque for €0. I wonder if I should send one in?

take care,
Will

tags : headrambles, Best Blogging Website, Golden Spiders, blogger, Irish blogs, Ireland

Go to hell (2.0)?

2007-09-04T18:34:00.000Z

I've been away for a little while and I've seen a few things.

First off, I'll join in the chorus of congratulations to Conn Ó Muíneacháin for his Intruders TV Ireland going live. The interview in Cork was filmed just after the Cork Open Coffee that was streamed on August 17. There might be a few more to follow...

As for the post title... partially to attract attention and I found this song and video today (finally cleared out my e-mail and discovered a few gems). And for something almost insulting, David Ford makes it sound so sweet. A little Damien Rice-ish, but less sulky. The video is also an example of a cheap video done very well.

tags : Edgecast Media, Conn Ó Muíneacháin, Intruders TV, Intruders TV Ireland, Cork, Cork Open Coffee, David Ford

A little bit of ABC

2007-08-22T15:02:00.000Z

I feel like a little light music...

So here is Booty of Choice. There is a technological mashup, but the music mash came first.

tags : YouTube, dunproofin, Fat Boy Slim, Jackson 5, mashup

Thanks Conn and Mike

2007-08-21T15:38:00.000Z

The thing I found most interesting thing about the last Open Coffee Cork event wasn't that it was livecast on uStream.tv (recording available) or the conversations which followed but watching Conn Ó Muíneacháin and Mike "Festoon" Kiely set up the system for the live feed.

Which goes to prove that I focus on the wrong thing most of the time.

Oddly, I don't think anyone changed much with the arrival of the camera (as the number of people not looking at the camera probably attests). Part of this was due to the delay in setting things up. The part one: meet and greet was buffeted with microphones moving around (turned off) and a camera being connected and disconnected... so by the time everything started, we were used to the bloody things.

Sorry, but the microphone problems meant that everyone was comfortable with the things being there (the chat at the table has been going for some time before the stream let alone the recording started). That and the fortunate positioning of the "type 2"s next to each other.

I'm not too sure about who gets the stream next, but use the set-up to calm the nerves.

I can only say thanks for the livecast and congratulations on what happens next.

Will

p.s.
Are Podcamp Kilkenny and Barcamp Galway going to be livestreamed too?

tags :
Open Coffee Cork, Open Coffee, edgecast media, uStream.tv, edgecast, Conn Ó Muíneacháin, Mike Kiely

snarky

2007-08-21T15:28:00.000Z

"Only through perfectionism can we convert the non-believers who are content to mark up sites like MySpace." -- Lisa Price on Carsonified

overheard, code, web standards

Draw the line

2007-08-16T19:00:00.000Z

A while back I came across the game Line Rider. The idea is that you draw a line, and a little man on a sled goes sliding down it. To be honest I didn't think much of it.

Then I discovered that some people are much more creative with this game than I could be. For example... getting dumped (or the best ride ever).

Some people simply have better artistic talent than I have. For example, wouldn't you like to slide through the world of Escher.

But it never occurred to me that you could use something so simple for machinima. Machinima is the term for using the in-build engine of a game, to tell a story not supposed to be in the game.

So how about a story about escaping from a one eyed giant... (with a ska soundtrack)

Or an episode of Stargate Atlantis? (Some might argue that the acting is more or less up to the show's standards.)

Oddly enough, I was thinking about a delivery company advert... You know about the post getting through rain and snow and one eyed giants... And it would make a change from those bloody snowman adverts at Christmas.

I'm just waiting for the t-shirts.

take care,
Will

tags : Line Rider, creative, Escher, machinima, one eyed giant, Stargate Atlantis, delivery company

SMesS

2007-08-12T22:54:00.000Z

"Twitterhoea" -- Lexia

It describes it so well, but Ewwww. And for the record, I've finally succumbed.

tags :
overheard, twitter

Colliding with Irish VCs

2007-08-12T21:46:00.000Z

Most of you know by now that the Limerick Open Coffee meeting had an interesting pair of visitors, namely Patrick Collison and John Collison of Auctomatic.

The talk was Livestreamed on Ustream.tv by Conn Ó Muíneacháin and Bernie Goldbach has a podcast available.

I would comment about it, but I'm late to the party so I'll let Aidanf Conor O'Neill and James Corbett do a much better job. Besides I'm mostly be repeating their comments), but right now you can see the potential value of the Paddy's Valley tour. Remember that the pair left Limerick to go to the Valley in order to get things started.

On the other hand... there is Walter of Pixenate (who suspiciously suffered from a DOS attack after these comments, no connection I'm sure) commented on Twitter about the really weird offer being made by the Irish Venture Capital Association. On Thursday 27th September 2007 the IVCA training programme is 'How to Raise Venture Capital' developed in conjunction with the Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship. In otherwords, the IVCA is telling bright and talented Irish Startups how to get money off the IVCA. And is charging the people they might give money to... is that circular logic or recursion?

I'm sure someone would be willing to comment and explain this to me?

take care,
Will Knott

tags : Open Coffee, Limerick Open Coffee, Patrick Collison, John Collison, Auctomatic, Ustream.tv, Conn Ó Muíneacháin, Bernie Goldbach, podcast, Paddys Valley tour 2007, Pixenate, Irish Venture Capital Association

Read, Write, and Recycle the Web with Marcio Galli

2007-08-11T11:04:00.000Z

Well that was fun.

I suppose I should post a review of the event, but Mark Crowley did a much better job at it than I ever could so I'll leave it to him.

I know it looks like cheating, but I know when I've been beaten.

take care,
Will Knott

tags : IT@Cork, Web development, Mozilla, Firefox 3, FireFox, talk, Marcio Galli, Blacknight, National Software Centre, Cork, Mark Crowley

Not just a man but a platform

2007-08-05T17:25:00.000Z

IT@Cork are hosting a talk on August 8 2007 about Web development and advanced applications with upcoming Mozilla Firefox 3 called "FireFox - A Web-browser, a Platform, a Framework". Impressive title. From the blurb it sounds as if Marcio Galli will highlight all the goodies just waiting the the jar when Firefox 3 is released.

The event is sponsored by Blacknight so things might be even more interesting than the talk. Everything starts a 6pm in the National Software Centre.

See you there?
Will Knott

tags : IT@Cork, Web development, Mozilla, Firefox 3, FireFox, talk, Marcio Galli, Blacknight, National Software Centre, Cork

I have the heart of a young man

2007-08-04T22:34:00.000Z

and not in a jar on my desk. Picked this Real Age Clock meme thing up from Kathy Foley.

Simple idea... enter your real age and details about you and (accidents not withstanding) it will calculate your body's real age (and life expectancy).

Well, my real age is almost ten years younger than my biological age. So maybe my toy collection is actually a reflection of my age (I will admit that I would dread a "mental age" test).

Me smug, no,
Will Knott

tags : real age clock, real age, biological age, Kathy Foley

Looking at your Johnson

2007-08-03T22:34:00.000Z

Recently I posted about the short comings of stereotypes (and when they are necessary).

Well Lee Hopkins points out the shortcomings much better than I did, and gives a similar reason... attention span.

While I pointed out that a stereotype in necessary for a 30 second advert (even if you intend to show that the stereotype is incorrect) Lee does one better... he tells a story.

---quoting Lee Hopkins...
“Johnson!” barked the bulldog-like senior manager, “Get in here NOW!”

But Johnson failed to appear.

“JOHNSON!” screamed the bulldog.

Still no appearance of the missing subordinate.

Who immediately feels some sort of pity for Johnson? Who feels some form of anger towards the bulldog-like manager?

Why? You don’t know the context.

For all you know Johnson could have been away photocopying confidential information to pass to a competitor; the bulldog’s shouts might have been a cry for help because they’re having a heart attack — the screams no louder than a whisper to an outsider’s ears.

But this is the Age of the Instant Judgement, when we make snap decisions that can affect lives without taking the time to understand the context.

---

He goes on to point out that a lot of the blogging world and the entire Web 2.0 world means that there is a lot of first reactions. With the high output of posts and blogs, we skim posts. We skim information, a long post tends to be something put aside for later digestion (and might be removed from your reader, or memory when the next nugget of information arrives.

Slightly depressing, eh?

Will

tags : stereotypes, Lee Hopkins, story, Instant Judgement, attention, Web 2.0, blogs, skim

What has the blogs ever done for you?

2007-07-31T15:40:00.000Z

"all the blog thing has ever done for me is given me lots of money, freedom, job security, and personal sovereignty" -- Hugh Macleod

Thanks to Damien for the quote

tags : overheard, Hugh Macleod, Damien Mulley

Choosing your voice

2007-07-30T18:32:00.000Z

Nicole Simon recently commented on stereotypes and the kerfulle they generated. I have a slightly different take and its all due to Jack.
First off, Jack is a friend of mine from Cork City. He's a builder. Now what picture does that generate in your mind? I've just told you what he does and where he lives, so some sort of stereotype is probably forming in your mind... and he is one of the reasons why I don't believe in that a stereotype can ever be true.
When I tell you that I first met him when we were performing in an opera together and that we bumped in to each other at "Thailand : What's Love got to do with it" and that thanks to him I ended up chatting with the play's writer and cast afterwards, I ask you; has your image of him changed? And the conversation about the play the group had is sort of the foundation of this post.

It's easier to approach any stereotype from fiction, after all, as Kermit said, "It's not easy being green". And when it comes to a play, I've been on all three sides, audience, performer and director. All visual and audio media rely to some part on established stereotypes, be it using them or forcing a re-evaluation of them. To put is simply, sometimes they are necessary as a replacement to character set-up.
For example in all television adverts, Dads are useless in a kitchen, women know nothing about cars, no one knows what a tracker mortgage is and all absorbent products work wonderfully with blue liquids. Why? Well apart from the fact that there are only 12 types of advertising, there is only 30 seconds to make a memorable pitch. As anyone seeking a venture capitalist will tell you that 30 seconds is a very short time to get attention and make your point.
In fact, given the amount of time you have to make your point, you may have to rely, in part, on an established stereotype.
In short attention span order...
1) picture including print advertising,
2) audio / radio advertising,
3) televisual media advertising,
4) newspaper article,
5) one act play,
6) magazine article or profile,
7) full length play,
7) non-serial television programme,
8) movie
9) serialised television programme with recurring casts
10) books and series of books.

Yes, its not exhaustive and there is overlap. The issue which triggered Nicole Simon's post was that of a site name and logo. In theory that counts as part of the advertising end of the scale. However a company logo and persona lasts much longer than 30 seconds. If Mister Wong was a background character in an advert, he might not have been noticed let alone triggered a response. But combine a non-complementary stereotype and make it the logo... then its worse. No English man would object to the Jeeves image projected by AskJeeves.com (that was). Imagine the Irish stereotype which would be generated? (Probably something like a drunken Podge?) Is Tony Soprano a genuine reflection of an Italian American stereotype or is he objectionable? At first sight ... maybe. However time allows depth that a company logo does not have.

But time in a one act play is not a luxury.
Mairtín de Cógáin in "Thailand..." plays Declan, an Irish tourist, well, visiting the sex tourism of Thailand. (The play was a fund-raiser for an anti sex trafficking charity and took place in the Unitarian Church... an odd juxtaposition). I'm not going to give you a review of the play (wonderful) or the acting ability (brilliant) but of the character created.
Declan wears a Hawaiian style shirt and shorts... telling the story dressed as a tourist in still over there. Declan had a Cork inner city (maybe slightly North side) accent.
The director in me agrees with the costume choice, but ask Jack asked... what would your reaction be if Declan was wearing a business suit? Or a tracksuit and cap? That simple costume change will change that audiences assumptions of Declan and his background. And switching the accent to Montenotte or Mayfield would cause a change in the character in the audience's eye.

And the question is... Why?

Declan is played as an innocent. He even argues that by using these prostitutes, he is actually helping the economy destroyed by the tsunami in 2004. And Declan's more or less believed. Using the clothing as example, would you believe him as an innocent in this case wearing a tracksuit? And what about a business suit?
Now ask yourself... why?

An advantage Jack has over me is that on short term jobs he ends up everywhere and meets everyone. He has met the most ignorant, clueless but educated people, and he has met the most informed, politically aware but unschooled people. The stereotypes are inaccurate, but the assumptions remain to keep the stereotype alive.

In the case of the play, talking to Brian Desmond, the founder of "Be Your Own Banana" Theatre Company he pointed out that there is about 40 minutes of unused script from early drafts of the play. And that they tried out different voices, from high to low and everything in-between. Some "voices" just stopped it; killed the humour dead.
Why?
Well you just couldn't imagine the owner of that voice saying that.

So in podcasts and other media, ask yourself... did they choose that voice? And Why?

tags : Nicole Simon, stereotype, Cork, Cork City, Thailand : What's Love got to do with it, play, venture capitalist, 30 seconds, advertising, logo, Mairtín de Cógáin, Be Your Own Banana, podcasts

Indulge your inner bad driver part 2

2007-07-24T08:50:00.000Z

I posted earlier about Thomas Scott's Real World Racer game where you take a Google map satellite image of a city and create a race track course from the image and then race pixel cars through the streets.

Well, the "Cork, Ireland: Twisty Island Dash" course has been added! - Thanks Tom.

You race from the new UCC extensions to the College of Commerce. I think its a legal route as well. I can see it being tried out on bike for the real Ride It Like You Stole It experience. Yellow (and Red & White) jersey anyone?

tags : game, online game, Cork city, Cork

Where Torchwood

2007-07-23T22:51:00.000Z

Torchwood? We're beyond the government, outside the United Nations, second left over the flyover, straight on at Budgens, right at the lights then first left by the Qwik-Save.

The BBC show Dead Ringers did a parody of the BBC show Torchwood. Oddly, the spoof make sense of its source material. If nothing else it explains the plot holes...

No idea if this will stay live for long.

tags : Torchwood, Television, Dead Ringers, Spoof, Parody, YouTube

Indulge your inner bad driver

2007-07-20T18:28:00.001Z

Crap game but... Thomas Scott created a Real World Racer game. Its actually quite an inspired Google map hack.

Take the satellite image level of a city, create a track layout... and race pixel cars through the streets. No sound effects but as the game says "for maximum enjoyment, make "bvvv, bvvvvv" noises as you accelerate and "EEEEE" noises as you turn".

I suspect its impossible to win, but who wants to be the first to lay out the Morrison Island (Cork City's Island) track.

Will

Update : The "Cork, Ireland: Twisty Island Dash" course has been added! - Thanks Tom.

tags : game, online game

free movies

2007-07-20T17:46:00.001Z

When you see an advert titled See the 'Transformers' movie for free! you know there has to be a catch...

And there is.

Unless you want to go to Balbriggan, Carlow, Clonakilty, Enniscorthy, Lifford, Longford, Monaghan, Naas, Westport or Youghal, you don't need apply.

Of course a certain blogger already got to see it for free.

Me? Jealous? Oh yeah!
I'm planning for a Sunday viewing.

Will

tags :
Transformers, transformers movie, Movie, Job search

Hugs from a stranger at an open call

2007-07-18T17:31:00.000Z

Dear Frank,

Thanks for telling me about the open call for an advert in Cork. As you said, the producers (who don't seem to have a website) wanted people to hug...

So I showed up to the Clarion (and thanks for the Wi-Fi) and registered. Since the aim was to hug, and someone else have come in to register at the same time... get got put together. Hello Irene on the off chance that you do the search for the blog.

This was my giggly-ist audition ever! We kept setting each other off. I may have blown the audition, but I'm in the best mood ever. And all without the use of chocolate!

On the off chance that I get a call (too many giggles?), I'll let you know.

take care,
Will

Nothing compares to a free Planet Earth

2007-07-14T16:46:00.000Z

I read in the Economist an interesting article on record labels trying to get cash streams other than selling music and it seems that Prince has gone one further...

He is due to give away his new album with the Mail on Sunday tomorrow. I expect it will be, oh, 5 seconds before one is on sale on e-bay to get to all those fans in other countries.

I assumed it was going to be a UK only event... then I saw the adverts on Irish telly... he's releasing it over here too. So who will be first with the LouderVoice review?

tags :

The+Economist, record labels, music, Prince, Mail on Sunday

Navan on your lips

2007-07-11T22:16:00.000Z

I can't believe that Una missed this in her articles of the day link a few days back.

The first link is an article in Business Week about the importance of branding. Clearly a catchy name can make or break a product. Which brings me to Navan, a town in County Meath, Ireland, and I suppose Navan Man.

What has this got to do with branding? Well in the Business Week article, they mention Navan. Or rather Navan, which is apparently a "fusion of natural black vanilla from Madagascar with refined French cognacs" (probably a Grand Marnier blend) and even is part of Hevan; equal parts Navan and Hennessy VOSP. There's even a review of the drink available.

I've been looking at the Navanworld (which sounds like a scary nightclub, and I worked in the town for a while) website, and I can't figure out where the name came from.

Having said that, imagine drinks based on Navan Man?
Did they even search the name before they used it?
And if they did were they thinking Brosnan, Ó hEochagáin or Tiernan? Given the Black Books connection to drink, it's got to be Dylan Moran that they had in mind.

I wonder if they smell of vanilla and cognac now?

take care,
Will

tags :
Business Week, branding, brand name, Navan, Meath, Ireland, vanilla, Madagascar, cognac, Grand Marnier

Not the market we had in mind

2007-07-10T20:58:00.000Z

"Yes, there is a difference between virile and viral!"

Overheard telephone conversation. Didn't get to find out which one was the right one.
I'm sure that the guys of "Inside PR" never covered that in their "Inside PRoper English" slot.

tags :
overheard, social media, Inside PR

All the sevens

2007-07-07T14:19:00.000Z

Today is 07/07/07
It's a simple fact of mathematics so expect observations like this every year until 12/12/12.

However, 777 is a lucky and magical number... just ask any Slot Machine a.k.a. One-Armed Bandit. It appears that it might now be possible to get in to Las Vegas tonight

Oh and 08/08/08 is considered really lucky in China. The word for 8 sounds similar to riches if I remember correctly.

Oh well, off to buy a lottery ticket.
take care,
Will

web two point oh no

2007-07-06T00:26:00.000Z

"With a family like that you could set up a social network for them"
"I think they are less social media and more social disease"
-- Name withheld to prevent lynching by their family

tags :
overheard, social media

Evolution of the advert

2007-07-03T15:31:00.000Z

I'm going to talk about adverts, well one advert and its effect. Don't worry it's not that Tracker mortgage fallout.

I'd like to blame the Hobson and Holtz For Immediate Release podcast for this embedded video. It's an advert for Dove as part of the "Campaign for Real Beauty" which shows all the hard work (hair, make-up, visual effects) needed to get a good looking model up there on the billboards...

But it's slightly scarier to see this parody which turns an OK looking man in to the a good looking female model... using exactly the same techniques..

Now these "viral videos" have a point. The first point is that Dove spent a shiftload on a 30 second spot on the Superbowl, and a few thousand on the first video... yet got a higher return on investment on the YouTube one.

Secondly, the YouTube video has A won the top prize for TV and cinema advertising in the Film category of the Grand Prix Cannes Lions advertising festival. Which means download only (or streaming only) is now considered a proper format by the industry.

And finally... this shows us that the impossible images being projected on a regular basis are indeed impossible. Which makes a certain group on which these images are projected feel so much better.

Which is a good thing.

take care,
Will

tags :
advertising, advert, Tribune, Hobson, Holtz, For Immediate Release, video, Dove, Campaign for Real Beauty, evolution, viral, YouTube, Cannes Lions advertising festival

Buns of Cake

2007-07-01T10:07:00.000Z

I've been up early this morning slaving over a hot stove. Literally.

My Capoeira group, Candeias Ireland is having a picnic and exhibition session in Fitzgerald's Park.

Given the weather last night I assumed a cancellation was on the cards. This morning sees clear skies and a bit of warmth. So on with the over and in with the cakes.

Capoeira may help me loose the belly, so the belly has to fight back. Feel free to call in if you're around.

take care,
Will

tags :
Capoeira, candeias, Candeias Ireland, Fitzgerald's Park, cake

Cold cuts

2007-06-29T14:20:00.000Z

Joe Drumgoole has showed off a fridge of shame, for which I'd like to thank Karlin for reminding me and partially wondering if a fridge should be made available for everyone going on the PaddyValley trip?

To explain, when I worked in cubicle land, every cube had a whiteboard for explaining things. You could always tell a highly detailed explanation when the smell of the fumes wafted around the building. I suspect that whiteboard marker fumes are necessary for our technological progression much in the same way that leaking gasses were necessary for the Oracle at Delphi to have her (their?) visions of the future.

Notice how the Celtic tiger arrived around the same time as school leavers who when to the schools that got rid of their chalk based blackboards and moved on to the marker based whiteboards?

Of course, if you are a small start up or a single entrepreneur working on a laptop in their kitchen, or a small start-up where the meeting room is the break room) you simply don't have room for a whiteboard. Until NOW. GE have made a whiteboard covered fridge available in Brazil. Think about it. All your cold caffeine needs and a display platform combined in one!

Personally, I think whiteboard paint should be made available for rooms. Better still would be magnetic whiteboard paint so you could leave messages to yourself without all the fumes.

As you can see from the picture below, I'm more of a magnet man than a drawer.

now then, should I tag people for fridge pictures, or would that be cruel?

stay cool,
Will

tags : Joe Drumgoole, fridge of shame, Karlin Lillington, whiteboard, fridge, refrigerator, GE, PaddyValley

Instant Karma: Free Samples

2007-06-28T12:57:00.000Z

A CD being unveiled today will showcase some of the world's biggest artists in aid of Amnesty International's Darfur campaign... blah blah blah, the full press release is available at Ireland.com.

However that's not entirely why I'm typing...
Springwise reported on a widget and affiliate programme called GoodStorm. In theory you can create a virtual mixtape of "new" musical acts, pick songs from GoodStorm's collection tracks (or upload your own if you own the copyright) and visitors can listen to clips and purchase downloads via the widget and iTunes (and others, evenually). Essentially its an affiliate sales program built around widget technology.

And the widget for the album based on John Lennon's songs... Instant Karma is available below... (you can get the code here). Just wondering if anyone has used it. Should I?

Will

tags : Music, Amnesty International, Darfur, Springwise, widget, affiliate programme, GoodStorm, mixtape, John Lennon, Instant Karma, code

Play in to the archives

2007-06-27T11:44:00.000Z

Its a press release, but it might be of interest...
Cork City Libraries has begun to extend the resources of the Local Music Archive. The archive will collect two copies of recordings by Cork singers, musicians, groups, choirs, quartets, bands and orchestras across all genres of music : pop, rock, indie, jazz, traditional, classical, operatic, etc., plus 2 copies of music books and scores of Cork interest. we would be grateful if any individual, musician, group or music shop would alert us to any new material by Cork artists.

In addition to new material, the Local Music Archive will retrospectively collect material by Cork artists already released in an effort to make the archive as comprehensive as possivle.

Contact :
Cork City Libraries,
Local Studies Department,
Rory Gallagher Music Library,
or the eLibraries Services

I suppose all those mobile phone videos and bootlegs of the gigs at the Cork Midsummer Festival or the Live at the Marquee event (or anyone with a bootleg of the now ledendary Nirvina concert at Sir Henry's) should get in contact. I'm sure IMRO won't be contacted... but I haven't asked. You might want to.

take care,
Will

tags : Cork, Cork City, library, Cork City Library, Local Music Archive, Music, Local Studies, Rory Gallagher, Rory Gallagher Music Library, eLibraries, bootlegs, Cork Midsummer Festival

Meat is playing

2007-06-25T12:24:00.000Z

Another sighting of a blog post on the Cork Midsummer Festival, this time its BifSniff on Meat a sordid affair for which he designed the poster.

I've heard scary things about this play. I wonder if that says anything about him? Hmmm. Must get to know him.

take care,
Will

tags : Cork, Midsummer Festival, Meat, BifSniff

Midsummer murmurs

2007-06-24T20:49:00.000Z

Tonight is Midsummer night (the bonna fires were burning last night, or something was around Cobh). As I mentioned earlier I'm doing some stuff at the Cork Midsummer Festival and I've noticed a few other blogs on it.

Hammergrinn are doing a chat show for the festival (apparently, more posts please) as well as the Threat of Humour. I have no idea what to expect, but I'm going to be there.

Donal blogged about the play in a pub. Its also over, but Mairtín de Cogáin stared in Thailand: What’s Love Got To Do With It? in the Quad Bar. As if there wasn't enough playacting in pubs.

Now I have to say hello to Fin, who is cringing slightly when her interview for the Mooney Show (MP3 file) when out on the Internet for anyone to hear, but it was all done to promote Corcadorca's Woyzeck. I think its completely sold out, and it's a cold but entertaining (if slightly cold) walk. The Naval Base on Haulbowline Island looks wonderful but gosh it's chilly.

Will

and it awards points for artistic merit?

2007-06-24T20:42:00.000Z

"Thankfully the cat is nice around the baby, which is a bit surprising as it's a stray which adopted up us. House trained already too, but in an odd way. You see we couldn't get him to go outside, or in the house. The poor thing kept holding it in, then we discovered that he'd be trained to go at the same time as us. He'd charge in after you in to the bathroom and watch you go, judging you and then following your lead."

Thankfully it's an overheard, but it's my first cat post... (hangs head in shame)

tags : overheard

I'm Mandy, fly me (after I complain about you)

2007-06-22T14:19:00.000Z

I'm coming a little late to this party so excuse the recap.

First off, what on earth was 10cc thinking when they wrote that title of the post in 1976.

The time line seems to be as follows...
On June 1 2007....
Irish A list blogger and all round rights guy Damien Mulley went to the reboot 9.0 conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. On his return, the company handling the luggage for Cork Sky Handling Partners Ltd, formerly known as "City Jet Handling", lost his luggage.

Mulley being Mulley complained (with extra crunchy profanity).

And so it seemed to be over.

On June 20 2007...
Around lunchtime (and quoting starts here) he ..."started getting email confirmations from dating sites, including gay ones saying [his] account for their site has now been created. Seems someone was creating profiles saying [he] was looking to meet men and had rather interesting profile descriptions. One of the emails disclosed the IP address where the person submitted the details from:

62.77.175.251

inetnum: 62.77.175.248 - 62.77.175.255
netname: CITYJETHLING
descr: City Jet Handling Dublin.

City Jet Handling is the former name of Sky Handling Partners. "

IP spoofing not withstanding, it seems a little dumb to not cover your tracks.

Damien gives a fuller description on this post, which may have to be pulled because Handling Partners Ltd's lawyers have served him with a take down notice.

If this was an attempt to harass Mulley, it's backfired a bit. This news has spread out so much that a Google searchshows lots of details on the incident, from the humorous, to the business, including the telecoms business, the media to the legal. The other reason it might not work is that you don't silence an openly gay man by adding his profile to a gay dating site.

It's going to be interesting.

take care,
Will

tags : Damien Mulley, reboot 9.0, Copenhagen, Denmark, Cork, Sky Handling Partners, City Jet Handling, complain, dating, fraud, identity theft, IP address, 62.77.175.251, lawyer, take down notice, harassment

hate crimes and comments

2007-06-19T17:16:00.000Z

People have a habit of telling me things. Sometimes it's things I don't want to know about.

In this particular case a post from 2004 about the Life of Brian being re-released brought forth a comment...

"I just kicked the shit out of a [derogatory term for a minority] after i followed him outside [Cork nightclub] on [day of the week] night"

Sorry about the censoring, but I have my reasons, which will become apparent below.

So what do you do when someone admits to committing a crime on your blog?
I took it down as soon as I saw it.

The next question is, what do you do next...

Well wither this assault is fictional or real. Worst case... its real.
If its real and I don't report it... am I liable?

Well, since it concerns a minority, there is a chance that an incident such as this would have crossed the desk of the Garda liaison for that minority... so I checked, and there was one.

I've dropped the details I have off (approximate time, place and minority concerned) and I'm leaving the investigations in the hands of the authorities.

Lets assume it is a real event, what is traceable?
Blogspot (or Google) have probably recorded the incoming IP address and time of the comment being recorded. This means that the commenter could be traced back to his (I think it's a safe assumption that an assault described above is more likely to be bragged about by a man than a woman) IP address assigned at the time of the post.

This IP address may belong to a household, public place or a company.
In most cases It should be possible to figure out who posted it...

However it all depends on if the assault took place.

What should I have done, and should I have done something different?

Will

tags : blogs, blogging, crime, assault, hate crime, comments

Even if the toys are better

2007-06-12T21:16:00.000Z

I mentioned before that I was looking forward to the toys from the Transformers movie.

I called in to Smyths and saw the following...

Yup the movie toys have started to come out.

Which means the "stop gap" classics line is finished. So I'll have to use eBay to search for Mirage, Grimlock and the other 2 waves of minicons which was supposed to come out over here.

Not even Optimash makes up for it... see

Why do I hear a wallet crying?

tags : Transformers, movie, toys

Take note of the venue

2007-06-11T00:02:00.000Z

On Thursday I was planning to go to the Irish Microsoft Technology Conference in Dublin, but given that I'm currently listening to the podcasts generated at the Reboot (human) conference in Copenhagen, (and asking Clare Dillon for access to the slides and recording from the conference) I think I might be able to pick up the necessary.

And saying the word conference a lot.

The reason I couldn't go was because I'm doing some voluntary work for the Cork Midsummer Festival. Most of this work involved heaving boxes of event flyers and books to stops around the city (mostly libraries and shopping centres). The energy level in the offices (administration and box) are high... the events and gigs start in about a fortnight.

Tips for distributing these around...
1)Don't hit between Thursday and Sunday. The weekend is fairly busy but the free sheets arrive on a Thursday so space is limited. If the venue asks for more however, ignore this tip.
2)Take note of the venue. If it's a library with a large children's section, then they will actually want the kids information. Obvious but its easy to miss.
3)Take note of the venue. If there isn't a information point in the shopping there isn't really a chance of getting stuff in there. In general however, Tesco's information point, which is also a shop counter, is more accommodating than the customer service desk in Dunnes, which is purely an office point.
4)Take note of the venue. If there aren't any other flyers, or if there are a handful which look like the are related to the centre, chances the centre isn't going to be interested in them.

Now I'd like to ask, is there anywhere else (on the North side of Cork in particular) where these flyers should be going?

Tags : Microsoft, podcast, Reboot, Clare Dillon, conference, Cork Midsummer Festival, library, Tesco, Dunnes, shopping centre, Cork

Dublin's Saint

2007-06-02T23:35:00.000Z

I've been waiting a week to post this because I've been waiting for RTE to update their podcast but it's too late.

Today, Sunday June 3rd 2007, Ireland gets a new saint (and a Dublin based one to boot).
The 19th century Passionist priest Father Charles of Mount Argus will be canonised today by Pope Benedict XVI. I first heard about this on Sunday Miscellany, hence my little RTE rant. This guy was a living saint (dead for some time I know) who James Joyce mentioned in a way that Mother Teresa would be mentioned now.

I had never heard about him before the programme, and I don't think there is going to be much press about it (unless it's been a really slow news week, which it hasn't been). Of course if you live near Mount Argus I'm sure you know about it, but still. It seems a bit quite.

Do many actually care now?

(and no argos jokes please...)

Will

tags: saint, Dublin, Charles of Mount Argus, canonised, Pope Benedict XVI, Sunday Miscellany, James Joyce, Mount Argus

Crikey

2007-06-02T09:31:00.000Z

I don't know which is worse.

That there is a Steve Irwin "The Crocodile hunter" line of action toys or the fact that, from the pictures, they look so cheaply made.

tags : toys, Steve Irwin

Go flip yourself

2007-06-01T22:21:00.000Z

There is a Caopeira Festival on in Cork over the June Bank Holiday weekend (a festival during a Irish Bank Holiday, what are the odds)... It's been put together by Candeias Ireland

Anyway, there will be a public show outside of Brown Thomas on Patrick Street, Cork City tomorrow from 10am until 11:30am. Where you'll see people do stuff like these photos...

Needless to say, my back is killing me right now... I'm not too sure I'll make it for the public show but...

tags : Candeias, Caopeira, Cork, Fermoy

Net-not-work security

2007-05-27T10:50:00.000Z

Omani mentioned that he turns off his wireless router at night.
I do the same thing (although if I do go down the Fon route I'll need to rethink this).

Why?

1) I unplug everything when I go to bed. Stops fires (in theory) and is one less thing to worry about

2) Security, turning the internet back in to a sneaker-net. I don't really worry about someone piggy backing my connection (contention is contention).

3) I have something off-line to do. The web is a bloody siren call. Since the router is in the hall and the comouter isn't (the call no place to do any business unless it's shooing a candidate from the doorstep).

4) I'm not using it. Why leave it on? Energy saving and all of that...

Do you?

tags : router, wireless, safety, security, network, Fon

And it's over for Cork

2007-05-26T23:46:00.000Z

The plan this morning was to get up early, head over to Cork City hall and take over from Stephen. however leaving Mallow last night I heard about Dan Boyle of the Green Party loosing his seat. But the counting continued. I woke up early to hear that counting had finished in the small hours of the morning.

So no need to take over.

Pity, I would have liked to compare them.

At the moment the figures are that Fianna Fáil has won 78 seats, Fine Gael has 51 seats, Labour got 20 seats, the Greens took 6 and Sinn Féin ended up with 4, the Progressive Democrats' vote saw their seat total reduced to 2, while Independent candidates took the remaining 5 seats.

84 is needed for a majority. I'll let you do the sums while the trading continues.

take care,
Will

tags : Mallow, Cork, politics, MySay.com, IrishElection, irishelection2007