A video made during the Third Sector Magazine Online Masterclass Series in Autumn 2011.
In this sequence I talk about the use of social media to drive donations for charities, and the full session including the slides used is available from Third Sector Magazine at: http://www.donationsthroughsocialmedia.com/
Fantastic article in The Economist about technology, automation and the impact on jobs and society:
http://www.economist.com/node/21536460
Picture of a robot writing an article about robots
I’m intrigued by the negative reaction that some have had to Twitter’s decision to release the personal information of a South Tyneside councillor who had attempted to tweet under a veil of digital anonymity.
Twitter’s behaviour is entirely consistent with its terms and conditions and user agreement – nowhere does it say that Twitter allows you to post anonymously, or that it will not comply with the law when directed to do so.
Whilst many Internet users hold the popular misconception that they can be ‘anonymous’ on the Internet, those in the know understand that this is very rarely the case; even when setting-up a free email account and using an Internet café, web users create a unique digital footprint that experienced digital forensic investigators can use to identify them.
People who believe that on-line services like Twitter give them the power and permission to write and publish inaccurate, inflammatory or libellous material are mistaken.
The perceived anonymity of the Internet doesn’t give people carte blanche to behave in a way that negatively affects others.
Personally, I think that people posting on Twitter should identify themselves – if they are going to judge and make comments about people who are happy to reveal their identities, why shouldn’t they?
The Internet privacy developments of the last few days mark an important milestone in the maturing of the Internet and I believe that Twitter was absolutely right to comply with the law of the land and reveal the personal information of an allegedly libellous anonymous tweeter.
I have just returned from the fascinating and enjoyable IT Directors’ Forum 2011 (ITDF11), a major technology conference, organised by Richmond Events and held aboard the luxurious P&O Aurora cruise ship.
At first, I was worried that being stuck on a ship with dozens of suppliers and potential suppliers would be less than enjoyable, but I need not have worried because it was an excellent experience, and one that I highly recommend.
The standard of the event was very high – from the initial cocktail reception, through the excellent keynote presentations and all the way on to the well- organised supplier presentations, it was obvious that the team behind it really understand how to put on a show that is relevant for the audience – and that delivers real value.
Specifically, when compared to other events, several things stood out at ITDF11.
First, the calibre of the attendees was very high, with CIOs and IT directors from hundreds of major organisations across a range of industry sectors, creating great opportunities to talk about the issues facing technology leaders, and the chance to share experiences with peers.
The quality of the event organisation and management was superb; the whole thing ran like clockwork from start to finish and the organisers must be commended on pulling off such a logistical feat whilst making it fun for the attendees.
Last but not least on the list must be the quality of the speakers and facilitators – they were outstanding and the sessions that I attended had the right level of research, insight and thought leadership; I have already started using some of the models that I picked-up at the event, and discussing projects and challenges with some of the great contacts that I made.
Not surprisingly, one of the main topics of discussion over the three days was the cloud, with many delegates talking about their plans to adopt cloud computing, despite the uncertainty that some still have.
Skills management for talented IT professionals was also high on the list, with many technology leaders thinking about how best to keep their most valuable team members as we come out of recession and economic growth returns.
All in all an incredibly stimulating event, and one that I look forward to attending again in the future!
The P&O Aurora - venue for the IT Director's Forum 2011
After Red Nose Day there was a great deal of interest in the technology that my team built to support it.
Computer Weekly, the UK’s leading technology magazine, invited me to present at their CW500 Club – an event for technology leaders from a range of different organisations across the UK.
This event took place at the British Computer Society (BCS) and was a lot of fun!
Many thanks to Computer Weekly for sharing this.
(Copyright Computer Weekly 2011)
Rarely does a film get my super excited these days, but Disney’s ‘Tron Legacy’ (follow-up to the 1982 classic ‘Tron’) has.
Not only is it a beautiful film – watching it is like having fridge-cool moisturising eye-drops on a hot day, but the soundtrack, casting and execution are superb.
The Daft Punk soundtrack is brilliant and one of the best I have ever heard for a film.
If you haven’t seen it, go and see it. And if you have, see it again!
I was interviewed by Angelica Mari of Computer Weekly as part of their CW500 Club which is a group of the UK’s top CIOs, CTOs and IT Directors.
I talked about the challenges of managing an IT strategy and function in a dynamic, resource-constrained environment – something not unique to Comic Relief!
Computer Weekly Interview 18 May 2010
Click the picture to read an electronic copy of the full article at the Computer Weekly website.
