Where’s The Mandatory Filtering For Government Stupidity?
I’m still in holiday mode and have not spent much time online studying the reaction to the idiotic mandatory filtering proposals from the new Rudd government, but I expect this editorial published in...
View ArticleVendor Lock-In
I generally agree unequivocally with Bruce Schneier, but his recent column on vendor lock-in has me wanting to take issue with some of his points. Vendor lock-in is real, but the example he gives of...
View ArticleWeb Forums Considered Annoying
Specialised web forums are commonplace these days. They cover the entirety of the long tail, and are therefore indispensable for discussing obscure, and not-so-obscure, topics. These days I wouldn’t...
View ArticleBlogging Horror
So you’re watching a new TV show and you’re hooked. It’s clever, the characters are believable, the dialog is witty, the cinematography is inspired, the direction is tight and the plot is engaging. You...
View ArticleBayes’ Theorem 1, Mandatory Filtering 0
Unfortunately the Rudd government are pressing forward with their proposal for mandatory internet filtering. Recently, Electronic Frontiers Australia summarised the results of an analysis of current...
View ArticlePayPal Is Not My Pal
Paypal sent me an email in Feb 2006. Here’s what they said (emphasis theirs): Dear Alastair Rankine, Welcome to PayPal Australia! We are pleased to confirm that as of 2 February 2006, PayPal Australia...
View ArticleCatch The Bushfire
Earlier today, in an email to Brendan, I attempted some gallows humour in relation to the Victorian bushfires: Of course this is all divine retribution for the hedonistic lifestyles of those ungodly...
View ArticleEasiest $100 I’ll Ever Make
Recently, before boarding a flight up to Hamilton Island for a $WORK junket conference, I purchased a puzzle book. On the flight, I shared the puzzles amongst colleagues, and fun was had. One...
View ArticleAt The End Of One’s Tether
Many carriers, most notably AT&T, but also others such as Optus, are getting a lot of bad press for charging their subscribers extra for “tethering” their iPhones to their laptops. This does seem...
View ArticleBye Bye eMusic
Well, it was good while it lasted, but I’ve just downloaded my last album from eMusic. I was once quite enamoured with this service, so what changed? Well basically they changed their prices. And by...
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