Author: Robert Paterson

Quirky, geeky and charming techie. All thoughts and posts are my own.

Google loses right to be forgotten case in the UK

Privacy is important for all, regardless of who you are and what you’ve done, we are all due some degree of privacy. The degree will of course primarily lie on how much celebrity you have – not just the positive sort as we get from film, TV or other people in the entertainment industry, but also those who gain notoriety for other things.

But at some point that notoriety should and does fade, unless you work hard to stay in the spotlight. If the spotlight has moved on, then you should equally have the online search history fade over time.

This is what was argued for in this case and the defendant won. Which is good. I know some will say (s)he did wrong and should ever remain tainted. What if you had something happen to you, deliberately or otherwise? Would you want that taint to remain on your forever? I doubt it.

That’s why this is important and is part of what will shape how we all are affected by privacy decisions now, and in the future.

This is a good decision.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43752344

Large organisations need to listen to staff

Thankfully I work at a company where a lot of listening happens. IBM often  has “jams” where feedback is requested from the teams, open and honest, and sometimes reinforced by being able to be anonymous.

This strengthens us as the weird, wacky, sensible and positive ideas that often prove to be the winning move in a company’s long term survival, come from such beginnings.

I’ve played games for many, many years, been a developer (albeit for only 18 months as I found it wasn’t for me), been in retail, support and training, all of which have more similarities than most might feel they would or should in respect of how to solve any problem that is in front of you.

have a read of the two blogs below – and especially think through the rubber duck debugging one, I have to say I have used that sometimes, even when writing to find the obvious thing that you’d otherwise have missed. ???

Rubber duck debugging: https://rubberduckdebugging.com/

UE4 confessions blog: https://allarsblog.com/2018/03/16/confessions-of-an-unreal-engine-4-engineering-firefighter/

Appalling treatment of Windrush immigrants

I was discussing this situation with  colleague earlier today and we were both horrified that the outcome of some of the Brexit work, would have this impact on people that had lived here for several generations.

Its good then that the government and the Prime Minister in particular are planning to address this, but I don’t see a definitive response that stops this occurring at all – at least not yet. There’s couched language that says those who should be here will stay.

Why not all who came over as Windrush immigrants just blanket say they can stay? They’ve been here long enough to say that.

Amber Rudd’s statement that this is appalling should have happened sooner.

I hate how this country has moved to a stance of “anyone not from here, should go away”. The murder of the 14 year old girl by a 16 year old boy, stabbings galore – 35 since the start of the year.

These are all signs of a country that is losing control as far as I can see.

So sad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43780621

Wetherspoon pub chain shuts its social media accounts

I’m not sure that closing all social media accounts is the best way to go, but certainly the scaling back of use is a good thing.

Its most telling that Weatherspoons has cited trolls as the key element, as I can understand that teaching people to be nicer online and even if you disagree with someone, don’t start calling their personal traits out as part of that disagreement.

We can all be nasty when we’re effectively unknown or even anonymous, but most would not if they could and would be traced and worse still, possibly prosecuted.

And remember, some folk have been prosecuted for their online actions.

Play safe, be nice and we can all get along much better with less nonsense.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43781281

Monty Python – the Meaning of Live

Just watched this on Netflix and laughed out loud a few times. Language is a bit risqué, but that’s sort of expected from the Pythons these days.

I think its great that given their ages, their irreverence for authority continues and reminds us that some things shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

There’s been a few other Python recordings released today as well, so go ferret around on Netflix for some great comedy.

Enjoy!

https://www.netflix.com/title/80236470

Lost in Space – series 2

I’ve just finished watching the tenth episode of Lost in Space that was released on Netflix on Friday.

Wow!!!

Series 2, and they will have to make one, cannot come soon enough in my opinion.

Story was different from both the original series and the film remake, but the key themes are all there.

highly impressed with every single production value and as I say cannot contain my impatience at wanting to get at series 2.

c’mon Netflix, don’t keep us in suspense ?

Privacy and celebrity – what’s the right balance?

GDPR will become active on 25th May 2018 and affords individuals various rights against organisations with respect to their data, which is long overdue. The last legislation that covered such items in the EU, was 20 years ago and technology, let alone society has changed a lot in that time.

Then we get to the rights of celebrities, I’m not going to delve in to whether someone is or is not a celebrity, lets assume all such named as celebrities are, at least for this purpose.

Celebrities know that they will be a focus for the public, and by extension various media who are either generally addressing news, or are looking for the celebrity exclusive of who has broken up with whom or what the latest fashions will be.

Equally some celebrities guard their and their families privacy and we rarely see or hear of them because of the care they take.

So the issue of when the BBC somehow gained knowledge of a proposed raid on Cliff Richard, Cliff is rightly upset about that and how the BBC covered it.

My personal view is that they should not have been tipped off, in preference to any other news organisation, but that when in the know of the details, they should and could carry out an investigation or follow up, within current legal boundaries, as it is in the public interest. That is, both the interest we have in celebrity, but equally about a possible law breaker, especially given the allegations that were being levelled at him.

As the article says, it could have wide ranging implications, and I think we should all follow it because of its links to our own personal privacy as much as that of celebrities.

Cliff Richard case ‘likely to have massive implications’

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43731668

Salisbury nerve agent attack – was a Novichok

Whilst I believe in healthy skepticism, the theories which almost seem conspiratorial in nature, suggesting Russia was not the instigator of the Salisbury nerve agent attack, were to me just that – conspiracy theories.

The Guardian article confirming that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed the poison was a Novichok, all but closes the door on it being a Russian perpetrated attack.

The only remaining question, in my mind, was whether it was state sponsored or a rogue agent or agency. Based on how the Russian news agency has responded, I’d err on the side of state sponsored, even if Putin was not the one to sign off.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/12/novichok-used-in-spy-poisoning-chemical-weapons-watchdog-confirms-salisbury?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other