As many other academics, I have come to rely on reference software to keep my bibliographic resources organised. For some time I have been using Endnote because it came installed with University computers, but I have been increasingly frustrated with its lack of interoperability and inflexible interface. EndNote has many Read more
The third instalment of Gikii (aptly named GikIII) is now over. As with previous years, one is left feeling intellectually stimulated and a bit daunted by the level of smartness emanating from the room. First’s year’s iconic figure was the killer robot, last year’s was the Lolcat, this year it Read more
One of my favourite times of the year has arrived… It’s Gikii time! If you cannot be here the papers are being uploaded as they are presented to this page.
I would like to declare a moratorium on excessive use of adjectives to describe the current financial crisis. Why adjectivise (is that a word? If not it should be) when onomatopoeia will suffice? Zoom! Fzzzt! Eek! Kapow! Kabbloey! Argh! There, the credit crisis easily explained in one line. Seriously though, Read more
An interesting cybercrime and politics story came out this week. Sarah Palin’s Yahoo email account was hacked by a group called Anonymous and screenshots were posted in WikiLeaks. Hacking may be too strong a word, what seems to have occurred is more akin to social engineering, as the hackers admitted Read more
As a devout Pastafarian, I am obsessed with all things piratical. After all, one of the basic doctrines of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is that global warming is caused by the decline in pirates. Avast me hearties, ’tis September 19 today, and that means “talk like a Read more
I still remember how we looked at the Internet in the early days, and how many of us thought that it could never be regulated. Years later, a large firewall and a rather effective gambling ban have proved us wrong. This is why I keep reading every year JPB’s Declaration Read more
With names like Track, Trig and Bristol, the world is awash with potential Palin baby names. What would you be named if you were a Palin baby? Now you can find out! Apparently, I would have been Claw Palin. I like that!
I have always been interested in the depiction of computers in popular fiction. One early computer meme represented the percentage crunching computer/robot that would helpfully tell the protagonists the percentage rate of survival for X situation (“You have a 2% chance to survive that jump”). While computer predictions are not Read more
You know you’ve been to too many conferences… …when your office wall looks like this.