Perhaps it seems counter-intuitive that getting potential suppliers involved early will help shape a procurement yet it is beyond doubt true. So many requests for goods and services are issued without much thought as to whether the market exists to realise them and this will ultimately result in either poor purchases or dissatisfied customers. I … Continue reading Getting suppliers involved early
Deselection of MPs
The vote of no confidence in Dominic Grieve as the Conservative candidate for Beaconsfield, initially billed as a deselection, is another example of how the party system corrupts the country’s politics. It does not affect his position as MP, for the moment but presumably may well do when the next election comes along. At the … Continue reading Deselection of MPs
Freeconomy
Free is a four letter word! Freeconomy has nine letters. I first came across the word consciously in the Economist’s new magazine 1843 in an article about how people are playing the system. They scour the media for offers promising free stuff and use their technical skills to create spreadsheets and algorithms to maximize the … Continue reading Freeconomy
Cake is a powerful weapon
Earlier last week I was at the Dynamo North East office for one of our regular weekly meetings. To be honest, they are regular but I am not. Due to, in the main self-imposed time restraints and diary clashes I have only been able to attend sporadically, so infrequently in fact that I don’t … Continue reading Cake is a powerful weapon
All people are…
I shudder these days when I read the news, especially online. I say news yet what I really mean is opinion. With all this talk of fake news it is difficult to separate the reporting of events from the writer’s perspective. Much of what I come across these days is little more than propaganda. One … Continue reading All people are…
Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the biggest machine that mankind has ever built. It is designed to collide sub-atomic particles at speeds close to that of light and watch what happens after the impact. It is hoped that in this way we can get a better understanding of how the universe was formed. I am … Continue reading Large Hadron Collider
Building credibility
How can you build credibility? By being credible of course. It is easily said but not so easily done. Hopefully you are aware that I am trying to help build a cyber (information security) cluster in the North East. I want to see the region positioned as a leading player in this important and growing … Continue reading Building credibility
Poetry as a Service
A poem for all occasions, rhymes for all situations. Words from cyberspace, any subject, any taste. Just enter your description, the app provides encryption. Passions will be stirred and algorithms will be whirred, Spews out a transcription, tailored to the subscription. With no human intervention to dilute original intention. Racks of faceless servers provide poetry … Continue reading Poetry as a Service
In praise of naivete
Often I have been told that I am naive and that is not the way the world works. At times I think that is an unfair criticism. It is clear that I have a lot of experience and believe I can offer wisdom and use good judgement. I appear naive then, not because I don’t … Continue reading In praise of naivete
Let’s agglomerate
A few months ago I went to buy some perfume for my wife’s birthday. She had been dropping hints for a couple of weeks and so I thought I was on a safe bet. I set off for the Metro Centre, a shopping mall not far from where I live and went into Debenhams. The … Continue reading Let’s agglomerate
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 