I have no particular company in mind but my experience of over a quarter of a century working in senior positions within IT has taught me one thing - IT companies often seem worse than the products they sell. Let me explain. How many times have you been in a sales or pre-sales meeting when … Continue reading Worse than the product
A fair day’s pay at Brewdog
I think it is a sign of the times when I was walking down Dean Street in Newcastle to the Quayside I noticed an A board outside the Brewdog pub. On it was written ‘We are a real living wage employer’ in capital letters. I was so taken by the sign that I took a … Continue reading A fair day’s pay at Brewdog
North East Fraud Forum Conference 2019
This year’s North East Fraud Forum was a great event, it flowed well with excellent speakers and a cohesive theme - the key to preventing fraud is through the sharing of information. Surprisingly though it is an uphill struggle to get companies and victims of fraud to do just that. Let me start by telling … Continue reading North East Fraud Forum Conference 2019
Have a casual meeting
Waterston's in Durham is a company that I have long admired, really ever since I met its founders, Mike and Sally Waterston. The company is built upon their strong ethical values and shows that you can be successful while doing the decent and right things. I mention the company as I was down there for … Continue reading Have a casual meeting
Not Equal
Capitalism doesn’t have a conscience. It is a system in which money flows to where it can make the most return. If somebody can make it faster cheaper and easier the system will determine that they are the winners. Thankfully people do have consciences and it is they that can provide the bulwark against the … Continue reading Not Equal
Learn your lessons
If you have come to the end of a project it is always a good idea to have a review. Hold a meeting to see if there are any lessons that can be taken away and applied to other projects either now or in the future. The temptation however is to only do this when … Continue reading Learn your lessons
Taking the pledge
Technology is yin and yang. In most cases it is developed for good yet can give rise to the bad. There is a continuous tension between technology and humanity in that innovation works to cover a need yet, as soon as it leaves the factory gates others have found an alternative use for it. My … Continue reading Taking the pledge
This application is rubbish
If there is one thing I have found out about software it is that all applications are rubbish when you know nothing about them. Companies buy software tools in the hope that they will sort out their business processes yet don’t put the effort in to really understand how they work. Huge swathes of useful … Continue reading This application is rubbish
Why I should go to the Cyber 101 Boot Camp
You thought #CyberFest was all over, didn’t you? Well at least for this year, yet I promised you eleven events and the eagle eyed among you will know that we only had ten events in September. The final event, which was originally supposed to be held during September, is a Cyber 101 Boot Camp. For … Continue reading Why I should go to the Cyber 101 Boot Camp
Noise cancelling
When you see someone wearing headphones and tapping away at a laptop it means that they don’t want to be disturbed. The wearers are trying to ignore the world and grab a bit of peace. Not everyone recognises the signs however and insist on trying to engage the person in conversation. If you are one … Continue reading Noise cancelling
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 