Is open data the same as big data? Well no, not really. Open data is stuff that is out there which can be freely used, shared and messed about with by anyone, anywhere, at any time and for whatever purpose they choose. It is the wildebeest of the data world, able to roam free across … Continue reading Unfolding plans 188 – Open Data
Unfolding plans 172 – World Paper Free Day
It’s World Paper Free Day today. I hope you’re enjoying it. I hope you didn’t send a card! I didn’t know there was such a thing until a couple of weeks ago but I put it in my diary and here it is. I’ve long been an advocate of getting away from paper at work. … Continue reading Unfolding plans 172 – World Paper Free Day
Unfolding plans 162 – #Dynamites15
Last night’s Dynamites15 was excellent. The banqueting hall in Newcastle Civic Centre was packed to the gunnels with a whole host of people interested in the tech industry across the North East. Every seat was sold which made it a bigger and better event than the first one we had last year. A huge amount … Continue reading Unfolding plans 162 – #Dynamites15
Unfolding plan 159 – the data trail
Somehow I’ve let data slip off my agenda. It has slipped off the map. I realised this when I was at the Open Data Event put on by Dynamo North East and the Federation of Small Businesses. I should mention Sunderland Software City as well. I realised that while we were full of intent we … Continue reading Unfolding plan 159 – the data trail
Unfolding plans 156 – No secrets
Would the world be a better place if there were no secrets? There would be no need to hide anything, no need to keep things under lock and key and no need to encrypt our precious or most dark information assets. If there were no secrets there would be no cyber-crime. There would be nothing … Continue reading Unfolding plans 156 – No secrets
Unfolding plans 137 – ten thousand steps
Even the longest journey starts with a single step. The journey to health though starts with then thousand, apparently. I found out the other day that the phone that I have been carrying around with me has a step counter included. It is a Windows phone and the application is called MSN Health and Fitness. … Continue reading Unfolding plans 137 – ten thousand steps
Unfolding plans 132 – more jobs or fewer jobs
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. That’s what I have often been told. We’ve been telling a story about the North East and the technical industry. It is about the number of jobs that the sector carries. We’ve been saying that there are thirty thousand jobs and two thousand … Continue reading Unfolding plans 132 – more jobs or fewer jobs
Unfolding plans 115 – One in five beggars aren’t homeless
I haven’t had a good rant about statistics for a while but here we go again. Someone has taken some numbers and extrapolated them to create a wildly imaginative story. It’s like Jurassic Park, creating a dinosaur from a tiny piece of DNA. According to the BBC ‘Fewer than twenty per cent of people arrested … Continue reading Unfolding plans 115 – One in five beggars aren’t homeless
Unfolding plans 110 – John’s postcard challenge
We’ve got some exciting things going on with our self-service portal. We created it to allow our customers to log their own issues into the system without having to call the Service Desk. Since its implementation its use has grown to a point where it accounts for around twenty three per cent of incidents logged … Continue reading Unfolding plans 110 – John’s postcard challenge
Unfolding plans 81 – filling a presentation
How many words do I need to fill a presentation? I’ve never really thought about it before now. Normally I would get up to do a presentation and just get on with it. I know I speak too quickly though. I have been told before. It’s a nervous thing. It’s as if I want to … Continue reading Unfolding plans 81 – filling a presentation
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 