I am suffering from a modern problem, something that just didn’t happen a few short months ago, something that reflects the way that I, and many others, live their lives today. Stand on the corner of any city street and you will see the majority of people scurrying along looking at, listening to or talking … Continue reading Clash of the WiFi
The power of social media
I use Twitter a lot. It is my way of keeping brand Phil alive and well. I know it works as people respond and always mention it to me when I meet up with them. As Carlos Fuentes said ‘We all need witnesses to our life to be able to live it.’ Occasionally though it … Continue reading The power of social media
Digital Exclusion
It is an old story, probably old as technology itself. Some people have it and some don’t. The arrival of digital has opened up old fracture lines of social inequality. Some people are on the right side of the digital divide and some are on the other, the side of digital exclusion. Yet with digital … Continue reading Digital Exclusion
Does the word cyber put people off?
I’ve been involved quite heavily in the world of cyber recently, not on the dark side I hasten to add, I am firmly in the light. I have been doing some work on helping to build a regional cluster and this is the reason that I keep blogging about the topic. But what is cyber? … Continue reading Does the word cyber put people off?
Tight security
It is a long time since I have been to Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United. So long in fact that I ended up at the Cricket Ground. Fortunately they are only a short walk away. The last time was when I went to see Newcastle United get beaten two nil but that could have … Continue reading Tight security
What can machines do better?
You would think it is an easy question. What can machines do better than people can? Most people could answer it though they had to draw breath first and repeat the question while they thought about it. I was at the excellent Northumbrian Water Group Innovation Festival at Gosforth Park Racecourse. I was only able … Continue reading What can machines do better?
Customizing reality
Dan Biddle, at Thinking Digital 2017, talked about customizing reality. He is a media strategist and so should know about these things. He told us how the latest wave in social media is to augment something that has happened, taking a picture and meddling about with it or taking a video and adding a … Continue reading Customizing reality
The machine that defines our age
We preside over a great machine. It is huge. A leviathan. It is the machine that is defining our age. Our machine doesn't have whirring cogs or spinning wheels, nor does it belch smoke or hiss with steam. Indeed most of its moving parts are people. Thousands of people, millions of people, use it every … Continue reading The machine that defines our age
Technical offshoring
Is offshoring dead? Has our belief in the ability to drive down costs by exporting work to cheaper economies started to wain? I am certainly aware of companies who have gone through the process of offshoring only to bring the work back again. (I’m not talking about Geordie Shore here. That is something completely different … Continue reading Technical offshoring
Is this the price we pay?
The last few days have been bad for decent people and good for cyber criminals. The world has witnessed one of the biggest cyber attacks with the release of Wanna Decryptor or WannaCry and its subsequent variants. The cyber-attack has hit more than 200,000 victims in 150 countries and the Europol chief, Rob Wainwright warned … Continue reading Is this the price we pay?
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 