I have a to-do list. I put all of those action points from the notes I take every day into a task within Outlook. I transfer those which relate to bigger prices of work into separate tasks and so what is left are the miscellaneous bits and bobs. They are the detritus of my quotidian … Continue reading Just stop it
Apprentices again
I applaud the government's position on apprentices. This is not a political statement. I'm not permitted to make them in my current role. Anything that gets more young people into employment is fine by me. Even better if they are in a technical arena. The government stance is in providing skilled people for real jobs … Continue reading Apprentices again
The technology gets in the way
Somehow we always end up talking about technology. That could because we work with the stuff, yet technology is built by people, to be used by people for the benefit of people. So all of our conversations should really come back to people. But somehow we always end up talking about tech. We’re up in … Continue reading The technology gets in the way
Shaping Water
The Shape of water is a book by Andrea Camilleri. It is a quote from a Bruce Lee films. It is the shape that our service needs to be. This is a topic that I keep coming back to. It haunts me and excites me. Water can be any shape. Try it. It can be … Continue reading Shaping Water
That’s floor 5 done
Finally, I now know where our bat database is kept. Not the actual database, that is in the data centre (the bat cave?) but rather the place where it is used. Where else but in the belfry at County Hall? Okay, we don't actually have a belfry but it is right up near the roof … Continue reading That’s floor 5 done
Technology direction statement
The ICT strategy is always a difficult document to write. Getting the balance between the strategic, which it is supposed to be, and the tactical, which is what people want to see is a challenge. I am not sure if I have got this balance right. In fact I am sure. Over the last seven … Continue reading Technology direction statement
Forget bimodal
Have you heard about bimodal IT? It's a new one on me. Apparently it is one of Gartner’s and has been around for a while. I can't be expected to keep all of the jargon. That would be a lifetime's work. In short, bimodal means that there are two types of IT. The stuff that … Continue reading Forget bimodal
#DurHack 2017
University seems to be so much more fun when I was there. Perhaps it was the subject that I did or perhaps it's all the cool stuff they get to play with now. The students do work hard though. Again a lot more than when I was there. If I remember rightly my years at … Continue reading #DurHack 2017
Guerrilla Archaeology
Who knew we had archaeologists? I’d never really thought about it before today until I invaded their space. I was doing my Guerrilla Working thing and wandering round the fifth floor looking for a place to rest my weary laptop when I came across a door I had never been into. It was just asking … Continue reading Guerrilla Archaeology
Symbiosis or parasite
We hear a lot about disrupters these days. Technology so a disruptive industry. It has allowed new business models to emerge and firms have sprung up overnight that are sweeping away the old guard and rewriting the rules on how firms should operate. They have disrupted. Organisations such as Google, Facebook, Uber, Airbnb and Hungryhouse … Continue reading Symbiosis or parasite
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 