Birmingham Post - Science Blog

Social media: why the case for teaching digital literacy is so compelling

Sat, 17 Aug 2013 18:49:20 +0000

As a parent, I can only start to imagine the pain, grief and suffering of the family of Hannah Smith, who committed suicide recently after being bullied on the ask.fm website. Almost daily, fresh headlines emerge about social media sites like Twitter being used to issue threats of rape, violence and murder. My visceral, emotional, immediate reaction is much like everyone else: something must be done.

But principles, and policy, must be driven by reason, logic and a sense of proportion. We must understand what is happening and why. Bullying and intimidation are an integral part of human nature and of society; while the recent media storm might make us believe that all this is new, it has forever been the case.

Going Cold Turkey

Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:20:48 +0000

I've done it. I'm now clean. I've not touched it for a couple of months now, and most significantly the craving to consume more and more has pretty much gone. I have time for others, time for events, activities, and headspace to think and enjoy them. I don't have wasted hours, where I can hardly remember what has happened.

Yes, I've stopped using Facebook.

Predictions for 2013

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:16:16 +0000

Whilst it's slightly early for the prediction season, I thought I'd put forward a few possibilities, based on some digital crystal gazing, some wistful looking off into space, a finger in the air and some personal perspective. Some of these may even come true.

Technology and cool

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:21:12 +0000

Nokia released their latest Lumina smartphone to the most desultory of audience applause - but is it good or bad? Actually, I'm not going to discuss that - it has it's good points, in terms of wireless charging and camera technology, and it's bad ones - poor PR in faking its performance in an advert, for example. But are these the factors that will make buy it, or not?

The end of social media?

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:13:13 +0000

Facebook was offered to investors at $38/share - and at the time, I commented that I'd love to be able to short the stock. It's now at about $21, so I'd have made a killing. Mind you, I'd have made a killing if I'd have sold my shares in Psion years ago when I'd bought them for pence and they reached the heights of pounds. I event told my sister to sell when she asked for my view - but I didn't follow it myself, and now they're worth.....less.

Reports suggest that many investors who got in early enough can still make a lot from selling Facebook shares now that they are able to, but for the standard investor, it's not an obvious share to make a quick buck on.

Let them eat cake

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 08:54:34 +0000

The Olympic torch relay continues, and I can't help but be impressed by the moving stories, personal triumphs and tragedies that have been highlighted as it moves over the country. It's clearly given a lot of enjoyment to many people.

Why am I doing everything?

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 19:23:26 +0000

The internet is wonderful - I can use it to find out how to mend my tumble drier, choose between different cameras and buy one, look at where to go on holiday and, keeping an eye on the changing prices, pick a time to buy a flight/book a ferry; I can search for a good hotel and book that, and can find out what others are reading and order my books as well. Life couldn't be better.

IPhone and Android converge

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Recent rulings by a US Judge that Apple's approach to keeping its software locked onto its hardware are not actually secrets have taken an unexpected turn. Recent prototypes by a French company show the iPhone OS running on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Changing perspectives on value

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:26:45 +0000

The Digital Economy is our saviour, according to the government. It's not just them: the Boston Consulting Group said, in 2010, that the UK internet economy is larger, per head, than in any other country, and is forecast to grow by 10% a year.

Where now for the Knowledge Economy?

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The UK makes a lot of its place in the knowledge economy, at times seemingly relying on it to drive us out of recession and back to growth. And we have been previously successful in this - the recent sale of Autonomy to HP provides commercial evidence for this.

But will this continue? Does the Knowledge Economy have such a bright future?

Who owns Britain?

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 12:15:47 +0000

Or rather, the maps of Britain? The OS? companies? us? In a few weeks, I'm attending a meeting with the Ordnance Survey to discuss how they can work more closely with higher education. However, thinking about this highlights an interesting conundrum: why is it that a taxpayer-funded institution is charging for access to its data, whereas a commercial company is offering mapping for free?

Is the academic model broken?

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:49:58 +0000

There is a minor furore at present within academic circles over the activities of Elsevier, the publisher.
Claims are being made that they offer their books and journals to libraries at very expensive prices, or bundled up into large packages, which means that the costs to academic institutions is ever rising.
The frustration is caused because the content of the journals is provided by academics, who write the papers.
The quality of the journals is created by the academics, who review and comment on the papers.
The editor and editorial board, who are academics, set the tone and style of the journals.
The papers are often provided to fit a given format, so that the majority of the typesetting is done by the academics.
And all the academic effort is given for free: the protest is therefore at the exploitation of publically funded research and publically funded academics by private companies for profit.

And coming up.....

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:16:17 +0000

It's that time of year when all and sundry (especially journalists, hacks, pundits and loudmouths) make predictions about the future, and in particular the next twelve months.

So here's my personal take on what will happen next year: some is informed guesswork, some is speculation, and some will accidentally turn out to be fact.....

Moving to the cloud; expect fog

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:09:32 +0000

I try and write a piece for the first of every month - this month I've spectacularly failed. Part of this is because I decided to 'update' my computers, which seemed to do exactly the opposite.

Science reporting in the media

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:51:19 +0000

Recently, I've been discussing various aspects of computer science and technology in the media - beyond this blog - and have discussed social media for the tv and local radio stations.

One of the things that I've noticed, and now got used to, is that I'll do a 15 minute interview, with (for tv) chatting and walking and talking and acting out using the computer - and maybe 15 seconds will get shown.

Radio is better - if live, then all is used, whilst for pre-records then maybe half appears. A number of conclusions can be drawn from this, mostly unscientifically.

Either I'm not photogenically good for tv; maybe I have a voice (and a face) for radio; perhaps I don't say that much interesting; maybe media coverage of science is superficial.

If I were wanting to defend my personal construct, I'd perhaps be plumping for the latter, and this would be a tirade against the lack of science in our lives, the shallowness of media, and so on.

However, it isn't going to be that (and nor am I going to argue that I should be seen on tv for my ravishing good looks, either).