August 29, 2004
Moblog
Moblog. Too tired for further explanation - I've just driven to Cornwall and back in the last two days.
August 08, 2004
Capitalism
Its funny how the world changes. When I started in IT it was an obscure and slightly odd thing to do. Over the years it became the thing to do and loads of people with no real aptitude for it signed up and worked for the various consultancies or as contractors. The vast majority of these IT workers where average at best and now as the western world looks to India, Eastern Europe and China for its IT skills they are all complaining. Much as the manufacturing industry complained in the '70's. This of course is true capitalism - survival of the fittest in the market place. We in the west can sit and moan about how all our jobs are going to other countries or we can evolve and do the next thing. What I don't understand is all those people demanding protection from this. Laws that force UK (or US) companies to use expensive, average staff instead of cheap highly skilled staff. How can they expect companies to compete with those in other countries that are not forced to protect local jobs. Its the same kind of thinking that seems to be driving the Scottish fishing industry to fish every single last fish out of the seas around Scotland leaving them a barren wasteland. Now you might think I am being a little harsh. After all this is people's livelihoods we are talking about. This country has seen the decline of many many industries in even my life time. We no longer make cars or ships or televisions or, well, anything much. We no longer have a coal industry and farming is teetering on the brink and our film industry has died yet another death. Yet employment is high and the economy seems to be doing pretty well. You've got to adapt, learn new skills, evolve with the times and make the most of the opportunities. And if you aren't doing that - what are you contributing anyway?
Perhaps I should stop reading the Names faces places newsletter.
My last entry garnered a good comment and a link to an excellent article which I thought I would repost lest it be lost. This is a very good read.
August 07, 2004
Long hot days of summer
A lovely relaxing week. Gabriel is very good compared to Milo. Milo was quite a demanding baby but Gabriel is pretty content as long as he has got his Mummy near by. The only time he really complains is about wind. He is filling out nicely and looks a lot less like a tortoise now. I'm not one of these people who can see that "he's got his fathers eyes" or "his grandfathers nose". He does look a little like Milo did at that age though. He sleeps a lot too which is something else Milo was never very good at.
It's a real struggle to actually have time off and make myself not work but apart from answering work emails and doing a little bug fixing I have pretty much managed it. Like I say its quite a struggle and i'm quite looking forward to letting myself get started again. There is lots to do. Talking of work there is an excellent video of a talk by Brewster Kahle here If you want to know about my new job I can think of no better introduction. Except of course the Library doens't quite have the same get up and go attitude. I'm hoping to meet Brewster in the next couple of months all being well.
A big part of my job has to do with copyright. This may sound like a very dull subject but I think its going to be one of the key things that drives change in our society. The current situation is a little out of control - file sharing and piracy are currently illegal and do not make for a good economy. There are two solutions to this: change the way the economy works and legislate until no one is allowed to share or copy anything. The former is what I and many others would like. The media industry however would like to prevent anyone having access to anything. If the media industry gets its way we as a society will be in for some very lean years. The only recorded media available to us would be expensive and main stream. Innovation would be stifled and i guess the independant music industry would go underground. Its a battle that is being fought right now and will have far deeper consequences than the so called "war against terror".
My arts projects aren't getting much time but I'm getting involved in a highly secret side project that should be very exctiing. Can't talk about that at the moment though. Been reading Cory Doctorow. We met with him at the library - very sharp guy. it was one of the more interesting meetings I've been to. I hope we will get to know him better....
Oh well thats enough babble for now.
August 01, 2004
Gabriel Joseph Williamson
Born at 18:20 yesterday weighing 8 pounds 1.5 ounces after a four hour labour. However we then spent until midnight waiting to escape from the hospital because they where very busy.