The Johnston Press, owners of The Buteman serving Continue reading
Tag Archives: Internet
Cold lay-up for beginners
Most people following and contributing to the rolling story of Clydeport and the Loch Striven raft Continue reading
Argyll’s Beefeater, the only woman, may have been bullied by 3 male colleagues
In 2007, the now 44 year-old Moira Cameron, from Furnace in Mid Argyll became Continue reading
Duke of Rothesay and HIE report warn of ‘broadband deserts’
The Duke of Rothesay, aka Prince Charles, has warned Continue reading
Internet Manifesto on journalism today
The world of today’s media has been set alight by 15 Continue reading
Will Brown now introduce the stocks as the latest PR decoy from his management of the economy?
The UK Government announced last night – wait for it – that it is to print leaflets with details of minor court judgments and then bombard localities with these things to name and shame the culprits. Presumably this is to provide guaranteed income for the private sector businesses to whom 30% of the Post Office is to be sold?
The argument is that local newspapres have largely stopped printing the details of local court reports – not in Argyll – and that petty criminals respond more to this naming and shaming in their home areas than they do to imprisonment. That argument however, is not backed up by what would have been a logical parallel move – to cut jail sentences whose ineffectiveness would be replaced by state-controlled naming and shaming.
No mention of the enviromental costs of paper production for this stunt. No mention of the cost to the taxpayer of distribution costs – at a time when we’re in hock to the tune of £2 trillion thanks to the unregulated banks. And no mention of using the Internet – which is the obvious option in today’s communications: fast, cheap, universally available.
It’s a short hop from papering the country with more junk mail to next week’s whizzy announcement that naming and shaming is to be upgraded by the reinroduction of the stocks – vinegar-soaked sponges provided free, courtesy of you and me.
But hey, as we clear the junk mail from our halls it won’t half take our minds off that £2 trillion debt Prudence (did we ever seriously call him that?) has got us into. Not.
Broadband – the UK Government congratulates itself on AIMING to be behind
The UK Government has just announced- to a fanfare of its own playing – that it is committed to providing broadband connections to every home and business in the UK by 2012 – at a speed of 2 megabits per second. Continue reading
No free home internet for children in Scotland and Wales
Part of Gordon Brown’s ‘fire sale’ speech today, working to buy support in the Labour party and beyond at its annual conference in Manchester, will offer free home access to the Internet for children in families who cannot afford it.
The scheme will take three years to roll out by 2011 – so don’t hold your breath. It will be worth around £700 to each household, providing equipment as well as internet connections. It will cover 1.4 million children in England but none in Scotland or Wales, where there are many children – as here in Argyll, whose families cannot give them this hugely valuable resource.
The excuse for this selectivity is that the cost of the scheme is said to be supported by efficiency savings in Whitehall so, because it is not additional expenditure, there will be no ‘Barnet formula’ money available to offer the same opportuities to children outside England.
This raises two questions of logic:
- Why, in a UK Government with a civil service serving the union, should Whitehall efficiency savings be used to benefit only one of the constituent nations? We all pay for Whitehall.
- Who’s ever heard of Whitehall actually saving anything? Talk, yes but reality – where’s the proof and where are the figures?
The cost of this will inevitably be included in the distribution of the massive £90 billion borrowing the former Prudence Brown is now happy to commit to in attempting to save his leadership. He announces sombrely and without the nuisance of evidence: ‘It is right to borrow at this time’ – and a press cowed by long years of Alastair Campbell doesn’t even ask why.
Economists predict that the British economy will bear the negative impact of such huge borrowing for many years to come.
Advice session on using the internet to maximise cross-national trade
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is running a one-day event on Friday 13th June, focusing on developing a strategic use of the internet to maximise international trade and business. The event is free to businesses and organisations based in the Highlands and Islands whic, of course includes Argyll. Offered as part of HIE’s International Trade Development Events Programme, it will be held at the new and acclaimed Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre – another good reason to go.
The Internet has changed our approaches to communications, work -and even our social lives – beyond anything we could previously have imagined. Among many things, it has given businesses a cost effective method for reaching customers worldwide.
This event will provide delegates with: an overview of the key online facts, developments, and trends; useful and practical business tips on how to improve your global online presence; and to highlight best practice via an international case study. Those present will receive copies of speakers’ presentations, tea/coffee and a buffet lunch. They will also have the opportunity for one-to-one meetings with presenters. These will be set up on the day of the event, after delegates have had the opportunity to listen to presentations.
The schedule for the day is as follows:
1000 Registration & tea/coffee
1030 Welcome & Introduction
1035 Overview of the Key Online Facts, Developments & Trends: Neal McCleave, Managing Director – Business Alignment, Tiscali UK Ltd
1135 International Case Study: Med Direct Ltd’: Rob Barlow, Managing Director, Med Direct Ltd
1205 International Trade Advice & Assistance Available: Robin Clarke, Head of International Development, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
1235 Q & A Session
1300 Lunch
1400 One-to-One Sessions
1530 Close
1105 How to Improve your Online Presence: Rene Looper, Proprietor, GreaterSpeyside.com
To reserve a place at this event, please book online (this will take less than 30 seconds). If you have any queries call Stewart Meikle on 01463 741836 or Stewart Miller on 01369 830000. The deadline for bookings is Monday 9th June. Please note that due to limited spaces, only delegates that have booked online will receive entry to the event.
Serious security risk warning to Argyll subscribers to BT wifi Broadband
It has just been revealed that several hundred thousands of BT Broadband subscribers are vulnerable to hacking and personal data theft through the Home Hub boxes BT install for domestic wifi networking. BT has been aware of the problem for several months but has neglected to inform its customers either of the risk or of the simple fix that can resolve it. NCC Group, one of only three UK businesses accredited at the highest level, said that computer experts have been discussing this situation for months. BT admit to being aware of the problem but ‘don’t believe it is something that should affect the majority of BY customers’. On the other hand, NCC Group’s Technical Director, Paul Vlissidis, says that the teenage equivalent of a phone-box vandal could get into Home Hubs – ‘in the jargon of the hackers, this is a simple exploit’. He says that ‘a skilled hacker would have the opportunity to take total control over systems, including planting softare to steal passwords to bank accounts or capture credit card details.’
The problem is a fault in the password supplied to ‘secure’ the wifi network. All hackers need to do is try out a few permutations – rather than the billions that are desirable – to get into your system. BT describe this as a ‘theoretical’ attack, which Vlaissidis brushes aside, describing it as an ‘entirely practicable’ attack.
BT Broadband customers in Argyll with Home Hub boxes are advised to contact BT’s help service for advice on how better to protect their computer.