For many years, I have been perplexed by the archaic sign-in system at Returned and Services League (RSL) clubs in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). Governed by the Registered Clubs Act 1976, which is based on even older tripe, there is a strict procedure for entry, which stipulates that all visitors must…More
Yearly Archives: 2018
The New York Times: ‘As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants’
Facebook is now beyond a joke. Following its enormous Cambridge Analytica scandal (and numerous other major missteps), The New York Times has uncovered yet more privacy breaches by the company. More specifically, Facebook shared users’ personal data with other major business partners and tech firms, all of which were exempted from its normal privacy restrictions.…More
Australia’s So-called ‘Assistance and Access’ Act
Very recently, the Australian Government passed what it called the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act. This overly complex and euphemistic title represents a piece of legislation that poses a significant threat to Australian data security and the economy. Governments around the world insist that encryption hinders their efforts in dealing criminals…More
A Testament to Human Laziness
Throughout history, humankind has done some pretty remarkable things. Amongst many examples, you may consider the following: the printing press; modern medicine; the computer processor; and landing people on the Moon. Amazing, right? These were huge milestones. No other animal on the planet has managed to achieve any of these. Yet with all of this…More
Others Palin Comparison
Last night, I had the great pleasure of seeing one of my childhood idols, Michael Palin, live on stage at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. My sister Jodie (also a fan) joined me for the show. Palin was in town mainly to promote his latest project, Erebus, a book about the titular ship’s role in…More