My week of Monday 19 to Sunday 25 December 2016 was one of my more unusual weeks in 2016, and that’s saying something.
Continue reading “Weekly Wrap 343: Death and Christmas”Weekly Wrap 343: Death and Christmas
Talking civil use of metadata on ABC 105.7 Darwin
When mandatory telecommunications data retention legislation was first introduced — the so-called “metadata” retention laws — Australia’s favourite Attorney-General Senator George Brandis QC stressed that it wouldn’t be used for civil proceedings. Guess what just happened?
On Tuesday, Brandis’ office announced a review of the laws to see whether retained metadata could be used — wait for it — in civil proceedings.
On Wednesday I wrote about this in a ZDNet column titled Brandis rushes to release telco metadata for civil proceedings.
And on Wednesday afternoon I spoke about it with Kate O’Toole on ABC 105.7 Darwin. Here’s that conversation.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.2MB)
This audio is ©2016 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Talking metadata on ABC 105.7 Darwin
Australia’s mandatory data retention legislation is back in the news again, in part because ABC journalist Will Ockenden put a year’s worth of his so-called “metadata” online and invited people to trawl through it.
This morning I spoke a little about the concept on ABC 105.7 Darwin with breakfast presenter Alan Steer.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.6MB)
The audio is of course ©2015 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Given that there’s bound to be quite a bit about data surveillance in the news again soon, here’s three of my articles on the topic that’ll set the mood.
- It’s time that ‘metadata’ met an end, ZDNet Australia, 20 March 2014.
- Will metadata musings ever mature beyond paranoid fears?, ZDNet Australia, 20 October 2014.
- Australia’s data-retention debate hits Derpcon Zero, ZDNet Australia, 18 March 2015.
The 9pm Malcolm and the Cnuts
Attorney-General Soapy the Ankle QC demonstrates his openness to new information. And Malcolm Turnbull invents a new future for Australia. It’s a turbulent future, and Turnbull says we just have to deal with it.
In this podcast — an episode that should never have happened — there’s talk of technology, foreskins, special new jargon terms, and the media.
Continue reading “The 9pm Malcolm and the Cnuts”Fine posts for 2014, such that they are
As in previous years, the list of most popular posts for 2014 was disappointing, so I’ve compiled this list for you to consider instead.
As it happens, only three posts stood out for me, and all of them were on the previous list.
- May Reza Berati be the last, Mr Abbott. I do like this as exampled of the controlled rant, barely concealing a seething rage.
- Operation Sovereign Borders, sinister and banal. Ditto for my reaction to Mick Kinley, acting chief executive officer of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) shrugging off concerns that Australia removes safety equipment from the lifeboats we put asylum seekers on before telling them to go home.
- Algorithms and the Filter Bubble, Take 3. I continue to get compliments about this lecture, so it deserves to be on the list.
In the past I haven’t included the material I wrote elsewhere, for ZDNet Australia, Technology Spectator, CSO Online, Crikey, ABC The Drum and the rest. That’s all listed on my Media Output page. But this year I will highlight some of my personal favourites.
- It’s strange, but we never really had to learn to love the bomb, Crikey, 29 January 2014.
- Want secure software? Listen to Marge Simpson, ZDNet Australia, 13 March 2014.
- It’s time that ‘metadata’ met an end, ZDNet Australia, 20 March 2014.
- Enjoy your Ubergasm, but don’t expect respect in the morning, ZDNet Australia, 30 April 2014.
- To win the cloud, remember George Westinghouse, ZDNet Australia, 27 May 2014.
- Enough with the cyber ‘wake-up calls’, ZDNet Australia, 11 June 2014.
- Google’s backward step on Android app privacy, ZDNet Australia, 20 June 2014.
- Big data is just a big, distracting bubble, soon to burst, ZDNet Australia, 11 July 2014.
- Beware the spin behind Australia’s new surveillance laws, ZDNet Australia, 21 July 2014.
- Beware the spin behind Australia’s copyright law discussion paper, ZDNet Australia, 28 July 2014.
- Putting people at the centre of enterprise security, ZDNet Australia, 3 November 2014.
Weekly Wrap 230: Kangaroos and pre-summer thoughts
My week of Monday 27 October to Sunday 2 November 2014 was really quite productive, but thanks to the ever-affectionate attentions of Mistress Insomnia I’m exhausted.
That said, the generally warm and sunny weather has improved my mood dramatically, and on Sunday I even cleared out a bunch of administrivia that I’ve been putting off for ages.
But enough of that. Let’s get on with the show…
Articles
- Apple Pay isn’t magic, and it isn’t ‘private’, ZDNet Australia, 27 October 2014.
- Think your data is anonymous? Ha, Crikey, 27 October 2014.
- On metadata legislation and used-car salesmanship, ZDNet Australia, 31 October 2014. If you read only one of the things I wrote this week, make it this one. This is an important political issue for Australia right now.
I’ve also written a 2500-word feature on a security-related topic for ZDNet Australia that will be published some time in the coming week.
Media Appearances
None.
Corporate Largesse
- On Tuesday, I went to a lunch hosted by NetSuite at Sydney’s Aria Restaurant, Circular Quay. As always, the food and wine was stunning. I had the oysters and the barramundi and the cheese. NetSuite also handed out a goodie bag, as is their tradition: another RuMe carry bag containing a Jawbone Mini Jambox wireless Bluetooth speaker; a bottle of Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, which I shall save for later; and a NetSuite-branded notebook and pen.
The Week Ahead
There’s two broad themes for this week: clearing out more loose ends, and preparing to make some decisions about what I’ll be doing over the summer holiday season and into 2015.
Much as I love them, I’ve spent a bit too much time working on the podcasts The 9pm Edict and Corrupted Nerds — or rather, I haven’t got them generating enough revenue yet — which in turn has meant that I’ve been doing less paid writing, which in turn has led to less income. That’s caused problems. As usual, I’ve got too many different things happening, and I need to simplify the mix and get that revenue up.
So I’ll be addressing that this week — as well as some personal things that I won’t go into them here — or at least not in this post.
So with that in mind, and with the early part of the week a bit slow thanks to a certain horse race and its impact upon the national psyche, here’s how things will unfold.
Monday is mostly devoted to administrivia and clearing the communications backlog, but there’s a chance I might pop down from the Mountains to do a TV spot. I also plan to resurrect 5at5 — although you’ve heard that before, so take it with a grain of salt.
During the rest of the week, I’ll be producing an episode of The 9pm Edict, writing my regular ZDNet Australia column, and perhaps some other bits and pieces.
This week also sees the start of the Christmas party season — yes, I know it’s very early, but that’s how things work now — and there’s one I might go to in Sydney on Thursday night.
The weekend is unplanned, as seems to be the usual way lately.
[Photo: Breakfast Kangaroo, being chunks of kangaroo fillet marinated in lime juice, chilli and garlic, with steamed greens in oyster sauce on a bed of jasmine rice, photographed on 2 November 2014.]