I imagine the security agencies see PR challenges as the least of their worries. Especially after the courts ruled that GCHQ’s surveillance breached human rights laws. Recently Privacy International and Liberty made use of Edward Snowden's disclosures in a successful legal challenge. This showed that GCHQ was unlawfully obtaining data through the NSA's program PRISM. Some think the general Continue Reading
Natalie Bennett – Leader of The Green Party
Earlier this week I found myself ranting once again at something David Cameron said. Woke up angry about @David_Cameron’s plans to outlaw secure communications. Thinking of donating a shitload of time to @TheGreenParty — Christian Payne (@Documentally) January 13, 2015 There is almost no space now between these episodes and when he threatens the fundamental workings of the the internet and Continue Reading
Keeping a Diary in a Networked World
It’s the last day of the year and I’m approaching 400,000 words for my 'personal' diary. I write every day but am conscious of a pile of notebooks, tapes and letters dating back to the 80’s. I’d be keen to digitise them. Or to at least make the words searchable and safe. No idea if anyone would ever want to read them. Or even if I’d want them to. Some words are written for the self. Today Continue Reading
One Thousand Words on Audio
Sat in my shed, headphones on. My attention flitting between writing and podcasts. I can't do both. I find it hard enough to write as it is. Listening to podcasts or even songs with lyrics while writing triggers a tipping point where I can't do either. I considered starting a mailing list this week. Just text. This blog post may have been the first one. Not for any other reason other than to Continue Reading
Interview Techniques
I'm currently preparing slide decks for both the Milton Keynes International Festival and the Digital Wine Communicators Conference. In both instances I've been asked if I can talk on Networked Storymaking with a focus on interview techniques. This is interesting as if I'm honest it's not something I've thought about in depth. Until now that is. I have over one and a half thousand Continue Reading
The Picnic is a Political Act
On June the 25th 2014, it will be the seventh continual year there has been a symposium (picnic) at George Orwell’s grave. It's also of course his birthday. Back in 2007 we sat on the grass sharing food and drink, experiences and stories. As we have done every year since. Asking questions, discussing threatened freedoms and eroded civil liberties... all things Orwellian. We once used the Continue Reading
Public until proven otherwise
I once heard of a TV journalist who kept the names and addresses of his Syrian sources in a little black book, and all the video he shot of activists, complete with faces, on an open hard drive. He was detained by the secret police in Damascus, which was scary for him, but worse for his contacts. In his easily accessible files he had neatly identified, catalogued and given phone numbers for a Continue Reading