Archive of columns 2001

  Convergence - a commitment to co-operate
 - October 12, 2001 

Marriage is one of the great mysteries of the world – fraught with risks and challenges but promising rewards beyond comprehension to those prepared to work out the details.

Entering my second marriage last week had me reflecting on what it takes for a successful convergence. The natural synergies between writer and artist, lyricist and musician, poet and prophet offer a good start but without love, as the good book says, it’s all sounding gongs and clanging cymbals.

Things that Go Bump on the Net - October 5th, 2001

Just as flu inoculations are advisable before a long winter, businesses need to take urgent measures to protect their information systems and networks from the growing threat of infection and intrusion.

It’s time to triple-check system security, refocus on firewalls, rethink password and access privileges, update virus profiles and take serious inventory of your business practices and procedures to isolate critical information from worm warfare and hack attacks.

Bridge Divide Before it’s Too Wide - 28 Sept, 2001
If we had waited for market forces to deliver roads and railways back in the late 1800s there’d be high-speed autobahn and bullet train access to all the major cities by now but the rest of the nation would be an unexplored wilderness.

During New Zealand’s formative century governments financed roads and streets, rail networks, universities, schools, a national airline, a health system, banking, postal and broadcasting networks and established electricity and telephone connections to every home.

Beware the New Cold War Backdoor
 - Sept 21st, 2001
The right of governments to pry into private encrypted communications is being revisited as intelligence agencies increase internet surveillance in the wake of the US terrorist attacks.

Within hours of last week’s devastation FBI agents were pushing for internet service providers to install their controversial Carnivore, or DCS1000 email monitoring software. Within a week legislation was passed to broaden the use of the snooping software and to allow other agencies to use similar technologies.   

  e-Government Evidence Urged - Sept 14, 2001
Our many layered government has made admirable but amateur attempts at leveraging the internet to let the public in - with every department heading off on its own design adventure the result so far has been a navigational nightmare.

e-Lessons from the Fallout Shelter - September 7, 2001
The ongoing global dervish dance of lay-offs, cut backs, takeovers and shrinking profits in the tech marketplace are forcing Kiwi businesses to step back and review what constitutes stable business reality. 

Many companies who've been whirling along the e-business, e-commerce pathway to the tune of 'gotta be in to win' hype, now have had their fingers on the pause button while the dust and emotional upheaval settles in the aftermath of the dotbomb fallout.

DVD Debate Highlights Loopholes -  Friday, Aug 31, 2001
It’s too late to shut the door, the zeros and ones have bolted. No legislation or bullying tactics can every make them line up in an orderly fashion and march to the analogue anthem again.

Pay-per-view Is Content Censorship - Aug 24, 2001
As an information junkie my first port of call for most research subjects is the internet – the idea I may need a dozen or more subscriptions to surf between authoritative sites concerns me.

Broadcasters Wait To Pull Digit  - August 17th, 2001
For television to survive in the 21^st century the passive one-eyed monster in the lounge must be awakened to its full interactive potential involving the viewer way beyond channel flicking and teletext.

Hi-tech Sector Needs Vision and Voice,  August 10, 2001
If we’re going to keep babbling on about the hi-tech industry we need to go beyond amorphous terminology and define exactly what it is we’re talking about, what it’s worth and how to make it grow. 

e-Lessons from the Fallout Shelter Aug 3, 2001
The ongoing global dervish dance of lay-offs, cut backs, take-overs and shrinking profits in the tech marketplace are forcing Kiwi businesses to step back and review what constitutes stable business reality.

Catching a Deluge In a Paper Cup, July 27th, 2001 
The knowledge wave is about to crash on our shores finding us like some sleepy village at the end of the world smugly complacent after ignoring a decade of storm warnings

  Turn-on for Cellular Citizens, July 20, 2001
Cellphone carriers are luring us into a mobile multimedia future where superphones that double as personal digital assistants (PDAs), internet terminals, MP3 players, business card scanners and video cameras turn us into walking technoholics.

As mobile voice becomes pervasive and affordable both Telecom and Vodafone are looking to data, specifically internet access, to add value and beef up their revenues.

  Choking on Broadband Hype  July 10, 2001
While the internet helps bridge the tyranny of distance separating New Zealand from the rest of the world it has also opened up a new kind of distance between town and country, rich and poor and those with and without fast internet access.

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