Versions of Access

Here's the version screenshot (assuming it actually shows - sometimes blogs and stuff can be tricky to show images):

You must be really old...

Well, quite.

All that new fangled mobile technology stuff eh?

Interesting article that's actually about an economic summit thingy (Davos, which isn't the name of the chief bad dalek from Dr Who fwiw) but is actually a bit of a commentary on why mobile devices are arguably much more important than those big old fashioned PC things. Which I guess you probably sort of new. But, like, I'm far too old...

One top politician at Davos tells the story of how she visited a technology bootcamp for teenagers, and was stunned when the youngsters freely swapped computer code with competitors. When she challenged one of them, he said "you must be really old" and told her that the swap would make both projects better.

Which, I guess, is part of that awfully old fashioned idea that the best thing about technology is it's openness - and that only dinosaurs try to close it off too much.

Paying with your mobile

Hmm, interesting- paying for stuff using your cell phone.

It's all part of the way in which ICT can help people to use stuff more efficiently. Why do you need a wallet full of cards when you have a cell phone and the ability to pass information over short distances securely? Everything, Penny, is better with bluetooth (although this might be using RFID...)

Some half decent links from the news report as well.

Data Protection and Charities

The Jan 2011 paper needs you to be able to write about the risks to charities of using the interwebz. It specifically requires you to write about the "relevance of the Data Protection Act to charities".

I'm sure there is lots about this on the interwebz. Lots and lots.

The Conversation:
I had a question. The question went like this:

"Hey, Mr F dude, this booklet thingy I printed off the interwebz, it's about the Data Protection Act. It's wikid, look - it tells you everything about the Data Protection Act and charities. Kewl eh?! Blud"

My reply:

"Hmm, Emily, this appears to be from the Isle of Man. I wonder if their Data Protection Act is the same as the UK one"

And, guess what? They're similar, but not exactly the same.

So - be careful where you're getting your Data Protection Act information from! Lots of places have something called very similar.

The Happy Ending:
As a result of  our conversation, I wandered over to the Information Commissioner's Office website (that's the dude who is in charge of Data Protection in the UK - so we know this is a pukka source). If you go there you'll see it has a search bar at the top right. Try typing charities into it and hitting the search button.

Make sure you're looking for the right sort of information:

• what the data protection is - it's date and that sort of general background
• what charities have to do to comply with the data protection act
• why they need to comply with it
• what might happen if they don't

OK?

DPA - fines

Just some news about fines for organisations found breaching the conditions of the Data Protection Act which could be useful.

Commissioner issues first Data Protection Act fines

Charity and Facebook

Might be useful for ICT 01 exam in January 2011...

Pudsey and the social networks

Online Newspapers - examples to use

Yahoo has a handy list of newspapers by country - you could use this to find newspapers that other people haven't looked at perhaps.

The Big Project has something similar.

I've looked at the Beccles and Bungay Journal (I chose it because I know it's a nice small site and a very local newspaper), the Nome Nugget (because it's very small and easily doable - and it has a kewl name) and the Derry Journal (because I thought it might have some interesting features) as well as the West Highland Free Press (just because).

You probably don't need as many as that.