“If everything we did had to be absolutely safe, risk-free, proven to have no adverse outcomes for anyone or anything, we’d never get anywhere.” Professor Sir Colin Berry talks to Brendan O’Neill on why the precautionary principle is making life more dangerous for all of us.
www.spiked-online.com
So I am a twit
“Your [sic] a twit. What the hell do you know about United States policies? What third worldto [sic] hail from?”
Thanks for writing in.
My workstation OS: Slackware
“Once I tried the full distro, I never looked back.” Michael Stibane explains why he is happy using Slackware.
www.linux.com
Stick or twist
“It’s hard to justify the expense of £90 to £150 per computer a year to run software that’s definitely no better than the free alternative.” Chris Johnston reports on why OpenOffice.org could loosen Microsoft’s grip on UK schools.
education.guardian.co.uk
Mission accomplished: Langan in Iraq
The journalist Sean Langan spent the months from November 2003 to February 2004 in Iraq filming a documentary to be broadcast on BBC television. In this interview he talks about the making of the programme.
www.bbc.co.uk
BMX tricks
What a monumental waste of time. You have been warned…
www.cbc.ca
Who cares about the truth?
“Caring about truth means that you have to be open to the possibility that your own beliefs are mistaken. It is a consequence of the very idea of objective truth.” An article by Michael Lynch.
www.chronicle.com
Linux inc
“Little understood by the outside world, the community of Linux programmers has evolved in recent years into something much more mature, organized, and efficient. Put bluntly, Linux has turned pro.” Steve Hamm takes you on a tour of what has become the Linux phenomenon.
www.bloomberg.com
Fireworks in Washington, despair around the World
“The president and his speechwriters have yet to confront the tension between their rhetoric about freedom, which is universally popular, and their practice of projecting US firepower, which is resented in equal measure.” Former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook on the day George Bush began his second term in office.
www.guardian.co.uk
Point-and-click email crypto
“I don’t want people reading my mail.” Roy Hoobler explains how to use KGPG for email and file encryption under KDE.
www.linuxjournal.com
Echelon spy network revealed
“It sounds like science fiction, but it’s true.” Andrew Bomford first published this article in November 1999. Will matters have improved since then?
news.bbc.co.uk
Forscher warnt vor Googlesierung der Ausbildung
Academics warn of an increasing divide between those able to pay for online educational content and those who are not.
www.heise.de
What makes Firefox 1.0 so compelling
“Score one for Open Source, because Firefox is a triumph of the alternative development model and a truly a great Web browser.” Scot Finnie says goodbye to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.
www.informationweek.com
Sony Walkman—music to whose ears?
“Music, made portable, is removed from any frame of reference. It becomes a utility, undeserving of more attention than drinking water from a tap.” Norman Lebrecht reflects on how, starting with the introduction of the Sony Walkman, the way we listen to music has changed forever.
www.scena.org
Thanksgiving message
Just listened to a radio interview of Tony Hall, US ambassador to the UN food agencies in Rome. He was asked to explain his latest party trick.
How to not get hit by cars
“Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car.” Only a small proportion of accidents involve the collison with a motor vehicle, yet they account for the vast majority of fatalities among cyclists. Michael Bluejay explains how to avoid getting hit.
www.bicyclesafe.com
Linux: the thinking person’s IT solution
“It is ironic that a fear of technology has sent thousands of companies hurtling into the arms of an IT vendor that has some of the most complex, resource hungry and insecure server technology on the market.” Malcolm Cartledge prefers low cost and high reliability.
www.biosmagazine.co.uk
Marin Point Reyes
Frame Marin Point Reyes 18.5", fork Pace RC31 XC, wheels Mavic CrossMax XL, front brake Hope Mono M4 180 mm, rear brake Hope Mono M4 160mm, chainset Shimano XT 180 mm, pedals Crankbrothers Egg Beater SL, mechs and shifters Shimano XT, tyres Continental Sport Contact 26 x 1.3, weight 9.8 kg
Bicycle helmet safety institute
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association provides information on buying a helmet and fitting it properly. There also is a long list of product reviews to help with your choices.
www.helmets.org
Mozilla Firefox 1.0
“If you’re fed up with the latest virus to capitalise on some flaw in Internet Explorer, you should switch to Firefox—now.“ Dan Costa on why you should ditch Internet Explorer at the earliest opportunity.
reviews.zdnet.co.uk