andylockran’s blog

Using the Long Tail

Posted by Andy under BECTA, Control, Digital Freedom, Hypothesising, Linux, Marketing, Microsoft, Personal, Personal, Political, SBLUG Planet, Software, Tech Geek, Ubuntu

Clay Shirky provides a fascinating insight into how a collaborative approach utilises more skills, and empowers more people than the old institutional model. Rather than coming from an Open Source background, he uses the example of Flickr to convey his point (and then takes a stab at Ballmer). It’s an interesting presentation, and shows how you can make the most of the information/data available in a field.

However, there’s an angle to his talk which isn’t covered in this short presentation; which I imagine is due to time constraints. That’s the opportunity for cross-discipline collaboration, and what that means for us.

One of the more interesting points made by Clay, is that he poses the current ‘$1 million question’ - Are Bloggers Journalists? - and then turns it on its head.

Journalists, and journalism came about to fulfil a societal need. How to communicate with the majority of the population. Gutenburgs’s printing press was a percursor to European journalism, and for the last 400 years or so, journalism has been an integral part of mass communication.

However, we now have a little something called the internet - which, as Gutenburg’s printing press did all those years ago, revolutionise access to information. The infrastructure required to become a ‘messenger to the people’ is in place for people to with it as they wish - create facebook pages, youtube videos, or wordpress blogs. Once the infrastructure becomes freely accessible, the applications of it become massively varied.

In Clay’s talk, he mentions a ratio. 80% of people do 20% of the work, and vice versa, using a lovely graph of the long tail:

An Example of the Long Tail Graph

Though a graph illustrating a different set of data, the concept can be re-applied to Open Source Project contribution. The Green area applies to the ‘core’ developers, who may even be employed by the project. The Orange applied to the people directly involved with the project, and perhaps some power users, and the Red section applied to everyone else.

The wonderful thing about the Red section, is that you get lots and lots of people contributing very little. However, it’s these people who can really add value to a project.  With so many projects now existing across different distributions, each system becomes pretty unique.  Where bugfixes and irrationailities can be spotted and reported on by end-users running their unique system - the value added is huge.

There’s also a question of expertise.  The guys in the Red Section are the programming experts, who are commiting code.  Those in the Orange Section are the users/implementers of the code - so will typically have a clear understanding of the direction of the project and the needs that the project needs to fulfil. Whereas in the Red Section are people who use the package, but often alongside other packages of greater interest/relevance to their line of work.  It’s this cross-discipline collaboration that is unprecedencted.

Getting average non-geeky end users to use Open Projects is a massive challenge, but one that is going to bring massive benefits to Open Source Software.  Some people talk of the digital tipping point from a technical standpoint - “Woo, when we get this critical mass we’ll overtake Microsoft within the next 5 years.”  To be honest that doesn’t bother me. Judge MS as you wish, but that’s not why I’m here.  I’m here because the potential contribution that end users can make to Global Knowledge, through Open Projects.

It’s going to be possible for a biological scientist and and engineer to be reviewing the same problem for different purposes.  It’s unlikely that these two disciplines would ever communicate were it not be for this open project, and it’s also possible that only with the combined knowledge and expertise of these two disciplines, the problem can be solved.

This is what excites me most about free software, and to think we’re only just at the beginning.

GPG as Identity Management

Posted by Andy under Digital Freedom, Hypothesising, Tech Geek, Ubuntu

It’s quite nice how people can see that all my different email addresses can be linked via a gpg key.  If you deal with me through this blog, you can see the companies I work for, and vice versa.

I like that.

Digital Debate

Posted by Andy under Chaos, Control, Digital Freedom, Freedom, Hypothesising, Marketing, Tech Geek, Ubuntu

It’s a massively important area of discussion, with huge social implications.  However, because it comes under the “geek umbrella” - most people choose to ignore it or ’switch off’ from the conversation.

“Digital Rights, and what “feature creep” can achieve in terms of illegal/immoral operation.”

It’s something that I think needs to be put in the forefront of the public psyche - in so far as legal issues are regarded by the majority.

Leaving social issues to a group of people often stereotyped as having negligible social skills doesn’t seem to be a sensible idea.

Stop Tracking Me!

Posted by Andy under Conspiracy Theory, Control, Digital Freedom, Freedom, Hypothesising, Political, SBLUG Planet, Software, Tech Geek, Ubuntu

I’ve just read an article on The Register which detailed a system that Shopping Centres are now using to track people’s movements around a shopping centre using their Mobile Phone.  When a phone registers with a network, it gets a TMSI address (a bit like a dynamic IP address) - and this PATH software is able to locate a handset to within a couple of metres - good enough to track which shop punters are going into.

Even though the makers say that each individual TMSI is refreshed at each phone reset - with more and more people leaving their phones on for sustained periods - it’s not particularly outrageous to say that if I worked out my own TMSI, then the data is no longer anonymous.

Anyway - that’s a little beside the point.  When I walk into a shopping centre, there are plenty of CCTV cameras.  I believe the mandate for putting them there is for my protection, rather than tracking my consumer habits.  Imagine some ‘hoody’ walking into a shopping centre, stealing something - then getting his phone confiscated by Police to work out the TMSI to see where the ‘hoody’ has been for the last few hours.  It’s technically possible with this new system.

With the advance of technology, there are loads of completely un-sexy but massively important questions that need to be answered.  At the moment the government and authorities are simply seeing £’s.  There’s technology being put together and used that infringes far more on our civil liberties than someone owning a copy of a terrorism handbook.

So, let’s get un-sexy and start discussing what we want from technology.  Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.

Noise, Chaos, Freedom, Knowledge and Progress

Posted by Andy under Chaos, Control, Digital Freedom, Facebook, Freedom, Hypothesising, Language, Linux, Software, Stupid, Tech Geek, Ubuntu

Take a look at this, then read the blog.

Chaos

In a recent conversation, I was discussing how the internet has given anyone the ability to broadcast their ideas/message. On the whole, I saw it as a good thing. The ‘blogosphere’ is full of interesting articles and opinions on things that interest me. I directly work in the software industry, therefore the majority of posts are relevant. Those related to software itself; development and ethics - but also the ability for non-tech minded people to produce and utilise software/internet to get their message across.

Whilst for academic level writings there is an argument that information should be ‘peer-reviewed’ before being published - with the internet there is very rarely self-critical analysis before something gets published. I know I rarely read through a post more that once after it has been typed. So what effect does that have on information?

Many, if not all of the lecturers that I knew at University were adamant that searching for information on the internet was a bad idea. Groups on facebook like “I’m going to Wikipedia my degree” probably didn’t help with their perception of the value of the internet. We were forced into using Library and Archive information that could be accredited to ‘respectable’ institutions.

Whilst this may make it easier for the lecturers to qualify the references when looking through the bibliography, it massively undermines the value of the internet. There’s so much noise out there that I think it can provide an inspiration. We’re all from massively different backgrounds with so many differences and similarities that there’s a mine of experience to tap. It’s often the case that academics sometimes have to look outside their ‘circle’ of expertise in order to answer certain questions. Fermat’s last theorem was only solved through incorporating what was seen as a completely unrelated method into the solution. This is where the magic on the internet can really have tangible effects.

As educated lay people, many of us read into obscure subjects at a very shallow level. For example, whilst never being capable of solving Fermat’s last theorem myself, it was interesting to read Simon Singh’s book on the topic. I hold a degree in Psychology and Business; yet work in the realms of Free/Libre Open Source Software. They’re hardly what one would call a ’standard’ set of experiences. Yet there’s so many more dimensions to my personal experiences. The power of them relies in linking them.

Thinkers and do-ers.

It’s about time now that I realised that I’m not going to solve World Hunger, or attain World Peace and disarmament and make the world a better place. I’m not likely to come up with an idea that’ll make the happen. I’m also not going to create a search algorithm to match that of Google - or achieve something major on the internet in a sector that hasn’t even been conceived yet. However, I have the power to link people - to make people talk and bring ideas together. I have the ability to make friends with people and get them talking. I have the ability to critically evaluate other people’s ideas and make them better.

So then, you may not hear of “Andy Loughran” as some genius that has just released a new software package, or solved massive social issues. But I’ll carry on doing my little bit and hoping that lady luck finds me in the right place sometime in the future.

Inspiring, or soul-destroying?

Posted by Andy under BCS, Control, Digital Freedom, Funny, Hypothesising, Language, Marketing, Music, Software, Tech Geek, Ubuntu

I recently was introduced to www.ted.com, a site which hosts a number of inspirational talks given at the TED conference each year.

TED has been happening for a few years now, and is touted as a chance for some of the greatest minds to get together and share something unique - their ideas.

I’m quite a fan of lay-science, and getting to know more about stuff that’s really advanced.  We all have very different backgrounds and skill-sets - and I think it’s the ability to appreciate these differences that makes things really special.  When I look at the wonderful invention of the StrandBeest by Theo Jansen, I can’t help but feel inspired.

It’s fantastic to see how people’s minds tick, and this site is likely to provide me with hours of distraction in the future.  The phrase ’standing on the shoulders of giants’ is something that can be overused.  However, in sharing these ideas, we’re given access to a wealth of information.  It’s precisely for these reasons that I advocate the use of Free/Libre Open Source Software.  Enjoy the site.

Can a cat survive falling from a plane?

Posted by Andy under Cat, Hypothesising, Personal, Terminal Velocity

Interesting discussion tonight on whether a cat can survive falling out of a plane.

Seriously.

Not one for boring discussions, this was initially proposed by me and -a first- seconded by another friend.  With two people objecting to the idea that a cat could survive, and lively debate ensued.  For survival TEAM A (indented). versus  “PETA’s not going to be happy” (TEAM B).

The first bone of contention was the terminal velocity.  TEAM B reckoned that the cat would hit the ground so fast it’s die for definate on impact.  TEAM A came up with the following:

The cat has a terminal velocity of 60mph, compared to a human’s T.V. of 120mph.

Ok, so we’ve got our first ‘fact’ agreed upon.  However, 60mph is still reckoned to be too fast for a cat to survive.

When the cat reaches it’s terminal velocity, it no longer sense that there are forces acting upon it and so relaxes.  We then end up with a ’spread eagled cat.’  This increases air resistance, so the cat does in fact slow down.

In what was probably a fair comment, TEAM B reckoned that even at 60mph a spread-eagled cat would have horrific internal injuries and still die.  Especially a spread-eagled cat whose stomach would hit the floor first.

TEAM A suggested that a spread eagled cat would infact be in a very good position to absorb alot of the impact.  The assumption by TEAM B that the spread eagled cat’s stomach would hit the ground first we hypothesised to be incorrect.  As the cat would not be able to put it’s legs perpendicular to the angle of descent (i.e. horizontal) they would provide the first point of contact, and absorb energy (unfortunately, likely breaking bones/tendons/muscle tissue) in the process.

TEAM B pounced at this point and suggested that a broken bone could quite easily be severe enough to cut an artery and kill the cat.

TEAM A responded saying that if the cat’s leg muscles were to absorb 20mph of velocity on impact (and not break), then there would be only a 30-40mph impact on the cat as a whole. Which spread out over the surface area of the cat should be enough to leave it stunned but not dead.

The night ended in a stalemate, with neither team wanting to concede defeat.  None of the debaters were prepared to test the hypothesis empirically, as none of us are interesting in cruelty to animals.  This debate was purely about the physical ability of a cat’s muscular and skeletal structure.  Something which is pretty amazing.

Please feel free to add your voice to the debate in the comment box below:

I did, however, find this rather shocking video.. I guess only the russians could get away with this.

Cat Jumps off a Plane and Lands on it’s legs