- My Name is Tom, or Errant. I write about geeky things, politics, and life in general and politic. My current day job is in computer security but I have been known to program in my spare time.
-
Recent Posts
Category Archives: opinion
The truth about passwords
So, password security is in the news again with the Gawker break in. As usual there is a lot of average advice about passwords. Here’s some tips… Choosing a good password is all about entropy. One common piece of advice … Continue reading
Bittersweet ads
I both love and hate this advert. It seems crude, but the first 56 seconds I find profoundly beautiful. There is an intense story of passion – even when they get to the supermarket and you realise how it began. It … Continue reading
I can’t do this job without it
Apparently, musician Nigel Kennedy needs to use Cannabis to do his job. “I can’t do this job without it, I need it to relax.” This is not true. He is being charged in Germany for use/possession the drug. But Kennedy is conjuring up a vision … Continue reading
Bank Simple actually personalise their email
I am very impressed with Bank Simple (a neat project I came across via HN). Banking startups are an interesting (and hard) area so, in the spirit of “why not”, I left them my email a few months back. As a … Continue reading
That Piracy thing again (debunking the arguments)
So piracy is back in the news this week with the US government’s proposed “Joint Strategic Plan to combat intellectual property theft“. Cue the typical hand waving and ranting from both sides of the orchard. I always hate times like this … Continue reading
We all be hatin on Facebook, right?
This anti-Facebook diatribe currently kicking around the interwebs is starting to get a bit tedious. The irony is that in barely any time at all it will probably be forgotten (and everyone will be jumping onto a new train of hate). Which … Continue reading
Harriton High, the shape of things to come?
One of the commonest and strongest arguments against the idea of deep packet inspection by ISP’s is that it is a system with wide potential for abuse. This criticism is often acknowledged and then met with wide assurances of proper controls and … Continue reading
Election Debate
I actually approve of the idea of a TV election debate – unfortunately they’ve turned it into more of a well vetted policy discussion. Not so good (put them all on News Night! ). But who did well tonight? Well … Continue reading
The trouble with Meritocracys
A Hacker News post tonight reminded me about Meritocracy; which I’ve always found to be a wonderful theory (it’s a great form of governance). Unfortunately the few times I tried to be part of a such a community they crashed … Continue reading
Who wants to be a Millionaire at 30?
When I was a little younger (though only a little) I used to tell people “I will be a millionaire by 25 and retired at 30″. Eventually I realised it was less an actual goal than something to help with … Continue reading