For those hidden under a rock, this 18-year-old Sydney schoolgirl was attacked in her home, an apparent collar bomb placed around her neck, and various extortion demands set out by her attacker.

The suspect was arrested in the . . . → Read More: To pixel or not to pixel? That is the question]]> An interesting issue came up this week in the Australian (and international) media landscape, with the story of Madeleine Pulver.

For those hidden under a rock, this 18-year-old Sydney schoolgirl was attacked in her home, an apparent collar bomb placed around her neck, and various extortion demands set out by her attacker.

The suspect was arrested in the United States, and a fact sheet of the alleged crimes filed with the court.

He was photographed being led into the court by local law enforcement, and a mug shot was made available to the media via wire services.

While these photos were freely available, media outlets treated them very differently.

The Daily Telegraph ran his photograph without alteration for a first edition this week, before pixellating it for the second edition. The Australian obscured his eyes. The Fairfax media, the SMH and The Age, ran the photos without alteration.

Reports suggest Madeleine Pulver only saw part of her attacker’s face as it was obscured by a balaclava. It begs the question – is his identity an issue in this case, and although the initial court proceedings have occurred abroad, has the identification of his full facial features at home prejudiced the future case against him? Is it considered subjudice at home if it’s been heard in a foreign court, or because local charges have not yet been filed, are media outlets allowed free reign?

It’s a complex legal question, and one which the lawyers are apparently still wrangling over. While the SMH continued to run his full photo today, by lunchtime, it had become pixellated.

I had the most delightful experience in the world of web this week, and by “delightful”, of course I mean harrowing, potentially damaging professionally and crushingly embarrassing.

Updating my LinkedIn profile, with one careless click of a button, I accidentally asked everyone in my contact book to be a connection of mine.

Everyone. No filters applied, no – . . . → Read More: It’s amazing what you can accomplish as a dunce]]>

I had the most delightful experience in the world of web this week, and by “delightful”, of course I mean harrowing, potentially damaging professionally and crushingly embarrassing.

Updating my LinkedIn profile, with one careless click of a button, I accidentally asked everyone in my contact book to be a connection of mine.

Everyone. No filters applied, no – “hey, we parted on less than great terms, better not contact that person again” – sense of reason. Simply, everyone I’ve worked with, sent a press release to, dated, every member of my extended family, everyone I’ve spoken to even just once. Hell, even the customer service desk at my former telco got an invitation.

And apart from the bright red cheeks I’ve been wearing for a week (I’m meant to be able to use a computer, dammit!) there were a couple of interesting outcomes from my online folly.

Firstly, there is a huge turnover of staff within organisation. About 60 per cent of the automated emails were blocked by the company, because the address was no longer valid. It could mean my address book was a little out-of-date, after all I’ve worked in this industry for 12 years and you do collect a few email addresses, or it could be a sign of the times. Staff churn is on the rise.

Secondly, people don’t like being harassed to join LinkedIn. I thought it was fairly simple – if you didn’t want to join, click on the “ignore” link on the email. But apparently LinkedIn emails people every day asking them to join up, once you’ve inadvertently provided their email address. That wasn’t in the glossy advertising, I can assure you.

As I madly went through the list of sent invitations, withdrawing them one-by-one, I felt very sad about seeing the names of people I’d lost touch with, for one reason or another.

The ex-boyfriends dumped and forgotten about. The colleagues from politics who had lost their jobs when their boss had lost office (in either an election, a travel rort or a gay porn scandal, take your pick). The journos who had left their posts for greener, more lucrative pastures.

Spamming a couple of hundred people is an experience I’d rather not repeat, but this is what happens in the days when the little black book has gone digital.

We had been in Boston . . . → Read More: Obama’s speech was all cheese – I’d prefer the cheesecake]]> In July 2004, I was watching television in a hotel room in Chicago, Illinois, eating a slab of cheesecake from the world-famous Cheesecake Factory. It’s a memorable moment because the cheesecake was so good. But also because a little-known Senate candidate, Barack Obama, was knocking socks off at the Democratic National Convention.

We had been in Boston days prior to see the DNC being set up, but unfortunately had to leave before it really kicked off. Who would have known that this electrifying speech would have catapulted him from political outsider to leader of the free world within a few short years. (His rise was possibly helped by the spectacular meltdown of vice-Presidential nominee John Edwards within a few short months).

But what happened to that ingenue, the purported saviour of America, whose smooth words and compelling presence were supposed to lift the beleaguered nation out of a critical slump?

Public opinion has certainly turned against President Obama, but I think the greatest indication of his being out-of-touch with public sentiment was his speech this week in Arizona, at the memorial for shooting victims including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and Judge John Roll.

It was meant to be a memorial. It was meant to be sad and heartfelt. Instead, it felt like an awkward debating society speech. Obama was interrupted for applause 54 times. 54 times?! They were squealing like it was a commencement speech. What were people applauding?  A society that has allowed itself to turn on those it elects? (And those who don’t count applause breaks should get out of politics.)

It was heralded by some as a unifying speech, but for me, it fell flat. America is in crisis, in the grip of economic recession, and a wave of violence. It needs a strong leader who can find solutions to these problems, rather than relying on words alone to appease an increasingly frustrated public.

As unlikely as it will be with his dwindling support in the south, Obama should take strong and decisive action on gun control, like the Howard Government did in Australia after the Port Arthur massacre. From the tragedy, there should be a hope that we’ll not be watching the same old memorial speech delivered at a new mass shooting in a few months or years.

It’s extraordinary. US airlines have been struggling financially to the point that customer service agents are like unicorns – a mysterious animal no-one quite believes exists. On a flight Miami-LAX, there was one television screen per hundred . . . → Read More: Joining the mile-high (online) club]]> I took a domestic flight in the United States yesterday, and was intrigued to find wi-fi available on the plane.

It’s extraordinary. US airlines have been struggling financially to the point that customer service agents are like unicorns – a mysterious animal no-one quite believes exists. On a flight Miami-LAX, there was one television screen per hundred people, mounted in the ceiling, and you had to buy your earphones. Lunch was a $10 USD soggy sandwich and bag of chips. It was reminiscent of a trip I took on a Greyhound bus while at uni. So much for the glamour of air travel.

Yet, they’ve managed to bring internet to the skies! Yippee!

It’s actually surprising that it has taken this long to get our personal devices working in the sky. You can get perfect mobile phone reception at the underground train at Martin Place in Sydney, but until now have had to rely on the expensive in-seat phones the airlines provide.

In Australia, we’re not quite there. The Australian Communications and Media Authority several years ago conducted an inquiry into mobile phone use on planes. There was much uproar that the last domain of quiet (apart from the dull roar of engines and screaming toddlers) would be interrupted by the beeps and dings of text messages and overly loud teenage conversations.

As a result, none of the airlines have yet adopted the strategy, and we still have to turn our devices to in-flight mode before switching them off.

(I took 40 domestic and international flights last year. I could give that safety demonstration in my sleep).

Flying business class, of course, is much more pleasant with USB ports to charge the devices, but I think the final word on in-flight communications comes from the inimitable West Wing communications director Toby Ziegler.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT 2:

You can’t use your phone until we land, sir.

TOBY ZIEGLER:

We’re flying in a Lockheed eagle series L-1011. It came off the line 20 months ago and carries a Sim-5 Transponder tracking system. Are you telling me I can still flummox this thing with something I bought at Radio Shack?

The FOI legislation was amended in May 2010, and it’s likely . . . → Read More: New era of FOI legislation opens up Government to scrutiny]]> When I worked in journalism, Freedom of Information was jokingly referred to as Freedom from Information. The process of applying to the relevant government department, paying your monies and inevitably being denied information again and again was left to the most persistent and hard-headed of reporters.

The FOI legislation was amended in May 2010, and it’s likely that the reforms will allow for greater transparency in government. The shift is from information being available on request, to information being available full stop. This can only be a benefit for the public, to see the inner workings of government and how their tax dollars are being spent.

The recent data release from Wikileaks has shown that there are some benefits in casting light upon the dark places within our paid representation.

And the best part? FOI in Australia is now (nearly) free. The Government has abolished the application fee and review fee, and the first five hours’ of work to obtain the information will be free.

It is likely to mean average Joe Blow will be able to access information now, rather than leaving it to the big media companies, which is a big thumbs up in terms of citizen journalism.

In the digital age, New Yorkers are sticking USB sticks in concrete on the sides of buildings to share information with others.

.Net magazine has published a fascinating interview with the brains behind the ‘Dead . . . → Read More: Dead drops the new message in a bottle]]> It used to be that you could bury a time capsule, or hide some old love letters under your linoleum floor for fun.

In the digital age, New Yorkers are sticking USB sticks in concrete on the sides of buildings to share information with others.

.Net magazine has published a fascinating interview with the brains behind the ‘Dead Drop’, Berlin-based artist Aram Bartholl. He is encouraging people to save hidden treasures on a USB, then plant it in a public space. Curious techies can then attach their device to the USB and gain data from the cityscape.

It remains to be seen whether the idea will take off, but we’re loving the idea of besuited Manhattanites crouching on the sidewalks with their laptops to tap into the city’s digital underworld.