Saturday 21 November 2009

Cumbrian floods - the "kingmaker" of situations

The flood situation in Cumbria, and most evidently in Cockermouth, is absolutely terrible to see for the families and individuals that are having their lives turned upside down. It is reminiscent of the Boscastle flood in 2004, with the added tragic twinge through the death of a member of the emergency services.

No-one wishes for something like this to happen, clearly anyone that did would be immoral by any reasonable standards. But that doesn't stop the timing of the Cumbrian floods as being the single event that may turn the general election next year on it's head. An opportunity or a curse, that will be the view of the ruling Government now that it has happened.

Friday 20 November 2009

Digital Economy Bill - Also screws game developers

So it's here, the bill that has the open rights group setting up pages to tell Lord Mandleson where he can go over Three Strikes, and worries us all with the shadows of a "Pirate finder general" (Love the Monkeydust reference)

And, as to be expected, fears are justified. In its contents are indeed provisions for cutting off the supply of our internet without a trial or court-tested evidence, for the creation of powers that can be bestowed upon people (such as members of a record label) and on a lesser reported scale, a broad attack on creativity and independent development in the field of computer games.

Others will go in to the mainstay of the three strikes law, and I just want to make sure this other part of the bill doesn't get ignored.