Posts by Mark Harris
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
SSC deputy stands down
By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER - The Dominion Post
Last updated 16:44 02/04/2009Deputy State Services Commissioner Laurence Millar has resigned after being criticised by an independent review of the commission's dealings with a privately-owned consulting firm.
The inquiry was announced in December, after The Dominion Post told the commission it intended to publish allegations about its handling of contracts worth $7.5 million that were awarded to a consulting firm, Voco.
These were to design and provide advice on a $28m Government Shared Network, a telecommunications network linking government agencies that the Government has since announced will be scrapped.
Dr Millar, who also holds the title of government chief information officer, did not disclose a prior association with Voco. There were ''numerous irregularities'' in the way the contracts were awarded.
Disclosure: I worked for SSC, under Millar, at the time of the inception of the GSN. I am unsurprised by the result of the review.
-
Apropos of nothing much, yesterday's EFF email newsletter had some nice pieces:
Amazon Gives in to Author’s Guild—Again
Amazon’s Kindle has once again stoked the ire of the
powerful Author’s Guild with their recent addition of
public domain works to the list of titles now available to
Kindle readers. Lawyers for the Author’s Guild said the
Kindle’s ability to read non-copyrighted works is harming
the ability of living authors to profit from their works.“If a Kindle owner can choose from the entire library of
human literature, with access to every book ever written,
how will living artists ever get read?” posited Author’s
Guild lawyer John Dewey. “The Kindle’s ability to read
works in the public domain is clearly a threat to living
authors’ ability to make a living from their works.”Fortunately for living authors and the Author’s Guild,
Amazon quickly backtracked. New versions of the Kindle’s
operating software contain features that prevent works that
are not protected by copyright from being read on the
device.Earlier this year, Amazon offered licensing fees to authors
whose works can be read by the the Kindle—despite the
fact that no copyright laws were broken by the device’s
text reading functions.For more on Amazon’s Kindle and the Author’s Guild:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/02/does-authors-guild-want-sue-you-reading-aloud-yourFor this complete post:
http://www.eff.org/pages/04/01</quote> -
It would be frankly irrational for the government to not let Kordia go ahead.
Has that ever stopped a government from doing something?
-
Thank you. Mr Harris, I'm disappointed in your lack of faith!
It's just that I know of your extra-curricular bent, you see, and we all know that actors are - shall we say, odd?
;-)
-
i just hope this circular flow isn't leading down the plughole!
It usually does.
-
That link should carry a warning about not being safe for diabetics. A page of "inspirational" quotes from Mariah Carey, Nike slogans and Touched by an Angel: that's one hell of a gooey, sickly mess
I'm more than a little concerned that Matthew even knew of the page. Do you think we need to stage an intervention?
-
Hands up those who think Richard Worth has heard of wikipedia.
Good point, though I know he (or someone who works for him) has certainly heard of Facebook. He "friended" me and many others I know before the last election. I left him on my list to see what use he made of it, but never heard another word.
I deleted him this morning, mainly because he's a dick.
-
September?!?!! Bastids!! I could be dead by then!
Oh, well...
<saves pennies>
-
Its the same in any industry, buyer beware.
Good, god, next you'll be saying that no one is guaranteed a living...
-
uhhh, no, as I say, I just offered the tip, I haven't started on this stuff (and have no intention of doing so).
Well, you should, and in book form. I for one would love to read it.