Losing our freedom on the internet with the EU?

We have only a few days left to make sure we dont have our internet, that is the comms channel for the people, restricted in its use by EU regulation. 

Act now, write, speak up, make sure we dont lose our freedom to operate.

Its a subtle balance to protect copyright, stop crime, but as with all these measures it seems it will be applied incorrectly. We see this time and time again.

Take Pride

I stopped in the mall in DC for a snack. The cup says take pride in america. A slight sense of irony struck me eating junk food at 10am

Evangelising the ACE unConference

Evangelising the ACE unConference, originally uploaded by ace_conference.

Me in full flow, have mac will travel

Dreadlocks and a mask whatever next?

Dreadlocks and a mask whatever next?, originally uploaded by epredator.

The irony of predlet 1.0 having her hair in a nearly dreadlock fashion and coming back from school with a Kangeroo mask as a combination was not lost on me :)
That's my girl!

G20 come on guys get it sorted, we have!

In the spirit of trying to get some conversation going around the coming G20 summit and the We20.org movement that goes with it I thought I would share a perspective I gained from visiting Derry for the ACE conference the past week.

It is hard not to be moved by the story of Derry, in particular once you are there and on one of the excellent walking tours of the walls. 

Growing up seeing and hearing about the subtly named "troubles" does not prepare you for the extremely deep history Derry has. However, what is clear is that the hundreds of years of conflict in such a relatively small space have only come to anywhere near a conclusion through dialogue. 

People deciding enough is enough and standing together does not mean they all agree, but it does mean they can get things done. It was not just the job of the politicians to do the talking, everyone had to decide.

The moment a partisan interest or niche need pops into the equation then problems are going to occur. All the politicians need to realize though that everywhere is now local, we are all connected to one another in ways that country based geographic boundaries really go no where near addressing.

Take Derry again, a fantastic totally walled city. The walls have stood since the 1600's and have never been breached. Yet now anyone from any part of the city could work with someone on a project using the web and not even know it. The walls are gone in effect. 

The worlds financial collapse has show the interconnectedness of things too. The hidden underworld of money systems, debt, deals, gambling etc has shown that what a few people decide to do on one side of the planet has a potential massive impact everywhere. (The finance systems being closed loop systems fit nicely into the chaotic mathematics area so the old idea of a butterfly flapping its wings having a planet wide impact holds true).

That said it means that we as individuals do not have to wait on the politicians though we do have to bother to act, that means voting, but that is not fast moving enough to wait several years to make a tick in a box about a general direction. Hopefully the g20 will start to realize the massive change and the way we may choose to self organize globally for common good.

It may seem idealistic to suggest if we all talk to one another we can solve the worlds problems, but its got to be worth a try hasn't it? 

As for an idea, why done we have a global micro payment financial system such as we see in individual virtual worlds, having it open to all and not gated by large financial institutions that are driven by larger and larger profit requirements to cover their huge structure. Surely its better to spread the risk and the rewards. 

Make Emo History

Make Emo History, originally uploaded by epredator.

On a family bike ride today we found some interesting stencil graffiti. Make Emo history :) I happen to like Emo music, but I assume the sensitive artist that produced this interesting rendition is not that sensitive after all.

Mist erasing Fawley

Mist erasing fawley, originally uploaded by epredator.

Today had an unusual mist layer, or marine layer as they say in the US. It meant that fawley power station over the water looked rubbed out like a bad photoshop, but in real life.

It made quite an eerie site though it soon cleared. I had intended to take my morning task planning walk and head the other direction along the water, but I saw this and was drawn to it.

Fitness beckons

Fitness beckons, originally uploaded by epredator.

Way back as I was turning 30 I went somewhat mad on the exercise front. As a kid I was not a "jock" to use the US parlance but I did enjoy sports. I never wanted to be 1st team, but somehow that would occasionally happen.
I ended up playing a lot of squash when I was a mid teen too. Again a moderate obsession.
When I went to poly/uni in Leicester I used to walk most places to save money for partying so was quite thin it has to be said.
Once I started work in 1990 though it was a downhill slide. There was no room for working out.
However when I was talked into going skiing and realized I was totally unfit round 1995 I decided to workout. I knew gym membership was a no hoper. Too many people buy and leave that. So I set about a very Rocky like routine, hand weights mixed with cycling off road.
From 95 to mid 98 I did this every day 5 days a week and got pretty strong and bulked up, not quite arnie, but it felt pretty good.
Once the web hit me and the insane hours of corporate life in a growing area I just stopped. Only the odd bike ride.
Then came the kids and then the insanity that has been late night round the clock metaverse evangelizing.
The upshot is that I got pretty unfit. I was also quite stressed to chicken and egg means it hard to motivate for working out when all your energy and very being is dedicated to a cause,
Anyway, with my new found energy, whilst heavily focused on the multiple strands of getting < a href="http://www.feedingedge.co.uk">feeding edge going we ended up going out on a family bike ride. I had predlet 2.0 on the back and whilst it was only a 40 minute one we had some mud and hills to contend with.
This combined with some brisk walks I have taken to get planning on things away from the computer is getting me re acquainted with physical fitness.
I am sure my heart monitor will be back out again soon to make sure I am in the optimum rates for fat burn and fitness. I feel the obsession coming back again.
As a recent study said it was never too late, there may be hope for my lethargic corporeal form after all.

Do Bears?

Do Bears?, originally uploaded by epredator.

When I first saw this sign at Itchen Valley park near Southampton I was not immediately sure what it was saying.
It could be referring to not allowing any furries, which is not a very nice thing to do.
It could suggest that picnics are not to involve any toys.
We thought it referred to what bears do in the woods, and saying dont do that please.
Still a nice try at a universal sign :)

What does freedom feel like

I am now a few weeks into my freedom from my corporate shackles. Its obviously an difficult time financially, as starting to get that pipeline of paying work requires a certain amount of goodwill and engagement. It was also made a little more tricky by the slow payment processing of my former employer of my shares that I sold back on Feb 3rd before I even resigned.
For some reason the money has sat around waiting on payroll, all the tax etc makes it difficult for them. Also having left with some of the month left to run and having a salary paid in advance means I now owe them money. The net should be some money coming my way, but the actual manifestation of this was a payment into my bank today (traditional payday) followed by a pulling it straight back out again. Something of a pain, but it will get sorted very soon, or at least it better!
Another thing to put on the list!
We had a bit of drink up last night and the guys I have been working with the last few years gave me a good send off. Having left straight away I had not had a chance to physically say goodbye, and explain all.
The great thing now is that the freedom to engage with people, to make my own deals and trade offs and to general be influential in the industry looks extremely rosy.
I seem to be even busier than ever, especially with the influx of contacts and linking of ideas and people together.
I have some speaking engagements to do. Monday is metanomics in SL later in the month is a conference in Derry with the creative industries. More on that on feeding edge
The balance now of taking short interesting pieces of work versus long term full time roles is going to be an interesting one.
I know I will still get the questions why did you choose leave whats the real story, but I think that will all become clear in the fulness of time in an appropriate forum, which for now(for once) is not the blogs :)

Quite a week

Not only is the main Feeding Edge website up but now there is a blog attached to it. Life at the Feeding edge
So in a week I have gone from IBMer to Director and already seeing the pipeline of work look promising.
If nothing else the massive support from everyone has seen me through a traumatic but exciting week.

feeding edge logo

feeding edge logo, originally uploaded by epredator.

I launched my metaverse and emerging technology consultancy this week. Feeding Edge
An exciting change and it will be interesting as to what this enables me to explore with various other companies, partners and suppliers.
Watch this space, or that space :)

A new era begins

Today is a day of mixed emotions. Today I resigned from IBM having been there for 18 years, 19 if you count my year out from university.
In all that time I have worked with some great people, and felt a tremendous sense of belonging.
Its been quite a journey, both in technical education and in personal growth. It is the extent of that growth and the speed that has not always been kept up to pace with by the system that I worked within.
I started back on green screens in 1990, very quickly moved to the PC's and client server applications that followed shortly. Over the years the groups I worked with morphed from back office systems to customer facing ones, but in 1997 I made a break from what was traditional IT development. I threw myself into the web and the fantastic Interactive Media Centre. That itself morphed into the centre for e-business innovation but the group of people were known as Blueroom. An ecletic mix of can do people, graphic designers, producers and techies all bundled into one. That taught me that diversity of skills, coming up with ideas on the spot and good old fashioned teamwork for a common cause were what I thrived in.
For me that was the start of who I have become, the birth of epredator if you like.
When I decided that we should look in to the metaverse with Second Life back in 2006 I knew the industry was going to be big, but I was not expecting the evolutionary changes to happen to me. Getting this going turned me into a intrapreneur. The speed with which my fellow eightbars rallied and the spirit of innovation, just getting things done was simply amazing. It is something we should all be immensely proud of.
In leaving IBM I am not leaving eightbar, it is not something that can never really be left. The focus may change but I think we have made a decent enough mark in the history of virtual worlds.
Of course the question is what next? I left in order to be able to carry on and push this industry further. So in a few weeks you will see the birth of my own company, and I will seek to work and advise, speak and write just as I have done up to now. There are some significant projects that I already need to give some attention too.
There is, as I have told a few people, quite a story to tell on all this. The personal ups and and downs, the formation of our tribe and I suspect I will have to write that book after all. It will probably be called "Who says Elephants can't Rez" or something similar.
So a huge thankyou and goodbye to all my friends, and thankyou for the support on twitter and see you all on Linkedin
I will also post this on http://www.eightbar.com
See you all out there very soon.

Prototyping gamer style

Just trying a few things out in the clothing department

Shiny New Macbook Pro

Shiny New Macbook Pro, originally uploaded by epredator.

I finally cracked and joined the ranks of the technorati that own Macs.
I still have an appalling vista desktop, which was part of the decision, but now have an awesome macbook pro. It was a very pleasant experience, even opening the box was good.
I have not had this much fun with a new machine since my C64 back in the day.
Watch this space

Second Life meets Primary School

Second Life meets Primary School, originally uploaded by epredator.

Predlet 1.0 has some homework around 2d and 3d shapes, so I was most amazed when she completed this almost before her holiday started. The bottom 2 questions where find a sphere in your house and draw it, and fins a cube and draw that.
She went and got a football, but also a Second Life cube :)
So here school homework now has a cube at the bottom that says "It all starts with a cube.. Second Life"
Brilliant :)

Skate 2 xbox 360 EA server connect problem solved

As bizzare at is may seem after a few rounds on the helpdesk email circuit to EA to solve the lack of online capability logging on with skate 2 on the 360.
This solved it

In order for our servers to read your GamerTag I have deleted it from your EA account. Please go into the XBOX Marketplace and download the demo for the game "Facebreaker". After downloading the demo, please open the game and begin to play the opening stages. We are doing this because the game will transfer your GamerTag information to the EA Servers.

After running the demo for a few minutes please attempt to play Skate 2. This should remedy the issue as your GamerTag will be re-applied to your EA account.

Odd solution, download and play a demo, but it worked, so not complaning, just posting here in case anyone else needs to persuade the helpdesk to do this for them.

Harmonies, human beat box and more - Naturally 7

I caught a re-run of the 2008 royal variety performance on TV last night and was blown away by these guys. Naturally 7. I had to dive over to itunes and get the album.

I have loved human beat box styles since hearing doug e fresh and of course the brilliant sounds on police academy too. However here its a brilliant all human voiced blend of barbershop harmonies, rap, and beat box.
Stunning stuff. The tune is of course an old Phil Collins track, once for us oldies usually, but delivered like this it shows a good song is a good song.
*Update turns out they closed out at the TED conference too ! brilliant news that.

Stay away from that trapdoor

I really like stop motion animation. As a kid it fascinated me as we only really had cine camera to work with and trying to do frame by frame creations had something special about the effort and the magical results.
When the stop motion is combined with brilliant characters, and a fantastic voice such as Willy Rushton you get the awesome Trapdoor, now on Joost.
Oh Globbits!

Democracy 2.0 full of WIN!

As you will have seen the government climbed down (though should never have climbed up in the first place)on the whole transparency of their expenses.
Well done all for rallying!