Is This Future Shock?

general wibble from a retired technologist

Back with a bang? Perhaps a small whimper

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After a four and a half-year hiatus…
[which isn’t rare nowadays, having looked through my blogroll and RSS feeds] I thought I ought to attempt to make some sort of update and tidy up here.

In my last posts I set out some aspirations

Blogging: I was going to share more content here – that failed abysmally, although I remained active on Twitter and Facebook

Coastguard: I was part of a Search and Rescue Team – after another bout of illness affecting my main work, I resigned, completing 9 years service.

Family & Friends: I intended to visit people more – and I did, although for differing reasons – including travelling in our motorhome, which I bought in advance of retirement – but as it turned out, not much in advance.

Work: after some more mental health issues, I returned to work, working in the DDoS space, which I was enjoying – but I got a generous severance offer; which I took, leaving work in July 2015. and taking my pension in 2016. When I reached 60 this year, I decided there was no way I’d look for further work, and I gave up my clearances, certifications, and memberships.

Personal Development:

  • I was going to work on my security knowledge, and I did – but my interest is now academic only!
  • I intended to improve my physical fitness – I walk daily and now row regularly in a Coastal Rowing Skiff
  • I intended to do more to keep abreast of technology – which I do – playing with Raspberry Pis and home automation
  • I intended more outdoor activity, I got that by taking up an allotment, growing fruit and veg for us – but still need to do some hammocking!

Photo Credit: StephenMitchell Flickr via Compfight cc

Written by SteveEllwood

June 5th, 2018 at 9:19 pm

Posted in blogging,BT,coastguard

Drilling into the New Year – what will you find?

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Oil Rigs

Oil Rigs at Rest

New Year, New opportunities

I’m not a great believer in New Year resolutions, often finding them a trite way of setting weak aspirations; however, the happenstance of calendar dates does give an opportunity to both look back, and look forward. So these are “sort of not-resolutions”

My last year or two  have been challenging in family and health terms, and some sorting out at work has been testing.

I’m fortunate both with my family and my employer – and I have much to be grateful for, so I thought I’d set out some things I’d like to do.

Blogging: I have sadly neglected my blog, for Twitter, Facebook and occasional Tumblr forays. I am going to share more content here – although I may play a little with both Medium and ghost. Some of it will be technology related; some security; some knowledge management, and some more personal… I’ll try to keep my Scottish Independence thoughts elsewhere.

Coastguard: I’m part of a Search and Rescue Team locally – I intend to work more at this and step up to a more senior team role.

Family & Friends: I intend to make more effort to leave my lovely Scottish eyrie and actually see more of people this year

Personal Development:

  • I have achieved a couple of security qualifications last year, CISSP and SCF; I intend to further my security knowledge and my general architecture knowledge
  • I intend to improve my physical fitness
  • I intend to do more to keep abreast of technology – particularly Internet of Things type activity and cloud based work
  • I will do more outdoor activity, including regular sleeping outdoors – particularly in my hammock that I have used for 8 years on and off.

Work: I have said I’m lucky in my employer; I want to make sure I work with some wider teams in the company and build my contributions across our security and architecture team.

What about you?

Have you any aspirations/goals you’d like to share?

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Written by SteveEllwood

January 5th, 2014 at 7:35 pm

Posted in blogging,BT,coastguard,Highlands,knowledge management,learning,professional,Social Media,Twitter

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Flexible working – it’s about trust, innit?

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My company is going through one of it’s regular turns – where we want our people to be working in the office – in a shared location.

There’s lots of advantages

It helps us collaborate

There’s lots of studies that show it’s better (I’ll add a link if I ever find them)

There is, of course, another view. It happens to be one I share, but I’d welcome your comments.

 

I’m surprised I have to repeat myself about this, but as I said in 2009(!) Homeworking builds team work  – and communities

 

Oh, those nice open plan, shared spaces that aid collaboration? Not *everyone* thinks they do.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21878739

http://theconversation.com/open-plan-offices-attract-highest-levels-of-worker-dissatisfaction-study-18246

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/04/24/you-thought-cubicles-were-hell-try-open-plan-offices/

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130808123224-20195722-the-great-office-space-debate-rages-on

http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/pr_130626_Workplace_Survey_06_26_2013.pdf [PDF]

http://www.news.com.au/open-plan-offices-make-you-sick/story-e6frfm69-1111118550887

http://ideas.time.com/2012/08/15/why-the-open-office-is-a-hotbed-of-stress/

http://blog.analysisuk.com/post/50-Open-Plan-Offices-What-a-HUGE-Mistake.aspx

 

Written by SteveEllwood

September 26th, 2013 at 12:57 pm

Posted in flexible working,homeworking,Management

monitoring performance to death | Becoming Better

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monitoring performance to death | Becoming Better.

I was referred to this post from the excellent thinkpurpose blog.

Basically, the premise is that extreme monitoring makes you slower, but slightly better; slight monitoring *always* makes things worse.

I liked 

In situations like mine …, where work is not 100% plannable …, monitoring is a great way to fill time while irritating people to the maximum.

So performance mostly about systems/process rather than people sound familiar…?

Written by SteveEllwood

June 7th, 2013 at 10:52 am

Posted in performance

Criticism of Facebook “friends” goes mainstream?

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It’s widely acknowledged that there’s an air of sniffyness amongst some people who claim not to understand Social Media, Facebook friending and so on, and have never had accounts.

There’s another group of people who leave Facebook because of privacy concerns, because they felt they had to maintain a persona, or because they feel it’s indulgent or whatever.

Back in July, I alluded to the Tantek Çelik‘s SXSW Rise of the Indie web session, where he suggested own your own content and federate/syndicate it through the FB/Twitter silos.

I’ve used  ThinkUp to track my Social Engagement, and capture posts and tweets, so I’m fairly sanguine as to what I share, and to whom.

The concerns are spreading way outside “the social media bubble” and I thought it was interesting to see the contrasting of online/”real” friends in a UK TV advert for tea.

Who do you friend, and what do you share?

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Written by SteveEllwood

November 5th, 2012 at 2:54 pm

Posted in communication,Facebook,Social Media

My Week in Twitter 2012-10-14

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October 14th, 2012 at 12:59 pm

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My Week in Twitter 2012-10-07

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October 7th, 2012 at 12:59 pm

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My Week in Twitter 2012-09-30

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September 30th, 2012 at 12:59 pm

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My Week in Twitter 2012-09-23

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September 23rd, 2012 at 12:59 pm

Posted in Twitter

My Week in Twitter 2012-09-16

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  • Spot a performance management? #fb #btot http://t.co/DeftMHnr #
  • Finally found how to move G+ from my standalone account to my Google Apps account https://t.co/UPL1Y6qK #fb #
  • My week on twitter: 4 new followers, 1 mentions. Via: http://t.co/vSvoXsoA #
  • RT @mattgemmell: By checking this box I agree that I have checked this box and totally not read any of that crap, like a normal person. #
  • @fforchwen_too that's what it was. Email arrived about a change case, and when I kicked Clarify into life it failed. Ooops, no VPN up. in reply to fforchwen_too #
  • @daddacool @9600 Wonder how much comparatively Apple, Google and Microsoft spend on patent acquisition? in reply to daddacool #
  • Bangs head on desk. Office systems not working currently as I work from home. Why? I forgot to kick off VPN. #FirstWorldProblem #
  • Autumnal chill in the air; solid fuel heating on. Dogs remain in their baskets until later. Mist and grey sea out of my office window. #
  • Some Future Shock courtesy of my son…: My son, @philellwood shared the following with me: Thought you might appr… http://t.co/pcnCRLEH #
  • Stolen from George Takei: Exhaustipated: too tired to give a shit #
  • H,, My second #Kindle screen failure in 15 months. This one, out of warranty. £150 every 18 months might get a tad expensive for an e-reader #
  • My Week in Twitter 2012-09-09: @libbi_jones I talk to you sometimes! in reply to libbi_jones # @chrisaves @ noir… http://t.co/de6MXZ2Z #

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Written by SteveEllwood

September 16th, 2012 at 12:59 pm

Posted in Twitter

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