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How I'd do the BBC Digital Revolution programme

The BBC are making a programme called Digital Revolution digital revolution is a four part series for BBC Two about how the web is changing the world They are making it in public view, showing rushes as they put the film together, asking questions about content on their blog and getting ideas on the final title (as Digital Revolution is a working title) on the blog and twitter. The questions asked by each of the episodes are: Are all web users created equal? Can the nation state survive the web? How much are you giving away for free? How is the web affecting our brains? I had my chance to give input earlier in the process, so it's a bit late now, but if I were making a series about how the web is changing the world it would be a bit like this: Look at eBay - it gives us a way to sell our stuff instead of chucking it away and people run small business from our home. Look at FriendsReunited and Facebook - we're getting in touch with people we used to know more easily and remaking

Another photo of mine on the web

Looking at the visitors to my work blog I discovered someone had come there from http://www.123people.co.uk/s/paul+morriss . Looking elsewhere on that page I discovered that the St Francis of Assisi parish magazine from June 2005 had included a photo of mine on page 6. I'd given a whole set of photos to someone to use for the Fresh Noise website, now defunct, but available thanks to archive.org: freshnoise.org . I presume the photo found it's way into that magazine from someone involved.

Barns photo

Barns Originally uploaded by paulmorriss Another photo of mine popping up elsewhere. http://www.viaouest.com/galerie1265.html

My 1.5 seconds of fame

The BBC Digital Revolution people (putting together a 4 programme series on the web and stuff) asked on Twitter if anyone had questions for Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty. Her answer: Original blog entry: Tim Berners-Lee and Shami Chakrabarti interview clips (Video): web privacy and obsession (cross posted to my work blog )

My photo got stolen

A photo I took is being used by this website about food news in Chile . They are allowed to use it so long as they are not a commercial organisation, but even with Google Translate , I can't work out whether they are. Can you tell?

Long straws and sweets

Long straws and sweets Originally uploaded by paulmorriss

Am I a proper biker?

When I started riding a motorbike I took the Compulsory Basic Training - a day of training which you have to do before you are allowed out on the road. As we travelled to the car park where we do the training the trainer remarked "Have you heard that Joey Dunlop has died?". I hadn't heard of Joey Dunlop. If you haven't heard of him either, that's like not knowing who Ayrton Senna is. I am a proper biker if I don't know that? I do ride a bike to work almost every day normally, unless there's snow on the ground. Some "proper" bikers don't do that, but only ride when the weather's nice. I don't go to bikers' gatherings, watch bike racing, buy bike magazines or any of the stuff like that. I wonder if I come across a group of proper bikers if they'll want me to join their groups and only then will I be a proper biker?

"...and a little more!"

"...and a little more!" Originally uploaded by paulmorriss This is the "mayor making" ceremony. The outgoing mayor and all his officials are weighed and their weights compared to how much they weighed a year ago. The town crier shouts out their name and "and no more" or "and a little more" if they've put on weight. If they have it's because they've taken advantage of their office and they are booed. My 11 year old son saw this ceremony and remarked the other day, "This fuss about the MPs expenses is the same thing isn't it?". Very astute.

Brian Eno on ambient music and PCs

A couple of quotes from an episode of the Museum of Curiosities on Radio 4 from Brian Eno. In response to the question, "Did you invent ambient music, is that your term?", he said: "Yes. Now it's a category in record shops, full of records I don't like." He also composed the Windows 95 startup sound, on a Mac. "I've never used a PC in my life, I don't like them."

Analogue cheese flavour?

Analogue cheese flavour? Originally uploaded by paulmorriss Is it any different to digital cheese flavour?

Pastor on a sabbatical

One of our pastors is on a sabbatical. One of the things he aimed to do during this sabbatical is update his blog English Pulpit . However he hasn't turned on any comments, so it's a bit of a one way conversation. Maybe he'll use some sort of tool like Technorati to spot inbound links from here and a conversation can start!
Following Martin Kelner's article on Children's Radio in Media Guardian last week I decided to put some questions to my own little focus group. I asked my children what they might want from radio for children. One suggested "theme tunes". Unlike Martin's daughter our children don't tire of commercial radio. They love the local radio station and so probably for them, radio = music. I introduced them to Go For It on Radio 4 and one of them loved it. Having a TV presenter presenting it probably helped. The same child that loved it also likes First News , the children's newspaper. My children have never heard of it, so if the BBC is thinking of cutting back, they ought to do a bit of cross promotion on children's TV to let children know that it's out there.

Spotify rocks (as they say)

It's a measure of significance when something on the internet makes the BBC News at Ten, and that happened last week with Spotify . I downloaded it and saw what all the fuss was about. I've used last.fm on and off for years. However you can't necessarily hear every track. I signed up for some other music service the other week, but I haven't been back and I can't even remember what it was called. Spotify gives quick access to loads of tracks, with a very slick user interface. I immediately began compiling a couple of playlists that I've had in my head for years, including reconstructing a mix tape from Uni days which I must have thrown out years ago. There are a few holes in the coverage, so I couldn't add All Together Now by the Farm to my happy morning songs playlist. I could listen to whole albums by ELO, Kate Bush and Queen so that provided a bit of nostalgia on Saturday. I just hope that they can manage to keep some sort of free service for casual use

Millenium bridge

Millenium bridge Originally uploaded by paulmorriss We were walking across the bridge and suddenly I notice a photographer with an SLR on her knees photographing back the way I'd come. A teenager, her daughter, was dangling a small tripod near her, saying, "Mum...". I didn't drop to my knees but I did photograph back the way I'd come.

Pushy parents magazine

Pushy parents magazine Originally uploaded by paulmorriss I did this a while ago, but I've only just uploaded it. It was probably inspired by hearing that some parents think their children need more homework. Seriously. Next I'm going to do one for boys called "Sticks" or maybe "What Stick" if that's not breaching someone's trademark.

Coke can and ants - safety issue?

My photo of a coke can and ants was used on the Safety Issues website. My photos are licensed for non-commercial use, so whilst this is flattering, it's also naughty, so I'll be contacting them. Update: apparently they are a non-profit organisation, so that's OK.