tomw, in his opening post, concludes with a comment as to the difficulty of motivating people to adopt energy saving strategies in personal computer use.

In the brief he has been given by DEWHA do we see a 'green fog' being used to mask a corporate power grab? One of the energy saving strategies discussed has been 'cloud computing'.

The following quotes in relation to 'cloud computing' are from an article titled "Cloud computing is a trap, warns GNU founder Richard Stallman" by Bobbie Johnson, technology correspondent, guardian.co.uk, Monday September 29 2008 14:11 BST . The full article can be seen here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/29/cloud.computing.richard.stallman

"The concept of using web-based programs like Google's Gmail is "worse than stupidity", according to a leading advocate of free software.

Cloud computing – where IT power is delivered over the internet as you need it, rather than drawn from a desktop computer – has gained currency in recent years. Large internet and technology companies including Google, Microsoft and Amazon are pushing forward their plans to deliver information and software over the net.

But Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation and creator of the computer operating system GNU, said that cloud computing was simply a trap aimed at forcing more people to buy into locked, proprietary systems that would cost them more and more over time.

"It's stupidity. It's worse than stupidity: it's a marketing hype campaign," he told The Guardian.

"Somebody is saying this is inevitable – and whenever you hear somebody saying that, it's very likely to be a set of businesses campaigning to make it true.""

Thanks for the heads up on this one tomw. A parting thought from Richard M. Stallman: "Value your freedom or you will lose it, teaches history. "Don't bother us with politics," respond those who don't want to learn."

Fractelle (elsewhere): "I feel utterly wrecked, I put in so much effort in my previous posts and .... you want .... what?"

Know the feeling. :-(

Enjoy more time with the magpies :-)

Hey Bronwyn!

You have scored a hit! Re your post in this thread, check out http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=7981#124961 It is tomw's Article, 'Digital education revolution is not sustainable', published today, 6 October 2008.

Haven't read it properly yet, just skimmed it.

Good one.

OT, be advised that your passing reference to my OLO persona in your refuge thread was much, if belatedly, appreciated. You were slightly in error attributing it to being a hijack of Pelican's thread; it was actually Fractelle's thread that I sort of (maybe) tricked her into letting me hijack. And I, too, have a similar bush outlook from where I sit at my keyboard. I have a mob of yellow-tailed black cockatoos which 'farm' the Pinus radiata around the district, and generally use the bathtubs around the yard as a water point. (The tubs all have weldmesh 'bird ladders' in them.) The 'big mob' is over 100 strong, but generally breaks into sub-mobs of 20 - 30 low-flying, slow-flying, curious, unthreatened birds. Good tactical disposition while watering, too.

I have since realized, from reading the 'Violence against women and absolute statements' thread, how unwittingly close to the bone I may have been cutting (or shooting) with respect to Fractelle in that little escapade. Although once specifically trained in the generation of a fair bit of violence, I have fortunately never had occasion to have had to put it into effect.

I have learned something about DV from that thread, a subject that has, in any physical sense, been outside my experience.

Sort of back on topic, or by way of potential solution of Fractelle's expressed desire to migrate, operating system-wise, this old UF post might give you a laugh: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=4419590&postcount=16 It was written after a couple of good reds, I think. Be it known that I assert copyright over 'tempobidirectionality'. Do a Google search if you doubt me.

Forrest

"Hey Bronwyn! You have scored a hit! Re your post in this thread, check out http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=7981#124961 It is tomw's Article, 'Digital education revolution is not sustainable', published today, 6 October 2008."

Thanks for the alert. I had noticed the title and made a mental note to read it tomorrow (when I'm feeling a bit fresher than I am right now!) but I hadn't noticed that Tom was the author. I think you might have given me the wrong link, but not to worry because that looked interesting too, I'll come back to that one tomorrow as well!

"And I, too, have a similar bush outlook from where I sit at my keyboard."

Enjoy! May it long inspire you to great posting. Watch out for those 'good reds' though!