November is fast approaching. For some, that means the end of another semester of uni or the start of summer. For the aspiring novelists of the world, that means gearing up for another NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an event where writers attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. That…
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Over the past few years developments in technology and social media have caused major changes to how we engage with art, culture and each other. The role of the curator in facilitating creativity has also changed. Portable’s Curators Conference offered a platform to discuss just what it means to be a curator in the digital…
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Technology continues to impact the ever-changing book industry, and recently the literary world has been questioning the authenticity of online book reviews. Popular crime writer RJ Ellory has admitted to faking glowing, 5-star reviews on Amazon for his works, using different pseudonyms, while at the same time writing negative reviews of rival authors’ works. This…
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With the twenty-first century came the rise of the celebrity. We live in a society obsessed by the concept of “celebrity”. We lap up and crave stories and rumours and gossip about people placed firmly in the public eye, and don’t we just love it all the more if their lives turn to trash in…
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Before you delve into my article, first watch this fantastic book trailer Australian author Max Barry created for his novel Machine Man at the end of last year: This is far and away the best book trailer I’ve ever seen, simply because it blatantly makes the point: what is the point of this? This is…
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In this week’s column, I’m looking at a new publishing platform which emerged from the digital book boom. There is no question that the boom has brought about a plethora of new digital publishers and new self-publishing opportunities. However, short story download site Alfie Dog Fiction, launched in May this year, are doing things a…
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Where do we draw the line when it comes to social media? In the past few years, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a person under the age of 30 who doesn’t have at least one social media account. Tales of these bizarre creatures seem to circulate amongst my friends in hushed voices: ‘…and…
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Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest…the list goes on! So many social media and blogging pages, millions of people using them each day along with the thousands of dating websites around, are we just living in a fantasy world and losing the ability to interact with actual human beings? I think back to when I was growing…
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The Good Wife has put a fair bit on our plates issues-wise. And amongst all that tightly written wit and too-clever law talk, this season offered up a new tech miracle capable of solving crimes and protecting women – the humble personal safety app. The question of ‘safety’ of women in party or date situations…
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What is it about Apple computers and women? You know what I’m talking about: iLust. The envy of all things Mac. Proving that tech and design belong together, unlike fish and bicycles. But if women love using technology so much, why are they not reaching dizzying heights in tech careers? The answer may lie not…
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One of my most vivid memories of my first year at university was a passing comment by my Sociology lecturer, as he enthusiastically outlined his trip to South America years ago. He talked about how he had walked past the bus-stop, and upon seeing a man waiting there, stopped to enquire when the next bus…
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‘Facebook stalking’ isn’t much like real stalking. Real stalking is where you follow someone around, look through their windows, trawl through their garbage cans and whisper their name until you fall asleep. Facebook stalking, however, involves looking up someone on Facebook, either by looking at their profile (if you’re their ‘friend’) or by looking at…
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Read this article Imagine this: you’ve had a pretty brutal break-up, and the last thing you want is to run into your ex on the street or at a party of a mutual friend. Now you can look them up using your mobile phone and a little help from GPS technology, to make sure they’re…
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http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/07/09/1152383607217.html Somehow this doesn’t quite shake the IT image I see everyday – overweight guys with poor personal hygiene and even worse interpersonal skills…
