Practical Useful

Vint Cerf, founding father of the internet and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google has an interesting piece on the BBC’s The Tech Lab on the past, present and future of the internet. From the article:

The internet, however, stands poised to become the greatest communications platform humanity has ever known. It has profoundly increased access to information around the world, and it has likewise provided a platform for free expression on a scale unimaginable a generation ago.

He discusses the amazing rate of expansion of the medium, compared to say the telephone or TV, and addresses upcoming infrastructure concerns and comments on the increasing power of the Internet to affect all of our lives:

The idea that all the world’s knowledge could be discoverable not just by humans but by programs acting on their behalf at speeds well beyond the superhuman, is one of this century’s most exciting opportunities.

Interesting stuff and worth a look…

I just upset Eddie Mair on the Radio 4 PM program. Sorry Eddie, I couldn’t resist.

So I was listening to PM today, as I usually do when I have the opportunity, and Eddie reported that Big Ben is to fall silent for a month and therefore something must be found to fill the last few seconds of the slot before the six o’clock news and invited suggestions on the blog. Previously when Big Ben was out of action PM ran a fantastic wee sequence of bird songs however a whole month of that may prove excessive.

I hopped on and suggested the following:

The PM theme tune! I can’t believe no one has suggested it already. A whole month of wallowing in the nostalgia followed by the unbelievable relief of stopping again when we get Big Ben back!

Moments later I received a personal reply from Eddie, live on the PM program:

For anyone who suggests bringing back the PM Theme tune on the blog, I’m going to come round and take your radio away.