NTU Policy Updates

Just seen an email sent earlier today from HR about updated staff policies. Amongst the other stuff I found this statement:

Staff should avoid activity that might adversely affect the reputation of the University or bring the University into disrepute.

Would this include Blogger and Twitter postings? YouTube videos? What I might say down the pub? Comments on the websites of the BBC, Guardian, Times Higher or whoever? Given there is an approaching general election would this include staff who legitimately stood for election but who put forward controversial issues - whatever they might be and however democratic?

I know this is a constant theme of mine but I think employers interfering in employees private lives (with the possible exception of where they break the law) is all rather feudal. What you can say... What work you can do outside of your "main" work... Surprised too that the European Union does not have a view on this - Human rights anyone?

Happy New Year! Very Peculiar Practice...

Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

The New Year is here and the new term beckons. I remember when 2008 was a date in science fiction novels... Santa was kind to me but something I'm really looking forward to is reading a couple of novels I treated myself to via Amazon just before Christmas.

A Very Peculiar Practice and A Very Peculiar Practice: The New Frontier, both by Andrew Davies. I'd lent the DVD of the first TV series (on the BBC many years ago) to a colleague and when he returned it at the end of last term it prompted me to search for the novels once again. They've been out of print for some time but Amazon gave me links to second hand copies via some kind of affiliated sellers. So everyone won.

The series should be compulsory viewing for anyone working in Higher Education.

Phil

Star Cops

The image is one of "box", a rather special computer, from Star Cops. If you click on the image you will see the animated version.


While off ill I had that rare chance to catch up on some "Phil" viewing.

So I took the chance to watch some episodes of Star Cops. A recent BBC4 documentary has reminded me about this oft overlooked series and I'd forgotten just how good it was. Really well written and very clever in how it observed the relationship between people and technology. I could go on for hours on this topic but you'll be pleased to hear that I won't. Besides I've that backlog of work to plough through...