So thanks to changing my gas/electric to Ecotricity, as recommended by my friend Steve, I ended up with a free ticket to WOMAD Festival last weekend as a welcome offer (or I could have had a £50 voucher for Ecotopia). I hadn’t heard of WOMAD, but asking about it on Facebook, lots of positive reviews, so although no one seemed to be going (and I’m not a big fan of camping), I decided to try it out! Steve was unable to go, but thankfully Ecotricity allowed the ticket to be transferred to a friend who I’d been chatting to on Facebook.
Think it was this artist.
I wasn’t too sure by the end of the first day if WOMAD was really for me, definitely a variety of music, but I prefer listening to watching music … and the shops were full of ‘knick-knacks’ – and I’ve spent years getting rid of such things!
Must check out more at The Museum of Happiness, the Happyness Hub, Walking on Sunshine, and already enjoy Psychologies Magazine.
I had a lot of fun on the second day, and referred to the (very good) app for ideas for what to do Sunday
The Body Mapping workshop, wasn’t sure if would be awake for it, but – you know – camping! Wasn’t sure what to expect, but Beyond Chocolate has encouraged me to keep looking at relationship with the body. Was actually a great way to start the day – with the main exercise being 7 minutes (each-way) working with a stranger – shut your eyes and let them guide you … see how your body/other senses responds, followed by a conversation about why you came to this. Very powerful..
As a final event before I hit the motorway, I thought this talk looked useful for work… My notes:
Duncan Campbell: Govt laws just covers up what has already been done for year – see with every new technology …
Internet relies on fibre cables (smaller than human hair) … Govt working out how to ‘spy’ on this ASAP inc via mobile phone ..
Snowden – mass surveillance – hoovering up huge amounts of data … ‘Just in case’ – anti human rights/privacy campaigners
RePo – huge datasets esp via movement via smartphones … Pokemon Go = one of easiest to hack into … Access to pretty much on my phone.
Angela Patrick: Online/offline lives integrated in a way couldn’t have imagined in 2000 – last time govt tried to regulate our interaction with info – thought was future proof but v unclear. Now govt saying trying to find law suitable for a digital age – need to start again from scratch – need surveillance but need balance with privacy. Sounds good: comprehensive, comprehensible & world leading … But not much new – just legitimises old activities – on basis of old legislation not intended to deal with that …
Not comprehensive – covers info we generate – so can intercept our Comms – like phone tapping. Then Comms (meta) data/envelope data – but digital has a lot more substantive info than that – gps & sites visited etc. Currently phone companies required to keep 12 months of data & hand over – flawed & now embedded. Hacking = permitted for purposes of seeing inside. Bulk equipment interference – inc entire computer networks .. Doesn’t include human interaction – not being looked at now
Not comprehensible – 299 clauses long, etc waist height .. Can have thematic warrants for group activity rather than individuals. Can be v generic/broad .. Eg all people who have ever been to WOMAD. Snowden made us think about what it’s possible for spies to do … US saying shouldn’t be doing this any more, whilst UK going other direction. Judicial warrant not required ..
Surveillance = important – done well/targeted = saves lives, but done poorly damages relation with state. Limited time to participate in this discussion as Nov – to law.
Matthew Rice: bulk datasets … Govt collected so much data that they don’t know why/for what purpose … Indication that if more transparent = difficult to do because SO much data … Sleepwalking – need to understand the slope we’re going down. Politics is a numbers game so if speak up MPs have to deal …
What are the connections you have that are suddenly going to become dangerous? What event/petition, etc? Societal/relationship issue much wider than personal. Many thinking ‘this isn’t a problem for me’ .. If a 14 year old can release 6mil names via TalkTalk – can we accept formalised back doors via the govt to our digital data …
Q&A: What would happen if the Internet in the UK went down for 3 weeks – what would the impact on the economy be … Govt should be bound by wider legislative framework .. But via its nature it’s secret ..
Act now rather than thinking about exactly what will happen when already a probs … Quicker to ask mobile cos to say – which phones in these 3 areas rather than full on policing … Very big .. Interaction between different agencies … We live our lives intimately online – we need to care …
Overall, I enjoyed it, would go again, but if either/or, would probably still choose Greenbelt first (though I can’t go this year!