Life of a Natural Scientist turned Computer Scientist
[Email sent to the ACM Digital Library team] Dear Digital Library team, ACM is my preferred publisher and I love the digital library, it has been the best resource for computer science papers. I am deeply distressed and offended to find that the ACM Digital Library is now going to provide AI generated summaries of [ ]
My first interaction with Ross was through his work. In my second year at university a PhD student (David Simner) suggested that reading Ross textbook Security Engineering was good preparation, and so over the course of a few weeks that autumn I read it cover to cover. Now I am a Senior Lecturer in cybersecurity, [ ]
I needed to transfer files between an old server and its replacement. rsync over ssh is the obvious tool to use but working out how to use it properly such that all file permissions are preserved under the restriction that it is not possible to ssh as root, and so sudo is required on both ends. Additionally rsync cannot be used to transfer files between two remote hosts, one end needs to be local…
Or: or why the drains are blocked: Context: Cookie licking is the act of claiming something as something only you can do, but without actually doing it. (Note: This is considered a bad thing.) Sometimes public authorities lack the resources to deliver their proper functions (austerity) but cannot admit to this (legal obligation) and so persist [ ]
The climate emergency requires rapid system change to enable widespread and speedy adoption of more efficient and better ways of doing things. Governments should get on and do that, individuals should prioritise making them do that. However, while most of the victim blaming of individuals your fault for not doing enough is micro-consumerist nonsense, there [ ]
Sometimes people feel powerless, like their individual action does not matter. That is not true, it matters tremendously and it is enormously powerful, I am going to explain one of the reasons why. When you make a decision it is not just you making that decision, it is also people like you making the same [ ]
The primary purpose of the EU is peace in Europe (particularly between EU members). War is expensive and so the secondary purpose of economic prosperity is well served by the primary purpose. The pursuit of peace makes he EU act in strange and seemingly inefficient ways: Parliament gets on a train and travels to a [ ]
A substantial factor in my feelings of despair at Brexit is guilt. I could have done more, and, given the result, should have done more. I voted, but more was required. Anger with those who lied and misled, with those who failed to do enough. That leads however to being angry with myself. Those who [ ]
The United Kingdom of England and Wales will not be great in power but it could yet be great in love. It will not be able to lead as it formerly could when it was a great power, but it could enthusiastically follow when other countries or supranational organisations like the EU lead in good directions. [ ]
I am leaving Google and similar companies cloud services and moving to my own infrastructure for my personal data. This process is going to take a while and I am going to document it here to make it easier for others. However the obvious question is why move from free cloud services which already exist [ ]