Just replace "digital watches" with "wrist phones" and it’s completely up to date !

Douglas Adams five part trilogy quantum tunnels out of the BBC archives to appear on the iPlayer 

Not only that but the Vogon’s “Resistance is useless” made is appearance over five years before “Resistance is futile” with the Borg.

I first heard the Hitch Hikers Guide when as a young BBC engineer I was asked to play the tapes down the line to a local BBC Radio station that had missed the original transmission. I put the tape on and set it going with (not knowing any better) the thought of getting back after I had gone to get a coffee… When it started with the dulcet tones of Peter Jones as the Guide, the coffee trip was put on hold.

Half an hour later Douglas Adams genius had worked its magic.  Treat yourself here.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007jm03

 That works out at £20 per cough!

Expensive for failing to use the correct box of tissues to clean up.

Actually this is about a hacker who sought to extort money from the the British Pregnancy Advisory Service having performed a simple examination of their web site: he discovered 10,000 customers without the correct protection for their er… records.

Make up your own joke and insert here!

Apparently the Information Commissioners Office does not feel charity begins at this particular organisation’s home. It is one of the first major publicised fines raised. It suggests that various excuses including charitable status and lack of knowledge are no defence. It also indicates that the “going rate” is a fine of around £20 per coughed up or incorrectly stored address and contact details used without adequate protection.

It brings into perspective:

• Our insistence on ensuring all the data we store is in a separate database from the web site.
• Web site access is always protected by https certificates. 
• Personal information is split from web profiles.

And many other bits of careful design that meet the criteria for good web security.

The extortionist received a 32 month sentence.

Dave Smith of the Information Commissioner's Office said:

"There's a simple message here: treat the personal information you are holding with respect. This includes making sure you know just what information you are holding and that it's subject to up-to-date and effective security measures."

Related links here

BBC article
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) Ruling

British Pregnancy Advisory Service 

• Ava's Data Warehousing registration

How much could your agency rostering web site cost you?