ratemyteacher.co.uk available for pupils to rate their teachers online

Sites such as ratemyteacher.co.uk and bebo give pupils the chance to anonymously praise or castigate their teachers from their own homes. Teachers are clearly disturbed by this development. I don’t know what to think, clearly this is something that happened before anyhow by ‘word-of-mouth’, now to have it digitally preserved could be quite damaging to a teacher’s career, and maybe not all allegations made by pupils are fair? I am not sure that I would like to be a teacher today.

News for gamers that are serious about their gaming systems!

HP will focus on providing the technology that powers PC, online and mobile gaming, including infrastructure and workstations for gaming companies, content developers and service providers that participate in this demanding and rapidly growing market.

In September 2006, HP extended its reach into gaming with the acquisition of VoodooPC, an award-winning manufacturer of high-performance and personalized computer gaming systems. With the acquisition of VoodooPC, HP added the No. 1 premier lifestyle brand in gaming to its technology portfolio.

Britain the “Surveillence Society”!

Did you know that Britain has by far the most cameras in the world – about one for every 12 people or approximately 5 million in public and private hands! Police and the Home Office are planning a significant upgrade of the CCTV network with new laws that would require camera operators to ensure that their equipment produces images good enough for police investigations. All spurred on by Government claims that it is needed to fight terrorism. I would like to see some evidence that supports the use of surveillance cameras is a price worth paying for the loss of personal privacy of the majority of the law-biding public. There must be more effective methods of achieving their goals for the ‘fight against terrorism’?

Simon Davies, the director of Privacy International, said: “Surveillance in Britain has now reached a level equivalent to Russia and Malaysia. If something is not done soon to reverse this trend privacy will be extinct within a decade.”

Good taxi service and data gathering

I had to drop my car off at the garage for a service this morning and rang for a taxi to take me to the office. It was interesting to note that they seem to store the last address that you were picked up from associated with the telephone number that you rang from.

I have noted this before, but mistakenly thought -as I’d only rang for a taxi from my home address- that they had my home address linked to my land-line number. In any case the service is excellent.

I was wondering what system they use for this, and was wondering what additional information they hold on customers and for how long? If any you readers are taxi-drivers and use a similar type system, maybe you would be kind enough to share with me?