Below is a sample of my writing, taken from my ever-growing portfolio of content. Only excerpts are shown. Click on an excerpt to read the full piece. To view some of my clients, go to the Clients page.

 

Great Expectations: Is Technology letting us down?

This article appeared on the Sunday Times Technology Supplement on th 27th of February 2011 with the title of Only Disconnect.

Sherry Turkle has been together alone, although to be fair, we all have been. Appearing on the Colbert Report on the 17th of January 2011, Turkle said that Alone Together is based on a singular moment, that moment when you are physically with someone, then they pull out their iPhone/iPad, laptop, Blackberry or Android phone, and there’s that feeling; together alone.

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Business and Social Networks

Businesses are starting to exploit social networking. What is their approach? Is it cautious or are they embracing it wholeheartedly?

There is definitely a strong awareness of social networking. Quite a few businesses are completely on board and sold on social media while others are approaching it slowly and with caution. Obviously there are always going to be some that completely refuse to exploit this medium. When it comes to social networking the approach varies depending on the type of business operation and especially depending on the individuals behind it.

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5 ways schools can use Social Media

A lot of people think social media is something you do after school, not during. However, many feel that educators should stop trying to repress the huge amounts of energy young people devote to social media and think about how to use that energy toward getting more out of their classes. Sadly, few schools have formal social media strategies (apart from blocking them on their networks). What they are losing out on is the power of a network or networks between the school, its students, their parents, teachers and the community at large.

Below are 5 ways schools can use social media:

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How the Internet helped the revolts in Tunisia

This article was the cover feature in the Times’ Technology Sunday Supplement on the 30th of January 2011 under the name ‘A Mobile call to Arms” .

The internet in and of itself does not cause revolt. However, when you couple an oppressive state,  a disgruntled population, and the efficiency and immediacy of the internet to spread information, an environment for dissent starts to form. When facts such as a son in law of the President owning a tiger as a pet are revealed it serves to stoke the flames of unrest. This can be seen nowhere better than in the recent happenings of Tunisia.

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Pwnd! The lowdown on avoiding Cybercrime

It’s our new arch-enemy, and is very often the subject in news stories. Cybercrime is here to stay, and it stands to reason, since we increasingly depend on technology to work, bank and interact.

We talked to superintendent Paul Caruana, head of the Cyber Crime Unit Malta about the field of digital law breaking.

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What makes a good children’s website?

This piece originally appeared on Technology Sunday, September 26th 2010, under the name: “Net Profits for Kids”

Although we often hear of the digital divide affecting older generations, we are seldom told of how children are to be included on the internet. This is partly due to children’s almost immediate adoption of and familiarization with technology. Over half of Maltese households have at least one computer1, and our internet penetration rate stands at 59.1%2. Most primary school children use computers regularly and have a good knowledge of the web. However, we must not forget that children have different needs to adults, even when it comes to the internet.

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Metal Malta

There is one sentiment that all Maltese metal fans are used to: surprise. Most people wouldn’t expect Malta, the island of sand, sea, sun and history, to have any metal bands at all. This is as far from the truth as you can get. The fact is, not only is there a strong metal scene locally, it is also one of very high caliber.

Maltese people far removed from the scene express similar feelings when hearing of the hard-working underground bands locally. But perhaps this makes sense, given that the metal scene is, by its very nature, seldom accessible to outsiders, this for myriad reasons, among which is the elitist nature of the music. In layman’s terms, ‘you have to be in it to get it’.

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