Nothing to Declare

• Interview with Con Kolivas part 2: his effort to improve Linux performance on the desktop | APC Magazine
  For me, for later
  (tags: Linux performance kernel)

• DebuggingKernelSuspend - Ubuntu Wiki
  Possible solution to resume problem - have also disabled clever graphics
  (tags: ubuntu Linux)
• ArchWiki :: Touchpad Synaptics - ArchWiki
  This sorts touchpad sensitivity issues in Ubuntu
  (tags: ub)

• Why I’ve replaced Vista with Linux
  On Jon’s business blog
  (tags: freeformdynamics Linux windows vista ubuntu)

I had a day off today. Well, kind of - it was one of those days where I actually got a lot of things done, largely because I’d told everyone I’d be taking it as a day off: my reason was that I had been invited to test out the new Eurostar terminal at St Pancras.

I’m still not absolutely sure why I agreed to do it in the first place. Was it driven by my interest in all things new, or my curiosity to see a work in progress on the scale of a station? Was it purely the allure of a free ticket, or something more fundamental, a deep down, inexpressible yearning to spend more time with… trains? Whatever it was, I was in good company, as I found out looking at the motley collection of slightly flummoxed “passengers” that had assembled themselves at St Pancras for the day.

The drill was simple. Turn up with pre-issued tickets (sent in the post), and get on a certain train - as if going to Paris. Get off at Ebbsfleet 15 minutes away, forget quickly about Paris and pretend to be going from there. Find oneself at St Pancras again, forget Paris and check through the arrivals lounge (showing passports - I wonder what would happen if someone lost theirs, having never actually left the country). Check back in and get on a train to Paris. Five minutes later, have train stop and reverse back to St Pancras, requiring one to once again forget about Paris.

Apart from the obvious result that, by the end of it, I was quite hankering after the dirty chic of the Gallic capital, it was all a quite enjoyable affair. For myself I took the role of a “business traveller”, and true to form I also managed to simulate the characters of both “late arrival at terminal” and “apologetic queue jumper”. There was free coffee and tea, a pack lunch and - I am sure this won’t remain the case when the doors open - hordes of smiling security staff to help us through the X-ray checks.

One thing that did surprise me was just how much work there still seemed to be required. While the main concourses were largely sorted, there were swathes of cloth across many of the side-alleys, from which the usual sounds of drills and angle grinders could be heard. For the techies there was Wifi access (though the login wasn’t yet working), and a feature I particularly liked was a 50-yard-long counter with electric points at intervals, for laptops. Though of course, the sockets weren’t yet switched on.

What else? I’d love to be able to comment on signage, announcement quality and passenger facilities, like a good reviewer. Unfortunately however, it looked exactly like a train station, or more specifically, like the soon-to-be-closed Eurostar terminal at Waterloo - apart, that is, from the blank wall of red bricks that faces new arrivals (”Welcome to Britain. Here’s a blank wall, to help your first impressions.”). Most importantly, apart from a glitch at the end (when we were delayed as we tried to leave the platform on the final leg) everything functioned quite smoothly.

To conclude, while I’m still not absolutely sure why I went, I will probably look back on the experience with something approaching pleasure, and with my inner train spotter feeling appropriately nurtured. Peep peep!

Last week I had the good fortune to have lunch with Andrew James, whose father, Ron James has written a number of books about climbing. At the age of 73 he’s still outdoors, these days having hung up his karibiners and turned his attention to mountain biking, but still writing books about his passions. In the discussions it struck me that Ron had cracked what may be the golden rules of writing non-fiction for “the rest of us,” that is, people whose careers and lifestyles lie outside of the mainstream media.

So, what can we glean from Ron’s experiences?

1. Find a domain that has a community. There are plenty of interesting subjects to write about - but like the tree that falls in the forest when nobody is there, it is unclear whether such writings will ever have a readership. This is pure pragmatism - not necessarily commercial as we shall see, but it will only be the most devoted of authors that will write an entire book to reach only a handful of readers. The Internet can be a great help in this regard - message boards and forums are not only a source of information but also can give you a good idea of the scale of the audience. In Ron’s case he has stuck to outdoor sports - niche market perfection, with plenty of devoted followers.

2. Differentiate what you are writing about. It would be pointless to cover a topic in a way that has already been done - unless, in the past, it has been covered poorly. So if you’re writing a how-to guide look beyond the “First lessons in…” to more specific topics, building on the literature that’s already out there. But do be careful not to forget point 1 - you don’t want to end up too niche! For example, Ron’s current focus is mountain biking, to be sure - but for the over-60’s! Don’t be afraid to research the topic and find out what else has been written on it: indeed, it’s good practice to write a proposal, if for no other reason than to ensure you answer the questions a proposal demands - such as, for example, what differentiates this one? 

3. Make sure the benefits are broader than financial. A tough one, this. Its not that nobody gets rich and famous writing books, but more that it is highly improbable. A common fallacy - a bit like seeing someone on the telly and assuming they live in a big house somewhere, whereas the reality is that most actors are only as well off as the next job permits. So, if you’re writing, do so in a way that covers your costs and maybe makes a bit of cash; meanwhile however, ensure take into consideration the wider benefits - through sponsorship for example, or purely the fact that writing enables you to spend time covering a subject you love. Which brings me to…

4. Write about something that you love. There are surely plenty of areas that fit the above three criteria, but you’re only going to get old and resentful unless a certain part of what you do is for its own sake. Write not only because you love writing, but also because you love the subject that you’re writing about, be it music, fly fishing or industrial archaeology.

This last lesson is important. Ultimately, whatever you do, you need to be doing it for your own satisfaction, as well as for the potential readership. This will not only help you enjoy the (sometimes mind-numbing) process, but also result in an output of which you can be justly proud.

• Oh My God! They Killed Music DRM!
  The demise of DRM, on Jon’s business blog
  (tags: DRM informationmanagement)

• BT skates its way to transformation
  A post on BT’s transformation plans, on Jon’s business blog
  (tags: freeformdynamics BT mobility)