A little message from me

Evening all! In Birmingham at the moment, here for a leaving party that Deadlight have been invited, and it should be quite a partay! Hopefully we get to have a bit of a relaxing period, especially me.

I've been working quite hard at the moment, both at work and with the writing, and it's wearing me down a little. The good thing is it spurs me on to work harder, because spending all day at a kiosk just makes me want to go home and write even if I am exhausted. Ideas keep popping into my head and I'm finding it hard to remember them all. So, no real complaints apart from the tiredness! Dear me, seems like I'm in a bit of an introspective mood, but all I can say is, don't work too hard people, and if you are, then clear some time for yourself: it's important to get your head straight, dust away the cobwebs, and get your priorities in order whatever you're doing. Whether you're stuck in an office or a classroom, nobody wants to be stuck there forever, and with a bit of perseverance you can get whatever and be whoever you want. Just work hard, and don't let the world get you down while you're paying your dues.

Big love,

Ben x

Transparent Parliament

The Book of Faces has done many things to our lives. Nobody stubs their toe anymore without telling the world, no vodka-fuelled night out goes unpunished without a myriad of tags to follow it, and nobody breaks up anymore without stalking their ex's profile pics for the rest of their own eternity. And the infamous Like button, the instant, if not a slightly one-sided, feedback facility. Dave wants to make a pie, Stacey likes this, world keeps on spinning. If anything, Facebook has made our personal lives as public as we can possibly get without having a live webcam feed 24/7, (coming soon).

So now, in today's technological climate, since it has never been easier to get the word out, political parties

are now contending with the digital masses on an individual level, and their policies and decisions

need to become infinitely more transparent if we are going to trust them. Public opinion is now more important than ever and in light of the current furore over the possible changes to digital copyright laws, there has never been a better time for an application of instant mass opinion.

Parliament's Digital Economy scheme to potentially force internet companies offline could be devastating to the internet. A letter has been written to the House of Lords, recently published in the Financial Times, addressing the changes and their implications. Stephen Fry and MP Tom Watson have already put their names to the letter, as have the MDs of eBay Uk, Yahoo! and the Director of Policy for Facebook itself. The letter is bound to turn some heads, and the people involved pull some definite weight, but will it be enough to overturn a motion by the House? And what happens the next time our Right Honourable government gets another bad idea in it's head? Here Facebook itself could save the day.

Imagine a status update from Parliament in your Live Feed, proposing a new amendment. The public, dutifully informed, would then have access to a simple site or a physical terminal that was linked directly to No. 10, offering a simple Like or Dislike button, and a simplified feedback system, perhaps a comment box limited to 140 characters. Parliament would then have an instantly crowdsourced ballot on their proposal, and be able to make better-informed decisions thanks to the feedback. Advertising companies use this principal to find out what works and what doesn't before going to print, and it allows the public to have a go at their own designs too.

Transparency and instant public opinion will enable the governments of the world to move in directions as suggested by Mr and Mrs Average Citizen on the streets, without guess-work or backlash. Gone are the days where motions are passed behind closed doors. Parliament needs to sit up and realise that the game has changed, and that no amendments should go un-commented, no legislation un-tagged. It's time politics changed. Dave wants to make a pie, Stacey and three others dislike this, Dave makes pasta instead. Everybody's happy.

Love to all,

Ben Galley