If Facebook’s announcement that it’ll ban praise and support for white nationalism and separatism sounds familiar, that’s because it is, writes Paul Brislen for RNZ. Nearly two weeks after the terrorist attack in Christchurch was aired live on Facebook, the company has finally responded in public. From next week it will implement a ban on “praise, support … Read more
Paul Brislen writes an ode to that most European method of transport, the humble scooter. It’s Friday afternoon in Auckland city and, as the offices let out, the roads seize up. There’s traffic as far as the eye can see and each green phase of the lights allows one car through, to join the tailback … Read more
Year in, year out, the controversy over the possible health effects of electro magnetic frequencies from cellphones and cellular antennas rumbles on. Telecoms writer Paul Brislen takes a deep dive into the evidence. We’ve been aware of the electro magnetic spectrum since the first cave dweller peeked out and saw a blazing orb in the … Read more
New Zealanders get charged some of the highest fees for debit and credit card use in the world and most of us don’t even realise it. Paul Brislen attempts to explain interchange – fees paid between banks for the acceptance of card based transactions. Ah, shopping. The hunt, the choosing, the purchasing. The endorphin rush. … Read more
Good news – troops on deployment all around the world are keeping up their physical fitness and now we have proof! Bad news – troops on deployment all around the world are jogging with their fitness trackers turned on, drawing a helpful map of where they are. But former TUANZ boss Paul Brislen says we … Read more
A cautionary tale, by Paul Brislen. It started with an email from a colleague. Could I sign the attached form? I get this sort of email a lot; no two clients or providers use the same format so it was quite nice to see a link to an online service. I clicked on it. Almost … Read more
The shorthand used in The 9th Floor insinuates that Jenny Shipley’s prime ministership was somehow less legitimate than that of her successor, and that’s just not true, argues Paul Brislen. I’ve really enjoyed Guyon Espiner’s The Ninth Floor series of interviews for RNZ with former prime ministers of New Zealand. I’ve learned a lot about Mike Moore that … Read more
The planned restructure at the public owned TV network is the wrong path. Paul Brislen issues a plea: turn back before it’s too late. I’m writing this instead of watching television. I’ve just installed Amazon Prime TV so I can catch up with American Gods when it airs. It’s free for the first wee while … Read more
It’s nothing personal, says Aucklander Paul Brislen – the earthquake-prone capital just isn’t secure enough to house our vital government headquarters. Ah, Wellington. As the plane banks and slides in to land, every single time I end up singing the bit that’s not entirely written by Don McGlashan: “And they’re playing the tape for the … Read more
This week the Commerce Commission is set to rule on the wedding of two companies, brought together in the name of rugby, reckons Paul Brislen. The people behind the planned merger of Vodafone and Sky TV are heralding a brave new blended world of content and delivery mechanism, an alliance that will position both companies … Read more
If the first week is anything to go by, the relationship between the Donald J Trump administration and the press will be anything but cosy. That’s excellent news for journalism, argues Paul Brislen. Day One of Trumpton got off to a rocky start with the new press secretary for The Donald taking to the podium … Read more
Critics are seizing on a new report that says the Ultra Fast Broadband rollout has had no direct impact on business productivity. But those who dismiss the scheme as corporate welfare are missing the big picture, says telecoms commentator Paul Brislen. I’ve had more arguments about broadband than just about anything else including (but not … Read more
Haunted by visions of dystopian jungles, angry walls and terrifying hair, Paul Brislen joins the dots between The Hunger Games and the Trumpocalyptic future. I’ve often wondered about the wider world portrayed in The Hunger Games. I don’t know why – it’s not as if anywhere outside North America (Panem) is even referenced in the … Read more
This week is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week. Paul Brislen remembers growing up in Wales and why retaining and teaching Māori language is imperative to New Zealand’s cultural identity. If you put your tongue just behind your upper teeth and blow air (and spit) around the sides in a manner not unlike that laughing … Read more
For all the bold talk of knowledge waves and a weightless tech future, we’re still reliant on farms and tourists. Time to try a new approach, argues Paul Brislen. Seventeen years ago I helped put together an issue of Computerworld devoted to the idea of building a “Knowledge Based Economy”. It was an exciting time. … Read more
A Vodafone-Sky merger works for companies waking up to new realites about content, distinctiveness and immediacy. Whether it’s good for consumers is another matter altogether, argues Paul Brislen. There are two major trends in the telecommunications market that directly relate to the Vodafone-Sky-TV merger. The first is the commoditisation of everything. If you can reduce … Read more
We’re in the middle of the single biggest democratic act in the land and there’s hardly been a ripple about it. Paul Brislen issues a clarion call to New Zealanders – or at least those with kids at school Every three years we, as a nation, get to make this decision and what we decide … Read more
Opinion: The marriage of Fairfax NZ and NZME may make sense in commercial terms, but it’s bad for depth, diversity and democracy, writes Paul Brislen If you want to know about a burning platform that’s forcing change, talk to a journalist. “Do 10% more with 10% less” has become the new strategy. And that’s in … Read more