General

Doing business today, they say, is a bit like going to war. Would you fight alongside a soldier whose actions put you at risk? Would you let him reload your rifle, and can you trust him to have your back? You’d think twice. Then you probably agree that accepting an unprotected Internet Protocol (IP) connection […]

“Sue, may I slide my fingers over your crotch? May I squeeze your bum? Rip off your panties?” These are questions men do not ask, and should not ask, as women prefer the alpha male who displays confidence, authority, boldness to go where no one has gone before without asking direct permission … or rather […]

Throughout this paper* I have used the term “capital” broadly in accordance with Marxist usage to denote the process by which money (as signifier of capital) endlessly reproduces itself, that is, the dynamism at the heart of this process. “Capitalism”, on the other hand, is the mode of social being, or kind of society which […]

In the fourth season of the American political drama The West Wing, Martin Sheen’s President Bartlet is preparing for the presidential debate against James Brolin’s Governor Ritchie. Apart from Brolin’s southern accent and immaculate white hair, an aspect of the governor’s strategy that Bartlet’s staff is concerned about is that of lowering expectations. The governor […]

Before answering this question, it is necessary to give some attention to the widely agreed upon evidence that it has been happening for some time, and, moreover, has accelerated. It is hard to know where to start and where to end when it comes to listing relevant “evidence” in this regard, even if there is […]

The Gini coefficient was developed in 1912 by Italian statistician and sociologist Corrado Gini as a means of measuring inequality. Its application is diverse but its most common use is as a means of showing inequality of income within the borders of a nation state. Simply put, it’s a measure of the haves and the […]

Since the unbanning of VoIP in 2004 (viva la revolución!), it has grown from geeky pursuit to mainstream sensation; dodgy calls to carrier-class service. Recently, cheap, copious bandwidth further boosted VoIP, including cloud PBX offerings. But not all VoIP providers are equal, and sometimes the telecommunications link to the local ADSL exchange requires an experienced […]

One of the most emotional issues in South Africa today is that of the licensing, ownership and disposal of firearms. The introduction of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 (Act) has brought with it controversy and resentment from the gun owners of South Africa who are struggling to come to terms with its onerous […]

How prominently does “technology transfer” to developing nations feature in the programme of globalisation? And what impact does it have outside of the West? In the book I have been discussing (Globalization, Technology and Philosophy, edited by Tabachnick and Koivukoski) Trish Glazebrook investigates these questions in light of what she perceives as a puzzling lack […]

The Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Bill is at serious risk of being watered down to such an extent that it is rendered ineffective and meaningless when it comes to preventing consumers from receiving email and SMS spam. The Bill, which has been under discussion since 2009, sets out to establish the minimum requirements for […]

And now, from Auckland New Zealand — head quarters of the Rugby World Cup due to start on September 9 and end on the October 23 — here are the 10 essentials the International Rugby Board says teams must aim to get right if they want to lift the Webb Ellis Cup at the Rugby […]