Blogging will be back to normal tomorrow evening. On a bit of a break from it.
In the meantime, drop by Damien’s and see how the Data Protection Commissioner’s office can’t protect its landmark yearly report on its website. Pre-publicating a document on a site before release is dicey… You never know who is snooping around.
RTE is reporting that hundreds of files containing confidential patient information have been found dumped in Glounthaune, just east of Cork city. Hundreds of confidential patient files. Hundreds of files that have sensitive information in them. And hundreds of files that could be used against their subjects.
The files contain contact information and data relating to treatment of patients from the 1970s and 1980s. The files cover patients treated in Cork University Hospital (the Cork Regional Hospital) and St. Finbarr’s Hospital. This situation amounts to exposing hundreds of patients to mass identity fraud, and very possibly, blackmail or discrimination. I wonder has anyone fallen victim to this already. If so, will there be recourse against the HSE offer by those affected?
The files were discovered early this week and were brought to the Examiner offices in the city. The HSE has instituted an investigation into the matter. In this era where Bank of Ireland can misplace the information of 30,000 customers or where the Irish Blood Transfusion Service can lose 173,000 files containing patient and donor information.
Every organisation worth it’s salt has a stringent policy regarding the disposal of sensitive patron information. The mind boggles how sensitive patient information can be literally dumped for all in sundry to poke about it. For God sake, one of the most common avenues of identity fraud is old-fashioned rubbish surfing, running through someone’s garbage and picking out old bills or letters with sensitive information. “Opening a hole in the ground and burying documents in the ground, oooo - that sounds safe. It’s cheap, too. Let’s try that.”
This map is from the RPA’s website showing the preferred route of the proposed B2 extension of the Luas Green Line. It’s curious, isn’t it? Previous extension plans showed the Luas branching from Old Connaught Road eastwards towards the town of Bray. This make lots of sense. Bringing a mode of mass transit into a well-populated area.
But look at the branch heading west. Where is it ferrying travelers from? The great unknown? Or perhaps zoned development land devoid of houses at the moment? I’m purely speculating here. It could turn out that this preferred route is planning to connect land not zoned residential. In that case, will the west branch be ferrying cows in and out to Stephen’s Green? Perhaps they like shopping in Dundrum.
The west branch of this proposed extension doesn’t seem to make sense on the maps of today, does it on the maps of tomorrow? And who owns this land? Who stands to benefit here?
The RPA had a public meeting on April 4th to present their plans. The period of public consultation closed last Saturday, April 26th. Unfortunately, I only heard about this yesterday.
Anyone else find the map curious? How is this going to work in reality? Does a branched Luas route mean every Nth tram must follow a different route? Confusing solution, methinks. More details available on the RPA’s B2 Extension page. Here’s the B2 proposal map.
Why is it that Irish customers of O2 are charged for SIM backups of contacts, but UK customers can avail of free backups using O2 UK’s spanking new Bluebook service? So, let’s forget about the free alternatives that phone manufacturers provide via their drivers, I’m looking at O2’s provision of contact backup services to the Irish and UK markets.
Irish customers need to fork out E2.50 to backup 250 contacts initially, and then 50c a pop for each additional backup. In the UK, O2 customers can backup contacts and messages for free using Bluebook and O2’s Contacts service. Of course, there are data costs incurred with pushing up to Bluebook, but availing of the service does not rack up more charges. More double standards given the Paddy Tax whirlwind?
I met so many great people last Saturday night for the first time - Stephen, Stewart, Ken, Pat, Aoife, Jonathan, ManicMammy, Suzy, Nialler9, Twenty and lots more. Met lots of older pals too. Like Marcus, Paul, Clare, Martha, Conor, Maryrose and Elly and many more.
Apologies for the video problems. I’m available to mess up your Christenings, 50th Birthday parties and Wedding dos too. 
Edit: I love this pic of me and Clare. Oh, and Damien - you are the super dooper star. You were very sharply dressed.
Edit 2: I knew I would forget someone… Hello James! Was really nice to meet you, finally..
I wonder what happen if an asteroid hit the Alexander Hotel tonight? Would anyone really notice if 400+ bloggers kicked the bucket? Excusing the big, smoking crater near Trinity, of course.
I’ll be going along, so see you there.
Stuff White People Like. Via Irina.
Dublin is planning it’s own Improv Freeze following NY’s recent one at Grand Central. 4:30pm, this Saturday on Grafton Street for five minutes.
One more reason why Twitter can beat Jaiku for the hearts and minds of microbloggers.. Give him a chance, he’s only warming up.
Tiny Masters Of Today / Yeah Yeah Yeahs with ‘Hologram World’
Anyone else see the irony in having a national Work Life Balance Day on February 29th? I wonder who picked the date. What kind of message does it send?
I’m looking at performance testing at work this week and I came across the ‘Ten Commandments of Killing Server Performance’. It’s an oldie, but a goodie - especially if you are working in testing.
Here’s the abridged version:
I command you to FART. Via Matt.
I haven’t bought into the 4 Hour Work Week idea, but author Tim Ferriss has some hints to help stop you from checking your email in the evenings or at weekends.
There’s a lot of buzz among my nerdy pals about LINQ.
My Bloody Valentine ‘Only Shallow’, because I’m still celebrating that they are coming to the Electric Picnic.
