Over the past couple of years, I’ve been doing a bit of reading on gamification. For those of you who don’t know, gamification is using game mechanics to motivate people to work harder or to buy your product. I’m tempted to say things like leaderboards, points, etc, but I know that at least a couple…
By Terence Mills They tell me that our politicians pulled an all-nighter on Thursday and had to hang around on poets day – a most unusual occurrence – to tidy up some loose ends and for the blokes to find their ties – you can always tell when a male politician is pretending to be…
The object of community in creating and maintaining a stable social and commercial environment for healthy living standards to thrive hangs on the slimmest thread of collective “desire” for such a community to exist. All the best deeds and intentions in the world will be to little avail if there is no desire on the…
By Damian Smith I’ve been reluctant to comment on Pauline Hanson’s noisome remarks regarding autism and schooling. Like wildfire her vacuous bigotry requires oxygen and I am loath give her the attention she so desperately desires. However, there are times when one must stare into the abyss. I have what was once known as Asperger’s…
As our politicians bemoan Australia’s sliding international ranking in standardised testing, calling for a back to basics direct instruction approach, they are ignoring the things that really matter. In 2015, Australia placed first in the Global Creativity Index which ranked 139 nations worldwide on “three Ts” as measures of economic development — talent, technology, and…
I like the Australian cultural habit of telling yarns … and general bullshitting. There is a certain skill in attitude, demeanour and voice-timing to get a good story across. Of course, the oral tradition is the best way for such a personality to tell a yarn, but with the loss of the front-bar culture, where…
By Jane Salmon Piling on against Hanson is hard to resist. She’s under-educated and holds the entire nation back. There is not a vulnerable or minority group she hasn’t tried to isolate or turn the white middle Australian bogan pack on. This is more of the same. However, disability parents owe her thanks for this…
By Keith Davis “I have never had to flee my country in order to save my life. How lucky am I? I have never had to fear being returned to a country where the likely consequence of such an unwanted move would be my death. How lucky am I?” I wrote those words many months…
By Warwick O’Neill Unlike a lot of people who follow the political and media ramblings of this country I like to ensure that I’m informed about issues from as many perspectives as possible. I don’t just stick to the tried and trusted papers and sites which comfortingly reaffirm my point of view and lead me…
By Christopher Kennedy It does not surprise me that young doctors have mental problems at twice the rate of the general population. It was only one hundred and twenty years ago that doctors figured out what the heart did. Two hundred years ago they were also the town barber and surgeon. They had no idea.…