A new series on protocol design by Itamar Shtull-Trauring (of Twisted fame) on xml.com. The first article covers the theory behind handling payload (ie, freeform non-protocol) data. I wish a few people I've worked with before had read this article - I've had to work with protocols where you couldn't determine success or transport failure, and it's not pretty.

The IDLELO Conference preparation is progressing. I submitted two abstracts on the day before submissions closed: ``Building open communities with web log technology'' and ``Development Good Practise using Open Source Software''. A nearly-final programme went up last night.

Last night I went to the CLUG AGM, which began with a talk about Linux games, progressed to an unchallenged revoting-in of the existing committee and an extra member, and much pizza and drinks. Only one (koules) of my favourite games (Kobo, Critical Mass, and Rock Dodger) were covered, but it covered a wide variety (Thanks Marc!). Nice quality Open Source chatting outside with pizza, as well as just general chatter. Catching up, was at the SLUG's first AGM on Saturday where the first committee was voted for.

An open listing of Africa-related weblogs, BlogAfrica ``is a project designed to increase the numbers of people blogging in and about Africa and to increase the visibility of weblogs about Africa''. The BlogAfrica Catalog is hosted by African news provider allAfrica.com, one of the collaborators on the project. PS: If anyone wants to sponsor $2500 to send me to Ghana to teach people blogging...

Dan Geer's dismissal from security firm @stake may have seemed a good idea at the time to placate Microsoft, but it showed Dan's commitment to what he had helped researched to be the truth about the monoculture that Windows has created. This wasn't a personal attack, nor was it jealousy, nor indeed some open source ploy for some cheap points off Microsoft - it was a security professional with over 30 years of security research experience performing some thinking and research into the security problem of today. eWeek's Integrity at Stake discusses how this may backfire on @stake - they can be seen to be lacking integrity by having a company policy not to mention security problems their customers may have, and thus may not be providing the best service to all their customers. ``If patients suspect that a doctor is prescribing medication not because patients need it but to maintain a good relationship with a drug company, that doctor's practice would justifiably suffer. In IT security, the same principle should apply: The burden of proof is on those whose livelihood depends on the trust of others.''

Back from a marking hiatus, Barry is back with a good summary of recent Windows security problems and related news coverage entitled More Microsoft Security Woes. Great stuff.

Paul Vecchiatto was invited to the SSIG meeting on Privacy Issue Paper, and wrote it up for ITWeb.

This morning I (bleary-eyedly at 9am) attended a SLUG meeting on the programming part of SLUG's curriculum development plans, as discussed previously. Next week the teachers are meeting to discuss what they want; this meeting tried to lay some ground rules and broad architecture. I felt there were a few suggestions otherwise, the end result was a loose open sourcesque development plan. Bumped into Charles Oertel there.

Another infected individual! Guy Taylor's conversion (no, not that one, unfortunately. Yet.) is probably not my fault. Not quite a blog, but Tim Allen's The Node has prose and poetry of 100 words, some of it rather good.

Last night the SSIG met at Old Mutual to discuss the SA Law Commission Privacy & Data Protection Issue Paper (which ultimately, hopefully, will get honed into an act). Lance Michalson and Derick Swart were there as part of the panel. I didn't read the issue paper in depth beforehand, but it appears noone really did. I really should - it seems I'm something of a privacy zealot, and that this might be a good way to protect my privacy in law in just two years time...