Roj's Interests

Hi this is Roj, the cyberspace pseudonym of Roger Young. This page is dedicated to my interests, both professional and personal.

Personal Projects

I started connecting up my self-built PC and digital components in 1999 when I was able to plug my PC into my NTL cable box for Broadband. When my wife (then my partner) moved in I built another PC and plugged that in to, using a crossed network cable. Later we moved to a new (larger) flat and NTL wasn't able to connect us up, so we switched to ADSL for broadband and obviously I had to get a wireless router because the PCs were now in different rooms. A Sky box followed, then a wireless laptop from work, and also a Playstation 2.

In 2006 it got a lot more fun with a Sky HD box (just in time for the world cup) and an HD TV, plus a home cinema system with surround sound. When I read about the Slingbox (see technology blog) in the Economist Technology Quarterly I realised I could finally connect my PC network up to my digital components, and use the Slingbox to broadcast my TV to whereever I was in the world (so long as I had access to a PC and a broadband connection).

After the birth of our son we added a Sony HD camcorder and a Sony DVD recorder for creating and sending movies to grandparents, but I connected the Sony Recorder up to the Slingbox too. Now I could watch something I had recorded on my recorder's harddrive whereever I was in the world - if I had a PC connection. However my aim is to get a phone with broadband access (by WiFi or 3G) so I can Sling without a PC! [Edit - see my technology blog for more on this.]

Next came a NAS (Network Attached Storage), which is basically a small computer (a Linux server) with a 250Gb hard drive plugged into it, which we use for backing up and sharing files, but I could provide access via the internet to these files. So what more? Well the missing piece is a streaming media player that will play media on our HD TV that has been downloaded from the internet, for example from YouTube or a video on demand service. In the future I think that is how we will watch our media, not by buying DVDs. However I want any streaming media device to use my NAS directly so that we don’t have to leave our PCs on watch everything. I have not yet seen anything that can quite do what I want, but I don’t think it will be much longer now.

[Edit] Still no sign of a streaming media player and HD content - although the Popcorn Hour looks interesting. So I have now bought a HD and blu-ray player, I wasn't planning on getting both, but when the prices of HD plummeted I picked up a cheap player and films and because we enjoy watching HD content I have now bought a blu-ray player too, although I did wait until it was suitably priced.

Also see my Technology Blog.

Research

The following topics mostly relate to my academic research which while still of interest I am not actively pursuing. However after 8 years in industry in the last couple of years I have witnessed the start of the introduction of CSCW, and for the last 2 years I have been the technical lead on a project to implement an EDRM (Electronic Document Records Management) System.

E-commerce

Electronic Commerce refers to using new IT (Information Technology) developments for improving business practices and performance. E-commerce plans are currently being incorporated into many companies' marketing strategies. Tony Blair recently appointed the first e-minister, and said that 'if you do not see the internet as an opportunity it will be a threat.' For more information and have a look at my E-commerce page.

CSCW

Computer Supported Co-operative Work, means using Computer Mediated Communication (Groupware) to do Groupworking, with group members typically at Geographically Distributed Locations. There is a lot of research in this area, both academic and business, that has a lot of potential for improving working processes. The main commercial products available today are: Lotus Notes and Domino, Netscape Communicator, Novell GroupWise, Microsoft Exchange, and the non-commercial BSCW.

CVEs

An advancement of the ideas of CSCW is the development of Collaborative Virtual Environments, here instead of tools to replace the features of current meetings, the Virtual Environment replicates the way we act in meetings at the moment. For more information and references have a look at my MSc dissertation on the Publications page.

SF

Science Fiction, the ultimate in futuristic development, here participators are not limited by the physical problems of modern day science. My personal favourites are:

Authors

• Ian M Banks (Player of Games, Against a Dark Background and many others)
• Neil Stephenson (Snowcrash, Cryptonomicon, Diamond Age)
• Phillip Pullman (His Dark Materials Trilogy)
• Kim Stanley Robinson (Mars Trilogy - Red, Blue & Green)
• Douglas Adams (HGttG and Dirk Gently series)
• Robert A. Heinlen (Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers, etc.)
• Brian Aldiss (Helliconia trilogy)
• Frank Herbert (Dune series)

TV & Film Franchises

• Star Wars (Creator: George Lucas)
• Babylon 5 (Creator: J Michael Straczynski)
• Red Dwarf (Creators: Rob Grant, Doug Naylor)
• Star Trek / New Trek (Creators: Gene Rodenberry, Rick Berman)
• Alien (DR: Ridley Scott, James Cameron. Art: HR Giger)
• Battlestar Galatica (New series)

Sport

A lot of my interests and activities are sport related, as are most of my achievements, here are details of my sports and teams, also see my Sport Blog.

Squash

I have been playing squash since '88 and am finally getting the hang of it. I play for the Manchester Northern LTSC in the North West Counties League. In the past I have also played for Regents SC and Challow Country Club in the Oxfordshire League, and Southampton and Nottingham Universities, in the UAU / BUSA and Hampshire / Nottinghamshire Leagues respectively.

Baseball

I playing baseball from '97 to 2008 for the for the Manchester Baseball Club. The first 2 seasons with the Stretford / Manchester A's, then since its creation I have played, managed and helped in the running of the first team the Manchester Eagles (FKA the Express). The Eagles play in the Northern National League, the A's are in the league below this one (the league name changes regularly), and nowadays I turn out for whichever teams needs me more. I first became interested in baseball when I spent the summer of '93 in Vancouver working at the Vancouver Canadians' baseball ground. They were a minor league team who play in the Pacific Coast League Class: AAA - affiliated to the Anaheim Angels, but have since been moved to another city.

Saints FC

For all my sins I support Southampton Football Club, while not quite the best team in the world they are a great team to follow, producing some great highs and a few lows that make you appreciate the highs all the more. They do of course have the most gifted player in the league in Matt Le Tissier, who always keeps you guessing what he'll do next.

Cricket & Glos CCC

I have followed Gloucestershire County Cricket Club for even longer than the Saints, since I was 6 in fact. Not a team of great individuals, although recently they still had the best wicket keeper in the world in Jack Russell, and for while they won just about everything going. It started in the 2000 season with the Super Cup, their first trophy for 22 years, then a complete set of all the knock-out cups and the Sunday League too. A late charge in the County Championship nearly saw promotion clinched as well. I am currently taking a break from playing regularly. I have been playing club cricket since '83, but I last played in the '98 season for Heaton Mersey in the Cheshire League. I still occasionally turn out for the odd social work team. I will probably start playing again, but mosty likely when / if we move back down south and then I can play village cricket again - like when I started out, hopefully for my old Cotswold village sides Adlestrop and Shipton-Under-Wychwood.

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