Quote of the Day...

"No man was ever wise by chance."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Quote of the Day...

"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet"
Aristotle

Quote of the Day...

"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance"
Anonymous

Lions untamed by the Kiwis…

Great Britain 20 New Zealand 14

Great Britain took on New Zealand tonight in the first of the three test Gillette Fusion series…for 'full match' report and ‘as it happened’ report see... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7063581.stm





Match Summary:
Great Britain
Tries: Fa'asavalu, Raynor, Burgess
Goals: Burrow (4)

New Zealand
Tries: Hape (2), Whatuira
Goals: Hohaia

Half Time:
Great Britain 8 New Zealand 10

Referee: Tony Archer (Australia)

Quote of the Day...

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow"
Anthony J. D'Angelo

Gillette Fusion Test Series 2007: Squad Named...

Gillette Fusion Test Series

Great Britain Vs New Zealand
(all kick offs 6.15pm)

1st Test 27 October
Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield
2nd Test 3 November
KC Stadium, Hull
3rd Test 10 November
JJB Stadium, Wigan


Tony Smith has named his 'Lions' 20 man squad to face the 'Kiwis':
Sam Burgess (Bradford Bulls)
Rob Burrow (Leeds Rhinos)
Gareth Ellis (Leeds Rhinos)
Marie Fa’asavalu (St Helens)
Ade Gardner (St Helens)
Martin Gleeson (Warrington Wolves)
James Graham (St Helens)
David Hodgson (Salford City Reds/Huddersfield Giants)
Adrian Morley (Warrington Wolves)
Terry Newton (Bradford Bulls)
Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors)
Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos)
Leon Pryce (St Helens)
Gareth Raynor (Hull FC)
James Roby (St Helens)
Keith Senior (Leeds Rhinos)
Kevin Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos)
Paul Wellens (St Helens)
Stephen Wild (Huddersfield Giants)
Jon Wilkin (St Helens)

'Ready to Rumble'...but Saints took a tumble...

St Helens 6 Leeds 33
Leeds Rhinos shattered Saints dreams of becoming the first team to lift the double-treble. Leeds were the dominant side and Saints seemed to lack their normal lustre. Leeds burst Saints bubble, outscoring them five tries to one, giving their coach Tony Smith the perfect send-off in his final game before taking up the Great Britain reins.

It wasn't meant to be...but with the Challenge Cup, World Club Challenge and League Leaders trophies in the cupboard you can hardly say that the 'Super Saints' have had a bad season...you can't win 'em all...you're still my champions...see you next season...

Match Summary:
Saints:
Tries: Roby
Goals: Long (0 from 1)

Leeds:
Tries: Webb, Lauitiiti, Donald, Smith, Jones-Bucchanan
Goals: Sinfield (6 from 7)
Drop: Burrow

Half Time:
Saints 6 Leeds 8

Full Time:
Saints 6 Leeds 33

Attendance: 71,352

Saints scoop more awards...

Last night Old Trafford, Manchester hosted the engage Super League award ceremony which saw St Helens born, St Helens and Great Britain hooker James Roby win Super League's engage Man of Steel award. At 21, Roby became the youngest winner of the Man of Steel award in a decade, and the sixth St Helens recipient in the last eight years, following Sean Long (2000), Paul Sculthorpe (2001 & 2002), Jamie Lyon (2005) and Paul Wellens (2006). Only Jamie Peacock (2003) and Andy Farrell (2004) have broken the St Helens monoploy in recent years.

The award is regarded the most coveted individual award in rugby league. The winner is regarded as the player who has made the greatest impact on the 2007 engage Super League season. Roby received the unique Man of Steel trophy and a cheque for £5,000...Roby also won the engage Super League Metre Maker award, the player making the most metres with the ball during the regular season, (he ran for a total of 3,303 metres). He was presented with a trophy and a cheque for £1,000.

Saints Head Coach Daniel Anderson, who has led St Helens to two successive League Leaders Trophies, two Challenge Cups, two Grand Finals and the World Club Championship, retained his title as Coach of the Year. Anderson becomes the first coach to receive the award back-to-back since Wigan's John Monie who was the winner four times from 1990-93.

Click here for report...

Saints are on the road to Old Trafford...Again!...

The Champions held off Leeds Rhinos in the ferocious qualifying Semi-Final at Knowsley Road tonight. It was a tense game with Leeds dominating the second half of the game but Saints held them out to a 10-8 victory, securing a place in the Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 13th 2007 where they will face the winners of Leeds v Hull/Wigan. Click here for the full match report.

Match Summary:
Saints:
Tries: Pryce
Goals: Smith (3 from 3)
Leeds:
Tries: Smith,
Goals: Sinfield (2 from 2)
Half Time: 8-6
Full Time: 10-8
Attendance: 12,064
Man Of Match: Matty Smith (Saints)
Referee: Ashley Klein

Teams
Saints:
1. Paul Wellens; 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Matt Gidley, 4. Willie Talau, 5. Francis Meli; 6. Leon Pryce, 21. Matty Smith; 8. Nick Fozzard, 9. Keiron Cunningham (c), 10. Jason Cayless, 11. Lee Gilmour, 30. Chris Flannery, 12. Jon Wilkin. Subs: 14. James Roby, 15. Mike Bennett, 17. James Graham, 22. Paul Clough.

Leeds:
1. Brent Webb; 2. Scott Donald, 3. Clinton Toopi, 4. Keith Senior, 5. Lee Smith; 6. Danny McGuire, 7. Rob Burrow; 8. Kylie Leuluai, 9. Matt Diskin, 10. Jamie Peacock, 11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan, 12. Gareth Ellis, 13. Kevin Sinfield (c). Subs: 14. Ali Lauitiiti, 18. Ian Kirke, 22. Carl Ablett, 23. Jordan Tansey.

Article Published in JOEUC KMS Special Issue

The Journal of Organizational and End User Computing Special Issue: Interacting With KM Systems, Vol. 1 has been published. Ben Light and myself were lucky enough to have our paper accepted and included in this special issue.

A special thanks to the Guest Editors for their invaluable support and guidance:
Peter Baloh, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Yukika Awazu, Bentley College, USA
Vincent Ribière, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), USA

Title: Users as Developers: A Field Study of Call Centre Knowledge Work

Abstract: We report the findings of a field study of the enactment of ICT supported knowledge work in a Human Resources contact centre, illustrating the negotiable boundary between what constitutes the developer and user. Drawing upon ideas from the social shaping of technology, we examine how discussions regarding producer-user relations require a degree of greater sophistication as we show how users develop technologies and work practices in-situ. In this case different forms of knowledge are practised to create and maintain a knowledge sharing system. We show how as staff simultaneously distance themselves from, and ally with, ICT supported encoded knowledge scripts, the system becomes materially important to the project of constructing the knowledge characteristic of professional identity. Our work implies that although much has been made of contextualising the user, as a user, further work is required to contextualise users as developers and moreover, developers as users.

Citation: Burns, B. and Light, B. (2007). Users as Developers: A Field Study of Call Centre Knowledge Work. Journal of Organizational End User Computing, 19(4), 42-56

Warriors Fight Their Way Into The Playoffs...

Wigan Warriors tackled like demons to keep the Super Saints from denying them a place in the playoffs and were rewarded with a 20- 12 victory. It was Wigan's first win in eight games against St Helens and it was a classic local derby game in front of a 22,031 record crowd at the JJB Stadium.


Match Details:

Saints:
Tries: Talau, Gardner
Goals: Wellens (2 from 3)

Wigan:
Tries: Vaealiki, Leuluai, Colbon
Goals: Richards (4 from 5)

Half Time: 10-6
Full Time: 20-12

Teams:

Saints:
1. Paul Wellens; 2. Ade Gardner, 3. Matt Gidley, 4. Willie Talau, 5. Francis Meli; 6. Leon Pryce, 12. Jon Wilkin; 17. James Graham, 9. Keiron Cunningham, 10. Jason Cayless, 11. Lee Gilmour, 15. Mike Bennett, 30. Chris Flannery.
Subs: 14. James Roby, 18. Bryn Hargreaves, 22. Paul Clough, 23. Maurie Fa’asavalu.

Wigan:
5. Pat Richards; 2. Mark Calderwood, 3. Phil Bailey, 14. David Vaealiki, 23. Liam Colbon; 6. Trent Barrett, 7. ThomasLeuluai; 8. Stuart Fielden, 16. Shane Millard, 10. IafetaPaleaaesina, 19. Harrison Hansen, 12. Bryan Fletcher, 13. Sean O'Loughlin.
Subs: 9. Mickey Higham, 11. Gareth Hock, 18. Paul Prescott, 20. Darrell Goulding.

Another successful season for the Super Saints...

St Helens have again added to the trophy cupboard. Last Friday's game saw a win for St Helens against Warrington at Knowsley Road which secured Saints retaining the League Leaders Shield for the third year running. In adition Paul Wellans was voted Player of the Year. Tomorrow's game is the final game of the season and what a better way to end the season than to play local rivals Wigan...JJB Stadium watch out...The Saints are Coming...

Getting Ready to Rumble...

I'll soon be travelling down to London for the Bank Holiday weekend with Antony and Tracey, and Mark and his mate Glen. We are travelling down for the Carneigie Challenge Cup Final at the new Wembley stadium - we'll be supporting our super team St Helens who play against opposing team Catalans Dragons (who incidently beat us 21 points to nil in the league game last Friday!) leaving us joint top of the Super League with Leeds Rhinos.

We have just spent the last hour booking our train journey and hotel and this year we are staying in the Novotel London Excel. We get there Friday lunchtime so there will be plenty of time to do some sightseeing and drink a few beers on route! Catch a WestEnd show and enjoy an evening meal (and some more beers). Saturday it's the game and then celebrations (win or lose) with friends we have arranged to meet up with... Carole, Juicy Lucy, Bouncing Babs and Antony's bosses and their families, so we are in for a good day and evening what ever the outcome of the game...although if we lose I know we will have to put up with Baz and Adi poking fun...but they are to be excused, they know no better, as they are Wigan supporters! (boo and double boo...just remind me again what position you are in the league table...ah yes that's right you are 8th...need I say more lads!) We'll have more time to sightsee and recover from 'hangovers' before we leave London Sunday evening.

St Helens were the cup winners last year when they beat Huddersfield 42 points to 12...can they claim their 6th Challenge Cup Trophy in 12 years or will the trophy be travelling back to France? Here's hoping so...just one thing left to say...COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!

BlogHer Conference Report...

I have been back home from Chicago for a few days and the third annual BlogHer Conference is now a somewhat distant memory. The Grand Ballroom at the Navy Pier was 'colonized' for two days by 750+ (mainly female) bloggers who write about a myriad of topics on their personal and business blogs such as, technology, politics, sex, healthcare, media, race, food, fashion, art and crafts, beauty and parenting. Being one of only three Europeans attending I did not bump into any familiar faces, but made plenty new acquantencies through networking and it soon became clear that there was a diverse set of bloggers. Listening to the keynotes and some of the session discussions were interesting but there were, without a doubt, a few cringe-worthy moments. On the whole I can honestly say that I didn't learn anything new, and things I did already know about social networking were confirmed.

I have to mention that the 'beauty product freebies' from the promotional sponsor stands were in abundance...will I fit them all into my suitcase, will they tip me over my luggage allowance I ask myself...I have enough beauty products to keep my body perfectly moisturised for a year, and I bet not many people can say that they have been to a technology conference and come away with 'nipple cream' samples, oh and not forgetting the verbal and written information on how to cook your turkey to perfection.

The thing that became most apparent was all these bloggers were hoping that you will join their communities for the right reasons...it's simple really...engage with them because you can bring something to their community and they to yours, and make sure that there is real common ground. If you can do this, and you're involved in it mutually, then you are on the right track and on your way to creating a successful social network community.

Go to http://www.knowandnetwork.org/berylb/weblog/62.html for a full report on the conference sessions I attended.

ABtec scoop first prize again...

ABtec Computer Solutions Computers Ltd defended their title and scooped first prize for the second year running at the Wigan and Leigh Hospice Charity Endurance Race at the Three Sisters Race Circuit on Wednesday 18th July, winning by a clear 2 laps...As winners they'll return to the track for a FERRARI EXPERIENCE - driving a 183mph Ferrari ‘race-bred’ mean machine...Well done Baz, Adi, Ant, Shaun, Warby and Pharps.

Way to go Antony (aka Ant), that's my boy!

Ant Getting prepared...










Ant is ready to rumble...








The track...









Another win for ABtec...











The Teams...









ABtec - Winning Team
Well done lads...left to right: Antony (aka Ant), John (aka Warbs), The Mayor, Paul (aka Pharps) and Adrian (aka Adi)

Property For Sale...

We have recently renovated and modernised South Lodge, Leigh and converted Greenfield Barn, Atherton - both of which are now for sale...


South Lodge, Pennington Hall Park, St Helens Road, Leigh £395,000.00






* DETACHED HOUSE WITHIN PARK GROUNDS

* SYMPATHETICALLY EXTENDED AND REFURBISHED

* HALL, GUEST WC, 3 RECEPTION ROOMS

* NEWLY FITTED KITCHEN, MORNING/BREAKFAST ROOM

* 4 BEDROOMS, LUXURY ENSUITE AND BATHROOM

* DOUBLE GARAGE, SCREENED GARDENS

For further information on this property, email me

and...


Greenfield Barn, Shakerley Lane, Atherton £350,000.00







* FABULOUS BARN CONVERSION WITH HIGH SPECIFICATION

* LOUNGE WITH SEPARATE DINING ROOM

* SPLENDID FITTED KITCHEN WITH UTILITY ROOM

* MASTER BEDROOM WITH ENSUITE SHOWER ROOM

* TWO FURTHER BEDROOMS. FAMILY BATHROOM

* GARAGE, GARDENS, DRIVEWAY. VIEWING A MUST TO APPRECIATE THIS OUTSTANDING PROPERTY

Click here for more information

...INTERESTED IN VIEWING? PLEASE CONTACT:

Millers Estate Agents
57 Lord Street, Leigh
Lancashire, WN7 1BY, England, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1942 606177
Fax: +44 (0)1942 261834

Email: sales@millersproperty.co.uk
http://www.millersproperty.co.uk/home.htm

Viewing strictly by appointment only

A Royal Invitation...

Let me introduce you to my Auntie Mary, now 83 years young. She will be a guest at the Queen’s Garden Party on Tuesday July 17th at Buckingham Palace.
She received her invitation as a reward for the 45 years voluntary and charity work she has done. What an achievement to be recognised for her services… I know that my late mother (her younger sister) would have been swollen with pride, as myself, Antony and Mark are…we’ll be thinking of you. Enjoy your special day, you deserve it!

With Love xxx

GWO Conference and KAN Workshop Update

Well back at work after a hectic time at the GWO conference and KAN workshops.

The workshops went well and I particularly enjoyed the interesting talk by Mike Thelwall of Wolverhampton Univerity on Social Network Analysis (SNA). It was also great to meet up again with Rachel McLean from Manchester Metropolitan University who spoke to the group regarding how her research links in with the KAN project and her interests in online social networking. She will be working closely with us on the project in her 'spare time'. Thanks to everyone who supported the event!

Unfortunately my camera gave up the will to live at the conference and I have had to rely on colleagues and friends to send me photos of the conference and workshops. I'll post them as soon as I get them...

...and here they are




Keele Hall: Garden View



The Workshop

Visiting Oman...

I recently visited Oman and was very impressed by the warm and friendly welcome we received. The Omani peple are very proud of their country and eager to show it off to visitors. One of my colleagues from Salford University was travelling home to Oman the same weekend I travelled out there and offered to show me round Muscat. A safe and beautiful country - it is well worth a visit. I just hope the cyclone didn't leave too much destruction.

Here are a few photographs from my vacation...