Clarke’s Third Law, and the NACAA web site

Presenter(s): Stephen Russell

Affiliation(s): NACAA, ASNSW

Session details: Sunday, 2014-04-19 23:00:00, Vienna

Abstract

Clarke’s Third Law states that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The author has been reminded of Arthur C. Clarke’s wisdom on multiple occasions while managing the NACAA web site.

As happens in most organisations, people are quick to complain when things on the NACAA web site don’t work the way they expect. The problem usually turns out to be unrealistic expectations: to many users, the web site is “magic”, so all things are possible with no more than a wave of the webmaster’s magic wand. Alas, that’s not true.

This talk will present why the NACAA web site had to be upgraded for 2014, the trials and tribulations of achieving this, and the interesting problems that still remain. Hopefully the talk will explain some of the “advanced” technology involved, and demystify some of the magic.

The author also hopes this talk will encourage one or two apprentice wizards to step forward and help maintain and upgrade the magic … sorry, technology.

Biography

Stephen Russell has a long association with NACAA, going back to Wollongong in 1970. He served as the first National Secretary in 1975-6, and more recently as General Secretary of NACAA Inc from 2008 to 2014. He also volunteered in 2006 to set up the NACAA web site, thinking the job would only last for a year or two. Alas, his retirement from this job is still not in sight.