http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/colin-jacobs/ Colin Jacobs is a self-styled IT insider, commentator and policy junkie. A six-year tour of duty in Silicon Valley resulted in a profound interest in internet technology and how it intersects with society, the law, and politics. Travels in China, North Korea and deepest, darkest Canberra only cemented this view. He is a regular contributor to discussions on online issues in print and broadcast media. With a background in Stalinist history, astronomy and internet development, Colin also actively pursues interests in foreign languages and green politics and talks about them to anybody who will listen. Colin is currently Chair of Electronic Frontiers Australia, a grass-roots organisation defending the rights of Australian internet users. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-threat-of-job-cuts-is-a-smokescreen/ There are a lot of tricks and short cuts taken in modern discourse, with its short attention span and abundance of professional spin doctors. In particular, when discussing policy there is a certain word which is often uttered as if it was magic spells that can silence one’s detractors. The word is “jobs”. It is increasingly favoured by politicians and rent-seeking lobby groups, but are we finally becoming too skeptical for it to work? Whenever the debate turns to an economic issue, this word is sure to surface early on in the rhetoric for or against any proposal. It is implicit in such an argument that whichever decision creates more jobs must be the right one. Unemployment is, after all, a calamity we would hardly wish on our worst enemy. The more jobs, the better things must be for Australians and our economy. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Colin Jacobs) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-threat-of-job-cuts-is-a-smokescreen/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-threat-of-job-cuts-is-a-smokescreen/#item4896 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:55:47 +0000 Colin Jacobs | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politicians-struggling-to-cope-with-that-interwebby-thing/ Besides liking to get their picture in the newspaper, the politicians of the world have something in common: They are struggling with the internet. Not just how to set up wireless on their laptops, or how to clear incriminating sites from their browser histories, but how to regulate information itself. In almost every country on earth, the free access to the world’s data is causing embarrassment, consternation and even panic. And the lawmakers are reacting. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Colin Jacobs) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politicians-struggling-to-cope-with-that-interwebby-thing/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/politicians-struggling-to-cope-with-that-interwebby-thing/#item4742 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:55:27 +0000 Colin Jacobs | Author bios | The Punch