Bill Thompson (technology writer)
Encyclopedia
Bill Thompson is an English technology
writer, best known for his weekly column in the Technology section of BBC News Online
and his appearances on Click, a radio show on the BBC World Service. He is also an Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow at City University London Journalism Department.
Born in Jarrow
, Thompson grew up in Corby
. He graduated from Cambridge University
in philosophy and with a diploma in computing in 1984. He was a correspondent for the technology programme The Big Byte on BBC Radio
. He began to write for The Guardian
in 1990, and in 1994 went to work there, setting up the paper's website. He left in 1996 to work as a freelance writer and consultant. In November 2009 he took on a role as head of partnership development for Archive Development projects at the BBC, working with Tony Ageh
(formerly of The Guardian
, now Controller of Archive Development at the BBC).
, The Guardians Technology Editor of the change, then covered the incident on BBC News Online
. He remarked,
And although commenting that the IP address
of the "anonymous" edit seemed to be also from somewhere in Cambridge and that
His final thoughts on the issue were summarised as
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
writer, best known for his weekly column in the Technology section of BBC News Online
BBC News Online
BBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
and his appearances on Click, a radio show on the BBC World Service. He is also an Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow at City University London Journalism Department.
Born in Jarrow
Jarrow
Jarrow is a town in Tyne and Wear, England, located on the River Tyne, with a population of 27,526. From the middle of the 19th century until 1935, Jarrow was a centre for shipbuilding, and was the starting point of the Jarrow March against unemployment in 1936.-Foundation:The Angles re-occupied...
, Thompson grew up in Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
. He graduated from Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in philosophy and with a diploma in computing in 1984. He was a correspondent for the technology programme The Big Byte on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
. He began to write for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 1990, and in 1994 went to work there, setting up the paper's website. He left in 1996 to work as a freelance writer and consultant. In November 2009 he took on a role as head of partnership development for Archive Development projects at the BBC, working with Tony Ageh
Tony Ageh
Tony Ageh is currently the BBC's Controller of Archive Development having previously been Controller, BBC Internet, bbc.co.uk.He joined the BBC from the UK listings and information service UpMyStreet in 2002. At the BBC he led the team which devised and developed the BBC iPlayer...
(formerly of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, now Controller of Archive Development at the BBC).
Wikipedia death hoax incident
On the 18 June 2010, Bill Thompson was the subject of a Wikipedia hoax where an anonymous contributor changed parts of his article on Wikipedia to indicate that he was dead, the edit was then erroneously added to with a good faith edit by an established editor. Thompson, after being informed on Twitter by Charles ArthurCharles Arthur
-External links:...
, The Guardians Technology Editor of the change, then covered the incident on BBC News Online
BBC News Online
BBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
. He remarked,
- "I want to reassure you that I'm no less healthy than I was last Friday, still cycling at speed round the streets of Cambridge and looking forward to many more years of technology punditry, future dreaming and good coffee.".
And although commenting that the IP address
IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
of the "anonymous" edit seemed to be also from somewhere in Cambridge and that
- "I've decided I don't really want to know who did this or why and can't see that anything good would come of being aware that someone I know thought it was a good idea to do something that had the potential to cause many people I love and care for pain and distress. "
His final thoughts on the issue were summarised as
- "The great benefits that come from that freedom are so important that we have to allow that sometimes people will do wrong, foolish or hurtful things. I'd much rather have a Wikipedia that tells people I'm dead when I'm not than no Wikipedia at all."
Publications
- Your Own Website Activators series (17 June 1999), Hodder Children's Books, ISBN 0-340-73650-X
- Your Own Chat Room Super.Activ series (21 September 2000), Hodder Children's Books, ISBN 0-340-78482-2
- Homework Busters: How to Use the Internet to Be Top of the Class Internet @ction series (August 2001) Sterling PublishingSterling PublishingSterling Publishing Company, Inc. is a publisher of nonfiction titles, with more than 5,000 books in print. Founded in 1949, it publishes a wide range of nonfiction and illustrated titles in categories which include art, biography/autobiography, body/mind/spirit, crafts, culinary, do-it-yourself,...
ISBN 0-8069-3675-4 - BBC Webwise Column
External links
- Bill Thompson's blog
- Bill Thompson's personal website
- Working 4 an MP has technical support provided by Bill Thompson
- BBC article
- Pair behind first Guardian website back together for BBC Archive