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Karen Woods

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18th century letters from Jamaica posted online give new insights into slavery

Historian and Senior Lecturer Dr Christer Petley has used digital technology to create an online teaching and research resource about slavery in the British Caribbean in the 18th century. Slavery and Revolution showcases the letters of a wealthy and powerful landowner in Jamaica. The website uses a blogging format to explore the world of Simon Taylor (1738-1813), a slaveholder and plantation owner who lived on the island during a period characterised by revolution, war, and imperial reform. Continue reading →

Why academics ought to use social media

The University of Southampton's Head of Multidisciplinary Research Guy Poppy has been getting to grips with social media. He tweeted and blogged about his visit to Rio+20, the UN conference on Sustainable Development. I caught up with him on his return to Southampton. To listen to our interview and find out what Guy thinks about social media, listen here. Continue reading →

Can maths keep the lights burning

Mathematicians are teaming up with engineers to keep the lights on across the world. Jacek Brodzki gave fascinating account of how careful calculation could stop massive cross-border blackouts at the last must-attend Digital Economy lunch at the University of Southampton. Dare we say it, the Professor of Pure Mathematics electrified his audience by outlining how you can come up with new ways of isolating transmission areas if the worst happens, through the ingenious use of maths. Continue reading →

Social media in the business world

The next generation of sophisticated digital marketing professionals are learning their trade at the University of Southampton. And many of them look set for glittering careers, if you ask me! Slightly nervous third year students have been trying their hands at being social media consultants, thanks to an innovative module at the Management School. Continue reading →

How can you tweet in Chinese?

Management School PhD student Ring Xu fascinated university staff and students interested in developments in the digital economy with her presentation on what’s happening now in social media in China. More than 513 million people use the internet in her country. But that impressive figure is dwarfed by China’s total population of 1.4 billion and means around a third of Chinese people are currently online. Most are under the age of 30. Continue reading →

It’s not just technology

Are today’s laws adequate for the digital economy? Roksana Moore from the University of Southampton is looking at privacy, IP and regulation across international boundaries as part of her lecturing duties. She’s teaching students about these matters both within the Law School and in the Doctoral Training Centre for Web Science as part of ILAWS, the Institute for Law and the Web at Southampton. Continue reading →

Tweeting Theo is good news for business

The University of Southampton has so many enterprising and tech-savvy students. Third year BSc Management student Emilie Prior told me how she put her digital marketing skills to good use by impressing business expert Theo Paphitis with a creative tweet. Every week, the entrepreneur, best known for appearing on BBC TV’s Dragon’s Den, holds Small Business Sunday on Twitter (#sbs). Continue reading →

In the footsteps of Captain Scott

A hundred years ago this month, Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his band of polar explorers were heading back across the ice after failing to become the first to reach the South Pole.  You can follow his heartbreaking journey on twitter as supplies run low and the end nears. Extracts are taken from Scott’s diaries and posted on the corresponding days. Management School Colleague Dr Lorraine Warren signed up to follow Captain Scott some weeks ago but found the postings difficult to endure. Continue reading →

How will we be working in years to come?

If you want to know .... the University of Southampton is the place to be later this month when experts from several disciplines discuss the future of work in the digital economy. Who will gain and who will lose? What can we expect from our careers in 50 years time? Professor Susan Halford from Social Sciences spoke to lunchers at the Digital Economy Strategic Research Group this week to explain more. Continue reading →