Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Ian Martin’s article (Courier, October 16) warning that the business world is becoming increasingly concerned about the risks associated with social media misuse in the office should make us all pause and reflect.
The growing use of social media may be of great concern to some but to those businesses involved in building and supplying data storage centres, it is proving to be a real bonanza.
Since 2010, billions of dollars have been invested to building storage facilities in places like Prineville, Oregon, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
It is a rather uncomfortable thought that their purpose is to collect, store and analyse the endless global flow of personal information, plus business data relating to our telecommunications, tweets, Facebook, internet searches, purchases and so on.
In January 2011, concern was shown by the parliamentary authorities at Westminster regarding the use of Twitter during Commons debates and a move was made to ban this practice.
However, their advice would not appear to have been heeded, as, in October 2011, a vote was taken: 206 MPs for, 63 against. The use of electronic devices and tweeting is now permitted in the chamber where parliamentary business is debated and conducted.
Marion Lang.Westermost,Coaltown of Callange,Ceres.
Old enough to know better
Sir, – I am writing in response to Mr Kennedy’s letter “Freedom, Via Hollywood” (October 17).
As a young person (19), I have a number of friends who left school at the age of 16 and 17 and went on to careers in the armed forces.
I agree that the majority of people that age are easily influenced and probably not mature enough to vote in government elections; however, I do think if they have the courage and are deemed mature enough by the government to step forward and serve their country, they should be allowed to have a say in the way it is run.
Independence may also change the way universities and employers go about their business, affecting the education and employment prospects of 16 to 18-year-olds and we all know how bad it is at the moment.
Joel Devereux.Bingham Terrace,Dundee.
One more for the road
Sir, – I find it rather disturbing that David Cameron would agree to a vote with a yes or no answer that could effectively break up the country but will not give the British people a vote on exiting the European Union. That smacks of double standards and a refusal to listen to the British people.
Mr Cameron should call a referendum on Europe at the same date as the independence referendum in Scotland; that would be fair to the country as a whole.
Gordon Kennedy.117 Simpson Square,Perth.
The price of an education
Sir, – John Thomson (Letters, October 8) said university education ”must be free at the point of need”. The policy of graduate contribution means exactly that. No one pays a single penny to go to university.
Only when they are in a job, earning a reasonable salary, do graduates, under the proposal, then pay back some of the cost of their education. If they never achieve a reasonably-paying job, they will not pay anything for having attended university.
People, on average, who attend university earn £100,000 more over their lifetime than those who don’t. Surely it’s fair the better off pay more than the poor?
It is also a far better system than that under the SNP, where bursaries for the students from low and middle incomes have been cut by £1,300 and students loans commensurately increased.
Stewart Whyte.25 Cromie Acres,Westhill,Aberdeenshire.
Let the blazers take the blame
Sir, ““ I am not particularly interested in football but it seems we again have the manager’s scalp on the line for Scotland”s failure.
The manager can only work with the players he has available. The real problems lie with the SFA and the rest of the blazers who manage football in this country.
The Rangers fiasco illustrated very well the shambolic management and lack of direction within football in Scotland.
The SFA should be looking at its own competence.
The lack of structure for skill training to bring on youngsters, and the lack of coordination of growth at grass-roots level are down to the SFA management.
Don’t let them fob us off with the usual excuses of lack of resources, lack of money. I have seen Greek youngsters playing on brick-hard pitches. Serbia, Croatia and many more countries have endured bloody revolutions in recent decades.
All of them can beat Scotland in providing more skilled players and will probably end up contesting the World Cup.
The SFA must look at itself, its structure, and what it brings to the table instead of continually looking for fall guy managers.
Lindsay Johnston.Gauldry, Fife.
The kindness of strangers
Sir, – As a disabled lady in a wheelchair, I would like to acknowledge the fantastic treatment I had in the indoor market in the Hilltown.
When I dropped a £5 note, a young man on a stall handed it straight back to me. I am so delighted there are still honest people in the world.
Agnes Stevenson.Clepington Road,Dundee.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.