Posts by Jim 59

Re: Whatever happened to code optimisation?

No. Instead they pull in 10 libraries, which each pull in 3 or 4 others, which link to others which...

Hey presto! Hello World in only 25,000 lines !

Re: Don't stop there

They have no problem fitting Windows 2008 server on a single DVD. Do the same with Win 10. If the user needs to re-install, they re-install. Also offers recovery from failed disk, which on-disk recovery images don't.

Re: Ha

"I have no problem with paying the BBC license fee at all. None whatsoever. It is great value."

I agree, but not paying the fee it is a CRIMINAL OFFENCE. So whether we like it or not is of marginal relevance. When you add up the cost of the 181,000 BBC prosecutions a year, is it still good value ? Judges do not come cheap.

"...politicians whose pockets are being lined by Newscorp to stamp down on the BBC does not help provide a better outcome for the public..."

Again I agree. However, buying products from Newscorp is a choice. You don't get arrested for declining the offer. What we need is a balance. I don't think free BBC gifts for children is part of the balance, and could even be construed as the same sort of bribary you rightly accuse politicians of.

iPlayer was a world leader in streaming for the masses - the BBC website still provides a wealth of excellent educational content..."

A lot of truth there. The less charitable might respond that any organisation, if given billions of pounds for free, might have similar success. Several TV companies have their own iPlayers, which they built from their own sweat in the free market. But the iPlayer is well done, no doubt about it. Congrats to the BBC engineers.

...despite being downsized by the shower of shit that is in government now. There is plenty to be proud of there and plenty for your short-sighted mind to be shamed for.

There is no shame in reasonably critisizing the state or its appointed broadcaster. How does persuing 181,000 of Britains poorest families fit in with the socialist utopia ? Any shame about that ?

"Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, gushed: "This is exactly what the BBC is all about..."

Really ? I thought it was about performing activities pursuant to its charter. What is it doing buying electronics for children, however laudable ?

"...namely bringing the industry together on an unprecedented scale and making a difference to millions..."

What on Earth has the BBC got to do with "bringing industry together" ? And does Hall really believe this to be the electronics industry's biggest ever collaboration ?

"...Just as we did with the BBC Micro in the 1980s"

A second ago he said it was unprecedented.

Unfortunately, neither the BBC nor its reputation are anything like they were in 1982. Today nobody is certain what the BBC is, but what it seems to be is just a great wheeze if you can get on the payroll. Isn't this venture really just about promoting the BBC, and keeping its money-go-round spinning as long as possible ?

Ahh too cynical. Looks like a great device anyway.

1982 Paper round = £5.00

1982 Dragon 32 = £200.

parallel port, cartridge slot, DIN audio, UHF out, serial thingy, joystick, just sayin'

My Dragon 32 had more connectivity that this. Seriously.

Re: What's tiny?

I said 'Net attacks rarely come from Unix servers IMO. But on second thoughts, many civilians are buying Raspberry Pi's these days and putting them on the web in a badly advised manner, eg. running SSH services and the like with no security - and getting hacked. This may be adding to the botnet problem. Against that though, the Pi owner usually scrubs the OS after a few days.

Re: What's tiny?

And in the *20 years* since...

And in the 20 years since Microsoft have single-handedly birthed the entire malware/hacking/virus/botnet culture which dominates today's Internet. After bad-mouthing the 'Net for 5 years, they finally put Windows (NT) on it with virtually NO rigorous security, and history hasn't been the same since. Today, the Internet is infested with bot armies, owing their entire existence to unsecured legacy Windows kit, and millions of lines of legacy MS code in which nasties can hide virtually forever.

"huge unix security holes" don't matter because when discovered they snap shut almost immediately, a natural consequence of community-driven open source. If your server were attacked today, it is unlikely to come from a Unix workstation, and more likely to originate on the Vista laptop of some of some blissfully unaware housewife in Chile or wherever.

Errr... despite the rant I actually agree with you 80%, have an upvote.

Re: Give some thought about all this...

This is not the Saudi government practicing some extreme form of radical Islam. It is the Saudi government killing its opponents and keeping the population oppressed, just like dictators everywhere.

Speak out against the party line and you will be lashed, or shot in the back outside the Kremlin, sent to the Ghulag, machine gunned en-masse, sent to the camp, etc. etc. etc.

An old B/W 14 inch was actually okay for a Dragon 32 or the likes. Low res, bit that was fine when the screen is only 32 characters wide.