Posts by mrfill

Re: The rise of "It just works"

I too am a retired systems developer and have been the 'computer man' to a couple of 70+ yr old friends for years. Neither is particularly computer literate and up to 10 years ago, they both used Windows and I would get at least a call a month from both as something had gone wrong - nothing serious but just time wasting niggles. I convinced both of them to move over to Linux Mint and even though both were hesitant about change, quickly adapted.

I now get maybe a couple of calls a year about very minor problems and both are quite happy working on some fairly ancient machinery. When I visit now, the conversation rarely mentions computers.

For basic users, Linux is far more suitable for them. It doesn't keep adding unwanted junk or telling you the weather in Burkina Faso and doesn't malfunction with useless error messages. And if it does go wrong is far easier to sort out.

If I was fixing machines as a business I'd despise Linux as it wouldn't even keep the budgie in millet. As you say, it 'just works'....

Re: Weasel Words

Three years ago to the day we had the road dug up for FTTP. I have a point just 3m from my front door but it is useless.

We were in a pilot area (Bungay) which was to be fully cabled as a test bed. Just as the cabling was completed on my estate (200 houses), BT suddenly decided that new connections had to be bid for and our lovely new fibre cabling remains unused as it has not been connected up and I'm stuck on a maximum of 50Mbps. Anybody want a load of unused fibre cable?

Re: why do we accept it?

Yes, I do indeed remember the 1970s when inflation reached 35% under the Heath administration and also remember the 90s when mortgages shot up to 15% after the ERM fiasco and the subsequent property price crash with all the negative equity going on. That was under the Major administration. Labour were only in power in the 70s from 74 to 79 and only 3 years in the 90s (by which time the economy was doing rather well,)

The last 12 years also haven't been exactly financial nirvana and on November 17th its going to get a lot worse.

Re: Like it fine, but . . .

Ideal for the WIndows XP user then...

As many as, when piled up, are as high as Nelson's Column

It could be worse - might be an advert for Dignitas...

Re: Better options

And, of course, the Pi is the size of a packet of fags.

hang on there..

Living in a rural backwater in North Suffolk, I thought that 2225 would be more likely round here. However, the entire town will be FTTH ready by the middle of the year. They did outside my place only last week, No ATM, the Post Office is about to close and buses are as rare as unicorn shit (the last train left in 1953) but *FABULOUS* internet....

You get someone else to carry the shopping. ...

Re: Great OS

... and how about a mention for Ctrl-Alt-Esc to get the skull and crossbones cursor to instantly kill an app without having to sod about with task managers or consoles.

Ctrl-Alt-Backspace to shut down X is also quite a blessing for those 'stuck' apps...

Re: Ummm...

And water is different again. If I want to change my electricity supplier, privatisation means I can get my supply from a variety of companies. I live in Suffolk but if I want Scottish Power, it is no problem.

If I want to change my water supplier, I can't. Where I am I have the choice of Essex & Suffolk water or no water at all. Drainage is done via Anglian Water and if I want to change, again, I can't. If I lived a couple of miles down the road in Norfolk, my water and drainage would be via Anglian.

No competition, just a monopoly, And the advantages of privatising were....?

Re: Hmmm

I doubt that our then Prime Minister, Kim Jon-un, would allow that.

Re: If Microsoft did F1....

Ironically, the Mercedes A160 actually uses a Renault engine.

I can think of a billion reasons.

Re: Meanwhile, in other news ...

Sounds like that part of the software was designed by a Mercedes driver.

I think we're still waiting for the response from the Iraqis, who had no WMD to hide.

Re: When I was 16

Small boys in the park...

... jumper for goalposts

I think you'll find they're actually Audi now.

Re: "The Wall" was never the best Floyd IMHO

In Tour 72, it wasn't called Dark Side. The entire piece was called Eclipse, which ended up being one track name. And I still have the cassette recording I made at the Rainbow Theatre....

Re: Sky Go

BT Sport also uses Silvershite. If they have to change it'll be another excuse to bump up the price.

Re: F1 lost me when

But they still show some live races.

And you pay a licence so I can listen to the excellent 6Music and Radio 4 with no fucking adverts

Re: Ironic

This is being fixed and we expect the revised message "service currently unawesome" to appear shortly.

The problem comes when the other person thinks it is standard to swerve to starboard.....

Re: Next: Immortality

If they offered the men penis extensions, would that balance things?