Posts by Senor Beavis

IPv6 is built to be better, but that's not the route to success

It's just another thing

IPv6 for common-or-garden networking is ... well ... just another thing. Once you get used to it, the hex notation becomes memorable in its own way.

I agree with the article author in that there's little that jumps out as a compelling reason to make the move - but that's perhaps a good thing. For common use cases, there's nothing in IPv6 to scare the horses.

The biggest issues I've had with IPv6 so far have been crappy software apps that freak out when a DNS entry ONLY resolves to an IPv6 address (i.e. not expecting 0 IPv4 addresses). Everything else, from network firewalling to VPN to DNS to server setup has been frankly a non-event, which is just what I want.

I'm sure I'm not running anywhere near as complex a network as some of the other illustrious commenters on this page, so I'm not going to say the transition is without any effort. But even if you don't need to, I would encourage you to start running IPv6 on top of your existing IPv4 network, just to build familiarity. And more widespread adoption may encourage more application frameworks (*cough* Node.js *cough*) to fix their broken software.

LOL ;-) UK govt 2 pay £39m 4 txt msgs 4 less thn 2 yrs

Re: Sigh...

Probably a fair bit cheaper than each department sending only letters in far greater quantities, on individually-negotiated supplier contracts. Think of the trees! (And the cost of postage...)

Parliament is building a new website – and it doesn't want GDS anywhere near it

Separate digital service from GDS

So that would be like every other department's digital service, then.

GDS is the Cabinet Office's digital service. It defined the approach (taking best research, design and development practices from the private sector); it also helped all the departments and agencies to consolidate their content from hundreds of separate sites onto a single GOV.UK site.

Other departments and agencies, like DWP, Dept of Health, HMRC. Home Office, Ministry of Justice, DVLA and many others each have their own separate digital services. While they follow the lead and template set by GDS, they are separate entities, with their own respective budgets and operating in their own way.

Parliament is doing exactly the same thing. So this is perfectly normal - whether it's a good or a bad thing entirely depends on how well Parliament do their research, design and implementation.

Digital Transformation Office CEO's record reveals project wobbles

Fact checking

It's fair to call out poor performance on government projects - it is the taxpayers' money after all - but some basic fact-checking would enhance the credibility of this article.

Shetler headed up the Ministry of Justice Digital team, which ran several projects including the four transformation exemplars noted. However he did not have responsibility for all IT projects within the wider Ministry of Justice, and none of the projects you mention in your article. It's misleading to judge his track record on the basis of projects in which he had no direct involvement.

These projects (Common Platform, FITS etc.) are being run by a combination of the Ministry of Justice Technology team (separate and different to Shetler's MOJ Digital team) and the various autonomous agencies within the Ministry of Justice (National Offenders Management Service (NOMS), HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), Legal Aid Agency (LAA)).

It's not as if the work of Shetler's MOJ Digital team is particularly secret - they been blogging about it regularly for the last few years at https://mojdigital.blog.gov.uk/. You've heard of Google, right?

'Untidy' Shoreditch just CONFUSES American techies - Olympic hub team

Re: Ugh, more nonsense

Your farting fixation aside, what the London start-up scene has going for it is that it's willing to take more risks (hence more failures), moves more quickly, and is better at self-promotion. Where it falls down are the countless start-ups that are aping existing successful ideas, but in different niche markets, or that are basically solving a problem nobody has - a problem not just confined to London companies.

On the other hand, the Cambridge scene has some tremendously intelligent academics attempting to commercialise their research. However, to generalise wildly, they're too risk-averse, slow-moving and mostly unable to articulate simply the benefits of their product to their markets. Hence very few companies succeed globally, despite the strength of their product. Being called "the best-kept secret on the internet" isn't meant to be a badge of honour. And they're equally susceptible to creating products that solve problems nobody has.

Now if some bright spark can figure out a way to combine the best aspects of these two technological hotbeds, then we're looking at a far more interesting proposition. Plus they have the advantage of being comparatively close to each other.

[I write from experience of working in both Cambridge and London software companies - as I've no direct experience of Silicon Glen or M3 corridor, I've chosen not to comment either way]

Boffins KALQ-u-late the ultimate 'board for two-thumb tablet tappers

Latin pedantry

If you're gonna use Latin, get it right - pollices is the plural of thumbs, as any fule kno. And yes, I'm also absolutely certain that nobody gives a f**k.

Reader input required: review our reviews

Useful

Like the '10 best ...' articles - usually when I'm in the market for something, understanding how it stacks up against its contemporaries in terms of price, features and performance is darn helpful.

While the automated benchmarks, particularly for phones, are all very nice for pretty graphs, what I'm really after is whether it works in real life, i.e. for typical mixed usage during the day, does the battery need charging at lunch? Or does the phone catch fire when attempting to flick from browsing to email to twitter, and so on?

The thinly-veiled reprints of corporate press releases are frankly worthless from an information and journalistic point of view. I want YOUR opinion because it's not the vendor's.

Be more irreverent. That is all.

Google threatens Chrome address bar with death

OMG Ponies!!!

That is all

Icelandic ash cloud to keep UK skies closed 'til Saturday

Ash, schmash

What about the gigantic squirrel threatening UK and mainland Europe?

New road made from pigsh*t in Missouri

Nyurrrr

"skidmarks" - made me giggle like a child again

Newsnight tries banalysis 2.0 for Prime Ministerial debates

Um, here's a word...

cock

Cambridge Uni cheerleaders in naming FAIL

Not the worst Cambridge Uni naming decision...

There was of course the ill-fated Netball Team

Freeview website titsup ahead of big retune

ITV3 & ITV4

How can I ensure I'm one of the 400,000?

Royal Society of Chemistry defines perfect Yorkshire pud

@Mad as a Bat

I'm now copying and pasting the recipe using a "Peeee Ceeeee", thereby providing the heretofore absent IT angle

Firefox hits 20% share as testers tickle 'pr0n mode'

"Wipe clean tool"

A pun too far?

Dell files patent office application for 'cloud computing'

Keep up at the back

First used the phrase in 2007? Has El Reg been shirking off school for a cheeky fag behind the bikesheds rather attended IT Buzzphrase classes with the malodorous Mr Jenkins?

Minus 10 house points. And stop chucking spit balls at Miss Bee - you'll only give her issues in later life.

North Carolina targets WTF licence plates

Bored

Having a slow Friday - can El Reg invent some news, please?

Facebook takes a break

Gone to the zoo

Could "gone to the zoo" replace "outage" in all IT-related announcements, please? It would brighten up my day no end...

Phoenix spies probable Martian water ice

Holy crap

Screw the ice discovery - what ungodly animal made those rectangular footprints so close to the lander? YOUR CAMERA NEEDS TO LOOK UP NOT DOWN

[Nurse? Is it time for my meds?]

Sixth British Columbia stray foot a hoax

I bet the shoe's on the other foot, now

That is all

Or possibly it should give the cops paws for thought

I thank you

Oxford tops Blighty university rankings

Funny...

Thought Hull would have had a better showing. Oxford's a complete dump.

Mine's the one that is so cunning you can brush your teeth with it.

Firefox record breaker sets the date

See YOU next Tuesday

Cheeky bast**ds, the lot of you

Angry? Try the Tw*t-O-Tron

Fecked

Message now on IYLISMWDYGLT:

"It's broke cos there's fecking millions of you coming to look at it.

"I mean, I'm not going to start actually PAYING proper money to host this. And adverts are shit. So you'll just have to wait until the load dies down a bit, then I'll put it back.

"In the meantime, why not go and sign a petition or chain yourself to some railings. Go on. It's about time you did something useful.

"Maybe you should go and read something on Media Lens or sign up for their Media Alerts."

Apple's Snow Leopard to cut the bloat from Mac OS X

That's snow leopard, it's a hyena

That is all. I believe that's my coat and taxi

Police probe pirate-DVD detecting dog's demise

How the...?

Sad news about the mutt, but I'm intrigued: how does a pirate DVD smell different to a legit one? I'm genuinely interested if anyone knows how the dogs can be trained to differentiate.

Blighty joins killer robot club with Afghan strike

SuperNAP?

"The stick-jockeys in charge of takeoff and landing are physically present near the runways in theatre, but the robot killers are handled in action from facilities near Las vegas."

Wild speculation, I know, but could the Las Vegas location be the Switch SuperNAP, by any chance, given it's teeming with ex-mil staff already?

Asus offers Brits Eee PC 900 battery swap plan

Screw the battery - let's focus on the real story

I approve of new Eee PC girl, and it looks like she's on the way to getting drunk.

French FNARRista speed-cam bomber scores own goal

What a twat

That is all

ISS toilet fails to suck

"heralded by a 'loud noise'"

The mind boggles. Was it a yelp of pain during an explosive bowel movement?

Presumably freeze-packed vindaloo has now been taken back off the supplies manifest?

I would have worn the one with pebble-dashing on the back, though I've had it burned for reasons of basic health and safety.

NASA's Phoenix braces for Sunday touch-down

13,000mph -> 5mph

The boffins should have researched London buses before designing the lander. Bus drivers appear to be able to decelerate from extremely high speeds to a stop without warning at nearly every bus stop based on my observations of flying shopping bags, kids' buggies and old ladies.

Mine's the one with scuff marks and blood on it.

Tories show they're ready for government...

El Reg Party (2)

Right - that's three votes for the El Reg party. And that's at least twenty more than UKIP and Veritas apiece.

El Reg Party

Dear El Reg,

I am fighting off waves of despair at the thought of having to choose between the range of incompetent, directionless buffoons that collectively call themselves political parties. At least the Monster Raving Loony Party is transparent in its purpose.

In order to prevent my current option of writing c**t in the box adjacent to each candidate in the next general election, may I propose that El Reg forms a party whose manifesto is clear:

1. Flying cars by 2015

2. Scrap ID cards

3. Sort out NHS IT

4. Mandatory encryption of public data before transport

5. Specific entertainment budget for MPs to engage in off-colour activities, possibly involving alcohol, football shirts, wildlife and hidden cameras, mainly for the general amusement of the voting public. Hey, it's going to happen regardless, so you might as well be up-front about it, right?

This helpful move would allow me to vote for a group of people I felt at least lived on the same planet as I did. Though you could get amanfromMars to write your press releases to confuse stupid people.

Hugs,

Senor Beavis

xx

BBC's Today Programme shutters message board

@ Greg

Genius site. Do you share my view that the posts in the site were in fact originally authored by TVGOHOME?

Gosh, isn't it always illiterate, narrow-minded f**k weasels who have the time to respond to articles?

Thus spake the Moderatrix

@ Andrew Oakley

Usenet Oracle vs The Moderatrix - FIGHT

No contest, in my opinion. The Moderatrix wins on the following counts:

1. Is female

2. Is not beardy

3. Does not think wearing shorts to work is an acceptable fashion choice for men

4. Does not collect ancient Sun kit

5. Fights dirty

Cease and desist before you get spanked.

Happy POETS day, all.

Life a mess? The Moderatrix can help

Good morning - It's Groundhog Day !

Reg Comments seems to be taking on a life of its own. However most of the time it's just like Groundhog Day with the same content regardless of the story.

Can we have a clear classification system for posters?

The "Me Too" - Nothing to say so I'll agree with someone else just to get a posting on the board.

The "Knocker" - Doesn't know the subject that well but that smug know-it-all who does needs taking down a peg or two!

The "Last one Laughing" - Take everything literally and suffers a total humour failure

The "First Past The Post" - Reads every other word in 10 sec flat and posts inflammatory drivel in a surge of adrenalin.

The "Troll" - The traditional stirrer position

There are more of course. I think this system could really streamline the comments

:o)

DARPA reveals 2009 hyperplane test schedule

@Stu Reeves

What a swizz. It's clearly a Python from Elite, which means you'll always see it running away from you as you laser its ass.

Mine's the one with "Right On Commander" on the back

Vultures crash out of the Indian skyscape

Just wanted to use the icon

That is all

O2 PR calls Reg readers 'techie nerds'

O2 PR staff in can't-use-telephone-equipment shocker

Presumably Bill Ray has forwarded a courtesy copy of this article to the PR droids' boss, so he/she knows who should be up against the wall first when O2 begins to haemorrhage customers?

I believe this coat belongs to O2...

Asus avoids Atom to get next Eee PC out early?

coming first

Childish but funny. Carry on.

How an app called WarmTouch nailed a grenade-stockpiling cyber extortionist

Disguise your emails

In the same way as you would distort your voice on phone calls, run your email through google translation tools to a foreign language and back again, or ideally something offline now I think a bit about it. Master crim I am not

Galaxy's smallest known black hole discovered

Measuring diameter of black holes

"Hold me legs while I get me tape measure out"

Reg April Fools '08

reality distortion field

By the end of yesterday I had no fookin' clue which were real stories anymore. So I went to the pub and drank to forget. Photo of me later attached

First permitted in-flight mobile call made

I concur

Mobile phone calls may only be taken outside the aircraft. That is all

T5 opening turns into Airplane 3.0

WHOOO! Go UK

Yet another commendable success to show our European neighbours.

Unless it's a French conspiracy to scupper our football and air travel to make Sarko look good.

And remind me, we're planning to build a shed-load of nuclear power stations? Is anyone else considering moving to the Southern Hemisphere before they come online?

El Reg offers cut-and-paste comments service

I for one

I for one welcome our new cut-n-paste comment overlords

LG's slider promises 'feel of human skin'

Ewwwwww

Feeling like cold, dead skin can't be a selling point, surely? Ick

Marathon ships He-Man virtual machine protector

Holy shit

amanfromMars' comment made sense. You are not amanfromMars

Mega-mortuary creaks open its doors in Westminster

Free autopsy

I recall a story of an eminent forensic who used to say to rookie cops during their first attendance at a post-mortem examination that anyone found horizontal would be treated to a free autopsy...

Supermarket loses 4.2 million credit card details

TJ versus TK

Why in the name of all that is holy is it TJ Maxx stateside and TK Maxx in Brit land?