* Posts by Steve Browne

209 publicly visible posts • joined 26 Apr 2007

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HSBC e-payments system goes titsup

Steve Browne
Thumb Down

Bit more to it than that

I couldn't get any money out of a cash point machine on Friday or Saturday and had to drive to the next town to get to a HSBC one.

So, whatever they were doing was rather more widespread than just the payments system.

Mobo maker builds 'powerless' processor cooling fan

Steve Browne
Happy

I love this business!

Where else can you continually reinvent things and be acclaimed for it.

How about a bimetallic generator, which emits current as it heats up and use the current to drive a small fan. I actually think fans are rather passé and that a punkah could waft air over the chip, so cooling it and automatically switching off when it has cooled sufficiently to generate enough current to run it.

Heath Robinson lives on in all of us!

Apple sued over iPhone caller ID

Steve Browne
Paris Hilton

Caller id

The problem here is that caller ID has been around ever since crossbar exchanges were invented, 19th century anyone? The originating exchange would send the calling number to the receiving exchange in a 2 out of 5 code. I used to read teh relays that stored the number! (They are number 0, 1, 2, 4, 7 and you add the two digits together for the relays operated, and if you get 11 subtract 1 giving 0. (Think about it).

In the 1980s they started sending this information down the receiving line too, so a phone equipped to receive the signal could display the number of the incoming call. Now, looking this number up in a local address book is a patentable idea? I mean, weren't people doing this anyway?

I despair of reading these articles. I have to think there is something seriously wrong when such a non idea can be patented. I mean, what else are you going to do with a phone number? other than look it up in a directory to find out to whom it belongs. Innovative> No!, Obvious? Extremely!

And the merkins want to foist similar legislation onto us? I really feel sorry for them, they live in such a f***ed up country and think it is the best. Loonies, asylum, taken over springs to mind.

HMRC pays criminal for 'tax dodger' discs

Steve Browne
Pirate

I am absolutely appalled

Once again, dual standards are imposed by so many people here.

If we are to obey the laws imposed on us, then the powers that be must also obey the laws too. The end does not justify the means as there is never a greater good. You cannot claim to be upholding the law if you are breaking it in doing so. It is not an argument that any magistrate or judge will listen to and I see no reason for HMRC or anyone else to be permitted to go around stealing.

While tax evasion may be a problem, engaging in criminal activity in a foreign country is no way to behave. Either we have laws and standards of behaviour or we do not. Though, I would never expect this shabby government to lead by example, I am rather surprised at a lot of the support for HMRC involving itself in theft.

Perhaps we can have a new organisation, they could wear brown shirts in honour of our great leader, they could spy on everyone, parents, friends, teachers ...

Critics chuck MS 'friendly worm' plan on the compost heap

Steve Browne
Paris Hilton

Should we tell them ?

There is technology already available, and if you believe certain lobby groups, extremely wide spread too. It is called Bit Torrent and is intended to reduce the server load when distributing updates.

Google in mass 404 land grab

Steve Browne
Alert

Toolbars

I spend some time developing programs to try out features of whatever framework I work with. This quite often results in 404 errors, which I actually want to see. Fortunately, I don't use tool bars and usually turn them all off, seems like yet another serendipitous stroke of luck.

(Akin to not having Flash installed, not quite true, IE has it, but needs the machine rebooting at times if Flash is used. I am sure I could investigate and find a fix, but I can't be arsed, Firefox worked for most things and IE is just there to work with VS).

Amazon: How do the USPO issue patents, any feature is now patentable? Have they any software to implement this or is it just more patents for vapourware?

How believable are government claims on ID cards?

Steve Browne
Pirate

Perhaps people are waking up

Perhaps they are realising that this is not such a good idea after all. Perhaps they are realising that the real reason for ID cards is control of the population as a whole, and not paedophiles/terrorists/teenagers. Perhaps finding out that the police are already (illegally) recording conversations between innocent people and their MP. Being on remand awaiting an extradition hearing while no offence has been committed in this country is innocent. Maybe, they even beginning to remember how Ghandi started his campaign for independence of India, by refusing to carry his ID papers.

Why has the government leaped to the support of copyright holders? Now they have a reason to monitor everyone's internet connection. Watch out for the scope creep here. Stalin would have been proud of them, because this is precisely his tactics in subjugating the Soviet Union.

Detention without trial (sorry, control orders), criminalising activities without the need for legislation (ASBO), persecution of identifiable groups (teenagers). WWII started with these things, change the names a bit to suit the circumstances, the route is the same. Of course, world war could not possibly happen again, and this time there would be no Britain standing alone as Britain no longer has any moral values in government, just a self serving bunch of Scottish mafiosi plundering the national wealth.

Ditching ID cards would be a small step in the right direction, restoring our liberty would be a second. Returning government to being the servant of the people and not their master should be the objective.

Mobile subscribers showered with spam

Steve Browne

Revenue streams

As if mobile operators don't charge enough! Vodaphone profits are 25% of turnover and they want more!

I shall quite happily change my SIM should I start to get any spam. It is MY phone, I paid for it and I have it for MY convenience not the convenience of advertisers.

EU squeals over US pre-flight personal data grab

Steve Browne
Happy

Of course Gordon will jump!

We can only hope the Scots vote for independence in Alex' referendum and the Scottish mafia can withdraw back behind their newly installed border posts.

I wonder if protecting the English from Scottish misrule was what he had in mind.

Oil rig dream bomb taxpayer bill 'astronomical'

Steve Browne

Chinese whispers

Why is she being prosecuted for having an innocent conversation overheard and reported on where the effect know as Chinese whispers occurred. Is this just to cover the embarrassment of the managers concerned?

Brazilian cleaner spots security hole in Heathrow e-borders

Steve Browne
Happy

You got to laugh !!

Absolutely hilarious. I think she should be given a visa and allowed to stay indefinitely.

She has done an invaluable service to this country, she has exposed a fool proof way for Al Quaeda to breach our national borders and she has also shown how worthless ID cards will be. After all, she was given a pass to allow her into Parliament, which one might think would be somewhat secure.

HMG: 0 Brazilian Cleaning Ladies: 1

EFF and chums sue Feds over border laptop inspections

Steve Browne

The land of the Free?

Looks like it is wearing a bit thin these days.

Load of Microsoft software falls off back of lorry

Steve Browne
Happy

@JC

If I had billions of dollars I could find plenty to do! and you can be absolutely certain it wouldn't have anything to do with the location of a truck carry copies of some shite software.

Steve Browne

Wishful thinking

I do wish people would stop lying in public.

Does this mean that Microsoft trace every piece of software they make? They have the serial numbers, product keys and location of every item in the back of a truck?

They might have, I don't actually know, but I would be really, really surprised that they knew what these codes were at all. Are they really unique? What about corporate copies? or are a lot of businesses about to find their software no longer works because a truck got hijacked in Essex.

If these codes are unique and so well known as to their location, why do we "need" windows genuine advantage to get updates?

Sounds like a truck load of bull to me.

RIAA chief calls for copyright filters on PCs

Steve Browne
Black Helicopters

I have rights

I have a right to privacy, implemented by the Human Rights Act and part of the European Convention of Human Rights. Merkins have similar rights enshrined in their constitution. So, how is this twat going to pay the damages for breaching mine, and 700,000,000 others? (400,000,000 European Union population and 300,000,000 Merkins).

Additionally, there is that small inconvenience of innocent until proven guilty. To get any form of search order requires the consent of a judge and he will want to see some evidence that the search order is reasonable and necessary.

This is a very dangerous idea, it strikes at the heart of fundamental freedoms and all for a few money grubbing merkin wankers to eat better.

Then there comes the scope creep. Allowing this will place the technology to spy on everyone, so where will it stop. We already know that governments lie to implement their spying, we already know there is no limit to their deeds, we already know that both the British and Merkin governments have been involved in torture, do you really think they will be bale to restrain themselves when they already have the technology in your living room? Oh, it will be a good reason, Terrorism, Paedophilia, Animal Rights, but it is aimed at YOU.

Microsoft were a big promoter of DRM. Microsoft are known law breakers, being convicted in several countries. If you want to become a spy subject, keep them going. If you value your freedom, drop merkin based software.

Brits split on ID cards

Steve Browne
Pirate

I shant be having one

I shall renew my Irish passport this time around, but not the British one. Then I wont have to bother with registering for their unwanted ID card.

I reject the government's arguments completely. They are just fallacious and following a pattern. We wish to control our population, so use something that no one will challenge as a disguise to the legislation we really want to implement. So, terrorism is kept high in the agenda, not because there is a chance of attack, but because it enables the government to legislate OUR freedom away. Paedophiles are another bunch good for justifying restrictive legislation. It wasn't co incidence that a member of a vilified group was selected as the first for the RIPA requirement of disclosing encryption keys. This case against an animal rights activist was carefully selected as there would be absolutely no public support for the victim.

The problem is, the legislation applies to everyone, not just terrorists and paedophiles.

So, the sooner people swallow hard and start defending the rights of EVERBODY, including those you despise, the sooner this type of legislation will be dropped.

Go stand in the Genocide Museum in Vilnius if you want to find out what state control really means. The KGB were not a joke outfit and all of the instruments of torture are still there for you to see. I do not wish to see anything similar here.

Unbundling could cost you £125

Steve Browne
Pirate

BT Network

For Chris Williams, BT's network was not paid for from tax payers funds. It was paid for entirely out of profits made by the Post Office (and latterly BT). In fact, the POEU analysed the Post Office accounts several times to find it was the government that was milking the Post Office and not the other way around.

It should be illegal to do anything to a customer's line without the customer's express consent, especially when there are additional charges to be made for reconnection. The whole point of LLU was to permit customers to obtain better deals than those on offer from BT Retail. This was a direct result of BT failing to provide services, so opening up the last (3) miles to the customer's door.

I do not believe for one moment that BT cannot change the charge in their system. I have never seen a system where prices are hard coded into programs. Even if this were true, it would be a small change which could be implemented very quickly.

Ofcom are past their sell by date. They need to be reminded that they are there to regulate and to represent consumer's interests, not the interests of shareholders in listed companies.

Ofcom, amongst others (ASA, OFT) need to act to curb the activities of companies such as Tiscali.

The type of service in teh exchange is irrelavnt to rewiring required to connect a to any network available in that exchange. Whatever they insatll, it must still appear on the Main Distribution Frame, then a 2 wire jumper is required to connect it up to appropriate equipment. There may be an additional two wires, via a pass filter for ADSL. The Post Office allowed 1 hour per job (in the exchange) to do this type of work, though, in practice a single line took far less to complete.

Basically, people are being ripped off and no one wants to accept any responsibility.

Healthy? You're a burden on the state

Steve Browne

End the nanny state !

Judging by the comments here, the nanny state will never end. If you don't want to smoke, then don't, stop lecturing me about it. If you don't want to eat burgers and chips, don't and I don't need lecturing on that either (I don't eat burgers anyway)..

In fact, one of the most healthy persons I ever worked with, was a major liability to public services as he kept falling off mountains and injuring himself. He had one leg shorter than the other through so many breakages.

The biggest cost to the state are children. No one suggests we should eliminate them, now, do we ?

This country used to matter in the world, why?, because we cared. Wonder why we don't matter any more.

Freeview lobby cries foul on Ofcom HDTV plans

Steve Browne
Happy

Is there a problem here

At times like this I just wonder what all the fuss is about. No equipment to upgrade, no license to buy, don't know what Nuts is, and who is Heather?

Ofgem, MoD attack pricey terror-friendly windmills

Steve Browne
Pirate

What a load of bollox

The MoD has f all to do with terrorism, except when they are told to do it. Someone flew an aircraft into some tall buildings 3,000 miles away and the poor dears are quaking in their boots in case it happens here. We cant even take toothpaste on a plane now, cos OBL has scared the shit out of them.

Sorry, terrorist card overplayed, I no longer believe any of it. It is just used to stymie everyone who disagrees a new form of NIMBYism, but done by the government and its agencies. Hmmm, perhaps they wish to protect their shareholdings and to continue to fund theri friends, I mean what use is a new labour MP without a new labour government? All those directorships available at investment banks.

The only terrorists I know are in Downing street !

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! play pots-and-kettles 2.0

Steve Browne
Happy

Sounds interesting to me

Cant wait to see the new Ms Yahoo in all her glory !

Microhoo! marriage hits Google salaries hard

Steve Browne
Thumb Up

Sterling/dollar exchange rate

We all know that american companies are unaware of exchange rates and pay scant attention to our laws.

EU to ban the patio heaters that ate the planet. Not.

Steve Browne
Happy

Join up the ends!

Why are these patio heaters used? To provide some shelter for people as a result of the smoking ban, as a utility for dog owners, who's pets are banned form the bar, as a facility to allow children to accompany their parents to a pub.

Perhaps MEPs and MPs need a lesson in cause and effect.

419 scammers plead guilty in US

Steve Browne
Coat

Confused

If ordinary people are finger printed and photographed to help keep the bad guys out, why, then, does the US want to import bad guys? Is the department of homeland security aware of what the department of justice are doing?

Left hand, may I introduce Right hand.

Beeb iPlayer gets Firefox-friendly

Steve Browne

License fee for broadband

You can fuck right off.

I dont watch TV, so why should I contribute anything to them.

Shell IT staff disgusted at mega profits

Steve Browne
Pirate

Advice to graduates

Stay well clear of IT. There is no future in it in the UK as clearly demonstrated by Shell.

Reg readers bring down HMRC website

Steve Browne
Happy

I did mine in July

And got my refund in September. Then again, I cant use their web site, I screwed up my registration and it tells me to call them. So, paper and ink are the order of the day for me. Is a Luddite programmer an oxymoron ?

You would think with all the extra cash they are shafting out of contractors (IR35 et al) they would at least have a system capable of receiving returns. Perhaps it is a deliberate ploy to cause people to overrun the deadline and collect all those loverly extra £100s.

Ryanair battles ASA over 'saucy schoolgirl' ad

Steve Browne
Thumb Up

Hmm

A friend of mine is a 52 year old transvestite with a passion for school uniforms. I think this advert is discriminatory towards school uniform wearing transvestites and rightly deserves to be banned.

UK gov issued 250k snoop licences in nine months

Steve Browne
Black Helicopters

Nothing to hide/Nothing to fear ?

What has happened to the NTHNTF crowd, have they suddenly woken up to the reality of the Stasi forces in Bliar's Britain?

I have advocated many times that his level of surveillance is bad for society. That the government and ALL of its agencies should be limited in what they do. While the courts are far form perfect, especially the magistrates (often labelled police courts), at least there is someone to argue a case in public, where the shameful deeds of the government can be scrutinised.

How about, the council authorises a wire tap to find a fly tipper. Simple. But, they put your number in by mistake. The listener hears you talking to your girl friend, does she tell your wife who is in the HR department upstairs? There are a lot of people in councils who abuse their positions, with only a 1 in 250 chance of being caught, it cannot be beyond the realms of possibility for disaffected spouses etc to issue an order. As no one is looking, no one might notice.

One group of figures that was missing from the numbers reported, was the number of children saved from paedophiles, the number of muslims arrested for terrorism, the number of illegal immigrants arrested and deported or the number of drug dealers arrested.

MI5 did mention they were watching 2000 people. Eliminating 2000 from the number monitored leaves 251,000 (ish). So, who was monitoring these, they can't all have been fly tipping. I think more explanation of these figures is necessary too.

UK withdraws from Gemini telescope programme

Steve Browne
Unhappy

Typical

Regretfully, this is always the reality of [Old | New] Labour. Tax, spend, withdraw. So, we get to pay the taxes, we get to contribute to first class scientific projects and we withdraw before anyone actually gets to do anything.

So sad, so very, very sad.

High Court approves software patents

Steve Browne
Coat

Monpopoly ?

Erm, I have this quaint notion that to have a monopoly there must be only one. So, can you clarify how Microsoft, Oracle and IBM have a monopoly ?

The sooner software patents are laid to rest fully and finally the better for everyone.

Tiscali chief plots sell-off

Steve Browne
Happy

It was a plural

Because I wasn't sure whether singular is used. I think only getting the number incorrect is far superior to the standard level of Italian spoken in England.

I knew I should have gone for Sepie alla griglia instead.

Steve Browne
Coat

Buying market share

The real problem is they bought their market share, which has proven to be an expensive and seriously damaging route.

I'll bid 2 bottles of Grappa and a Fetuccine al Ragú, and maybe a Fegato alle Veneziane.

Hogging the Trough: The EFF Strikes Back

Steve Browne

They offered a service

Now, because they have oversold they are withdrawing the service but not reducing the price. Airlines are penalised for overbooking and have to take responsibility for their actions. The same should apply to ISPs. They should try being HONEST about their service levels and not resorting to underhand tricks.

'Highly critical' security bug bites HP Virtual Rooms

Steve Browne
Coat

Highly critical ?

Do you mean highly critical as in complaining about the muck in here ?

Brown leather, yes, the one with the road map inside, thanks

Tiscali bandwidth throttling flub fix flops

Steve Browne
Pirate

Ofcom

Ofcom only act if they receive a number of complaints. The number is indeterminate. So, lets start making complains about how unfair it is to be stitched up with 12 month contracts with a crap service.

It may be worthwhile complaining to the Office of Fair Trading about these contracts too. Basically, if the service advertised was actually provided then I really cannot see what problems there could be. It seems that there are many aspects of these services which are not included in their advertising, like 15 minutes on hold with an 0870 number whenever technical support are called.

Call centre locations are another issue. It is absolutely useless going through a standard script when the person working the script has no idea of what they are talking about. Maybe this should be on their advert too.

So, contact these organisations, Ofcom, OFT and ASA, tell them what is wrong and if enough people do it then some action should be taken.

Smith says answer to knife crime is through the arch window

Steve Browne
Coat

No ID card ?

Has the ID card failed us here?

I thought the Home Office idea of loading up our pockets with all sorts of junk was so we couldn't carry knives in the first place as we would have nowhere to put them.

Another shot of Gordon's tax and spend approach to public services too.

Microsoft ruling may not bolster Europe's new case, warns lawyer

Steve Browne
Stop

Deja vu again

Can someone tell Opera they already had the browser wars and Netscape lost. While you are there, can you ask them how Opera is to be downloaded without a browser in the first place?

There are enough people about who know enough to download mp3, commercial software packages, porn, in fact, all manner of software. Firefox manage to get their browser onto all kinds of machines, including mine, and Firefox doesn't come with Windows.

So much as I am not a Microsoft Fanboi, I think I am with them on this one, I really cannot see any case to answer because you need a browser to get started anyway.

Yahoo! backs! OpenID!

Steve Browne
Pirate

Microsoft

Well, they did try this and it didn't work.

I think the reason was more a lack of trust of Microsoft than anything technical. So, Yahoo! may be more successful, but I suspect there is likely to be some ingrained mistrust of having passwords stored on the web in one place.

People, especially in the UK now, are much more aware of data loss than they were before HMRC decided to throw it all away. How many companies publish their mistakes? None? How often is it the result of a press leak that we find out about data losses? Every time? Most of teh time?

With passwords, if they haven't got them, they can't lose them.

Developer heads are in the cloud, Andreessen says

Steve Browne
Coat

I chose my development platform

My choice was governed by what I thought would be best for finding work. Basically, what was listed in the requirements at jobserve. So, whilst actually paying for everything, it was never my choice really, it was dictated by others.

Andreesen is just trying to talk himself into another job after losing Netscape.

Most businesses want control over their systems, which just does not happen with third party suppliers. They want someone to answer the phone and DEAL with a problem, not advise to upgrade to the next release. When systems fail, they want then fixed NOW, not in a few hours or days.

Can I have a pint of what he was drinking, please ?

Home Sec in anti-terror plan to control entire web

Steve Browne
Pirate

New Labour, New Crackpots

Quite why they think the internet is to blame when it is THEIR OWN ACTIONS that has caused offence to muslims.

The making of bombs has been the main point of interest in anyone studying chemistry at GCSE level. Oh, and the making of smells too.

As an example, guns are used to commit crimes, so, lets ban all guns and then we wont have gun crime. It is sad for those who like shooting as a sport, but it is a small price for them to pay so we can walk the streets safely. Did gun crime cease to exist? No. Why not? Because the criminals got their guns illegally and they just don't give a toss for the law. Lock them up! Well, if only we could catch one, we might.

A point here, most criminals are happily shooting each other in turf wars. It is rare for a member of the public to be shot.

A bit more freedom taken away, with an ever so good excuse, to stop terrorism. It would be easier to stop terrorism if you stopped bombing their countries. We had the IRA doing serious damage for 35 years, well several hundred really. Now, we have to go around like some frightened rabbit because of some Saudi looney living in a cave in Afghanifuckinstan.

Give it a rest.

I am more scared of Harriet Harman.

Showdown over encryption password in child porn case

Steve Browne
Thumb Up

Rights

I have always asked people when sprouting off about their rights, "Will you defend the rights of those whom you despise?". If they answer "no" they have no cause to have any rights themselves. Either rights apply universally or they are not rights.

Bear in mind, and this case is an excellent example, rights are about curbing the power of the executive against the people.

As there is already precedent and a constitutional bar (in the US) to demanding knowledge with which to prosecute someone, a rule which has been used by presidents to avoid prosecution, there is no ground to demand decryption keys to open the files.

The government always uses emotional cases to bring about changes in the law which they know are controversial. Mainly targeted at free speech, by using the pornography industry as an example. This is despite the US constitution denying them the power to introduce such laws.

If you hear a politician claiming to be "protecting our children" you can safely bet that is the last thing on his mind. What is really wanted is to make gaining convictions easier, which is a step in the wrong direction. Somewhat like Tony Bliar attempting to remove the right to a jury trial.

When they came for animal rights protester, I did nothing, because I was not an animal rights protester. When they came for the paedophiles, I did nothing because I was not a paedophile. When they came for the muslims, I did nothing because I am not a muslim.

Rights are worth defending, even for those whom you despise. Permitting the government to remove YOUR rights because you don't like someone is just plain stupid. Once lost, they are a bugger to get back. There is never any greater good, and it is often used by religious nuts (George Bush & Tony Bliar) to force therio private agenda on unsuspecting others.

Enough have been removed under fraudulent pretexts, stop it now.

Former Brocade boss gets 21 months in prison

Steve Browne

Day after day

Whilst Ac's comment on arbitrary justice is valid and worthy of appeal, I find that having these tough, business like bosses breaking down in court and wishing they could turn back the clock quite pathetic.

Quite simply, if you don't want the time, don't do the crime, especially if teh SEC is involved.

Parliament ponders the weight of e-petitions

Steve Browne
Happy

E-Petitions

Excellent idea, direct route to the people.

Unfortunately, like all Government IT projects, it was doomed to failure. Voters ? who wants to listen to them, they only matter every few years when it is time to be re elected.

Sadly, the ONLY language this government and its predecessors ever understood was riots. Riots are a much more effective means of changing government policy, despite the assertions to the contrary uttered at the time.

For anonymous cowards, I did vote Monster Raving Looney in the Bootle by election where my vote helped remove Lord David Owen from politics. I shall be voting Monster Raving Looney again, if only you would really join me .....

FBI to get UK biometric database hookup?

Steve Browne
Pirate

Is that true ?

That the americans want to grab whomsoever they choose without any judicial oversight ?

If so, it is time to sever all links with that rabid country.

Bjork lays into NZ snapper

Steve Browne

Bjork: 1 Papparazzi: 0

Well done Bjork.

Why do photographers think it is perfectly acceptable to run up to someone push a camera in their face, fire off a blinding flash gun and get away with it. It is as close to a physical assault you can get.

Nice to see the whining git get his come uppance.

Number 10 spinner fingered in NTL investor 'bullsh*t' suit

Steve Browne
Coat

First class choice

New Labour, New Spin.

Lets hope New Labour go the same was as NTL, will Richard Bransome launch a rescue ? Virgin Labour perhaps ?

Hoax: German IT boss sacks three non-smokers

Steve Browne
Thumb Up

Non smokers, pain in the arse

It had to happen, someone finally took a stand against the non smoking gestapo. They have persecuted smokers for so long, come up with so much whining that we cant even have a drink in peace from them. I havent been in a pub since July 2007 cos I cant enjoy a fag with my pint.

Who said non smokers arent discriminating ? Cant you read ? they wanted to be isolated from the smokers, if that isnt clear cut discrimination I really dont know what is.

Now with soft arse trying to pinch our organs, wonder who paid for that policy to be introduced, where will it end.

Becta excludes Vista, Office - again

Steve Browne
Thumb Up

Hear hear

I think the overall sentiment is: that to teach IT is not the same as teaching Microsoft.

The approach offered by the Open University in teaching databases is to explain the principles, use some software to implement relational algebra, and show how that translates into structured query language. You learn the fundamentals (relational algebra), then move on to examine its implementation SQL.

The handy thing here, because you know the fundamentals, you can understand the implementation because you know what it is trying to do, enabling you to use a variety of products and adapt to each as necessary.

The question ought to be one of "are we teaching pupils about computers or are we teaching them about Microsoft". The answer will determine what you ought to do next. If it is to teach pupils about Microsoft, perhaps the EU might take an interest in state subsidies to corporations. If it is to teach pupils about computers, then the FOSS approach must be superior as the source code is available for examination too.

Schools are about education, which is not the same as training. Employers can fund their own training. Education is to equip pupils with the ability to make their own choices. Again, adopting a FOSS approach can show a number of choices which can be made. Whereas, a Microsoft only approach, cannot do this. Simply put, selecting Microsoft as a supplier turns your school into a training shop, which is not what you are there for, you are there to educate.

Another part of the problem is the whole approach taken to IT in schools. IT is a vast topic area, comprising many divisions to bring it into manageable scope. Bundling the whole lot together and throwing in communications for good measure has got to be a disaster. The definition is flawed.

There are two fundamentally different groups involved in IT, the users and the programmers. The two do not mix and have different requirements. Teaching IT then, needs to determine in which group a pupil will sit. The skills required to produce games, operating systems, DBMS, user applications or custom built applications are all different. Until these differences are examined and a proper curriculum produced as to what should be incorporated into the classroom, I don't really see much improvement coming along.

Unix took off in universities because IBM withdrew the source code distribution from their VM product in the 1960s. Quite simply, the universities wanted to look at and analyse source code. They wanted the ability to show what a paging system looked like, how a device driver slotted into the OS, how processes were managed and despatched. You can do none of this with Windows, yet you can do it with Unix and Linux .

The choice remains, are schools to educate or to train ?

Dublin's free Wi-Fi falls foul of competition law

Steve Browne
Coat

So

Next time I visit Dublin, I can leave my tin foil hat at home safe form all those pesky penetrating radio waves

The beige one, ok, thanks, bye

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