What?
Why is an elected world leader talking to some self styled "Tony Stark" failure about this subject? With respected academics yes, but not this buffoon.
Posts by Soap Distant
93 publicly visible posts • joined 16 Apr 2010
World leaders ink AI safety pacts while Musk and Sunak engage in awkward bromance
Drone crashes after operator failed to spot extra building site crane
Lawyer defending arson suspect flees court with pants on fire
NHS patient letters meant for GPs went undelivered for years
Tuesday 28th February 2017 20:46 GMT
Re: FTFY
Physical records are easy to be burned, flooded or otherwise tampered with, lost or god knows what; no audit trail either.
These paper records need to be forgotten about as a bad idea. They're not easy to share to start with. That's not to say that records shouldn't be tightly controlled.
Yes there are risks regarding information security, but I do know of Dr's practices that have burned down with loss of (illegible) records - isn't that a massive clinical risk? I think so.
SD
Hitler's wife's lovely lilac knickers fetch £2,900 at auction
NHS patients must be taught to share their data, says EU lobby group
New booze guidelines: We'd rather you didn't enjoy yourselves
DVLA misses out on £400m in tax after scrapping paper discs
Friday 19th August 2016 19:04 GMT
Re: just get rid of it.
I get the whole payg idea behind chucking vehicle excise duty on fuel prices, it's even proportionate.
But the whilst the idea of sticking insurance costs on there too might appeal from the get rid of uninsured drivers point of view, somewhere, somehow we need to be checking that the vehicles on our roads have been checked at least once per year that they are roadworthy - even though it counts for only one day.
ANPR wouldn't seem to be the answer there either.Perhaps you'd need to show a valid MOT at the time of purchasing fuel also?
Just thinkin'
SD
Brits who live in 'smart cities' don't really know or care
Pubs good for the soul: Official
Discworld fans stake claim to element 117
YouTube’s 10 years of hits: Global recognition at last for Rick Astley
Revenge porn 'king' Hunter Moore sent down for 2.5 years, fined $2k
Irish electricity company threatens to cut off graveyard
Love your IoT gadget but could you keep the noise down?
Identifying terrorists: Let's find a value for needle in haystack
Wednesday 11th November 2015 22:23 GMT
What do the general public know?
I was at the pub with a small group of friends, mostly of the older generation but savvy enough to do one or two things online, last weekend. I was asked about the TalkTalk hack and how could it happen, what it meant, etc.
Naturally I used patronising, non-jargon type language to explain (well, there's a mummy computer and a daddy computer...) The end result was that they were absolutely mortified to learn that there was no guarantee that their online activities were, well, private or safe.
To my point then, Joe Public seem to be very unaware of the risks to them from so-called hackers (crackers/scammers): they seem to understand the risks of letting HM's Govt. frolic with wild abandon through their personal data even less so.
I noted that this week's Panorama focused on hackers and identity theft, perhaps they'd like to educate the British public on the scope and ideas behind this new bill? I don't think the public are aware to any significant extent what this means to their personal data.
A close family member and I sometimes discuss privacy and the Intertwebz, he was in the "nothing to hide, nothing to fear" camp, until I pointed out that everyone has something to hide, even if they don't realise they wished they'd hidden it more carefully later...
Will we see a fall off in the usage of online services I wonder? I've noticed I'm more reluctant to do things online for sure.
SD
UN privacy head slams 'worse than scary' UK surveillance bill
Here's the little-known legal loophole that permitted mass surveillance in the UK
Cops use terror powers to lift BBC man's laptop after ISIS interview
Thursday 29th October 2015 20:08 GMT 
Good god...
I've never downvoted so many posts in my time here as a 'tard until reading this thread!
I agree with all who think journos and their sources should be protected. I'd also recommend those interested in the state of the Middle East watch this.
I found it utterly fascinating, wonder if he's still got his laptop?
SD
European Parliament votes to grant Snowden protection from US
Dad who shot 'snooping vid drone' out of the sky is cleared of charges
Wednesday 28th October 2015 19:38 GMT
@Mark 85
Yes, it's generally limited to size 6 to 9 (2.79mm to 2.03mm diameter shot wikipedia, could be horseshit) it's very small in any case. I'm not sure on the primary uses of shotguns in the US, maybe more hunting which would use much larger shot, maybe 5mm diameter and a count of only 30 or so per cartridge.
@Successcase
The spread of the shot at that range is vast. At 40 yards with a full choke fitted only 70% of the shot will be in a 30" circle. With commonly used chokes it drops to 40%. At 67 yards with large shot there would be huge holes in the shot pattern, so it was a very lucky shot. With smaller shot I doubt it would break the drone.
The best clay shooters (google George Digweed) in the world can break clays at about 400ft range but clays are very fragile and those shots are no easy feat. If this guy hit the drone at a near vertical 200ft he should start competing (and most likely winning!)
Good outcome from the judge I think though.
SD
WIN a 6TB Western Digital Black hard drive with El Reg
Things you should know about the hard work of home working
Tuesday 22nd September 2015 16:54 GMT
Traffic Time
I get to work from home depending on what kind of project I have and where any sites are geographically that I need to visit. It does up your hours some, but I'd rather work for two extra hours per day than sit burning petrol and going nowhere.
That said, I think it's critical for most professions to actually have regular contact/banter/whatever for all the reason stated above.
SD
Arizona lads recover epic stratovid – two years after launch
Right, opt out everybody! Hated Care.data paused again
Tuesday 8th September 2015 17:45 GMT
Re: It is imperative we listen to the public and address
"It is imperative we listen to the public and address..." means they're still wanking about with this despite the fact it's a disgraceful exercise in monetising patient data, but it's too valuable to leave alone it seems.
It's disgraceful because it's conflated with the rather more sensible idea of sharing patient medical data with medical professionals involved with a patient's care, something that improves clinical safety. All without selling it on.
@h4rmony - I can't speak for all clinical IT systems rolled out as part of CfH and broadly speaking, secondary care (Hospitals) IT is far more primitive than Primary (GPs for the uninitiated) but the systems I am familiar with have very robust audit trails. Nabbed that wrong 'un Shipman iirc.
Sadly, I've gotta agree with the headline.
SD
Apple hypegasm countdown. What will the new, big iPad ACTUALLY be called?
WIN a 6TB Western Digital Black hard drive with El Reg
Wikipedia’s biggest scandal: Industrial-scale blackmail
Microsoft backports data slurp to Windows 7 and 8 via patches
Get whimsical and win a Western Digital Black 6TB hard drive
Microsoft replaces Windows 10 patch update, isn't saying why
Care.data is a complete omnishambles, says study into hated scheme
'WOMAN FOUND ON MARS' – now obvious men are from Venus
Bloke cuffed for blowing low-flying camera drone to bits with shotgun
Thursday 30th July 2015 22:53 GMT
Re: Hard to hit with a shotgun?
@TitterYeNot
"As far as endangerment of his neighbours goes, I've always got the impression that on a clay-pigeon shoot, no-one's too bothered about who's the other side of the hedge at the end of the field, as if you're firing almost straight up, standard shot will have lost pretty much all of its kinetic energy by the time it hits the ground."
Every clay shoot I've been to in the UK has a safety officer who ensures to the best of their ability that no gun will be discharged within 300yards of of a public highway or other land. The types of ammunition are restricted at clay shoots so that the range is limited. Shot size and charge are limited, admittedly some idiots may fail to observe these restrictions. If this guy used size 8 shot, it's like pinheads and would feel at worst like light rain if it landed on you.
What's astonishing is that it broke the drone at 83m (did someone say?) That's an Olympian shot with size 8 and a seriously fragile drone! I'd be mightily impressed if I could even chip a clay target at that range!
Anyway, what kind of bollock-headed rude twat flies a drone over someone else's property? Really? Not sure they got everything they deserved.
SD
THEY WANTED OUR WOMEN: Neanderthals lusted after modern humans
The wonderful madness of metrics: Different things to different folk
This whopping 16-bit computer processor is being built by hand, transistor by transistor
The Government Digital Service: The Happiest Place on Earth
Tuesday 28th April 2015 19:15 GMT
Re: Sounds like the NHS
NHS managers are like the Sith, always in pairs, there is a talented apprentice who actually does the work and another more senior but hopelessly incompetent master who is adept in the dark arts of workplace politics...
PS I'm not either one, it's just a pattern I've noticed.
SD
Streak life: Oz woman flashes boobs at Google Street View car
GRUNTY CHIMPS 'blend in among locals' after moving to Scotland
SO. Which IS more important to humanity: Facebook, or Portugal?
Boybanders ONE DIRECTION launch DoS attack on open-source bods
French Google fund to pay for 1 million print run of Charlie Hebdo next week
Friday 9th January 2015 23:51 GMT
I'd love to buy a copy, I'm not sure where I can in the UK, but I'll certainly be looking.
I worry a bit that this will provoke a backlash against innocent people. There is the Pegida movement in Germany and it's hard to forget Anders Breivik and his motives. This won't help.
This isn't a nice way for the world to be turning.
Je suis Charlie
Oh BOY! The MICKEY MOUSE Apple Watch is no heart-throb
Thursday 27th November 2014 20:07 GMT
Re: Tat?
I've often wondered if anyone will invent or develop SoIP (Smell over IP) and what uses it could be put to.
So maybe those fast food ordering pages could smell of pizza? You could make your FB page smell of BO when you've been for a run?
Maybe Anonymous could all simultaneously fart at an unpopular target in teh interwebs? DoS (denial of Smell) attacks...
That's probably enough. Especially given my handle...
SD
Forget the climate: Fatties are a much bigger problem - study
Police in U-turn as 'shop a gun-owner' hotline is scrapped
Tuesday 11th November 2014 00:16 GMT
@DavCrav
The truly and vastly overwhelming majority of those with a SGC and guns in their possession are acutely aware of their legal obligations regarding the handling and storage of guns. I can speak as one who is aware that I might well be considered partly responsible for the loss or theft of my guns if I fail to adhere to the laws regarding this. And face prosecution.
Those that I have shot with over the past 3 decades are self-policing regarding safety and security, I have yet to meet someone who would relax any of the golden rules governing the use of firearms or shotguns. For example, if anyone is seen to handle a gun incorrectly at a shoot, they will have instruction from strangers to put them straight, whether they wanted advice or not!
I think the original thrust of the article is that the shooting community were to be scrutinized further than they already are and that this was unfair, and that this scrutiny was considered unnecessary.
I'm inclined to agree.
As for discerning if someone is depressed or turning into a pisshead (intemperate), again, I firmly believe that the community would largely police itself. But in any case, would the police or any other body or group be better placed to tell if someone was going to blow a gasket and become dangerous? I wouldn't place a bet.
There's moral high ground to be had in the steering groups and committee rooms where firearms are concerned - doesn't mean any sense comes out of 'em.
SD
If only 0.006% care about BLOOD-SOAKED METAL ... why are we spending all this cash?
Monday 10th November 2014 23:21 GMT
Re: @AC You are on the money!
@Dan Paul
"Their is no "fair trade" it's just a subsidy."
You're spot on there, to my mind, fair trade would be about the cut of the deal that the growers/producers get being made fair. What seems to be happening is that you pay a premium for the end product and the grower/producer gets a little more for their work. All the middlemen benefit as normal.
SD
Who rules the ‘net, when will we see Oculus Rift and should tech tycoons really be homeless?
Greeks best in the world – at, er, breaking their mobile phones
NHS slow to react as Windows XP support nears the end
Monday 3rd November 2014 22:54 GMT
Re: Ach, just pay MS more money
Unfortunately, some of the clinical systems suppliers have designed their software to only work with MS closed source implementations. That kinda ties the hands of IT services within the NHS with regard to open standards.
I suppose that raises the question of which clinical systems supplier to use, but that would open a whole new can of worms. There seems to be no unified policy within the NHS or gov to nudge such suppliers down the open standards route.
Just some fine words that butter no parsnips.
SD
Biting the hand that feeds IT
