Posts by jebdra

'Geek gene' denied: If you find computer science hard, it's your fault (or your teacher's)

Why is only CS considered as geeky

All STEM subjects see geeky. I did physics at uni, and only did a CS unit because I had to repeat a year (appendicitis at exam and in icu when resit time came round). This was in 1978 (first year computer science was offered) and I was the only female on the course. I loved it, and by the time finals came around I was pretty much full time contract programming. Very little to do with teaching and everything to do with love of the subject. When I first found assembler I didn't come up for air for at least a week. I put I ridiculous hours, but it wasn't work it was fun. Challenging fun. That's what this study misses. There may not be a gene for "geekiness", but basic ability and what you find interesting and fun are inbuilt and can't be taught.

NBN activations to rise from 10,000 per week to 8,400 ... wait, what?

Re: The key statistic is black spots

Living in regional NSW town, the best on offer is 1.5mbs, but I've never actually got it due to exchange congestion. Wireless is no good. I have to go out on the back deck to get a Telstra signal. The whole suburb is the same.

When I read arguments about fttp, fttn, 10mb, 25mb, 100mb - I cry. And I'm sure there are a lot of people around Australia in the same situation. At least I've got adsl. Some ares still on dial-up.

Panda antivirus labels itself as malware, then borks EVERYTHING

Re: i am amazed

I'm even more amazed that anybody in enterprise uses it. Home users with free anti-virus - well maybe - but enterprise!

Australian ISPs agree to three-strikes-plus-court-order anti-piracy plan

Re: Blimey!

"The economic damage is quite small in the individual action, but large in the aggregate"

Please don't fall for Big Media's lies and statistics.

The vast majority of people who download content would NEVER buy that content anyway. Half the time they just download it, watch 3 minutes and then delete it. Media companies count the number of downloads and scream "2 million lost sales" when in actuality, virtually none of those 2 million people would pay for it anyway.

Scientific consensus that 2014 was record hottest year? No

$100 says it's getting warmer

Nice idea, but I think you'll find that any real climate prevention measures will cost considerable more than $100 per person.

I'M SO SORRY, sobs Rosetta Brit boffin in 'sexist' sexy shirt storm

Re: U Wot M8?

I agree with everything you've said.

However, you really can't blame the general internet population for misunderstanding the meaning of the word "misogynist" - not after Julia Gillard's speech at Tony Abbott.

For the record, physics and math at uni, worked in IT most of my life and female. No problem with the shirt. In awe at the achievement.

Are you a gun owner? Let us in OR ELSE, say Blighty's top cops

Re: Hmm

Here in Oz, you have to have a "valid reason" for owning a gun. That can be membership of a club, owning rural land etc. You also need to pass a safety course before they'll give you a licence, mainly centred on safety rather than knowledge of rules. The police can arrive at any time and ask to check serial numbers and inspect storage.

Quite frankly, it's not a problem. Both my husband and I have licences and we have no issues with the firearms people. They've been out to check us twice, both times at reasonable hours. Never anything like suspicion because I was slow to answer the door, or flushed the loo before doing so. Maye we've been lucky.

The special phone number does seem a bit of an invitation to cranks and unfriendly neighbours, but surely they could report via the normal channels just as easily.

Australia floats website blocks and ISP liability to stop copyright thieves

Re: I always see these strange stories from Australia

Yes we do and yes we did. A few years ago Conway (Labour/Labor/Democrat) tried to do this - so we threw them out. Now the current lot (Liberal/Tory/Republican) is doing the same thing.

Our saving grace may be that our current house of review (senate/house of lords) contains a group of representatives who hold the balance of power who are the most unpolitical, unpredictable, non-PC group who have ever held power. A few independents with a single-issue focus, several senators from "micro-parties" who got in on preference deals (the big parties are already talking about changing the law to stop that happening again) and a set of rogues from the PUP who bought their seats (one of whom recently appeared on a radio program saying her ideal man would be "rich, well hung and mute").

The next few years promise to be interesting in the Australian parliament.

'Hashtag' added to the OED – but # isn't a hash, pound, nor number sign

Re: " + the surname Thorpe."

One of the very best comedy shows ever made. I really wish I could find a copy (beg/borrow/steal or buy - anything). Damn the BBC - they did some things so well and then just threw them away.

Oxfam, you're full of FAIL. Leave economics to sensible bods

Re: Deiberately missing the point???

@A J Stiles

"rent ... I suggest a fair figure would be 75% of the equivalent interest, excluding capital repayment, on a 25 year mortgage on the property"

You have to be joking. So if interest rates go down, the rent goes down, even though council rates, insurance, corporate body fees, land tax, maintenance etc etc keep going up. And if rates go skyhigh, rent rockets.

Department of Human Services removes Medicare from internet

This is nothing to do with colour of government (Lib or Lab) or funding cuts. It is simple basic incompetence within bureaucracy. It's also not new for the computer age. These idiots have been doing the same thing with paper files for aeons.

Climate change made sea levels fall in 2010 and 2011

Interesting article - however it lost credibility when it said "Australia's dry Outback interior, being ringed to a large extent by coastal mountains...".

Have a look at a topological map of Oz. It has a mountain chain down the east cost, a lumpy area in the north west and a few hills in the south west and that's about it!

Ringed by a coastal mountain chain - NOT!