Friday, 7 December 2007
Names matter
Names matter in many domains and many ways. People like to be referred to by their name, not a number, or some generic term like "mate" or "buddy". Our name identifies who we are as an individual. In the "olden days" our surnames (at least in the Western world) were often derived from what we did as a profession (e.g. Smith, Baker, etc) . It's not that different in the coding world, names identify the purpose of an entity, what it does, what it's for, why it exists. At least they should...more in IT World
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Couldn't find my own blog
Back when I started this (infrequently used) blog, it was created under "blogspot" (which now redirects to "blogger" - as a result of some event (merger) between them and Google). Today I went to find my own blog, I didn't remember the specific address so I googled it (using the blog search). I'd done this before (and I found it), but now it doesn't show up. It's a common problem with the Internet (and to some extent with technology in general) systems change (sometimes very quickly), but the migration of data doesn't always keep up. BTW the Google Blog search is "Beta" so I guess I can't really complain. Let's see if the this post makes it back in the list?
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Sunny Sydney
I'm in Sydney for a short while. Here's some photos I snapped on my run this morning. It's easy to see why Sydney was recently voted the worlds best city tourist destination.
Sunday, 24 September 2006
Da Vinci Machines exhibition
Went to check to Da Vinci Machines exhibition (visitvictoria waterfrontcity)at the Docklands today. I had been looking forward to seeing it for some time. Unfortunately it was pretty lame. Firstly there were heaps of people, it is near the end of it's run, and there was a significant queue to get in. And that queue was in the rain. ALso it was fairly pricey for waht there was to see.
Inside it was packed. It was hard to get near the "machines" (wooden models), not all of them were "interative" (where you could turn the handle and make it work), and the descriptions were on small (A4) boards which were pretty much only readable by one person at a time. It's amazing how people followed the general queu that run around the room from one machine to next, many of them didn't even seem to look at the machines when they got there.
The construction of some of the machines, based on the sketches shown, appeared to be a quite a leap. Some of the most interesting machines, were actually duds, including an attempt at perpetual motion. Maybe there was a reason Da Vince didn't get around to implementing his plans.
"Thought provoking" - I guess. Overall 5/10. I could have constructed this exhibition myself pretty easily, and I gather it has been a fairly profitable exercise.
Inside it was packed. It was hard to get near the "machines" (wooden models), not all of them were "interative" (where you could turn the handle and make it work), and the descriptions were on small (A4) boards which were pretty much only readable by one person at a time. It's amazing how people followed the general queu that run around the room from one machine to next, many of them didn't even seem to look at the machines when they got there.
The construction of some of the machines, based on the sketches shown, appeared to be a quite a leap. Some of the most interesting machines, were actually duds, including an attempt at perpetual motion. Maybe there was a reason Da Vince didn't get around to implementing his plans.
"Thought provoking" - I guess. Overall 5/10. I could have constructed this exhibition myself pretty easily, and I gather it has been a fairly profitable exercise.
Friday, 27 January 2006
Australia Day Fun
At 1:30am Australia Day morning I was awoken by the sound of breaking glass, and a thud. Jumping out of bed, I initially thought it may have been one of the kids falling out of bed, but there were no crys or screams, so I guessed not. Flicking on lights I ran down stairs, was someone trying to break in? No. Maybe someone had broken a bottle on the ground out the front? No, but when I went out the front I found fruit that had been thrown against the house, plums or peaches, bananas smashed on the garage door, and a frozen pasta in the garden!
Looking around inside again I found the source of the noise in the spare bedroom, there was glass all over the floor under a window, smashed, by an orange, and clothes-horse which was against the window was tipped over (the thud). I called the cops on 000. To me it seems silly to be calling the emergency number for something, that I feel should be simply referred to the local police station, but I was pretty sure that's what you are supposed to do (and I was right). I explained the situation on the phone, and was told the police would come by, but they couldn't tell me when.
Within a short period of time at least one (possible more) vehicles started doing screechys (donuts, skids around corners and round-abouts, wheel-spins etc) around the estate. Dogs all across the neighbourhood barked constantly. Even though it was a hot night (we had the windows open), I didn't see a single light turn on in any other houses; did they not hear it, or what? We could hear people in the back of a ute yelling each time the vehicle came by. Was it a coinsidence or were they the ones with the fruit?
I called the nearest 24 hour police station, it rang out once. I called again, and was answered, "its a busy night, you should call 000 and update them", I did. "Did I think those in the ute were responsible?" they asked, I said "it would be a good guess!".
After an hour of waiting for the police to come by I went back to bed, and didn't sleep. The tyre screeching continued, the ute was now also going off-road across vacate land at the back of some houses, effectively through our neighbours backyard. While lying in bed I thought about the mess in the other room, I hadn't touched a thing (maybe the police would want to see it), the orange could be leaking and staining the carpet :( So I went to move the orange, it was only a little squashed; when I picked it up, it was cold, after a hour in a hot room. I think that it had been FROZEN, like the pasta, and when I thought about it, probably also the other fruit, they hadn't really gone splat.
I think I fell asleep at about 5am, I hadn't heard any tyre screechs since 4:30am, and the cops hadn't turned up either, not even a drive by.
The cops didn't come by at all, but we were out for about an hour during the day. There were no phone messages either, and I know they have my number, I had to give it to them twice.
So far as Australia day, I'd just as well have not had it this year. The window replacement will be about $170, the carpet needs shampooing (little fragments of orange must sprayed around and we didn't see them initially), and the curtains are still stained after 2 washes (any more and they'll probably fall apart). It's probably not worth making an insurance claim, and anyway so far we don't have a police report. And it's not just the monetry side of things that really annoys me, its the time. Instead of playing with the kids on our day off, there 'unplanned' work to do, picking up glass, vacuuming the carpet, covering the hole, washing the curtains, organising a glazier (and being there when he comes)...
Some notes from when I called 000:
I don't really prescribe to those that complain "what are the police doing? I pay taxes", I am not blaming the police, I know they work hard, in a dangerous and un-glamorous profession, maybe it was a busy night, or maybe the message never got through? Whatever, I'm still pissed off, not only about what happened, but also what didn't. I can see why some people could be driven to taking matters into their own hands.
Looking around inside again I found the source of the noise in the spare bedroom, there was glass all over the floor under a window, smashed, by an orange, and clothes-horse which was against the window was tipped over (the thud). I called the cops on 000. To me it seems silly to be calling the emergency number for something, that I feel should be simply referred to the local police station, but I was pretty sure that's what you are supposed to do (and I was right). I explained the situation on the phone, and was told the police would come by, but they couldn't tell me when.
Within a short period of time at least one (possible more) vehicles started doing screechys (donuts, skids around corners and round-abouts, wheel-spins etc) around the estate. Dogs all across the neighbourhood barked constantly. Even though it was a hot night (we had the windows open), I didn't see a single light turn on in any other houses; did they not hear it, or what? We could hear people in the back of a ute yelling each time the vehicle came by. Was it a coinsidence or were they the ones with the fruit?
I called the nearest 24 hour police station, it rang out once. I called again, and was answered, "its a busy night, you should call 000 and update them", I did. "Did I think those in the ute were responsible?" they asked, I said "it would be a good guess!".
After an hour of waiting for the police to come by I went back to bed, and didn't sleep. The tyre screeching continued, the ute was now also going off-road across vacate land at the back of some houses, effectively through our neighbours backyard. While lying in bed I thought about the mess in the other room, I hadn't touched a thing (maybe the police would want to see it), the orange could be leaking and staining the carpet :( So I went to move the orange, it was only a little squashed; when I picked it up, it was cold, after a hour in a hot room. I think that it had been FROZEN, like the pasta, and when I thought about it, probably also the other fruit, they hadn't really gone splat.
I think I fell asleep at about 5am, I hadn't heard any tyre screechs since 4:30am, and the cops hadn't turned up either, not even a drive by.
The cops didn't come by at all, but we were out for about an hour during the day. There were no phone messages either, and I know they have my number, I had to give it to them twice.
So far as Australia day, I'd just as well have not had it this year. The window replacement will be about $170, the carpet needs shampooing (little fragments of orange must sprayed around and we didn't see them initially), and the curtains are still stained after 2 washes (any more and they'll probably fall apart). It's probably not worth making an insurance claim, and anyway so far we don't have a police report. And it's not just the monetry side of things that really annoys me, its the time. Instead of playing with the kids on our day off, there 'unplanned' work to do, picking up glass, vacuuming the carpet, covering the hole, washing the curtains, organising a glazier (and being there when he comes)...
Some notes from when I called 000:
- After the initial Police, Fire, Ambulance question, I was immediately asked where I was. Not what is the nature of your emergency? I understand they need to confirm that it is not a crank call, but they know what address I am calling from, and anybody who I call knows my phone number. What happens if you're cut-off while you're still giving address details?
- They asked me if this was a recurring event? "Recurring since 1:30am" I thought. What difference does that make? Do nothing and it quite possibly will become one.
- They never asked me if anyone was hurt, or even if there was any danger. A frozen orange would be about the same size and weight as a cricket ball. It penetrated a window, and knocked the clothes-horse over! What if there was a child in bed under that window? Or if the curtains were open, glass would have sprayed all of the room.
- They didn't suggest any further action that I should, or shouldn't, take.
- They didn't care.
I don't really prescribe to those that complain "what are the police doing? I pay taxes", I am not blaming the police, I know they work hard, in a dangerous and un-glamorous profession, maybe it was a busy night, or maybe the message never got through? Whatever, I'm still pissed off, not only about what happened, but also what didn't. I can see why some people could be driven to taking matters into their own hands.
Saturday, 24 December 2005
I Churned
Four months ago I made the step to ADSL from Dial-Up. After several years of reliable low cost Dial-Up internet all the while with the one (growing and now large) ISP, I was ready to switch to a cheaper (for ADSL) provider that I found on whirlpool. But then, (not surprisingly to me, I kinda hoped for it) when cancelling my dial-up account with the existing ISP (let's call them Dodo), they offered me an even better deal. But, it was for a 3 month honeymoon period, after that the cost would go up a lot. But I wasn't in a contract so I had nothing to lose....
On signing up for the ADSL there is a connection fee, on the phone they told me they could (P.S. I understood "could" as "would") reduce the normal $94 down to $69 for me, an existing Dial-Up customer. But that wasn't what they charged me, when I queried it they said I would get a credit (several times they said that), at the end of the 3 months. Guess what; it didn't come. After 3 months (but with the 7 days notice) I again told them I was leaving them, and now churning to that same ISP I found on whirlpool. But then I did a dumb thing; I let them talk me into staying with them, but instead of $49/month unlimited @256/64 (the plan I was rolling into) they would give me 1Gb @ 512 for $24/month, capped at $74/month (I guess 15-18c/Mb above the 1Gb) countering the other co. deal of 2Gb @256 for $24/month and excess at $3/Gb. Which given my current low useage seemed a good deal, faster and same price. Well surprise, surprise, surprise (trivia Q: which TV star often said that?) they didn't charge me $24, they charged me $49.90 and the $25 credit didn't come either.
And so I churned. After the $70 churn fee I figure I am $10 behind where I would have been if I had just changed to the new ISP in the first place. Of course that is not the whole story, there was also numerous phone calls, and the amusing email they sent me today (well yesterday now) asking me to confirm by phone my cancellation, HA HA HA, only using the phone was what got me in a mess in the first place. You really must always get things in writing.
BTW I have taken it up with my bank to reverse the "incorrect" charges (Credit Card debits), we will see how far that gets. I haven't named names (much) but already the new ISP has been significanty more responsive, and customer service much better, if their "processes" were a little "interesting".
On signing up for the ADSL there is a connection fee, on the phone they told me they could (P.S. I understood "could" as "would") reduce the normal $94 down to $69 for me, an existing Dial-Up customer. But that wasn't what they charged me, when I queried it they said I would get a credit (several times they said that), at the end of the 3 months. Guess what; it didn't come. After 3 months (but with the 7 days notice) I again told them I was leaving them, and now churning to that same ISP I found on whirlpool. But then I did a dumb thing; I let them talk me into staying with them, but instead of $49/month unlimited @256/64 (the plan I was rolling into) they would give me 1Gb @ 512 for $24/month, capped at $74/month (I guess 15-18c/Mb above the 1Gb) countering the other co. deal of 2Gb @256 for $24/month and excess at $3/Gb. Which given my current low useage seemed a good deal, faster and same price. Well surprise, surprise, surprise (trivia Q: which TV star often said that?) they didn't charge me $24, they charged me $49.90 and the $25 credit didn't come either.
And so I churned. After the $70 churn fee I figure I am $10 behind where I would have been if I had just changed to the new ISP in the first place. Of course that is not the whole story, there was also numerous phone calls, and the amusing email they sent me today (well yesterday now) asking me to confirm by phone my cancellation, HA HA HA, only using the phone was what got me in a mess in the first place. You really must always get things in writing.
BTW I have taken it up with my bank to reverse the "incorrect" charges (Credit Card debits), we will see how far that gets. I haven't named names (much) but already the new ISP has been significanty more responsive, and customer service much better, if their "processes" were a little "interesting".
Blog #1
Well here we go, this is my first Blog entry.
