* Posts by David Ramsay

29 publicly visible posts • joined 24 Dec 2007

Chair legs it from UK govt smart meter installation programme

David Ramsay

Lets face it whether the cost is £11BN or £19BN, scrap the project now and most of the £12BN cuts required to balance the books is gained instantaneously.

Oops, I forgot the EU mandated the introduction and the UK Government of any hue always obeys the rules even if Germany said they were not cost effective and would not go ahead with them!

Scotland considers dishing out more iPads to schoolkids

David Ramsay
FAIL

As I recall ...

Edinburgh has about 45,000 Macs in education. It is the natural choice for them.

UK.gov threatens to 'pull plug' on smart meter rollout

David Ramsay

Illegal, Illegal

European Convention on Human Rights - Right to life, switch off electricity, then no heating or cooking then death.

It is illegal for the electricity company to disconnect anyone.

Stand by for more big, windfarm-driven 'leccy price rises

David Ramsay

Damned if I am paying ...

When I retire, which may well be in the near future, I have NO intention of paying for Gas, Electricity, Water or Council Tax - come get me.

DEC: The best of systems, the worst of systems

David Ramsay

DEC PDP 15/20 - My first encounter

Possibly for @Chavdar Ivanov

I started my computer career using a PDP 15/20 to design printed circuit boards - as far as I know we were the ONLY company producing that software - REDAC.

I remember being on a night shift and had gone for a break and the fire alarm started - oops back to the computer room, and there was smoke pouring out of the machine, I just had to get the DEC Tape (remember that media) off the machine as it had my designs on it!

Closed the machine down ran around the building trying to find a CO2 fire extinguisher - I was ex-military and we expect things colour coded 'correctly' Black and white. EU take note!! Having all fire extinguishers RED means you have to be able to read English in a hurry with smoke all around you - stupid :-(

Found one and put out the wee fire.

That 32KB machine was repaired and back in operation fairly quickly and shortly afterward we had an UPGRADE to 48KB.

Great machine 1MB fixed head hard disc 2 foot in diameter at least.

Thats computing for you.

It's non-stop fun in Zero Carbon Britain, 2030

David Ramsay

I don't CARE

I have worked for the last 45 odd years - I don't care, I demand and expect to live a comfortable retirement. The greens can go Fuck themselves.

I will demand my rights and expect them regardless of whether the country or World can afford them, AKA I will take what I want regardless.

Comments welcome - there will be 15 million in Britain alone waiting to hear what you have to say

Venus home to lost cities left by long-dead aliens, says ESA

David Ramsay

Now lets hypothesise ...

EON's ago the sun was a much smaller star and the heat radiating from it meant that a planet much closer to the sun was lush and warm and this encouraged life to form and it was a good life.

After many millennia life ended up as intelligent, even being able to travel through space. This ability to travel was fortunate for the inhabitants since the sun was starting to cool and started to expand, this caused the temperatures to rise over centuries on the planet and finally a few explorers set off on a journey.

This journey led them to a planet within the same solar system which was similar to their own planet excepting that this new planet was far cooler, indeed similar to how their own planet had been millennia ago, it also had beings which were very primitive and it was decided that the new planet could be colonised and that their race could continue on the new planet.

Over time the knowledge of how they managed to colonise and expand on the planet was lost as they integrated with the inhabitants. Over further millennia it was shown that a similar problem with regard to temperature and habitability was starting to occur on their new planet (but they had forgotten their past history and thought that they were causing the warming).

Fortunately for the inhabitants they were just starting to be able to explore the solar system and ...

PS Just in case its MY copyright!

Whitehall's new IT minister, who's it gonna be?

David Ramsay

IT Post

I am available!

ID cards have three databases, says minister

David Ramsay

So lets see ...

If we refusniks refuse to apply for a card then we will lie outside the DB. We won't be able to get any form of benefit but then again you can always walk into Tesco's and walk out again with all the food you want and then they either arrest you but they won't be able to identify you or they will just ignore you as you are too much trouble - all those forms to fill out!!

UK.gov urged to slash DNA retention plan

David Ramsay

How about ...

Refusing to allow DNA to be taken.

When forced ensure that you have a note of all officers numbers involved.

Employ a very expensive barrister on Legal Aid and sue them individually for assault in the High Court through to the European Court.

Ensure that you refuse to pay any costs/fines

Go to jail rather than pay up if you are asked to contribute/fined

If everyone was to do this then the whole thing would fail!

Remember Laws are (or should be) in place with the agreement of the populace and not the other way round.

Microsoft kills FAST's Linux and Unix search biz

David Ramsay
Thumb Down

Remember Fox Software

Microsoft buy up innovative small companies, rip off the technology and leave people who have invested time and money in those products high and dry.

Its not business its just bloody mindless bullying.

Entire UK will be on ID database sometime in next 3 millennia

David Ramsay

All UK on database

Doubt it All UK -1 (Me)

Axeman Chancellor toes the line on ID cards

David Ramsay
Thumb Up

Conservatives Guarantee to Scrap NIR database and ID Cards

I have a letter from my MP guaranteeing that the Conservative party will scrap NIR and ID Cards if elected at the next election.

I will keep them to that statement!

Pitchfork-wielding mobs encircle smart meters

David Ramsay
IT Angle

Smart Meters - faulty data stream

I am surprised that no one has considered the data stream condition being returned from the meter!

It is possible that the equipment is dead accurate but due to signal noise etc that data is being corrupted - yep I know that they will use parity checking etc bet its the cheapest possible and that an even error will not be detected.

Nation's parents prepare to be vetted

David Ramsay

The solution ...

Easy, just say they are a co-habiting couple and very much in love and therefore the children are therefore each others step sister and thus problem solved.

The fact that they live in different houses is just because they have been unable to afford to put their houses on the market due to the cost of HIPS!

ISPs scorn government net snoop plan

David Ramsay
Happy

Refusal to divulge ...

"Fair enough. Refusal to divulge passwords or encryption codes is now a criminal offence punishable by 5 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. This is not a fantasy, this is now the law."

Come off it, there is not enough jail space for real criminals, if everyone refuses to kowtow to these idiots then there is not much that they can do!

Refuse, refuse, refuse.

Encrypt, encrypt, encrypt - how sure can they be that the general punter could even know their encryption key!

Mind you "unlimited fine" solves the pension hole for the public servants responsible - I wonder, Hmm!

Google fear? BCS shrinks away from Tories

David Ramsay

Google/Microsoft secure ...

Maybe I will rethink my support for the Conservative party if they think I will accept that they will submit my records to Google or Microsoft care!

Germans and Swiss snub DAB

David Ramsay
Grenade

But I have an e-mail

... saying there is no intention of abandoning analogue transmission.

I therefore put it quite simply - the European Convention on Human Rights - states you have a right to receive and impart information.

I therefore contend that if they wish to closedown analogue then I will respectively request the powers that be they replace FREE OF CHARGE all my analogue receiving equipment with the proviso that it must be equal to or greater in fidelity and reception to that which I currently enjoy.

That means a replacement for my home cinema, hifi radio, alarm radio and car hifi.

Broadband tax of £6 per year to fund rural fibre rollout

David Ramsay
IT Angle

Kill a few birds

Now lets see, it is going to be raised on a fixed line - oops - return it and just use a mobile. BT goes broke cause no one has a phone line any longer!

By the time we get to 2012 the speed requirement will be 1Gb/sec so all the planning and infrastructure should be to get fibre to every home - half measures will take years and be of little use by the time it does arrive.

Finally lets see I am capped at 20GB per month, a 100Mb/sec line would last how long? A 100Mb/sec line will require a 20 fold increase in the cap AKA 400GB per month. Multiply that by 20 million homes, that is 8Million Tera Byte (is that a Peta Byte - can't remember) per month, boy is that going to cause the backbone a problem!

Mind you I doubt GCHQ could handle that so maybe the thought of deep packet inspection etc will fall by the wayside! (Some hope).

Hackintosher to open US storefront

David Ramsay

Your are NOT buying ...

... the Operating System, you are purchasing a licence to run it on ONE machine. Granted you own the media on which it came as well.

This applies to ALL software and Operating Systems you do not buy the software only the right to use it according to the licence agreement.

The only case where this is a problem is when those rights are only available to read after you have opened the box thus meaning you cannot return after you have decided you cannot comply.

More doubts on ID card readers

David Ramsay

For god sake ...

Just refuse to provide any detail at all, what the hell can they do but lock you up and then release you 5 seconds later!

London cops extend virtual justice trial

David Ramsay
Pirate

Judge ...

... Dread here we come.

Lets just get rid of the police and send Judges out to deploy instant justice!

'Lunatic' Smith doubles ID card costs for Mancunians

David Ramsay
Pirate

What ID crap is this

I know who I am. Why do I need an ID?

However, they need to prove who I am before any ID is valid so don't help them to find out.

If ID is required to obtain access or other life supporting activities - quote the Human Rights Act.

When that fails to convince let them lock me up!

Can you talk and drive?

David Ramsay

A townie obviously

"Driving is a privilege, not a right. It was time drivers in the UK were made to realise that."

I have to disagree, where public transport is available or cheap taxi's then I might agree but in the country it is an essential for life.

Jacqui's secret plan to 'Master the Internet'

David Ramsay
Happy

An Alternate solution

Just create a random script to generate internet traffic from every machine in the UK which everyone agrees to run containing a random set of keywords embedded in a suitable message.

This will keep the compute cores busy for aeons.

MPs to probe ISP snooping and throttling

David Ramsay
Jobs Halo

Can I suggest ...

... that if a committee is going to be formed then some of the population of that committee should be professionals from the industry.

I am available for a fee based on the current expenses and salary of a minister, with a basic multiplier as I will need accommodation in London!

Leaked memo says Conficker pwns Parliament

David Ramsay
Jobs Halo

Use a Mac

Well lets face it the solution is to ensure that MP's use Mac's.

Totally impervious to current hacks and will also mean that IT staff in parliament are out of a job!

Saves money in the long run 11

In the ditch with DAB radio

David Ramsay

Pensoiners to revolt

IMHO every single pensioner should sue using the human rights act - Right to receive and impart information - the government should pay all persons aged 60 + the cost of replacing all Analogue receiving equipment including both radio and TV.

Tories offer NHS IT rescue plan after major patient data losses

David Ramsay

An alternative

Why not allow the person who's data it is decide what can be given and to who. A memory stick, even an ID Card with secure encryption could be used and then it is up to the individual if they give it to a doctor or other individual.

You can then decide what parts of the information you hold on yourself is available to whom.

Mind you the ID Cards data would be maintained by the owner and NOT the government or any other body, with copy protection such that it was view only unless otherwise agreed. This of course would entail giving every household in Britain a free computer and other hardware to maintain for themselves.