Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Geekstravaganza

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  • merc,

    RTFM and make a Tech Writer happy. As for online Help, press F1 and see another world open up to you. As for embedded software...you are on your own.
    Free usually means no Help and...everybody needs Help.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I need to put my dad onto her. He still hasn't got the Internet connected. Being one of the very last telephone's with a party line in New Zealand wouldn't have helped.

    There's an interesting concept. If you could use the internet on a party line, and one person downloaded something, would everyone get it?

    "Hey, I see you were downloading porn last night. Looked pretty good stuff to me! I read an email from your girlfriend... sheez, that was hot too!"

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • mike.riversdale,

    Why not my dad?

    Ok - but I'm not sure it's fair on your Dad that I constantly use him - "Hey, anyone can use it, including Jo's Dad!"

    Or is it? :-)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 27 posts Report

  • Che Tibby,

    It all means much the same thing, yes. Although I suspect I'll still use my own mum , mentally, as a benchmark

    never, ever use your mum as a benchmark. there's some kind of psychology in there that always makes people look at you over their glasses.

    in a freudian way.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Bob Munro,

    This is Ellen MacArthur, real women stuff.
    Oh and it technical.

    Ellen MacArthur kicks arse on land too.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report

  • mike.riversdale,

    he'll be clearly indicated in my next talk to public servants about "how to make social media work for your business".

    Not taking anything away from either party or your praise Che & Jo but, um, aren't they both just, well, talking to customers.

    Did we really need "social media" to (re-learn how to) talk with customers?

    I seem to recall my newsagent in Wales doing that a lot. Oh, and the guy at the pub. And the lady in the fish and chip shop (my great aunt), she was always nattering to "the customer" ...

    Just a thought

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 27 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    never, ever use your mum as a benchmark. there's some kind of psychology in there that always makes people look at you over their glasses.
    in a freudian way.

    I am so over you varsity types ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Deborah,

    Being a man means thinking you don't have to read the manual.

    I always regard manuals as opinion pieces.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    On a completely different note, I'm really liking that both Vodafone and Orcon are representing themselves in this discussion.

    I'd like to see more of it. There's no reason that professional communicators and decision-makers (Jim Anderton dropped in with a useful post in the research fund thread today too) shouldn't speak directly to a civilised audience.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Oh, and can someone write me a script to replace all instances of "your mum" with "a mainstream consumer"?

    Well, I had a go, but after it disastrously ruined my database of "your mum" jokes in testing, I decided to scrap it :(

    "__A mainstream consumer__ is so fat, when I told her to haul arse, she had to make two trips."

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report

  • Che Tibby,

    but, um, aren't they both just, well, talking to customers.

    what is this "customer" of which you speak?

    I am so over you varsity types ...

    chuckle.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    I sometimes forget how many people have never seen what we do with the Internet.

    My mum has become more interested -- a couple of her friends are connected and they book tickets and stuff. She sometimes sees my blog. But she really doesn't want a computer -- I've tried to give her one and she decided she didn't want it.

    But I am buying her a Freeview DTT decoder, just as soon as they're available.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Jarno van der Linden,

    steven crawford:

    I need to put my dad onto her. He still hasn't got the Internet connected. Being one of the very last telephone's with a party line in New Zealand wouldn't have helped.

    A fair chunk of the Kenepuru is being connected up with a community wifi project. Soon he may have better internet than you.

    Nelson • Since Oct 2007 • 82 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    International Observer, my apologies for the misquote. It was Rich of Observationz I was quoting.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • BenWilson,

    Well yes -- I'd imagine it was quite traumatic for her, realising her beloved grandson was in fact Beelzebub.
    Begone with your black sorcery!

    Sure looked that way. But I think it was more of a case of just feeling frightened and small in the face of the vast and implacable march of technology. A whole Encyclopedia Brittanica set was actually an object of educational value not that long ago. Now it's just a collector's item, or kindling.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Joanna,

    Not taking anything away from either party or your praise Che & Jo but, um, aren't they both just, well, talking to customers.

    Did we really need "social media" to (re-learn how to) talk with customers?

    I seem to recall my newsagent in Wales doing that a lot. Oh, and the guy at the pub. And the lady in the fish and chip shop (my great aunt), she was always nattering to "the customer" ...

    The difference here Mike is that in your example, it'd be like you could go to the chip shop and talk to the guy who was vice president of the trawling company that caught the fish, or the Marketing Manager of the brewery at the pub. You don't normally get to have a direct response from those people.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report

  • Deborah,

    Hey! Where's my gravy cat gone?

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report

  • mike.riversdale,

    the Marketing Manager of the brewery at the pub

    *shudder* .... no, they didn't exist when I was going to pubs in Wales in my youth ... they made beer, I bought beer, I drank bee, we talked (not always about beer). The difference was in step 1 - THEY made beer and nt "marketed beer"

    <quote>You don't normally get to have a direct response from those people.</quote?>
    But we did (on this very blog fandangle) ... maybe it's our expectations on what is "allowed" and not what people CAN do ...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 27 posts Report

  • mike.riversdale,

    </quote?>

    - darn my quote tag-less

    But, gives me a chance to say - well done Luke/Epic Beer for getting back to the old fashioned way of doing it (using teh interwebs).

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 27 posts Report

  • InternationalObserver,

    he'll be clearly indicated in my next talk to public servants about "how to make social media work for your business".

    Not taking anything away from either party or your praise Che & Jo but, um, aren't they both just, well, talking to customers.

    Did we really need "social media" to (re-learn how to) talk with customers?

    I see from your paltry 5 posts Mike that you're a Newbie (unlike myself with a magnificent 820) (actually scratch that, since only 5 of mine have been relevant to the topic in hand) ... but let me 'school' you anyway: The first rule of [redacted] is never to talk about [redacted]. But PAS is not [redacted] so feel free to talk about PAS - and by extension the wondrous glory that is the internet. And part of the wondrous glory that is the internet is PAS. So by extension we must give thanks and praise to PAS and by extension Russel Brown, who created PAS. He is The Creator. In order to encourage others to experience the wondrous glory that is the internet/PAS so that they too may give thanks and praise to PAS/RB we must give thanks and praise to those 'outsiders' who deign to enter this hallowed PAS because in doing so they are acknowledging this glorious and wonderful thing that we've known about since like, forever. Like Goths auditioning for American Idol we hate the MSM but only until they acknowledge us, at which point we only pretend to hate them (for taking so long to acknowledge us). PAS is currently like a really cool nighclub that plays all the right music. It's the internet version of a danceparty (when danceparty's were cool) but we all know what happened there. The masses 'discovered' clubbing and then 'the marketeers' turned up and killed it. Luckily for PAS, thus far, RB is still on the door ... I could go on (and on) but there's a helicopter overhead and I can't see it. (When you can hear a helicopter right above your house at 2am but can't see it, it's best to hide in bed)

    International Observer, my apologies for the misquote. It was Rich of Observationz I was quoting.

    Heh heh - I suspected as much. I tried reading Rich's posts but he had made so many... but your clue should have been that the comment was both cogent and coherant :)

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report

  • Rob Hosking,

    Well, I had a go, but after it disastrously ruined my database of "your mum" jokes in testing, I decided to scrap it :(
    "A mainstream consumer is so fat, when I told her to haul arse, she had to make two trips."

    This dates me, but when I went for an evening walk after reading that I found myself humming 'your mainstream consumer don' t dance/and your daddy don't rock n roll...'

    Sorry about that.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report

  • Judi Lapsley Miller,

    Russell said

    Although I suspect I'll still use my own mum , mentally, as a benchmark for product usability. I just won't talk about it ...

    .

    Hey Russ - I've no problem with you using your Mum - just say what you mean and say "my mum". Then you only have to answer to her ;-)

    The danger of saying "your mum" is that everyone then inserts their own specific example or stereotype, which may or may not make any sense in the context.

    (I'm looking forward to some unbundling down in Wgtn - trying to be a knowledge-wave exporter in the 'burbs with only xtra as an option can be a bit frustrating some times...)

    Cheers,

    Judi

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 106 posts Report

  • Judi Lapsley Miller,

    Oh - and you can leave the naughty step now ;-)))

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 106 posts Report

  • Maureen Gallie,

    I am a real newbie here,and I have never laughed so much.Thank you all.

    Russell/Hamiltonxtra • Since Mar 2008 • 11 posts Report

  • Richard Huntington,

    Well it has really begun! Travelling through Pt Chev last weekend I saw the beginnings of the first Telecom Cabinet installations there, only slightly behind schedule. Roll on Grey Lynn I can't wait!
    Now the question is will any other operators have access to those cabinets and the final loop? Perhaps the probable changes to environmental regulations will allow rows of cabinets resplendent in competitors livery.. or maybe not. Bitstream and perhaps access for private backhaul from the exchange nodes then i guess.
    I wonder how long the backup power supply will last in those cabinets? Ooh I'd hate to be without the interweb in a power crisis.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 3 posts Report

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