Posts by Russell Brown

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  • Hard News: National Exuberance,

    Or, perhaps you believe Hide's assertion that it's really about racial discrimination?

    I forgot to mention that in my post. Hide saying that was truly, unforgivably cynical. It seems that Shawn Tan's conversion is genuine, and good luck to him -- Act would be better for a few more idealists.

    But I fear that Rodney gave his new recruit a glimpse into the real soul of the party.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: National Exuberance,

    English and Key would rather National looks confused than deceptive.

    Hard to say. I have good reason to believe that the broadband policy was pulled out of their asses: they announced it and tried to make the numbers work afterwards.

    Which isn't to say Labour hasn't done the same thing in government (eg: buying back the rail) but it doesn't suggest that National has made the most of its years in the wilderness.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: National Exuberance,

    Cameron Slater's rant is completely hilarious:

    I'm devastated.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: National Exuberance,

    Workers of the world unite - Support comrade tan!

    You're enjoying this, aren't you?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: National Exuberance,

    Completely off topic, but RB I was wondering if you'd read/heard of Whaleoil's latest rant? Seems his knickers are in quite the twist...who'd have though he listens to the b?

    I've got your back, I say we roll with a PA posse, wild west style!

    Whaleoil playing victim again? Surely not.

    I think I might have said to Mikey that Slater's father was embarrassed by his weird behaviour. Which is what I've been told is the case.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Stories: The Internet,

    I still have this 2000 news story on my hard drive. Tyler had been hand-picked by Rod Deane to to launch Xtra in 1996. He was extremely intense and, it appeared, mildly crazy. He was also the source of lawsuit I mentioned upthread.

    Towards the end of his time with Telecom we'd be calling the Telecom press people politely enquiring where Chris Tyler actually was. I found out much later, but that's a story to tell over a few drinks, rather than on a public forum.

    **Solution 6 boss throws in towel**

    By Russell Brown

    Controversial former Xtra chief Chris Tyler has resigned as CEO of Solution 6, after embarrassing press revelations about his past.

    Among those revelations was the fact that when he was hired to work at Xtra in 1995 he may still have been serving a 10-year suspended sentence imposed in Dallas, Texas, for possession of more than 20 kilograms of marijuana in 1985, along with a $US5000 fine.

    Tyler had not disclosed the conviction to his employer or shareholders, nor his involvement with the spectacularly failed Vancouver company Lessonware. Last week he held a press conference to confront those reports and others.

    BRW, the Australian business magazine which began the furore by revealing details of Tyler's past, is to publish a follow-up this week, covering Tyler's time in New Zealand. It appears the events of Tyler's brief but exciting reign at Xtra - the time of what became popularly known as "the ISP wars" - have not been well known to his Australian employers. Tyler went to Solution 6 in early 1997 with a glowing endorsement from Telecom.

    Although he has faced questions about Lessonware, and about his public promise to take Solution 6 shares to $A100, it appears to be the drug conviction that has harmed Tyler's position most. Telstra, which is still majority government-owned, holds a quarter of Solution 6.

    In a statement to the ASX last week, Solution 6 said Tyler and the board of the company had "mutually agreed that in the light of recent events it is now in the best interest of shareholders" for Tyler to resign.

    At a press conference the previous week Tyler claimed that he had no intention of leaving Solution 6 and ridiculed rumours that his chief operating officer Lindsay Yelland would be offered his job. But yesterday Yelland was appointed as acting CEO and MD.

    It is not yet known whether Tyler will retain his 10% option in the company, valued at close to $A50 million, but he will continue to receive his $A700,000 salary for acting as an advisor for the next six months.

    Solution 6 shares rose strongly on the ASX last week and at one point were trading at $3.89, up 30% on the day.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Stories: The Internet,

    BTW. I just looked at the list of people in the book. Why the hell are Chris Thorpe (Toph!), Jeremy Clyma, and John Clarke not mentioned?

    They are, they're just not listed in the index. That seems to be the case for a lot of people, including me. I've just been leafing through the "Pioneering ISPs" chapter, and discovered that not only am I quoted on Xtra's original basket-case billing system (I'll get back to that when I have more time), there's a photograph of Maurice Williamson presenting me with a Tuanz award in 1995.

    I'm quite pleased to see my stories from the "ISP wars" quoted. That was a really fun time to be on the internet beat. It was all new, new enough for there to be cowboys and cock-ups.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: Listen to the Music,

    Why doesnt quicktime have all the goodies built in?why add codecs.

    It does have a lot of codecs built-in, and Perian and Flip4Mac are listed on the official MacOS X Software site, but Apple apparently doesn't want to bless .avi or .divx to the point of bundling them. Maybe it's a Steve thing.

    VLC has certainly shown the way though. It's an open-source project and they just do what the people need done.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: Being Worked,

    That's so weird ...

    No you're weird ;-)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Hard News: Being Worked,

    Correspondingly, the ban discriminates against free, unmediated conversations on Internet.

    It's the conversations he wants to suppress. I do find it interesting. This isn't some guy who has his secretary print out his emails.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

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