For example, we are finding that some copper lines have faults that have gone undiagnosed on Telecom's network, probably just manifesting themselves as substandard sync speeds.

I suspected as much!

Thanks for posting.

There are a small number of customers who are experiencing issues with their transfer to the Orcon+ network, and while I realise this is of little comfort to those of you who are among those few, I will try to give a bit of background:

There are a…

I requested to keep my current phone number but instead they allocated a new number

Thanks for this info, and the rest. I guess it's another tech co that can't keep up with or manage demand for their new services. (Is Orcon providing baggage handling services to Terminal 5?)

Heh…

some stereotypes can be quite funny.

However it does seem that upload speeds of 3.5Mbit/s are possible under some types of ADSL.

Much faster downstream speeds would be great – but why is the UPSTREAM speed still limited to 1MB ? Can't actually find anywhewre on the Orcon…

PAS is currently like a really cool nighclub that plays all the right music.

Some might say that it's more like a comfortable little cafe that plays some really naff music, like the Black Seeds or something. But not me, obviously.

It's weird how more women related more positively to the John kerwin advertisement campaign than men.

Hmmmm, lemme think on that for a moment:

there's a bloke on the telly .... in a nice white shirt .... not bad looking either — but not too good looking .... he's talking about…

So you can rush out to the shops on April 2, plug in your box and sit down to watch Media7 that night!

I feel like I need someone to provide a 'freeview for dummies' guide in short sentences.

I really just want to know when I can get it,…

Freeview|HDTM Launch Date Announced

Steve Browning, General Manager, Freeview, today announced that Kiwis’ can look forward to HD capable Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) courtesy of the Freeview|HDTM service from 2nd April 2008.

“Freeview|HDTM is New Zealand’s first high definition capable digital service and has the potential…

I'm afraid that the Topfield is about as mainstream as they come. I have had my TF5100 for over a year and it is one of the most usable decoders/PVRs I have seen here in Finland. But that not too hard since some of them are really terrible.

Yeah, it's…

Still looks 10 times better than anything I've seen on…

I think you'd need a very special modem, usually only available to GCSB and the like.

"That's not a modem. That's a _really_ big golf ball.

I think you'd need a very special modem, usually only available to GCSB and the like.

I'd have to send her the secret phrasebook first. You're not "turning it off then on" — you're power-cycling the equipment

You're revealing trade secrets here. From the Linux level one support manual:

– Ok, can you type:
netstat -a
and read me what you see.
– Hmm, interesting.
-…

I guess the shock is the price. Here, for NZD$57, you get unlimited upload/download, 100…

I was indentifying with Barney for a while there.

xkcd rocks!

Anybody else notice that fully 1/4 of the XKCD comic archive consists of "your mother" references somewhat more disturbing than the ones that have exercised discussion here?

On reflection I remembered others, but this was the one popped in my head*

Yeah? Well your MOM turns every conversation into a "your…

Nana that.

I want to put that on a t-shirt.

linger, that's OK though, because it's a cartoon strip. Every noticed that Homer Simpson is a complete bastard in pretty much every way? But he makes us laugh at him.

More than that, he makes us sympathise with him.

My kids understand him perfectly as an archetype.

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

What did you just call my dear mum? Step outside, now!

And you have to be quick.

Ahh yes
FIRST!

Yes, they should have drilled down a bit further.

*boom boom*

Exactly. How could they top that?

And you have to be quick.

(yeah, 'school' is my widget word of the day)

What a coincidence, one of my least cool moments in my life involved the word "widget".

The other involved updating a bunch of glamorous (it was the 80s) female money market dealers on the state of their money market compter system…

Their lazy pigeon holing of the riches to be found on this site doesn't auger well for them.

Yes, they should have drilled down a bit further.

*boom boom*

Meanwhile, the NBR website was being revamped and would be developed into what Gibson described as a right-wing answer to the Public Address website which had assembled left-wing commentators under its banner.

Their lazy pigeon holing of the riches to be found on this site doesn't auger well for them.…

sorry, the noob doesn't know how the quote thing works.

You had it right, except for a stray space in the tag to close the quote. Fixed now.

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…

Posted at 10:36AM on 14 Mar 08. Report. Permalink.

"it won't work on my mac" excuse anymore? bootcamp?

'wont work properly because it depends on Microsoft'

if i can get horrible philips drm mp3 player drivers to run on Virtual PC on a g4, any intel mac running windows natively…

Meanwhile, the NBR website was being revamped and would be developed into what Gibson described as a right-wing answer to the Public Address website which had assembled left-wing commentators under its banner.

That's actually good news. I'd personally enjoy a well-managed right-of-centre commentary site where the possibility of rational discussion…

Strange as it may seem to approval-seeking youth, Cool is something you’ll eventually abandon as pointless effort.

and Andrew replied:

Au contraire, it's something we eventually grow into and assume, like a mantle. Well, that's my experience anyway. And what I tell the inhouse teenager regularly.

And I…

Russell, surely nobody with a intel mac can use the old "it won't work on my mac" excuse anymore? bootcamp?

You still need something to boot into. I understand why people have windows vista, because it comes with the machine as a default. Paying more to put it on a…

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" ...

Heh, but unlike the newsagent I don't thingk the guys on…

Meanwhile, the NBR website was being revamped and would be developed into what Gibson described as a right-wing answer to the Public Address website which had assembled left-wing commentators under its banner.

From, Drinnan, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/466/story.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10498048
Sounds out of touch but kudos to PAS for seriously rattling some old school cages.

is becoming at risk of becoming mainstream media

Not with comments like this from Daleaway it won't.

First, there’s Indifference to Cool.
Secondly, there’s Innovation Fatigue.
Thirdly, there’s the Bog Off factor.

Seriously good points that the MSM will never touch upon.

Cool is something you’ll eventually abandon as pointless effort.

Au contraire, it's something we eventually grow into and assume, like a mantle. Well, that's my experience anyway. And what I tell the inhouse teenager regularly.

First, there’s Indifference to Cool. Strange as it may seem to approval-seeking youth,…

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…

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…

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"…

– 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).

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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

I always regard manuals as opinion pieces.

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 ...

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…

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

Ellen MacArthur kicks arse on land too.

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…

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? :-)

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…

International Observer

The thing is, in the current IPV4 world, addresses are a scarce resource and cost money to provide. Should the majority (who don't need one) subsidise the majority who do?

eh? I've only just joined this thread. Must've been someone else who said that…

I noticed her eyes had gone watery and she was looking down and trembling slightly

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

As for my mother, she's the tech support for about half the Kenepuru. And yes,…

Why not go for "Mum and Dad" or "your grandparents" or "the less demanding punter" or something?

It all means much the same thing, yes. Although I suspect I'll still use my own mum , mentally, as a benchmark for product usability. I just won't talk about it ...

You're no use at all to the unbundling ISPs. They pay a per-line rental rate, and the non-premium "ordinary" broadband services don't bring in enough to provide a viable margin.

Which is ineresting from my POV. I don't really need more bandwidth or more data (until I get ad-free decent…

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

Why not go for "Mum and Dad" or "your grandparents" or "the less demanding punter" or something?

:)

although she did work out that unplugging it seemed to fix its glitches.

There you go, she could embark on a career in IT support now.

I'd have to send her the secret phrasebook first. You're not "turning it off then on" — you're power-cycling the equipment.

Misplaced confidence is a better predictor of disaster than gender.

Being a man means thinking you don't have to read the manual. Gets me every time.

Come to that, I don't "want to spend $80 a month just for internet". Whatever speed I get from Telecom and a 3G cap is fine for my browsing.

You're no use at all to the unbundling ISPs. They pay a per-line rental rate, and the non-premium "ordinary" broadband services…

but when you're asked to fix a system that's been really rooted, it's for a man who should have asked for help earlier but didn't.

Heh, like the times I disabled my graphics card trying to upgrade the driver? The second time I did this (I know), I managed to…

I tried using BitTorrent, but rapidly got bored with waiting 24hrs for a file that might or might not turn up…

It precisely in trivial language that sexism manifests, and it is precisely its trivality and commonplaceness and consequent direct route to our unconscious that make it important to combat it.

Hey, I can't argue with Freud! I mean his theories of how the mind works haven't been rigorously discredited or…

It doesn't mean she's incompetent or something,

Goodness no it doesn't...

although she did work out that unplugging it seemed to fix its glitches.

There you go, she could embark on a career in IT support now.

P.S. Mr. brown – don't tell people where the exchanges are! they don't have signs on them for a reason.... What if Te Qaeda were reading???

It's interesting that the owners of the unsigned buildings around Eden Terrace and other places consider they are secure because there is no big…

Sigh ... alright, not deals for your mum and dad, then. My point related to generation, not gender.

Ageist!

But this is the thought that has been running through mind as I read the whole thread...

The thing is,…

I think this "You suck at maths" carton captures our problem.

And my spelling prowess demonstrates it...

... but when you're asked to fix a system that's been really rooted, it's for a man who should have asked for help earlier but didn't.

That's so true.

I'm gonna tell my mum you said that tonight. Been trying to convince her to get broadband for ages, but when I lent her a Vodem it made her think that broadband was actually slower than dialup. They're in Herne Bay...how's that situated for high speed Orcon goodness?

Great! Herne…

WTF? I thought we were past this sort of stereotyping these days. Bad Russell! Go sit on the naughty step and have a long think about what you've said. Time starts now...

Sigh ... alright, not deals for your mum and dad, then. My point related to generation, not gender.

Look at the stats, 75% male orientated and yet women out…

But we have had discussions in the past about what factors influence whether there are women commentators or not, so I thought I would point out that what obviously a lot of people see as being a trivial detail isn't actually so trivial to a lot of other people.

I…

*Everyone* I talk to on Telstra is unhappy, but we…

It precisely in trivial language that sexism manifests, and it is precisely its trivality and commonplaceness and consequent direct route to our unconscious that make it important…

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

damn straight! duncan has just become my pin-up for "engaging with communities of interest".

he'll be clearly indicated in my next talk to public servants about "how to make social media…

I think it's fairly silly to try and make Russell prostrate himself before this issue.....You can't expect to control speech down to that level.

I wasn't trying to make anyone prostrate themselves, or try to control speech. If this wasn't a place I had a lot of respect for, I…

The thing is, in the current IPV4 world, addresses are a scarce resource and cost money to provide. Should the majority (who don't need one) subsidise the majority who do?

I really don't buy this vis a vis DSL broadband. My router is always connected and taking up…

do you see any sexist generalizations in this statement you made in another thread?

No.

There isn't even a comparison to be made. The whole point of Joanna's dug-up-and-requoted post is that people are *supposed* to see him as a god amongst men because he's an All Black, and that…

Ok, so "your mum" was being used a shorthand for a light internet user, but you know what's sort of strange about it? Well, mums normally comes with a dad. What about his internet?

Well, using my parents as an example, mum is the light internet user. And dad... well...…

P.S. Mr. brown – don't tell people where the exchanges are! they don't have signs on them for a reason.... What if Te Qaeda were reading???

Cheers,
Duncan Blair
Group Product Manager
Orcon

when is orcon going to do what other providers don't, and string some central wellington apartment blocks with fibre?

With LLU we are doing what no one else is doing right now :)

But to answer your question we are pretty excited about potential applications of FTTP in the future.…

They're probably not deals for your mum, but for communications-happy households they're a welcome innovation.

Ok, so "your mum" was being used a shorthand for a light internet user, but you know what's sort of strange about it? Well, mums normally comes…

What's the ETA for the roll out to Remuera? I switch to Orcon in a heartbeat!

We should be live in Remuera in April. For a more complete list of the next suburbs to get access to the good stuff check the website: Orcon's next unbundled exchanges

Cheers,
Duncan Blair…

Maybe the reason they're using txt rather than voice is because the pricing structure is much better for them, because the company has reflected their costs.

and maybe the infrastructure is cheaper where the traffic is lower?

when is orcon going to do what other providers don't, and string some central wellington apartment blocks with fibre?

that's a market, surely?

Really? So rather than simply charge a reasonable rate for voice calls, they teach 'illiterate' 'Africans' a whole new written language so they have a use for cellphones? Surely the pinnacle of free market beneficence...

I don't know what sort of structure cell phone providers have in most places, but…

Yowza – good deal from Orcon. But danged if I can open their home page at www.orcon.net.nz

Yeah, sorry guys. Seem to be a couple of issues earlier today. These should be resolved now.

If anyone continues to have problems please let me know.

Cheers,
Duncan Blair
Group Product Manager…

I always found Vi to be the definition of annoying and obscure.

I thought someone was playing a joke on me when I first saw it.

sigh – we in Dunedin get forgotten again – maybe I should start shovelling my $$ to someone other than Orcon

Dunedin, along with all major population centers in NZ, is definitely on our roadmap.

In order to get an exchange opened up for us to install our equipment we…

It's not just the sexism aspect of it, it's also the agism – and I know my comment didn't explain that very well, sorry. I work to bridge gaps in technology knowledge and uptake,

yeah... but i've read you remark that you can't remember life without the internet. russell's mum,…

My mum updates unix scripts with Vi

There must be a million better ways to get your thrills in the new millenium? I always found Vi to be the definition of annoying and obscure.

Really? So rather than simply charge a reasonable rate for voice calls, they teach 'illiterate' 'Africans' a whole new written language so they have a use for cellphones? Surely the pinnacle of free market beneficence...

this was a conversation in the pub 5 years ago. i'm scant on details.

Who really needs caller ID? – How about you pick up the phone & say Hello?

I could wise crack here, but for once I will refrain & invite my younger brother to tell us why some people really do need caller ID. Or the Jaws ringtone associated with a certain calling…

"What did you do if you were late?" "Well son, in those day, people just had to suck on it".

Entire episodes of Seinfeld rely upon communication disasters that now seem irrelevant. Watching them now is a bit like watching a Shakespearean play where the plot hinges on a letter…

My mum taught me MS-DOS commands.

My mum updates unix scripts with Vi

"Can we agree on "NZ First supporters" as a generalisation for the technologically illiterate?

As an ex IT support person for Parliament (a long time ago in the years of the spud), I confirm that this one will fly. In fact you could eliminate the word "supporters"

If it was big talk or a joke the guys I knew didn't take it that way at all.

And back to landlines – we often don't klnow our neighbours, people in our communities…

Ah, the time-honoured 'can't you chicks take a joke?' defence. :)

Thanks Danielle.

(I think the jury's still out on the sexism of 'your mum', though. I'm just not sure about it.)

It's not just the sexism aspect of it, it's also the agism – and I know my comment…

(or something)

he reckons the companies taught these illiterate rural african women to text using some sort of phonetic pictograms, and they took to it

Really? So rather than simply charge a reasonable rate for voice calls, they teach 'illiterate' 'Africans' a whole new written language so they have a use for…

... eek, does this mean peeps on Go Large can't set up their system with a static IP address? Does Telecom poo-poo this by making something not work if you do?

And how, prey-tell, could one tell if Telecom was 'switching your IP' ..?

Basically, if you are using your…

Yeah I got the 'Go Large' plan too. Now I can't get a fixed IP address because that would interfere with Telecom's ability to switch your IP any time you start peering. Still, at least it doesn't cost me hundreds every month now.

... eek, does this mean peeps on…

I wonder how long before "World of Warcraft" becomes an essential of life. Coz without it, you know, you might have to go outside – and thats scary, with people and cars that might kill you and bad weather that could freeze you to death.

...and worst of all, your…

Jeez, lighten up.

Ah, the time-honoured 'can't you chicks take a joke?' defence. :)

(I think the jury's still out on the sexism of 'your mum', though. I'm just not sure about it.)

most times when they're being asked to set up a system for someone with no tech nous, it's a woman.

... but when you're asked to fix a system that's been really rooted, it's for a man who should have asked for help earlier but didn't.

As an ex-ITsupport person…

WTF? I thought we were past this sort of stereotyping these days. Bad Russell! Go sit on the naughty step and have a long think about what you've said. Time starts now...

The use of 'your mum' by tech geeks might have something to do with the 'fact' (ie statement…

Indications are that the major free-to-air networks will broadcast everything they can in HD, from launch. And launch is … sometime in April.

"Everything they can" for TVNZ at the moment is pretty much nothing but the Olympics, according to today's Herald.

I can press a number key and set that, but I can't see a way to reduce the number of digits between the dots.

Have you tried putting an "01" to mean "1" (in place of the "11")? On some systems that I've played with this seems to work...

As…

food, water, clothing and shelter.

Yes, that's the bare minimum required to not die. But to live a soul needs music.

They're probably not deals for your mum, but for communications-happy households they're a welcome innovation.

WTF? I thought we were past this sort of stereotyping these days. Bad Russell! Go sit on the naughty step and have a long think about what you've said. Time starts now...

I think it's reasonably safe to use Grandma as an example

same. my mum is blimmin hopeless with gadgets. growing up in rural new zealand meant that 'the latest technology' was... a bigger v8.

In the early 80's, I had no usable phone whilst a student at uni. It was a pain, but I managed. If people wanted to contact me, they had to either find…

he reckons the companies taught these illiterate rural african women to text using some sort of phonetic pictograms, and they took to it.

their villages had no…

Very excited at this news though, did try Woosh and got nowhere fast, so have been paying vast sums of money to Telecom for some time now. Probably only use my landline phone once a week, hate having to…

You know, I think my dad would get upset if I used him as a synonym for lack of technical expertise. He's a retired test pilot and aerospace scientist.

Mum, I think, would be fine on it.

I think it's reasonably safe to use Grandma as an example, and it's…

If you live in a subsistence village where all your family are within five minutes' walk, and your job involves spreading muck on fields, then you're fine.

Actually, there is a steady stream of news in the last year or two about how mobile phones are affecting (for the better)…

Humankind managed for 40,000 years without one

I'm sure they'd rather have had it if they could've, though.

I'm surprised I was able to survive before cellphones, personally. I think my son will be skeptical about such old-timer's stories. "What did you do if you were late?" "Well son, in…

He's a retired test pilot and aerospace scientist.

Jeez, you probably can't even ridicule his driving.

Mum, I think, would be fine on it.

I've got one of those too :)

A critic? Or the ability to record 6 channels?

Most of the time you're really careful about this Russell, but if you're serious about making sure that this is always a good place for women to come, please don't insult our intelligence.

Jeez, lighten up. I think I use the phrase because in the back of my mind I…

the phoneline is essential

Humankind managed for 40,000 years without one.

But society was not then based around large, spread-out cities and distributed social networks. If you live in a subsistence village where all your family are within five minutes' walk, and your job involves spreading muck on fields, then…

So Paul .... will Vodaphone give me a static IP at home? (the only reason I went to Orcon ....)

At least it's not Evil Canadian Pensioners!

Following up from last night's GirlGeek dinner, why do you have to say "your mum" as an example of someone who can't use technology? Why not my dad?

Yeah I'm not in the mood to drop this one. I live with three guys – an engineering geek, an IT geek…

80:20 rule and all that..

r but once I can have a one-box media streaming, gaming, DVD, Blu-Ray and HDTV solution then I'll need to buy that and the TV to match

Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny...

This Orcon news is really making me bitter towards those…

Humankind managed for 40,000 years without one.

1. Anyone know where (roughly) the Ponse exchange is? I'm in Crummer Rd and interested in roughly how far away I am.

Summer Street. I'd think you were good to go.