Posts by BenWilson

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  • Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad,

    Does anyone know when we will actually get information? Or care to hazard some informed guesses? How long are these remanded guys actually going to have to sit there?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another Network in a…,

    But is it a good idea that cheap, fast net access is only available for (relatively) wealthy urbanites in smart inner suburbs.

    It would be good if it was even available there.

    A joke but is there something in this?

    Somehow I think being on a wifi network would be the very last thing a serious terrorist would want to do. Especially not out in the bush when you're trying to keep radio silence. So someone who uses a mobile phone where you send plain text messages about the revolution didn't get past chapter one of their awesome IRA manual.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another Network in a…,

    But he's so pretty when I'm drunk.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another Network in a…,

    Yes, I really should learn to appreciate the taste of vomit in moderation.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another Network in a…,

    I actually find that all alcohol smells to me like vomit. But that is because my vomit has so often had alcohol in it that the association is very strong. I feel the same way about carrots in stew.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another Network in a…,

    I can see advantages in having local data local too: a local cache for internet content from TVNZ/TV3/RNZ/etc would be pretty cool. And ping times for neighbourhood gaming would rock ...

    There's mega advantages to it. Local file sharing, offsite backups, local cache generally.

    You're not talking about you, as Joe user, buying a big, fat pipe and hoping everyone else plays nice -- it'd be a co-op.

    Someone has to run even a co-op. The internet connection would not be free, so the costs would have to be passed on somehow, and the money collected. The network would have it's own running costs which would also need to be paid for.

    I'm sure these problems are soluble, but ultimately the actual organization will not be an amateur affair. Whoever sets up the connection to the net must be a pro, and there will be tech support, you can take that as guaranteed.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another Network in a…,

    Just guessing here, but I'd think mesh networks would suffer the other problem of abuse being very difficult to resolve. It totally depends on the network and what it allows, but I can see people sitting somewhere along the way using non-standard settings and basically rorting. They might refuse to allow any traffic through them, or slow it to a crawl, so as to maximize their own. They might watch the traffic hoping to glean stuff. It doesn't have to be as sensitive as passwords to be something you don't want your neighbors (and whoever happens to be passing by with a wifi device) seeing. Do you want them to even know what sites you visit, what news articles you read, how much P2P you download? Or even when you are home and using your computer?

    I know the telcos already know all that, but you at least have a relationship with them that you signed up for.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Another Network in a…,

    Does the government even need a strategy for mesh networks?

    The idea's been around for ages. I can see why it hasn't taken off here. I, for instance don't live within cooee of anyone else with a wireless router. If I wanted to be part of such a network, I couldn't. I'd be starting it up. Which means I need to be the guy on the fringe with the connection to a Telco. Which means I might as well keep all the bandwidth to myself, since I'm paying for it. I could share the cost of a really fat pipe, if I was prepared to do all the work setting it up and take all the risk that no one would want to buy in. Even if there were interested neighbors, I'd end up being tech support for half my neighborhood, which would doubly suck because I couldn't just not answer the phone - they would be forever popping over to find out why their router reset itself, or if the Telco was down. Or, more likely, why their PC wasn't booting up fast, why their mouse broke, etc.

    Unless there is a professional third party on call for the tech support, I can't see it working. And if they were, they'd want to have a hand in supplying all the gear, otherwise it would be an absolute nightmare of a job. At which point they're just another telco.

    In very densely packed suburbs or the city centre, it might work, but I bet it would mainly be the choice of nerds who knew how to fix it themselves, or clients of local entrepreneurial nerds.

    Then again, there's a lot more nerds than there used to be...I'm not writing the idea off, just thinking we're looking at a few years away for NZ.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad,

    Do you actually believe if we voted for a leader who seriously challenged the authority of the Anglosphere's rulers plans for this country it would be allowed?

    I do. This is not Palestine.

    More likely, however, is that the bulk of our leaders will be elected from the Anglosphere. So such questions seldom arise in practice.

    NZ has elected leaders who have enacted policies that are unpopular with the elites, from time to time.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: Mint Chicks win everything,

    Yeah I know, it's not important compared to the music and all that, but it was really cringe-worthy last night.

    Perhaps a compulsory 10 hours at toastmasters?

    Or here's a thought, perhaps they could sing their acceptance speech.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

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