tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83184289551022344982024-03-13T13:01:18.064-07:00Rural DebuggingPondering from by the sea on why things don't get doneClive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-14399100938479366002016-08-17T00:25:00.000-07:002016-08-17T00:25:53.361-07:00Broadband final installment : FTTP - A very thin bit of glass all the way to Aberystwyth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After some effort we have a very thin continual strand of glass going all the way from our house to the exchange in Aberystwyth with this as a result<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7GyaVRi4Lzk/V7QOQjSWyXI/AAAAAAAAAsY/r-DXZjDLY6Q5LcEuCbGrvxJpBCnXJGz3gCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-08-11%2Bat%2B08.25.58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7GyaVRi4Lzk/V7QOQjSWyXI/AAAAAAAAAsY/r-DXZjDLY6Q5LcEuCbGrvxJpBCnXJGz3gCLcB/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-08-11%2Bat%2B08.25.58.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speedtest.net</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
300 mbps is quite fast, especially if you live in Wales and even more so in rural Wales. Next door (which means 550m away) and I have been told by various OpenReach engineers that to date we are the most remote property to get Fibre broadband. We did the civil engineering ourselves (i.e put 1.2km of duct in the ground) which probably brought the install date forward by at least 5 years.<br />
<br />
FTTP has been life changing for us, thus was have many people to thank and some feedback for a part of the Welsh Government.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ne-jPqeJ8vU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ne-jPqeJ8vU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
While this is now done and dusted for us. I have learned a lot (a hell of a lot) so if you are in a similar situation in Ceredigion (or rural Wales), get in touch and lets see if anything I have learned can be applied to your situation. In our case it helped a lot being willing to dig a trench and get in it to install the duct, but different models apply.<br />
<br />
If you never give up, you can't loose !!!!!!<br />
</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-38026221371970189652016-07-10T05:45:00.002-07:002016-07-10T05:45:59.365-07:00How to check the web address I found is really what I think it is<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I found I have a little money spare and wanted to pay off some of our morguage early. This is not investment advice, but on the risk spectrum it is the lowest risk investment you can make. I have enough risk elsewhere. I have moved banks since my last capital replayment and since it is Sunday<br />
I though I would google it.<br />
<br />
It then occured to me what if someone had spoofed the web site for the <a href="http://www.coventrybuildingsociety.co.uk/mortgages/important-info/repaying-your-mortgage.aspx">Coventry Building Society</a> and upped it rankings on Google. What due dilgence should I do?<br />
<br />
Step 1. Does Google know about it? In this case no. The info to the left of the web address say it is not secure, but does not give any ownership information.<br />
<br />
Step 2. Google safe browsing <a href="http://google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=%E2%80%9D">here</a>. This is more about malware, but it shows no problem.<br />
<br />
Step 3. whois.org. This is probably the most useful<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Domain name:<br /> coventrybuildingsociety.co.uk<br /><br /> Registrant:<br /> Coventry Building Society<br /><br /> Registrant type:<br /> Unknown<br /><br /> Registrant's address:<br /> Economic House<br /> P O Box 9<br /> High Street<br /> Coventry<br /> CV1 5QN<br /> United Kingdom<br /><br /> Data validation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
Nominet was able to match the registrant's name and address against a 3rd party data source on 10-Dec-2012</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
So that looks pretty good. But I plan to move 2,000 pounds so I want a little more clarity that the account numbers are correct.<br />
<br />
Step 4. Check the sort code www.sortcodes.co.uk<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Bank
<table class="table table-hover"><tbody>
<tr><td><br /></td><td>Hsbc Bank Plc</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Branch</td>
<td>Coventry</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BIC</td>
<td>MIDLGB22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Address</td>
<td>55 Corporation St <br />
Coventry<br />CV1 1GX</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
<br />
Its not in the Caymen islands which is a good start.<br />
<br />
Step 5. Lets do it in reverse. Lets put the sort code and account number into google and see if what it finds looks valid.<br />
<br />
Indeed it does. I find a number of other sites which validate the numbers, not just 1.<br />
<br />
<br />
OK, the checks above are not 100% fool proof. It would be possible to spoof this, but the other side would have to work quite hard.<br />
<br />
So my last step is to look at an old bank statement and verify the account numbers are the same. I had to work hard for that money after all.<br />
<br /></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-82238029275306617552016-06-18T06:55:00.002-07:002016-06-18T06:56:13.222-07:00How dangerous is it to be an M.P. ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I did not know the answer when I started out this statistical thought experiment. Like any other walk of life a M.P. works best when free from fear and there is never an excuse for violence against a politician more or less than a shop assistant.<br />
<br />
Sorry if this is a bit macabre, it just statistics.<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/21/rate-england-wales-2015-rises-11">UK murder rate in 2015</a> is 10 in 1,000,000. Assume 650 M.P.'s, then if they were average citizens then the chance of any M.P.'s getting murdered in each year would be 0.0065 or 1 ever 154 years. Since 1970 the number has been more like 1 every 5 years (fortunately Stephen Timms survived). <br />
<br />
Clearly a look at recent history since <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/16/jo-cox-attack-latest-serious-assault-mps">1970</a> the risk is a lot greater than to an average member of the population and this does not include non-fatal<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/23/mps-need-help-against-violent-public"> attacks</a>. So finger in the air it is about 30 times more risky to be an M.P. than a
member of the public in terms of risk of being murdered.<br />
<br />
I could name some politicians (mostly starting with N.) I would like to see spend a winter together on in a small shelter on Rockall as a reality TV show, but I would not wish them any physical harm.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-68993275524878141812016-06-05T05:27:00.001-07:002016-06-05T10:18:00.713-07:00A tangential view on the use of consultants by Ceredigion Council.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was in Boston and Iceland last week, but did see a few articles around the use of <a href="http://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=105491&headline=Council%20refuses%20to%20reveal%20%C2%A31m%20contract%20details&sectionIs=News&searchyear=2016">Consultants by Ceredigion Council.</a> I am always surprised where these people pop up. <br />
<br />
I have work, on and off, with companies like PWC, Deloitte, Mckinseys
and Arthur Anderson (remember them) in a multi-national company setting
for the
last 20 years. Most of the time we are both working for the client on
projects like the NHS IT systems(blah). I am not a paid for consultant, but
work for a vendor and get sent in when things go wrong or future
business is at risk. I do this world wide and the same principles
seem to hold worldwide.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
All the consultants from such firms have no problems with a lack self<br />
confidence and no hint of self doubt, though competence has varied<br />
right across the full spectrum. They tend not to believe they can be wrong<br />
or that their might be a better way than what they alone suggest. I<br />
have found it typical behavior that any suggestions for improvement<br />
are treated as an attack (much like a large wedge of political types).<br />
<br />
<br />
Such consulting firms add value if you want specific advice, for example
how to buy a derivative contract to mitigate financial risk, how to
reduce a tax bill, changing a pension scheme, audit or M/A type of
events. The bright ones are involved in the accounting side or helping
clients
avoid tax. For specific well bounded tasks such consultants are invaluable.
They seem OK at improving business process when set specific well defined tasks (they get the ideas from existing staff) and very poor at architecting solutions or building software.<br />
<br />
However, in the more general consulting role they fill one or more of 4 rolls
<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Customer management do not have the political capital or just the
minerals to carry out a change. The customers tells PWC et al what they want to happen and PWC et al puts it in a better formatted report
to support the proposed changed. The customers then cites
PWC et al as justification for pushing on with a change that the
customer perceives as having reputational risk. I assume this is
<br />
why Ceredigion council have hired PWC to back up bad news that exec
management and the councilors don't feel empowered to effect.
<br />
<br />
2. PWC et al recycle what they saw as good practice in the last place
they visited. The report is a rehash. The need for outside
consultants is usually a sign that you have weak management or the exec
level don't trust them. PWC et al can't get close
enough to a business(whatever it is) in a few weeks to really understand
where the savings are.
<br />
<br />
3. They redistribute cost. They move cost from one column to another.
There is no net saving, but on paper to those who
don't think and look a little wider will accept it on face value. So if
the council moves cost to an other public service, say the NHS, there
is no saving. The council has a moral duty not to do this, PWC et al
have no such duty in pushing a council to do it to get a fee.
<br />
<br />
I suspect the parking suggestion falls into this category. PWC et al
take their cut, so there is a net loss to the system (think Ceredigion
local ecosystem).
<br />
<br />
4. PWC et al are strong on management theory but less strong on
implementation. What works in a MBA text book may or may not transfer
to the real world. They are better at setting success criteria and
writing contracts than you are, so they always win and they base
their business model on it.
<br />
<br />
<br />
Council(like any other) exec-management love it as they are not
responsible and councilors(or company board) typically are not as
experienced at playing this game, so find it
hard to give both the appointment and subsequent proposals proper scrutiny.
<br />
<br />
<br />
So my summary of just under 20 years of interacting with PWC et al
suggest that buying such generalist services in an attempt to save cost will get the muppet that was on the bench (corp. speak for employee that
has no work), they will write up what you tell them
and steal a bit from the last job they did, taking a fee out of the
Ceredigion eco-system.<br />
<br />
<br />
Its unlikely to be a great outcome. If the savings were tangible, I suspect the FOI, from the paper that sometimes, maybe, makes things up, would have been successful.</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-86599221402682612972016-06-03T06:52:00.000-07:002016-06-03T06:52:06.007-07:00FTTP : a good step forward with Andy and Stuart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week 2 sub-contractors to Openreach were putting in FBT (Fibre Blown Tube) and new copper cable(if you have seen the state of the old one, new copper makes sense for the existing phone connection) into the 1.2km of duct Tony and I put in 3 or 4 months ago. They did comment that it was easier for them to get the tube and cable into the duct we did than for work done by "professional civils contractors" who put duct in for a living. Ego suitably massaged.<br />
<br />
So if I count right 8 more steps to functional FTTP !!!<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Put in Cubis box next to house</li>
<li>Blow fibre down FBT</li>
<li>Replace pole at junction as it is dangerous</li>
<li>Put 4 spans of fibre from Splitter to end of track (if they had through about it 2 years ago when they did the survey, this cost could have been avoided)</li>
<li>Put Splitter on post at end of track and on Tony's post by house</li>
<li>Do the fibre and copper joints</li>
<li> Do box outside house</li>
<li>Enable inside both houses</li>
</ol>
There may be an additional step where a lack of capacity (for what I am not sure) needs to be addressed about 2 miles away and a road dug up for new duct to be put in. Not sure where this is.<br />
<br />
Possibly more difficult than all the above will be the admin side of getting an order opened.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fA6s100bmIk/V1GD-SykBnI/AAAAAAAAArg/QzxOtn-SRSEKjf1rorCUl-UpkzPFJAOywCLcB/s1600/various%2B266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fA6s100bmIk/V1GD-SykBnI/AAAAAAAAArg/QzxOtn-SRSEKjf1rorCUl-UpkzPFJAOywCLcB/s400/various%2B266.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee, milk, no sugar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CaAfL_bC2NM/V1GFLhDZOiI/AAAAAAAAArs/0D2DYgtTIMktFFHpzDgexwO7r9M7Ef8DACLcB/s1600/various%2B268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CaAfL_bC2NM/V1GFLhDZOiI/AAAAAAAAArs/0D2DYgtTIMktFFHpzDgexwO7r9M7Ef8DACLcB/s640/various%2B268.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea, milk, 2 sugers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jzCxGz4AVAk/V1GHHTrHKTI/AAAAAAAAAr4/P6u969puX98VxZnJgA1h9-T1fBcsZYbjQCLcB/s1600/various%2B263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jzCxGz4AVAk/V1GHHTrHKTI/AAAAAAAAAr4/P6u969puX98VxZnJgA1h9-T1fBcsZYbjQCLcB/s400/various%2B263.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The far end</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S6O94memfoE/V1GJTGecylI/AAAAAAAAAsE/WobGw70DHxMoF1A_jL5tGlayhZaSQyDuwCLcB/s1600/various%2B264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S6O94memfoE/V1GJTGecylI/AAAAAAAAAsE/WobGw70DHxMoF1A_jL5tGlayhZaSQyDuwCLcB/s400/various%2B264.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FBT : Fibre blown tube</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-9127754686610564792016-02-21T02:49:00.001-08:002016-02-21T02:49:17.364-08:00Project Duct<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is a guest posting by <b>Rowen. </b><br />
<br />
Readers may be aware that we have terrible phone and broadband. We can be without a phone connection for weeks and Broadband is very slow and unreliable. For example we can't watch Youtube as the connection is too slow and I can't use it for school work. For our neighbours its even worse.<br />
<br />
Dad has a 3G connection for work and sometime we use that.<br />
<br />
Part of the problem is that there is a 30 plus year old cable that is cable tied to the bottom of a fence, the cable is designed to be underground and it has pershed in the sun over the years.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W9qSUlQSQmg/Vsl_SZjUyhI/AAAAAAAAApA/8BpxOHeIOvM/s1600/20160206_141441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W9qSUlQSQmg/Vsl_SZjUyhI/AAAAAAAAApA/8BpxOHeIOvM/s640/20160206_141441.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Existing connection to our neighbour !!!.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7JwR5TRmR4/Vsl_73zsoLI/AAAAAAAAApI/FYYGMzUMc1Y/s1600/20151226_153819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7JwR5TRmR4/Vsl_73zsoLI/AAAAAAAAApI/FYYGMzUMc1Y/s640/20151226_153819.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">200 pipes we used to put in the middle of our track.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thanks to the wonderful Ian and Andrew from OpenReach, we now have underground duct all the way from the last phone pole to our house (abut 0.5km) and then down to our neighbours (an other 0.5km). OpenReach provided the materials and sorted out permission with the next door farmer to dig up the track. Dad and Tony put the pipe in. Sponge and his digger helped Dad in the week between xmas and New Year and Tony and his digger driver finished their section last week.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7NCeFkjGSHo/VsmA6vkXc3I/AAAAAAAAApk/AAodVhqYq98/s1600/20151226_143430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7NCeFkjGSHo/VsmA6vkXc3I/AAAAAAAAApk/AAodVhqYq98/s640/20151226_143430.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my brother carried duct along the road.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JroBznERqDg/VsmEXDFl5II/AAAAAAAAArA/1itGPTu8mto/s1600/20160120_121143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JroBznERqDg/VsmEXDFl5II/AAAAAAAAArA/1itGPTu8mto/s640/20160120_121143.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road crossing outside our house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wgt0bn7H1LE/VsmE-venoKI/AAAAAAAAArE/P4ED9_vBuac/s1600/20160124_092327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wgt0bn7H1LE/VsmE-venoKI/AAAAAAAAArE/P4ED9_vBuac/s640/20160124_092327.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
Pipe running though our field back on to the road.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w4JV8eYbTRA/VsmErUtz7EI/AAAAAAAAAq0/9JGvxycPFrQ/s1600/20160120_121204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w4JV8eYbTRA/VsmErUtz7EI/AAAAAAAAAq0/9JGvxycPFrQ/s640/20160120_121204.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad covering up trench.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HGqzP7z7KnY/VsmB-Z5phDI/AAAAAAAAAqE/I1FyDOcstzQ/s1600/20151228_152619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HGqzP7z7KnY/VsmB-Z5phDI/AAAAAAAAAqE/I1FyDOcstzQ/s640/20151228_152619.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sponge warm and dry in his digger. Dad cold and wet in a trench laying pipe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XJrAoNg1gDY/VsmDlEtC2EI/AAAAAAAAAqs/FtCiEnlcxsI/s1600/20160117_140513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XJrAoNg1gDY/VsmDlEtC2EI/AAAAAAAAAqs/FtCiEnlcxsI/s640/20160117_140513.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad uses his digger for the final bits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-42780404448425813652015-12-07T08:37:00.002-08:002015-12-23T09:39:36.599-08:00B.C.S., the Chartered Insutite for above inflation membership fee increases<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I joined the British Computer Society in about 2010 to do University Degree scheme accreditations. I had to get CITP 1st, at that time the membership fee was just about reasonable.<br />
<br />
In 2012 I was invited on to the Accademic Accreditation Committee (lots of professors and 3 or 4 industrialists) and had a great time accreditaing University Degree schemes and meet lots of great people and added some value so I am told. I think I am right in saying that I was 1 of 2 industrialists left on the A.A.C. now. It took between 10 and 12 days of my time a year between visits and reading the submission, but I found it rewarding and I believed it was worthwhile. Work was very flexible, but I still had to make up the work time lost to visits out of my own time, which is fair enough in my book.<br />
<br />
I was more than a little suprised when the fee for renewal for this year membership was 230 pounds. Looking back the rate of increase has been at least double the rate of inflation for the last 5 years,<br />
where wages tend to have been static in the IT industry for most of us. Being asked to pay 230 pounds to volunteer for an organisation is a bit over the top. I don't get *ANY* benefits from being a BCS member.<br />
<br />
I pushed back a little (if you know me you will know I am quite persistant, you don't get round a Bob Graham without a little bit) and the response I got from David Evans, Director of Communication included the priceless(??) phrase<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>If you want to go, then please go rather than stay and be miserable.</b></blockquote>
</blockquote>
Is it standard BCS practice to undermine the sense of self value of members who dare to question the level of fee's, but in my case it failed, it just annoyed me and persuaded me not to renew my membership. Being an Academic Assessor requires being CITP, so I also had to resign from the AAC which I would rather not have. I would probably have found the money if Mr Evans had decided not to play nasty games, but it became clear that volunteers and the process of Academic Acceditation is not held in high regard by some senior BCS staff, is there some internal political game going on in Swindon? no idea.<br />
<br />
For a subset of senior BCS staff, volunteers don't count for anything, but I have got back at least 10 plus days a year of my life and have no intention at all to be miserable.<br />
<br />
All a shame. The BCS should be a very worthwhile organisation, it does some great work in education, but I am far from alone in thinking it has lost sight of its membership and those who volunteer. I would hate to see it being an organisation composed of retired academics and self serving industry lightweights, but that seems to be the current direction of travel.<br />
<br />
A suitable song for the BCS in 2015 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W25_jgiY51I">I want money</a><br />
<br />
The Beatles were less plastic in their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_awAH-JJx1k">performace</a>, hence the 1979 choice instead.</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-73844034338778600902015-11-21T07:55:00.002-08:002015-11-21T07:55:12.665-08:00Mobile phone network is safety critical now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The uncle of the Louise Hopkins was walking down the coast path today. The weather was terrible today and we got chatting, he told me about his impending hip operation and also about the very recent death of his niece which I found documented online <a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/tributes-paid-council-worker-who-10398247">here</a> and <a href="http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2015-11-06/council-worker-named-as-heads-of-valleys-crash-victim/">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Terribly sad. The uncle said that she had run out of fuel, that she tried to use her mobile phone to call for help, but the mobile network she was on was down and hence felt she had to walk. The man mentioned in the article had special needs and was unable to do more than follow instructions. There was also a child there. A courier van had hit her with a wing mirror, but the uncle at no point suggested blame on the courier.<br />
<br />
I don't know if the mobile network was down or up. What it does strike me is that unlike 20 years ago when you could reasonable expect to wave down a car and get a lift to the nearest petrol station, that<br />
is not the case any more. Many drivers would run someone in distress over rather than take the risk of stopping, the culture has changed, you can't reply on other people being willing to help, though of course many will. There is no longer an implied duty of care to other motorists.<br />
<br />
I think this means a couple of things<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1. Louise should have felt she could have called 112 (lots of people don't know it exists) and got help, even if it was only to call the AA/RAC or her family. Time for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuSpXmGYw3c">public information films</a> again maybe. I feel I could not call 112 in that situation without getting a ballocking from plod, though I may be misguided in this.</li>
<li>2. Do what the french do, make a requirement by law that requires a <a href="http://www.drive-france.com/checklist/">hi viz vest or jacket in a car for each person</a></li>
<li>3. Mobile phone networks should be seen at safety critical infrastructure that is fault resilient. If it fails, the operator is subject to fines for extended outages and must report on the failure and remidial action to OFCOM.</li>
</ul>
Would any of the above made a difference in this case? Maybe. Still very sad. <br />
</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-18147230410190569372015-09-08T05:29:00.006-07:002015-09-08T05:29:55.394-07:00Should councils have dedicated internet access<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have posted on this before, but <a href="http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/7154-cityfibre-announces-size-of-contract-that-could-create-gigabit-edinburgh.html">this Thinkbroadband posting</a> got me thinking again that it is a bad thing to have Councils, elected officials and employee's insulated to a large extend from what the market provides. If for example they had single redundant links similar to that provided to residential customers into a building, you would be sure that Openreach would be put under a lot of pressure to provide reliable symmetric 1GB to every Council office and that would improve the general fiber infrastructure.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-59745895768819818592015-07-21T01:02:00.000-07:002015-07-21T01:02:21.572-07:00FTTP : some progress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Things have moved forward with these babies being connected up. They are called <span class="irc_su" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">32 way tray fibre splittes.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a_RXnNSxjxU/Va37QYTrGkI/AAAAAAAAAog/zjDQWzTWVjI/s1600/IMG_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a_RXnNSxjxU/Va37QYTrGkI/AAAAAAAAAog/zjDQWzTWVjI/s400/IMG_0048.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="irc_su" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">32 way tray fibre splitter </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="irc_su" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> The nearest is about 400m away. We are not there yet as there is 274m of fiber to be put in under a field (thanks Roadworks.org) and the far end needs to be connected in Llanfarian, but progress is very clear, though the end result remains far less so.</span><br />
<span class="irc_su" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span class="irc_su" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">However the sticking point is the last 300m. They choose not to put one of these boxes at the end of our lane, even though it serves 2 houses, ours is no further than the distance between an other box and a farm. Will they just run from the lovely green box above?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="irc_su" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Can I get sane answers to what is for us a very important question, of course I can't.</span></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-69347414385032714842015-06-21T07:21:00.000-07:002015-06-21T07:21:10.073-07:00BT has set 2025 for the End of Life for traditional voice services<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Go read this <a href="http://commsbusiness.co.uk/news/bt-set-firm-date-to-switch-off-isdn-network/">article</a> on the switch off PSTN and ISDN in 2025 which I beleive to mean the analogue phone network of which there were over 3 million as suggested in the article, so not insigificant numbers. A very sultry indeed looking Gavin Patterson.<br />
<br />
A better read is maybe this, the original <a href="https://matttownend.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/talktalk-acquire-tipicall-to-enhance-their-sip-trunking-capabilities/">article </a>which states more clearly that "As BT has set 2025 for the EOL for traditional voice services"<br />
<br />
Now this raises the question (and it is a question I can't answer) around what do they going forward for those hard to reach places that currently only have a analogue service. Maybe one of the following 5 possible answers or something else<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Over the next few years they will get some sort of digital service, however slow provided by improvements in technology that allows an IP technology to be used even at 128kbs which will allow voice calls on any line no matter how long and degraded.</li>
<li>The Universal Service Obligation expires and some rural areas are left without any fixed line service.</li>
<li>Don't worry be happy, fiber will get everywhere by then paid for by BDUK/Superfast Cymru depending on where you live</li>
<li> Don't worry be happy, fiber will get everywhere and it is factored into BDUK costs </li>
<li>No one has asked or at least no one important enough, so shut up</li>
</ol>
Option 2 is a worry obviously.<br />
<br />
Option 3 means that the tax payer has been paying for work OpenReach would have had to do over the next 10 years. Now clearly we don't want to wait 5 or more years for Openreach to solve the problem of rural connectivity, but given the speed(??) of progress in many rural reas over the last 3 years, its no unreasonable to think that in 2025 there will still be no improvement in many parts of rural wales.<br />
<br />
<br />I don't have a clue what the answer is, but I would like to see the question asked by a forward looking political type.</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-30936387878703108662015-05-05T02:52:00.000-07:002015-05-05T02:52:06.370-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4TSdJvjojo/VUeYPeWky6I/AAAAAAAAAnw/e2XnWQWW-N8/s1600/vodka.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4TSdJvjojo/VUeYPeWky6I/AAAAAAAAAnw/e2XnWQWW-N8/s1600/vodka.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So
dear reader, you live in Ceredigion and you have a **** broadband
connection and want to know what the future holds, here is how to
*probably* find out.<br />
<br />
What you need is<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Your post code</li>
<li>A web browser</li>
<li>A bottle of vodka</li>
</ul>
So take your post code and put it on the end of<br />
<br />
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=86749&postcodedet=SY234QG">https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=86749&postcodedet=SY234QG</a><br />
<br />
<table class="open"><tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffff99;"><td width="16%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>Post Code:</b></span></td>
<td colspan="3" width="84%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>SY23 4QG</b> </span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #ffff99;">
<td width="16%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Locality:</span></td>
<td colspan="3" width="84%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=86749&locality=10059">Aberystwyth,
Dyfed</a></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #ffff99;">
<td width="16%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">District:</span></td>
<td width="44%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Sir Ceredigion - Ceredigion</span></td>
<td width="20%"><br /></td>
<td width="20%"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #ffff99;">
<td width="16%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Ward:</span></td>
<td width="44%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Llanfarian</span></td>
<td width="20%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Country:</span></td>
<td width="20%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Wales</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #ffff99;">
<td width="16%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">20CN IPStream:</span></td>
<td width="44%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">ADSL</span></td>
<td width="20%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Exchange Distance:</span></td>
<td width="20%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">4,312m</span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #ffff99;">
<td width="16%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">21CN WBC:</span></td>
<td width="44%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">ADSL2+</span></td>
<td width="20%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Fibre Phase:</span></td>
<td width="20%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">BDUK Wales 12a </span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #ffff99;">
<td width="16%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">BT Exchange:</span></td>
<td width="44%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Aberystwyth</span></td>
<td width="20%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Exchange Code:</span></td>
<td width="20%"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">WNAE</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
So this is what we get now. If you are lucky and you see something like<br />
<br />
<table class="open"><tbody>
<tr style="background-color: yellow;"><td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>Post Code</b></span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>Road</b></span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>Locality</b></span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>Distance</b></span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>20CN</b></span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>21CN WBC</b></span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>Fibre</b></span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><b>Cabinet</b></span></td>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #ffff99;">
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=110564&postcodedet=SY233HB">SY23 3HB</a> </span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> </span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=110564&locality=10675">Bow Street, Dyfed</a> </span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">6,412m </span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">ADSL </span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">ADSL2+ </span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;">FTTC Available </span></td>
<td><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=110564&postcodeloc=10675&cabinet=P3">P3</a> 100%</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
don't drink the Vodka just yet. You need to know how far from the green cabinate you are. In the case of the above address<br />
<br />
https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/main.html<br />
<br />
and you find<br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body">Telephone Number 01970828xxx
on Exchange BOW STREET
is served by Cabinet 3 </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body">So now you follow the overhead lines from your house until you see a green box that looks like this</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dZYx7Qc8iLE/VUecyXSxQZI/AAAAAAAAAn8/THXryk8kcKE/s1600/fibre-street-cabinet.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dZYx7Qc8iLE/VUecyXSxQZI/AAAAAAAAAn8/THXryk8kcKE/s320/fibre-street-cabinet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a fiber cab. good news depending on how far away</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pPONp7U7hqQ/VUedA1EPrcI/AAAAAAAAAoE/LC-3tJC4qKQ/s1600/5017i9881809F53653CFB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pPONp7U7hqQ/VUedA1EPrcI/AAAAAAAAAoE/LC-3tJC4qKQ/s320/5017i9881809F53653CFB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unless there is one which looks like the above nearby, bad news.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body"> Anyway, you have found the Cab. Did you notice how far you had to drive/walk to find it? If not,</span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body">record it on the way back or use Google maps if the lines go across country.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body">If it is more
than 1 mile, drink the Vodka in dispare. If is is less than 1000 and you
have a fiber cab. you are probably OK. Between 1000m and a mile it
might or might not work depending on the quality of cable. If it is 0.4
then you are out of luck, if it is 0.9 you might be in luck. <b>This is important</b>,
if you are more than 1500m from the green cab and FTTC is scheduled,
you won't see an improvement this side of 2017 at best under currents
plans.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body">Lets go back track a bit to </span></span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="body"><span class="body"><br /></span></span></span>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=86749&postcodedet=SY234QG">https://www.telecom-tariffs.co.uk/codelook.htm?xid=86749&postcodedet=SY234QG</a><br />
<br />
If you see the below<br />
<br />
Fiber Stree Cabinet 1 : P7 FTTP Planned Phase BDUK Wales 12a<br />
<br />
<br />
That means you may get fiber to the premisis, but don't drink the Vodka just yet.<br />
Openreach
have decided to delay this work until an unknown date (probably after
middle of 2016) and if the work to connect you requires OpenReach to do
extra work(as in any) you <b>may</b> have to pay a lot to get connected
(as in 5-50k), but there is meant to be a discount if you dig the trench
and put the duct in yourself. Great if you happen to have a excavator.<br />
<br />
Of course OpenReach can unplan the FTTP in which case you need a 2nd bottle of Vodka.<br />
<br />
So
unless there is FTTC available now and you have it, you may wish to
drink the Vodka. If you have got this far, you have learned nothing
beyond how uncertain and unclear it remains as to what Broadband
provision you may get.<br />
<br />
The guiding mantra for Superfast Cymru seems to have turned out to be<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For
those who have good provision, make it a lot better. For those who have
poor provision, they shall have delay, uncertainly and possibly no
improvement.</blockquote>
If you need some help working out what you might get and why, give me a shout.<br />
<br />
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-70615356054484967382015-03-29T14:33:00.003-07:002015-03-29T14:33:35.590-07:00SXSW : Austin knows how to do a music festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was lucky enough to have free weekend in Austin (that would be Texas) last weekend and as luck would have it <a href="http://sxsw.com/">SXSW music festival</a> was on. Well it would be rude not to.<br />
<br />
A more diverse subset of the music following fraternity than I am used to. SXSW has a large R & B and hip hop following, in addition to the Indie/Punk/Rock contingent I expected.<br />
<br />
It rained a lot on the Friday and Saturday so some of the bigger outdoor events were canned.<br />
<br />
I did not go to any of the ticketed events, I just wondered around downtown Austin on the Friday and Saturday evenings and wondered into anywhere which had loud guitar based music and as an approach that worked well. I saw some great bands, all US based, none I had heard of or ever expect to hear of again, but all very tight and the quality of music was top notch. From 3 way punk bands from North Chicargo to more tempered girl fronted Indie bands from Milwalkie, I only saw on band which I walked away from and they seemed to be a British Ultra Pop band, not my thing.<br />
<br />
It was good to meet up with Brian and his son. I have worked with Brian who lives in San Antonio<br />
for a couple of years, but not meet before, so it was good to have a semi-local to mingle and eat chilli with.<br />
<br />
Going to SXSW was one of those items at the bottom of my bucket list. I never thought I would be able to get to Austin during that week. Maybe if you went to ticketed events the experience would be different, but I did not fancy the length of the queues into the venues.<br />
<br />
Pleased I went, but I don't feel the need to make an effort to return to SXSW, but if the chance arose again, it would be rude not to. <br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-50486517410701338112015-03-09T05:56:00.003-07:002015-03-09T05:59:29.548-07:00Aberystywth..... A town of 2 virtual parts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
About half of Aberystwyth has been enabled for Superfast Broadband over the last 6 months. The other half are going to have to wait till at least the end of the year as the contactors are not coming back till the end of September.<br />
<br />
Bad news for Ceredigion and even worse news for those of us who have to wait and worse still because we won't know what we will get if anything until at least 2016.<br />
<br />
Why did Openreach put up Fiber on poles at the end of November, some of which is now hanging across the road and being driven over, if it is not going to be connected up for a year?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
See my Twitter feed @clivemking for the source of this information.</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-68019940453299485262015-01-11T06:45:00.002-08:002015-01-11T06:45:46.703-08:00Ceredigion Strategies, Plans and Performance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I came across this <a href="http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Your%20Council/Strategies,%20Plans%20and%20Performance/SingleIntegratedPlan/ceredigion-for-all.pdf">document</a> while looking for any insight into Ceredigion councils plans to improve Broadband. The word Broadband is mentioned once in the context of it being a problem.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div data-canvas-width="145.89891676168756" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 140.367px; top: 462.526px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(1.07953, 1);">
Access to Services</div>
<div data-canvas-width="201.2658494868871" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 528.744px; top: 496.97px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(1.02862, 1);">
Difficulty of access to services is one of the most obvious features of the County </div>
<div data-canvas-width="299.936259977195" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 140.367px; top: 624.213px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(1.00481, 1);">
(accompanied by an element of inequality); applies not only to rural areas but also for some high level services which are only provided at some distance and aredifficult to access from any area of the county; does not just refer to geographical access since Ceredigion is also disadvantaged in digital access, i.e. high speed<span class="highlight selected"> broadband</span>; new models of service provision may improve geographical access and, as importantly, the means of access. </div>
</blockquote>
<br />
Could this contribute to the two very valid observation that <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div data-canvas-width="415.8287343215509" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 461.778px; top: 275.54px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(1.02678, 1);">
Vulnerable employment structure with a very high proport</div>
<div data-canvas-width="112.319897377423" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 573.121px; top: 296.847px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(1.01022, 1);">
ion of employment inpublicly funded </div>
<div data-canvas-width="178.3564994298746" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 744.247px; top: 296.847px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(1.02809, 1);">
sectors and a high proportion of </div>
<div data-canvas-width="179.57405929304446" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 743.125px; top: 317.994px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(0.970671, 1);">
very small businesses; a relatively static business environment with low reate of business creation.</div>
<div data-canvas-width="30.086545039908778" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 892.797px; top: 374.733px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(0.995145, 1);">
A relatively large number of Ceredigion’s young people (late </div>
<div data-canvas-width="8.65108323831243" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 713.007px; top: 396.041px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(0.973856, 1);">
teens to early 20s) leaving the area; </div>
<div data-canvas-width="199.58369441277077" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 461.778px; top: 417.188px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(1.01985, 1);">
often because of the lack of good local opportunities</div>
<div data-canvas-width="91.82964652223487" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 16.0205px; left: 461.778px; top: 438.495px; transform-origin: 0% 0% 0px; transform: scale(1.00232, 1);">
for employment and career development</div>
</blockquote>
I wonder if improving broadband services was not seen as important enough to make it into this document (I read the ommision as its a problem but not our problem) contributes in some way to the observations above. I have searched the wider internet and I can't find anything useful that Ceredigion Council have done to promote broadband connectivity, its been left to WAG and BT. Substantated comments with suggest otherwise welcome.<br />
<br />
Nice document, wonder how much it cost to produce?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-20619168789902462552015-01-04T09:05:00.002-08:002015-01-04T09:05:45.105-08:00FTTRN or FTTP : OpenReach don't make it easy to find out what is going on<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PaJi5GX0eEE/VKlwGJSYeXI/AAAAAAAAAmw/RePTHfR67vE/s1600/20141209_160501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PaJi5GX0eEE/VKlwGJSYeXI/AAAAAAAAAmw/RePTHfR67vE/s1600/20141209_160501.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurred but who cares .....</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The rather poor pic. above is of 2 loops of fiber optic cable put up just over 3 weeks ago 400m from our house. This is great, but the next steps are proving more awkward to determine and these are the questions I can't answer at this time. FTTC will not fly where we are<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Has cabinet 7 in Llanfarian been enabled. Rumour control says it has.</li>
<li>Will we get anything?</li>
<li>Will we get Fiber To The Remote Node or FTTP? </li>
<li>When?</li>
<li>How do we get a survey done by OpenReach ?</li>
<li>What thickness is the duct for the fiber optic cable? </li>
</ul>
The contractors I spoke to who put these cables up did say it would be at least January before the joints were done, thats not a problem. <br />
<br />
Give I have paid attention to this subject for the last few years and can't find these things out would give me some concerns about how effective the communication policy is beyond "here is a web site".<br />
<br />
If we (ourself and the neighbour down the track) get FTTRN, then things may be good. If it has to be FTTP, then there is a non-trivial process of getting permission to cross 2 farmers land, digging or mole ploughing in suitable ducts which could take a few months to do. We have the hardware, just need to know what needs to be done.<br />
<br />
Still more in limbo than I feel comfortable with, but great progess by Openreach all the same. <br />
<br /></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-38111934751922191982014-11-14T11:33:00.000-08:002014-11-14T11:33:07.987-08:00The Dark Skys of Ceredigion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the 2 and a bit years we have lived in the middle of nowhere, a very non-scientic assessment is that the amount of light pollution has reduced (think 3 miles south of Aberystwyth 300m back from the sea, so not many houses). I suspect in the main due to the repalcement of street lamps with more efficient units which don't through light upwards as much.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Y7RVTWI_Lo/VGZYYAFIVWI/AAAAAAAAAmc/q7emxB3X0hU/s1600/20140918_051000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Y7RVTWI_Lo/VGZYYAFIVWI/AAAAAAAAAmc/q7emxB3X0hU/s1600/20140918_051000.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Newport Railway Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Maybe this is something that could be promoted a little further north and west in Wales. </div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-14307182378211896162014-09-29T07:44:00.002-07:002014-09-29T07:44:19.306-07:00Real Poetry - The Druid Thursday 23rd Of October : Tedious whining poets - up your bum!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A bit of proper poetry for a Thursday night at <a href="http://www.goginan.com/druid-inn">The Druid in Goginan</a>. <a href="http://www.ouvirmusica.com.br/attila-the-stockbroker/1296930/#mais-acessadas/1296930">Attila the Stockbroker</a> returns for a 3rd time (even years only) on the 23rd of October. The last 2 nights were fantastic nights, so don't miss out.<br />
<br />
No tedious whining or your money back !!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vwUT2Df-ALc/VClvu2y2d5I/AAAAAAAAAmI/0QE-oB6xr50/s1600/Poster34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vwUT2Df-ALc/VClvu2y2d5I/AAAAAAAAAmI/0QE-oB6xr50/s1600/Poster34.jpg" height="640" width="451" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-86310354389563807632014-09-27T05:30:00.000-07:002014-09-27T05:30:53.522-07:00A slightly different view on Shellsocked BASH bug<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before I joined Sun, I was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bash_%28Unix_shell%29">BASH</a> user (think mid 90's). Moving to the commercial enviornment I found myself on systems without BASH so it was just easier to train my mind to use ksh.<br />
<br />
Now in my book if a bug can lie undescovered for 25 years (we could look at the mercurial log I guess to see the change history to this bug, but its been there a long time) then that is a good advert for the quality of the code in question. Its a super edge case, though clearly if it gets 10 out of 10 on the scale of vulnerabilities its an important one, but thats more down to the ubiquity of the use of BASH as a medium to spawn processes in CGI and DHCP server for example, rather than the seriousness of the bug itself.<br />
<br />
What is reported of what Mr Dyhouse said is disappointing<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
That such key parts of everyday technology are maintained in this way
is a cause for concern, said Tony Dyhouse from the UK's Trustworthy
Software Initiative.
<br />
"To achieve a more stable and secure technology environment
in which businesses and individuals can feel truly safe, we have to peel
back the layers, start at the bottom and work up," he said.<br />
"This is utterly symptomatic of the historic neglect we have
seen for the development of a dependable and trustworthy baseline upon
which to develop a software infrastructure for the UK. <br />
"Ultimately, this is a lifecycle problem. It's here because
people are making mistakes whilst writing code and making further
mistakes when patching the original problems."</blockquote>
<br />
If we all did what Mr Dyhouse suggests the process of rewriting seriously complex systems(and BASH is) from scratch would introduce orders of magnitude more security, functionality and reliability issues for code that would never ship. Time for a look at the bigger picture.<br />
<br />
Maybe this was mis-reported or maybe Mr Dyhouse has not worked on large complex software systems, either could be true. When did you write some code that someone else relies on Tony?<br />
<br />
There are 2 important aspects to this<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Finding bugs and then fixing them is part of the engineering lifecycle of software systems, it is symtomatic of it being hard and complex</li>
<li>If a bug in shell pattern matching has such widespread consequences, then there is an architectural problem.</li>
</ol>
There is also no doubt a promotion aspect to this, lots of people stepping up to present themselves as todays informed pundit.<br />
<br />
The real questions and the only ones that matters, unless we are going to stop using computers until a major rearchitecture effort is completeted, is .... <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
where is the next security bug, and the next, and the next ........</blockquote>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-78010863204687243202014-08-29T09:36:00.001-07:002014-08-30T04:44:28.232-07:00Why no bikes on Ceredigion buses.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
With no intentioned or otherwise critisisum, I fear Alun Williams has a few more questions to ask in his very good blog on the <a href="http://bronglais.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/bikes-on-buses-time-to-get-up-to-speed.html">lack of Bike rack facilities on Ceredigion busses</a>.<br />
<br />
He
may well of asked them inside his head, but any conclusions are
probably not blog material for Cabinate level local politicians, so I
can't fault him at all.<br />
<br />
So why are the places Alun
has visited like Toronto and L.A. more Bike transport on bus friendly. I
have seen the same in S.F., Boston and New York which it is<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Easy to hire bikes</li>
<li>Easy to move them around on public transport (not sure about NYC).</li>
<li>Safer to cycle</li>
</ul>
As
my good friend and keen cyclist Mr Gerhard points out that some members
of the population of London think it sport to dismount cyclists, but
the major US cities I have visited in the last few years are really
getting with the plot in this respect, abit from a very low starting
point and far from Universal. Cycling in somewhere like Stockton would be a nightmare and probably very short lived.<br />
<br />
So lets get back to the why? I suspect the following are at play to greater or lesser extents<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Competition. I don't mean competion between rival bus providers.
In rural Wales you are greatful that there is a bus at all. But
compeition at the level of management. Firms is either family owned and
run or like Arriva in decline from the business so what bright spark is
going to choose running a bus company as a careeer, unless it is one of
those very well run local firms (me thinks of Mid Wales Travel for
example which is expanded exponetially in the last few years) and its in
the family already ?</li>
<li>Competition. People live in mid-Wales
because they either want to or because they don't know anything else and
this results in inertia, you have what you have got and there is little
culture of pressing for better services. Cities like Boston can mandate the form of the service and companies or there own departments have to comply.</li>
<li>Inovation happens elsewhere (which I think was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Joy">Bill Joy-ism</a>).
It is probably a bit much to expect quite small rural bus companies, in
an area which is greatful to have any bus service, to be UK leaders in
their cycle transport provision.</li>
<li>Ceredigion is rural. Bus speeds are probably higher and distance between stops is greater than in the cities cited.</li>
<li>The insurance and H & S situation may contain a non-zero amount of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt">FUD</a> which is hard to hack and costly through.</li>
<li>There
maybe a serious cost implication for the company. The racks my require
bus modiciation which may be a factory job (it not like strapping a bike
onto your car) and so may need to be ordered with such facilities. I
would suspect the US example has the racks factory fitted, but that is
conjecture.</li>
</ul>
some of the above may be wrong and there may be addtaional factors at play, but we need to starting thinking deeply about the <a href="http://www.kepner-tregoe.com/case-studies/client-success-stories/manufacturing-industry/consequences-and-human-performance/">positive and negative consequences short and long term</a> for the companies to "do the right thing" if we want the behaviours(such has having bike racks on buses) to change. <br />
<br />
Maybe the bus companies are acting very rationally to the environment
in which they operate. We want change, we need to think about the above
and more.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-26670295937276482262014-08-21T08:42:00.000-07:002014-08-21T08:42:01.296-07:00Nun's in Combat Boots are common place<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />Year 12 for me and the festival, very good. No rain apart from a little drizzle on Sunday. A cracking good time, some great bands. Only complaint is that a few very good bands played on the Bandstand, loads of people turned up and few could hear or see them (Mad Dog Macrea and Seize the Day for example, both should have been main stage). Missed Sea Sick Steve as M. went to see Belowhead and I stayed behind to look after sleeping kids (no complaint). Steve Earle was OK, Jimmy Cliff was excellent and Levellers as good as always. Next year again then maybe ....<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dt93jdqZzaU/U_JErnZ7QaI/AAAAAAAAAjc/Hiv_FCQNeXw/s1600/20140817_191835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dt93jdqZzaU/U_JErnZ7QaI/AAAAAAAAAjc/Hiv_FCQNeXw/s1600/20140817_191835.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The world would be a better place with more nun's like this</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jaYppder_2I/U_TA7qY9_gI/AAAAAAAAAl0/eds73aT6xDI/s1600/20140817_155215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jaYppder_2I/U_TA7qY9_gI/AAAAAAAAAl0/eds73aT6xDI/s1600/20140817_155215.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public Service Broadcasting : excellent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CEw6OVFyNTI/U_TAz8YyqMI/AAAAAAAAAlU/UtuCjT7x0-E/s1600/20140817_162454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CEw6OVFyNTI/U_TAz8YyqMI/AAAAAAAAAlU/UtuCjT7x0-E/s1600/20140817_162454.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bless you sister's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7kbyNi8N9D4/U_TA0cZYGPI/AAAAAAAAAlY/wFEQb8oMf-Q/s1600/20140817_162416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7kbyNi8N9D4/U_TA0cZYGPI/AAAAAAAAAlY/wFEQb8oMf-Q/s1600/20140817_162416.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drumming with scrap - very good</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4rKSPxD5j-0/U_TAyfaxQtI/AAAAAAAAAlM/VAgfHUTawlg/s1600/20140817_155235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4rKSPxD5j-0/U_TAyfaxQtI/AAAAAAAAAlM/VAgfHUTawlg/s1600/20140817_155235.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His and her's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmF2lnsem34/U_TAoBtZTRI/AAAAAAAAAk0/cv6F9HtwVN0/s1600/20140817_190241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmF2lnsem34/U_TAoBtZTRI/AAAAAAAAAk0/cv6F9HtwVN0/s1600/20140817_190241.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. and the Makers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YUwlZ_l3z9c/U_TArkEjyWI/AAAAAAAAAlE/VEl3nkwIQQE/s1600/20140817_172804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YUwlZ_l3z9c/U_TArkEjyWI/AAAAAAAAAlE/VEl3nkwIQQE/s1600/20140817_172804.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ruts DC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-37683083906531642502014-08-05T09:15:00.000-07:002014-08-05T09:15:01.880-07:00Depopulation of rural Ceredigion - unconconcious social engineering<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Imagine you were a local council member for a rural area, like say Powys or Ceredigion. Your budget has seen a substantial cut, you are having to make unpopular cuts to important services like health, refuse collection, social services, schools, etc. If someone came up with a novel solution that impacted few people, would you not consider it ?<br />
<br />
Well I have it. A plan with no downsides. Here is an approach to a bit of social engineering inspired by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Clearances">Highland Clearances</a> but without boats or brutality. Reduce the number of people in the most rural parts of the county, I said it was simple.<br />
<br />
All the council has to do for its part is put more and more services online and not pay any attention to getting the last few % decent internet connectivity and the rest will work itself out.<br />
<br />
Younger people will move out of these areas as their friends are online and they are not, they are unconnected in a connected world. Anyone with kids will need to move as school work is increasingly online. Those wanting to work from home will have to move. Only older people are left and they will either die or won't be able to cope in the unbalanced communities composed only of the elderly and also have to move leaving the properties empty - result.<br />
<br />
The blame can be placed at the door of a 3rd party, the incumbent telco provider who says it is uneconomic and they are not being funded to provide universal service. They can be vague about future plans, promising that technology will reach more and more remote areas which just need to wait, and wait until there are such a small subset they don't matter and their voice is dispersed that they carry no weight that when nothing is provided it does not matter.<br />
<br />
Now the downside of all this is it would take years for the social movement to happen and houses to be devalued to the extent there would be abandoned, but social engineering always has been the long game, the highland clearance took over 100 years.<br />
<br />
<br />
This satire shows how easy it is to sleep walk into this type of social engineering by accident by inaction and a lack of forward vision in just depending on the market to deliver.<br />
<br />
I don't think it could happen, could it?</div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-62846955997236937292014-03-28T04:47:00.002-07:002014-03-28T04:47:38.849-07:00Pension shake-up will leave some high and dry without proper guidance <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Coversation was a good find. An mostly pragmatic and more worldly version of Wales@home.<br />
Any talk of pensions(like <a href="https://theconversation.com/pension-shake-up-will-leave-some-high-and-dry-without-proper-guidance-24861">here</a>) also seems to include the assertion that without proper professional advice punters will make the wrong decisions. <br />
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7 years as a trustee of a large D.C. pension fund made me very cynical of the finanical advice industry, it is not fit for purpose, depsite recent changes. While I very much welcome the pension changes, if the financial ecosystem is too complex for a person of average inteligence and average general knowledge to make their own good decisions, then it is just too complex and in need of urgent reform. I can't see such reforms to empower Joe and Jane public happening, the various vested interests have too much stake in the current complex ecosystem and the resultant fee income continuing.<br />
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This is why Defined Benefit schemes were a good idea, they put risk and decision making generally in the hands of those who have enough knowledge to make informed decisions.<br />
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Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-72034506093030354062014-03-26T02:24:00.001-07:002014-03-26T02:24:02.875-07:00Aberystwyth bandstand : a good decision at least<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A new band stand should never have been a priority and sanity has at last prevailed.<br />
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Lets hope it continues <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-26722136">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-26722136</a></div>
Clive Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583149015776236629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318428955102234498.post-5013116921329463502014-03-15T06:36:00.001-07:002014-03-15T06:36:39.500-07:00From Sheffield to Durham - 2001-ish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Probably the most intesting 90 minutes of sitting oppositie someone on a train it was possible to have.<br />
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