oldcynic

6 ms·

1.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Credit cards definitely have check digits, pretty sure bank accounts don't, though I'm not certain. Common enough that there's been a fair bit in the media[0] regularly, ever since instant transfers took off, and warnings fro
2.
by oldcynic 8y ago
So do I. Made a few very close friends via LJ. All non technical oddly enough. Up til that point, people would type. If they were having a bad time they'd type A LOT. You couldn't help getting to know them better than you did. The
3.
by oldcynic 8y ago
They do. If I have someone's bank details I can transfer for free, instantly. (OK it sometimes takes a few minutes at weekends). There's two issues with ever using that for online payment: 1. There is no mechanism to obtain a re
4.
by oldcynic 8y ago
You've also surely got loads of anecdotes on how not to do it and tales from the coalface from your years in industry. I'm sure you can sprinkle some of those into the classes to give a little light relief if the students are real
5.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Great! Glad to help. There's a lot of audio drama on the Beeb, also on R3 (the classical music station) that far fewer know of, and R4 Extra the internet channel. Good luck, and have some more links. :) https://www.bbc.co.uk
6.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Not at all. A little glibness aside, I do think we should have replaced many things with better or less polluting alternatives far, far earlier than we do. The market is the wrong tool for many of these choices as shown by some of the curre
7.
'It's nothing like a broken leg': I'm done with the mental health conversation(theguardian.com)
2 points by oldcynic 8y ago|0 comments
8.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Snark aside, it's important. There probably should be someone adequately numerate on every jury. Most juries will have around half, perhaps more, who've done nothing at all mathematical since school 10-45 years previously and th
9.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Do not underestimate the ability of juries to be swayed by impressive sounding claims. Nor their ability to be swayed, and dismiss clear mitigations, by one dominant or eloquent individual. "Our facial recognition has over 90% accuracy
10.
by oldcynic 8y ago
They'll probably wonder why all the fragments they find seem to indicate we preferred damaging technologies over benign. Then like archaeologists everywhere will conclude it was of religious significance.
11.
by oldcynic 8y ago
1. Is this something you'd be interested in listening to? Very much. I voraciously consume Radio 4, radio plays and audiobooks, and a few podcasts. Tried episode 2 at lunch - ooh it's a bit long. Might have worked better as a 2
12.
by oldcynic 8y ago
When I know I'm asking an SO sort of question I can !so directly. The whole ! system transforms ease of use - I miss them elsewhere! TL;DR I mostly find what I need quicker with least faffing around changing terms to try and fight them
13.
by oldcynic 8y ago
I dislike the "last month", "last six months" way of doing ranges oh so much. Where are the 2 years or older, 4 years or older options at the other end of the scale or let me specify two actual dates. Sadly I often nee
14.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Well I must be using it wrong. Very wrong. I find it better than Google for code / technical searches, and all things work related I find it better than Google for historic or old content as Google barely acknowledges such content is p
15.
by oldcynic 8y ago
We just listened to ep #1 over dinner. Great production quality, I was surprised. We both enjoyed it and sat to the end before going to do other stuff, will definitely be checking out the other two. I'm interested to see how this devel
16.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Signage in store shows the price you pay at the till. The till receipt or invoice breaks down the VAT element for you, and most places even pick out what is zero rated or exempt should you care.
17.
by oldcynic 8y ago
No, it really doesn't get forgotten. Every receipt breaks out the VAT and rate. Food, books and children's clothes (and a few other things) are exempt (UK). All online purchases show VAT in the checkout and basket, and in the in
18.
by oldcynic 8y ago
How did they forget when they went out to find and kill the real person?
19.
by oldcynic 8y ago
UK got rid of farthings and halfpennies when they exceeded face value, and the £1 note decades ago. Pennies and 2p became copper plated steel for the same reason. Pre 92 bronze ones are worth about double. Coppers can't be worth keepin
20.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Even on the equator traditional approaches are nicer than air con - not least because AC dries the air so uncomfortably. I'm the one who turns the hotel air con off, opens a window and turns the fan on. :) If we really get the vast maj
21.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Fully agree - the media is full of the crisis of loneliness, rising suicide, depression, so of course mental health budgets are cut to the quick and wait lists rising again. Even the much needed building programme in the Blair years will ha
22.
by oldcynic 8y ago
"For another, true multitasking would be possible under Windows, claimed Microsoft" I had forgotten how terrible the early versions of Windows looked compared to Lisa, Amiga and even OS/2 and DR's GEM. Even 7 years lat
23.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Well, if it was published it was deposited with the national library - British Library or Library of Congress. I think other nations have similar systems. Covered newspapers, magazines and books. The British Library page: https:/&#x2F
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by oldcynic 8y ago
> I think we're talking past each other here Distinctly possible! > not referring to political parties and policy-making, but to the cultural zeitgeist ... the range of acceptable political thought and discourse Hmm. I have never
25.
by oldcynic 8y ago
It's quite simple. If the politicians of a particular era were elected their policies must have been within the window of that era. If all the politicians, of all parties, in an earlier era were to the left of today it stands to reason
26.
by oldcynic 8y ago
> the modern conservative party is also more central than in previous times though I have to go back to the inter-war years to find them to the right of now on anything substantive. Disraeli's One-Nation Conservatism, the tenets of
27.
by oldcynic 8y ago
That's my preferred answer. We can have magsafe back too. :) Sadly Apple rate thinness too highly, so I suspect they'll not give it up easily.
28.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Short of fitting a keyboard condom, or iPad (no doubt called TouchBoard) where the keyboard used to be, what can they do? Make the battery thinner so they can get sane key travel back within the case without increasing overall thickness? So
29.
by oldcynic 8y ago
Leftward? lol In every respect except gender and sexual politics we have moved massively right since the seventies. The UK Labour party are now to the right of the 1970s Heath Tory party. Yes even under Corbyn. In 1970 he'd have been m
30.
by oldcynic 8y ago
I would too for a technical book or course, to a point. Mainly as so many have managed to successfully sell garbage. ;) A refund policy and giving away a couple of random lessons or chapters should cover credibility there. Some months blogg

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