* Posts by Graham 6

23 publicly visible posts • joined 14 Jul 2009

BBC makes switch to AWS, serverless for new website architecture, observers grumble about the HTML

Graham 6

So it's the old new again

Server side rendering is what we had in the 90's, and it was called CGI.

So this wonderful new technology is just another faster horse.

Anyway why would I pay a gazzilion dollars to AWS to render something which I can offload to the client for free?

Would the BBC recuperate that money in increased revenue? no.

Doesn't make sense.

Might as well just make sure the Javascript application is written properly and not vomit RAM and network resources all over the client.

Peanuts .. monkeys

HMRC claims victory in another IR35 dispute to sting Nationwide contractor for nearly £75k in back taxes

Graham 6

Re: What about corporation tax which was paid?

Yes...all that corporation tax would surely have to be repaid by the HMRC if the person was not a business.

... and the Employers NI.

I'd like to see how the HMRC try to get out of that one.

Graham 6

Re: Accountants

"We all say ... " no that's what got everyone into trouble with the HMRC

...also what's this "pay the same tax as an employee" business.

These guys will be paying waaaaaay more tax from a contract rate than an employee on an employee rate.

No this is not the "fair" system the HMRC keeps saying, it requires the contractor to pay far more tax, and they, as a business owner are already paying more tax that an employee of the client, by a big factor.

I probably paid more tax last year than an employee of my clients actually earned.

NOT FAIR AT ALL!!!

Apple finally clambers to top of phone market again as spider-eyed iPhone 11 lures fanatics out of the shadows

Graham 6
Facepalm

Nah, I'll stick to my trusty XDA

So... for less than the price of a replacement screen, I got a decent brand new Android phone (dual SIM, quad core, 2GB RAM, 16GB store) comes with protective gel case, screen protector, charger and earphones.

Yes, I can do video editing too.

For the price of just an 11 handset I can have 3 of these and 3 years of unlimited everything and still have enough left over for a few weeks worth of Lattes.

No ... I'm not seeing the value.

I've bought cars for less.

What do we want? A proper review of IR35! When do we want it? Last year! Bunch of IT contractors protest outside UK Parliament

Graham 6

Re: The real story - No Rights Employees ("employed for tax purposes")

".... but get paid *far* more than the permies for doing the same job.... so I’m not crying you a river over this."

Every contract I've had I'm not doing the same job as a permie.

And I don't mean "by definition", I mean there were no permies doing a similar job as me.

I have always been contracted to do something specialist, which clients just don't give to permies as they want someone who doesn't need to go on a sabbatical to learn that thing they want. They want someone who already has the skills and experience (and who probably has worked for their competition recently, which permies cannot do of course).

Lawyer sues Microsoft rather than slot an SD card into his Surface

Graham 6
Alien

Can't decide

One the one hand I wish this guy well in sticking it to MS for duping the average joe yet again.

On the other hand, this is a lawyer we are talking about.

I can't see how a lawyer can get away with not reading the full contract including fine print.

I suppose I hope he wins, but I can't really see it.

I think the alien really, because I'm no sure which planet he's from.

Microsoft's magic bullet for Azure: Red Hat Linux

Graham 6
WTF?

No the Windows brain is very different to the Linux brain

When a Windows brain meets a problem the first thing they think is:

"Who do I pay to fix this?"

When the Linux brain meets the problem they think

"How can I fix this, lets set up a test machine FOR FREE and see if we can replicate the problem, no fire up the FREE debugger that is part of the distro, ...."

Graham 6
Linux

EEE method

This will only work if they dominate the market.

Obviously this article is saying the opposite.

Ballmer disses Android as cheap and complex

Graham 6
Paris Hilton

@MS Rocks err Sucks

"But, the massive, massive majority of people who end up with an Android phone are consumers who want an iPhone but cannot afford one."

I bought my wife an iPhone and myself an LG Optimus 3D, which is Android.

I could have afforded an iPhone, but where is the 3D iPhone?

If they had one, would I buy it? No.

"The google fanbois are out in force and once again they are demonstrating their startling levels of cluelessness."

Somehow, no.

"Having used all three OS’s... bleh, bleh, stereotyping bleh"

a) "If you want a beautifully designed device..."

Android or iPhone.

b) "If you want a device that is an excellent phone, does the basics ..."

Android or iPhone.

c) "If you are poor, or want to play around with your phones OS, buy an..."

Android or iPhone.

d) If you are a fuckwit and have no brain, or concept of technology or history.

WinPhone

Simples.

Graham 6
WTF?

"Well, as he runs one of the largest software companies in the world, I'm guessing: Yes, he's had a few successes."

He INHERITED one of the largest software companies in the world.

The success was Gates's not Balmer's.

Yes he successfully moved into that position, but I wonder what calibre of competition was available?

Given the result.

Graham 6
Linux

"WinPho 7 is a superior phone operating system to Android for consumers."

You're a dick.

How?

Have you been paid to say that?

Graham 6
Linux

"I'm not going to bash the iPhone in any way here, as my experience with iOS was also positive but I was simply getting bored with looking at the same old operating system and fancied a change."

Ye see, there's the problem.

Right there.

Do you see it?

iPhone became boring.

To change it you need to buy a new phone.

Windows Phone is following the same route.

See Android won't suffer from this because you can upgrade and change the way it looks.

Now do you see it.

I'd like to thank the late Steve Jobs for showing Linux the way forward.

Graham 6
Facepalm

@Anonymous Dickhead

"I was one of the first to get a WP7, due to my old Nokia crapping out"

Says it all really.

Windows Fanboy.

Graham 6
Linux

Speaking as a computer scientist

I have a BSc Computer Science degree.

And Android phone owner (LG Optimus 3D).

I owned a Nokia bottom end phone for years but decided to upgrade as smartphones finally seem to work as phones properly.

Not lock up and crash when you are trying to take a call.

I wouldn't have a Windows phone given.

Tried it (O2 Exec/HTC universal).

It was crap.

Linux rules!

Piss off Steve Balmy.

Apple gets patent for ‘unlock gesture’

Graham 6
FAIL

"Inventive step"

As a person who has applied for 6 patents (in the UK, not the US) I now that a patent has to be novel, original, and have an inventive step.

This business of the "inventive step" is extremely ambiguous, but basically means that it cannot progress logically from something else already existing.

A person needs to create something which to the skilled person is not obvious.

The term "to the skilled person" is key here.

I write software also (though I do not attempt to patent it because it's stupid) but swiping an icon across a screen to unlock is rather obvious to a software developer given the wealth of touch-screen stuff around in 2005.

This is a stupid patent and makes the USPTO look like idiots.

Fail.

Windows on the Desktop? There's a group policy for that

Graham 6
Linux

1984

Orwell would be proud!

What's wrong with ssh?

These Windows guys know nothing apart from how to sink a company in IT budget!

Ballmer pitches PC as smartest device on planet

Graham 6

@TeeCee

Machines with Windows licences are being re-appropriated all over the place, windows fanboi.

A Windows licence doesn't mean Windows is being used.

In this office 50% of desktops are running either Ubuntu or Fedora.

The rest are, you guessed it, Windows XP.

I'm betting all the Linux Desktops in this office will have a Windows licence stuck to the case.

This year is already the year of the Linux Desktop if you check out this international tech leading company to which I'm being hired @£300/day to roll out Linux.

Hell, they even have their own distro.

And no, it's not Google, who also are doing the same.

You play with your toys like a good boy.

Mummy and Daddy are talking.

Graham 6
Linux

It's OK Steve, stick to what you know.

Speaking as an ex-consultant to two of the biggest supercomputer using companies in the world and currently working at one of the biggest embedded companies, I'd say you are fully of brown smelly, Steve.

Keep taking the happy pills and keep your head in the sand.

The bottom line has to be:

What are the world's smartest computers running?

What are the world's smartest devices running?

Here's a clue: It's not Windows, check out the icon.

Sheep follow idiots with money.

Microsoft at a loss in Word patent case?

Graham 6
Jobs Horns

What's the worst that will happen?

Microsoft pay loads of money out in various directions and get what they want.

We all know the harsh reality, i.e.: it's the devils playground.

But the meek inherit the earth, eh Steve?

I keep saying this, but eventually we will look back and laugh at the "Microsoft years".

They are starting down the road of open source with HyperV.

You know, sometimes your biggest enemies can become your biggest fans.

I've just got out of my TARDIS and can tell you in 2032 Microsoft are taking IBM to court for breach of the GPL. RMS is on the board and Linus is their chief architect.

Shame about Steve, though, poor soul.

They eventually disbanded pirate bay and he lost everything.

He's having a hard time inside for all the child snuff.

SwineAir is doing good business with long haul flights.

The weather report says Hades is down to -40 today ;-)

oh and @AC: You talk(post) too much. You need to stop.

Bug exposes eight years of Linux kernel

Graham 6
Thumb Up

Level of detail

One can't help noticing the level of detail in the explanation of the problem.

As someone who hosts for other companies and provides consultancy to some of the biggest names in the software world it's interesting how much detail is available just in these comments.

I have to say if this were a Windows exploit I would still be a bit worried.

I now know it won't affect me.

My web servers don't have public root access so no-one can insmod a driver with the correct payload.

Out of interest, which function is the problem? would it be init() or one of the others?

Microsoft assaults our senses with 'viral' Bing video

Graham 6
Thumb Up

I like it

Micro$oft, with all it's money and this is the best it can do?

Eric Schmidt must have binged his pants!

I agree with Sigourney.

Graham 6
FAIL

The irony

Do anyone see the irony that this is on YouTube owned by Google!

Microsoft's website not a popular enough site to get market penetration?

Well bing me!

Google's vanity OS is Microsoft's dream

Graham 6

Can I bash Linux too?

Replace the word Linux with Windows and Google with Microsoft and it reads like any other "Microsoft Basher" blog.

I happen to work on some of the fastest supercomputers and clusters in the world at Schlumberger.

Guess what they all run..?

Here's a hint-> it's not windows!!

And I have a fully supported Linux Desktop as my works PC alongside many others in the company.

It was the same when I was working in Sony rolling out their new TV platforms and Siemens while they are hosting bbc.co.uk.

Linux ... dead ... riiight!

Not from where I am sitting.

I have and am making a lot of money working solely on Linux systems so who says theres no money it it?

Microsoft are desperately trying to get a foot into these markets, but don't ever seem to make any progress.

Heard that somewhere before about Linux and the Desktop?