Posts by Terry 6

Re: I guess the truth hurts.

There used to be simple database programmes in the 80s and 90s that came on the front of computer magazines, or could be bought for a few quid. These did pretty much all that an ordinary office worker or business owner in a small company would need to store and sort simple information, like the details of a few hundred customers. Something like; Company Name>>Address>>Phone number>>Contact name>> main area of business>>Purchases. With just enough data management tools to be able to, say, sort out which customers were in the local postcode area, or which ones had previously bought a Mk 3 widget polisher. And even which customers in a given postcode area had already bought a Mk 3 widget polisher!

Relational databases take far too much time and complexity to even learn how to use, or to set up. And no small business can afford to buy in an expert to create something far too big and clunky for their needs, if it can be made to work at all. So of course they use Excel. Can't blame them either.

Re: Management material

Absolutely not a joke. In education ( in the UK at least, don't know about Japan) it's a career path.

I long ago lost count of the number of ambitious (don't really want to be) teachers and exteachers-turned-advisors who arrived in a school, launched a shiny new panacea then buggered off to bigger and better things leaving the actual teachers to clear up the mess.

There was even one such who actually stayed with the same authority, moving on ever upwards, who could look a room full of experienced teachers in the eye and without a hint of a blush explain why the latest new thing was brilliant and the old thing was obviously rubbish from the start, even though a few weeks previously she'd spent her days actively promoting said rubbish and explaining why the programme previous to it had been obviously rubbish, even though...... (rinse and repeat scheme after scheme).

I used to drive past there every morning, for a few years. Even outside the stink, while I was stuck in the inevitable traffic jam, was pretty appalling.

Re: GUIs were and are intended to demystify the computer

I have to reluctantly agree that I think you may be right. While I use the right click ( in Windows) a lot. I've seen so many users that only ever click the right button by accident and then get confused/worried when strange unexpected menus appear.

Re: It's the storage, Luke

it's a 'human-condition' problem to want to store everything--photos, videos, files you are certain you'll ....

No it is not. Some humans, under some circumstances maybe. Others just the opposite.

Some people want to horde everything, equipment, emails, whatever,. Some nothing. Most of us somewhere between. ( I admit I tend more to the "If in doubt chuck it out" end)

We used to have battles over this sort of thing when I was working. Any times we had a skip I'd chuck any old stuff that we hadn't used within memory. And a member of staff would try to retrieve it because "We might need it some day".

My tests were to ask "When, in what circumstances,do you think we might need it. And, "If it was to become useful again would you remember we had it and where to find it"?

And without a definitive answer to each of these, out it goes.

I'm much the same at home. That old plastic jug, we never use- goes. And so on.

With (non-legally required) files my rule was and is, " Could I envisage serious regret without it?"

So most emails and the saved copies of letters are dumped within a short time of the end of their usefulness. Family photos, however, mostly get the full backup treatment- but even there I'll thin out some. Like if I happen to see a really crap photo that is like lots of others and doesn't serve to carry a memory it will go.Especially from the cloud backup locations.

Re: Remember those batteries

*It does seem sometimes that as a rule of thumb, any component that a manufacturer thinks won't be noticed will be designed* sub-par.

Or redesigned. I had a film camera camera when I was a kid. Dad took it on holiday at if broke so he wanted to replace it. The original one had vanished from the shops, only version we could find was a rebadged one in Dixons. Absolutely identical to look at. Same price or thereabouts. Similar name. Apparently only the badge was different. 'Cept it never worked properly. The film would slip and frames overlap ( I didn't tell dad, he'd have been so upset).

When I took it apart it was obvious why. The original toothed wheel had been shiny steel. This one had lots of nylon parts instead.

Re: In the glorious past

One of the common facets of private enterprise and public/government services is that when savings need to be made a lot of expensive people are employed to, err.... save money.

Re: $130 per year?

Interestingly Macrium Free (back up imaging s/w) is stopping updates from January. Only the paid version will be continued. I'll probably just keep using it, as is.

I've recommended it over the years. Can't now.

It seems a bit spiteful since I doubt that the free tier users will convert to the paid version. That's £60 for the home edition, but only gives "minor updates for this version only" i.e. once they bring out a new version it's as dead as the free one. Or £37 a year after the first "Black Friday half price" year, which, to be fair, isn't that expensive as such.

Re: Oh, and by the way ...

No. Two differences. Seeking for a "smoking gun" implies that you are 1) looking for causation which a correlation famously isn't. And 2) are looking for a straight forward single causal factor, whereas correlation may be just part of a set of factors.

Re: Tesla should deal

A lot of this goes back to the Thatcher years. There was a real focus on the UK deindustrialising and becoming a service based economy. And pretty much the only way that makes serious money for the nation (i.e. exports) is with financial services.

Anything else is just, to use a phrase memorable at the time, "people holding doors open for each other".

So in the 21stC we earn our keep by providing a safe hiding place for oligarchs and crooked dictators/politicians to launder money. Most of which takes place in and around London.

Re: Rather the other way round

This is another issue. And a scary ( if only vicariously) one.

The people who lose a phone or the use of a PC and with it their precious family photos, all their important documents and so on.

Cloud backup of their phone ( if they've bothered to set it up) could at least save them that anguish.

Re: Kill it with fire

If you mean Dell, one dodgy laptop sale has lost them a new tower PC sale and a new laptop sale ( respectively a Chillblast and Lenovo Yoga). So maybe that guy made his target for the month. But Dell has lost two or three times what he achieved- not including future sales, and lots of dis-recommendations.(Might have invented a word there)

Re: Where have all the grown ups gone ?

"Would they buy chairs the same way?"

Yes.

Re: Search disaster

Only thing wrong with that comment is the word "now".

For decades Microsoft Help has only told users the blindingly obvious but omitted to explain how to do anything complicated.

A decade or so back it used to be common for staff to confuse the monitor (button) with the computer. Which meant that I'd get a call to say the computer wouldn't turn on.....Which could be phrased as "the email isn't working" of course.

Re: What, no speedo?

Truck drivers have this paper disc thingy ( might have been replaced with some kind of digital thingamajig these days) that continuously records all the vehicle's movements. Speed, time etc. so that the driver has to show compliance with the laws; speed rest breaks etc. and can be used in evidence. In effect creating a legal document.