* Posts by Qu Dawei

94 publicly visible posts • joined 6 Aug 2010

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Chubby Chinese students refused top bunk

Qu Dawei

Re: Mini-lift entrepreneurs take note...

In most residential High Schools or Universities, students stay in "dormitories" that are not like the ones that we might think of in the west. In China, they are like medium-sized bedrooms, but stuffed full of bunk beds - often 8 people per room, but sometimes 6. Students just get used to the lack of privacy and other things - they seem like fire hazards, but this is partially dealt with by limiting use of electricity, sometimes switching off the electricity supply at 23:30 each night, and having people who inspect the rooms - it's a bit like a quasi-military set up, but with less insistence on tidiness. Showers are often communal and in different buildings all together.

In my 5 years in China, teaching there at High School and university level, I saw slight changes to what we in the west would see as being more acceptable, but it is very slow. Foreign students are almost always housed in more luxurious places, barred to Chinese students, and more in keeping with Western Standards.

By 2040, computers will need more electricity than the world can generate

Qu Dawei

Extrapolation

Hasn't anyone taught these people of the dangers of extrapolation, and the need to consider very carefully the underlying model one uses if one even dares to extrapolate too far into the future? Come on! This should be elementary stuff in things like time-series analysis, and other prediction techniques, and so on.

UK employers still reluctant to hire recent CompSci grads

Qu Dawei

Re: @Anonymous Curd

This type of "dumbing down" of degrees that often used to be reasonable seems endemic in UK higher education now. The concentration on exam results which influence a lecturer's standing in some way, and the bad analogy of the student being a "customer" has led to a race to the bottom, often. The Russell Group Universities are trying to avoid this, but they are not immune.

The "customer" analogy is not good because even if you accept that student in, in some way, similar to a customer, it is far too simplistic: society and potential employees are also major "customers", but perhaps the whole business model of higher education needs rethinking with various post-degree real apprenticeships or intern posts built into the degree - similar things used to be called "sandwich degrees". Of course, real apprenticeships as alternatives to higher degrees and a concerted anti-education and anti-intellectual undercurrent that seems to run through society needs addressing. A situation where, for example, people seem to brag about being ignorant of arithmetic, maths, or science still goes unchallenged, and people should be ashamed of admitting this as a kind of "coolness".

World religions stake out positions on Pokemon Go

Qu Dawei

First part of what many people want young people to do

I don't see how this mobile-phone organized treasure hunt is really harmful (apart from people not looking out when crossing roads, etc because they ware watching their phones). In fact, since many people say that young people and others should get out more, it fulfills one of their wishes about society today. Of course, it would be better if they didn't have their eyes glued to their phones, but its a step in what many would think was a good direction.

My plan to heal this BROKEN, BREXITED BRITAIN

Qu Dawei

electing Boris

No one who desires power should ever be allowed to get it, and if they do, there should be very easy ways of taking the power from them (especially when they invariably turn bad). BJ has the feature of turning bad before he had the chance of doing good.

China shutters 50 websites for spreading explosion 'rumours'

Qu Dawei

Re: Anybody know what the rumors were?

Having recently returned from a long stay in China, it is really quite unnerving the extent to which one's posts on various Chinese social media are monitored and quietly removed if anything remotely uncomfortable for some interpretation of the CCP's position is mentioned. My Chinese relatives even got to the stage of asking me not to post anything other than innocuous jokey messages about nothing serious to stop me from becoming too much of a "regular" for the censors. To give just two examples: Posts that commented on a friend's photos of Tibetan Buddhist sites, where I just mentioned the pre-Buddhist religion of Bon were removed within 90 seconds of me posting them, and a comment about the UK election results in answer to a question from a student of mine in China were also nuked after about 2 minutes. Two examples out of about 20 in 5 years of living in China where I made a conscious decision to avoid posting anything *I* thought was too contentious. Obviously, I thought the censors had thicker skin than they actually did.

I can also back up the claims about casualties that the previous poster was told about from chatting with my family there and from other close friends, though we have almost started to speak in code when using the phone or video calls about it.

NHS blows £5 MILLION on delayed Care.data

Qu Dawei

Surely they should have worked out this fact?

This is the latest in a long line of failed IT projects that the NHS and government have wasted millions on. Haven't they realised that they can't do it yet? Or haven't they realised that penalty clauses might have helped in a few cases/ Or haven't they realised that much more tme and care needs to be taken on specification before wasting money on coding?

I think they should be legally barred from attempting to commission any more IT projects like this until some major changes have been made that have been examined in great detail to see that they have no obvious flaws. And examined by experts, not just some jumped up official who has persuaded people he or she can take on the job.

City of birth? Why password questions are a terrible idea

Qu Dawei

only password recovery

I've found gmail to become almost unusable since it seems to object to me accessing my email account with them from multiple locations. It required the use of some bizarre extra level of security I could just do without, and there was no way of opting out from it. A total pain.

UK Scouts database 'flaws' raise concerns

Qu Dawei

How often?

We hear many stories about such deficiencies in computer systems. What is the proportion of these out of the likely number of systems installed? Has the concept of testing adequately been thrown out of the window by too many, or is this some half-baked implementation of some perversion of Agile software development that is really a way of saving money on testing? Why are there no penalty clauses that penalize companies that get so much wrong, or don't go back to see if a prototype system was what the customer really wanted?

Boffins: It's EASY to make you GRASS YOURSELF UP for crimes you never did

Qu Dawei

Twisting statements

I was once interviewed about a murder that had happened two doors away from me when I had just moved into my house. I obviously didn't do it, but I was a "stranger" to the village, and my daily habits were different from most of the others. I also resembled someone who ended up being the guilty party who had been seen leaving the village in a suspicious manner shortly after the murder was judged to have taken place. The detectives showed me a photo of the murdered lady and asked me whether I had ever seen her. My reply was very clear and accurate "I don't remember ever seeing her", which they took to mean "I have never seen her". I objected to this summary, and they couldn't understand what my objection was about. I pointed out that I said I didn't remember seeing her, but may be I had seen her and even said something like "Good morning" to her on one occasion, but it was so unimportant and trivial that I had forgotten this. However, it was remembered and reported by another neighbour when she was interviewed by them. The police took my reasoning as evidence that I was a "smart alec" and had something to hide. I am quite convinced that matters would have progressed further except that they interviewed the person who confessed and who had matching blood samples, etc to those taken at the crime scene. I have been extremely dubious about taking to the police about ANYTHING since then,

Fertiliser doom warning! Pesky humans set to wipe selves out AGAIN

Qu Dawei

piffle

Just because there could be some kind of conspiracy or fabrication, doesn't mean there is or was one.

Post-pub nosh neckfiller: 1.5 MILLION SCOVILLE masala omelette

Qu Dawei

Re: Only half the story

The Pacific Ring of Fire undergoes a sudden, multiple, eruption.

Demon Internet goes TITSUP: Outage borks ancient ISP

Qu Dawei

Re: Demonised

I joined in the early 90s, and stayed with them until around 2004.

Microsoft says to expect AWESOME things of Windows 10 in January

Qu Dawei

windows 8

... makes me wish that blasted Paperclip was reintroduced. God alone knows what Windows 10 will do: Make me hanker after DOS4.01?

Is your kid ADDICTED to web porn? Twitter? Hint: Don't blame the internet

Qu Dawei
Linux

Re: @JDX

I think this emphasis on sexual matters is unbalanced: I think porn is of minor concern compared with realistic and extreme violence, for example. But on top of all this, we need to ask ourselves how can this harm children? If they can clearly distinguish between reality and fantasy (and we need to research this, rather than rely on our own prejudices if there is no pre-existing facts and empirical evidence) then may be all that is required is for parents to take their responsibilities more seriously and talk to their children about respect, love, relationships, etc, and about how violence of any type (and this necessarily involves rape, and other non consensual activities, because it and others are power and violence things, rather than sex things) diminishes us all.

Ofcom chief exec Ed Richards to step down in December

Qu Dawei

Where will he go...?

I imagine a revitalized "Just say No" campaign could make use of his talents because of his proven track records in responding to questions like "Can Ofcom take action to protect me here?"

SLOSH! Cops dethrone suspect - by tipping over portaloo with him inside

Qu Dawei
Pint

A puzzle

I thought it looked like a slightly extended enactment of the Monty Hall Problem, with a suspect being the star prize, and just an empty toilet behind the other doors.

Super Cali so litigious, Uber is the focus. Even German judges say it's something quite atrocious

Qu Dawei

Please let it come to Beijing

I know it would never be allowed, but it would be wonderful if Uber, and similar facilities, were allowed in Beijing. At the moment, we have: (a) droves of taxis that become unavailable all at the same time, because drivers share one taxi, and they all handover at the same time, (b) taxi drivers who have little or no training, so they don't know how to drive to quite famous landmarks, and don't want to be shown, either, (c) taxi drivers who just say "I don't want to go there", either because it's too far, or they don't make enough money from the trip, (d) taxi drivers who try to find out who you are so they can calculate if they can go on a "scenic route" to charge you lots of extra money, (e) taxi drivers who just refuse to take foreigners and pretend to not see you unless you stand in front of them when they are driving down the road, (f) taxi drivers to agree to take you, then decide they can't and ask you to get out but still charge you the minimum price, and (g) whole areas where you just cannot find a taxi, and they are as rare as hens' teeth. I know places far from a metro station where you have to walk for more than 20 minutes before you have a chance to hail a taxi, and they seem to have no concept of taxi ranks in Beijing except at stations and airports. If you want to complain about some taxis, the authorities say there are safeguards, but it isn't easy to get the information the authorities require to take action, and you're not sure if they even do take action in many cases. So, something like Uber would be a godsend.

Turn OFF your phone or WE'LL ALL DI... live? Europe OKs mobes, tabs non-stop on flights

Qu Dawei

Re: Don't get too upset

I don't think it is advisable to go tunnelling in a flying plane: after the cargo hold, there's nothing for thousands of feet.

Alternatively: I don't think many plane routes involve flying through tunnels.

Finally: Oh, I see what you meant!

How the FLAC do I tell MP3s from lossless audio?

Qu Dawei

Wong kinds of tests

It's all very well quoting details of the equipment characteristics, but the only way of directly testing this is to set up and carry out a well-designed randomized double-blind test. Opinions from experts don't carry much weight because of biases that come about from them knowing what they are listening to, and these may be unremovable by conscious action. Call in an experimental psychologist (I can recommend a few good ones from UK academia who have acted as expert witnesses in related areas), and let them carry out the experimental research.

Who on Earth would buy a digi-watch? Answer: NUDISTS - in their millions

Qu Dawei

All you need is a few body-mods, like hooks, to enable things to be hung from them. A certain fruity company could introduce a kit to facilitate all this: the iPiercing.

Would Apple godhead Steve Jobs have HATED the Watch?

Qu Dawei

Yes

"...there will forever be something Steve-esque about Apple."

Introducing not so innovative things that look nice-ish and cost an enormous amount more than their equally good rivals. A concentration on making money via the power of their brand-name.

Firefighters deliver trapped student from GIANT GERMAN LADYPARTS

Qu Dawei

Next stop

I've heard that the next stop on this exchange student's visits around Europe is to the Large Hardon Collider. I hope he doesn't get shafted there (unless he would like to be).

It's a Doddle: Amazon inks train station parcel deal with Network Rail

Qu Dawei

Why not add a lot of places?

Ok. Railway stations, like the old Red Star or BR Parcels service. But why not any local Post Office? That would at least give them a chance of being kept open, but I do appreciate that with many of them now inside other kinds of shops that there may be agreement and opening hours problems.

Swiftkey: We just want to be free - Apple didn't bump us

Qu Dawei

Handling Chinese?

Until it can handle Chinese and some of its input methods (for myself, preferably pinyin), then they can forget it!

Urine a goldmine for fuel-cell materials: boffins

Qu Dawei

Douglas Adams but changed a little

These new-fangled power companies will be intent on making money from us. What we should all do is insist that they reimburse us for excreting for THEM! Insist on getting a receipt every time you use a lavatory!

Customer sues Nimbus Data for 'breach of contract' over arrays

Qu Dawei

Would that the UK history of failed IT projects within the NHS was handled in a similar way.

But the repeated incompetence of the NHS negotiating teams to properly specify a project and some real conditions of acceptance with penalty conditions is always matched by the greed of the IT companies to walk away from such badly described and negotiated projects.

US authorities name five Chinese military hackers wanted for espionage

Qu Dawei

Petulant children often forget what little moral reasoning they have achieved.

So, the USA, still smarting at being outwitted by China at playing the game of capitalism as they themselves play it, now go into a complete strop when China plays the game of international espionage better in this move than the USA does, and so they forget the rules against hypocrisy and what Snowdon revealed.

There's nothing so pitiful as a little emperor screaming and kicking when its petty little games are thwarted. Mind you, China is just as bad...

China confirms Jade Rabbit lunar rover has conked out

Qu Dawei

Mistakes are necessary for learning

If you are not prepared to make mistakes, you cannot easily learn. This has been known for many years, even though it is sometimes dressed up with some Russian person's saying. The Chinese want to learn, and I am sure they will learn a lot from the mistake. However, they already achieved a lot, and I hope they go on to do much much more in this direction.

Earth cops first asteroid impact of 2014

Qu Dawei

Re: Impact location

Jerusalem or Globe?

South Carolina couple cop cuffing for shed shag

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

Re: Not exactly flashing

3 layers if he was having safe sex, surely!

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

Re: Not exactly flashing

...and if other non-policemen did this, they could be done for being peeping toms or voyeurism (in the UK at least)

Science fiction titan Frederik Pohl dies, aged 93

Qu Dawei
Thumb Up

A wonderful life and writer

Frederick Pohl's works were some of the first I read as a new SF fan back in 1964, having been introduced to the genre by a librarian who thought I would like the stories. I did, and still, after so many years, I can return to and read any of his works with great enjoyment. I recognise him as being a very significant author in my intellectual life, because he did write thoughtful fiction, and some of his non-fiction work was equally thought-provoking.

Schmidt slams China as world's most prolific hacker

Qu Dawei

Re: Hot Wireless Dogging.

Don't worry: I think it was a beta-test of the next generation software for Google Translate.

NASA snaps pics of China's 'Airpocalypse' pollution disaster

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

Re: I'm there in Beijing

Just to add: flat fare for all metro journeys is 0.20UKP

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

I'm there in Beijing

The problem is that sometimes I have read time-and-date-stamped reports about the bad air quality in Beijing, and not being able to see from one side of the (rather wide) roads to another, when I recall on those days that the air was very clear and you could see further than normal. The BBC had a few rather biased reporters in the past in that way, as far as I could see. However, the air quality is often as bad and sometimes worse than other major cities around the world. This latest event was by far the worst I have ever experienced in a number of years of living in Beijing. It felt as if I was smoking 100 cigarettes a day all the time, and my lungs and breathing generally was terrible, with me feeling faint and having a raw cough that doubled me up. That was with staying indoors all the time. Outside, you could not see far, and everything had a slightly yellowish-brown tinge to it. Apparently, there were not many people outdoors, and most of them who were wore face-masks that I doubt would filter out the particles of the size that people are concerned with. The Chinese government did issue warnings, but I imagine this has only come about after being embarrassed into doing it. Today (Wednesday) the air quality has improved greatly and the sun is shining. I think much more effort is required to reduce the pollution here. There are too many cars so many of the roads face almost constant delays: removing them would help, but that cannot be done easily. Many buses (with flat fare of 0.04UKP or 0.08UKP) are almost always full to bursting at the moment, and the new metro lines that opened about 3 weeks ago are already stuffed full of passengers. I think a more radical solution may be required, but that may take time, of which there may not be so much if greater disaster (like London's 1952 smogs) are to be avoided.

Boffin claims Bigfoot DNA reveals BESTIAL BONKING

Qu Dawei

Unknown species to science: Homo Teapartyensis

Windows 8: Is Microsoft's new OS too odd to handle?

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

If no one were allowed to voice and opinion about something until they had had direct personal experience of it, then I doubt we would have many comments here on anything. The sensible option is to agree to a variation of what Pericles of Athens is reported as saying: "Although only a few may have the skills to initiate or decide upon a policy; all may comment on it."

Map law could see China confiscate mobes at Customs

Qu Dawei

Re: Unlikely it will change anything

I've crossed into China numerous times in the past 10 years, usually via Beijing or Shanghai. During that time, I saw one person stopped at entry into Beijing and told off for bringing in a sandwich they hadn't eaten whilst traveling. On my first visit, I was worried by the stern notices about the banning of CDs and so on at the customs posts (this was before the new terminal was opened at Beijing Capital Airport). So, I declared my 3 CDs containing music I wanted to losten to whilst there. I was told off by the customs officer for interrupting his dozing by such a small matter and waved through without anything being confiscated.

China domain name land grab about to start

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

Re: Impressed

做得好! It might also be useful to add: 不耻下问

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

The hardest thing I have had to get used to is the fact that when I change languages on my Win7 machine, the layout of characters on my keyboard changes. I now normally just use the Chinese set up which can handle both, and accept that typing pound signs is a bit more involved.

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

Re: this

谷歌经常提供中式英语

Qu Dawei
Thumb Up

Re: I'm still wondering....

Bloke jailed for being unable to use BlackBerry Messenger freed

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

The appeal is also not completely correct

If you read the appeal judgment, he has not escaped any punishment, but has merely had it reduced. In my view, this is also unsatisfactory: he should have been completely acquitted, because there was no intent involved in what he did. Suppose someone painted on a large roadside billboard "I want to fuck you!" If that person was found, would he be up in fron of a judge accused of attempting a sex-act with any under-age child who happened to see the graffiti? Of course not, it would be a nonsense. The same principle applies here, except that he was not guilty of either breach of the peace or of damaging other people's property with the graffiti.

Dreaded redback spider's NEMESIS: Forgotten Captain Cook wasps

Qu Dawei
Go

Re: Not as pretty - or scary

"They do sing like hell if you annoy them"

A poorly-rendered version of Arthur Askey's Bumblebee Song, perhaps?

HTC's 4G patent beef could get iPhone 5 BANNED in US

Qu Dawei

Well...

... it seems to me that the US Patent system is patently absurb

Health Dept teases suppliers with mega NHS systems cash windfall

Qu Dawei
Unhappy

Dar God, No!

Not another project that, judging by previous efforts, I predict will be doomed to failure after becoming a money-pit for pricvate companies who continue to fail to deliver yet still get awarded contracts. Surely the idiots in charge of this initiative should have learned something by now!

Broadband minister Hunt LOSES portfolio, takes on national health

Qu Dawei
Headmaster

David Cameron's administration seems to have mirrored the USA in some respects: it has gone from the beginning phase of "enthusiastic yet inexperienced amateurs" to "corrupt self-serving incompetents managing a slow-motion disaster" without the usual intervening phase of "roughly all right, could do better, but so so disasterously bad" in the middle.

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