Author Topic: Computing and change  (Read 36146 times)

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Offline Ian

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #60 on: October 07, 2014, 11:46:21 am »
To an extent, and it's one reason cloud computing has taken off. But there are source code bugs in everything. You just have to be cautious.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #61 on: October 16, 2014, 10:19:46 am »
Superfast broadband 'to reach 96%' in Wales by 2016

Work upgrading every telephone exchange in Wales for superfast broadband will begin by September 2015.
Dozens more towns and villages are due to be connected by 2016, as many firms say they are still missing out.
The Welsh government says it is on target to see fast internet available for 96% of premises under its £425m Superfast Cymru venture with BT.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29636319


Offline DaveR

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #62 on: October 16, 2014, 11:00:03 am »
BT are currently installing fibre broadband in Llandudno, think its going live in a couple of months.  $good$

Offline SteveH

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #63 on: October 20, 2014, 09:02:00 am »
Don’t be a victim of cybercrime
October 20th 2014
Today marks the start of Get Safe Online Week - an annual event which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of online criminals – and the simple steps you can take to defeat them and be safe online.
Online crime - or 'cybercrime' - is a growing threat and anyone can be a victim. Online criminals can be someone you know, anonymous individuals or an organised criminal network. During this week, we will be publishing new research about attitudes and experiences of cybercrime, as well as alarming statistics about the level of various types of crime in financial terms. We'll be publishing examples of people who have fallen victims to cybercrime, and profiling some of the perpetrators themselves.
By following a few simple and easy steps, the public can avoid falling victim whilst at the same time making life as hard as possible for cyber criminals:
http://www.getsafeonline.org/news/dont-be-a-victim-of-cybercrime/

Offline TheMedz

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #64 on: August 01, 2015, 03:18:57 pm »
An interesting article for people using Twitter on their smart phones or ipads.

http://mse.me/qqPwI

I checked the settings on my wife's Twitter account and as stated in the article it was set to "autostart" while previously it had been set to "do not start  videos without being requested to do so".

Offline Ian

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #65 on: August 01, 2015, 04:26:31 pm »
Indeed;  good idea to set all devices not to auto-run anything.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Michael

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #66 on: March 21, 2016, 11:53:14 pm »
  I am sure we all know that a large number of this forums members are pretty good with technology. Especially our moderators, but lots of others also.
   Anyway whilst I have been kicking my heels with nothing special to do all winter I started reading up on Googles addwords. I soon found out that EVERYONE advised you must have experienced help to show you the way. There are many firms that will assist you, at a price of course. There are also large organisations approved or sponsored by Google to try and show you the way.
   But me, clever dick, thought I knew better. I had got all day to read up on it.
   Now I am back in the U.K. and Ive actually got a computer and internet access. So, off I go.
   I have never ever found anything so complicated in my life. I would be interested if any of you have had any experience with it. I will not even hint at the complexity, it would take me all night. Anyway, Ive had an initial bash at it and lets hope Ive not just thrown the money it is costing away.

Offline Fester

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #67 on: March 22, 2016, 01:13:34 am »
Mike, I wasted a few hundred quid on it last year, it's become a waste of time and money.
Before everyone and his dog got in on it, it 'might' have been lucrative.. but not anymore.
Abandon it before it drains your bank account.
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline DaveR

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #68 on: March 22, 2016, 11:58:03 am »
I've used Google Adwords in the past. To be honest, Mike, I doubt it'll make much difference to your business for the money it costs.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #69 on: March 22, 2016, 03:44:54 pm »
Just trying to ponder the thread heading.

Computers weren't commonplace when I was in school (I mean there were things like computer science degrees but no computers in my school and I think home computing was mostly an area for electronics hobbyists with things like the Sinclair ZX 81 available in kit form and just about anything else needing a fair amount of wealth).

My first personal encounter with a computer came in the early 80s when I bought a second hand Commadore Vic 20.  At the time, I sort of envisaged a new world where everyone would be (programming wise) computer literate and I feared that even in my early 20s, I would be left behind.  I didn't really do much with the Vic but at least learned to string a few lines of BASIC together.

The change I envisaged didn't really happen. This was the era when the BBC had a program presented by Ian McNaugh-Davis, the BBC computer came out, there was the Sincliar Spectrum and the Commadore 64…

When I've read on this subject elsewhere, it is clear to me that there were people who were able to turn these humble type beginnings all the way to being very successful programmers. But  suspect that for the majority they were just “toys”.  I think we probably have to wait until the 2000s and the introduction of cheap single board computers (eg the Raspberry PI) and microcontroller boards (eg. the Arduino) but I'm not sure how these are working out in terms of bringing many to the computer industry.

I had some experience using a CP/M system writing up some stuff for our sites BS5750 using something like Wordstar 2.0 but I suppose for most, the next leap was the PC clone (others may be able to tell me where the Apple Mac, etc. fits in – I'm not dismissing it, just haven't come into contact with one…). All of a sudden, people were able to get “business machines” in the home – my first was an Amstrad PC1512 – mine had twin 5 ¼ floppies and a whopping 512K of RAM) and later along that line, Windows came in (I think with this Apple already had a GUI…) making things more accessible to more people.

I guess for me, although say '98 is late, the next big change for me was The Internet.  It was less of a market place and more focused on knowledge, I think, back in those days.

Next, for me was getting fed up with proprietary software, what seemed to me like the control of a couple of software companies, etc. so since say about 2002 (SUSE 9.2) have used Linux as my/our (my 80+ year old parents use it too) primary O/S.

I suppose the last one for me to date is another move/additional gadget one that affected the masses. That is the presence of the mobile devices. On the personal level, while we do have and use a couple, I'm not sure I particularly took to them.  I can write a simple Android app but I don't get being connected all the while with say Facebook messages, Twitter or (even though I do play tenor banjo, manolin, guitar and still a bit of melodeon) being permanently plugged in to music…

I probably (although some would say I am anyway…) turned out a bit of an oddball. Through it all in various degrees of (in)ability, I can make use of Java, python, php, C, etc for simpler projects. although I'm very much “if I have a need” rather than a dedicated waning to learn more coder.  I don't fit the pure users categories either.

One thing is for sure though, there have been changes but not reaally in the way I'd imagined would be when I bought the Vic 20.

Offline Michael

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #70 on: March 22, 2016, 05:02:21 pm »
DaveR and Fester weighing in --- two forum heavyweights (not physically ).  I don't know what Dave was, presumably, trying to sell. I imagine add words is only for selling either some product or some idea.
   But Fester, did you get into the vast field of the keywords, the search terms that potential customers put into google etc. And the bidding. That is the part where i find it complicated.
   Another reason I am looking at is because I am well and truly fed up with the scatter gun targeting with flyers No one has any way of telling how many are actually read and acting on by a potential customer. What I do know for sure the vast majority go straight into bins, often I suspect by the people who are paid to display them. Thousands are thrown out at the end of the season even though in my case at any rate they are good year after year. Adwords are at least targeted at people who are interested in what you have to offer

Offline squiggle

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #71 on: March 22, 2016, 05:26:50 pm »
I've no idea or (except as user) experience add words but I wonder how many users are going the same way as I do (where I allow ads in the first place - I will on a site I've grown to like and trust - this site is a candidate - but my general policy is to run ad blockers).

I loath adds that seem to track my own interests and find the thing (adsense?) that wiil say place an ad for a drill I've viewed on screwfix on another site I visit positively creepy. I opt out of all the options the google page offfers and download and install their opt out plugin for something.  I also have some things like doubleclick point to localhost...

Offline Ian

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #72 on: March 22, 2016, 05:46:35 pm »
squiggle, did you ever use a QL? I used to write programs in Assembly language for that machine.

You asked where Macs (Apple) fitted in. They were actually the PC leader in the late '70s with the Apple II. However, the IBM PC  came with PC DOS, an operating system based upon Gary Kildall's CP/M-80 operating system. In 1980, IBM approached Digital Research, Kildall's company, for a version of CP/M for its upcoming IBM PC. Kildall's wife and business partner, Dorothy McEwen, met with the IBM representatives who were unable to negotiate a standard non-disclosure agreement with her. IBM turned to Bill Gates, who was already providing the ROM BASIC] interpreter for the PC. Gates offered to provide 86-DOS, developed by Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products. IBM rebranded it as PC DOS, while Microsoft sold variations and upgrades as MS-DOS.

Meanwhile, Steve Jobs and Wozniak saw the Xerox Alto and the Xerox Star and produced the Apple II with the world's first graphical interface, pinched from the Xerox machines. However, it was still a brave new world, no company buyers knew anything at all about computers, so when the buyers were told 'We're going to get computers; go and place orders" they turned to the only company they knew through business: IBM. As a result, sales rocketed for machines based around PC DOS and the rest is history. 

Apple, interestingly, nearly went to the wall in the mid'90s before Jobs was reappointed as chair and led them to world domination.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline squiggle

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #73 on: March 22, 2016, 06:15:04 pm »
squiggle, did you ever use a QL? I used to write programs in Assembly language for that machine.

No I've not seen a QL.

I've never got into assembly languages either.  I think I did consider a cartridge to plug into one of the Vic 20 or the C64 to try assembly with but couldn't afford it at the time.  My own path was a bit of a lull until I got Turbo Pascal on the PC - then I could write the little things I wanted to play with to run "quickly".

I think my tendency to hack things out by trial and error would be to great for me to consider assembly now but I always sort of think "hat's off to those who can really make use of it".

Offline Michael

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Re: Computing and change
« Reply #74 on: March 22, 2016, 07:10:02 pm »
  I TOLD YOU there were members of this forum who were good on technology. The last few posts ---- I haven't got a clue what you are writing about. Probably because it was maybe before my time HaHa