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The BBC has replied to the WTC7 conspiracy bloggers, with this response.

Unfortunately, it would seem that they have ‘lost the tapes’ – oops!

4. We no longer have the original tapes of our 9/11 coverage (for reasons of cock-up, not conspiracy). So if someone has got a recording of our output, I’d love to get hold of it. We do have the tapes for our sister channel News 24, but they don’t help clear up the issue one way or another.

I mean, the conspiracy theory is stupid, but you have to admit that it’s also a bit stupid of the BBC to not have the tapes!

I’ve been thinking over the past couple of days about the new site – showusthecode.com.

I’m glad that people are taking action – and I’m glad that I’m living in times when people are still passionate about things. It seems linux’s crowning glory will always be it’s people; Microsoft can buy people, bribe people, do what they want – but they will never have the die-for passion and support that Linux has got. Linux has captured peoples imagination.

The one thing that bothers me about showusthecode: There’s absolutely no reason for Microsoft to show the slightest bit of interest in it. Showusthecode says (to ballmer):

If you or Microsoft cannot comply with a response by the date outlined, everyone who endorses this will consider your threats and claims to be empty and libelous.

But seriously, Microsoft don’t give two shits what “everyone” (Linux users) think; all they are bothered about is what IT Managers and directors of companies think. They are the people that tell us what to install on our servers (even though we often ignore them). It’s the IT managers, who often have little clue about real technology, that are not part of the ‘everyone’ group.

Don’t get me wrong – I applaud the showusthecode site. To be honest the only things that I think could make it better are;

1. A nice graphic we can plaster on websites that shout our message loud and clear… Something like “MICROSOFT: SHOW US THE CODE…. By 1st May”.
2. A REAL ultimatum.

… Number 1 is simple…

So – the ultimatum. Someone is going to have to think of something, and it has to be hard hitting, something that will hit them in their pocket, or dent their image. Something that probably wouldn’t have otherwise happened. Something to show Microsoft what they will get for spreading FUD.
It’s quite difficult to come up with solutions, and the only ones I can think of are as follows…

A pledge by ‘everyone’ (who signs a petition) that if they don’t reveal the code by 1st May that you will;

• Push Linux more than they ever did. Maybe force your parents to use it.
• You will never use MS Office ever again, and install Open Office where you can.
• You will ALWAYS save documents in rtf format.
• You will always install FireFox instead of IE on every computer you get your hands on.

I mean, I realise there are people out there already doing this stuff, but people who live and work in the real IT industry have to deal with MS stuff here and there, and often you just don’t want to sound like an open source preacher. But Microsoft are really making me mad these days!

Maybe something with a measurable effect? Just to show how powerful a group of people can be.

Anyway – maybe I’m just some crazy on the internets who hasn’t got a clue…. But we do need a better ultimatum.

Post your suggestions below.

Technorati Tags: linux, showusthecode, microsoft, ballmer

Another article from ViolentAcres worth a read… It’s strange how such a seemingly strange subject can turn into such an interesting article.

I’m still thinking V is a professional writer, but I enjoy reading the blog none-the-less.

Maybe someone should set up a site wherestyler.com and track this weirdo down – demand to know why he did it… Or would that be even weirder?

This is cool! It’s a command line tool for linux/unix that allows you to order a pizza from the command prompt… Only problem is that in the UK we don’t have that many dominos pizza shops and the closest is about 15 miles away… And they don’t deliver to my address .

read more | digg story

Just seen this site setup demanding that Microsoft turn over the code they reckon that Linux is infringing their intellectual property with.

MICROSOFT: SHOW US THE CODE

Technorati Tags: showusthecode, microsoft, ip, linux

Just been browsing around the ‘net, thinking about the balmy ballmer situation that I blogged about a day or two ago, and then stumbled on this info: Microsoft hit with $1.9B patent verdict.. (Here’s more)

Seems Microsoft have been a little naughty with their use of MP3 in windoze – and owe $1.5b to alcatel/lucent.

How ironic that Microsoft gets found guilty of doing something they are accusing everyone else of doing.

One other comment I found interesting was here – with the following comment from Bruce Lynn of Microsoft UK:

… was almost like an insurance policy. There could be stuff
that Microsoft is inadvertently using in Linux and Linux is
inadvertently using in Windows.”

Could there now? First person to find a linux reference in the vista binaries gets a pint from me!
It does make you wonder what Microsoft are up to – and whether they are going to ramp-up their assault on linux, or just continue to bad-mouth it but not actually take any action.

Technorati Tags: linux, novell, microsoft, balmy ballmer, microsoft infringement

I’ve just been reading an article on the BBC site, where they are making some judgements about the 1.8 million emails sent out by Blair over the last day or two.

I really don’t like slagging the beeb off, but just sometimes they come out with such utter bullsh*t that it’s hard not to… I especially like the parts that say:

Last week I had lunch with someone who sends out 180,000 a week as a newsletter, which cost him £600,” he says. “That would make it £6,000, but it could be much less or much more.

… So basically they don’t have a clue… But then they go on to say:

It’s cheaper to send e-mails now than it was five years ago

Well nobody told me!! I think I might just go and send some more of these cheap emails we have these days…

Although sending e-mails is free for most domestic use, the platforms used by people at home have a limit on the number allowed, so a special e-mail provider would be required for a task of this size.

Again – complete and absolute boll*cks. You’d find it very difficult to stuff 1.8m emails down your DSL, but AOL users seem to be doing it every day (even if it is without their knowledge) (joke – har har).

Someone with a decent connection, and good communication with their ISP should have no trouble sorting this orchestrated spamming…. And thank god  whoever advised the PM told him that sending a jpeg of his smugly face with the email would make it too big .

Technorati Tags: blair, 1.8m, bbc, car taxation, road charging, emails

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An article about a 15 year old teenager making biodiesel in his barn.

Although this kid should be aplauded for his newly acquired skills, articles like this always make me wonder. I mean – what use does a 15 year old have for diesel? It seems fairly obvious to me that his dad has had quite a lot to do with creating this biodiesel… Worse; they appear to have just gone out and bought the biodiesel processor! Whatever happened to that great-tradition of biodiesel: homebrewing your own gear? You can put together a 100-litre converter for approx 100 quid if you have a couple of parts hanging around…

read more | digg story

I see Ballmer is making idle threats against linux again. What a load of old tosh. The only way that Microsoft can fight back against linux is to slag it off, and because Linux doesn’t really have an official mouthpiece – it can’t really defend itself.

However – with the recent moves made by Microsoft to include crap like DRM, Windows activation and all the rest within Windows – it makes you wonder what the hell they think they are doing..? I mean – they’ve got a serious threat from projects like ubuntu, and they appear to be doing everything they can to jeopardise the market.

At this rate, Windows is going to have to be free and available for download to consumers by 2010… Mark my words!

I really can’t believe how two-faced and disgusting Novell are in all the recent linux developments… Originally when they entered the market with suse it looked like a very good sign for them and the open source community… But then sidling up to Microsoft with a stupid no-sue agreement has really given the finger to the open source community. It makes you wonder if Novell really ‘get’ open source.

It reminds me of a meeting I had a few weeks ago where someone highlighted his ignorance of open source . He was talking about moodle and in passing said

… yeah – if there are any bugs with it you just post a message and some stupid nerd will fix it at 4am and post the fix back to you —— for free!!

… The guy didn’t know I was a coder, but I think the look of absolute disgust on my face might have given it away.

At the end of the day – Microsoft are going to loose the OS battle. It’s just a case of convincing all your friends to install ubuntu. And the list of reasons to do this is getting longer every day.

Technorati Tags: linux, microsoft, moodle, suse, novell, open source, ubuntu

I’ve been geocaching for about 1 year now, and in that time we’ve tried a variety of GPS equipment. I thought I’d put together a quick run-down, so that if others are in a similar situation they might find it handy to have a quick scan.

We first started geocaching by using a Nokia 6680 mobile phone (with TomTom Mobile 5) combined with a bluetooth GPS. This worked fine at first, however the battery life was disappointing and after an hours walk we would often be getting low and need to switch batteries etc. This brings me to the next downfall of this situation: Rain. A nokia mobile is usually fairly rain-proof, however it certainly isn’t water proof and I wouldn’t trust a chinese imported bluetooth GPS receiver to be rain-proof either. It worked well and got us into geocaching though, but we decided we needed to investigate other solutions.

So my first thought, as a self-confessed computer geek, was to use some sort of PDA contraption with the bluetooth… This would allow for a bigger, brighter screen and the possibility to use specific software with the PDA for geocaching. However, after a bit of messing around I came to realise that although this was an OK idea, it was eventually going to fail due to the fact that a PDA will probably only last for an hour or two on full charge, and once you are in the middle of a geo-trek you probably won’t be able to replace a li-ion HP battery that easily… Then the GF started to moan.
So – I had to do what every self-respecting geo-geek does: Go and buy an etrex…. I searched ebay and found quite a few of the cheap yellow garmin etrex’s, but really liked the look of the GPSMAP 60CS.. It seems plain to me that the yellow etrex is a toy compared to the more expensive GPSMAP Garmins. Anyway – eventually I did a bit more searching on ebay and found a few to put in my snipe list.

Then – SHOCK – I win two at once: An etrex and a GPSMAP 76S. Oh well – a good opportunity to try both, and I can sell the one I don’t like.

We’ve been using the yellow etrex and the GPSMAP 76S for a while now, and although they are both good, they still have their faults: For me the yellow etrex is clumsy to use, and doesn’t have a detailed enough screen. It’s also a bit low on the bells-and-whistles… The GPSMap 76S is a lot better in those respects: A built-in real compass, a barometer, better screen, more buttons (not clumsy to use). It seems from these points that the 76S wins hands-down apart from one thing: They both take AA batteries and the 76S uses them up in about 2 hours, whereas the yellow etrex lasts about 24hours. And I hate throwing batteries away.
So I think it’s back to the drawing board with this one. I’ve had my eye on a GPS enabled phone, but to be honest I always buy Nokia. So I’m hanging on for the Nokia N95, their first phone with built in GPS… It seems to me that the next big thing is going to be navigating using your mobile… And soon enough, when everyone has GPS in their phone, the general population is going to find out about the geeky passtime: geocaching!

Just got to hope that the nokia N95 won’t be really expensive (… and it looks like it will!).