Clunkclick

Surely, good news for customers on fixed data allowances. If this and a more reasonable lower level customer service response (I.e other than pure obscurfication and denial) from BT had been available 9 months ago, then there wouldn't have been the need to refer the matter all the way up to the BT Chairman's office . In my view it gives the customer a better stab at controlling usage against allowance - but I can see how over-commercially minded providers might see this as a downer . I think this a product of a general move (In the UK) towards clearer statements/bills (Even British Gas have gone down this route). Problem with the retail commercial model for the internet , it all seems to be under the thumb of the US, where in-page advertsing rules the roost, making some sites almost unusuable - I don't know whether this explains why BT were trying to get most Infinity users onto unlimited service. N

The IT philosophy/ethos seems to be, to me, (Bourn out by the some of the above) to sit in an ivory tower, and tell everybody else "We know everything, we're holding onto all valuable information, you're not getting anything, you're all stupid, you solve the problems we created and where's my BMW ?" AKA, the definition of a closed shop elite, . . . old boy. i.e. Not doing your image any favours:- Nick

The words OFCOM -MCSCE qualification - Code of ethics - abuse - seem to be the button "B" here. N

BOFH(****** Customer From Hell ?). This forum is, under a certain member's influence, turning into abuse and grooming central. Judging from the responses and attitudes expressed above, "Bunker mentality" seems to be the starting position for "I.T. Professionals" in their relations with customers. What can you say, aprt from just keep it up boys to keep the regulator and the Treasury in the style to which they accustomed ! Now, seeing the serial fines being handed out would have real amusement value. Nick

See, over the weekend, that BT have changed the presentation of the breakdown of monthly broadband usage, so that as well as a showing the cumulative total for the month, it now shows the daily totals - Result - Reporting the issue to OFCOM does work ! Whilst all the problems are ongoing with Windows Update, I've changed the default settings of Windows Update to manual (Control Panel/System & Security/Administrative Tools/Component Services/Services/Windows Update. Nick

Oh, I see, not getting enough respect from fellow professionals at work, who may look down on IT support, so come on here and take your frustrations out on the forum equivalent of office boys. I have to say that whilst my previous professional experience of the IT profession led me to the conclusion that they were a bit haughty and arrogant, you seem to have taken it to another level. From what you've said, this can't be a defence mechanism. Does being a Microsoft Certified whatever, automatically imply that you have to take a "Closed mind" corporate approach to all issues, even outside the work place ? As regards the totally blameless corporate entities, the OFCOM Regulator clearly thought that wasn't the case with BT who were only fined £42 million, last week, for "Heathrow" style dirty tricks against other suppliers. And if they are prepared to do that with competitors who have a margin of independnce, who can and have bitten back, only your imagination can put a limit on what they do to dependent customers. Nick

Despite Brexit looming and premature shrill requests of "Your country needs you" imparted to the oldies by the ever helpful media, after enduring the last 40 years of economic and social abuse induced for the benefit of the few, and the scorn of some of the younger generation, I'm afraid I've been conditioned to think "further employment ? . . . well **** you ". You never know, I may mellow. Nick

Perhaps non-typical experience but with prior form (8 years of unemployment), I think I've managed to get a handle on this extended chilling out business. It involves a series of step-downs in achievement and expectations (De-programming - Managed, if that's what grabs you) and once you're there, in the words of the Donald, its wonderful. You lose the third party fascist parrot on your shoulder telling you what to do and when (And usually the wrong and most unsuitable thing) the whole time. Being on a reduced stipend (Due to reduced total working years) and starting on the early on-set path to less than health and happiness (No need for a sports coupe to get the wind through my hair) also serves to distract and focus the mind on things other than gainful employment. Nick

Your assumption is incorrect. Starting from 15th February 2017 until the 16th February, the Windows 10 update version 1607 (KB3211320) tried to install 40 times in succession and failed and finally installed late on the 17th February. During these two days the system hadn't attempted to download or install any other package other than KB3211320. I was unaware of what was going on, as this was all being done in background and despite the high level of install failures, no error reports were fowarded to the Desktop - the one place that would have grabbed the attention of any ordinary user. Consequently, I didn't until recently know that there was anything to delete and haven't, subsequenlty deleted anything anyway. Being an ordinary user, that sort of thing is outwith my general understanding and would need a bit of research before attempting. All the failed update attempts are still recorded my W10 update history. WINDOWS DID THIS ALL ON ITS OWN, WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE FROM ME - however, I can't discount an error by MS or action by hackers at server or local level. Thereafter, a cumulative update for Windows 10 version 1607 (KB4013129) successfully installed at first pass. However, a further update to Windows 10 version 1607 (KB4013418) failed to install on the 18-19th February and, according to my update history, there's been no updates at all attempted since. It can't be without significance that the KB numbers on updates are attempting to install out of ordinal sequence. Unless commentators are practising Microsoft certified techs in this area, a bit less of the knee-jerk condemnatory rubbishing/high handed mock IT approach and a bit more of the "Watch and wait" listening would be appreciated. Nick

270 miles range is limiting for a motor caravan and I bet it would be less than that if configured as a motor caravan rather than a poshed-up people mover. And the in-cabin controls shown in video look as if they will be power hungry. My first leg of the annual holiday journey is usually near 400 and has been 600 mile in a day - and that's considered "Lightweight" as regards dedicated motor caravanners. What it needs is demountable generator for the long journey legs and partionable battery banks that can be switched between charge and discharge whilst the thing is moving. Nick

I can't believe they'd do that, . . . pure as the driven. Previous personal experience in the workplace, where one's network profile on the workstation would be regularly corrupted once every two-three months, with no obvious causal factors - this only occurred whilst the network support team were on site - once support went off-site, consequent on organisational change, profile corruption never re-occured ! An I.T. miracle. N.

See the Minister with the self-assumed portfolio for batting away potential criticism of the I.T. industry has opened his coffin lid in daylight again. And of course next week is "Join the I.T. industry and become a ultra reactionary conservative" week . Nick

Clearly, IT cataloguing procedures are "Right-in-the-van", compared with those in other industries - I'm going to have to visit the dentist again - all those self-induced bite marks on my tongue. Nick

Pulled the HP laptop out yesterday for a periodic re-charge and update and that encountered a similar problem with Windows 10 x64 update version 1607. Tried to install it four times and failed. Then I tried a manual install and that failed repeatedly. Looking at the Windows update page, I wonder whether the apparent conflict between the date order and issue order of versions 1511 (KB4016636) (23/03/2017) and 1607 (KB4016635) (22/03/2017) has something to do with it :- https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=Window 10 x64 updates Nick

For the patient/consumer anything's got to be better than the current cancer therapies i.e. surgery (If required) then blat everything in sight with a chemical relative of mustard gas or /and a poision and stir in a bit of spot radiotherapy, if required. Before you can re-build, you have to clear the site, and, if you're eliminating a systemic disease process, the excision and blatting things are probably the most efficient and least time consuming way of doing it. Two stages and you are done. Just imagine the number of treatments and validatory tests you would have if you were attempting to first genetically reverse a disease process step by step and then build-in disease resistance/ enhanced life span. You would have to ensure that your path back to a disease free state didn't include any back back steps that left the system i.e. the body in a non-viable state - it would be like rolling back a software upadate in slow motion. I think genetic manipulation will come into its own as a stage 2 - re-constructing the moth eaten bits of the genetic code (Once the disease process is eliminated by the contemporary treatments) to ensure that remission means remission (Huh !) - even if that means doing a bit of mathematical estimation/projection to fill in the gaps, so be it. What the young chap in the video was talking about was something way short of that. Something more akin to prevention/innoculation/prophylactic in advance, to reduce the likelihood of disease. I thought the next big step foward is going to be personalised medicine, where the data strap you wear for jogging becomes a comprehensive diagnostic data collection device and therapies will be individually tailored. I'm all for lingering for longer . . . but in a better state of health. Tell TM. . . . . There's a whole new series of terminator movies in that . . I'll be back, . . . . but not entirely my old self Nick

Going off the current theme, just watching the Question Time debate on BBC The way UK is doing Brexit puts this country at an extreme negotiating advantage when it comes to agreeing new trade deals with the ROW. Unless the UK can start negotiations with new trading partners BEFORE we exit the EU, I can't see, if reasonable exit terms are not available, how the UK can leave with anything other than WTO in prospect - WTO will be the one and only realistic (Pre-existing) safety net. IF UK leaves the EU without a deal with the EU, it will do so under a commercial cloud and be on the backfoot and, without any new Trade Deals agreed (Or on the way to being settled) with the ROW, then commercialism being what it is, the terms offered by the ROW won't be much better, or possibly worse (If the WTO allows) than WTO terms. Then on top of that UK producers and consumers will have to start paying 10% on prices in respect of the WTO tarriffs. And finally, every individual in the country, whether its Sir Phillip Green or the bloke sleeping under a bush in the local wildlife santuary will have to cough up £1,000 to pay for the £60billion EU exit fee. If that doesn't put the economy back in recession . . . . The European bureaucrats must be willing us on to leave. The economic focus is moving from Western Europe to central Europe as a consequence of the economic development in the East. That means that the UK is facing declining opportunities for attracting funds and personnel in the near future, whether in or out of the EU. Being outside the EU makes it worse - no regional aid. If UK were to remain in the EU, the amount of money that Brussels would have to pay out in regional aid would be set to mushroom. Now that we're leaving they must doing a celebratory rain dance in the assembly rooms. Meanwhile, all the UK based financial traders who will be moving to mainland Europe will be benefiting from nice little re-location grants, business set-up arrangements and concessionary tax arrangements for the first few years on the mainland . . . . no doubt all paid for out of the£60billion exit fees . . . . more cream than even BT gets. Can only think that David Davis et al must be praying to Mecca that the next two years of uncertainty puts such pressure on the EU, that the EU becomes unstitched . . . perfidious Albion par excellence. Nick

With manufacturing material being "Arbres fruitiers" , it even offers the opportunity of a new variation of "Without due care and attention". N

DBWTSD = Don't Bother With The Saw Dust. N

Taking my case, the leaking seal on my Fab's gearbox started at 30,000 miles and I presume that the input shaft bearing wear commenced shortly after wards due to the oil pressure drop in that vicinity (The input shaft bearing is submerged in normal operation). If the seal failure was due to faulty manufacture or fitting, then I may be in to a different ball game for MTBF with the rebuild. If its an unremedied design flaw, then I would expect to be liable to the same at around the same point i.e. 30,000 miles in. In worst case, as I'm only doing 2-3k annually now, it might be possible to get another 10 years of use before the fault re-occurs. Most of the gearbox rebuilders offer 6 months to a year warranty - so that's 6-12,000 miles in the UK. My repairer advised that they would cover faults on the rebuild for 12 months. i.e. £1,100 a year. I think, with the prevailing characteristics and metrics of cars, valid general financial comprisons of alternatives can only be made between repair/replace in the 0-7 year vehicle age band. After that it becomes a lot more finely balanced and dependent on the marques reliability and personal evaluation factors which only the individual user can attribute. A reasonably-priced replacement would be £12,000 and would suffer up to 60% depreciation on re-sale in the first 3 years (AA %ages), so that's £2,400 a year for each of the first 3 years. So repair of a 10 year + car would be cheaper than getting a new car (My favoured option - why buy somebody else's trouble ?) The same reasonably priced car, but second-hand, and possibly still covered by warranty i.e. in the 3-7 age band, would suffer depreciation @ 15% per annum of the remaining value, so £720 a year lost. Rectification of fault cost would be moderate and where there was a mechanical warranty available have little/no impact on the comparison,. And if the owners mileage is equal or greater than the national average, then I would suggest the comparison would tilt the result in favour of replacement with second hand rather than repair . But, at the moment, that option's only viable if you are content driving far east produce with lots of single function buttons (I'm not). Further there's a 7 out of 10 risk that a second hand car will be fleet and either thrashed and/or not properly maintained (Think "Sealed-for-life" gearboxes). By beyond that point its just personal choice tempered with the value of convenience and tolerance of off-road time. I'm counting on 4-5 years trouble free . . . . but fully accept there's a 50/50 chance that won't be possible. But at least this time, if trouble does re- occur, I won't be faced with a problem denier/avoider (Main dealer) and if a further repair is necessary, then it hopefully if will be more proactive than the main dealers approach (Wait till it goes bang)- perhaps judicious regular application and re-application of autoseal from a tube, by an Indy who is not bound my the franchise retention relevant restrictions in VAGs repair book, will proactively prevent what a Main Dealer is unable/unwilling to do. Nick

That's the new DBWTSD gearbox ?

You can discuss percentages till the CDU runs out of pretzels, but the rates of immigration are unlikely to change in or out (And that was the issue that gave the winning margin in the referendum vote). All that will change will be the country of origin. UK has a labour shortage at the low-skilled end of the market. And Brexit fits in well with the contemporary government schema for containing labour costs i.e. Decennial organisational reviews, chucking out all those at the top of pay grades/near retirement and replacing with new starters at a lower grade. What's mainly been applied to the public sector, now seems set for the Private. IMHO, despite the protesting too much, I'd say the City of London as shareholder to industry has more to gain from Brexit than remaining. And moving contigents of City offices to the continent means they will get double bubble i.e. lower UK labour costs + cost savings and business expansion in Europe. Nick

Has the tolerance for car speedometers, included in the Construction and Use Regs been changed ? Used to be 10%. I presume that legally, you can't be prosecuted for doing 33, 44, 55, 66 and 77 and that the current tolerance used by prosecuting authorities is 10% + 2 M.P.H. Nick

Anybody know if its destined for UK market ? If so, when and how much ? Nick

I'm waiting for the Plywood framed, polystyrenne foam and vinyl skinned Type 2 myself. Nick

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/26/frenchman-builds-working-citroen-2cv-wood/ Will take a bit of waxing:- http://www.ouest-france.fr/insolite/en-images-un-ebeniste-fabrique-une-2-cv-en-bois-prete-rouler-4880987 Nick