Ahoy

Wed Sep 19

Pirate flagThere’s not much more likely to raise a smile on the face of hardened Web-farers than the yearly, now International, Talk Like A Pirate Day. Every year on 19th September thousands of slightly mad people from all over the globe mutter things such as “Arr, Jim-lad” and “Avast there, ye scurvy wench”.

You may be asking why? Well, why not? It’s not often you can call your boss a “scurvy sea-dog” and get away with it. You have to take every opportunity you can get.

Why is Firefox blocked

Fri Sep 7

It seems that there will never be an end to to the world’s supply of stupid people. I use a wonderful add-on for Firefox called Adblock Plus which stops adverts from appearing. You know the ones; flashing banners inviting you to whack the mole and their ilk. Those things are the scourge of the web.

However, some people seem to think that is bad. They aren’t not going to get a link from me, but the people behind "whyfirefoxisblocked dot com" assert that:

Software that blocks all advertisement is an infringement of the rights of web site owners and developers. Numerous web sites exist in order to provide quality content in exchange for displaying ads. Accessing the content while blocking the ads, therefore would be no less than stealing.

Is that right? My using Adblock Plus to stop annoying, obtrusive and in some cases downright offensive (to the eyes) adverts from appearing on my screen is stealing? The developer of Adblock Plus links to lots of articles about this subject, one by the estimable Michael Arrington of Techcrunch which states about one such blocker-of-the-Fox:

… he objects to the fact that some of those Firefox readers are using an ad-blocking extension to block ads showing on the site. To counter the problem, he’s thrown the baby out with the bathwater and kicked 13% or so of the Internet off his site … in my opinion this is not a good strategy to build a blog. Users are solid gold. Even the ones that block ads.

Absolutely. You don’t have a right to force me to view your adverts any more than you have a right to force me to view your site in the first place. There is ALWAYS somewhere else to get the same information on the web, and blocking me from your site isn’t going to endear me to you, is it?

Be grateful I’m on your site at all. I could have gone to one of the millions of other sites, but I chose yours.

Let me tell you a fact. If I didn’t have Adblock Plus and your site had assailed me with garish and obtrusive adverts that get in the way of the information I want (you are providing useful or entertaining content, aren’t you? If not get off the web) I would have left. Immediately.

Another fact. I have never knowingly clicked on an advert in my entire time online (slightly more than a decade, I think). That’s with or without Adblock Plus. I will never knowingly click on an advert. So what good are they doing me? None, they are there just on the off-chance you catch out gullible people of which I am not one.

So who are you befittingly by blocking about 13% of your possible audience? It’s not your users and potential customers, that’s for sure.

Perhaps we should try the same thing with a bricks-and-mortar shop. You know, stop people coming in if they don’t want someone to walk around the store with them shouting things like "Buy that item now!" and "You need this product!". That would work, right?

Savannah Dachshund Club

Wed Sep 5

Today is a proud day for me. One of my pictures of small dog racing has been used in the new website for the Savannah Dachshund Club.

I particularly recommend you check out their photos of Dachshund racing (this is my favourite).

Geeking-up

Thu Aug 16

Last night I attended my first GeekUp event. It was very interesting, but due to the fact the meetings are always on a Wednesday which is my busiest night of the week I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it to any more. However we shall see.

There were two short presentations in a 20:20 style because, as the Pecha Kucha website says:

…as we all know, give a mike to a designer (especially an architect) and you’ll be trapped for hours. The key to Pecha Kucha Night is its patented system for avoiding this fate. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each - giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show.

So it was quite impressive to see two worthy contenders for the speed-presenting crown giving interesting talks on OpenStreetMap (see the website here) and eye tracking. Both were educational, and I’m sure 6 minutes and 20 seconds never seemed so short to the guys speaking.

The crowd seemed to enjoy it, too, especially as they were encouraged to heckle if the speakers went over the allotted time of 20 seconds per slide. And heckle they did, assisted by beer. I left early, but not before my good friend Steve managed to get chatting to two young ladies (yes, they were there for the geek event and not just random passers-by) so who knows what happened to him last night. He’s playing coy about the whole affair, so I guess we’ll never know…

I am the luckiest man alive

Thu Aug 2

This week has been a tough one owing to a rather nasty cough I’ve had since last Friday (just call me “dog”). But signing into my Hotmail account has cheered me right up, as they say in Yorkshire. Not one, not two (not four, not even five) but three people have contacted me to offer “very confidential and lucrative investment transactions”.

I can hardly contain my excitement. This kind of thing never happens to me. I’ve never won anything on the lottery, but that may be because I’ve never bought a ticket. But still, this is a happy day.

I can’t give too many details as I don’t want to jeopardise these exciting business opportunities, but I will give you some quotes from their emails:

I procured your contact information from my search for a reliable person, who is capable of handling such a proposal of this great magnitude

In this account, he has (Thirty-nine Million Dollars) $39,000,000 only, which was credited in his favour

It has been resolved by the family that 30% of the total fund shall be your share for presenting yourself for this purpose/assistance you will give in this regard

My assurance to you is that this transaction is hundred percent risk-free

I secretly put in a box the sum of $30,000,000 million USD (Thirty million United states dollars) and deposit it in a security company abroad

I hope to trust you as who will not sit on this money when you claim it

BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY HAUNT FOR MY ARREST,I HAVE LEFT LIBERIA TO TAKE REFURGE IN TOGO BECAUSE OF SURVELLANCE HOVERING OVER MY LIFE

CAN I TRUST YOU? IF I CAN NOT ESTERBLISH MY CONFIDENCE AND TRUST ON YOU IT MEANS WE CAN NOT WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING IN THIS WORLD TO HOLD ON TO APART FROM THIS PARTICULAR MONEY.

IN RECOGNITION OF THE EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE OF YOUR DUTIES,I HAVE ACCEPTED TO GIVE YOU 20% OF THE TOTAL SUM OF $71,000,000.00 AS YOUR ENTITTLEMENT.

I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEVING YOUR COMPLIMENTARY ACCEPTANCE

Well, what can I say? It seems like nothing exciting ever happens to me, then I get involved in three highly exciting things on the same day. Luck must really be on my side. I’m curious how they all got my email address, but now’s not the time to ask silly questions.

If things keep going like this then I might even buy a lottery ticket.