RANT CORNER

[jamesg46]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55669282

Does anyone see the 3 links on the right? Just checked my search history for "drag" (knowing there'd be nothing there). All that came up was "Dragons Den".

All the other BBC links I'm seeing are nothing to do with my interests or web history: threats to live music, smartphones and a supermodel wearing a burka.

Not me, guvnor.

Doesn't necessarily have to be what you've searched for... you have given Google access to your microphone on your handset so it could have been a conversation.

Soon alexa or the Google version will be telling people what their partners wants and needs are, at such times as Christmas. Privacy is history, these apps know when you're taking a shit.

https://youtu.be/zBnDWSvaQ1I

I've disabled my microphone and camera as I don't use it, don't have Alexa (I've always wondered if you can chat dirty?) and switch off targeted advertising. I don't see the point as most people always ignore adverts. Buy an E27 42w halogen lightbulb and the search engine suddenly thinks you've got a facination with lightbulbs!

Its almost unavoidable in my house, 4 smart phones, 3 laptops, a pc, 2 tablets & then the TV. I absolutely hate it but the Mrs won't let me take us back to the dark ages.

[sionascaig]

Why does the BBC, on its main UK news page discussing COVID travel restrictions, the NHS in crisis and starving children in the UK, feel the need to have THREE links to stories about drag queens?

Probably targeted advertising based on your search history,most companies do targeted ads these days. I don't get the drag stories on mine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55669282

Does anyone see the 3 links on the right? Just checked my search history for "drag" (knowing there'd be nothing there). All that came up was "Dragons Den".

All the other BBC links I'm seeing are nothing to do with my interests or web history: threats to live music, smartphones and a supermodel wearing a burka.

Not me, guvnor.

Got the same 3 links as you..

[gazuty]

Poor chap. Does nobody have a heart down under ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-55660592

Turns out pigeon isn’t from the USA after all. The tag on its leg was faked. So a rat of the sky has been spared.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/vict ... 56ugg.html

[Archery1969]

Poor chap. Does nobody have a heart down under ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-55660592

Turns out pigeon isn’t from the USA after all. The tag on its leg was faked. So a rat of the sky has been spared.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/vict ... 56ugg.html

Thats good news.

[superfrank]

My new 4-wood finally arrived but courses are now likely closed for months and the back garden looks like a scene from Ice Road Truckers.

[Derek27]

flipping BLV! Works for 5 seconds at a time!

[weemac]

flipping BLV! Works for 5 seconds at a time!

Have you tried https://livevideo.betfair.com/ on the Edge browser? The odd issue but overall it's done me well for over a year.

[Derek27]

flipping BLV! Works for 5 seconds at a time!

Have you tried https://livevideo.betfair.com/ on the Edge browser? The odd issue but overall it's done me well for over a year.

Thanks. I hate Edge but I'll give it a try if it happens again. It's normally quite reliable.

[Realrocknrolla]

Kids leaving plates in the sink with food. Gets my goat!

[Derek27]

Kids leaving plates in the sink with food. Gets my goat!

Adults leaving food in the food waste bin, with wrapper makes my blood boil!

[Derek27]

I'd be absolutely furious if I lost one important spreadsheet and didn't have a backup, as most well-organised forumites would be. How the flipping hell can an organisation like the police wipe out what sounds like an entire database and not have any backup???

I have a theory. With the US transition drawing to a close somebody wants to open the door to new conspiracy theories!

[Kai]

It's snowing.

[Realrocknrolla]

Kids leaving plates in the sink with food. Gets my goat!

Adults leaving food in the food waste bin, with wrapper makes my blood boil!

+1 on that also Derek!

[firlandsfarm]

I'd be absolutely furious if I lost one important spreadsheet and didn't have a backup, as most well-organised forumites would be. How the flipping hell can an organisation like the police wipe out what sounds like an entire database and not have any backup???

I have a theory. With the US transition drawing to a close somebody wants to open the door to new conspiracy theories!

It always amazes me that so called database professionals don't follow good practice. In this instance they should never, ever, delete any records. Instead every record should have a "Deleted" field. When the record is "Deleted" it isn't, that field is simply set to "Yes" and the record is ignored except when the extraction is for "Deleted" records. That way the "Deleted" record is always recoverable! Simple. And as for back-ups ... well it beggars belief.

[Derek27]

I'd be absolutely furious if I lost one important spreadsheet and didn't have a backup, as most well-organised forumites would be. How the flipping hell can an organisation like the police wipe out what sounds like an entire database and not have any backup???

I have a theory. With the US transition drawing to a close somebody wants to open the door to new conspiracy theories!

It always amazes me that so called database professionals don't follow good practice. In this instance they should never, ever, delete any records. Instead every record should have a "Deleted" field. When the record is "Deleted" it isn't, that filed is simply set to "Yes" and the record is ignored except when the extraction is for "Deleted" records. That way the "Deleted" record is always recoverable! Simple. And as for back-ups ... well it beggars belief.

What's even more shocking is that the news channels haven't picked up on the backup issue! When I first typed out a document on WordStar (Microsoft's equivalent to today's Word), not even as big as the post I'm typing now, I saved it on a 5.25" floppy disk, and backed it up to another floppy disk for security reasons. I didn't need to be highly trained in data security, just a brief bit of advice. Obviously if the house burnt down that day both floppy disks would be destroyed but I'm pretty sure if the internet and cloud backup existed in my whizz-kid days I'd still have whatever it was that I typed if I still wanted it.

Personally, I couldn't bear to lose pictures of my cat when it was a kitten and make sure they're backed up safely on remote storage, but the home office seems to think police records of ongoing cases, fingerprints, DNA profiles, etc. are less important than my cat! Priti Patel talks about bringing in data recovery experts but doesn't explain why they're needed in the first place.