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There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest
You have questions, I have answers. Lets have some fun...
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Join Date:Posts: 29920
I'm a bit of both in a way. I only care about the utility of things in general. It works and does something I need or it doesnt.Man.UnitedLad wrote: »What phone do you have? Are you a "oh look at me I have an iPhone, its got millions of apps! Half the time its broken, but who gives a feck its touchscreen!" kinda guy..or have you stuck to the tried and tested Nokia? :pac:
Great thread btw.
I'm the same with clothes. I'm cold.. so I put on clothes. Then my sisters tell me that those things "dont go together". I just want to be warm! I have a friend who is a fashion industry person who once described my dress sense as "its a big party and everyone's invited!!".
Phones... I have a HTC Desire HD. Its all spangly and shiny but I wanted it for the fact that it acts as a router and wifi's out the 3g signal. I love that feature more than is probably healthy for a middle aged man.
I like apps because they do stuff and its kinda like the Matrix in that when I want my phone to do something.... nnngggggghh, I can do kungfu.
But before this I had one of those old Nokias, you know the tapered ones, the ones that kinda look like a vibrator.
It was fine because it let me text/talk to other people and thats all I needed from a phone then.0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 29920
Wow. I caught up!
Right, I'll leave this open for tomorrow to make it a week since I started, then lock it and answer any remaining questions.
I have really enjoyed this even though its been a bit weird than I thought it would be hahah... I feel like I've been on a psyche couch or something!
So, any last questions, shout now or forever hold your piece. Sideways. With the safety off.0 -
BvvWow. I caught up!
Right, I'll leave this open for tomorrow to make it a week since I started, then lock it and answer any remaining questions.
I have really enjoyed this even though its been a bit weird than I thought it would be hahah... I feel like I've been on a psyche couch or something!
So, any last questions, shout now or forever hold your piece. Sideways. With the safety off.
Great thread.
My question is: Sopa in its current form is a disaster waiting to happen and has the potential to drive away the high tech companies that the government is trying to attract. What is your solution to prevent piracy yet not make the government look like technological illiterates?
Apologies if this has already been answered and I have missed it, alternate question which power would you prefer to have : never needing to sleep or being able to see two minutes into the future?0 -
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What are your opinions of cloud computing? Next big thing/overhyped fad?
You mention your frustration at Stephen Donnelly having to bash his head against the wall and not being able to make as big an impact as you expected. Wouldnt
you agree that the political system is not going to change overnight, or even in 5/10 years so he should be looking to get into it for the long-haul if he really wants change? Does he share your opinions and is this the right attitude to have when entering politics? Does it not lead to a George Lee type scenario?
You mentioned something about doing a pacific rim earlier, whos the lucky guy/girl? 0 -
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I really like the modern day take on it and I think the dialog is sharp. I think they might struggle to make a long running series out of it unless they settle down to a routine like they did with House.
Being Human is very good, and I should have mentioned Jekyl which is a very underrated series from BBC and very much in the the same "modern day interpretation" of the old Jekyll and Hyde story... very good, worth a watch.
But have you read the original novels and short stories and if so, what did you think of them? That was my question considering you are a fan of Sherlock but also House which is very much Sherlock Holmes in a hospital.
Thanks for the suggestions. You seem to like Steven Mofatt, he was behind both Sherlock and Jekyll. He is, of course, also running Dr. Who at the moment. Are you a fan of that also?0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 29920
red menace wrote: »Bvv
Great thread.
My question is: Sopa in its current form is a disaster waiting to happen and has the potential to drive away the high tech companies that the government is trying to attract. What is your solution to prevent piracy yet not make the government look like technological illiterates?
There is no simple solution or we would have found it already. That means its a hard solution which usually means compromise on all sides.
What will work is this:
1. The copyright holders attack the problem from a business perspective. They need to beat the pirates at their own game. Why they havent taken this on board I dont know. The biggest danger to them ISNT the pirates, the biggest danger to them is NetFlix and iTunes who they are letting steal their lunch.
2. People are going to have to accept that this isnt the wild west any more. We're live by laws in society because otherwise is falls apart. Hell, we live by laws in *Boards* so that it doesnt fall apart. We ban people from here who dont comply or who want to watch the place burn. So, we're going to end up with an internet where you are going to be more responsible for your actions which means more transparency of your identity to the authorities.
3. Speed is of the essence, the powers the rights holders have are more than adequate but the inertia in the system is considerable. We need to improve the simplicity of punishing someone who IS breaking the law to avoid these gross, broad-beam nukes they want to chuck at the internet in general.
Do I think any of this will happen? No. I think the various vested parties will fight their patches tooth and nail to the death.
A wounded, dying animal is the most dangerous and irrational.Apologies if this has already been answered and I have missed it, alternate question which power would you prefer to have : never needing to sleep or being able to see two minutes into the future?
I like sleep so I wouldnt want to go with out it.... plus the ability to see two minutes into the future would have saved me a number of times where I have over written an important file or deleted a database
Plus, very useful for poker. 0 -
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I get the *weirdest* looks when I go through American customs. They scan my passport, go to hand it back and then pull back and start reading. And then start scrolling. And then slowly hand the passport back.
I did ask one day to read what was on the screen and the guy got all confused and then wouldnt let me. He turned the monitor away when I leaned over to try to peak
I still get the odd xmas card from the US embassy, got one last year but none this year.
DeV.
Why? I missed this story, why were the FBI watching you? and what could the computer say? (or have you answered this already?)0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 29920
Hi DeV , have been a long time reader of boards but first time poster, but this q&a session prompted me to join. I think this a fantastic idea for people to know the mind and personality behind boards and may also inspire some people to go with their gut on something they have wanted to do but maybe never had the courage to do so.
Also your thread on depression was is something to be very proud of as it has helped so many people with depression and also people with family/friends etc that get depression, as it is not always easy to understand and you just want to wish it away for people you know going though it. So i thank you for that....
No thanks needed, its helped me more then anyone will know I think. I'm paid in full and more
So just a few questions , nothing to difficult except possibly the last one.
Q(1) How many employees work at boards.
5 and a half. I'm kinda the half. We do steal tech staff horrendously from Distilled...
(2) Your most embarrassing moment
Oh god, what a list, where to start... I once turned to my mates and said "this bloody umberella wont pop open!!" , looked down at it, shook it , pressed the button and ended up with 3 stitches just under my eyebrow.
I've run around Mayo mostly naked shaking a spear and biting a fish for a drama.
I walked out of a job interview for a well-paid contract job in a bank, shook hands with the Chairman and walked straight into the ladies. (And then stood there desperately trying to think of a way out of the situation but there just wasnt one, I had to walk out to find him and his assistant standing there... I got the job all the same )
I was offered a sort of salty dried runner bean as a guest of honour at a dinner in Japan. Everything is offered first to the guest. I ate mine and complimented the chef and offered them to all (as is custom), saying how delicious they were. No one touched them. Turns out, they didnt want to embarrass me by demonstrating that you peel them first.
As a friend of mine put it, its like a Japanese person coming here, biting through a banana and saying "this is delicious, everyone must try them!"
The list goes on and on... my philosophy is that you either live an open life and risk embarrassment from time to time or you live a little life always worried about what other people think of you.
Hey, if you cant laugh at yourself, you are missing the biggest joke in town right?!
(3) If you had a day off from your self who would you be...(please don't say charlie sheen)
I think Stephen Fry. Michael Palin has had a nice life too, so maybe a day in his shoes...
(4) And finally the age old question.....what is the meaning off life ....to you..
Thanks DeV. And keep up the great work
Live like there is no tomorrow, fight like you have never lost and dance like no one is watching 0 -
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What are your opinions of cloud computing? Next big thing/overhyped fad?
I think its an important and in some ways, obvious next move for hosting etc, but its not without its risks. Pushing "risk" down the supply-chain is a dangerous version of "out of sight out of mind". What do you do when you find out your cloud supplier has been, how can I put this, less then transparent about their cost cutting measures and it turns out you were taking unknown risks.
Add this to the issues of data-retention laws, safe-harbour laws privacy, physical security etc and its really fairly clear that the rest of the world (yet again) isnt anywhere near up to speed with the IT world.
Cloud is here to stay but its not a panacea...
You mention your frustration at Stephen Donnelly having to bash his head against the wall and not being able to make as big an impact as you expected. Wouldnt
you agree that the political system is not going to change overnight, or even in 5/10 years so he should be looking to get into it for the long-haul if he really wants change? Does he share your opinions and is this the right attitude to have when entering politics? Does it not lead to a George Lee type scenario?
I dont want to talk for Stephen Donnelly. He is one of the brightest people I know. He got into this for the long haul and is beyond qualified for the times we live in.
The frustration is mine, knowing how smart he is and how relevant his talents are. Our useless worthless clowns of primary school teachers and soft cap wearing *yokels* arent fit to debate with him. But those are my words and my thoughts.
Let me quote from Stephens own website:
"In 2008, he completed a Masters’ degree in Public Administration and International Development at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Here he examined, in detail, the interaction between the IMF and small states.
Does that sound like someone who's opinion might be handy to have on a negotiating committee???
Apparently no... "we all partied". :mad:
You mentioned something about doing a pacific rim earlier, whos the lucky guy/girl?
I said to someone today "Its not an unaggressive toilet you know!"
I'm going with an old and dear friend Paul Fitz aka Ronin from Boards. He was there for me when I broke my leg in Canada and this time we're going to have fun and finish the trip (or at least get to day 2!).
I cant wait, I'm like a kid on christmas eve! I'm packing my iPad and camera and I'm going to write and shoot my way around it for 5 weeks.
I'll write here: http://www.containstracesofnut.com/ (and on boards ofc) and shoot here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/78645925@N00/0 -
Join Date:Posts: 29920
I hate to single people out. Dav is an interesting guy who has a big input into this forum. Pighead would be funny I bet. The mods are all stand up guys'n'gals. I dunno. Maybe a vote? Would be interesting to hear from other people about their lives.Which user would you like to nominate/suggest for the next 'Ask Me Anything' Thread?
I was kinda dreading that question actually, so I thought I'd gotten away with it
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Join Date:Posts: 29920
Does the recession bother you at all?
I can live off very little. I dont have a family, I dont have a car. I dont smoke, I rarely drink. My most biggest expenses are taxis and games mostly...
I'm very lucky and I never forget that. I've stood on the back of giants.
Are we as fcuked financially as we're led to believe?
The truth is somewhere in the middle. But its towards the bad end of things I fear. Who knows... we are through the looking glass now. There are questions being raised over the veracity of the intrinsic system itself (valid questions too about the philosophy of fiat currencies which have no tie to anything of value). All bets are off...
If you were Taoiseach what way would you handle the crisis we're in?
I would argue for Eurobonds. Amass all the debts into one debt vehicle and issue 30 year futures/bonds backed by the entire EuroZone. Like Government bonds for the whole continent. Germany hates this because this would average everything out over the countries and they are doing considerably better than average.
I'd also play hardball with Merkel and Sarkozy. Walk in and say "we get a reduction, and a 0 interest rate or we default and your precious eurozone goes splat".
Fact 1: They are in no position to argue, they know it would trigger all hell. Yeah, we'd suffer (which we're going to anyway) but thats not how you play poker. You dont worry about your hand, you think about how much pressure the other guy will take before he folds. They cant take any.
Fact 2: The markets would love it. Contrary to popular belief, the markets are sky high for us at the moment because of the threat of default. The *threat* not the actuality. In reality they would welcome a default in a sense because it clears away the real enemy: Uncertainty.
Fact 3: If you think that they wouldnt loan us money again because we'd have a "bad credit rating" you are thinking like a punter. Markets dont care about emotional history. They care about profit. Full stop.
If you kicked their mothers in the face yesterday and they thought they could make a profit off investing in you today, they would.
The only real issue of a "repeat" would be if Ireland boomed again AND the world had a financial meltdown AND Europe was in debt crisis... then, yes, Ireland might be at risk of default again but the chances of that are none. So they wouldnt worry about it.
Fact 4: They cant believe what they are getting away with. They wouldnt blame us for a haircut now, they already have gotten more than they ever thought they would. There wouldn't be a "financial bomb", quite the opposite. We would become the best place in Europe to put money because we'd be the only country which was certain not to be in debt trouble!
Fact 5: When the US Treasury was downgraded by S&P the cost of borrowing (the Yield) actually *fell* (Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/aug/08/us-treasury-bonds-shrug-off-downgrade)
Why?? Because the markets paniced, looked around and realised everything is in sh*te and went to the safest place in town... the US Treasury Bonds... the very things that started the panic by being DOWNGRADED!! 0 -
Join Date:Posts: 29920
I had to laugh when I saw you write
"Right now I'm a bit obsessed with Sherlock"... How Freudian!
Its double meaning wasnt lost of me when I wrote that
Anyway... My question is this:
70k people have signed the 'anti-SOPA-Ireland' petition at this stage, which is great. The Govt clearly hasnt a clue on this stuff & is somewhat preoccupied with economic matters to boot.
Do you think that Ireland needs a legislative strategy for the internet?
ie
- Some reasonable level of IP protection
- but not onerous for ISPs
- and consumer protection/privacy?
What about a legislative strategy for the entertainment industry?
- Ban region coding & ads that cannot be skipped through
- Ban price fixing
- Etc?
Or, are we OK to muddle along as we are, for now?
In short yes.
"They" attack and we compromise. They press and we find consensus. We always fight only when the public is aroused and angered. Well "they" can do this all day and all night, while we grow weary and have real lives and real mouths to feed.
Well, I dont. Thats something you guys gave me. A certain amount of freedom. I've kinda felt like maybe if I ignored the gov, they'd ignore us and leave us alone. That was a mistake.
When I get back from the trip I'm going to work with some old mates and colleagues who came up with me and are now in some interesting spots in government and business. We are talking about a users charter for Irish Internet users, similarly to how some countries have made it a human right.
Its time we started to fight back and make positive contributions instead of compromising our rights. I'll do my part but I'll need you lot too 0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 29920
malachyscott wrote: »Think I just made the deadline !
What Kind of music are you into ? Or do pass time with podcasts, audiobooks etc ?
Whats your favourite gig/concert you've attended ?
I like all kinds of music, from Classical minimalist piano (like Ludovico Einaudi) through to Hiphop through to angry stuff like Rage against the Machine through to hardcore dance like Orbital and lots in between. I love to listen to music.
These guys are currently pleasuring my earholes: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22monkey+sons%22&oq=%22monkey+sons%22&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=9924l11942l0l12311l13l12l0l0l0l0l168l1278l4.8l12l0
(If you like groovy hip hop try HaHa, or Sunshine Day, or You Keep Telling Me, or Water Off A Monkey)
Also this guy is awesome: http://www.professorelemental.com/fr_home.cfm
I've been lucky enough to be at some amazing gigs. The aforementioned Rage played in Dublin last year and it was astonishingly good! I went to Electric picnic this year and loved every minute of it. Public Enemy played and blew everyone away and Rubberbandits were surprisingly good live too.
I saw Orbital live when they first did the Belinda Carlisle vs Bon Jovi thing for the first time too. And I saw Foofighters and RHCP in Slane a few years back which was excellent except for the massive crowd and poor crowd management.0 -
Join Date:Posts: 29920
You know I thought about crowdsourcing investment by selling shares to users but the lawyers nearly fainted (this is in the days before KickStarter etc).when will people who joined pre 2000 get our stock options?
(:P)
By the way, I couldn't be happier to see Boards doing so so well and everytime I see it mentioned in the old media, I think god... I was there at the start more or less just playing quake and going to basic LAN parties, how has it evolved into this social monster!
We have come a long way, baby!0 -
Join Date:Posts: 29920
Free ball. wrote: »Hi dev.I have already posted on this thread but i have thought of a less inane question to ask(hopfully) and would appreciate your indulgence.
First of all as others have said i think this thread is great and the reason it is great in my opinion is the openess and honesty you seem to show in youre answers to the questions. From dentistry to depresion and from family to politics youre answers have the sence of sincerity to them.
Thanks. I have found its just a lot simpler to be honest and be who I am. I've found that roughly the same number of people will like or dislike me. I might as well be one of the former.Has it never botherd you revealing youre personel/secret financial and private expirences and opinions in a public forum or is it somthing you have learnt to do over the years possibly as a reqerment of youre work.
I have found that truth can be like armour. Wearing it you have little to fear. If you do, you've done something wrong along the way and should put your hand up and accept that. Its not the end of the world to make a mistake. Its worse imho to continue to pretend you haventDo you think the users of boards should be as forthcoming as you are with there private/secret expirences and opinions and would this improve the site.
thanks
I dont know if everyone is in a position to be as forthcoming as I am. I would say that if you feel you aren't able to, what are you afraid of?
I do worry that some day in the future, making myself vulnerable online (as per say the Depression thread) will be used against me by unscrupulous people. If it is then that reflects more on them then on me. I've always liked this quote:
"Your job is to plant yourself like a tree by the river of truth and tell the whole world: No, you move."
(I thought it was Ghandhi but it transpires that its Captain America ) 0 -
Join Date:Posts: 29920
Last one, and thank you all for the questions, its been a lot of time and work (on a week when I thought I would be bored... turns out, well, it wasnt!), but its been very entertaining for me and hopefully for you lol.Fromthetrees wrote: »What a top quality thread...
What about a youtube boards.ie channel?
Isnt "Cool Vids and Pics" kinda that?
I think we have one for the HQ videos when we make them (interviews with candidates etc).
What was the happiest day of your life?
and lowest?
That should really be an easy question but I dunno. I had a day where my father and I had a huge blazing row (we're too alike!) and it really upset my mother. My dad came to me after a while, calmly and said "You can say what you like to me, but we're not to hurt her again". I was so upset they he felt I would want to hurt him that I burst into tears and for the first time ever I think he did to. We ended up hugging and he said "I dont understand you, I dont understand this Internet and the games and computers but I love them, I love them because I love you". From that day on our relationship has just gotten better.
I'll take that to my grave.
The lowest was lying in bed in Canada with a smashed leg, bankrupt thinking my father was dying and it occured to me to just check out. Emotionally, physically and financially broken I thought for a moment I'd just save the meds and slip away, but for me thats a cowards way out.
I figured "hey, tomorrow has got to be better right?! I mean, I cant lose anything else...". That was the lowest point in my life... but in a weird way also one of the keystone days.
Have you ever been in love?
I dont believe so. I obviously love my family but I'm a little too self-focused I think. I dont mean selfish or self-centred but yeah, something.
Why does buttered toast always fall face down?
It doesnt. Your selective memory stresses that particular outcome as "memorable". Similar to how many gamblers remember the times they won and forget the times they lost...
When was the last time you cried?
Not much of a crier but my aunt Kathleen's death hit me hard as hell recently. She was a lovely lady and a wonderful aunt and godmother to me. She never missed a birthday. I loved her dearly.
I was asked that in an intervew for The Irish Times (one of those 10 questions things) and I said "when I was upside down and spanked on the ass by a nurse. About three weeks ago." Which I thought was nice and witty and they cut out the punchline!!
Who do you think you are?
There's something you better understand about me, 'cause it's important and one day your life may depend on it. I am definitely a madman with a website!
(with apologies to The Doctor) 0 -
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