Re: Bill Gates: How a Geek Changed the World

[steve30]

Bugger. I forgot this was on. I always forget to watch stuff on the BBC.

Don't suppose anyone recorded it and can send me a copy?

[steve30]

Whats iPlayer got to do with anything?

[steve30]

Oh.

Not that I can actually watch it because it says I must enable JavaScript.

[steve30]

What do you mean by what am I using? If you are refering to my web browsing facilities I am using Opera 9 on a PC with an internet connection which won't be very fast until next month.

[steve30]

It is 128k at the moment and hopefully going up to about 2m next month, but that doesn't solve the JavaScript issue, and also the fact that web based video which requires Javascript to be on (especially long videos) are strictly forbidden on all my computers anyway.

[steve30]

My PC runs JavaScript perfectly well.

[steve30]

My current OS is already very secure. I do not generally run JavaScript on any system. Security doesn't come into it.

Enjoyment doesn't really come into it either. JavaScript can be useful sometimes, but has a tendancy to make site much worse, and alot slower these days. Nothing to do with enjoyment.

[steve30]

What kind of services offered by what companies?

Only thing I can think of except for some forums where JavaScript comes in handy is ebay which seems to function perfectly fine without it.

[steve30]

I have no desire to watch any long TV programme in a web browser. If something is important I will record it onto a video tape and arrange to do this in advance. This has the advantage of not having to use the computer and I can keep the recording for a very long time if necessary. I don't pay a TV license currently, but even if I did, it would be soe I can watch the TV. I couldn't give a toss about the websites run by TV companies. I only use the BBC site for weather which can easily be obtained from other sites or from Ceefax, or just by watching the TV.

Gmail works fine without Javascript (I have used it fine on my 030 A1200), but I use it in MS Outlook about 98% of the time so it's web interface doesn't matter. I intend to switch to another service soon though as I want my email address to use the domain name that I own. I use Google's chat service over BitlBee in any IRC client, along with MSN and AIM. I am not having extra programmes open for these since 95% of my online chat is on IRC.

Never used Facebook. No need. I gave up on Myspace after I thought, 'what the hell am I keeping this page up for when it's primary use is for Hodgekinson to leave me a message on the odd occaision when he can email me instead'. It's only other use was for people from school to call me a {bleep}. I no longer have any use for such sites and will not have any use for them in the forseeable future.

As for YouTube, other than about 10 music videos that I have wanted to look up over the last year or so, I do not use it either. I am yet to find a video which is good or useful or has some relavence to me. And the quality of YouTube videos is absolutely {bleep} and they cannot be downloaded to watch later. Any videos which I make will not be put on youtube as I do not want anything which I put effort in to be amongst a big pile of crap on someone elses website. Nor do I want someone else to decide what player it will be played in (i.e. flash) nor do I want to have someone else dictate the quality of the video. How YouTube is 'useful' I don't know.

That just about clears everything up.

[steve30]

I never said that there arn't any other residents here that don't pay the TV license. The TV license for these premises is paid.

The reason I forget to watch stuff on the BBC is because I always watch ITV in the evening and my rubbish short term memory prevents me from remembering to change channels so I just switch it off as normal.

Things like iPlayer are not very good for me alot of the time anyway as I watch and record the TV in locations that do not have fast internet connections but do have excellent Television/VCR facilities. e.g. I may record something at home on monday so I can take the tape to one of these locations and watch it on tuesday. I can then keep the recording to watch 10 years later.

The BBC may provide a service to watch programmes that have been on but that is only useful for those who can use it.

Downloading youtube videos - I know it is possible but it requires special software.
I cancelled my youtube account about a year ago. And flash is still a crappy video format, regardless of whether it can be high quality or not. And it will never fix the issue of my own videos being among everyone elses {bleep}. Which obviously isn't related to watching videos which are already on youtube but it has been suggested to me to put stuff on youtube in the past.

I sound popular? I might be popular, but that doesn't have anything to do with social networking sites. I don't see why that is needed when i talk to everyone on forums and on IRC.

I think you need to remind yourself about when the 21st century actually started.

[steve30]

Might I suggest you use Firefox with the the NoScript extension. This will allow you to browse the net without worrying about pop-ups, advertising, and the potential security exploits.

Then, when you do encounter a website that requires Javascript enabled to function correctly, you can either allow the domain/sub-domain temporarily, or add it to a white list for future visits.

I will remember that in case I ever do use firefox, but I much prefer Opera so I don't bother normally. I find it very easy to just switch Javascript on as and when it is needed. It takes 3 key presses.