Postscript re modern technology

This morning I activated Microsoft Office on the third computer permitted by the license. Unlike the other two, this one is connected to the internet. So instead of using the telephone activation option, I clicked on the "activate your software over the internet (recommended.)" option.

Well, I can certainly see why it was recommended. Instead of having to key 56 numbers into my telephone and then type 42 numbers into the computer, activation took about five seconds with no further human intervention required.

Apparently they must be assuming that the majority of people have all their computers hooked up to the internet these days.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I guess its just like BT removing phone boxes. They assume everyone has a mobile phone even though even if you did you would find that coverage is far from complete here in Cumbria.
I note that you were up in arms about the Post Office closures but we haven't heard a squeak from you about BT's plans, but of course you work for BT.
6:55 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
You are certainly right that mobile phone coverage in many parts of Cumbria is poor, but the allegation that I have said nothing about telephone box closures is nonsense.

If you look at the archive link for "June" on the bottom right you will see that I made posts on this blog on June 24th, 25th and 28th about the telephone box proposals, reporting which boxes were threatened, what had been said about it at Copeland Council, and detailing exactly how anyone with concerns could express those objections.

Of course, if you are merely refering to the fact that I declared an interest and took no part when the issue came up at Copeland Council, that is what the rules laid down by the National Code of Local Government conduct require.

It would have been entirely inappropriate for me to say anything at Copeland Council on the subject because I have a potential conflict of interest. I followed the rules to the letter, which required me to declare an interest when the subject came up and either refrain from speaking and voting or leave the room.
9:17 am
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nick Herbert on his visit to flood hit areas of Cumbria

Please note that the post below was published more than ten year ago on 21st November 2009 Nick Herbert MP, shadow cabinet member for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, was in Cumbria this morning to see the areas affected by the flooding. He writes on Conservative Home about his visit. Here is an extract. I’ve been in Cumbria today to see the areas affected by the floods. I arrived early in Keswick where I met officials from the Environment Agency. Although the river levels had fallen considerably and homes were no longer flooded, the damage to homes had been done. And the water which had got into houses wasn’t just from the river – it was foul water which had risen from the drains. I talked to fire crews who were pumping flood water back into the river, and discovered that they were from Tyne & Wear and Lancashire. They had been called in at an hours’ notice and had been working on the scene ever since, staying at a local hotel. You cannot fail to be impressed by the
Read more

Quotes of the day 19th August 2020

Image
"Wise men profit more from fools than fools from wise men; for the wise men shun the mistakes of fools, but fools do not imitate the successes of the wise."  ( Cato the Elder , who lived 234 BC - 149 BC, quoted in "Lives" by Plutarch.) There is a similar saying by Germany's Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck: Benjamin Franklin is supposed to have put the same saying in a more humorous form: "Wise men profit by the mistakes of others, while fools will not learn even from their own blunders." See also this thread on the "Quote Investigator" website . Let us all be wise and learn from the events of the last few days.
Read more

Quote of the day 24th July 2020

Image
I was moved to put the passage below forward as a quote today when I saw a horrible post on twitter from someone writing that it was "excellent" that someone who took a different view from her about Brexit had died. I won't write which way round it was so that all the Remain supporters can assume the post was from a Brexit fanatic welcoming the death of a remainer and all the Leavers can assume it was a Remainiac welcoming one less Brexiteer. There's been plenty of nasty stuff on both sides but if you catch anyone of your own viewpoint  posting something like that who might listen to you, please do call them out on it - and point out that they're giving everyone on your side of the argument a bad name. Anyway, here's the quote from John Donne.
Read more