michaelwyres.com » Newsworthy

Coalition Now Saying Fibre A Good Idea?

Michael Wyres — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:10:47 +0000

A curious tweet just now from opposition communications spokesperson, Malcolm Turnbull, in regards to “ultrafast” internet being launched by British Telecom.

Malcolm suggests in his tweet that this solution – (FTTC for most people, and FTTP for those who want it) – is better than the full FTTP network currently under construction by NBN Co.

Huh? What is FTTC?

“FTTC is subtly distinct from FTTN or FTTP (all are versions of Fiber in the Loop). The main difference is the placement of the cabinet. FTTC will be placed near the “curb” which differs from FTTN which is placed far from the customer and FTTP which is placed right at the serving location.”

So he’s praising a solution that runs fibre down every street, while bagging the NBN FTTP network, which runs fibre down every street?

Yes, it’s not exactly the same as an FTTP rollout, but given his love for his FTTN solution, why praise a solution that is almost exactly what he is normally against?

Non sequitur.

Some Common Sense in Telco Tower Debate

Michael Wyres — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:15:41 +0000

With rural areas around the Victorian city of Ballarat being included in the trials of the wireless component of the National Broadband Network, there has been much said about the erection of telecommunications towers around the region.

There’s even been uneven responses from within the same local governments.

Well, at least there has been some sanity in the region about the towers:

“A TELECOMMUNICATIONS tower will be erected in Learmonth, despite six objections.”

“Councillors argued Learmonth was currently a communications black spot and needed the 35-metre tower to improve its mobile and wireless broadband coverage.”

I do understand that some people do object to these towers, and in a democratic society that right to object is fundamental.

But if you want to improve rural outcomes – (and Learmonth is a lovely little town) – you do have to improve services of all kinds in those rural localities. Including telecommunications.

Most of all, the comments from the locals are telling – (mind the spelling errors, these were copied verbatim):

“This is excellent news and we couldn’t be happier here in Learmouth. The Mobile, and other receptions here at Learmonth, are fairly ordinary. I knew of quite a few residents, who can’t get a Mobile phone reception at all. I know a few of the ones that are objecting to it we are quite amused, that the tower will be no where near their property.. Get with the times Crs Mcintosh, and Phillips, we are fed up with poor quality internet wei would prefer this any day than what was proposed, a couple of years a go the stinking Saleyards and Abattoirs.”

“Being a local to the lovely and historically significant Learmonth area, I fully support the erecting of the tower. ‘Serial complainers’ need to get a life!”

“Thank goodness common sense prevailed. Learmonth has very poor mobile phone signals, if any at all, and our internet is very slow at peek times. This will be our one shot at catching up with the rest of the world, so let’s take it. To those that complain about these towers being erected, perhaps you were unlucky you weren’t born in the stone age. Perhaps in the next lifetime you will be more lucky. Councillors McIntosh and Philips should do their home work as the tower will not be near any homes. I can’t bloody wait.”

While this tower in Learmonth doesn’t seem to be an NBN tower, with the noise being made around the region about them, perhaps looking at the Learmonth example – where common sense seems to be prevailing – would be more productive.

One does hope so.

There is nothing wrong with leading the world, and modern telecommunications is a key factor.

Do it for your children and grand children – they are the ones who’ll suffer in a broadband backwater if we don’t do it right.

So, Julia’s Shoe To Go On eBay?

Michael Wyres — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:41:35 +0000

So Julia Gillard’s now famous lost shoe is apparently to be put on eBay to raise money for the Aboriginal Tent Embassy?

They should think twice.

eBay – as one would presume – has a quite clear policy on the listing of stolen goods on their auction site:

“eBay strictly forbids the sale of stolen property. eBay strongly supports law enforcement efforts to recover stolen property that is listed on its Web site, and urges the prosecution of those who knowingly attempt to sell such items on eBay.”

The more respectful thing would be to return the shoe – since yesterday's debacle is ultimately more about respect than anything else.

Right?

NBN: Want A Clue As To When Your Area Comes Online?

Michael Wyres — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:26:11 +0000

While we patiently await the first three-year rollout plan for the National Broadband Network (NBN) to be released in coming weeks, I have stumbled across a document on the NBN website that has apparently been around since October, but which I haven’t seen before.

Maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough?

Doesn’t matter.

It is an interesting document that details the rollout plan for the NBN’s Points of Interconnect (POIs).

Not the fibre – just the infrastructure the fibre ultimately connects to. It makes interesting reading, particularly if you understand a bit about networking and project planning.

It details approximate dates that access seekers – (ie: Retail Service Providers (RSPs)) – will be given access to almost complete POIs, so they can be ready to switch customers on when the POI is commissioned, seemingly only a few weeks later.

Obviously, POIs to service the already announced fibre rollout sites are high on the list – (as these need to be completed first) – however the interesting part is the POIs that are listed that are not associated with announced fibre rollout sites.

Now, don’t get too excited just yet if you are dying to have your slice of NBN action, as I must point out that POIs will have to be ready for fibre rollouts in greenfields estates that are not built by NBN Co, but become owned by NBN Co after commissioning in those estates.

Logically however, if a POI is built in an area on a schedule primarily for greenfields estates in that area, the mere existence of the POI in that area must make it far more likely that NBN Co will look at those areas favourably when planning schedules for the brownfields rollout in those areas.

Again – don’t forget – just because your area is high up on this list, doesn’t mean mass brownfields rollout in your area is imminent.

However, if your area is not high up on this list, I don’t think it is unreasonable to suggest you will probably be waiting a little longer than the areas higher on the list.

As for what it means for your area, you can make of this what you will.

(UPDATE 20/01/2012 10:23): For those who have asked – (and there’s been a few of you) – the double asterisk against some POI sites listed in this document indicate POIs that will be built as brand new facilities by NBN Co, rather than inside an existing Telstra exchange. Also, despite Queanbeyan being in NSW but the POI there being listed as serving the ACT, it will primarily be serving the ACT, so this is not an error. Thanks to Brad Sprigg for the information via the ACCC website.

Metro Trains Melbourne: Live from 1995!

Michael Wyres — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:07:38 +0000

Melbourne’s suburban train operator Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) has copped a lot of flack in recent days over its decision to drop sending service updates on Twitter for anything other than “major delays” – which they are defining as “20 or more minutes”.

They are telling customers to “regularly check their website” for details of other less significant delays.

Just to rub it in, they have just tweeted this:

Frankly, it seems to me that nobody at MTM has travelled on a peak hour train in Melbourne of late, or if they have, they are not paying attention to what people do during their commute.

Ask yourself how many people are staring into their Twitter feeds, updating themselves on news, sport, weather, their friends, and up until recently, how long they can be expected to be jammed inside the overcrowded train they are on.

Getting timely updates, delivered straight to the device you are already staring at, was actually useful.

But MTM want us to “periodically” check their website just in case there is a problem – (reasonably likely anyway) – because they don’t want to send out tweets, unless it’s a major delay?

What is a major delay anyway?

A five minute delay to one service can cause someone to miss a connecting train somewhere else, creating a much longer delay for the customer. If they miss an evening connection to a V/Line train, that may cost their customer a delay of an hour or more.

Such an instance really late at night might make the next available train equate to the next morning.

This is customer service is it, Metro?

“No, no, wait – we have a website you can get information from, it’s really useful!”

Genuine 1995 technology. Welcome to the past!

People want information about their service delivered to them when it matters – they don’t want to have to go find the information in case it exists.

Take a look at the Yarra Trams Twitter feed Metro – that’s how it SHOULD be done.

They used to do nothing, and you guys did an okay job. They’ve started doing it far better than you ever did, and now you don’t do it at all.

Wake up and smell the future, Metro.

We’re in it – how about you?

Idea: Show Current Affairs on Current Affairs Shows

Michael Wyres — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:59:19 +0000

It really irks me that the two leading current affairs programs in Australia – Nine’s A Current Affair (ACA), and Seven’s Today Tonight (TT) – never seem to actually show any actual current affairs stories.

They generally show what often don’t seem like much more than paid advertorials.

Incidentally, these two programs finished fifth and sixth in the overall ratings for yesterday – so there are plenty of people watching their rubbish “journalism”.

Lets for instance take as an example, ACA’s fourth run of basically the exact same story:

Same salt therapy business, same interview subjects. Over and over again – and not really a bit of hard nosed journalism in sight, right?

ACA and TT often show almost identical stories, on the same nights, as ABC's excellent Media Watch has demonstrated.

Though still excellent, even the ABCs “7:30” has gone downhill a little since the departure of Kerry O'Brien.

The Ten Network came along in 2011 with veteran current affairs man George Negus, with a bunch of talented journalists, and we actually got a decent current affairs program on network television for a while.

Until it was cancelled, because not enough people were watching.

Because people couldn’t stop watching the drivel on Seven and Nine. They keep lapping it up.

I remember when Jana Wendt, Ray Martin, Mike Willesee and Mike Munro variously hosted ACA, and it was real journalism.

But that was long ago.

Maybe if people were actually told about the world around them, they wouldn’t be so ignorant to it. It’s not the viewers fault – they’ve just been hoodwinked into believing that ACA and TT have some journalistic merit.

It’s trash television.

I hope “7:30″ doesn’t disappear, because then we’ll have almost nothing left.

Optus Rewards Website Sexist Much?

Michael Wyres — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:05:01 +0000

I got a whiff of a really bad piece of work from Optus on Twitter this morning, in regards to the registration page for their Optus Rewards website (click image for larger view):

Really?

“Please select a title and the title should match with the gender.”

So a woman can’t be a doctor, according to Optus? Try and register on it for yourself and see.

Seriously, that’s worse than bad. That’s a dreadful look Optus.

Fail.

(UPDATE – 12:53pm): Optus have advised that they are looking into the problem, and have raised the issue with support:

“Thanks to everyone who let us know about the fault with our Optus Rewards form – we’ve logged this with Support & will keep you posted!”

Well and good.

However, I am still concerned that a form such as this was released into production in this condition. What happened to their User Acceptance Testing (UAT)? Why does ANYONE think you need to check the title against gender to go to the bother of programming such a check into the code?

Yes, fix it Optus – but improve your internal quality processes too.

(UPDATE – 8:15pm): Apparently it is fixed now.

While this is mostly likely a coding problem, rather than intentional or even unintentional sexism, as a programmer from way back, it seems strange to me that:

Someone would consider it particularly necessary to have a gender vs title check in the code;

That this was missed during acceptance testing of the code before it was released into production – or more likely – wasn’t thoroughly tested at all.

I’m quite sure it wasn’t intentional, but it just worries me – particularly with all the privacy leaks from telcos of late – that these organisations don’t have proper software engineering and testing practices in place.

Makes you wonder where the privacy leaks initiate.

Hacks, lazy programmers, or poor testing?

Either way, we deserve better.

F-Bombgate: Media Cares, Most People Do Not

Michael Wyres — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:08:59 +0000

The media circus arising from the Stephen Conroy F-Bomb continues today. The media seem to care a hell of a lot about it.

Problem is, according to a Fairfax online poll, it seems most people do not.

As of 2pm AEDST, December 14, 2011 – the poll which asked the question “How do you rate Stephen Conroy’s F bomb on TV?” saw 72% of people not thinking it was significant.

Indeed, the remaining 28% thought it would either “harm him”, or “not help him”.

The rest thought that it “won’t matter” (37%) or “made him look like a goose” (35%).

Which he probably is.

Maybe the public are becoming intelligent enough to filter out the usual crap from the usual media?

Hope so.