Comments for SiC - David Sidwell http://www.artwill.com.au/sic Silicon-Carbon Interface ; Where Computers and People meet Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:23:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on GPS : Open Source Maps by Matt http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/29/gps-open-source-maps/#comment-135 Matt Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:19:07 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/29/gps-open-source-maps/#comment-135 David, Welcome to the joy of GPS. I just tracked back to your site from mine (I'm the guy who burns my works bandwidth generating the Garmin maps from OSM). Just thought I'd encourage you to get involved with OSM proper (assuming your comments support links, it's www.openstreetmap.org), and perhaps change one of the links to OSMAustralia to the actual OSM site - as much as I appreciate the link to my OSM site, one is probably sufficient :-) Matt David,
Welcome to the joy of GPS. I just tracked back to your site from mine (I’m the guy who burns my works bandwidth generating the Garmin maps from OSM). Just thought I’d encourage you to get involved with OSM proper (assuming your comments support links, it’s http://www.openstreetmap.org), and perhaps change one of the links to OSMAustralia to the actual OSM site - as much as I appreciate the link to my OSM site, one is probably sufficient :-)

Matt

]]> Comment on Ideas for The Hollowmen by Godfrey http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/08/10/ideas-for-the-hollowmen/#comment-97 Godfrey Mon, 25 Aug 2008 02:21:40 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/08/10/ideas-for-the-hollowmen/#comment-97 I too am vexed by "The Hollowmen"'s lack of traction. Not that I expected it to do boffo box office - I have too many day-to-day encounters with people can't even imagine watching anything on ABC - bu at least that it'd get a solid cult audience AND generate a bit of discussion in the media and the workplace, the way South Park used to. I suppose the fact that the media has ignored it(after an enthusastic fanfare) or damned it with faint praise hasn't helped. The inane, would-be American Jim Schembri (you know, the sort od Australian who writes "go see" a movie rather than "go and see" it)dismissed TH as "Yes Minister-lite", by which reasoning one could argue that 99% of sitcoms are direct ripoffs of something or another. Yes, of course there are some similarities, but the differences are crucial, eg the persistently out-of-frame PM, for one thing. My pet peeve with the show (minor, and probably not THE problem) is that Sitch tends to steal too many scenes with gags which are funny but make him seem implausibly inept. A bit like my problem with "Frontline", ie it seemed to want to show a shoddy, amateurish current affairs production, and say "unlike ACA!". I always wish it had the balls to show that ACA was as deserving of its barbs as any other current affairs show. As for how to "fix" the Hollowmen? Who knows, when its audience was so small to begin with? (probably the same size as the demographic for the superb "Newstopia" - me, my dog and somebody trying to record some Slovenian porn on SBS). Which segues nicely to my suggestion - no, NOT a gratuitous sex scene, but certainly something a bit jarring to wake th audience (and Green Guide journalists) up. Your "shit hits the fan" scenario would work a treat. As for your other ideas: I think the documentary idea could crash, alas. Sure, it's not a doco SPOOF, but (perhaps because reality shows themselves are still so popular, the public tends to look askance at anything which seems to make fun of it OR similar genres). Just some random burblings to get the discussion started. I too am vexed by “The Hollowmen”’s lack of traction. Not that I expected it to do boffo box office - I have too many day-to-day encounters with people can’t even imagine watching anything on ABC - bu at least that it’d get a solid cult audience AND generate a bit of discussion in the media and the workplace, the way South Park used to.
I suppose the fact that the media has ignored it(after an enthusastic fanfare) or damned it with faint praise hasn’t helped.
The inane, would-be American Jim Schembri (you know, the sort od Australian who writes “go see” a movie rather than “go and see” it)dismissed TH as “Yes Minister-lite”, by which reasoning one could argue that 99% of sitcoms are direct ripoffs of something or another. Yes, of course there are some similarities, but the differences are crucial, eg the persistently out-of-frame PM, for one thing.
My pet peeve with the show (minor, and probably not THE problem) is that Sitch tends to steal too many scenes with gags which are funny but make him seem implausibly inept. A bit like my problem with “Frontline”, ie it seemed to want to show a shoddy, amateurish current affairs production, and say “unlike ACA!”. I always wish it had the balls to show that ACA was as deserving of its barbs as any other current affairs show.
As for how to “fix” the Hollowmen? Who knows, when its audience was so small to begin with? (probably the same size as the demographic for the superb “Newstopia” - me, my dog and somebody trying to record some Slovenian porn on SBS).
Which segues nicely to my suggestion - no, NOT a gratuitous sex scene, but certainly something a bit jarring to wake th audience (and Green Guide journalists) up. Your “shit hits the fan” scenario would work a treat.
As for your other ideas: I think the documentary idea could crash, alas. Sure, it’s not a doco SPOOF, but (perhaps because reality shows themselves are still so popular, the public tends to look askance at anything which seems to make fun of it OR similar genres).
Just some random burblings to get the discussion started.

]]> Comment on Hollowmen : barely making Top 50 in ratings by David #2 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/08/01/hollowmen-barely-making-top-50-in-ratings/#comment-80 David #2 Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:47:35 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/08/01/hollowmen-barely-making-top-50-in-ratings/#comment-80 Hollowmen is a bit odd for me. I've loved everything Working Dog have done - from D-Generation through to their movies and Fishing Series and of course The Panel. I also love the old, "Yes, Minister" series. So I would have thought that I'd have taken to this new series.. yet I don't. I find I almost have to make myself watch it. I've got recordings from every show but know I've not watched at least one of them and I'm not jumping onto the PVR to watch it asap. I'll get around to it sometime, but I don't "hang out" for it in the same way as I do from Top Gear (the latest series 11 just finished in the UK. Will be another year before it comes to Aus). I get laughs from each Hollowmen show, but.. following something from the Gruen Transfer, which I found new and informative and enteraining, I find Hollowmen a little too dry. I hope it does well but I'm surprised myself I just can't get "into" it. Hollowmen is a bit odd for me. I’ve loved everything Working Dog have done - from D-Generation through to their movies and Fishing Series and of course The Panel. I also love the old, “Yes, Minister” series. So I would have thought that I’d have taken to this new series.. yet I don’t. I find I almost have to make myself watch it. I’ve got recordings from every show but know I’ve not watched at least one of them and I’m not jumping onto the PVR to watch it asap. I’ll get around to it sometime, but I don’t “hang out” for it in the same way as I do from Top Gear (the latest series 11 just finished in the UK. Will be another year before it comes to Aus).

I get laughs from each Hollowmen show, but.. following something from the Gruen Transfer, which I found new and informative and enteraining, I find Hollowmen a little too dry. I hope it does well but I’m surprised myself I just can’t get “into” it.

]]> Comment on Goodbye and Thank You StarStuff show and podcast by James http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/06/27/goodbye-and-thank-you-starstuff-show-and-podcast/#comment-79 James Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:37:31 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/06/27/goodbye-and-thank-you-starstuff-show-and-podcast/#comment-79 Sue Javes did an article in today's SMH... SHOT INTO CYBER SPACE The ABC has been bombarded with complaints following a decision by NewsRadio to scrap the long-running astronomy show StarStuff. Blogs have sprung up urging disappointed listeners to contact their member of Parliament in a bid to have the "uneducated and ill-informed" decision overturned. ABC radio talks boss Margaret Cassidy says it's a matter of prioritising resources. She says StarStuff presenter Stuart Gary is needed to work on the main news desk five days a week and the specialist program does not fit with the station's rolling news format. the bloggers argue that NewsRadio has no trouble running block programming when it comes to sport yet can't devote half an hour a week to scientific endeavour. A comprimise of sorts has been reached. The show will be offered as a podcast by ABC Science Online at abc.net.au/science/feeds. http://afr.com/home/viewer.aspx?ATL://20080728000030070738&title=Radio Sue Javes did an article in today’s SMH…

SHOT INTO CYBER SPACE

The ABC has been bombarded with complaints following a decision by NewsRadio to scrap the long-running astronomy show StarStuff. Blogs have sprung up urging disappointed listeners to contact their member of Parliament in a bid to have the “uneducated and ill-informed” decision overturned. ABC radio talks boss Margaret Cassidy says it’s a matter of prioritising resources. She says StarStuff presenter Stuart Gary is needed to work on the main news desk five days a week and the specialist program does not fit with the station’s rolling news format. the bloggers argue that NewsRadio has no trouble running block programming when it comes to sport yet can’t devote half an hour a week to scientific endeavour. A comprimise of sorts has been reached. The show will be offered as a podcast by ABC Science Online at abc.net.au/science/feeds.

http://afr.com/home/viewer.aspx?ATL://20080728000030070738&title=Radio

]]> Comment on Goodbye and Thank You StarStuff show and podcast by James http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/06/27/goodbye-and-thank-you-starstuff-show-and-podcast/#comment-78 James Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:33:30 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/06/27/goodbye-and-thank-you-starstuff-show-and-podcast/#comment-78 STAR STUFF IS BACK! At least in pod cast format on ABC science online. A new episode was released today http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/science/...ff20080724.mp3 You can subscribe here: http://www.abc.net.au/science/podcast/starstuff.xml And get a description here: http://www.abc.net.au/science/feeds/ There is also a petition going around to get the show back on the air... http://www.gopetition.com.au/petitions/save-abc-news-radio-starstuff-program.html STAR STUFF IS BACK!

At least in pod cast format on ABC science online. A new episode was released today

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/science/…ff20080724.mp3

You can subscribe here:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/podcast/starstuff.xml

And get a description here:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/feeds/

There is also a petition going around to get the show back on the air…
http://www.gopetition.com.au/petitions/save-abc-news-radio-starstuff-program.html

]]> Comment on Write once, publish anywhere? by david (site admin) http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/22/write-once-publish-anywhere/#comment-77 david (site admin) Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:30:42 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/22/write-once-publish-anywhere/#comment-77 Very true and not just the editor, the whole processing environment. I too can't see any non-ubergeek tech writer trying to get XML parsers going and reading through Java errors when things go wrong. I was using Eclipse and that did hide some of the complexity, but only partially. I think I read that OpenOffice 3.x is going to support DocBook a bit more. I would have thought that it - already being XML based - would have been a natural fit. But then again there's bound to be reasons, both technical and political, why it may not. From my first year at work (1983) I got used to the Mark-up concept, with IBMs wonderful GML/Script. My understanding is that these evolved into SGML, HTML and XML. Very true and not just the editor, the whole processing environment. I too can’t see any non-ubergeek tech writer trying to get XML parsers going and reading through Java errors when things go wrong. I was using Eclipse and that did hide some of the complexity, but only partially.

I think I read that OpenOffice 3.x is going to support DocBook a bit more. I would have thought that it - already being XML based - would have been a natural fit. But then again there’s bound to be reasons, both technical and political, why it may not.

From my first year at work (1983) I got used to the Mark-up concept, with IBMs wonderful GML/Script. My understanding is that these evolved into SGML, HTML and XML.

]]> Comment on Write once, publish anywhere? by David #2 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/22/write-once-publish-anywhere/#comment-76 David #2 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:33:55 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/22/write-once-publish-anywhere/#comment-76 There are editors such as Conglomerate that try to hide it, but in my investigations a year or so back I never found a convincing editor. Like you, I love the theory, but there's no way one can really expect your average office user (ie used to Word and the like) to make sense of DocBook. It remains in the Ubertech, till a decent editor comes about. The general markup languages such as SiSu converting to DocBook can take some of the pain away. To some degree, LaTeX (and editors like Lyx) try to do similar things. A plain text format, separation of style from content, and I still think the output from LaTeX is superior to OpenOffice, Word, and things like DocBook (though you can pass DocBook through TeX). The thing that holds LaTeX back (aside from the market share .DOC files have and that your average non-science/maths graduate would never have heard of it) is there is no easy way to create style or "templates" (to use Word parlance) without hard labour. If there were, a lot of the time offices waste on formatting their reports and getting the figures right and pagination etc would disappear. :-) There are editors such as Conglomerate that try to hide it, but in my investigations a year or so back I never found a convincing editor. Like you, I love the theory, but there’s no way one can really expect your average office user (ie used to Word and the like) to make sense of DocBook. It remains in the Ubertech, till a decent editor comes about. The general markup languages such as SiSu converting to DocBook can take some of the pain away.

To some degree, LaTeX (and editors like Lyx) try to do similar things. A plain text format, separation of style from content, and I still think the output from LaTeX is superior to OpenOffice, Word, and things like DocBook (though you can pass DocBook through TeX). The thing that holds LaTeX back (aside from the market share .DOC files have and that your average non-science/maths graduate would never have heard of it) is there is no easy way to create style or “templates” (to use Word parlance) without hard labour. If there were, a lot of the time offices waste on formatting their reports and getting the figures right and pagination etc would disappear. :-)

]]> Comment on Finally got 192 MB file on to mobile phone by david (site admin) http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/02/finally-got-192-mb-file-on-to-mobile-phone/#comment-70 david (site admin) Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:38:36 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/02/finally-got-192-mb-file-on-to-mobile-phone/#comment-70 I agree. Except I didn't have a suitable reader nor an adapter. If this is a regular thing, then I'll be buying one. I agree. Except I didn’t have a suitable reader nor an adapter. If this is a regular thing, then I’ll be buying one.

]]> Comment on Homo Vacuous and the great big nod by david (site admin) http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/10/homo-vacuous-and-the-great-big-nod/#comment-69 david (site admin) Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:37:39 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/10/homo-vacuous-and-the-great-big-nod/#comment-69 Well you won't find out until you actually do the experiment, then the poor cat will - or will not - finally know its fate :-) Well you won’t find out until you actually do the experiment, then the poor cat will - or will not - finally know its fate :-)

]]> Comment on Homo Vacuous and the great big nod by Paul http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/10/homo-vacuous-and-the-great-big-nod/#comment-68 Paul Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:42:00 +0000 http://www.artwill.com.au/sic/2008/07/10/homo-vacuous-and-the-great-big-nod/#comment-68 You had me up until the Michaelson-Morley. Does that mean quantum computing? You had me up until the Michaelson-Morley. Does that mean quantum computing?

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