YesBut can we trust it?

In the preparation of my Wednesday blogs “Memorial day”, I have to research the history both of the memorial’s subject and the sculpture. To do this I rely heavily on the internet. But how reliable is the information posted on web sites?

I have in previous blogs decried the accuracy of reporting in both newspapers and television.

In the main, non fictional books go through a review procedure to ensure the facts are correct - even if the subsequent interpretation is questionably.

But there is no peer review of information posted on the web. The result of this is the perpetuation of miss- and dis-information.

I enter into Google a name > a list of relevant web pages appears > click on what is judged the most pertinent and read the information. Unfortunately the author of the web site has made a typo, the date quoted is 1998 when in should have been 1989; I do not spot the error and quote 1989 in my blog. The next person comes along reads my blog sees 1989, thinks that’s not correct, checks the web site I had looked at sees 1989, shrugs thinks it must be correct, and quotes 1989. Now there are three sites which say 1989 so it must be correct!

Even Wikipedia isn’t 100% correct! This is due to genuine errors by the contributors; but unfortunately also due to the perverted actions of dingbats who think they are clever in corrupting published information.

So a word of caution, if you are relying on information obtained from the web:

1. Ensure the reliability of a site - you can be fairly (but not absolutely) confident of information provided by official sites but treat with extreme caution information stated in blogs, (especially this one!).
2. Try to verify any information, using independent resources - go back and check original source data.

Having said all that, take the opportunity to add further to the store of erroneous information. Click here and enter YesBut’s Images caption competition.

YesBut clean-up your act.

Mrs YesBut accumulates kitchen gadgets. You know the things I mean, advertised on TV as the chefs answer to grating cheese, or the ultimate lettuce dryer. In the kitchen cupboard we have food processors, fruit blenders, bread makers, rice cookers. Used once then stored as they take too long to clean, compared to conventional kitchen utensil’s.

I have to hold my hand up, I am equally delinquent, with computer program downloads. I see a write-up for a program or a Google widget and I download it. And there it sits collecting cyberspace dust and clogging up my computer.

Its worth taking some time to review the programs on your computer and asking are they necessary? When was the last time you used them? If you don’t use them get rid of them.

But before starting take the precaution of saving the programs installed, then if anything goes wrong you can undue your actions. Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore > Create a restore point. Simple!

To get rid of unwanted programs Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > Change or Remove Programs. And remove unwanted programs - but be cautious be sure you know what you are removing. But if anything goes wrong use System Restore to get back to the previous status.

Having said that, I am going to advocate downloading another, albeit small program. Its worth looking at the programs that start-up when you switch on your computer and continue to run in the background. If a program isn’t required, then why run it?

If you go to http://www.mlin.net/ you can download a program written by Mike Lin, which allows you to see which programs run when your computer starts, and allows you to select which programs you require. I wish it was that easy to persuade Mrs YesBut to get rid of all her unwanted kitchen utensils.

YesBut what does it mean?

Awoke this morning with the word “repensity” on my mind. Looked it up in the dictionary no entry. Entered it into Google and got Do you mean "propensity"?

Obviously I had discovered a word that had fallen off the lorry on its way from the word factory. The question is: was it a spare word, or is there a meaning out there still waiting to be united with the word?

Or had I discovered a dastardly crime, was repensity thrown out of the lorry by a renegade “p”, who then took its place, disguised as “propensity”? I then found another word “repensiation” - obviously a relative of repensity. Google wanted to know if I meant “presentation”. Obviously Google has got some fundamental shortcomings when it comes to the English language!

I think I have the duty to rescue the two words and find meanings for them.

re - means negative, (as in resign, recant)
pen - writing
sit - be in position

So “repensit” means - no writing i.e. before I write my blog it is repensit, afterwards it’s a load of old codswallop.

“Repensity” means - a state of not being able to identify anything to write about. A condition that frequently occurs when I sit in front of the computer, thinking of a subject for the blog.

“Repensiation” means - an act that I’m tempted to do at this very moment i.e. hitting the delete button to send this blog to the bin.

There is also “reprensiating” meaning the act of inadvertently clicking on the delete button before first saving a document.

This lexicography game, is far easier than I thought it would be


I wonder if I can think of a suitable caption for YesBut’s Image? Click here to see.

YesBut what a disappointment.

In my blog YesBut a slideshow I described a method of incorporating a slideshow into a blog. I was particularly excited because I thought I had replaced my static blog title header with an all singing all dancing slideshow.

This week I had cause to use a borrowed computer; imagine my disappointment when I logged onto this blog not to see the slide show. Just a plain blue strip, as the photo on the left shows. It didn’t take me long to discover Internet Explorer doesn’t support a slideshow! It only opens using Firefox.

If you use Firefox, I hope you see the slideshow, please let me know.

I don’t know if the Mac browser supports a slide know, I would appreciate it if a Mac user would let me know.

What do you see at the top of this page - a blue strip or a slideshow?

And for those PC users who still use Internet Explorer, it doesn’t compare favourably with Mozilla’s Firefox. Why not download Firefox for free (Google “Firefox download” to the web address). Try it and see, you’ll never look back.

Click here to YesBut’s Image and leave your suggested caption.

YesBut no more UN

There’s been a gradual build up of internal pressure since I posted my blog “YesBut the United Nations is the pits” on 12th May. As is the way of such things, uncontrolled it could have manifested itself as a fart, but harnessing the energy its become a rant.

Do you know what the United Nations annual budget is? Unfortunately one click on Google doesn’t give the answer. But the current operating budget is estimated at $4.19 billion. There are three budgets:

• The UN regular budget covers among other things the cost of the General Assembly, Security Council and the Secretariat.
• The “Voluntary funding” pays for UN Development Program, World Food Program and the UN Children’s Fund(UNICEF).
• The UN peacekeeping budget.

It’s unnecessary to get bogged down in too much detail; because it’s universally accepted that the United Nations has ceased to function - doubt if it ever did.

Why if there is such unanimous agreement is it allowed to continue? There are only two parties with sufficient power to instigate change: the USA and the European Union (EU).

France and the United Kingdom will stop the EU doing anything. Why? Their veto in the UN Security Council is the only vestige they have of their former “World Power” status. They know in any reorganised UN or replacement organization they will be ranked among the minnows. The USA makes a whopping $423 million (22%) contribution to the UN Regular Budget, why doesn’t it do something to get its money’s worth? Simply, it doesn’t have the moral authority to propose change. All it can do is withhold payments.

The United Nations will proceed in its usual corrupt inept dysfunctional manner, until there is a USA President with enough courage and moral gravitas to call a halt.

The World does need a forum, where hopefully arguments between nations can be settled, through discussion not war, unfortunately the Security Council and before that the League of Nations have failed. For it to function it must operate above the influence of individual countries or power blocks. It must also have the power to enforce its decisions - without that its merely a talking shop. Though people would be happy with “jaw, jaw, jaw rather than war, war, war”.

It would be perverse to say everything about the UN is wrong! There is one arm of the UN which does function - the International Court of Justice. As for the rest, scrap the lot. You might protest: what about the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the UN Environmental Program or the UN Development Fund and UNICEF. Undeniably their objectives are sound and desirable, but in practice their implementation is bogged down in corrupt inefficient bureaucracy - they function primarily on who you know rather that what you know.

YesBut's hard life, pressure build-up on the inside, rain on the outside, click here to see.

Tag that

To aid falling asleep some people count sheep. For many years I’ve used the practice of:

“Fall asleep thinking of a question,
wake up knowing the answer”

It works. I lie in bed thinking “what will be the topic of tomorrows blog?”, and invariably I wake at 4 o’clock not only knowing the subject but quite often with a draft of the blog in my head. This morning the idea rattling around in my brain was “write about the subject most blogged about”. The next step was obvious - identify the top blogged about subject.

Problem - not as easy as I thought it would be. Entered “most blogged about subject” into Google and got no definitive answer. Under such circumstances there is only one solution - drink a cup of Chai and ruminate.

Lateral thinking - if there is no direct answer, look for clues. Obviously, blog tags would give an indication of the subject. Looked up Technorati’s Top Tags list, the top twelve tags were: baby, blogroll, bush, computer, gaming, me, mobile, money, opinion, tags, tecnologia and usa. So the challenge is now to write a sagacious blog incorporating those twelve tags.

I know bogroll is toilet paper, but I had no idea of the meaning of “blogroll” until I Googled it. Years ago people would look in a dictionary to find the meaning of a word, but in the “computer” orientated world information and language is evolving so quickly Google seems to have become the fountain of all knowledge, the place you turn to first for information. So blogroll is a list on a blog of other blogs. As you can see I haven’t got one!! Perhaps you can help me out; if you think your blog should be the first on my bloglist let me know.

“Tecnologia” yet another word I have never heard of! Entered it into Google and got referred to “Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre“. There was only one thing I could do - Babel Fish it. French - English no, Italian - English no, Spanish - English no, Portuguese - English = technology. Now that I find very interesting. Not that tecnologia is technology in Portuguese, but rather a Portuguese word is 11th in the Top Tag list. I would guess the majority of blogs are written in English - next French, Chinese, Spanish? Anyone out there know how many blogs are written in each language? What ever answer you give will be wrong! With the number of blogs doubling every five months, your answer will be out-of-date before you finish typing it.

Technorati indicates there are 15,248,367 blogs about blogs and 20,300 blog posts containing the word tecnologia. I’ve just checked its gone up to 20,304.

Just a thought, do more people use their computer for blogging than “gaming”? I guess it’s the latter with children ensconced in their bedrooms. When young kids ask where they come from, they are often told they were found under a “bush”, for the parents sake I hope it was a “money” tree. When a mother gets a “baby” she can now expect to have to buy as soon as the child is out of nappies, a computer, game counsel and the ubiquitous “mobile”.

The list did say “bush” not Bush. But on rechecking some of the blogs with bush “tags” it should have been Bush. George W that is President of the “USA”. I really would appreciate it if someone could tell “me” how a country like the USA could elect such shulunk as its leader. That’s just my “opinion”, obviously the majority of Americans thought he was the best thing since sliced bread.

I made reference earlier to how things are changing so quickly, this is particularly true of the London skyline. As I look out of my window I can see 29 tower cranes, they are busy demolishing buildings built in the 1960s and replacing them with click here to see an example.

1st April

You can imagine my joy when I received official notification that this blog had won the Google Blog of Blogs Award for 2007.

Immediately I knew what I had to do. A blog without readers is merely computer code floating in cyber space. It is you the reader who makes the blog tangible and existent. Consequently I have great pleasure in sharing the award with you.

To claim your share of the prize enter your details as a comment or send an email to Grumpy@Tesco.Net.

Finally on this joyous occasion, may I wish you all Happy All Fools Day.

I get my dessert.

I am totally opposed to bribary, I consider it unethical. It must be opposed at all costs. But it must be recognise people have their price.

Meadow is one of the founder members of Exiles Exiles message board http://exilesexiles.eamped.com/

Meadow was delighted when she entered exilesexiles in Google to see reference to YesBut’s blog Grumpy & Farting, which mentioned Meadow and Exiles Exiles.

I’m pleased Meadow was delighted. In fact Meadow is so delighted she is prepared to give me ice cream if I mention her again in this blog. Well OK I’ve been bought for the promise of an ice cream; but according to my count Meadow has been mentioned six times, so I reckon that’s worth more than a measly ‘99’. Now shall I ask for a Fresh Fruit Strawberry Sundae with whipped cream or . . .?

Roger, Roger (?)

Two nights ago in dream I clearly saw the face of someone who was a manager in the company I worked for twenty years ago. I never worked with him, he was in another department, and I cannot think of any reason for him appearing in my dream. His name was Roger - - - (?). Now that’s the problem, while I clearly see his face and am confident his first name was Roger, for the life of me I cannot remember his surname. For the last two days I’ve been trying to think of the name, annoyingly it’s a blank. It’s the same when watching TV you recognise an actor, but just can’t remember the programme you saw him / her in.

Guess that’s a sign of old age. The price you pay for being a Grumpy Old Fart! For two days I’ve been trying to trick my brain to dig deep into its memory bank and disclose the answer. Having imaginary conversations “Roger - - - (?) told me, have you seen Roger - - - (?), “ all in vain. I guess sometime in the past I must have emptied my brain’s recycle bin.

Just had a bright idea. I could try one of those photo sharing web sites, there might be a photo of Roger on there. No Roger didn’t have a beard.

In the world of Google, there is no such thing as the unknown. Surely if I enter “Roger + Name of the Company we worked for” out would pop the answer. Lets try.

Well do you know that Kenny Rogers sang “You gotta know when to hold ’em know when to fold ‘em . . .”. Isn’t that interesting? No I never worked with Kenny Rogers.

I have a feeling he had a Scottish name. Back to Google.

Do you know the most common Scottish surname is Smith and the 100th most popular Hay. Bad news Roger’s surname isn’t in the top 100. I suppose I could ask Jeeves. First I better test how bright Jeeves is before asking him.

Asked Jeeves if he knew about this blog, Would you believe it he didn’t. Asked him if he knew me “YesBut” and got the reply “Yes But Is It Good For The Jews? Now that was very relevant - I don’t think. If Jeeves hasn’t heard of YesBut there’s no chance of knowing Roger‘s surname.

I think there is a need for a Web Page where obscure questions can be asked and everybody comes together to answer it. Now what can it be called?

For the blog’s sake.

I’m later than usual writing the blog; I normally do it in the morning - wake up with an idea and send it into cyberspace while it’s nice and fresh.

But today I’ve been doing other things. To be honest I haven’t a clue what I've been doing - it was like walking blindfolded through a dark tunnel with the hope that there was a light at the end - and thank goodness there was, a light that is.

You see books on Computing for Dummies or Blogging for Dummies, well compared to me Dummies are geniuses. I switch on the computer and it makes a noise it shouldn’t or doesn’t make a noise it should and I panic - sweaty hands, racing pulse the lot. So to attempt the task of altering the appearance of the blog was, for me, equivalent to participating in an extreme sport activity. I also decided to try doing something to get my blog noticed by search engines.

Now while I’m three levels below “Dummy”, I’m not stupid, so I decided to seek help. Yesterday I left a message on the Blogger Help Group message-board “I’m so dumb I need a real idiot’s step by step guide”. Fortunately I had replies from Sherrykins and Panther.

Sherrykins she pointed me in the direction of her blog http://betabloggersresources.blogspot.com/ which directed me to a number of informative sites including one produced by Chuck http://bloggerstatusforreal.blogspot.com .

Panther listed a number of sites including:
http://betabloggerfordummies.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-to-submit-site-...
http://betabloggerfordummies.blogspot.com/2007/02/yahoo-site-authenti...

With the help of the information provided, I think, I’ve added a Google sitemap to my blog and the blog URL to Google’s index. Reading that you might think I knew what I was doing - nope - but I followed the instructions. Whether I’ve been successful only Mr Google knows.

I also, and I know I was successful because I can see the result, edited the Template HTML code to allow me to post a photo in the title.

Am I a computer genius or what? Nope