Open mike 07/10/2010

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1. Logie97 1

   7 October 2010 at 9:19 am

   Thinking out loud

   viz Campbell Live last night. A question about Television texting polls. Apart from someone making an awful lot of quick cash from them, what is there to stop multi-voting from the same phone?

   Also, Blogs in general – presumably these are accessible from anywhere in the world and therefore a lot of the comments need not necessarily be from New Zealand residents. Is there any way the moderators can filter out or indicate certain contributors on this basis?

   I can see vested interests working this to their advantage …
   • Lanthanide 1.1

     7 October 2010 at 12:57 pm

     “what is there to stop multi-voting from the same phone?”
     Nothing, necessarily, but given that each mobile phone has a unique number called a “cell phone number”, it’d be pretty easy to stop duplicates by screening for them, if you so choose. Whether or not they do that, I don’t know.

     “Also, Blogs in general – presumably these are accessible from anywhere in the world and therefore a lot of the comments need not necessarily be from New Zealand residents. Is there any way the moderators can filter out or indicate certain contributors on this basis?”
     Yes, there are now services that will determine your geo-location based on your IP address, on the basis that certain IP addresses are known to be allocated to certain countries or regions. However I don’t see why that’s a concern for this site at all. Also, if someone wanted to they could use a proxy in another country to mask their real location.
     • nzfp 1.1.1

       7 October 2010 at 2:19 pm

       Yeah the potential for fraud is easy in these systems,

       I used to design text systems in London for online and TV polling for the BBC. We provided the MSISDN (cell numbers) as well as the poll responses for the BBC applications to collate and report.

       We could have influenced the polls by simply injecting spurious MSISDN’s and responses directly into the database before the BBC could collate the data.

       The result would be that we – the systems administrators – programmers – architects – could sway the poll anyway we like. We could make any star win any competition we wanted and the BBC would have been none the wiser – after all who is going to confirm the validity of a half a million phone numbers 😉

       I’m sure if any of the other (not me) under-paid over worked staff were to be offered a few quid to inject a few spurious results they may have considered it.

       Captcha: FITTED
       • BLiP 1.1.1.1

         7 October 2010 at 4:04 pm

         As someone who struggles with technology – wouldn’t the BBC want the money from each of the “dummy” votes? Sure, you could easily add a couple of thousand votes but what about when the bean counters get to try and balance the books on those couple of thousand 20p calls?

         Anyhow, I refuse to participate in those polls – why should I pay to participate? It should either be free or they pay me.
         • nzfp 1.1.1.1.1

           7 October 2010 at 4:16 pm

           Hey BLiP,

           wouldn’t the BBC want the money from each of the “dummy” votes

           Yes you’re right – the whole point of the text polls / premium texts is to extract revenue. But there are methods to get around this.

           For example, did you know that premium text systems provide a mechanism that makes it possible to send invisible text messages to phones which will ping them for a small amount – without the end user knowing unless they pay close attention to all the text messages on their bill – who do you know that does that?

           A smart programmer could include an invisible text or two, to a random selection of numbers, along with a fake response from that number into the BBC database and voila. If the amount is small enough the end user probably wouldn’t know.

           I did a lot of research and development in these systems – there is an awful lot you can do with text messages that a dishonest person/corporation/government could take advantage of. I most certainly didn’t but I know what is possible.

           Captcha: COMPLICATING
           • BLiP 1.1.1.1.1.1

             7 October 2010 at 4:26 pm

             No, I didn’t know that, I suspected there are plenty of wangles and, you’re right, who really checks their bill at the end of the month. A million 1 cent texts a week would net a pretty return, indeed.

             Tell me, is it true that its possible to activate a cell phone remotely and thus turn it into a bugging device? I’ve heard that its true but not from someone who should know about these things.
             • nzfp …

               7 October 2010 at 4:39 pm

               Hey BLiP,

               is it true that its possible to activate a cell phone remotely and thus turn it into a bugging device

               Yes and no, it depends on the phone and the OS running on the phone. That said all of the smart phones available today can be activated and various features (microphone, camera) enabled remotely.

               Not only that but it is possible to pinpoint the location of someone – based on cell tower triangulation – just as long as their phone is switched on. I know this because I had endless – ahem minutes – of fun calling my friends in the UK and telling them exactly where they were and what direction they were moving in – anywhere in Europe.

               Can you imagine what trouble a dishonest person/corporation/government could get up to with access to this technology?
     • Vicky32 1.1.2

       7 October 2010 at 3:46 pm

       From what I have heard about phone voting for NZ Idol, no, they don’t screen for that.. I remember an angry teen girl complaining bitterly that she had spent $300.00 text voting for her cuzzie-bro and he hadn’t won…
     • Logie97 1.1.3

       7 October 2010 at 7:07 pm

       Thanks Lanthanide. I would be concerned if people turned out to be foreign nationals and members of less than savory organisations trolling on NZ blog sites, spreading their hate speech…

       I guess when commenters first register, the moderators can weed them out.
2. Tigger 2

   7 October 2010 at 9:58 am

   Poor Mark Ford, he’s a Mr Fixit and he’s been the victim of a smear campaign…
   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10678741

   FFS, Herald, you’ve willingly swallowed all his spin in this article. This man now has a leading role in controlling both water and transport in Auckland – I think we’re owed some thought on whether having one person in charge is a good idea…
   • Tiger Mountain 2.1

     7 October 2010 at 10:48 am

     Significant conflict of interest, or at the very least an over concentration of power in one individual for “Fixit” Ford surely. I don’t think Penny Bright should retire just yet. Even if Len Brown is mayor with a ‘reasonable’ council, direct action is likely going to be needed to intervene in the corporatisation of Auckland.
     Plus what has this dispassionate silver fox ever fixed? more of a ‘fit up’ for the free marketeers and 1500 hundred workers down the road.
3. Kevin Welsh 3

   7 October 2010 at 11:07 am

   Dear Mr English

   First off, let me say what a whizz-bang job you are doing with the economy. It takes a lot of bollocks to use the same ideas you used last century which didn’t quite come-off, but still, as they say in the Mainland cheese ads, “give it time” eh?

   I see that you are considering giving Telecom a huge tax break as some sort of reward for breaking their company up. I mean, $1 Billion is a lot in anyone’s terms, but not as much as the $1.7 Billion of our money you used to bail out the SCF speculators.

   Anyway, the reason I am writing to you is to ask a small favour. Do you think you could ask the IRD to waive the $238.35 I owe them for the last financial year? Personally, I have no idea how I ended up owing them this amount as I am a salary earner, I have had a 25% reduction in income over the last year and I now earn under the median income. I’m happy to do my bit for the recession which was over months ago, apparently, but am just a bit miffed that you are asking for more.

   Now I am not really asking for any sort of special treatment, just asking to be treated the same as the ‘big boys’.

   Cheers Big Guy

   Kevin Welsh
   • nzfp 3.1

     7 October 2010 at 2:06 pm

     Captcha: NONSENSE

     Come on Kev,
     What are you whingeing about – $238.35 is $141.65 less then the rest of the punters had to pay of the $380ea (man , woman or child) for my bailout of my mates and my own speculative investments in SCF.

     Just think Kev, you got off lightly – still I won’t let that worry me – so I won’t let IRD know that you really owe them another $141.65.

     Now take that $141.65 and go down the pub and have a beer on me – I’ll pop another Dom Perignon while I’m sitting on my private beach (foreshore and seabed) in Queen Charlotte Sound on you 😉

     Bill
     • Descendant Of Smith 3.1.1

       7 October 2010 at 7:34 pm

       Check to see if you had 27 pays last year. Fortnightly PAYE tables are calculated on 26 pays and that’s pretty much about the amount lots of people I know had to pay. Happens about once every ten years or so.
4. J Mex 4

   7 October 2010 at 11:15 am

   So it turns out that “Kiwi Hero” Pete Bethune sunk his own boat….

   “Bethune has accused Watson of ordering him to sink the boat as a publicity stunt, and quit Sea Shepherd in disgust at the organisation’s antics.”

   Wonder what ‘The Sprout’ thinks of that?
   • Joe Bloggs 4.1

     7 October 2010 at 12:44 pm

     Pirate Pete pissed off at Sea Shepherd scum

     http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1010/S00127/sea-shepherd-breaks-all-ties-with-pete-bethune.htm

     The same guys who brought us butyric acid bombs, can openers, ramming manoeuvres, blowing up trawlers with limpet mines, shooting at the Faroese police, &c., consider Pirate Pete to be too untrustworthy to be a member of their cadre.

     Pirate Pete claims he wuz duped and that Sea Shepherd deliberately misled the public.

     I have no sympathy for Bethune’s naivety but I despise Paul Watson’s lies
5. cardassian 5

   7 October 2010 at 11:27 am

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/4205147/TVNZ-needs-time-over-Henry-drama

   Does this mean the 2 week suspension might not be appropriate after all?
   • hateatea 5.1

     7 October 2010 at 4:34 pm

     It seems only fair that he should be suspended until they had time to reply to all those who complained. After all, they took their time deciding that we had something to complain about and the poor viewers, at least those silly enough to keep watching, had to put up with yet more of his inanities

     captcha: supplies
6. The Voice of Reason 6

   7 October 2010 at 12:59 pm

   Chris Carter makes his first good decision in recent memory:

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4207315/Chris-Carter-pulls-his-Labour-candidacy
7. Big Bruv 7

   7 October 2010 at 1:05 pm

   Poor old Chrissy, the nasty people out there were awfully mean to him for abusing his ministerial credit card.

   I wonder if mummy has arranged a nice UN job for him somewhere?
8. nzfp 8

   7 October 2010 at 1:29 pm

   For those of you who are unfamiliar with the “Essence of the Banking Industry”. Here is a clip from the great 2009 film The International, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B_SxGmSJP0

   To learn more about the “Essence of the Banking Industry” check out the 2009 documentary “The Secret of Oz” by the writers and producers of “The Money Masters”

   Capcha: schemes – banks and their schemes to defraud you of your money!
   • grumpy 8.1

     7 October 2010 at 4:42 pm

     One of my all time favourite movies.
9. nzfp 9

   7 October 2010 at 2:22 pm

   The Essence of the Banking Industry

   [lprent: That is interesting – users aren’t meant to be able to do that for security reasons (it is a way to insert code to other users machines). I’ll fix it later. ]
   • nzfp 9.1

     7 October 2010 at 4:05 pm

     Something else you should know LPRENT,
     If I was to edit the post, the saving function would strip the object, param and embed tags. Also note that object, param and embed tags are specified as usable in the available XHTML tags.
10. Draco T Bastard 10

    7 October 2010 at 2:32 pm

    An interesting post over on interest.co.nz about private insurance industry and how it tries to scam the public that it insures. Thankfully, the 5th Labour government brought back ACC.
11. Tanz 11

    7 October 2010 at 3:11 pm

    Double standards are alive and well at the Standard, where it’s okay to hate racists, as long as they’re white, rich, and Act/National party supporters. If the racist is the rright skin colour and a Leftie, that’s A OK. Oh, and name call as well, another tactic of the slippery Left.

    [lprent: Completely off topic for the post you put it in – moving to OpenMike. Be warned that you’re likely to get a educational experience if you do this again. ]
    • KJT 11.1

      9 October 2010 at 11:08 am

      A lot of us did not like Hone either.
12. BLiP 12

    7 October 2010 at 4:13 pm

    Testing – testing – 1 2 3
    • BLiP 12.1

      7 October 2010 at 4:14 pm

      Why can’t we have this as a feature – is it really *that* dangerous, I mean, can’t we assume that everyone on the net these days has a firewall / virus thingywotsit?

      What about just making it the Open Mike post so as not to clutter up the more serious content in the other posts?
      • nzfp 12.1.1

        7 October 2010 at 4:19 pm

        Hey BLiP yeah it most definitely is dangerous.
        Not because of you or the majority of the people that post here – but you can imagine what could get embedded by someone with an axe to grind against TheStandard or one of the authors/contributors/commentators.

        LPRENT – you may want to disable this immediately – I probably shouldn’t have started the ball rolling.

        It’s a shame BLiP because I would love to have this feature permanently. Maybe the moderators could leave it in for OpenMike for a while – at least until it’s abused.

        *sigh*
        • lprent 12.1.1.1

          7 October 2010 at 6:19 pm

          Fixed.
          A plugin that was meant to provide embed and object to the post editor was also providing it to the comments – which appears to be a bug.
      • lprent 12.1.2

        7 October 2010 at 4:33 pm

        Yeah it is very dangerous unless I put sniffers all of the way through the insertion routines (and maintain them). It is an object that got embedded, which I could code something within the limits of the sandbox that the browser lives in – but also to take advantage of security flaws in the OS.

        It also would be a pain for the people with slow connections.
    • BLiP 12.2

      7 October 2010 at 4:22 pm

      Second thoughts: I remember now that there are a few users on dial-up. Not fair to them and there’s plenty of MBs to play on for those of us fortunate enough to have broadband.

      As you were.
13. Roflcopter 13

    7 October 2010 at 4:29 pm

    Bethune, Watson & Co., nothing but a pack of liars.

    I hate what the Japanese are doing to the whales, but what’s transpired has put back legitimate protest against whaling by decades.

    Total filth.

    p.s:- i don’t expect apologies for the pillioring of a lot of people, by certain people on The Standard, who didn’t agree with other’s view as to what happened and were adamant that it was all the Japanese’ fault, but recognition that you got it wrong would be nice.

    Do I hold my breath?
    • Draco T Bastard 13.1

      7 October 2010 at 5:10 pm

      Got what wrong?
      • The Voice of Reason 13.1.1

        7 October 2010 at 5:21 pm

        I think a meme is developing where folk have confused the scuttling of the Ady Gil with the collision itself, which remains the whalers fault, from the video I’ve seen. Bethune is not saying the collision was faked or his fault, but that the scuttling of the boat afterwards was played up for publicity purposes. Bethune’s position today is that the boat could have been towed back to port, but that was opposed because it would end the pursuit of the whalers. Therefore he reluctantly sank it.

        I must say, a damaged boat back in port would have been priceless publicity for Sea Shepherd, not to mention useful evidence in any court case that might have followed.
        • KJT 13.1.1.1

          7 October 2010 at 5:58 pm

          The collision was not the whalers fault. It was Pete’s.
          Col regs. Rule 2 and rule 8. http://www.reach.net/~stormy/marine/colregs/

          If the Ady Gil had hit a NZ ship in similar circumstances MNZ would have charged him.
        • KJT 13.1.1.2

          7 October 2010 at 6:04 pm

          The collision was the Ady Gils fault.

          I do not agree with whaling either, but it is a bit precious to do everything you can to cause a collision and then try and blame the other vessel.
          • Draco T Bastard 13.1.1.2.1

            7 October 2010 at 10:27 pm

            The Japanese ship turned to hit the Ady Gil. Without that change in course there was no danger of collision.
            • Roflcopter 13.1.1.2.1.1

              7 October 2010 at 11:05 pm

              No, that’s what Bethune said, the video is inconclusive. But since he’s a self-confessed liar, it’s safe to assume nothing he says is true.
              • Pascal's bookie …

                8 October 2010 at 7:01 am

                “But since he’s a self-confessed liar, it’s safe to assume nothing he says is true.”

                Yeah, that star trek episode was a classic. Good ol James T making the evil computer blow up by fucking it inside the logic loop of fail.
            • KJT 13.1.1.2.1.2

              8 October 2010 at 8:23 am

              The Japanese ship turned to starboard as it was supposed to do for a vessel crossing from its Starboard side.

              The Ady Gil adjusted their speed to be in front. At no time were they stopped as claimed as you can see from the wake the whole time. Possibly at the last minute Ady Gil accelerated to avoid collision, but they broke rule 2 and rule 8 as well as the rule for a stand on vessel in a crossing situation.

              Playing games in front of something as unmanouvrable as a ship is bound to eventually cause an accident. I am sure Sea Shepard were well aware of this.

              They should just man up and say that is what they were doing. they would then get a lot more support from me.
              .
    • Vicky32 13.2

      7 October 2010 at 5:38 pm

      Leftie I am, but my “green-ness” is limited, and I have always thought this was suss! Therefore, I am with you rofl, *just this once!*
      Deb
14. Vicky32 14

    7 October 2010 at 6:16 pm

    BTW, listening to 3 News again, just heard an item about the inquest on the poor boy who died of alcohol poisoning – and there was John Banks, being praised for his lovely caring father-ness…
    Not very appropriate I thought! An inquest should not be used by 3 for campaign purposes..
    Deb
15. ianmac 15

    7 October 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Vicky32 A poll taken recently (today?) of 500 had Brown about 22% ahead. I was writing so didn’t hear properly but….. The MSM is certainly giving Banks top billing for crying at his son’s involvement but isn’t Banks ruthless over crime?
    • Vicky32 15.1

      7 October 2010 at 7:09 pm

      Not when one of the criminals is his son! The son, obviously reading his testimony (he’s very stillted, as most teens are when they read aloud) … now Banks testimony (this is all on Clive)… Really, he is described as “breaking down”… and that TV3 keep playing it, seems a bit “off” to me. Contrast the police officer who really *did* break down when giving a press conference about Carmen Thomas. Banks seems as stilted and prepared as his son! The only time he seems ‘real’ is when talking about his mother. (I actually do feel a wee bit sorry for him about that, having had family members who have suffered, and yes died, because of alcohol!)
      The fact is, the son’s behaviuour was wrong and illegal, even if Webster *wanted* to get plastered. At least this does show that these problems happen even in “good” families, as Banks rather weirdly said.
      Clive now gets indignant that cynics such as me are accusing Banks of using it all as electioneering! But Clive may stil be in denial – still claiming to be an excitable left wing boy for all I know!
      Deb
      • Carol 15.1.1

        7 October 2010 at 7:26 pm

        Just saw the promo for Campbelll Live tonight on TV3Plus1. I’ts sooo tabloidish… Banks breaks down and cries. I won’t be wathcing it. And the news item on Brown and Banks, as well as being sympathetic to Banks crying, focused on Brown spending on a meal – peanuts compared to the way Rodney has engineered the new Auckland Council to be undemocratic, and to deliver it to the corporates with Banks presiding over it.

        The son’s behaviour seemed very poor… enticing someone to keep drinking. The Kahui mother was in tears last night, but somehow it was a less positive portrayal of it…. so if you’re poor, and you’re implicated in a death (although not judged to have acted illegally), there’s no sympathy for your tears? And if you’re connected to powerful business interests, you get a sympathetic portrayal of your tears?
      • Draco T Bastard 15.1.2

        7 October 2010 at 10:35 pm

        Saw part of the Banks courtroom act on Clive and it was a campaign piece for him and NACT. He very specifically mentioned and approved of the “National Parties” changes to the alcohol laws and how it may help prevent such loss of life. After that we had Campbell saying how some people would portray it as a campaign piece but how it really wasn’t and that Banks really was a nice guy.

        The whole thing was party political spin and bias from TV3.
    • BLiP 15.2

      7 October 2010 at 7:22 pm

      The New Zealand Fox News Herald on-line site is leading with the story:

      Banks in tears at teen drinking death inquest

      Auckland City Mayor John Banks has broken down in tears as he apologised for the actions of his son Alex, who encouraged alcohol-poisoning victim James Webster to drink.

      What a fucking wanker Banks is. Throughout both his terms as Mayor he facilitated the explosion in the number of liquor outlets across Auckland. In October last year he unilaterally put down a proposal for the Auckland City Council to develop policy in this area which would have curtailed the activities of the liquor outlets and given the community a greater say in where and how many liquor licences should be issued. After that, his City Rat cronies voted three times to shut down any further consideration of such policy. It wasn’t until August this year that he had an “astounding” change of heart.

      Took me ten minutes to confirm my facts. The MSM didn’t even bother doing that. Too busy replacing news with sentimental wallowing into the sad death of the offspring of [not helpful in the context? — r0b].
16. Sean Brooks 16

    7 October 2010 at 8:31 pm

    Kurt from Glee

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawhpHBeJZo
17. prism 17

    7 October 2010 at 8:41 pm

    I remember hearing Banks discussing a proposal to curtail a little, the hours for selling alcohol. He almost seemed to be weeping as he said how unfair it would be to the bold captains of the bar and restaurant industry to limit their operating and profit. It sounded so stagy and one sensed where his allegiances lay. By the way he had a restaurant himself earlier didn’t he?
18. gingercrush 18

    7 October 2010 at 8:43 pm

    Wow Lianne Dalziel really needs to get a grip. As for some of the comments on that Red Alert post. They need a grip as well. I don’t see them moaning about numerous Labour list MPs who act like electorate MPs.
    • BLiP 18.1

      7 October 2010 at 9:19 pm

      Have you head of the Australasian Financial Services Association or the Associate Chartered Accounting College that Gilmore claims to be a member of but don’t appear to exist? Or, perhaps you can explain why his name doesn’t appear on the list of members of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute? Perhaps you’ve investigated some of his pecuniary interests and how they might benefit from the Christchurch earthquake recovery dictatorship?

      The comments are certainly jumping on the post . . . I wonder why.

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1. The Standard: posted on 6 October 2010 at 5:11 pm

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