The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.

[Beardy]

Why do interwebs form molishers continue to be such incapable fuckwits when it comes to data entry verification? If you have a free test box as a response to a question that includes the answer “No”, then demanding that I put a valid address in said box when I respond “No” showers monumental incompetence by the designer, the developer AND the tester and a distinct lack of interest by the PM and the requirements definer. That this is on a bereavement form is just bad manners.

[Jasmine]

Out with friends on Exmoor yesterday,  we walked up through Horner Wood, an ancient woodland, up onto the moor to the top of Dunkerry Beacon. Lovely. Peaceful.  Or so you would think. Just about the whole time we could hear Bangin' Tunes blasting out from a small but fucking noisy gathering of mostly young people, accompanied by generators, amplifiers and accessories. Our route later took us through the car park/beauty spot where they were gathered. I was sorely tempted to switch their generator off.

(click to show/hide)

And piss in the petrol tank.

They are not my Favourite People.

Edit: BBC news reports thre were two such gatherings on Exmoor. Police  attended, equipment siezed. Good.

Was it specifically illegal activity (e.g. an actual rave) or just some people enjoying the countryside in a way that you don't approve of?
There is a very real conflict as more people start to use the countryside in the respect that the way that people choose to enjoy the countryside isn't universal. Quite often, this is cultural - quietly enjoying the countryside is the typical way that white, and predominantly middle-class people spend time out in the countryside.

[T42]

Some years ago LFB made axes 'Officer Issue' only on account of a large number of fire fighters entering buildings and demolishing doors which weren't locked.

Hence (at page 26 of the guide): And finally, you should always TRY THE DOOR KNOB - “is the door open?”

 

Maybe it should be at the beginning of the instructions rather than finally.

[Beardy]

Perhaps, as it’s not an on the job guide, but a ‘to be read before you deploy’ guide, it’s the last thing mentioned in the hope that it is an instruction more likely to be remembered.

[MattH]

Internet survey forms.
Had one this morning that I actually wanted to provide feedback to the company on (had been intending to send them a suggestion). They had a three by three grid of "have you used this part of the package?"

	Part a	Part b	Part c
Yes	O	O	O
No	O	O	O
Didn't know it existed	O	O	O

But rather than checkboxes, radio buttons in the 9 positions that were exclusive along the horizontal line. So you couldn't answer the same for every part. And you couldn't continue without filling in the answer for every part, so if you hadn't used any of them but knew they were there you had to say that one you had used, and one you didn't know existed.

[arabella]

(snipped)
Was it specifically illegal activity (e.g. an actual rave) or just some people enjoying the countryside in a way that you don't approve of?
There is a very real conflict as more people start to use the countryside in the respect that the way that people choose to enjoy the countryside isn't universal. Quite often, this is cultural - quietly enjoying the countryside is the typical way that white, and predominantly middle-class people spend time out in the countryside.

I think the problem is that "enjoying" the countryside by bringing along amps, music etc prevents the enjoyment of others who want to be listening to bird life/nothing/a quiet conversation with many pauses in the way that "enjoying" the countryside by any of listening to bird life/nothing/a quiet conversation with many pauses doesn't prevent any of the other activities. 
A noisy gathering without amplifiers etc is also OK because the noisy gathering without needing to talk over the amp doesn't need to be as noisy as the gathering with the amp!
Volume of amps etc likely to carry further than a conversation, and thus be intrusive on what others may be doing.  ie your enjoyment of the countryside shouldn't prevent anyoe else's enjoyment of the same countryside. 

[MattH]

Perhaps, as it’s not an on the job guide, but a ‘to be read before you deploy’ guide, it’s the last thing mentioned in the hope that it is an instruction more likely to be remembered.

And done in an amusing style to increase the memorability.

Like the powerpoint training I saw for a piece of equipment that was coated in an anti-fungal paint, which rather than saying wash your hands after touching it so as not to contaminate your food, said that you should not lick the equipment. Raises a laugh, people remember it.

[TheLurker]

Amazon delivery driver: I used to be a postman, so I know how important house numbers are, which is why there are five, yes five, number elevens outside my house. The main one is a distinctive, brass pair of digits on my front door. You, in your haste, ignored these and delivered to number seven. So near, yet so incompetently far.

Five elevens - perhaps he thought you lived at number 55??

IGMC

Or 1111111111?

Or even 1023.

[Tim Hall]

Out with friends on Exmoor yesterday,  we walked up through Horner Wood, an ancient woodland, up onto the moor to the top of Dunkerry Beacon. Lovely. Peaceful.  Or so you would think. Just about the whole time we could hear Bangin' Tunes blasting out from a small but fucking noisy gathering of mostly young people, accompanied by generators, amplifiers and accessories. Our route later took us through the car park/beauty spot where they were gathered. I was sorely tempted to switch their generator off.

(click to show/hide)

And piss in the petrol tank.

They are not my Favourite People.

Edit: BBC news reports thre were two such gatherings on Exmoor. Police  attended, equipment siezed. Good.

Was it specifically illegal activity (e.g. an actual rave) or just some people enjoying the countryside in a way that you don't approve of?
There is a very real conflict as more people start to use the countryside in the respect that the way that people choose to enjoy the countryside isn't universal. Quite often, this is cultural - quietly enjoying the countryside is the typical way that white, and predominantly middle-class people spend time out in the countryside.

As the police seized equipment, that suggests it was illegal. It had all the appearances (and sounds) of being a rave. Not a big one. But you make a good point - even if the equipment wasn't seized and there was no illegal activity, they were "enjoying the countryside in a way that I don't approve of." Music played at such a volume that it can be heard nearly 2km away in a National Park is Too Loud.

[yorkie]

(snipped)
Was it specifically illegal activity (e.g. an actual rave) or just some people enjoying the countryside in a way that you don't approve of?
There is a very real conflict as more people start to use the countryside in the respect that the way that people choose to enjoy the countryside isn't universal. Quite often, this is cultural - quietly enjoying the countryside is the typical way that white, and predominantly middle-class people spend time out in the countryside.

I think the problem is that "enjoying" the countryside by bringing along amps, music etc prevents the enjoyment of others who want to be listening to bird life/nothing/a quiet conversation with many pauses in the way that "enjoying" the countryside by any of listening to bird life/nothing/a quiet conversation with many pauses doesn't prevent any of the other activities. 
A noisy gathering without amplifiers etc is also OK because the noisy gathering without needing to talk over the amp doesn't need to be as noisy as the gathering with the amp!
Volume of amps etc likely to carry further than a conversation, and thus be intrusive on what others may be doing.  ie your enjoyment of the countryside shouldn't prevent anyoe else's enjoyment of the same countryside.

Not one, but two illegal raves. BBC Somerset's report has more details.

[TheLurker]

Why do interwebs form molishers continue to be such incapable fuckwits when it comes to data entry verification?

Because companies employee the cheapest morons they can find to develop their software.  Signed. A cheap moron.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Out with friends on Exmoor yesterday,  we walked up through Horner Wood, an ancient woodland, up onto the moor to the top of Dunkerry Beacon. Lovely. Peaceful.  Or so you would think. Just about the whole time we could hear Bangin' Tunes blasting out from a small but fucking noisy gathering of mostly young people, accompanied by generators, amplifiers and accessories. Our route later took us through the car park/beauty spot where they were gathered. I was sorely tempted to switch their generator off.

(click to show/hide)

And piss in the petrol tank.

They are not my Favourite People.

Edit: BBC news reports thre were two such gatherings on Exmoor. Police  attended, equipment siezed. Good.

Was it specifically illegal activity (e.g. an actual rave) or just some people enjoying the countryside in a way that you don't approve of?
There is a very real conflict as more people start to use the countryside in the respect that the way that people choose to enjoy the countryside isn't universal. Quite often, this is cultural - quietly enjoying the countryside is the typical way that white, and predominantly middle-class people spend time out in the countryside.

As the police seized equipment, that suggests it was illegal. It had all the appearances (and sounds) of being a rave. Not a big one. But you make a good point - even if the equipment wasn't seized and there was no illegal activity, they were "enjoying the countryside in a way that I don't approve of." Music played at such a volume that it can be heard nearly 2km away in a National Park is Too Loud.

Subject to exceptions, mistakes, opportunism, etc. As Valiant, amongst others, would no doubt remind us. Nevertheless, I agree with you on the effect.

[Tim Hall]

Bah. A Nice Man is just finishing up fitting a new lock to my front door following a "getting locked out as the old lock b0rked" situation.

Drilling the old lock through the door at a Specific Location followed by poking , jiggling and mild swears got him into my flat. Clever stuff. I fear it will be a spendy exercise.

That happened to me a several of years ago:  Hardest part was convincing the letting agents that I hadn't lost my key, but the lock had snibbed itself (presumably) as I closed the door on the way out.  By the time the Nice Man arrived, I'd spent a good half an hour almost but not quite managing to un-snib it using a pair of spokes taped together.  He had a token go with the aid of his mirror-onna-stick, and then declared that I wanted a new lock anyway, didn't I? and got the BFO drill for precision application of ultra-violence.

Anyway *greps* here's some light reading that hopefully won't prove useful one day:
 https://ia601307.us.archive.org/29/items/FDNYforcibleEntryReferenceGuide/FDNY_Forcible_entry_reference_guide.pdf

This was a mortice lock. I was worried that my lovely front door that the Cheery Chippy installed a couple of years ago would be damaged by the locksmith. Fears=groundless. He unscrewed the escutcheon plate (The bit the handle is in. That. ) had a peek at what he could see of the lock, looked it up on an app to identify the make. This gave him the x and y coordinates of where to drill and away he went. He could then do things to $SpecialLockSpeak with various bits of metal and, with one bound, he was free. Or in to the flat.

He had a suitable replacement lock with him, so that was fitted, escutcheon replaced, keys handed over. No sign of his visit. £192 which was a bit less than I was thinking. 

[hellymedic]

My front door slams shut and needs a key to open it from the outside, if the back door is left open.
ANY air movement tends to be funnelled into that door.
D gets locked out quite a bit...

[Mr Larrington]

Fortunately both front doors of Larrington Towers open inwards and require a certain amount of muscle to close.

[Jurek]

Bah. A Nice Man is just finishing up fitting a new lock to my front door following a "getting locked out as the old lock b0rked" situation.

Drilling the old lock through the door at a Specific Location followed by poking , jiggling and mild swears got him into my flat. Clever stuff. I fear it will be a spendy exercise.

That happened to me a several of years ago:  Hardest part was convincing the letting agents that I hadn't lost my key, but the lock had snibbed itself (presumably) as I closed the door on the way out.  By the time the Nice Man arrived, I'd spent a good half an hour almost but not quite managing to un-snib it using a pair of spokes taped together.  He had a token go with the aid of his mirror-onna-stick, and then declared that I wanted a new lock anyway, didn't I? and got the BFO drill for precision application of ultra-violence.

Anyway *greps* here's some light reading that hopefully won't prove useful one day:
 https://ia601307.us.archive.org/29/items/FDNYforcibleEntryReferenceGuide/FDNY_Forcible_entry_reference_guide.pdf

This was a mortice lock. I was worried that my lovely front door that the Cheery Chippy installed a couple of years ago would be damaged by the locksmith. Fears=groundless. He unscrewed the escutcheon plate (The bit the handle is in. That. ) had a peek at what he could see of the lock, looked it up on an app to identify the make. This gave him the x and y coordinates of where to drill and away he went. He could then do things to $SpecialLockSpeak with various bits of metal and, with one bound, he was free. Or in to the flat.

He had a suitable replacement lock with him, so that was fitted, escutcheon replaced, keys handed over. No sign of his visit. £192 which was a bit less than I was thinking.

Around 20 years back when I was working overseas I received a call from my upstairs neighbour informing me that he'd locked himself out.
'Look mate, I'm in Lisbon and not back for a couple of weeks' was my response, 'You'll have to sort it out yourself'.
He did.
He used the first locksmith he found on the inter webs.
The locksmith in question charged him £150.00 for the pleasure of utterly butchering the frame of my front door (which has since been repaired and reinforced with steel - in case anyone has any ideas of breaking in) and fitting a £19.95 rim lock (which has since been replaced)
Sounds to me like you've not done too badly, Tim.

[Pickled Onion]

Some years ago LFB made axes 'Officer Issue only' on account of a large number of fire fighters entering buildings and demolishing doors which weren't locked.

Reminds me of one time someone called the fire brigade to a house I was in with a mate. We'd lit a fire in the fireplace on the first floor and it was maybe a bit fierce on starting, but nothing to worry about. On seeing the blue lights we went to the ground floor and stepped out of the large, low and wide open sash window. The firefighters asked if there was anyone else inside, we said "no", but to make sure they pulled out their axes and laid into the front door, quickly turning it into splinters.

[ElyDave]

For various reasons, me and the then brand new Mrs ED got locked out of our first house on return from honeymoon.

I broke in with a Swiss  army knife
We changed those locks

[T42]

For various reasons, me and the then brand new Mrs ED got locked out of our first house on return from honeymoon.

I broke in with a Swiss  army knife
We changed those locks

And we locked ourselves out of our bedroom.  Our flat was on the top floor and instead of a corridor just had the landing, with the living-room, bedroom and cludge opening onto it.  I went out of the cludge window, along the roof to the bedroom dormer and in that way.

[Beardy]

Using better locks is mostly a pointless exercise in giving yourself a false sense of security. The majority of external doors used in the uk will yield in a myriad of locations upon the swift application of a hefty boot. I’ve always thought that the FB use of axes, hammers and other pry bars is more about protecting the firefighter from minor door inflicted injuries than overcoming significant resistance.

[hellymedic]

Partner pointed out that door frame and surrounding structures were much weaker than door & lock assembly, just this week...

[T42]

God bless Saturday afternoons, when we get to appreciate the combined melodies of neighbours' lawn-mowers and brush-cutters.

[Beardy]

Buying a car, is for most of us a series of compromises, more so when you’re buying used and have set yourself a budget.

Why then*, do ALL the motor car vendors bastardise their bastarding webbie science to make the experience as soul destroyingly painful as their bastard marketing bosses can dream of. I mean, what is the point of having 55 gazzilion selection criteria if, when I press the search button, the first car you present for my perusal fails to meet 54 gazillion of the things I’ve chosen. And then inject another of YOUR choices every five and a half further options.

*Yess, it is a rhetorical question. I know that ht e answer is that they are all bastarding bastards with no recorded fathers on their birth certificates. Well, apart from those that weren’t born; they’re just bastarding bastards.

[Kim]

Using better locks is mostly a pointless exercise in giving yourself a false sense of security. The majority of external doors used in the uk will yield in a myriad of locations upon the swift application of a hefty boot. I’ve always thought that the FB use of axes, hammers and other pry bars is more about protecting the firefighter from minor door inflicted injuries than overcoming significant resistance.

Yeah, our lock got upgraded on usability grounds (the new one having a barakta-friendly internal twiddler), the security upgrade was a bonus.  That's in a decent UPVC door with multi-point locking, which is the sort of thing that requires more than a bit of harsh language to force.

(If you really wanted to break in, the best approach would be via the back window, which - because landlords - is held in place by a sub-optimal amount of expanding foam and optimism.)

[Tim Hall]

A Great Clearout was underway at work. A Samsung monitor was about to be skipped as "it doesn't work". I knew it did work, said so and relocated it to the back seat of my car

It has no stand.Bah
It has VESA holes.
The Boy has a spare swivelly arm thing with a VESA wotsit.Hurrah.
Can I find any M4 screws to attach the monitor to the VESA wotsit? Why no, no I cannot. This despite looking in a Several of Boxes of tqt.Bah.