Microsoft - fallen empire

In days gone by, I used to really like Microsoft.  I would defend its products against those from other companies, and tell folk how good it was.

How things have changed.

Over the years, Microsoft just keeps dropping support for things that I really wanted to keep, to the extent that I am now getting really fed up with the company.  Indeed, I think the only things keeping me on Windows now are Photoshop and Lightroom...

I get the fact that if you ship something, you have to test it.  That's fair.  But even so, Microsoft do seem to have been aggressively dropping things that I use.  Here are some examples

1. NetMeeting
A very useful feature in XP, you used to be able to have a conferencing session with another PC simply with its IP address.  You had no need to have that PC connected to the global internet, it could stay behind your firewall and be nice and secure. That's been dropped to give us some online conferencing system  I have no idea what information might be getting copied by Microsoft as voice and images go through its servers.

2. MIDI Mapper
Just dropped in Windows 7.  No warning, no alternative provided.

3. The latest one - replace Windows Messenger with Skype
I guess I wouldn't care much about this except that they have taken away Remote Assistance, something I use a lot when helping friends and relatives with their PC.

Three big fails, Microsoft

Summer School - Sunday

The first full day of summer school!

After a sumptuous breakfast, we walked to the sports centre, which will be our home for the week.  Kelvin put us through a very detailed vocal warm-up, and then we went over the arrangement that we started yesterday.  We also had a quick look at a second song before the morning tea break.

After tea, we started floor work with Lynne.  That started off with the most vicious warm-up I can ever remember doing, followed by a selection of dance moves on the floor, allowing Lynne to see what level of ability we all had.

After lunch, we started setting "Baggy Trousers".  Suffice to say the dance is extremely funny... and just a little rude!

The final session of the day was back to vocals, and then we went back for a quick freshen-up before dinner.  Tonight was a Greek evening, with Greek food and an exhibition of Greek dancing.  A few of us were volunteered to be helpers, we joined in the dancing, and generally had a great time!

Start Of The Summer School

Today's plan was to go for a run at Manchester, then pootle on down to Warwick for the Summer School.

Everything started well when I asked for a late checkout at the Holiday Inn Express where I was staying, and they were able to give me that.  I had a lovely breakfast, then packed for an hour.  I then went out for my run.

Muddy Path

The Holiday Inn Express is beside a pair of reservoirs called the Gorton Reservoirs, and my plan was to run round them.

The plan started out okay, as I went round the "lower" Gorton Reservoir.  It was when I got to the "upper" reservoir that things started to go bad.  The path was overgrown, and pretty muddy.

When I eventually did mess up and put one foot into a puddle on the way round, I realised quite how deep and muddy the puddles were!

Muddy Legs

I continued on to for a while, but eventually had to give up.  I turned back, and then tried to run the rest of the way round the lower Gorton Reservoir.  If I ever try to run this route again, I shall be wearing long sleeves and full-length running tights.  Let me make it clear that a vest and short race-day shorts do not go well with shoulder-high stinging nettles overgrowing onto the path...

So I ended up with a pretty lousy run.  I did a further lap of the lower reservoir, but this time did not try to stay on the reservoir once I got back into Debdale Park - instead I ran through the park.  I only managed a little over three miles; something of a shambles really.

However, by the time I had showered and packed up all my stuff, it was time to go.

I got in the car and started driving towards Warwick.  On the way, I stopped off at Knutsford, at the Cranford Café, for lunch.  I had a very pleasant meal in what appears to be a very pleasant town before getting back on the road and continuing on towards the University of Warwick.

Knutsford Town Centre

As I travelled south, I came to the turn-off for the M6 Toll Road.  This is a section of motorway that parallels the original M6, but is - as the name implies - a toll road.

Well, I certainly did not want to take a toll road.  So I stayed on the road I was on, and did not take the turn-off.

That was a major fail.  Bizarrely, the "straight on" route takes you onto the toll road!  If you want to stay on the public road, you have to turn off.  That's £4.80 I shall never see again - and a mistake I hope never to make again, either!

Accommodation 1

Eventually, I arrived at the Summer School.  I had forgotten how many people I would recognise when I got here - it was lovely!  And the accommodation is an amazing standard - every bit as good as my Holiday Inn Express.

And as for the food?  Amazing.  The ham served carvery style, perfectly boiled vegetables (nice and crunchy), and the dessert... just fantastic!

Accommodation 2

After dinner we went for our first rehearsal.  We did some vocal warm ups and started setting one of the songs for Friday.  Thence to the bar for a while before coming to bed.

This is going to be a great week!

Let the bubble begin!

The Ham is off to Summer School for the first time since 2009, and I am really looking forward to it.

Buxton Opera House - wish I could rotate this pic!

Thanks to some wonderful timing, the NODA Summer School rims concurrently with the second week of the international Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, held annually in the beautiful town of Buxton. I had arranged to meet a friend there; another G+S enthusiast and a friend of many years' standing.

The show we went to see was The Gondoliers, a professional production in the Buxton Opera House.
the Opera House is beautiful both outside and in, a lovely theatre to visit.

It had been a long time since I last saw a G+S, and I thoroughly enjoyed this production.
And then it was time to go back to my hotel in Manchester,.update the blog and grab some shut-eye before going to the Summer School - also known as The Bubble - tomorrow.

Inside the Opera House

Opera House Ceiling

S1 English

Trying to help my daughter with her English homework this evening, I was struck by how difficult the questions are.  Given a text from about sldiers and their suffering, we had:

1. How did the writer freel from this experience?  Quote and explain why the quote shows this
2. The writer uses three questions in the text.  Write down the name of this technique.  Quote each one and analyse the effect each question has on the reader
3. Comment on the writer's use of imagery in this sentence: "Icy rain fell mercilessly on us and we lived day and night drenched to the skin and pierced with cold."  Remember - as well as stating the image used you must pin-point the descriptive words.  Decide what impact it has and explain why it has this impact.

First year?  I'd have said this was O-grade stuff at least!

So... in a total volte-face, next time I hear any politician tell us that the exams have been dumbed down, I'm going to have extreme doubts!

Sky Box Office Offer - shoddy customer service

Email sent today to Sky Customer Service

Sky sent me a letter entitled "Advance Notice Of Changes To Your Sky Subscription Service"

In it, Sky offered me a "Free Sky Box Office Movie"  To claim it, I had to register at a specific web address before 10-August.  When I did so this evening - 09-Aug - the web site said that the offer was unavailable.

So, I phoned the number on the letter - 08448 422450.  The lady to whom I spoke told me that I wasn't eligible for the offer because I had previously had Sky Movies on my tariff.

So, why did Sky send me a letter telling me that I was eligible for an offer then tell me that that was not in fact true? 

Why did the lady to whom I spoke tell me that it was impossible to provide feedback to Sky's marketing department?

Isn't this lying on Sky's part?  Offering me a service then saying that I couldn't have it?

regards,
/alan

Attn: Three Customer Service

To: executive.office@three.co.uk

My name is Alan Potter, I am a long-time three customer.

When my wife’s phone contract recently expired, I suggested she move to Three.  She ordered a nice new Samsung Galaxy S II, on the Text500 contract.  That was on Monday 18^th July (order number xxxxxxxx).  We arranged delivery would be on the Thursday of that week (21-Jul), and waited for the phone to arrive.

It didn’t.

Nor did it arrive on the Friday. 

I phoned Three’s customer service.  They told me that because there was already a Three account using the bank details I had given to Three (i.e. my Three account), then Three would want to see a bank statement to be sure that my wife was allowed to Direct Debit that account.  All that Three would need to see would be the account name.  That doesn’t really seem to stand up to scrutiny as you already knew the account name, and any credit ratings agency would have been able to give you all the information you needed.  But I can let that slide.

I asked why nobody had phoned us and told us this before the date when the phone was due to be delivered.  I asked when we would have been phoned.  The customer service rep told me that the back office would do the calling, they were busy just now and he did not know when or if we would be contacted.

After listening to him give this kind of excuse for a couple of minutes I gave up and told him that I was not happy about this.  At this point someone with a bit of savvy – or leeway – could still have saved the deal by apologising, offering a complimentary month’s line rental or something similar, and promising to get the phone to us next day.  But no, there was nothing like that.  Just a demand to see my bank statement.

So I cancelled the deal.

I understand that you guys want to give a cheap service and so you have lowest common denominator customer service.  I get that.  But you’ve taken it too far here.  If you promise to deliver a phone on a particular day, you should deliver it.  If you’re going to fail to deliver it, and you know you’re going to fail to deliver it, you must phone the (potential) customer beforehand in case that customer is taking a day off work to receive the package.

Yours faithfully,

Alan Potter

What David Cameron can't - and won't - tell you

The country is seeing a lot of belt tightening just now, and some suggestions of even worse to come.  We are, quite correctly, complaining about it and objecting to many of the reductions in our standards of living that it will bring.

Now part of this, undoubtedly, is because of the measures that had to be taken to deal with the last financial crisis.  But I wonder if there is a more fundamental truth that our government dares not admit to us.

Note: I have essentially no knowledge of economics.  That puts me on a par with the average Daily Mail columnist, but means that I may be talking complete nonsense.  Indeed, I would be delighted if someone would tell me why the things I postulate below are wrong.

Over the past twenty years or so, we in the West have had it so good.  Poorly paid people in China have manufactured things for us, and those of us able to retain a job have been able to buy things amazingly cheaply.  Manufactured things - TVs, DVD players, computers, washing machines etc - have fallen in "real terms" price to an extraordinarily low price.  This is joly nice for us.

Meanwhile, the Chinese (and Indians, Brazilians, Russians etc) have become very good at not only manufacturing, but also computer programming, administrative tasks, and many other things that we do in life and get paid for.  The massive advances in telecommunications have made it possible for us to use these people to do work for us, and they get paid a pittance.  Isn't it wonderful?

Well, no.  It really isn't.  I have been to China, and met some damned fine engineers out there.  Is it reasonable that they get paid less in real terms (i.e. how many hours per week they need to work in order to feed their family) than I do?  Given that both of us produce product that gets shipped out over the public internet, and so there is no transportation cost to worry about, I cannot see why that would make sense.

Somewhere there is going to have to be a huge levelling of living standards between East and West.  And by that I mean that if a Chinese engineer has to work for ten hours per week to feed his family, I too will have to work for ten hours to do the same.

It will mean a rise in living standards in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries (and others), but it will also mean a fall in our living standards... and I think that that is what we are starting to see now.

Perhaps some kind economist will tell me why an hour of my work is worth three hours of a Chinese engineer's work... but I don't think that that is going to happen.

Letter to ThomsonFly

Dear Thomson Fly,


I understand that times are probably tough right now in the travel industry. Indeed, times are tough all over, but through some diligent saving I have put together enough funds to book a holiday with Thomsons.


And I see that you want to charge for some "extras" - like a family sitting together. This must have seemed a jolly wheeze to someone in head office who has never flown with kids, but I would like you to know that I find this charge utterly offensive.


However, since you appear to believe that a family sitting together is a luxury that should be paid for as an "extra", I have decided that I am not going to pay. There are some things you need to know:


I shall not be responsible for the behaviour of my children on the aircraft
How can I possibly regulate the behaviour of my children on the aircraft if you have ordained that I cannot sit with them? So, if they shout, scream, cry, kick the chair in front or run, screaming and yelling around the plane, that's your fault. If you didn't want that, you should have made damned sure we sat together where I could control them.


You are totally responsible for the safety of my children
You have decided that I don't need to sit beside my kids, so I cannot be responsible for their safety.


So if those little masks drop down, I want you to make utterly sure that they get their mask fitted.


If they need to put their lifejacket on, you need to make sure that happens.


And since we have all heard stories of bad people abusing children, I demand that you watch out for their safety. if someone should touch them, or even look at them in an inappropriate manner, I want to make sure your staff will be as attentive to the issue as I would have been. Failure on your part to do this will result in at very least a prosecution for criminal negligence, or indeed you may be tried as accessories to the crime - after all, it is your policy to split up families.


Once again, I think that this charge is ludicrous and offensive.  I hope that you realise the folly of imposing it and remove it as soon as possible.


Yours sincerely,


etc

2010-09-02 GPL Skip Hire

2010-09-02 GPL Skip Hire
Originally uploaded by atp

So this is day seven of my Photograph Per Day For A Year project, and the first time I've tried copying one to my blog.

The task is quite simple - take and publish a photograph every day for a year. Hopefully, over that time, I will learn to "see" photographs in ways that I wouldn't have seen before.

I wonder how long it will last

Logic rules.

Logic points out that it's just an oil leak. Not the first, admittedly, but it's just an oil leak. Okay, they'll have to take the engine apart and put it back together, but then the damned thing will revert to being a car and not be doing a BP impersonation all over my driveway.

Logic points out that a double-dip recession is likely, and it would be utterly stupid to be even considering replacing it. Thoughts of "tipping points" are only for those who don't understand that dice have no memory.

That's what logic says, and I am a very logical person.

Stage Photography 101

Quite often on forums I see people asking for some hints about stage photography.  I normally try to reply, if time permits, but this time I thought it might make sense to write my thoughts down once and point people to this blog entry.  So here goes.

I'm going to be shooting when they are on stage next week.  What Hints Can You give Me?

1. If Possible, shoot the dress rehearsal.  If at all possible, shoot the dress rehearsal and not a performance.  By shooting the latter, you're just going to annoy the people sitting beside you.
   
   

   Be aware, however, that at dress rehearsal a theatre is a potentially dangerous workplace. There may be actors walking around the auditorium and people panicking about ill-fitting or damaged costumes. There may be lighting or sound equipment all over the floor, there may be steps leading up to the stage or any number of other hazards. Be careful.
   

2. Don't shoot flash.  I used to use flash, and now have loads of very dull-looking photographs of people walking around in front of 80% grey backgrounds.

   This applies doubly so if you are shooting a performance - use of flash is likely to get you lynched!
    

3. Plan to shoot RAW. Lighting will be changing rapidly as you shoot the show. What looks good to the eye can look awful in camera, so shoot RAW and plan to take the time you'll need to post-process your pictures. Something like Adobe Lightroom can be very useful for processing large numbers of RAW files.
   
4. Shoot at High ISO. Don't worry too much about the noise - it's a lot easier to ameliorate the effects of noise in post-processing than it is to reduce the effects of motion blur!
5. Shoot with a wide aperture. Shooting this way allows you to get a high shutter speed, important to freeze the action as dancers dash across the stage in front of you. But use with care... everything in photography is a balancing act... the wider your aperture, the narrower your depth of field
6. Think about the exposure mode you'll be using. A lot of people tell me that I should use M (manual) exposure mode, but I don't quite understand that. By shooting in Av (aperture priority) mode I can keep the lens wide open and get the correct exposure as the light varies rapidly throughout the show. However, I do make use of the exposure correction dial so that I can allow a dark scene on stage to look dark in the photograph, simply be setting to -3 EV exposure correction
7. Don't try too hard to compose in the camera. Clearly you want to get something that's close to what you need, but you're going to be post-processing anyway. You can always recompose the photograph in Photoshop. Just keep the shutter going and don't miss the good stuff!
8. Shoot wider than your final picture. This one is really important. Shoot wider than you want your final picture to be. People - especially dancers - can move fast. It's easier to crop in post processing than it is to create a false hand or foot to replace the one you cut off because you zoomed in too far!
9. Be nice to people. Especially if you want to go back. So if someone's got a horrible expression on their face, or a wardrobe malfunction, bin the picture...

So... does anyone have any further suggestions to add?

Being an extra

So... that's what it's like to be an extra?

I had to get up at stupid o'clock to get myself to The Beehive pub in Edinburgh for 0730.  Luckily the trains were running smoothly and I ended up being first there.

After a short wait, during which time I was joined by around twenty other extras, we were taken for a cup of coffee, after which we walked back to the pub.

We sat around for a while, then a couple of folk came in to choose from us. At first five people were chosen who did not include me, but one of that group was too well-muscled and I was chosen to replace him.

We were to be the ticket sellers. In the plot, the heroine is one of the ticket sellers who sells a ticket to her long-lost love. I was one of her colleagues.  The other extras were variously passers-by and stall holders.  Our ticket seller outfit was red breeches over very long white socks that kept falling down, a white poofy shirt and white jabot under a really, really red coat.

The action centred on a small market that had been set up in the Grassmarket.  Of course, the road and pavement were still open and so our task was repeatedly interrupted by delivery vans and such like.

The first scene had the camera move through the crowd towards an outdoor restaurant table where the hero sat with his mates.  About a second, perhaps?  It took about half an hour to set up, we ran it about five times with a god few minutes between each run and hen were told to relax.

Then for about another half hour, all the vast array of lighting and camera equipment was moved to the other end of the Grassmarket, and we moved on to the next scene.

The lead-up to filming consisted of s sequence of calls and responses - the call coming from the Director and the response, if appropriate, from someone in the crew.  The one I had to listen for was "background action" because that was when I started moving. A fraction of a second later came "action", the cue for the stars to.do their thing.

We were served lunch around 1330, where I opted for the vegetable pasta in preference to the chicken curry.

And after lunch we started again.

When we finally finished around 2045, I reckon that they would have a maximum of 30s of film.

I'll never look at a film the same way again!

It was surprising to see how many people gathered around the filming areas.  We were fairly noticeable, and as the hours crept on on a Friday night in the Grassmarket I wondered if the revellers may cause problems, but everything went smoothly.

So it was a fun and interesting day, and I met loads of really lovely people.  I even was wished "bless you" by the star (Shahid Kapur) when he sneezed - and I understand that hundreds of thousands of Indian girls would kill to be so close to him!  A couple of passing tourist girls were desperate to have their photo taken with me, and watching the onlookers was as much fun as watching the action.

It's not the easiest way to earn £70, but it was fun.  Thank you to everyone who made it such a good day!

(Typed on my phone - apologies for the typos)

A Trip To The Theatre

As I was trying to find the Haymarket Theatre Royal in London this evening, I was stopped by a young lady asking me to sign her petition. She wasn't totally clear about her petition's purpose, but she did talk about "women's rights" and "sex equality".

So I pointed out to her that she was wearing a skirt and her colleague - another girl - was wearing trousers. Was she really wanting me to sign a petition asking for extra rights for women to ensure they became equal with men?

She stared blankly at me, so I put the question a different way. If I signed, would she be willing to promise me she would never wear a skirt, dress, makeup, and so forth ever again, thus achieving equality with men?

Her reply was rather impolite, but I believe that she was declining the deal I had offered her...

Anyone want to be Glee?

We are on the hunt for groups of singers who are open to trying some choreography to enter our competition.

The programme will be going out on Channel Five from mid July for 6 weeks. If successful, once they have filled in the online application form (link below), the group would be needed for one day for a non televised audition in late May (near your hometown). Then successful groups will be needed for two live shows (heat and final) in late July/early August. The live shows involve five acts and the public vote their favourite act through to the grand final each week. After five heats the five acts that won their heats compete against each other in the final. As you can see, it’s not a knock out show so they wouldn’t need to commit each week and would be given dates in advance.

This competition is for singing groups who have more than 5 members per group and our minimum age for the competition is 14. Please go to www.dontstopbelieving.tv to get the application form and apply for the show.

If groups are keen to apply but waiting to get together to film the footage for the application, please fill in the application form ASAP and get that in to us and then send the footage in as soon as it is able via the application form or post. Footage recently shot of the group, but not specifically for Don’t Stop Believing is acceptable. If we have a completed form off the group we can begin the application process and write a note of when to expect the footage.

Footage can be posted to:
Emma Bickers
SHINE TV
Primrose Studios,
109 Regents Park Road,
London,
NW1 8UR

Just to reiterate interest is high and time is running out so fill in the application form at http://www.dontstopbelieving.tv now to register your interest, the footage can then be uploaded or posted after.

A final note is we are looking for a vast range of groups to apply. From young to old, established vocal groups, choirs and musical theatre groups to friends and family with a mutual love of singing and dancing who want to give it a go; we welcome anyone. We will have a fantastic team of experts on hand to come help with vocals and choreography should the group get through to the semi-finals.

Here are some handy hints to help any applicants.

1. Film your group performing your application song ( nb this can be only 1 song and choose this song wisely as we have had lots of interest)
2. Dress to impress
3. If you have any members who are under 18 make sure their parents are aware and have given their consent.

We cannot offer any group an audition until we have received a completed application form and it is accompanied by a video.

Please return your completed form as soon as possible to ensure an audition in your preferred city as audition slots are likely to be filled quickly. Interest in the show is high so don’t delay!
You can contact me directly on 0207 985 7083 or reply to emma.bickers@shine.tv

Jesus Christ Superstar, Dunfermline, 29-Apr to 01-May

Jesus Christ Superstar is coming to Dunfermline's Alhambra theatre for four performances on 29-Apr to 01-May (with Saturday matinee).

The show - which many consider to be Lloyd Webber's most original score - is seldom made available to adult amateur societies. To mark the show's 40th anniversary, two of Scotland's most exciting amateur musical groups - The Melodramatics of Edinburgh and The Limelight Productions of Dunfermline - have joined forces.

The result is a show that is shaping up to be one of the most powerful theatrical events you are ever likely to see on the amateur stage.

With Iain McInnes playing Jesus, Bobby Mitchell in the role of Judas and Kirsty McLaren as Mary Magdalene, together with a top-notch ensemble, this is an event not to be missed.

The Alhambra Theatre is in New Row, Dunfermline, and has ample free parking close by. If you've not seen the theatre it's well worth coming to visit, as it has promise to become one of Scotland's top theatres in the near future.

You can order tickets (£13 for adults or £11 for concessions) from the Alhambra box office on 01383 740384, or from www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Please do come along - I am certain that it will be a night of theatre you will enjoy and remember for along, long time.

/alan

Well done Mr Connarty

Well, high marks indeed to Michael Connarty - he wrote back to me late yesterday evening (after 11pm) to reply to my mail.

His response started off by saying he had been campaigning to protect copyright holders for eighteen years in Parliament and would continue to do so.  

On Clause 43 he believed that copyright holders were protected because they could "claim back" mis-identified orphan works.  My preference would be to put more onus on the prospective user of the copyrighted material.

On Clause 46 he denied that it was a "Henry VIII" clause, which would allow substantial changes to the Bill without Parliamentary approval.  Instead, it requires a Statutory Instrument, which in turn requires a committee of MPs to make changes.  He described that as normal in legislation.

Finally, Mr Connarty said that he did not vote on the Bill as there was no amendment tabled in the House and hence no opportunity to vote.

While I still am uncomfortable about the issue of Orphan Works I am heartened by the speed of response from my MP and the fact it was clearly a direct response to the email I had sent, not some "form" reply.  

I would suggest to any reader that every image you post to the net has your contact data in the EXIF and IPTC data, and anything larger than a size you are willing to lose should have a watermark containing a copyright symbol, date, your name and some means of contacting you.

Letter to Michael Connarty

It does seem pretty underhand of the government to try to sneak through the Digital Economy Bill on the last day of Parliament before the Election is announced. This Bill will make it much harder for photographers to be paid for the work they do, and that seems wrong in a Bill that claims to be working to protect the "Creative Arts" (see http://www.stop43.org.uk/pages/read_more.html for more information)

Anyway, here's the text of a letter I sent to my MP Michael Connarty today. Let's see what response I get:

Dear Mr Connarty,

Even though it is late, and I am sure your mind will be on other things
today, I ask you to vote against the unseemly shoehorning through of
the Digital Economy Bill.

The Bill has clearly been poorly thought through. It claims to be
trying to promote the Creative Arts, yet in Clause 43 it greatly
reduces the rights of photographers to claim payment for the use of
their own works. Someone wanting to use a photograph need make only
the most cursory of searches for the photographer, and they can happily
go away and use the work without compensating the artist who created
it.

Furthermore, Clause 46 - a so-called Henry VIII clause - allows a
future minister to make changes in the scope of the law without that
being approved by Parliament. I thought we were supposed to be a
Parliamentary democracy - why should a single minister be free to make
sweeping changes to a law without consultation with MPs?

And finally, the suggestion that a family's internet connection may be
disabled because of a SUSPICION of misuse, is clearly contrary to any
form of natural justice. You always come across as a fair-minded man,
so I am sure that you would not go along with something as unreasonable
as that.

I hope you will let me know, at your earliest convenience, that you
have voted to delay this Bill for reasonable scrutiny in a future
Parliament.

Yours sincerely,
etc

Well done Pantone Europe

Colour Calibration of a monitor is the process of making sure that the colours on your monitor match what you would get it if you were to print the same picture out on a properly set up printer.

For this job, I use a Pantone Huey. However, with the recent addition of a second monitor, I wanted to upgrade to the Pantone Huey Pro. This is a software-only update.

I went to the web site for the upgrade, and found that the upgrade was no longer available in Europe. Yet it was available in the USA?

So I sent off a polite letter to Pantone customer support, who confirmed that the upgrade was no longer available in Europe. Disappointed, I asked that this be reconsidered.

So imagine my surprise to receive an email saying that the Pantone Europe people had reconsidered, and the upgrade was to be once again sold in Europe! I was probably their first customer for it, and it undoubtedly works well :-) (The link is here)

So, kudos and thanks to Pantone Europe

The downside of renting your own domain

I have a few domains - thepotters.org is my main one for the family, stagepics.co.uk is another, ross-online.org.uk and sabos.co.uk are domains that I rent and manage on behalf of others.

Completely separately, there is the subject of spam. When spammers are sending junk mail, they know that many mail servers will do a lookup to check that the mail they are sending appears to come from a valid domain.

So spammers create email addresses based on real domains, with any old string before the "@" sign.

That means that when automated reponses or hate mail come back, they go to the domain that the spammer created. And in all of my domains, I have a "catch-all" set up, so that any email sent to that domain comes back to me.

Which is why I have had over one hundred and fifty mail messages telling me that panuche [at] thepotters.org is not a member. Started the morning beautifully, that did!

IT WISNAE ME!