BBC Top Tweet!

It came to my attention that the BBC (yes, THE British Broadcasting Corporation) is one of the top tweets. One source said it was number one and the other at 6th and 8th position. Perhaps source one combined the second sources tweets to give the Beeb number one status. Either way, I had to verify this weird factoid as a lifelong Beeb fan.

Nevermind that the Beeb itself says that Twitter tweets are 40% 'babble'. I also become a true Luddite when it comes to things such as Twitter. I am a quasi-Luddite when it comes to modern technology, grudgingly accepting some things (e.g., computers, blogs, and e-mail). Otherwise going whole hog about things such as the internet, MP3 players, and PVRs (I include iPlayer in that category). Anything which gives me access to "Culture" wherever I may be is more than acceptable to me. The BBC's motto is "Nation Shall Speak Peace Unto Nation" which strikes a chord in me.

Anyway, part of the reason for all the Tweets is that the BBC has announced budget cutbacks. It has proposed closing two radio stations (The closing of Radio 6 causing a fair amount of tweets), half its website, and cut spending heavily on imported American programmes (not much of a loss in my opinion) in an overhaul of services to be announced next month.



Personally, I think the Beeb should introduce external licence fees for all those people who use proxy server to access iPlayer from outside the UK. Sure, there's a get out clause about people who watch delayed programmes which is hinted at in this blurb:

If you watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV you must, by law, be covered by a TV Licence, no matter what device you're using.

Go a little further on the licencing fees website and you see:

However, you don’t need to be covered by a licence if you’re only using ‘on-demand’ services to watch programmes after they have been shown on TV. So, you need a licence to watch any channel live online, but you wouldn’t need one to use BBC iPlayer to catch up on an episode of a programme you missed, for example.

Although, I did have a detector van person knock on my door and ask if I had a Television 20 years ago. I told him that I didn't, but I did have a computer. That was before access to the internet was widespread. Britain didn't have much in the ways of dial-up BBSs either at that time. Soooo...

Anyway, The people using iPlayer as more than just a "catch up service", but as their primary source for receiving the Beeb should be able to access the service directly. Of course, that gets in to all those DRM aspects that I personally detest: in particular, region coded DVDs (or other region blocked material). There are so many ways to get around these things that most Blu-Ray discs AREN'T region coded. So, region coding with me is a topic that truly raises my hackles, but it is also very easy to circumvent. Information should be without borders: especially music and other artistic performances.

So, if the good people at the Beeb would listen to me, maybe they may consider making iPlayer a pay service without borders and time limits. How many Americans are going to want to watch Rab C. Nesbitt? Better yet, how many can understand what he's saying? It's idiotic to make Rab C. Nesbitt DVDs (or other shows with "limited appeal") region coded to the UK or Antipodes (DVD regions 2 and 4). And BBC America is a joke (along with being part of the Discovery Network). If the Beeb won't look to other sources of income, they should stop bitching about licence fees.

Or being broke.

Personally, I'd pay to be able to download from iPlayer if they would cut the DRM crap. Otherwise, get-iplayer does the trick quite nicely for me: especially since get_iplayer gets rid of the DRM!

Makes one want to become a Luddite.

Citygirl at Mudflap Bubba's had some criticism about her Blackberry. This follows on that line.

My Senior has been trying to get me to buy one of the things. There is indeed a temptation since my Palm pilot is totally wonky. The digitiser makes using it quite interesting. Fortunately, I am clever enough to have some work arounds for this problem.

I really only need the thing because I have to keep a diary of court appearances. And, it amuses me whilst sitting in Court. Despite the Courtroom dramas, being in Court is boring as fuck.

There are disadvantages to reading in court. One being that some tipstaffs will tell you that you can't read (unless it's a brief). Of course, you can only read a brief so many times. The other problem is if the book is engrossing in anyway, you will lose attention to what is going on in court.

That means play games on the old palm. I usually play Solitaire (Bristol is my fave version since it is pretty easy), but I have Nine Men's Moris, Go, Tetris, Chess, Monopoly, Scrabble, and Dope Wars. The last one was given to me by someone who was representing the prosecution, which seemed ironic. Scrabble using my rules can be too amusing for court.

I refuse to give up my toy!

Anyway, I had this computer security panic that my Senior's (the QC I trail after) e-mail account was compromised. That meant I decided to change his password, which buggered up the e-mail being sent to the Blackberry. Thus, I was sent to the mobile phone shop where QC is a "regular" (he has 20 phones and a seriously addictive personality).

The rep sorted us out. But it was far more complicated than I would like.

Not to mention I see the new phones on the market. It seems that the iPhone is becoming the trend. I just want a bloody phone and none of the other crap for chrissake. I'd probably get rid of the mobile altogether except it is useful when traveling.

Otherwise, mobiles are the bane of modern existance: especially the morons walking down the street or elsewhere texting. I could go on a long rant about mobile phone rudeness.

Here is a nice fantasy from Mobile to end this post.
WARNING: VIOLENT AS ALL GET OUT!