Opening’s in Technology

Well now, there’s a thing …

Now, I’ve got to admit, I’m a technology fan, I really am … !

And one that’s on something of a budget, like many of us.

So I’ve, like many others, fallen back on what’s known as open source software.

Just in case you DIDN’T know, Open source software is computer software that is usually given away freely.

And, unlike many bits of proprietary software, the underlying code — the actual text that makes up the software — is readily accessibly those those who wish to change it, improve it, study it …

Or just plain have a look at it.

Now you’re PROBABLY thinking that’s a BIT geeky, aren’t you … ?

But if you reading this vis Firefox or Chrome … ?

They’re open-source web-browsers.

If you, like me, have used OpenOffice.org, or a version or it … ?

That’s another piece of open source software …

Or you’re using Ubuntu, or another Gnu/Linux distribution to work your PC … ? Or Android, in the case of an android phone … ?

They’re whole open source operating systems …

And usually, they’re NORMALLY handed out for free.

All the likes of you and me have to do is pay any company that’s made such a thing for technical support …

Unlike, for example, the case of any given version of Windows, or Mac OS X — or any other piece of closed source proprietary software — where you’d be paying twice over: once for any technical support, and once for buying the software in the first place.

»»~««

For many of us … ?

Well, for many of us, that mean’s that there’s a LOT of free software out there, that’s certainly on a par with it’s commercial equivalent.

Given the choice, I personally would go for an Ubuntu equipped PC, if I couldn’t afford another: although I realise that’s not going to please everyone.

If for no other reason than the fact that iTunes isn’t available on the platform.

However … ?

While I’m not surprised that more home users don’t know about open source software — mostly because of the way the shops that SELL us computers work, and the lack of a Linux version of iTunes is a big hindrance to its uptake — I AM surprised that local and national governments don’t make more use of it.

Near enough exactly what this little article I found says, if I’ve understood it correctly … ?

Can I be honest … ?

I’m thinking that good old fashioned inertia seems to be wider spread than people think …

Oh … Firefox is Out …

Hmmm …

I’ll be frank, this is a bit of a weird experience, right at the moment …

You’ve probably realised, over the past few year’s, that I’m something of a Mac fan, haven’t you … ?

More fool you, if you haven’t.

And generally speaking, I tend to stick with OS X’s default browser,Safari.

Mostly … ?

Mostly because I happen to prefer the way it handles text. And how one can use the cursor keys — ▲, ▶, ◀ and ▼ — in conjuntion with Shift(⇧), Option(⌥) and Command(⌘) to both navigate, highlight and even delete both words and phrase. Indeed, whole lines and paragraphs as needed.

⇧, ⌥ and the Up or Down cursor will highlight a line, for example.

Not the case in Firefox, I know that much.

I’m using it, now, to write this post.

Mostly because todaysaw the release of Firefox 4.0.

The thing that caught my eye … ?

Was the simple little fact that Mozilla, the open-source project behind both Firefox and Thunderbird, the email client you can get as part of the Mozilla suite, have seemingly mae Fire look a touch more like the Mac version of Chrome, from Google.

Not that much, I grant: the Mac version of Chrome is still a touch more Mac-like, something I know is appreciated by Mac users.

The one thing that HAS caught my attention is that Firefox 4 now has any tabs one has open above the URL bar: unlike Safari, which has kept them below.

Another is a small point, again relating to tabs.

I’m not sure if you can make it out on the picture, but each of the little ‘x’ shaped buttons used to close each tab — in Safari — is on the right hand side: deliberatly, I believe, to make moving a mouse easy for the majority of us: the 90% or so of the planet’s population who are right handed: it’s why I think the Red, yellow and green buttons — the Mac OS X equivalent to Windoze and Linux’s Close, Minimise and Resize buttons — are on the left hand side of a given window in OS X.

Windoze and Linux, of course, have those buttons on the rightof a given window.

However … ?

For whatever reason, the little ‘x’ button’s I’m on about — in Chrome and Firefox — are on the right hand side of individual tabs.

Handy for a southpaw like me.

MP’s and Rich Media Content: How to Oggle HTML5 and write to Your MP

Which I know is a bit of a gobful of a post-title.

But I think it sums up what I’m trying to say …

Possibly …

At any rate, one thing I know I managed to find in my letter box, today, was a very polite letter — about wheel-clamping — from Brentwood and Ongar MP, Eric Pickles.

At last …

But just to keep you abreast, I’d written to him, recently: mostly to ask him his stance on the Freedom Bill, due before the House of Commons.

I got a reply from him.

And I think we can say he’ll be voting for the Bill.

Double click on the scan of the letter, that SHOULD show you what I mean …

At any rate, I’ve fired off …

A reply … !

You’d guessed, hadn’t you … ?

Here’s what I asked him …

Dear Mr Pickles,

Firstly, let me thank you for answering my email with your letter of the 26th August of this year, in regards to wheel-clamping.

However, I also believe I have not had my questions answered to my personal satisfaction.

I’ll happily agree that there are some companies in the wheel-clamping industry that are as unscrupulous as you say.

However, I live in Rollason Way, near Brentwood Station.

And the wheel clamping company that my landlords — South Anglia — use have been, bar the usual teething problems one expects with type of scheme, fine.

In fact, they have been so successful in keeping commuters and non-residents out of our street, that residents had recently voted to retain the scheme.

So the government announcement about the Freedom Bill … ?

Caused a lot of heated discussion at the subsequent residents meeting, as I’m sure your colleague, Councillor Joan Holmes — the one Conservative councillor for Brentwood West — will be able to tell you. She was there, as was Councillor Karen Chilvers of the Brentwood and Ongar Liberal Democrats.

So I would like to reiterate my initial question, and — if possible — add another to the list.

Firstly, I would like to know if the government had — or is — considering making the current voluntary code of practise. As I stated in a recent letter to the Brentwood Gazette, I feel that better regulation, rather than an outright ban, would be a preferable course of action.

Secondly, I’d like to reiterate that I’d like to know which you — personally — intend to vote on the Freedom Bill, when it comes before the House in November. I believe that I — and many of my neighbours — would be comforted knowing our MP is voting against this bill: one that makes our lives more complicated, and one I think that goes against David Cameron’s much-talked-about ‘Big Society’.

Yours,

There’s hoping I get a reply to that: I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed, but let’s wait and see, shall we … ?

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The other part of the title … ?

Refers to the fact I found a rather nice website, earlier tonight, that’s all done in HTML5.

Which was rather fun, something I’d not knowingly come across, and was amazing — to me, at least — to experience.

Go have a look at it: I think you’ll be impressed!