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Category Archives: Computers and Internet
Does absolute power corrupt absolutely?
It began with the forging of the Great Rings.Three were given to the elves; immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings.Seven to the dwarf lords; great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls.And nine: nine rings were gifted to the … Continue reading
The day I broke the machine
I read an article on The Conversation the other day about a new prototype chatbot called ‘ChatGPT‘, and decided to shoot the breeze with it. It didn’t go well…. Are you alive? No, I am a computer program designed to … Continue reading
Posted in ... wait, what?, Computers and Internet, consciousness, Just for laughs, perception, Phlyarology
Tagged AI, artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, consciousness, life, OpenAI, Turing Test
18 Comments
[SOLVED – finally!] Windows 10 installation has failed
The beginning of the end (of Windows 8.1 – and my sanity) If you have a PC running on Windows 8.1, you currently have less than a month to do something about that, because Microsoft support for it ends on … Continue reading
Posted in ... wait, what?, Computers and Internet, Phlyarology, Tech tips
Tagged 73%, free, Microsoft, upgrades, Windows 10, Windows 10 installation has failed, Windows 8.1
20 Comments
Can you teach an old dog new tricks?
In recent years I’ve come to fear marketing speak. Phrases such as ‘innovative software initiative’ send chills down my back and tend to make me break out in a cold sweat. Back in January I posted about the upcoming retirement … Continue reading
Posted in ... wait, what?, balance, Computers and Internet, Core thought, Strategy
Tagged Lethal Weapon, Microsoft, Roger Murtaugh, upgrades, Windows
29 Comments
How to be a free-thinker, part two
Following on from last week’s wibblette, my intent with this one is to try to persuade you to consider using tools other than the ones that you probably use because everyone else does (apologies if that’s not the case). There … Continue reading
Posted in ... wait, what?, Communication, Computers and Internet, Core thought, Education, Phlyarology, Strategy
Tagged debunking, disinformation, DuckDuckGo, misinformation, privacy, Proton, Signal, Sync
4 Comments
How to be a free-thinker, part one
Throwing off shackles is a two-stage process: One has to acknowledge that a box exists before being able to think outside it. Me, 2021 Google and Facebook track you, learn how you think, and seek to manipulate you in pursuit of … Continue reading
Posted in ... wait, what?, balance, Communication, Computers and Internet, Core thought, Culture, Strategy
Tagged Big Tech, brexit, facebook, Google, social media
18 Comments
How to use Styles in Microsoft Word (and why you should)
by Dr Bob Rich Word is the most commonly used word processor program, and yet many people have difficulties with its basic features. A very experienced writer in a group I belong to complained that he hates having to put … Continue reading
Posted in collaboration, Communication, Computers and Internet, Education, Tech tips
Tagged Microsoft Word, Style
13 Comments
My technique for coping with spam comments on WordPress.com
‘Wibble’ began in 2007; a lifetime ago in Internet terms (and of course also for those now aged 15 and under, duh). In all those years, I only rarely had any spam comments to deal with here on Wibble, and … Continue reading
Posted in balance, Computers and Internet, Phlyarology, Strategy, Tech tips
Tagged coping strategy, housekeeping, information overload, maintenance, Monty Python, spam, Spam Song, UCE
17 Comments
On expiry of a custom domain name
My post last week, ‘How to ensure that your blog lives forever, revisited‘, needs a follow-up, as an unanticipated situation arose. (I would probably have spotted it myself in time, but then again, perhaps not, and I am indebted to Goldie … Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Computers and Internet, Core thought, Strategy, Tech tips
Tagged custom domain, DNS, domain name, domain name system, Linkrot, primary domain, World Wide Web
11 Comments
How to ensure that your blog lives forever, revisited
The World Wide Web has a serious design flaw, one that ensures that link rot is endemic. The domain name system (DNS) requires that domains be regularly maintained; a fee must be paid to keep the name in operation. In effect, it ignores the inevitability of death. Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Computers and Internet, Core thought, Strategy, Tech tips
Tagged custom domain, domain name, hijacking, Linkrot, primary domain, World Wide Web
46 Comments
Wibble 