vivweb01blog

  Smartphone/Tablet Apps – Should they be better documented ? It’s a sad fact that many of the Android and iOS apps that I’ve come across in my travels have been poorly documented and leave the novice user perplexed as to how they work…. I began to wonder why this might be the case quite soon after starting to use smartphones & tablets myself. Having authored quite a bit of software over the years (for pcs rather than mobiles), some of which was produced to support work projects and has been extensively used by professional colleagues, I had some prior knowledge of the coding process - and what goes into validating and documenting an app. This provided some insight into why developers might find it hard work to provide full instructions for their apps. It also provided some clues as to why early releases of some apps have a habit of crashing when used by the unsuspecting. I wanted to explore this a bit further, since these are both important issues to address for any app deve...

 I first published this blog in October 2022. Since then, if anything the political wrangling has worsened, and opinion in the UK became even more polarised in the run up to the July election. Many now argue that the results suggested a voting system at odds with the will of the electorate. Time then, perhaps, for a second look at possible alternative systems.... Introduction The events of the past three years, and in particular the last few months, have shown us that UK politics have entered a state of turmoil that we haven’t seen since the 1970s. As an institution, our post-war political system has never been particularly trouble-free, and the increasingly fractious state of our world is placing ever more strain on both the system and those in charge of it. Can anything be done to improve things, and make our politics more resilient in the face of worldwide changes to come ? Why should we change anything ? Radical change in any system should always be carefully considered...

  Having warned of the dangers of a Momentum ‘coup’ for some months now (see link to previous blog), I was intrigued to see the row developing within Labour ranks this week about Diane Abbott’s candidacy (or lack of it) in the forthcoming election. Starmer has been at great pains over the past 2 years to rid the party of all trace of  Corbynite ‘hard left’ influence, realising its catastrophic effect on the party’s electability after the election debacle of 2019. What little doubt there may have been in the voters' minds that he has singularly failed to achieve his eradication objective will have been removed in the past 24 hours. Far from ‘keeping their powder dry’ until Starmer was safely installed in #10 as many predicted, ‘Abbott’s last stand’ has brought Momentum tumbling out of the woodwork and created an almighty row within Labour’s ranks. Some media reports have even likened it to a civil war. Rayner is already 'on the case' for the left, and has defied Starmer ...

If anyone really needed it, and despite the protestations of some analysts, I think the local election results confirm the verdict of the opinion polls that Labour are likely to win the autumn General Election, and probably with a large majority.  Since Hunt's Budget was probably the 'coup de grace' in the Conservatives loss of popularity, I've updated this article to reflect recent developments. If we needed any confirmation that Hunt is still intent on abolishing NI, the recent 'spat' with Rachel Reeves left us in no doubt. Sunak's decision to go for a July poll will probably have little effect on the predicted result, but should at least kick the idea of abolishing NI into the long grass.... -----------------------------  We’re all painfully aware of the current malaise the UK is suffering in the wake of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, etc., etc., and things don’t seem to be getting any better. Couple this with an obviously exhausted government...

  Thought I’d share some entertaining, if rather jaundiced, views on this subject communicated to me recently by an acquaintance (presumably their views were based on personal experience of family life, and may  of course not be typical): “…You spend the first 3 years teaching them to walk and talk…then the next 15 trying to get them to sit down and shut up. And of course when they're teenagers, everything's always ' so unfair'... When they reach 'technical' adulthood, is that the end of it ? – not a chance….. They'll then stay at home for the next 20 years or so ‘cos they can’t be bothered to save up for a house, and just sit around looking at their iPhones. They expect you to feed  them and babysit  their kids when they’re out gallivanting. (Can’t have you off travelling the world and spending their inheritance, after all, can they ?). They also cost you an arm and a leg* in the process.  When they’ve finally moved out and you think you’ll actual...

  Are you already an eBay seller, or contemplating becoming one ? If so, beware, frivolous and fraudulent return requests are on the increase again, and you can expect very little protection against such scams from eBay. Let me explain the problem…. When you advertise something for sale on eBay, you are required to classify it as ‘New’, ‘Used’, ‘Pre-owned’ or ‘For parts – Not working’. If an item is not obviously defective in some way, most sellers opt for one of the first 3 classes, depending on whether the item has been used or not. In most cases, provided you have set your starting price at a reasonable level, the item will receive one or more offers or bids at auction, will then sell, and eBay sends the proceeds to your nominated bank account (minus their 15% selling fee, of course!). You then send the item to your buyer. All well and good, you might think, so where’s the problem ? Unfortunately there are a number of potential pitfalls in the selling process, includi...