Blogs 2005/04

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2005/04/29 - Google Ads out of curiosity

Ads are often given as a projected revenue stream for some websites. It seems to me that this relies on there being sites which make money getting custom from sites which generate content. It would be pleasing if this model was self sustaining. In an effort to see if it works I am putting Google's AdSense onto my site for a bit, mainly to get a feel for the numbers.

It would be far more profitable no doubt for me to place ads for my own projects but that somehow seems wrong. Hopefully the Google ads will blend in nicely, whereas if there was any chance of making money I might be tempted to go for primary colours.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not allowed to reveal ad revenue as per Googles T&Cs but time will tell. Perhaps I can channel all ad revenue into ads for my own site?

2005/04/28 - If I could vote I might vote for...

...the Liberal Democrats. According to the poll at Who Should You Vote For The Lib Dems would be my preferred choice, but not far ahead of the Greens. As these results show:

Labour -21
	Conservative 6
	Liberal Democrat 31
	UK Independence Party 3
	Green 27

What was more surprising was how poorly I performed at Chris Lightfoot's 2005 General Election Estimation Quiz. Embarrassingly I got only 35, which is rated as 'badly' here.

In other news there are lots of people willing to help you choose how to vote, as opposed to telling you how to vote. There are also sites which hope to let you get closer to the action. This is a quick list that recently came to my attention:

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/election.php - the one minute quiz to find out how you should vote.
http://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com/ - more detailed analysis of you and your politics.
http://www.politicalsurvey2005.com/ - now find out how you compare to the rest of Britain.
http://www.notapathetic.com/ - say why you're not voting (if that's what you've decided to do), and make yourself heard.
http://www.writetothem.com/ - a site for contacting your representatives, local, national and European.
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/election.php - compare your views to those of your MP.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/ - look at how your MP has performed.

Shame I can't vote really.

2005/04/27 - Test::Fixme is on CPAN

I've just uploaded a new module to CPAN called Test::Fixme. It allows you to add a very simple test file to your tests and then never worry about forgetting to catch 'FIXME's in your code again.

2005/04/18 - No News is NO News

Those who know me well will, I hope, say that I am a difficult man to annoy, but well worth the effort. The news reporting establishment in general does something that really annoys me. It reports the lack of news as news.

More specifically take a story in which there has been a development, and in which there will be a long period before the next development. What often happens is that the story is kept current by reporting that there has been NO development. This means that the lack of news has become news.

Recent examples of this are:

The election has still not been called.
The Pope is still dead.
Camilla and Charles are still to marry.

Now, however, the ultimate in this sort of story has arrived, the election of the new Pope. Here we have a bunch cardinals locked up in a room with absolutely no contact to the outside and with one specific aim - to elect a Pope. However every now and then they'll light a fire and the world will be told that there is still no news. Take this story as a case in point.

As there is no contact with the cardinals inside there can be no news. Everything that can be said about the process can be said now, and nothing new can be said until we know who the new Pope is. Then there is great justification to crawl all over the story and to wring it dry - but not until the white smoke.

2005/04/15 - Adam Price out Campaigning

I was in town earlier today and saw, for the second time in my life, a politician campaigning. Adam Price (see here, here, here, and here) was out sporting his Plaid Cymru rosette with his support posse.

Needless to say it occurred to me that this was my chance to interact with my representative and make sure he was singing from the correct song sheet. Needless to say I didn't. I would have except that I suddenly realised that I did not have the slightest clue what he (or his party) stood for. Also I would be wasting his time as I can't vote (I'm Swedish).

So I didn't get him on the way fox hunting was dealt with, the lack of respect for the public protests over Iraq, the terrorism over drive, the biometric problem, intellectual property patents, ASBOs or my pet peeve - the VAT discrepancy between new build and renovation. There is some movement on the VAT though.

Nor did I go all popular and discuss immigration, law and order, education, tax, or any of the other issues that he probably expected to be quizzed on.

Learn from my mistake. With an election looming and hundreds of politicians suddenly on the streets and approachable it might be a good idea to line up a few questions for them. And remember that you are not interested in how they will answer, your interest lies in making them answer the way you want them to. Prepare your arguments.

Still the sentiments of the market traders was apt: at least it was good to see him - the other candidates apparently don't do the rounds like this anymore.

As it turns out, my research has now shown that he appears quite a likeable chap. He is after all the one trying to impeach Blair over Iraq. Slightly futile perhaps but it shows a bit of pluck to give it a go.

My other campaigning politician experience? Watching David Mellor being chased down Putney High Street by a man in a 'Big Toe' outfit. The 'Big Toe' was the symbol of some single issue party. Priceless.

2005/04/12 - PledgeBank and Stag Beetles

Not that anyone reads this blog but it might interest my non-existent readership that I have currently have a pledge on PledgeBank.com to help stag beetles.

PledgeBank.com is a mySociety project to help anyone who wants to do good do it many fold. It lets you say something like "I'll commit a random act of kindness but only if 20 others commit to doing so too".

Stag beetles on the other hand are large insects that lurk in woodlands minding their own business. They also fly in a most amazing manner which make bumble bees appear delicate and graceful. Unfortunately they are becoming quite rare, hence the Bury Buckets 4 Beetles project.

Please join my pledge.