A view from a very common computer user

"It's all about choice. I have the choice of how my OS works, how it looks and above all, what it does. Windows has failed me on all those counts, and Windows 10 with its telemetry and uncontrollable updates was the final straw."
— a speaker's comment at a recent Linux Users' Group meeting

Okay, let's be clear about one thing. Whilst I have a somewhat technical background, having done tech support for Windows and Apple computers, trained phone support personnel and both built and (to a limited degree) supported networks, I still only want my computer to just bloody well work. I don't expect much of my computer, but I want its operating system to get out of my way so I can communicate, write, read or watch silly cat videos.

I'd been an MS/DOS and Windoze guy since I started using…

Little was known about the islands of San Seriffe until The Guardian newspaper published a seven page special report about them back in 1977. The supplement was published on the 10th anniversary of independence which the islands gained on April 1, 1967.

Typical for that newspaper (affectionately known as "The Grauniad" there were a number of typographical errors calling the islands by their proper name but also various mis-spellings such as San Seriffe and even San…

I think at this point in human history, it would be prudent to begin an open discussion about beings from space, what they want, and if they might offer something substantial in return for our allegiance. Face it, we are doomed as a species and we must turn to those who can help us. But will they? And what could they want from us in return?

If we look back at the diverse history of beings from space making contact with humans in some way, we can draw some brilliant deductions. We know there…