Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

PasturesNew

michaels wrote: »

You can never have too many backups.

Back to the bbc - does anyone else find the bbc news websites takeover by video clips annoying. I prefer my news in succinct text not just a few vids with limited info for the youtube generation. They cut the fact/background content of articles a few years ago and now this - it is like a video version of a tabloid. No doubt it is much cheaper to produce but the more our media outlets treat us as low iq infotainment fodder the less chance that 'the ruling class' will ever be held accountable

I agree. My PC/Internet aren't really up to video-standard - and it's not just me, chunks of the country can't download video and watch it. And, I don't have built in speakers on my PC, so I'd have to go and get the speakers out and plug them in.

It's annoying.

hjd

PasturesNew wrote: »

I agree. My PC/Internet aren't really up to video-standard - and it's not just me, chunks of the country can't download video and watch it. And, I don't have built in speakers on my PC, so I'd have to go and get the speakers out and plug them in.

It's annoying.

Me too. I have no speakers on my pc. I can read and don't want the dumbed down stuff on the BBC website. Last website update got rid of words and brought in videos.

Generali

vivatifosi wrote: »

Just watched Points of View, which asked about the BBC and what you'd cut/keep. So I thought I'd ask the NP.

I'd cut:
BBC3/4
BBC Parliament (if we need to keep it, stick it on the radio)
Scale back on web
Very highly paid presenters, get in promising new talent instead or put in pay ceiling

Keep:
Sporting events of national importance (eg FA Cup, London Marathon, Olympics, Football/Rugby World Cups, 6 Nations etc)
Eurovision (natch)
Panorama/Horizon and other documentaries
Popular programming: Eastenders (I don't watch it but get that others do),
Programming that pays its way as it is sold on (eg Dr Who)

Yup, back to 2 channels and also get rid of some of the all night TV (how many people were actually watching 'Crucible Classics' from 1984?) although I guess all night TV might actually be very cheap.

I do also wonder whether there is anything on the BBC news website that actually adds value to the noise that we get every day. If I want the football score or an update on an unfolding story I can get that pretty easily elsewhere.

The BBC needs some popular progamming (in which I would include the big sports events that bring the country together like the football, Test matches, boat race, Grand National and cheese rolling) to be relevant to people and it should definitely do the things that other channels don't or won't like good doccos (the animal stuff for example has a wide OS market). I bet much of the radio is very cheap to make although I question the need for Radio One especially now with the proliferation of internet radio.

I know a few people that work or have worked in broadcasting and they say it really is notable that if you work for the Beeb there are people bloody everywhere; efficiency is something that happens to other people.

As for the selling programs on (Dr Who/Top Gear), I do wonder whether that should be a consideration for the Beeb. Certainly it would be interesting to see what measure is made of success:failure ratios. Presumably not every show that gets an inflated budget to 'sell overseas', sells well overseas. If Paramount and Universal can't get a 100% hit ratio I don't see how the BBC could manage it.

Spirit_2

Would it surprise anyone if i said "no back ups here".


Not sure about BBC content as I do not watch enough of anything to say I would miss it, however I have an emotional response to the provision of public service broadcasting. Happy to pay a fee for it, afterall I pay for everything else I consume , one way or another.

I think advertising should be a legitimate source of revenue for the beeb to enable it to compete in provision of major sporting/national events. Not much into watching it myself, but the unifying community capital and inspiration has a social value to me.

I dont think the beeb needs to do reality tv, talent shows or R1 a sthere is choice elsewhere. Like other NP, I like to read my news, not watch it and it is increasingly written for a reading age of eight.

Spirit_2

We went to a wedding at the weekend. It was held in a cathedral, Bride's mother is a priest and conducted the marriage. Organ and choir were top class.

Reception was in a marquee at the home of the bride. There had been a communication blip and the heaters never arrived, everyone sat to eat with coats on. Food was in picnic baskets, wine and bubbles unlimited.

OH and I nipped into the house to stand and warm our bottoms against a radiator. The rest of our table and other friends gravitated in and we had a lovely sociable evening. Met some interesting new people, always a bonus. And I learnt a new word. There was a fair amount of high church discussion. It was way over my head, rather like being at a trainspotters convention. The new word was exegetical. I had to look it up this morning, it is from exegeses.

Generali

Spirit wrote: »

We went to a wedding at the weekend. It was held in a cathedral, Bride's mother is a priest and conducted the marriage. Organ and choir were top class.

Reception was in a marquee at the home of the bride. There had been a communication blip and the heaters never arrived, everyone sat to eat with coats on. Food was in picnic baskets, wine and bubbles unlimited.

OH and I nipped into the house to stand and warm our bottoms against a radiator. The rest of our table and other friends gravitated in and we had a lovely sociable evening. Met some interesting new people, always a bonus. And I learnt a new word. There was a fair amount of high church discussion. It was way over my head, rather like being at a trainspotters convention. The new word was exegetical. I had to look it up this morning, it is from exegeses.

Are the Exegeses a later version of the Bee Gees?

***How deep is your love, do be do be, do be do do be do be***

ivyleaf

I'd come across it but couldn't for the life of me remember what it meant, and just had to look it up.

Glad you had such a happy time, Spirit How lovely for the mother to be able to marry her daughter, as it were

zagubov

While I'm a fan of the beeb, I think the payment system for it is outdated. There are 200,000 prosecutions per year for non-payment (10% of all court cases). That's preposterous.

There must be a better way. I think in Israel they pay for it via the radio license which I think is added to road tax.

chewmylegoff

michaels wrote: »

You can never have too many backups.

Back to the bbc - does anyone else find the bbc news websites takeover by video clips annoying. I prefer my news in succinct text not just a few vids with limited info for the youtube generation. They cut the fact/background content of articles a few years ago and now this - it is like a video version of a tabloid. No doubt it is much cheaper to produce but the more our media outlets treat us as low iq infotainment fodder the less chance that 'the ruling class' will ever be held accountable

At least they have moved on from that phase they went through where they reported every time Steven Fry wrote a new tweet.

michaels

chewmylegoff wrote: »

At least they have moved on from that phase they went through where they reported every time Steven Fry wrote a new tweet.

Are you sure it isn't just that he has flounced off twitter in a huff again for a bit?

Do any of the NP know about 'good cholesterol' supplements? I had a health screen and apparently although my total cholesterol is within (just) recommended limits my ldl to hdl balance is all wrong (not surprising as I don't like fish or avocado and don't eat nuts because of DS's allergy). So the advice was supplements but googling to see which was a good one firstly came up with a study that said omega 3 increases prostate risk without conferring any cardio benefits and then a whole list of sites selling their own formulation and dissing all others for reason of impurities, heavy metals, poor processing etc.

This has now left me none the wiser about whether the supplements are a good idea, whether I should take a fish oil supplement or an omega 3 (+6, +9) supplement and whether the supermarket ones at one tenth the price are as good as any....