OK, so why is it, just as I'm about to go away on holiday I start to feel ill.
It's not that it's a one off, but something that seems to happen far to regularly.
So now I'm sitting here, due to go away in a few hours and I feel like anything but that. In fact all I feel like doing is sleeping (which I'll do after I've finished this). I'm sure I'll enjoy the trip and have some wonderful memories, it just takes away the positive feelings that I feel I should be having about going somewhere for the first time.
Anyway, sleep ahead.
Blog about the visit as and when I can over there, if not then when I get back.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Maybe I'm Missing Something
OK, maybe it's just me, but I get the feeling that there's something missing from the information that we're being given about the missing 25 million child benefit records.
It's emerged today that one of the problems was that it was going to cost too much to provide the NAO with just the information from the database they wanted, so the whole lot was sent (and lost) instead.
Now, in my simple, Pooh Bear like brain, I'm thinking like this. Now as an ICT teacher, I've got loads of students who have to create databases (in MS Access for their and my sins). Now occasionally they will make a mistake and will need to import data from other database tables into their ones. It takes 'not a lot of time', though I will concede they are not dealing with 25m records. However, are we expect to believe that the database that the HMRC are using doesn't have this ability and is therefore inferior to MS Access (try not to laugh at this point). Alternatively how long would it have taken to make a copy of this database (they clearly had time to do this twice!) and delete the unnecessary fields in one go (seconds in MS Access regardless of how many records), so that they only had the ones that the NAO needed.
So, am I missing something, or is government so caught up in it's own methods to see the obvious.
Please, anyone, feel free to enlighten me!
It's emerged today that one of the problems was that it was going to cost too much to provide the NAO with just the information from the database they wanted, so the whole lot was sent (and lost) instead.
Now, in my simple, Pooh Bear like brain, I'm thinking like this. Now as an ICT teacher, I've got loads of students who have to create databases (in MS Access for their and my sins). Now occasionally they will make a mistake and will need to import data from other database tables into their ones. It takes 'not a lot of time', though I will concede they are not dealing with 25m records. However, are we expect to believe that the database that the HMRC are using doesn't have this ability and is therefore inferior to MS Access (try not to laugh at this point). Alternatively how long would it have taken to make a copy of this database (they clearly had time to do this twice!) and delete the unnecessary fields in one go (seconds in MS Access regardless of how many records), so that they only had the ones that the NAO needed.
So, am I missing something, or is government so caught up in it's own methods to see the obvious.
Please, anyone, feel free to enlighten me!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Getting back on-track (or is that on-line?)
OK, it's been over 6 months, but I'm determined not to have a blog that never gets used as the vast majority seem not to once set up.
I'm heading to New York for the first time in a few days time, so I figure that it's as good an opportunity to start kick this thing off again and to recount my time there as a newbie.
I've been the the states twice before. Both trips with family and both to recognised tourist traps (Florida and Vegas). This time will be slightly different as I'm on my own. Should be a laugh and be nice to run to my own timetable. Have loads of things planned and will be taking the camera with me, so plan to have a load of photos as well.
The previous trips I've never felt like I've got to 'know' America. I don't know if I will this time, but at least, while NY is a tourist destination, it's also a working destination as well, in ways that are very different to the Disney belt of Florida and the extremeness of Vegas. There, everyone you meet is really a tourist, whereas I have a feeling (I could be wrong) that in NY there will be more 'real' people if you get my drift.
Right, I've got to go and get ready, but hopefully there will be a lot more appearing here in the near future.
I'm heading to New York for the first time in a few days time, so I figure that it's as good an opportunity to start kick this thing off again and to recount my time there as a newbie.
I've been the the states twice before. Both trips with family and both to recognised tourist traps (Florida and Vegas). This time will be slightly different as I'm on my own. Should be a laugh and be nice to run to my own timetable. Have loads of things planned and will be taking the camera with me, so plan to have a load of photos as well.
The previous trips I've never felt like I've got to 'know' America. I don't know if I will this time, but at least, while NY is a tourist destination, it's also a working destination as well, in ways that are very different to the Disney belt of Florida and the extremeness of Vegas. There, everyone you meet is really a tourist, whereas I have a feeling (I could be wrong) that in NY there will be more 'real' people if you get my drift.
Right, I've got to go and get ready, but hopefully there will be a lot more appearing here in the near future.
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