Monthly Archives: March 2013

  • Budget shocker: “one pence”

    Gidiot Osborne looking smarmyToday was a momentous day for George Gideon Oliver Osborne (aged 41 and three-quarters), a man who does Chancellor of the Exchequer impressions. Firstly, he joined Twitter. Needless to say, there was the usual warm Twitter welcome for politicians, as evidenced by the use of the hashtag #gidiot. Those using the hashtag were slightly more polite than other reactions to George’s embracing of Twitter.

    Secondly, it was also the day of the Budget. In summary there was very little to cheer about, except the abolition of the beer duty escalator.

    However, what made me cringe while listening to the Chancellor’s speech live on radio (apart from his whining, grating tone. Ed.) was his language: at one point near the end, I distinctly heard him refer to the amount of “one pence“.

    Now, George isn’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, but one would at least expect the Chancellor of the Exchequer to know the difference between penny and pence.

    Since the end of the budget speech itself, BBC Radio 4 news readers have also reiterated Osborne’s ‘one pence’ blunder – repeatedly. 🙁

  • Confused by translators and interpreters? You too can write for the Post!

    To paraphrase the Duke of Edinburgh’s famous retort from 1962, the Bristol Post is a bloody awful newspaper. Every day it manages to show its ignorance of the districts of Bristol, greengrocer’s apostrophes are not unknown and the command of terminology shown by its journalists is abysmal.

    As regards the latter, there was a prime example in this article about cannabis farms, as follows:

    Gardeners often appear in court with a translator and cases regularly detail how electricity at the grow houses is bypassed from the mains.

    In court with a translator? My heart sank. The writer has clearly not been following this blog or other sources about the interpreting fiasco in the English courts (posts passim). Moreover, he has clearly never read my early post on the BBC’s never-ending confusion of interpreters with translators.

    For the benefit of passing Post journalists, I shall once again quote from that article about the difference between the two:

    …here’s a brief explanation of the difference between interpreting and translation: interpreting deals with the spoken word, translation with the written word.

    Simple isn’t it? So simple on would think even a Bristol Post hack would be able to understand the difference. 🙂

  • Python Software Foundation reaches settlement in trademark dispute

    Python logo image
    Python – saved for software in the EU
    The Python Software Foundation blog announced yesterday that an amicable settlement had been reached in the dispute over the Python trade mark in Europe (posts passim) between the Foundation and PO Box Hosting Limited, which trades as Veber.

    The dispute centred around Veber’s use of the Python name for its cloud hosting services and its application for a figurative trademark incorporating the word “Python”. While the Foundation is the trademark owner for Python in the USA, it did not have a filing within the EU. According to the terms of the settlement, Veber has withdrawn its trademark filing and has agreed to support the Python Software Foundation’s use of the term.

    The amicable agreement reached between the two sides will result in a rebranding of Veber’s Python cloud server and backup services, which continue to be available at http://www.veber.co.uk. Veber will rebrand the Python services later under a yet to be determined name.

    “We are happy to come to an agreement with Veber,” said Van Lindberg, chairman of the Python Software Foundation. “What the PSF wants most is to support the global community of Python developers. To Veber’s credit, they were willing to recognise the Python brand without protracted negotiations. We are grateful for Veber’s support and we wish them luck in their business.”

    The Python Software Foundation expressed its thanks the Python community for its support throughout the dispute, both financially and through their campaigning across EU member states.

    This is a repost from Bristol Wireless.

  • My two homes united – by a medieval clerk

    The two places where I’ve lived the longest are Bristol (where I’ve lived since graduation) and Market Drayton (where I grew up). These 2 places are ones I’d call home.

    It’s therefore quite a surprise for me to find the two of them brought into close contact by a writer who lived 6 centuries ago.

    I’m currently reading ‘The Maire of Bristowe is Kalendar’ by Richard Ricart, who became clerk to the Mayor of Bristol in 1478 in the reign of Edward IV, (re)printed in 1872 by the Camden Society and available from the Internet Archive.

    image of Robert Ricart's 15th century map of Bristol
    Bristol as seen by Robert Ricart, clerk to the mayor

    Ricart recorded Bristol’s history from 1217, mentioning the name of the mayor and other chief officers of the town (Bristol did not become a city until the reign of Henry VIII. Ed.), along with major national or local events.

    Imagine my surprise at the following text – in the original Middle English – appearing at the end of the entry for 1459:

    And the Sondaye by fore Mighelmas, James Lorde of Audeley was slayne at Blourehethe besides Drayton in the countee of Stafford.

    In modern English: “And the Sunday before Michaelmas, James, Lord of Audley was slain at Blore Heath near Drayton in the county of Stafford”.

    The Battle of Blore Heath, which was fought on 23rd September 1459, was an echo from my childhood: as a child I’d looked for Audley’s Cross – marking the spot where Audley allegedly fell – from the tops of buses, whilst a popular childhood haunt was Salisbury Hill just outside Market Drayton, so called because it was where Lord Salisbury’s troops had apparently spent the night before the battle.

    Besides exhaustive detail, the Blore Heath 1459 website has a brief introduction to the battle, as follows:

    In September 1459 the armies of the House of Lancaster and the House of York met on a damp Sunday morning at Blore Heath and fought the battle which would begin the English Wars of the Roses. Thousands of men from across England fought and died in a bloody battle, which lasted for the rest of that day.

    Legend has it that Queen Margaret of Anjou watched the battle from the nearby Mucklestone church tower, only to flee when she realised her army had lost. A stone cross still stands on Blore Heath to this day, to mark the spot where the Lancastrian leader is said to have been killed.

  • Capita now using criminals as court interpreters

    image of scales of justiceThe rolling disaster that is the Ministry of Justice’s Framework Agreement for court interpreting is a story that just seems to keep on giving, especially in terms of bad news.

    On Friday the Northampton Chronicle carried a report from Northampton Crown Court where the judge branded Capita Translating and Interpreting as “hopelessly incompetent” (posts passim.

    Included in the piece is the following sentence:

    Mirela Watson, an Essex-based Romanian interpreter, said other issues nationally have included a trial collapsing because an under-qualified interpreter failed to interpret properly, and another where a crown court judge recognised an interpreter as a convicted prostitute.

    One is tempted to ask how did the judge know. 😉

  • Whatever happened to netiquette?

    Picture the scene: 3 gently maturing Bristol Wireless techies sat in the pub having a post-lab pint. Between us we’ve got some 6 decades’ worth of experience in using the internet, having started back in the days of dial-up access.

    Two of us have some experience of web development: one in a professional capacity, the other purely amateur but enthusiastic. We recalled how we used to craft web pages by hand (none of your bloated WYSIWYG rubbish! Ed.), especially since in the bad old days of dial-up, access was paid for by the minute and the baud rate of dial-up modems made snails look speedy. Lean, hand-crafted HTML loaded more quickly.

    Back in those days, plain text email also loaded more quickly than HTML (also referred to as ‘rich text’) email. The former didn’t have the latter’s mark-up tags. This led us naturally onto the topic of netiquette.

    We noted its sad decline on just about every mailing list to which we subscribe. Many years ago, people would have had the error of their ways pointed out to them – particularly on lists with a high nerd factor – if they used HTML email or top-posted replies; plain text emails and bottom-posting being the accepted standards. Indeed, committing either – or both – of these transgressions would be tantamount to ‘flamebait‘.

    Discussion threads were another source of controversy: in no way should a departure from the original topic of the thread be broken.

    Back in the mid-1990s communication via email was still a relatively new affair and in 1995 the Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF), whose goal is to make the internet work better, attempted to lay down some basic rules for communication via the internet in RFC (Request For Comments) 1855.

    Even though it’s now nearly two decades old, RFC 1855 contains some good, practical advice about online communication, most of which is plain common sense; for example:

    A good rule of thumb: Be conservative in what you send and liberal in what you receive. You should not send heated messages (we call these “flames”) even if you are provoked. On the other hand, you shouldn’t be surprised if you get flamed and it’s prudent not to respond to flames.

    As regards ‘flaming’ itself, RFC 1855 has some sound suggestion to make too:

    Wait overnight to send emotional responses to messages. If you have really strong feelings about a subject, indicate it via FLAME ON/OFF enclosures.

    I have put this advice to good use myself: every now and again I’ll clear out my email drafts folders and surprise myself at what I almost sent. 🙂

    One more element of our conversation is perhaps worthy of mention: the digital native. This creature – usually under two and a half decades in age – has spent its entire life in a world of networked communication, but oldies such as me do wonder if it’s even heard of RFC 1855, let alone uses its guidelines in online exchanges. If you’re one that does, comments are welcome below!

  • “A most illustrious place”

    I’ve been very preoccupied recently with the history of Bristol (posts passim) and have now obtained a copy – in jpeg format – of James Millerd’s map of Bristol from the 1670s.

    image of Millerd's map of Bristol
    Millerd’s map of Bristol. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

    As a long-term resident of the city, several things strike me about the map: the city’s medieval walls appear to be largely intact, as are all the city gates (only one survives today in situ); the old four arch early medieval Bristol Bridge is there complete with housing and chapel; there’s no New Cut and Floating Harbour (i.e. port is still tidal); Bristol Castle may have gone, but its moat still remains and Brandon Hill looks like it gets a lot of use of washing days (This Hill is a publick convenience to ye Cittie for ye use of drying cloaths).

    The text in the bottom right corner of the map makes particularly interesting reading and is reproduced below in the original 17th century English.

    The Cittie of Bristoll standeth upon ye borders of Somersett & Gloucester sheirs, yet belongeth to neither but is a Cittie & Countie of itself. It’s seituation is in a pleasant Vale upon ye two Rivers of Avon & Froome. The river Froome is much the lesser river yet on it standeth the Cheif Key of this Cittie. The water floweth there at an high spring tide neere 40 foot in height bringing up thither shipps of great burthens, but there greatest ships ride about three miles downe the river and are for the most part discharged by lighters. Just below this Cittie the river Froom falleth into the river Avon which about Six miles lower falleth into the great River Seaverne but by the way hath a wonderfull passage through a mighty hill leaveing on each side very high & stupendious Rocks, that on the North side is called St Vincents rock where are found those adamantine like stones or Bristoll-Diamonds, which are famous in most parts of Europe & elsewhere & which (as Cambden affirmeth) only in point of hardness come short of ye Diamonds of India. On ye top of this rock are seene ye footsteps of some larg, but very antient fortification. And out of ye bottom thereof issueth a famous medicinall warme Bath water comonly called ye Hotwell, much frequented at all convenient seasons of ye yeare, both by ye neighbouring cittizens & also by Others, who liveing farr remote resort thither for health sake. This Cittie is governed by A Mayor, 12 Aldermen, two shrieffs & a Common Councill consisting in all of ye number of 48. Vsually once every yeare there is held a generall sessions of ye peace & Court of Oyer & Terminer before ye Right worshipfull the Mayor ye Recorder & Court of Aldermen for delivering of ye Goale & for inquirie into ye dammages of ye Crown. Toward ye East end of this Cittie formerly stood a very larg & strong Castle which since ye late Warrs hath bin demollished & is now turned into faire streets & pleasant dwelling retaining still ye name of ye Castle. At ye West end of ye Cittie standeth ye Cathedrall Church & Bishops seat in a most pleasant & wholesome aire neere where-unto are to be seene ye remaynes of Antient Cloysters & other Religious houses which in ye time of ye Warrs of England were defaced & for ye most part ruined & since continues in ye same condition. This Cittie sheweth 19 faire Churches whereof 17 are Parochiall, the chiefest of which standeth on ye south side of ye Cittie without ye Walles which from ye Red rock whereon it is founded is called St Marie Redcliff which by reason of it’s Stately seituation (being ascended unto on ye Cittie-side by above 30 steps of stone) it’s Archie foundation heigth strength & largeness of building, both for Chappell Church & Tower, it’s cross shape & loftie Isles, it’s beautifull porches, pinnacles, battlements and other Ornaments that renders it admireable, is held & deemed to be in all respects ye fairest parochiall Church in England by reason whereof it is highly esteemed by ye inhabitants & much admired by Strangers. It is wholly built of free-stone without the Concurrance of any timber either to ye structure or tecture of ye same that bears the lead. Over ye River Avon passeth a very faire & loftie stone Bridg built on either side with houses & shopps which though in length it cometh much short of yet in fairnesse of buildings goeth as much beyond ye famous Bridg of London over Thames. There are no sincks that come from any houses into ye streets, but all is conveyed under ground rendering ye Cittie exceeding sweet & delightsom. They use no Carts there as in London, but carry all uppon Sledds. In few yeares last past this Cittie hath bin much augmented by ye increase of new buildings in most parts thereof, especially on ye West & Northwest sides where ye riseing of ye Hill St Michael being converted in Comely buildings & pleasant gardens makes a very beautifull addition to the suburbs thereof; it is a a place of verie great trade & Merchandize sending forth shipps into all parts of ye World where tradeing is allowed. In which respect as also for its number of inhabitants and good Government it may well be accounted One of ye cheiff Citties of this Kingdome. It is so pleasant to ye Eye & so well accomodated with all things necessarie for life or delight, so well furnished with plentifull Marketts, wholesome waters, faire buildings, Schooles, Hospitalls & what ever else may be desired that it well answers to its antient Saxon name Brightstop, Signifying in English A most illustrious place. It hath been formerly dignified with the honourable title of an Earldome which the truely Noble familie of the Digbyes now enjoy. 1673.

    As a linguist, what also intrigues me about the above description of the city apart from the erratic spelling and capitalisation is the presence of a large number of superfluous (or greengrocer’s) apostrophes; these are the earliest examples I’ve yet seen.

    The full resolution (5,931 × 5,365 pixels (4.6 MB)) version of Millerd’s map is available from Wikimedia Commons.

  • UKIP if you want to

    The Europhobic United Kingdom Independence Party is always carping about how the European Union wastes money.

    They’ve now provided unequivocal evidence of the EU’s profligacy: here we see 2 UKIP MEPs snoozing their way through a debate in the European Parliament and thus not earning their allegedly gold-plated salaries.

    image of snoozing UKIP MEPs in Euro Parliament
    UKIP: snoring hard for Britain

    Some may accuse UKIP of hypocrisy; I couldn’t possibly comment. 😉

  • “Hopelessly incompetent”

    At the end of last week, Judge Richard Bray branded Capita “hopelessly incompetent” after he was unable to sentence and expedite deportation proceedings against a Vietnamese drug king because no interpreter arrived at Northampton Crown Court, according to a report in yesterday’s Sunday Express.

    The same report also revealed that Capita Translation and Interpreting, which is making a shambles of providing interpreters for courts and tribunals (posts passim), is using its Capita Polski call centre in Wroclaw, where its 500 Polish staff are meant to match requests for linguists on Capita’s register who are then called or e-mailed with offers of work. However, this is also reported not to be working very well.

    How much longer before the whole Capita/ALS/Ministry of Justice Framework Agreement comes crashing down; and more importantly who’s going to be left to pick up the pieces?

  • More everyday sexism: ePad Femme

    Dubai-based tech company Eurostar Group knows exactly what women want (apparently. Ed.) and has designed a tablet especially for them – the ePad Femme. Eurostar itself calls the ePad Femme “the first tablet specifically for ladies.”

    The ePad Femme is an 8-inch tablet running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and comes pre-loaded with a light pink wallpaper and apps concerning yoga, grocery shopping, and cooking, as shown below.

    image of ePad Femme
    Don’t like yoga, shopping or recipes? Ever thought of buying another tablet?

    Speaking to the Jerusalem Post, Mani Nair, Eurostar’s associate vice-president of marketing, said the tablet comes with pre-loaded ‘womanly’ applications so the user can “just turn it on and log in to cooking recipes or yoga”, adding that the ePad Femme “makes a perfect gadget for a woman who might find difficulties in terms of downloading these applications.”

    Needless to say, such sexism has hardly been greeted with enthusiasm by women tech writers. For instance, Casey Johnson has a piece on arstechnica entitled “Finally, a tablet simple enough for a woman to use </sarcasm>”.

    However, such criticism seems likely to fall on deaf ears in Dubai.

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