@leighelse@mastodon.nz
@leighelse@mastodon.nz avatar

leighelse

@leighelse@mastodon.nz

I've spent half my working life as a broadcaster and half as a software developer. Along the way I've been a professional musician, and an assistant to apiarists and undertakers (although not at the same time).

I live in Whanganui, where I write and record music, help out part-time at the software company I used to own, and enjoy biking, reading and travelling.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

leighelse, to random
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My younger son made it onto RNZ Nights last night talking about his Dunedin cycle courier business. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2018895532/pedal-power-business-proves-popular

leighelse, to random
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I know, many people think this defeats the purpose of the tablet format, but I much prefer typing to tapping. So I’ve bought this little Arteck keyboard for my iPad Mini 6, and I think it’s an amazing tool. Sure, the keys are small, but the action’s not bad, and the size doesn’t seem to be a problem for my piano-playing fingers. Two negatives: the apostrophe and double quote require a function key, and the Delete key is not on the top row as muscle memory insists it should be.

sue, to random
@sue@glasgow.social avatar

The trajectory of tech companies using similar words to refer to different things is pointing towards a singularity where we'll use the same word to refer to all of the technologies in the world and you'll just have to infer which one it is from context

leighelse,
@leighelse@mastodon.nz avatar

@sue This is true.

I wrote a platform that's used by a dozen different clients in the same industry. It has standardised names for things, the names being those most commonly used within the that industry. Two clients insist on renaming all these terms, sometimes swapping names.

Sure, it's easy to do this in the strings table, but when discussing issues with the client, it adds a huge layer of uncertainty.

leighelse, to random
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This webpage has a nice idea; showing how far you can walk in up to forty minutes from each of New York's subway stations. It would be great to have a similar resource for eachof New Zealand's cities, including both bus and rail (where available).

Personally I'd also make the time radius configurable rather than displaying concentric shaded rings. But a great idea.

leighelse,
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@christopherd Thank you!

leighelse, to random
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After importing six laptops, six phones, an iPad and numerous other battery powered computer devices using YouShop over the years, they've decided that the refurbished iPad Pro that arriving at their Florida transshipping centre yesterday is persona non grata. For reasons I'm still to be told, they will not bring it to New Zealand for me.

Deep sighs.

They've mentioned "alternative delivery arrangements", and I'm waiting to hear what those are.

leighelse,
@leighelse@mastodon.nz avatar

@ojala It's not cheap, but it's often the only way. We'll see what additional information they can provide.

I'm buying the iPad for our trip to Europe, still a few weeks away, but "alternative delivery" sounds very much like shipping, and that will be tight for timing.

leighelse,
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@ojala The advantage for me is that I'm not likely to start a software project and get distracted from actually having a real holiday.

leighelse, to random
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Rowan Atkinson discusses the trade-offs between internal combustion and electric vehicles. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/03/electric-vehicles-early-adopter-petrol-car-ev-environment-rowan-atkinson

stojg, to random
@stojg@mastodon.nz avatar

We’re celebrating the life of one of my nieces by having a bbq at her favourite spot by the river. But I would like to take this opportunity to present this as a supporting document for my application for New Zealand citizenship. A sausage on a white (I toasted) toast covered in Gregg’s tomato sauce.

leighelse,
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@stojg Application accepted, but you'll have to live in the South Island. North Islanders use Watties sauce.

sue, to random
@sue@glasgow.social avatar

See if you work in tech, make a point of spending time with folk who don't, it makes what happens in tech seem even more hilarious 👍🏻

leighelse,
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@sue This is true.

Although there's always the "Oh, you work in tech? My laptop ..." problem.

leighelse,
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@markusl @sue Me too.

And "I'm a software developer, not a hardware engineer" doesn't get you any slack.

leighelse, to random
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"There is no reason why we shouldn't be the safest country in the world. At the moment, we are completely heading in the wrong direction." https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/490953/no-reason-nz-shouldn-t-be-safest-country-in-world-national

Fostering inequality and poverty will always result in increased crime. More police (and courts and prisons) is at best an impractical response. Better to reduce inequality and poverty, and foster opportunity for everyone.

robert_p_king, to random

Yo, New World…. when I say I don’t want a receipt, that includes the petrol discount voucher!

leighelse,
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@robert_p_king Same.

leighelse, to random
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If I needed a reason to actively oppose the National Party as this year's general election approaches, their housing policy gives me that in spades. Not only is it bad for prime farmland, it will deliver more American-style low density suburbs which are the polar opposite of the type of cities Aotearoa New Zealand needs for the future. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/490841/zone-for-30-years-of-growth-national-proposes-housing-growth-policy

ojala, to random
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    leighelse,
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    @ojala @libroraptor On my Mac it downloads the new version automatically, and when I next boot up (I don't leave the Mac Mini suspended between sessions) Firefox doesn't automatically start as it usually does, I need to manually launch it.

    On Linux, I choose when to update, but then Firefox won't work if it's already open until I close and relaunch it.

    I have no idea what happens on the dystopian hellscape they call Windows.

    thunderbird, (edited ) to opensource
    @thunderbird@mastodon.online avatar

    Which do you prefer?

    (For background: One of Thunderbird's core principles is the use and promotion of open standards - this focus is a rejection of our world of closed platforms and services that can’t communicate with each other. Our upcoming marketing efforts will really lean into this, and we want a long-term hashtag to accompany it.)

    leighelse,
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    @thunderbird #Thunderbird

    ojala, to random
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    leighelse,
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    @ojala I'm sorry to hear that.

    robert_p_king, to random

    deleted_by_author

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    leighelse,
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    @robert_p_king Unsweetened would always be my choice. And no sweetening of my home-made muesli either.

    phil_tanner, to random

    Is there an app / website out there that shows you the best take away deals (in your area) for that day?

    leighelse,
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    @swansinflight @phil_tanner There's a good startup opportunity.

    maisiesummers, to random
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    Fucking Microsoft and their fucking UI updates.

    leighelse,
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    @maisiesummers You had me at "Fucking Microsoft".

    scifurz, to linux

    deleted_by_author

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    leighelse,
    @leighelse@mastodon.nz avatar

    @scifurz I not encountered that definition of fun previously.

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