Bread

The problem with a nice fresh Salt & Pepper or Tiger loaf from Tesco is cutting it. It is so fresh and light that the bread knife squashes it flat. The pre-cut loaves are OK, but I prefer cutting my own fresh loaf of bread.

So I got a new bread knife today. Went in to Bentall's in what is left of Bracknell Town Centre.

OK, this is like a hot knife through butter - serious bread knife. Even a fresh loaf does not get flattened by it. Well worth every penny of the £34 it cost.

P.S. Toasted, with real butter, and, of course, marmite... Silly question

Helpscout: Data Protection questions

There are a lot of aspects of the Data Protection Act, or more specifically the way it gets used, with which I disagree. It is very much like the Health & Safety laws, conceived to tackle factory accidents, and turned in to a crazy industry protecting you from paper cuts in offices. The DPA was there to tackle the new usage of computer based databases of people's details which were being collected and sold - mainly around credit reference agencies. Now the DPA gets applied to all sorts of things, and get used as an excuse for much more.

On one of my mailing lists I came across a slightly worrying story which is where DPA usage and ICO views may make sense, perhaps. So, all of this post is based on what I have seen reported on the mailing list and not first hand. However, it does raise a few questions.

The issue is around a product called Helpscout. It appears to be a customer support system for handling incoming emails to a support desk and tracking them properly. As with many such system there are a lot of features and a lot of bloat, as I understand it. One of the clever features is that it looks up email addresses on various social networks, e.g. facebook, twitter, and so on, and collects publicly available personal information and associates it with the ticket. It means people handling the ticket get a wealth of information about the originator automatically. You can see how they think it is a good idea. For some people it could be very useful, I am sure.

There are, immediately, some issues. It means users of this system are collecting and processing a load of data which they don't actually need. That goes against one of the Data Protection Principles. In this particular case the user did not want the data either. So first question revolves around the collection and use of such data which is public information (published on the likes of facebook). Is that valid? To be honest, I don't know, after all, at any time, you could go and look up details on facebook yourself, so how is copying it to your own database any different? From a DPA point of view it may be valid or may not be, no idea. The suppliers of the system are adamant that it is valid to do this in the UK. They even said "In the end, neither you, nor I, nor the IC's office (probably not the person you talked to) would be considered legally qualified to make a judgement on the matter."

But the far bigger issue is that, in checking with facebook, etc, the system sends the end user's email address for the search. So it means facebook, etc, are told a new email address, one they may not even have seen before.

So this raises the issue of whether an email address, on its own, is personal information. I believe this is one of those grey areas even for the ICO. Of course, the very fact that it can be used to extract all of this useful data from social media kind of proves it is! I think the general view is an email address like adrian.kennard@whatever is personal information, because it has my name, but as Paul in my office points out, if he was to use adrian.kennard@hisdomain then that would not be personal information as it is not his name!

The problem, as ever, is that one bit of information is often not personal information on its own, as it is not able to identify an individual. E.g. "Eyes: blue" on its own is not personal information. But associate it with an name and address and now it is. It is all about linking things together that makes the collection of information and associations in to personal information. So protecting something which, on its own, is not personal information may be important.

Of course it is not that simple, in this case it could become sensitive personal data if the social media sites work out where the requests are coming from. It sounds like the system pipes the request through yet another third party so they don't, but all that means is that another third party can tell instead of facebook. The particular support system is being run for a gay website. Now, associating an email address with visiting a gay web site surely must count as personal information? It could easily lead to targeted adverts to friends of the person. I know many people are quite open about their sexual preferences, but they have the right not to be if they want.

Sadly the providers of Helpscout seem oblivious to this issue. They refuse to allow the feature to be turned off and are adamant that it is 100% legal in the UK. Apparently lots of other companies use it.

It seems the site will be dropping them because of this, and their intransigent attitude.

Fun with numbers

Well, OFCOM are fun at the best of times, and one of those is the way numbers are allocated.

OFCOM require communications providers to use numbers in the National Numbering Plan in accordance with restrictions defined in that plan.

One of the restrictions is the use of 071 to 075 inclusive and 077 to 079 inclusive as Mobile Service which is defined: ‘Mobile Service’ means a service consisting in the conveyance of Signals, by means of an Electronic Communications Network, where every Signal that is conveyed thereby has been, or is to be, conveyed through the agency of Wireless Telegraphy to or from Apparatus designed or adapted to be capable of being used while in motion;

Now, OFCOM have made it clear they mean every signal in that. The idea that any call could terminate on a VoIP service was not acceptable. We did eventually get 07 mobile numbers, but they were very fussy. We did have mobile SIMs via Three which was on the 07 numbers.

But when we lost the mobile SIMs for voice, we asked OFCOM to confirm our plans were acceptable. We said we would only use 07 mobile numbers where the call was diverted to another operators 07 mobile number (who would also be compliant) and as such we complied. We also suggested we would route to SIP devices using DECT or other Wireless Telegraphy. OFCOM were not convinced and wanted to take away our 07 mobile block.

We then said "what about SIP devices on mobile phones via 3G data and SIP", that definitely meets the rules. No reply yet.

We know that all mobile operators break the National Numbering Plan, and hence General Condition 17.4 and hence the law (Communications Act). They provide call forwarding to a land line, and voicemail, and some even have call centres on their 07 mobile number range. All such uses are outlawed.

The latest O2 advert for "Tu go" is interesting. It appears to talk of VoIP services using 07 mobile numbers for SMS and voice on devices connected via WiFi, and even PCs not even connected via WiFi. This is almost identical to some of the ways we propose using 07 mobile numbers.

We have written to OFCOM to confirm they have relaxed their rules. We await reply.

Just to add to the fun, the latest breach we have found is Psychic Living, selling psychic readings on 0300 466 0000. AFAIK they are not a charity or non profit, but OFCOM rules for 030 are: Non-Geographic Numbers charged at a geographic rate: to be used by public sector bodies and not-for- profit bodies, calls charged at up to the same rate the customer would pay to call a UK Geographic Number, with calls to 030 numbers counting towards inclusive call minutes if the customer has remaining inclusive minutes to UK Geographic Numbers, and included in any discount structures that apply to UK Geographic Numbers

So, waiting for an answer from OFCOM on that too.

Update: "It is always helpful when we hear that numbers have been misallocated, and we will ensure that action is taken to ensure that 0300 numbers are used in line with the National Telephone Numbering Plan." so they do take it seriously.

Update: Within hours of the complaint, that web site is using an 033 number! Go OFCOM Go!

All good fun.

As for the new number tax, well, I'll blog on that later. We have, of course, deployed the obvious loophole for the number tax which means it is actually in our interests to have more customers using numbers in conservation areas so we (A&A) may do an offer on that shortly. What a wonderful scheme OFCOM have created for that.

Who can't get broadband?

ISP review just did an article on BT scrapping dialup. One of the concerns is that there are people relying on dialup as they cannot get broadband.

There is a quote on that article: "the CLA estimates that 15-20% of people who live in rural areas do not have access to fixed line broadband". I am not sure who the CLA are, or how they define a "rural area". I find the stat of 15-20% not being able to get broadband to be implausible, so I am curious to find out more.

It does depend how you define "rural area": e.g. defining it as "anywhere so remote that you can't get broadband" would mean 100% of such people can't get broadband. So that 15-20% stat is somewhat meaningless without more information.

We have customers who are really in the middle of nowhere on lines over 10km long that get broadband. I have not been able to find if there are any exchanges without even 20CN, or what lines exist that are over 10km long, but can there really be that many?

If you know someone that cannot get broadband, let me know, and we'll see what we can do. Bear in mind, that article is about dial-up being withdrawn. If someone can get even 250kb/s with 16ms of interleaving, that is probably 10 times faster than any dialup they could get.

Fibre to the field?

Update: Apparently there are 86 exchanges, almost all in Scotland, too remote/small to even get 20CN. No idea on number of people served, but I suspect hundreds at most per exchange. Other stats suggest over 80% of people in rural areas can get 2Mb/s. No data yet on how many can get just 160Kb/s which would exceed dialup massively.

Insomnia 49

See updates at the end - not as bad as it first sounded!

Whilst I may be old enough to have actually written video games on things like a TRS-80, back in the day, I have never been to one of the LAN gaming events. I do occasionally play WoW, but nothing like LOL. However, my son had gone to I49 in Telford, and even got me to sponsor their team with A&A T-shirts and all sorts.

It looks mental.

Now, my understanding is that you often have tournament/event game servers on-site for these things and so they are played on the LAN, but it seems that is not the case for all games. James is playing LOL there, competitively, but the game is played over an Internet connection provided as part of the event.

He is not amused though - and is nagging the hell out of me for A&A to do Internet at a future event. Apparently they have disconnected the Internet several times, with as little as 5 minutes notice when people are in the middle of games. The connectivity is apparently really bad. Now, I know gamers are the first to blame an nanosecond of extra latency for missing a kill, but this does indeed sound pretty bad. It is so bad that he has tethered his mobile in order to play, and has won games on that basis!

Of course, to be fair to the people who are doing the Internet, it is a challenge, and it may be that the budget does not allow any better. If they do ask A&A, it will be a challenge, and to do it properly it will be expensive. We'll have to see. James is giving out leaflets though.

Update: The people running the network have advised me that they had some issues yesterday which was fixed (and that is why the Internet was disconnected briefly), and also that they have a gig but the demand is way higher! There have also been DDoS and all sorts. Not sure I would want to take that on myself!

Update: The person running the network is an A&A customer (what a surprise!) and on our irc channel, so able to talk directly to James to discuss any issues. LOL!

Update: OK, the network is pretty complex, but the guy running it knows what he is doing and taking issues seriously. James is off his mobile now and things seem to be going well.

Old picture from exhibition centre

Seriously now - apple are pissing me off

I cannot use iMessage or FaceTime on any of my Mac devices apart from (so far) my phone. One by one they have refused to work. WTF...

This will end up with a genius appointment in the Reading store. I am getting fed up now.

I my macbook pro will not iMessage or Facetime, I want a refund, simple as that. County court is just down the road from the apple store. We'll see how it goes.

Update: Devices have registered and activated again, but people can't iMessage me still - arrrg!

Changing the guard

Not my door key

Thanks to the guys at Lock & Key for their help on this. They are being especially helpful given that I seem unable to measure my locks correctly.

I have upgraded from my new Yale Superior locks to ABS locks.

Why?

Well the Yale locks are a massive step up from my old euro profile locks. There is a really scary video on ABSs web site. It shows how the old locks could be broken within a few seconds using no more than a pair of grips. The Yale locks are way better, pretty much impossible to pick, and they have the snap off bits to make it hard to snap the lock.

BS and 3 star rating

5mm shallow

What is surprising is that the Yale locks can be defeated by using a screw (see that ABS video). You use a screw to pull the whole front of the lock out in a few seconds more, including the snap off part.

So, on the advice of Mat from Lock & Key, I have gone for the ABS locks instead. They have some clever locking cam to jam the lock if snapped off.

An important step, though, is getting the measurements right. And I was out by 5mm. D'Oh.

So, more postage costs, and more messing them about, but they are really very good about it all. Definitely to be recommended.

Apart from meeting a somewhat dated British Standard (BS/kite mark), locks also have a star rating. The ABS locks being 3 star rated. It's related to how long it takes to break the lock. This all means a potential burglar knows not to even bother!

The ABS keys are also almost impossible to pick, and even include a magnet, but importantly they are considered to be more security keys so ordering replacements is a lot harder. Looking at the keys, one of the 5 positions is a magnet and the other 4 have multiple levels and a separate inner and outer level which are not always the same (I have the advantage of looking at two different keys here). All clever stuff.