Coronavirus Thread

[Webbo]

Me and the missus have both got covid. I've got a bit of a cough, that's all the wife's got a sore throat.

[Guest Kopfkino]

11 hours ago, filbertway said:

Babs being so argumentative that hes willing to embarass himself by claiming that people will have missed this massive campaign has made my evening

 

If youre that dense or out of the loop that you've somehow missed it thus far. A random message won't change that

But it might be the trigger that finally gets someone to book it. Seems a weird thing to question when you have **** all idea of its marginal impact - if x people get that text and book off the back of it then seems reasonable - seems unlikely than nobody will action off the back of it.

 

It’s just the same as basic marketing. I know who all the companies in my inbox are this morning and that they have sales cos they told me yesterday. One of them might end up triggering me to buy something

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

I am amazed at the amount of stuff that people don’t know that I would consider just to be general knowledge, really basic things. 
Are the COVID ads overkill? Probably yes  but some people can’t seem

to absorb important information at all, strolling through life, eyes on their phones completely unaware of their surroundings and what’s going on around them.
 

 

[Dunge]

I think I remember reading of a marketing principle where the best way to get people interested in your product is to have them see it advertised in three unrelated places.

 

Obviously this isn’t a product, but the principle will be similar.

 

So many people out there, even on this thread alone, who want to just wish this problem away.

[grobyfox1990]

2 minutes ago, Dunge said:

I think I remember reading of a marketing principle where the best way to get people interested in your product is to have them see it advertised in three unrelated places.

 

Obviously this isn’t a product, but the principle will be similar.

 

So many people out there, even on this thread alone, who want to just wish this problem away.

Good point on three different places. but is an sms message the right way? To me absolutely not, the 18-24 cohort seems to be the problem, do they check text messages?!? But the cost of sending them must be v marginal. I’ve got unlimited texts on my contract, I could’ve sent the message out.

 

not sure it’s ‘wish this problem away’ or just a higher risk tolerance. The world is (and always has been tbf) crazy in that regard, someone who doesn’t have exactly the same mindset as you is often labelled thick. Evidenced on multiple occurrences, on a daily basis,  in this thread 

[HighPeakFox]

The problem isn't people being thick - the proportion of less intelligent beings hasn't changed. The problem is that intelligent people can be persuaded to believe rubbish and/or not act for the common good.

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Good point on three different places. but is an sms message the right way? To me absolutely not, the 18-24 cohort seems to be the problem, do they check text messages?!? But the cost of sending them must be v marginal. I’ve got unlimited texts on my contract, I could’ve sent the message out.

 

not sure it’s ‘wish this problem away’ or just a higher risk tolerance. The world is (and always has been tbf) crazy in that regard, someone who doesn’t have exactly the same mindset as you is often labelled thick. Evidenced on multiple occurrences, on a daily basis,  in this thread 

I'm curious to know exactly how else it would be described.

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, HighPeakFox said:

The problem isn't people being thick - the proportion of less intelligent beings hasn't changed. The problem is that intelligent people can be persuaded to believe rubbish and/or not act for the common good.

Or, sadly, that intelligent people will propagate that rubbish and misinformation for their own ends and against the common good.

 

I believe that is called sociopathy.

 

And the internet gives them more reach than ever before.

 

As you say, the proportion of intelligent people hasn't changed, but the amount of "junk" information has. And that could have dire consequences beyond Covid.

[Dunge]

1 minute ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Good point on three different places. but is an sms message the right way? To me absolutely not, the 18-24 cohort seems to be the problem, do they check text messages?!? But the cost of sending them must be v marginal. I’ve got unlimited texts on my contract, I could’ve sent the message out.

 

not sure it’s ‘wish this problem away’ or just a higher risk tolerance. The world is (and always has been tbf) crazy in that regard, someone who doesn’t have exactly the same mindset as you is often labelled thick. Evidenced on multiple occurrences, on a daily basis,  in this thread 

I think there’s a lot to be said for higher risk tolerance, for allowing omicron to pass through. And we’ll get there eventually. With every exposure, be that to Covid itself or through a jab, the human immune system learns. Long term I believe/agree it will be of benefit to get through this quicker rather than hiding away from it. But there’s a major caveat there: That our health service has to be able to cope with it. It’s about finding the right balance.

 

But we’ve got people here saying that Boris should just straight up ignore his scientists, whatever they say. It’s been said so many times, but the virus doesn’t care what we think. It’s not about being thick, although I concur with the recent points that there are undoubtedly a lot of low intelligence people out there who benefit from the kind of encouragement to get their boosters by text, or even just remind people that it’s not going away. On this thread and similar, it’s more about unwillingness to face up to reality - the idea that there’s some malevolent human force that is in control of the situation but wants to snatch our freedoms actually being less scary than the idea of nature being out of control. The scientists aren’t modelling what they’re modelling or saying what they’re saying to soften us up for anything; they’re doing it to provide decision-makers with the most accurate information possible. We’ve got people here demanding that information be ignored before even determining whether it’s good or bad news because they can’t hack the truth. That’s not to do with intelligence. It’s to do with taking responsibility for the situation.

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, Dunge said:

I think there’s a lot to be said for higher risk tolerance, for allowing omicron to pass through. And we’ll get there eventually. With every exposure, be that to Covid itself or through a jab, the human immune system learns. Long term I believe/agree it will be of benefit to get through this quicker rather than hiding away from it. But there’s a major caveat there: That our health service has to be able to cope with it. It’s about finding the right balance.

 

But we’ve got people here saying that Boris should just straight up ignore his scientists, whatever they say. It’s been said so many times, but the virus doesn’t care what we think. It’s not about being thick, although I concur with the recent points that there are undoubtedly a lot of low intelligence people out there who benefit from the kind of encouragement to get their boosters by text, or even just remind people that it’s not going away. On this thread and similar, it’s more about unwillingness to face up to reality - the idea that there’s some malevolent human force that is in control of the situation but wants to snatch our freedoms actually being less scary than the idea of nature being out of control. The scientists aren’t modelling what they’re modelling or saying what they’re saying to soften us up for anything; they’re doing it to provide decision-makers with the most accurate information possible. We’ve got people here demanding that information be ignored before even determining whether it’s good or bad news because they can’t hack the truth. That’s not to do with intelligence. It’s to do with taking responsibility for the situation.

Bolded for emphasis.

 

Nature is both much better at killing and misery than any human agency could hope to be and utterly unforgiving of delusions that what it is doing isn't happening.

 

Face the truth or suffer. That is the only choice nature offers, no matter how much denial some might have of it.

[BKLFox]

18 hours ago, Legend_in_blue said:

Indeed.  Another waste of money.  There's only so much force feeding of a message people are prepared to take.  If you haven't had a booster/vaccine, a text message is likely to do the opposite in terms of what it is asking you to do.

How much does it cost per txt, do you think it’s £2 + standard rate like when you enter an ITV competition?
I also have visions of how you think these txt’s are sent, some Tory MPs (as you mention Gov) sat in an office with sheets of papers and all our numbers on them and saying to each other I’ll start from the top you start from the bottom and we’ll have it in done in no time.

I would hazard a guess that it’s minimal to ‘free’ cost in the same way as general appointment or pharmacy txts are, and done via non-filter automation hence everyone getting 1 regardless if they have had or not.
It’s certainly cheaper and less time consuming than sending an individual letter to every 1 that’s currently received a txt and as far as force feeding a msg then what’s that saying about “if my actions save just 1 life then it’s worth it….” 
 

To add the txt has the link you need to book so you don’t have to search around looking to see how to do it

Edited 27 December 2021 by BKLFox

[whoareyaaa]

1 hour ago, HighPeakFox said:

The problem isn't people being thick - the proportion of less intelligent beings hasn't changed. The problem is that intelligent people can be persuaded to believe rubbish and/or not act for the common good.

 

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

Or, sadly, that intelligent people will propagate that rubbish and misinformation for their own ends and against the common good.

 

I believe that is called sociopathy.

 

And the internet gives them more reach than ever before.

 

As you say, the proportion of intelligent people hasn't changed, but the amount of "junk" information has. And that could have dire consequences beyond Covid.

Maybe they are not that intelligent then  

[HighPeakFox]

1 minute ago, whoareyaaa said:

 

Maybe they are not that intelligent then  

Or, maybe deeply troubling people know how to manipulate the intelligent.

[whoareyaaa]

Just now, HighPeakFox said:

Or, maybe deeply troubling people know how to manipulate the intelligent.

Possibly!

[leicsmac]

10 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

Or, maybe deeply troubling people know how to manipulate the intelligent.

 

9 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

Possibly!

Yep.

 

Covid is just one part of a larger crisis in this regard, I fear.

 

The small crumb of comfort is that these people who would seek to manipulate, should they choose the wrong event to manipulate over, won't be spared by nature either, no matter how much money or power they have.

[HighPeakFox]

14 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

 

Yep.

 

Covid is just one part of a larger crisis in this regard, I fear.

 

The small crumb of comfort is that these people who would seek to manipulate, should they choose the wrong event to manipulate over, won't be spared by nature either, no matter how much money or power they have.

One difficulty, therefore, is persuading people that this can happen, and that it might happen to them. And I say this fully cognisant of it happening, or the possibility of it happening to me too, likewise being taken for a ride by conmen and confidence tricksters. 

 

It isn't easy to admit you've been had, I know.

[Legend_in_blue]

1 hour ago, BKLFox said:

How much does it cost per txt, do you think it’s £2 + standard rate like when you enter an ITV competition?
I also have visions of how you think these txt’s are sent, some Tory MPs (as you mention Gov) sat in an office with sheets of papers and all our numbers on them and saying to each other I’ll start from the top you start from the bottom and we’ll have it in done in no time.

I would hazard a guess that it’s minimal to ‘free’ cost in the same way as general appointment or pharmacy txts are, and done via non-filter automation hence everyone getting 1 regardless if they have had or not.
It’s certainly cheaper and less time consuming than sending an individual letter to every 1 that’s currently received a txt and as far as force feeding a msg then what’s that saying about “if my actions save just 1 life then it’s worth it….” 
 

To add the txt has the link you need to book so you don’t have to search around looking to see how to do it

We had the letters back in June!  NHS get your vaccine... already had them.  How much does the NHS waste on postage costs a year?  They operate in the dark ages with regards to regular communication.  Constant letters for appointments which are then resent with changed appointment slots etc.  The whole service needs a modern day rethink to make it more efficient.

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

One difficulty, therefore, is persuading people that this can happen, and that it might happen to them. And I say this fully cognisant of it happening, or the possibility of it happening to me too, likewise being taken for a ride by conmen and confidence tricksters. 

 

It isn't easy to admit you've been had, I know.

And that is the massive question.

 

TBH I think you will always have people lusting for power over others and, it's very difficult to neutralise such things at effect rather than at cause, and as such I don't see much of a way around it part from a change in the entire paradigm of how humans think, possibly involving alteration of brain chemistry. And that raises massive ethical questions all its own.

[BKLFox]

1 hour ago, Legend_in_blue said:

We had the letters back in June!  NHS get your vaccine... already had them.  How much does the NHS waste on postage costs a year?  They operate in the dark ages with regards to regular communication.  Constant letters for appointments which are then resent with changed appointment slots etc.  The whole service needs a modern day rethink to make it more efficient.

Fully agree it’s 1 of the many things that need bringing into the modern world from within the NHS

[Farrington fox]

Some good news. There’s to be no new restrictions for England announced today. 

[BertFill]

10 minutes ago, Farrington fox said:

Some good news. There’s to be no new restrictions for England announced today. 

Let’s hope it is good news that no new restrictions will be announced today and not bad news that no new protections will be announced today. Time will tell. Fingers crossed.

[Kasey Keller]

No new Covid rules in England before new year - Javid https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59804686

[Corky]

Where does that leave the rest of the UK? They clearly shut down places in the expectation England would follow and they'd receive financial support.

[Legend_in_blue]

On 25/12/2021 at 22:44, Legend_in_blue said:

Since there are no case number counts until Monday, I reckon we should hold a "guess the number of cases to be announced on Monday" quiz.  Closest to the actual figure wins!

 

I'll go first: 324 561 

 

Any takers? 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

315 701 announced.

 

A level of accuracy that Ferguson can only dream of right there...

[The Horse's Mouth]

8 minutes ago, Corky said:

Where does that leave the rest of the UK? They clearly shut down places in the expectation England would follow and they'd receive financial support.

Mrs doubtfire wants independence after all