What grinds my gears...

[Saxondale]

That stupid EE advert in which they “land a plane” to show how good EE broadband is. 
 

I think there’s a long form version of the advert, which probably explains more about their “experiment” than is evident in the advert that appears regularly on YouTube (and, presumably, TV), but I’m not interested. I’m simply going to slag it off based on what I’ve seen, because that’s my prerogative.

 

If you haven’t seen it, the ridiculous premise is that an air traffic control set-up is replicated in some daft sods’ front room, and they “land a plane” at Cambridge Airport.

 

I have the following issues with it:

 

1) Air traffic control is largely based on decades-old radio and radar technology. They have presumably gone to some length to provide some digital approximation of these elements to pipe them into the house, which is an exercise in absolute futility, yet doesn’t need to be that demanding on bandwidth.

 

2) They set-up a load of monitors in this house and provide a feed to some cameras perched as if they’re in the air traffic control tower.  So this proves that their broadband is capable of streaming video - whoop-di-do. Guess what mate, my broadband can stream video too. The worst thing about this, however, is the idea that an ATC works by physically watching planes land. No. Soz mate, that’s not how that works.

 

3) After the aircraft lands, an excited child exclaims “we just landed a plane”. No. No you didn’t. The pilots landed the plane, you provided (phoney) air traffic clearance, which basically means telling the pilots they’re not going to smash into another aircraft (bearing in mind, this airport was almost certainly closed anyway during the filming of this ‘experiment’).

 

4) They use a load of non-standard and non-sensical language over the radio. “Runway X is available” - eh? “We are on frequency” - what?

 

5) Cambridge Airport is only a small, mainly general aviation airport. I’m 95% sure it doesn’t have its own Approach frequency, and approaches will be handles by London or Brize Norton control. It’s probably has a tower, handling aircraft on final and take-offs, but I bet that’s not even 24hr. Many small airports don’t have a full time tower service, and landing aircraft will simply put a call out on the airfield frequency to alert other aircraft to their position and intention.

 

So, in other words, all these clowns have really done is sit in somebody’s front room, talking crap to an aircraft that is pointlessly flying into a small, quiet, closed airfield. They could have done this with a simple two-way radio.

 

I don’t doubt that the ‘experiment’ was genuinely carried out, however it proves nothing, either technically or in terms of the quality of the broadband.

 

Perhaps ironically, a genuine demonstration of the speed of their broadband would be downloading the hefty mandatory updates on MS Flight Sim.

 

I can imagine the ad agency pîssing themselves with excitement when they came up with this idea and pitched it to the client. 
 

Perhaps the long form video explains better why this was an amazing accomplishment. But if you have to explain why an ad works, it doesn’t work.

 

F-

 

Edited 18 January 2022 by Saxondale
.

[z-layrex]

30 minutes ago, Saxondale said:

That stupid EE advert in which they “land a plane” to show how good EE broadband is. 
 

I think there’s a long form version of the advert, which probably explains more about their “experiment” than is evident in the advert that appears regularly on YouTube (and, presumably, TV), but I’m not interested. I’m simply going to slag it off based on what I’ve seen, because that’s my prerogative.

 

If you haven’t seen it, the ridiculous premise is that an air traffic control set-up is replicated in some daft sods’ front room, and they “land a plane” at Cambridge Airport.

 

I have the following issues with it:

 

1) Air traffic control is largely based on decades-old radio and radar technology. They have presumably gone to some length to provide some digital approximation of these elements to pipe them into the house, which is an exercise in absolute futility, yet doesn’t need to be that demanding on bandwidth.

 

2) They set-up a load of monitors in this house and provide a feed to some cameras perched as if they’re in the air traffic control tower.  So this proves that their broadband is capable of streaming video - whoop-di-do. Guess what mate, my broadband can stream video too. The worst thing about this, however, is the idea that an ATC works by physically watching planes land. No. Soz mate, that’s not how that works.

 

3) After the aircraft lands, an excited child exclaims “we just landed a plane”. No. No you didn’t. The pilots landed the plane, you provided (phoney) air traffic clearance, which basically means telling the pilots they’re not going to smash into another aircraft (bearing in mind, this airport was almost certainly closed anyway during the filming of this ‘experiment’).

 

4) They use a load of non-standard and non-sensical language over the radio. “Runway X is available” - eh? “We are on frequency” - what?

 

5) Cambridge Airport is only a small, mainly general aviation airport. I’m 95% sure it doesn’t have its own Approach frequency, and approaches will be handles by London or Brize Norton control. It’s probably has a tower, handling aircraft on final and take-offs, but I bet that’s not even 24hr. Many small airports don’t have a full time tower service, and landing aircraft will simply put a call out on the airfield frequency to alert other aircraft to their position and intention.

 

So, in other words, all these clowns have really done is sit in somebody’s front room, talking crap to an aircraft that is pointlessly flying into a small, quiet, closed airfield. They could have done this with a simple two-way radio.

 

I don’t doubt that the ‘experiment’ was genuinely carried out, however it proves nothing, either technically or in terms of the quality of the broadband.

 

Perhaps ironically, a genuine demonstration of the speed of their broadband would be downloading the hefty mandatory updates on MS Flight Sim.

 

I can imagine the ad agency pîssing themselves with excitement when they came up with this idea and pitched it to the client. 
 

Perhaps the long form video explains better why this was an amazing accomplishment. But if you have to explain why an ad works, it doesn’t work.

 

F-

 

**** me I just watched it, that's ruined my morning.

[Facecloth]

51 minutes ago, Saxondale said:

That stupid EE advert in which they “land a plane” to show how good EE broadband is. 
 

I think there’s a long form version of the advert, which probably explains more about their “experiment” than is evident in the advert that appears regularly on YouTube (and, presumably, TV), but I’m not interested. I’m simply going to slag it off based on what I’ve seen, because that’s my prerogative.

 

If you haven’t seen it, the ridiculous premise is that an air traffic control set-up is replicated in some daft sods’ front room, and they “land a plane” at Cambridge Airport.

 

I have the following issues with it:

 

1) Air traffic control is largely based on decades-old radio and radar technology. They have presumably gone to some length to provide some digital approximation of these elements to pipe them into the house, which is an exercise in absolute futility, yet doesn’t need to be that demanding on bandwidth.

 

2) They set-up a load of monitors in this house and provide a feed to some cameras perched as if they’re in the air traffic control tower.  So this proves that their broadband is capable of streaming video - whoop-di-do. Guess what mate, my broadband can stream video too. The worst thing about this, however, is the idea that an ATC works by physically watching planes land. No. Soz mate, that’s not how that works.

 

3) After the aircraft lands, an excited child exclaims “we just landed a plane”. No. No you didn’t. The pilots landed the plane, you provided (phoney) air traffic clearance, which basically means telling the pilots they’re not going to smash into another aircraft (bearing in mind, this airport was almost certainly closed anyway during the filming of this ‘experiment’).

 

4) They use a load of non-standard and non-sensical language over the radio. “Runway X is available” - eh? “We are on frequency” - what?

 

5) Cambridge Airport is only a small, mainly general aviation airport. I’m 95% sure it doesn’t have its own Approach frequency, and approaches will be handles by London or Brize Norton control. It’s probably has a tower, handling aircraft on final and take-offs, but I bet that’s not even 24hr. Many small airports don’t have a full time tower service, and landing aircraft will simply put a call out on the airfield frequency to alert other aircraft to their position and intention.

 

So, in other words, all these clowns have really done is sit in somebody’s front room, talking crap to an aircraft that is pointlessly flying into a small, quiet, closed airfield. They could have done this with a simple two-way radio.

 

I don’t doubt that the ‘experiment’ was genuinely carried out, however it proves nothing, either technically or in terms of the quality of the broadband.

 

Perhaps ironically, a genuine demonstration of the speed of their broadband would be downloading the hefty mandatory updates on MS Flight Sim.

 

I can imagine the ad agency pîssing themselves with excitement when they came up with this idea and pitched it to the client. 
 

Perhaps the long form video explains better why this was an amazing accomplishment. But if you have to explain why an ad works, it doesn’t work.

 

F-

 

Surely it can't be more annoying than the one where they shave Tom Ellis's face?

Edited 18 January 2022 by Facecloth

[Finnegan]

On 15/01/2022 at 21:26, oakman said:

The cheapening of ‘mental health’.

 

Don’t quite know how to vocalise what I mean so I really apologise for my ham-fisted way of putting it. It’s a serious issue effecting so many but I’m worried some people’s well-being will be downplayed due to its now catch-all prevalence.  
 

 

There's a bit of a double-edged sword to increasing awareness of mental illness and encouraging people to open up and talk and be aware.

 

It does sound petty to complain about but it does feel sometimes like now everyone feels they're anxious or depressed that those actual conditions, in their extremes, are getting a little trivialised. Especially given there's a section of our society that love a cool "quirk" bandwagon (oh, I'm so OCD!, oh I'm so ADHD! No, Tracy, you're a bit neurotic.)

 

Even my own missus did this to me the other day. She's extremely aware of my mental health history, she's also extremely aware of her own. Both of us have, in our adult lives, spent thousands on private practice therapy and been on considerable doses of SSRIs. The other day I opened up about having been struggling quite considerably over the last couple of months and she actually responding something on the lines of "yeah everyone is struggling a bit at the moment!" and I'm thinking - look, this is not a pissing contest I want to be in here but I'm not talking some extra heavy post-Christmas, back-to-work COVID inspired SAD.

 

You're right in that this is hard to articulate because it's near impossible to do so without sounding like you're saying "wah wah I'm not special anymore" or "guys, I was depressed BEFORE it was cool" or - worse still - "no, I'm PROPER depressed!" buuuuut. I mean, yeah.

[Nalis]

1 hour ago, Saxondale said:

That stupid EE advert in which they “land a plane” to show how good EE broadband is. 
 

I think there’s a long form version of the advert, which probably explains more about their “experiment” than is evident in the advert that appears regularly on YouTube (and, presumably, TV), but I’m not interested. I’m simply going to slag it off based on what I’ve seen, because that’s my prerogative.

 

If you haven’t seen it, the ridiculous premise is that an air traffic control set-up is replicated in some daft sods’ front room, and they “land a plane” at Cambridge Airport.

 

I have the following issues with it:

 

1) Air traffic control is largely based on decades-old radio and radar technology. They have presumably gone to some length to provide some digital approximation of these elements to pipe them into the house, which is an exercise in absolute futility, yet doesn’t need to be that demanding on bandwidth.

 

2) They set-up a load of monitors in this house and provide a feed to some cameras perched as if they’re in the air traffic control tower.  So this proves that their broadband is capable of streaming video - whoop-di-do. Guess what mate, my broadband can stream video too. The worst thing about this, however, is the idea that an ATC works by physically watching planes land. No. Soz mate, that’s not how that works.

 

3) After the aircraft lands, an excited child exclaims “we just landed a plane”. No. No you didn’t. The pilots landed the plane, you provided (phoney) air traffic clearance, which basically means telling the pilots they’re not going to smash into another aircraft (bearing in mind, this airport was almost certainly closed anyway during the filming of this ‘experiment’).

 

4) They use a load of non-standard and non-sensical language over the radio. “Runway X is available” - eh? “We are on frequency” - what?

 

5) Cambridge Airport is only a small, mainly general aviation airport. I’m 95% sure it doesn’t have its own Approach frequency, and approaches will be handles by London or Brize Norton control. It’s probably has a tower, handling aircraft on final and take-offs, but I bet that’s not even 24hr. Many small airports don’t have a full time tower service, and landing aircraft will simply put a call out on the airfield frequency to alert other aircraft to their position and intention.

 

So, in other words, all these clowns have really done is sit in somebody’s front room, talking crap to an aircraft that is pointlessly flying into a small, quiet, closed airfield. They could have done this with a simple two-way radio.

 

I don’t doubt that the ‘experiment’ was genuinely carried out, however it proves nothing, either technically or in terms of the quality of the broadband.

 

Perhaps ironically, a genuine demonstration of the speed of their broadband would be downloading the hefty mandatory updates on MS Flight Sim.

 

I can imagine the ad agency pîssing themselves with excitement when they came up with this idea and pitched it to the client. 
 

Perhaps the long form video explains better why this was an amazing accomplishment. But if you have to explain why an ad works, it doesn’t work.

 

F-

 

But tell us what you really think

[Saxondale]

Just now, Nalis said:

But tell us what you really think

We don’t have the time.

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, Saxondale said:

a genuine demonstration of the speed of their broadband would be downloading the hefty mandatory updates on MS Flight Sim.

 

[Saxondale]

17 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

There's a bit of a double-edged sword to increasing awareness of mental illness and encouraging people to open up and talk and be aware.

 

It does sound petty to complain about but it does feel sometimes like now everyone feels they're anxious or depressed that those actual conditions, in their extremes, are getting a little trivialised. Especially given there's a section of our society that love a cool "quirk" bandwagon (oh, I'm so OCD!, oh I'm so ADHD! No, Tracy, you're a bit neurotic.)

 

Even my own missus did this to me the other day. She's extremely aware of my mental health history, she's also extremely aware of her own. Both of us have, in our adult lives, spent thousands on private practice therapy and been on considerable doses of SSRIs. The other day I opened up about having been struggling quite considerably over the last couple of months and she actually responding something on the lines of "yeah everyone is struggling a bit at the moment!" and I'm thinking - look, this is not a pissing contest I want to be in here but I'm not talking some extra heavy post-Christmas, back-to-work COVID inspired SAD.

 

You're right in that this is hard to articulate because it's near impossible to do so without sounding like you're saying "wah wah I'm not special anymore" or "guys, I was depressed BEFORE it was cool" or - worse still - "no, I'm PROPER depressed!" buuuuut. I mean, yeah.

Agree with this. All these supposed mental health campaigns blur the lines between the normal ebbs and flows and one’s mental health and the much more important issue of genuine mental health disorders.

 

Being sad does not equal being clinically depressed.

Being slightly worried does not equal an anxiety disorder.

Lining your shoes up in a neat line does not mean you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

 

The messaging of these campaigns needs greater focus on how to identify genuine conditions and to seek qualified medical intervention.

 

Edited 18 January 2022 by Saxondale
.

[LiberalFox]

I get the feeling that a lot of mental health campaigning is about the people involved feeling good about themselves rather than serving the needs of people with mental health problems. 

[Dahnsouff]

16 minutes ago, LiberalFox said:

I get the feeling that a lot of mental health campaigning is about the people involved feeling good about themselves rather than serving the needs of people with mental health problems. 

You seem to be suggesting there is a substantial uptick in cases of sanctimony, and as someone of a more facetious bent, I am appalled at that

[Saxondale]

20 hours ago, LiberalFox said:

I get the feeling that a lot of mental health campaigning is about the people involved feeling good about themselves rather than serving the needs of people with mental health problems. 

I reckon it’s well meaning, but it’s implemented by people who don’t recognise or understand the seriousness of mental health disorders.

 

My work has a genuinely well-meaning MH scheme, that sends out advice like ‘go for a walk’ and ‘spend time with a friend’. Sorry, but that isn’t really a substitute for CBT and or SSRIs. I don’t really want to stick my head above the parapet and say ‘sorry, this is bollocks’.

[LiberalFox]

6 minutes ago, Saxondale said:

I reckon it’s well meaning, but it’s implemented by people who don’t recognise or understand the seriousness of mental health disorders.

 

My work has a genuinely well-meaning MH scheme, that sends out advice like ‘go for a walk’ and ‘spend time with a friend’. Sorry, but that isn’t really a substitute for CBT and or SSRIs. I don’t really want to stick my head above the parapet and say ‘sorry, this is bollocks’.

Yeah that's the sort of thing I mean. It's well meaning but runs the risk of appearing to minimise the reality that people with mental health disorders experience.

That kind of advice is more useful for medically healthy people who want to manage their mood and stress which is still important but not the same.

Another danger is that we see mental health disorders as a consequence of not following the right advice.

Unfortunately as you say it's hard to challenge without putting yourself in the firing line potentially. 

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, LiberalFox said:

That kind of advice is more useful for medically healthy people who want to manage their mood and stress which is still important but not the same.

 

Hmm.

 

In fairness, exercise (dopamine and serotonin), sunlight (serotonin) and a clean diet have long been associated with assisting recovery from a lot of quite severe mental health disorders. 

 

It is massively beneficial, it's just not helpful when a lack of those things is ignorantly chucked about as a reason for someone's, say, major depressive episode.

[LiberalFox]

4 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

Hmm.

 

In fairness, exercise (dopamine and serotonin), sunlight (serotonin) and a clean diet have long been associated with assisting recovery from a lot of quite severe mental health disorders. 

 

It is massively beneficial, it's just not helpful when a lack of those things is ignorantly chucked about as a reason for someone's, say, major depressive episode.

Yeah that is true. Perhaps context and wording matter also. I could talk for ages about mental health and my different experiences to be honest but without a clear objective and a lot of care it's probably not worth it. I mean I'm basically moaning about people trying to do good as though random people should be expected to understand complex medical conditions and the needs of patients. It has to be a good thing that mental health isn't seen as taboo overall. 

[Silebyfox_89]

The whole "veganuary" push atm, seems to have taken over from dry January. 

 

I get it good for the planet but some of items are over processed and high in salt (I have high blood pressure) so don't offer a health benefit to myself.

I think we've all got a collective responsibility to eat less meat, but making it a flash sale for the month puts me right off.

[Buce]

17 minutes ago, Silebyfox_89 said:

The whole "veganuary" push atm, seems to have taken over from dry January. 

 

I get it good for the planet but some of items are over processed and high in salt (I have high blood pressure) so don't offer a health benefit to myself.

I think we've all got a collective responsibility to eat less meat, but making it a flash sale for the month puts me right off.

 

Processed food is unhealthy regardless of its meat content but there is nothing preventing you preparing your own vegan meals.

[Silebyfox_89]

2 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Processed food is unhealthy regardless of its meat content but there is nothing preventing you preparing your own vegan meals.

That it is. I'm not a vegan and don't plan to be, its the current advertising drive (radio/TV/social media) I.e. mcplant that I have an issue with.

 

All things in balance should be a thinking shift to eating less meat than flavour of the month.

[kenny]

1 hour ago, Silebyfox_89 said:

That it is. I'm not a vegan and don't plan to be, its the current advertising drive (radio/TV/social media) I.e. mcplant that I have an issue with.

 

All things in balance should be a thinking shift to eating less meat than flavour of the month.

If its in the interest of the environment then we should be thinking about 'eating local'. There is no point substituting meat in the name of the environment for fruit and vegetables that are shipped around the world from countries that probably deforested in order to plant them.

[ajthefox]

The increasing use of the phrase "give your heads a wobble".

 

Becoming more widely used and from what I've seen, its often used at the end of someone's point to suggest that the opinion on the other side of the argument, or anywhere in-between, is absurd and incomprehensible.

[Silebyfox_89]

1 hour ago, ajthefox said:

The increasing use of the phrase "give your heads a wobble".

 

Becoming more widely used and from what I've seen, its often used at the end of someone's point to suggest that the opinion on the other side of the argument, or anywhere in-between, is absurd and incomprehensible.

Don't forgot to also add "you melt" too!

[Unabomber]

People who have steak anything above medium, does my head in. 

[whoareyaaa]

On 21/01/2022 at 14:02, Silebyfox_89 said:

The whole "veganuary" push atm, seems to have taken over from dry January. 

 

I get it good for the planet but some of items are over processed and high in salt (I have high blood pressure) so don't offer a health benefit to myself.

I think we've all got a collective responsibility to eat less meat, but making it a flash sale for the month puts me right off.

I think vegan is a bit too much, eating less meat is easily doable.. I think as a whole we eat way to much meat than you actually need to consume plus it probably carries a ton of diseases.

 

At least with dairy you are not actually killing the animal.. and with all the plastic in the ocean I don't think fish is a great option either. 

[SpacedX]

3 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

At least with dairy you are not actually killing the animal.. 

Not true. a dairy cow's life ends in slaughter, just as the beef cow's does. Difference being, they live longer lives, exploioted in often appalling and cramped conditions, deprived of their young and ultimately end up as burger fodder after three to four lactations because their milk production ceases or they are chronically lame or infertile. The abuse inflicted upon the bodies of female dairy cows is so appalling that a high proportion become “downed” - meaning that they are so sick and injured that they often crippled and unable to stand.

[The Blur]

11 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

I think vegan is a bit too much, eating less meat is easily doable.. I think as a whole we eat way to much meat than you actually need to consume plus it probably carries a ton of diseases.

 

At least with dairy you are not actually killing the animal.. and with all the plastic in the ocean I don't think fish is a great option either. 

It is not like animals who are used for dairy products are better off.   Hens are being squashed in inhumane cages for their eggs, female cows are being artificially inseminated so they can produce more milk with excess male calves being killed for meat and female calves being retained to continue the cycle.  

[whoareyaaa]

3 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Not true. a dairy cow's life ends in slaughter, just as the beef cow's does. Difference being, they live longer lives, exploioted in often appalling and cramped conditions, deprived of their young and ultimately end up as burger fodder after three to four lactations because their milk production ceases or they are chronically lame or infertile. The abuse inflicted upon the bodies of female dairy cows is so appalling that a high proportion become “downed” - meaning that they are so sick and injured that they often crippled and unable to stand.

Fair enough, I wasn't aware of that tbh.. doesn't sound great.