h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm back I've got broadband for at least the next month. I'm meant to be having a rest during this time so expect the usual slackarsery from me in terms of falling behind with things here, but good to be back.


kea

I plan to get broadband sometime before I cark it.

Anyway - it's good to see you about the place.

Hiya!

I'm so glad I've still got two people who will turn up in my journal

Can I make three?

Sure can

Why have you only got broadband for a month, kea?

I thought we were slow compared to the rest of Europe and the US in getting it as the norm that was easily affordable. Although there are more remote areas where it's still not available, but the vast majority now just take it as the norm here.

Not sure where I'll be next month. Hopefully still here, but my life is a bit up in the air.

Alot of NZ is still on dial up. Last time I looked (about 6 mths ago) it was something like 40% of internet users.

There's a big history to this here, to do with Telecom (ex-govt owned) owning the lines and having a monopoly for many many years and using that to suck profit out of NZ without keeping the infrastructure up to standard. So we went from one of the highest internet users in the world, to having one of the worst standards in the developed world. In the past 5 years as mroe people have wanted broadband, and companies have pushed it, the infrastructure has repeatedly failed. Finally the govt got sick of it and legislated to make Telecom play fair, but they're still not really and it's going to take a while for us to catch up.

And don't get me started in the state of wifi here

Good to see you around again, kea.

TRiG.

Thanks TRiG

Kea sighting!!!!!!!

Great to see you back; in the interim i have been kidnapped by a rather lovely male & transported to Rural Ireland, but am off with him tomorrow to collect Yoda from her quarantine in Frogland & bring her here; taking in Germany (said lovely man is German) to see his family; Belgium, then France...see <<eye thread for update; know what you mean about life being up in the air!

zdt

Hey Terri I was thinking of you the other day, wondering what you are up to. Still living life to the full I see

Hey Kea, its good to see you still around. I too have returned from the depths of the interwebs.

Glad you made it back Nb, the kiwis are a bit thin on the ground.

I noticed. I think we should recruit more somehow haha

I did email RNZ once when they were about to interview the guy running the bbc. I encouraged them to ask him about h2g2 (which he had previously been involved in, do any Brits know who I am talking about?). But the interview had been pre-recorded so lost opportunity to lure in some kiwis.

Hello kea - great to see you here again

Hindsight is a great thing, isn't it? But when Stephen Fry was here, following up on DNA's "Last chance to see" it would have been a great time to get hootoo publicised

I am spreading the word down here in Chchch and know of two who are intrigued and pottering around the site... pretty sure they're not Researchers yet though

Fb

Crikey, was Stephen Fry here?

How are you enjoying Chch?

Hi Kea

Chchch in the rain isn't much to write home about. This is my first proper winter for five years and it's taking a bit of getting used to. But apart from the season, I like the place a lot. W*rk is still a pile of rubbish, although not as deep as it was a few months ago. I love the cultural life here - galleries, concerts, plays etc And I'm exploring various long walks on beaches, along rivers, up hills

I'm not sure if there's anywhere in the South Island that has good winters (maybe Nelson). Keeps the population down though