OnPoint by Keith Ng

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OnPoint: Budget 2011: Radioactive Space Donut

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  • Andrew E, in reply to James Butler,

    I have reluctantly moved to Chrome despite my geek misgivings about privacy

    I understand there's an open source version (called Chromium) which doesn't report all your browsing back to the googleplex. Haven't got around to installing it though.

    174.77 x 41.28 • Since Sep 2008 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye,

    Re: Chrome privacy, seriously?? Is there some major scandal I’m missing?

    There are a stack of privacy options in the preferences that basically say “if you’re concerned about privacy, then you’re welcome to disable this extremely convenient (and in one case protective) feature”.

    My biggest concern isn’t that my internet history will be pulled out of a pot from amid the other 160,000,000 – it’s that an embarrassing url will pop up on autocomplete when someone else uses my computer. Two words: incognito mode.

    ..and my incognito window has a list of “warning: just because you’re incognito doesn’t mean you’re safe from the internet” possible threats, including tracking by ISPs & employers, secret agent surveillance, and people standing behind you. As far as privacy is concerned, I don’t really count google among major threats to my embarrassing internet habits.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew E, in reply to Keith Ng,

    You poor saps can view the IE compatible one I made

    Thanks.

    To be honest, I made this one only because I was sick of having to make shit work in IE. The fix invariably involves disabling AWESOME.

    Understandable. Now imagine having to use tools that disable awesome every working day because your office can't stop glugging the M$ kool aid.

    174.77 x 41.28 • Since Sep 2008 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Andrew E,

    glugging the M$ kool aid.

    Since we seem to be on an operating system, browser comparison thread, any thoughts on Macrohard buying Skype?

    Right. Budget. Sorry. Mmm, yes, anyone?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • James Butler, in reply to recordari,

    Since we seem to be on an operating system, browser comparison thread, any thoughts on Macrohard buying Skype?

    I'm waiting for them to discontinue the Linux client...

    Right. Budget. Sorry. Mmm, yes, anyone?

    Oh sorry, I thought the thread was about data visualizations.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye, in reply to recordari,

    Right. Budget. Sorry. Mmm, yes, anyone?

    The space doughnut is interesting, but I’ve been refreshing PA front page every two minutes in anticipation of Keith’s analysis. Until then I won't know what I think of it.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Heather Gaye,

    The space doughnut is interesting, but I’ve been refreshing PA front page every two minutes in anticipation of Keith’s analysis.

    Perhaps we should ask for a feature upgrade that auto-refreshes, like Cricinfo? Just to bring in a cricket analogy, since it already feels like a long cold winter (of our discontent).

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • CatherineP, in reply to Andrew E,

    Plus, some people working in buildings not too far from Parliament might be stuck on IE8 and, heaven help them, XP, although not from choice.

    IE8, I wish! My building's pretty damn close to Parliament, and I think we have IE6. At least every other site I open tells me my browser is outdated and that I should upgrade... Well, clearly there will be no money for the next 10 years to buy software updates to bring us in line with the real world..

    Since May 2011 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Fine and shiny on Chrome, nonexistent on IE7 (I know!) at work. I'll try the special IE version tomorrow.

    Just one comment: when I was in Data Viz School*, we were told to avoid red-green colour gradients where possible. Red-green colourblindness is much more common than we usually think, and a blue-yellow scale (while perhaps not quite as pretty) will be visible for more people.

    (* aka making it up as we went along, with help from a few books on perceptual psychology)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Joshua Drummond,

    It’s… beautiful.

    Although, as Tom says, it will be interesting to see if my red-green colourblind brother even notices there’s anything on the screen.

    I’m also looking forward to the analysis so I can internalise Keith’s opinions and regurgitate them at leisure.

    Since Nov 2006 • 119 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Tom Beard,

    Red-green colourblindness is much more common than we usually think

    4%

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    IE8, I wish! My building's pretty damn close to Parliament, and I think we have IE6. At least every other site I open tells me my browser is outdated and that I should upgrade... Well, clearly there will be no money for the next 10 years to buy software updates to bring us in line with the real world..

    You know IE8 is free, right?

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Poole,

    3410: that is assuming that public servants have the access to install/update software on their machine.

    That is not my personal experience.

    Since Dec 2008 • 161 posts Report Reply

  • Greg Dawson,

    No sir, you have to have the money to pay your outsourced it department to package up the distributable and spend months ensuring it won't break any of your arcane grandfathered obscure apps used by two people.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 294 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Works really well in Opera 11.1 too. Well it would, Opera is still the only 100% standards compliant browser, trouble is standards stifle innovation but they shure make life easier most of the time.
    That 2.3 Billion seems to be NZTA created in 2008 by merging Transit New Zealand with Land Transport New Zealand. This figure would be the transfer of funding from the two existing departments.
    ETA Opera also has auto refresh settings and too many features to list on a single website let alone a thread.
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    $8.8 billion for retirement in 2011. $9.58 bill in 2012.

    good thing they're fkcing up incentives for kiwisaver then. real good.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I note that "Walking and Cycling Facilities" has had cuts to funding two years running now. So much for Johnboy's Cycle Path that was going to create so many jobs.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng, in reply to Tom Beard,

    Just one comment: when I was in Data Viz School*, we were told to avoid red-green colour gradients where possible. Red-green colourblindness is much more common than we usually think, and a blue-yellow scale (while perhaps not quite as pretty) will be visible for more people.

    Aye. It is true. I thought about it, but my own impairment is that I'm colour-retarded. It takes me forever to figure out colours on anything. The previous versions of this were grey on white, and yellow on grey.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Hansen,

    Choice! Here's mine:

    http://wheresmytaxes.co.nz

    What's the deal with transport in 2009? It shoots up by over 10x 2008's budget.

    Hamilton • Since May 2011 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • Joshua Arbury,

    Yeah I'm sure the 2009 transport expenditure is a mistake.

    Auckland • Since May 2009 • 237 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Works well in Safari 5.0.5 in MacOS too.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    The 2009 transport expenditure is due to two departments being merged into one. Transit New Zealand and Land Transport New Zealand’s assets were “liquidated” and then transferred to NZTA. This would also show up in Treasury income data.
    As far as mistakes go I figure this is just an anomaly of their method of accounting asset transfer to a new department from departments that no longer exist.

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch. As it’s nearly Friday something to listen to while we wait for Keith’s analysis.
    Paddy McAllon at his best… look out for the blinding banjo.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    while we wait for Keith’s analysis

    Ahem - been over here for a lil while.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Joshua Arbury,

    Ah thanks for the explanation Steve. I knew there had to be some bizarre reason behind it.

    Interesting that transport is now the 6th biggest area of expenditure. If you exclude finance and IRD it's the next biggest expenditure area after the big three of social development, health and education.

    Reinforces my feeling that we certainly spend enough money on transport, we just tend to spend it on stupid stuff.

    Auckland • Since May 2009 • 237 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to CatherineP,

    I think we have IE6. At least every other site I open tells me my browser is outdated and that I should upgrade... Well, clearly there will be no money for the next 10 years to buy software updates to bring us in line with the real world..

    Firefox and Chrome are free. Sounds like your organisation is wasting money on software that costs money to buy (yes I know all software has costs to support and run).

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

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