As most people in the UK know, credit and debit cards have been switching over to the “Chip and PIN” system, which is supposedly more secure against credit-card fraud and the like.

On February 14, anyone with a “chip and PIN” card will no longer be able to sign a credit-card slip for their purchases, and must know their PIN number instead.

Anyway, that’s a minor digression. The main thrust is that supposedly “Chip and PIN” is more secure. It’s supposed to stop credit card fraud, and all this bollocks. We’ll ignore the fact that anyone can “shoulder-surf” and get the PIN number. And the fact that the PIN number is the same whether you’re using a cash machine or doing a transaction – which means that if someone gets your PIN number and card (you know, by shoulder-surfing the number in a shop, then grabbing the bag on the way out – that’s just one example, of course) then they can get the maximum cash transaction out like *that* (clicks fingers), which of course renders the card owner liable, as they’re not likely to have called the card company in that couple of minutes and registered the card as stolen. And, of course, the bank will say “Well, you let someone see your PIN number. Therefore you’re in breach of your agreement with us, and thus liable for all losses on that account/card”.

Again, a minor digression there.

My point is this : If “Chip and PIN” is so secure, how come I’ve just seen the following transaction…

“Did you know your PIN number’s locked on this card?” (ie you can’t use the PIN, because you’ve had three goes and failed to get it right)
“Yes, I was trying to use it in the supermarket, and got all flustered with everyone behind me, so I forgot the number, and now it’s locked”
“OK, just sign on the slip here”
“Thanks”
“And there’s your card back”

WHAT? So you can have a locked PIN, which signifies three failed attempts at the number, and instead of cancelling the card, or keeping it, it’s been given back once, then used just on the signature again, and then given back yet again? How the blue blazing fiddly fuck is that a secure transaction?

Help me, please. There’s been an advert recently where the tagline was “Mad About” and then whatever the product was.

The advert was fucking horrible, and really grating. But I need to know what it was to detract the company directors from using the tagline “Mad About [x]” as the site tagline…

Again, blog-wise at least, it was a quiet weekend here. The office is now completely painted, and we’ve done a shitload of domestic gubbins (including replacing the recently-purchased Hoover with a Dyson, as the Hoover one had keeled over and died within a month)

Of course, moving the office round meant that the PC was in pieces on the desk – some things never change – and completely disconnected. So this morning involved getting everything back reconnected and working – and lo, it does.

But yes, a quiet weekend involving lots of domestic gubbins, dog-walking, and not much else. Which makes a change, and was really quite pleasant.

Gah, sometimes I hate doing development work.

Because the site I’m working on has blogging, our “consultant” has insisted we have RSS feeds on it. Great, what a wonderful idea. I’ve never done the actual creation of an RSS feed before, so have no fucking idea how to do one – and most of the stuff on Google seems to be of the kind that says “It’s dead easy. Just do it” without actually giving any useful/relevant information, except perhaps “download this piece of software, which’ll do it for you”. Which isn’t actually what I’m looking for.

And the consultant? Well, I’ve asked repeatedly for information on what to do to create these things – after all, he’s so pro- them, he should know how they’re written, right? Does he chuffaslike. I get the same kind of comments from him – it’s obvious that while the idea may be great, his concept of the implementation is, shall we say, a tad lacking.

Typical fuckin’ consultant, in other words.

Oh bugger. My mobile phone contract is due to expire at the end of Feb/March (can’t remember which) and last night I got the first of the calls from some scamming bunch of bastards wanting me to move to their service to change my mobile contract.

“Hi, i’m from [insert name of scamming bastards here] and I understand your mobile contract is coming to the end”
“I’m not interested, thank you.”
“We can offer you a better service, and ”
(louder)”I’m not interested, thank you.”
“it’ll cost you less than you’re currently on. We check with the”
(even louder, and speaking slowly, as the guy’s obviously borderline retarded)”I’m not interested. Thank you.”
“five main mobile companies, O2, Vodafone…”
“Not interested. Goodbye”
*click*

The twat then rang back. Realised, and fucked off.

However, I know that this is just going to be the first of many. Time to get snotty….

Gah, why do these things always happen when it’s coldest? Yesterday morning, we discovered that the boiler had packed up. The ignition coil was keeping on trying to light the pilot light (it’s a gas boiler, in case you hadn’t worked that out already) but nothing was working/happening. And, of course, it’s been one of the coldest weeks in a while. Joy.

So yesterday I spent some time trying to get hold of the guy we’d had to sort out the gas disconnect/reconnect when we did the kitchen refit late last year. And wouldn’t you just know it? He’s busy, a fair distance away.

Fortunately though, he recommended another guy, and when I contacted him, he agreed to come round and fix it.

And that’s how it happened – he arrived about 3:15 (having called me earlier so I could leave work and get home), opened up the boiler, diagnosed the problem, (a short-circuiting HT lead, whatever that may be) fixed it, and was gone by 4pm. And because it turned out to be a lot simpler than the semi-expected “new circuit board” or “new solenoid”, all it cost was the call-out fee plus VAT. Can’t be bad… And all done within 12 hours of the boiler failing – got the luck of the devil. *grin*