Note - from June 24th 2009, this blog has migrated from Blogger to a self-hosted version. Click here to go straight there.
Since relocating the entire contents of the RantCave (to an area with lower temperatures, higher rainfall and more interesting topography and cafes), The Lovely and I also uprated our IT infrastructure... and of course everyone knows that any alteration to IT infrastructure means loads of downtime.
It does not surprise me one iota that a set of systems - each of which is allegedly binary and linear - can generate obviously nonlinear behaviour; having seen the simplicity of the Mandelbrot set and other chaotic systems that have very simple (albeit non-linear) strucutures, nothing surprises me anymore.
Telstra is also to be congratulated; not for the quality of their support (which was enthusiastic when finally acquired, but took over an hour on hold, twice), but for their commitment to shareholder returns. Sure, they did stupid things (e.g., the PCCW hookup) during the 2000 euphoria, but now they're on the right track. Subscribers should be like feedlot cattle - given only such treatment as will result in a herd that maximises profits.
So, while some might moan about the installation software that was obviously written by a temp, through to the idiosyncratic '9 digit number' that isn't provided until you ring them, as an analyst TLS ought to be given a higher earnings multiple.
It's all a brilliant mechanism for shifting costs to the herd. Save a bundle by getting ESL cutprice jobbers to write your code, and ESL cutprice call centres to handle the herd. Terrific stuff.
Normal RantTransmission will re-commence tomorrow.
