Notices by D Ingram (ingram@mastodon.social)

@aral Cambridge has long had a problematic relationship with policing. https://www.varsity.co.uk/opinion/24127

@aral And once they get there, they can fuck off a little bit further.

What a bunch of foot stamping toddler twerps.

@webmink @carlmalamud Time for EU to require all standards bodies to make standards available for no cost. ETSI does. Internationally the ITU does too, so telecoms have it sorted. The rest are a mess.

New Zealand Government is the only one I know that makes many (but not all due to joint AS/NZS} NZ standards referred to in its building code available. https://www.standards.govt.nz/get-standards/sponsored-standards/building-related-standards

@carlmalamud I didn't know that. I've always grabbed the BC/NCC from the ACAB website and never had to pay for it (did require an account though). Queensland's working around it by pretty much capturing standards in the Development Code, e.g. for pool fencing where MP3.4 clones AS 1926.x https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/pool-safety/pool-laws-and-standards/fences-and-barriers

@carlmalamud @webmink The building code in Australia is open (better than some places), but the standards that it refers to are not. For example, waterproofing in bathrooms is detailed in AS 3740. The National Construction Code gives legal force to the standards.

@carlmalamud It's nice not having to jump through hoops to get the NCC now. I think I was first looking at it in 2015 for reno (to keep builder honest). I'll keep badgering Aus Gov when I get the chance to follow NZ's lead and make the standards referred to in legislation available for free. Building sector would be a start, but also an issue for radiocommunications (my area).

@carlmalamud I can believe they'd fight tooth and nail. If industry is developing standards (e.g. communications and power) then there's less need for 100% free access, but for things that are legal requirements the governments that mandate them should cough up the development cost. I think that international harmonization & adoption of ISO and IEC standards makes that impossible. But for locally developed ones there's no excuse.

@carlmalamud That would be awesome, and hopefully the CENELEC versions of IEC & CISPR standards are treated the same. I do wonder how ETSI and ITU standards came to be free when everything else is a cash grab (and it's not like IEC or IEEE pay people that contribute to developing standards, and I've done work for both).

@mekkaokereke @craignicol The countries lamenting decline also ignore the wealth transfer to older generations that means many people can't afford to have children even when they want them.

Both causes can be solved by opening hearts and wallets.

@glynmoody Australia is moving to ban the use of genetic testing for underwriting. Can’t happen soon enough, because people are skipping screening tests to avoid insurance hassles. https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/stephen-jones-2022/media-releases/total-ban-use-adverse-genetic-testing-results-life