NZPA Stuff Article - no wonder many people are confused!

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › NZPA Stuff Article - no wonder many people are confused!

1 | 2

JonC

425 posts

Ultimate Geek

#40163 30-Jun-2006 09:41

juha:

Really must blog about this, but part of the blame for stories like the NZPA one comes from deliberate misinformation spread by vendors. It's not that easy for people who don't deal with tech on a daily basis to understand it...

The standards are not exactly clearly named or differentiated. Let's see, names that are banded in the media about are:

GSM
CDMA
CDMA2000 1xRTT
CDMA 1xEV-DO
W-CDMA (UMTS)
GPRS
HSDPA

Not exactly user-friendly names for the average cell-phone / data-card user. Add to that the spin the operators put on and it's no wonder.

GJB21

55 posts

Master Geek

#40164 30-Jun-2006 09:42

Maybe its time to start a separate thread on the woeful state of technical reporting in NZ (particularly Compost, sorry Dompost).
The same myths and straightout nonsense about mobile technology are only eclipsed by the garbage about digital TV which they continue to promulgate. Then the politicians pick it up and it becomes "common wisdom". Letters to the editor pointing out and correcting their errors only result in a "points noted" listing alongside the letters they do publish in full on such important topics as the quality of the judging on "Dancing With the Stars". Of course nothing is noted (or perhaps to be precise, understood) and next time the topic comes up, out come the same old errors.
Liked the joke, but perhaps to be more true to journalistic character, it should have been an oasis of beer not water? That might explain a lot............

retardinator

114 posts

Master Geek

#40165 30-Jun-2006 09:44

I can't actually recall any instance where the NZPA does provide a journalist/ author name....wonder why.

I think the main function of the NZPA is to provide a bank of news articles that associated members can access and use in their own newspapers....it will be interesting to see if any other papers run with this story, other than just the NZPA.

Hey Labour and Greens!... Your parties suck! You´ve got too many clowns and not enough ice cream!!

juha

1317 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7

Trusted

#40166 30-Jun-2006 09:48

GJB21: Maybe its time to start a separate thread on the woeful state of technical reporting in NZ (particularly Compost, sorry Dompost).

Hmm? Surely you meant to write "Dumbpost" there?

The same myths and straightout nonsense about mobile technology are only eclipsed by the garbage about digital TV which they continue to promulgate. Then the politicians pick it up and it becomes "common wisdom". Letters to the editor pointing out and correcting their errors only result in a "points noted" listing alongside the letters they do publish in full on such important topics as the quality of the judging on "Dancing With the Stars". Of course nothing is noted (or perhaps to be precise, understood) and next time the topic comes up, out come the same old errors.

If you want some examples of how the rubbish misconceptions float to the top, look at the conclusions of the Hugh Fletcher led Telecommunications Inquiry in 2001. It's on the MED site somewhere. For instance, according to the Inquiry, by now the local loop would've been supplemented by high-speed wireless technologies such GPRS and CDMA 1xRTT...

Liked the joke, but perhaps to be more true to journalistic character, it should have been an oasis of beer not water? That might explain a lot............

Unfortunately, I don't think the NZPA has that excuse even.

Juha

nzbnw

2374 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 22

Trusted

Spark NZ

#40167 30-Jun-2006 09:53

Mattnzl: I don't think Telecom does have both....]

At least not in New Zealand. Some Telecom subsidiaries do or are planning to build GSM networks, such as Samoa Telecom.

Still, bad reporting.

Cheers

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#40172 30-Jun-2006 11:03

I heard a whisper a few years ago that Telecom had trialled a very small scale 1900Mhz GSM network using their existing 1900Mhz spectrum. Can you confirm this at all Jama?

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Jama

1420 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1

Trusted

#40175 30-Jun-2006 11:22

It is the nature of the business to try, trial or test all technologies that may or may not become relevant in the future technological landscape.

tomps

15 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 1

Trusted

#40180 30-Jun-2006 11:38

Hi folks,

As Juha has pointed out, the error in the story and the subjective comments re: CMDAvUMTS were made by NZPA, and their story was put online by Stuff. I believe the original DomPost article which appeared in Thursday's morning's newspaper (not my story BTW) was accurate in its reporting.

Tom P-S

Jama

1420 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1

Trusted

#40183 30-Jun-2006 11:44

Hello Tom and welcome to Geekzone. Obviously the 'dumbpost' comments were not directed at you.

juha

1317 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7

Trusted

#40185 30-Jun-2006 11:49

Tom Pullar-Strecker works at the Dompost, for those who don't know. The story Tom's referring to is this one I think, written by Adrian Bathgate.

That story is as Tom says very different from the NZPA one - which incidentally, the Herald too has published, complete with the formatting errors. Sigh.

Juha

JonC

425 posts

Ultimate Geek

#40188 30-Jun-2006 11:56

Looks like they've fixed up the typos in the article (including spaces), but left in the following contentious sentence:

"It estimates changing to the superior UMTS technology, used by Vodafone in many areas, would cost Telecom up to $800 million."

It's ambiguous, but it seems that Credit Suisse are the ones saying that UMTS is superior, not the journalist. Seems to be a case of spinning out a bit of speculation from CS into another "Telecom is down the drain" story.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

bradstewart

4338 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 166

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#40189 30-Jun-2006 12:00

Its a shame you can't add a comment to a news article like you can with blog posts.

tomps

15 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 1

Trusted

#40205 30-Jun-2006 13:57

Thanks for the welcome, and no offence taken Jama! Did sight the Credit Suisse report and can confirm the "superior" tag was a bit of editorialising by NZPA.

Felix

344 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 1

Trusted

#40326 2-Jul-2006 19:50

perhaps a of bad reporting by publication, journalist, and publisher would be a good start... your thoughts? ideas?

riahon

946 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 90

#40332 3-Jul-2006 06:19

The Media lies . I group journalists in the same category as Lawyers.

1 | 2