Looking in from Outside

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Gus Morris
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Looking in from Outside

Post by Gus Morris »

Most days I have a look at the forum to see what's going on. It helps me keep in touch when I'm not there. I'd love to live down in 66 all the time but that's just not possible. So I read L'Indep and watch the web-cams to remind me of what I'm missing.

To me 66 is sunshine, blue seas, snowy peaks, wilderness. The place where geckos scuttle about, lizards live in the garden, stick insects and the praying mantis are common. Where I've seen dolphins swimming and even a sun fish slowly moving just below the surface. Where I ski in the winter and snorkle in the summer. A magic place.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise to note that there is so much time devoted to how to watch TV. Nobody much seems to go anywhere or do anything very much. Surely this can't be right? Or am I looking in the wrong place?

Gus
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Post by interiors66 »

You describe it so well gus, my theory is not everyone is retired here. So after a long day(or week) as much as everyone thinks we are down the beach in reality we do the same as you would back in the UK.
Sit down , have your tea and switch the box on.
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Post by mrob343 »

interiors66 wrote:You describe it so well gus, my theory is not everyone is retired here. So after a long day(or week) as much as everyone thinks we are down the beach in reality we do the same as you would back in the UK.
Sit down , have your tea and switch the box on.
We do however,have lots of BBQ's during the summer months and hit the beach at weekends,or go exploring in the mountains :)
Personally i don't watch much television but its nice to have the ability to do so should i wish to.
As Interiors said those of us that are not retired and work hard down here need our chill time.Be it in front of the telly or otherwise ... :)
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Post by Kate »

Yes, I think it's a bit of both. Lucky to have everything you mention here Gus, but good to have the alternative on a rainy day to batten down the hatches and vedge out in front of the box, safe in the knowledge that it's all waiting for us just outside the door. :lol:
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Post by Santiago »

Yes, Gus, you are wrong and am assuming you're just having a grumpy moment rather that criticizing everyone here to get a reaction.

As others have said. Brits who live here like to watch TV in English, just like every other English-speaker. I'm sure we probably spend less time in front of the box than the average UK resident but the forum has dedicated a lot of time to HOW to watch English TV because it's such a complicated issue. I note that you yourself have devoted more words on this topic than any other :)
For example.
http://forum.anglophone-direct.com/sutr ... ht=#114676

If you do manage to move down here permanently. You will undoubtedly welcome the advice about English TV on this forum when the Tramontane is blowing, or it's raining or you are tired after a long day at work or hiking or skiing.
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Post by martyn94 »

My experience has pretty much gone full circle. I started in France nearly 30 years ago in rural 76, where it was and still is very easy to get UK TV. For 20-odd years I didn't bother: I had enough to occupy my time at what was very much a weekend escape from my life in London.

A few years ago, retired, I made the effort to install it and watched it quite a lot for a while. But over time I simply lost the urge. I am not so much interested in UK news; I no longer get the references in would-be topical programmes; I no longer know which series are meant to be must-sees; and if I did I am no longer ready to commit to them (it is no help that the "must-see" factor seems to have grown in the meantime: I wouldn't twitch my big toe to see the "season finale" of series 19 of Breaking Bad - or whatever - nor would I ever have done).

I have followed the same trajectory in other ways: I didn't renew my Private Eye sub the last time my credit card number changed (after well north of 40 years), and so on.

Other people's mileage will vary. But I do have some sympathy with Gus: even if the tramontane is blowing, we can still read a book, play charades, do the ironing.... Or even, God help us, learn to love French tv.
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Post by Gus Morris »

Thank you to all those who replied. I guess as a "holiday visitor" I see the PO in a different light. It's true i've said a few words on the subject of watching TV. But when i started this thread the forum seemed to be saturated with this subject and had been for some days. No, i am not grumpy nor was i out to stir things up.

Saw you've had more high winds. Hope nobody reading this sustained any damage.

Gus
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Post by sue and paul »

I learnt to drive in a car like yours, Gus. Is it the same one I wonder. It's one of the few I've driven and not damaged in some way :lol:
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Post by GrahamC »

Gus Morris wrote:Thank you to all those who replied. I guess as a "holiday visitor" I see the PO in a different light. It's true i've said a few words on the subject of watching TV. But when i started this thread the forum seemed to be saturated with this subject and had been for some days. No, i am not grumpy nor was i out to stir things up.

Saw you've had more high winds. Hope nobody reading this sustained any damage.

Gus
Not wishing to stir controversy Gus but I'm with you on this. Back in the UK I barely ever switch on the TV. Almost everything screened is utter brain rot. Out in the PO we haven't bothered to connect our TV to even an aerial. We just use it to download and watch the occasional movie.
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Post by Kate »

Not stirring up controversy at all. It's an interesting and fair observation and true that living here and visiting regularly are two different kinds of lives. I think also that since Facebook, the forum is much quieter, as FB is so much easier to post photos, like or agree without having to make too much effort, send a quick message from a Iphone. Fortunately, a group of knowledgeable people remain faithful and help to keep it running and healthy, and several of them just happen to have a lot of technical experience - so lots of tekkie talk! :o :o :o
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Post by Gus Morris »

Hi SandP. Not my car I'm afraid. Just a Morris like me!

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Post by GrahamC »

Kate wrote:Not stirring up controversy at all. It's an interesting and fair observation and true that living here and visiting regularly are two different kinds of lives. I think also that since Facebook, the forum is much quieter, as FB is so much easier to post photos, like or agree without having to make too much effort, send a quick message from a Iphone. Fortunately, a group of knowledgeable people remain faithful and help to keep it running and healthy, and several of them just happen to have a lot of technical experience - so lots of tekkie talk! :o :o :o
I ought to count myself as a techie 'cos we own and run a computery company. But somewhere along the line I decided to stop acquiring more ways of communicating so I never bothered to learn about Facetwit or Tweetbook. I'm sticking with your forum Kate - its blooody marvellous ( just like you!)
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Post by opas »

Ditto, my first job in 1979 was on a computer department in a mail order company, but i seem to be stuck in that era. Using electonic checkout some 25 years later was easy, buying a computer cos children came along entailed classes at college on my days off. Twitter passed me by, facebook i can msg friends on, skype i have mastered cos i can save money talking ( something i do well, aparently:-))
But i do prefer the format of a forum.
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Post by Kate »

:lol: :lol: :oops: :oops:

Considering that I run and update the website every day, I'm a bit of a technophobe. I know what I know (if you see what I mean) without actually knowing why and how I know it!! Anything new befuzzles me and sends me running back for the comfort of what I already know.
Having said that, I do now find FB easier for posting photos, or info from my phone but my first loyalty will always be the forum, now over 10 years old. I'm proud of all the help that we've been able to give to people over the years, and consider the forum lucky to have members who give of their advice and experience so generously. Oooops. Sorry. Seem to have popped into speech mode!

New, updated website in the pipeline at the moment. Forum will stay the same but everything else will change!!! Very excited about it all but ARRGGGHHHHH! :oops: CHANGES!!
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Post by russell »

I very rarely look at Facebook these days. There is far too much dross posted as far as I'm concerned.

This forum is a bit more serious and worthwhile. Keep up the good work Kate.

Russell.
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Gus Morris
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Post by Gus Morris »

I have deep reservations about Facebook and other social networking sites. I've personally come across a couple of cases of young people who have been through hell on them. I read somewhere that a sizeable percentage of the IDs in use are not real. Don't even know how Twitter works!


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Facebook

Post by Lanark Lass »

Problems with this also when you die - seems your page will always be there. A Norwegian friend who died in December is still on there.
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Re: Facebook

Post by lonesome paddy »

Lanark Lass wrote:Problems with this also when you die - seems your page will always be there. A Norwegian friend who died in December is still on there.
If for example a family member has access to your Facebook password, they could then delete the account and it would no longer show up on Facebook
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Post by Lanark Lass »

Don't think so. Bob has tried to delete his own facebook account and not been able to.

He keeps getting contacts frompeople who he doesn't know who wants to be his "friends"(friends of contacts for instance some in India and Africa for instance"} Also he's not happy about the "big brother" aspect of facebook etc.
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Re: Facebook

Post by GrahamC »

lonesome paddy wrote:
Lanark Lass wrote:Problems with this also when you die - seems your page will always be there. A Norwegian friend who died in December is still on there.
If for example a family member has access to your Facebook password, they could then delete the account and it would no longer show up on Facebook
No you can't. My mum has been dead for more than 2 years and she still has a Facebook page. The only thing you can do is make it inactive. Incredible eh?
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Post by CPB »

I have deleted an old Facebook profile before. If you google it, it shows you how.
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Post by Santiago »

Facebook is a facility. I've used it since it first cme out and although it does take some effort to figure out how to keep things private, how to share things and who to share them with, it a very powerful utility.

I don't understand what people mean when they say too much dross is pasted on Facebook or Twitter. They are selective channels so you can choose which of your friends and contacts or interests you want to hear about. If you only see dross, .... :)
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Post by Kate »

But not everyone is as computer savvy as you Jon. It took me ages to work out how to use FB, and there are still loads of things I dont know how to do. My personal FB page has linked itself to the PO Life one, so loads of my friends unfriended me because they didnt know how to stop the hundreds of notifications coming through....it might be obvious to you but most people 'of a certain age' and many of an uncertain age don't love it enough to spend hours working it out!! :roll: :lol:
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Post by lonesome paddy »

From Facebook itself re deactivating or deleting an account.

https://www.facebook.com/help/224562897555674
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Post by Santiago »

I agree Kate, it's not straightforward to a beginner. However, it's clearer than it was a few years ago.

The point I'm making is that dismissing FaceBook and Twitter as toys used by egocentric teenagers is very wide of the mark today. I've just spent about an hour on FB catching up with what's been happening in my business sector, the region, a few topics that interest me and what my friends and family are up to or also find interesting. FB has given me connections to people that would have been difficult via telephone or email.

The P O Life Facebook site has been a real success and I don't think Sue was an "expert" when she set it up, but it works well.

I know a lot of people who have not grown up with technology find anything on the internet scary. My mum won't use internet banking for example and many people are afraid of identity theft or falling for scams or receiving viruses that will stop them playing Spider Solitaire or whatever.

Maybe there is demand for a Facebook configuration consultant to help people set it up the way that suits them best. Perhaps more lucrative and useful than selling internet TV packages with dubious legality :)
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Post by Sue »

Thank you Jonathan. No, I knew, and still only know little about Facebook and computers. My little knowledge comes from my underused computer at work and the patience of my secretaries over the years. Life is a learning curve with many changes and we must change with it or be left behind. My little grey cells are once again alive.
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