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Rob\Viewdata UK

@robert@irrelevant.me.uk

mastodon 4.5.5

Random thoughts and comments. Most interested in retro computing, pre-web viewdata/Prestel services. Also likes Sci-Fi, Roads, Geekery of many kinds. Liberal leaning, watcher of UK politics & world news.
Moving from twitter @irrelevant_com / @viewdataUK

#Prestel #Micronet #Viewdata #Videotex #BBCMicro #BBS
🫶🏻🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

#noai

225 Followers

489 Following

18 Posts

Joined November 15, 2022

Website:

https://www.viewdata.org.uk

Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/ViewdataUK

Other website:

https://www.irrelevant.com

Stuff for sale:

https://marketplace.socl.uk/~robert

Posts

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · May 20, 2026

I didn't feel old at the time :-(

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · May 16, 2026

Replying to @alice@lgbtqia.space

@misterscience@mastodon.world @alice@lgbtqia.space I swear half the people I encounter on the road believe they haven't got indicators..

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · May 15, 2026

Just found a receipt from 2003 for some DDR RAM. 512MB for £50+VAT. And that was trade price.

We might gripe about recent memory price rises, but it's easy to forget how much it cost just a bit further back..

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · May 12, 2026

In my quest to set up a server with a GPU, NVME drive & 10Gb network card, not all of which I can easily fit in any of the servers here, if they even supported them, (all too old to know what an NVME drive even is) I bought a used motherboard from eBay. Not the most powerful, but plenty of PCI-E slots. So I need a case for it all. I thought I might have an unused mini-tower in the graveyard under my workbench, so went to have a look.
Yep, I do. Three of them. Plus a smaller one on a shelf.
LOL.

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · May 12, 2026

Where's the "Absolutely not, never mention this again!" button??

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · May 09, 2026

Replying to @tink@w3c.social

@tink@w3c.social Thank you!

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · May 09, 2026

Replying to @jwtownshend@toot.wales

@jwtownshend@toot.wales Thank you!!

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · May 09, 2026

My youngster is selling hand made badges and stickers of their own artwork. Or trying to - only had one order so far. If you want to support an autistic teenager, please have a look at https://store.eva-jane.uk/ and see if anything tickles your fancy. It's mostly fan art, though there are some originals. (I especially like the bees!) Posts worldwide at cost. She also takes commissions if you like the art style.

Feel free to boost! 🙂
#selling #fanart #badges #stickers #bees

Edit:thx for 4 orders!

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Feb 14, 2026

Replying to @masek@infosec.exchange

@masek@infosec.exchange This is the plot of Caprica (tv series) is it not? Next thing you know we'll have Cylons taking over..

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Feb 10, 2026

Replying to @JenYetAgain@beige.party

@JenYetAgain@beige.party in 2017 a popular twitter game was the best game I've ever played in a while back in the game of the game is a good idea to get a new one for the game and the graph underneath are totally fake and the graph underneath are totally fake and the graph underneath are totally fake and the graph underneath are totally... (that last repetitive bit it seems to have remembered from my review of a pulse oximeter. Don't buy it.)

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Feb 06, 2026

Replying to @csara__dup_32823@vmst.io

@csara@vmst.io I use https://www.freethought.uk/ and have found them reliable and responsive.

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Jan 29, 2026

Replying to @aaisp@social.aa.net.uk

@aaisp@social.aa.net.uk Remembering back ~20 years when we were running a small online business. (very low value stuff, like 99p each.) Used to accept cheques, and postal orders, which were annoying but necessary at the time. Even cash. (Still have 40 USD notes in a drawer from that period.) Wouldn't even consider it nowadays, although the last time we had to deal with a cheque (few years ago, refund from Motability) I discovered our banks App allowed me to pay it in just by photographing it! That was handy.

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Jan 21, 2026

Replying to @X31Andy@mastodon.green

@skjeggtroll @sawaba @pluralistic @iFixit @X31Andy Yikes, I remember those days. Had one customer suffer dozens of busted open PCs. And they weren't gentle about it. Lots of collateral damage. We (tiny accounts software house with a sideline selling PCs and installs) also got broken into. MD was cross none of the office doors were locked. The next time, they found locked doors, so kicked through them all. Cost 10x as much to fix it all.

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Jan 12, 2026

Replying to @halva@mk.absturztau.be

@halva One for the collection :) Beats trawling eBay listings, which is another good source.

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Jan 01, 2026

Replying to @summerbeth@mastodon.me.uk

@summerbeth@mastodon.me.uk Heh, got a few of those!

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Dec 31, 2025

Replying to @Floppy@mastodon.me.uk

@Floppy @pauljrobinson Just slide the write-protect tab across, it'll be fine...

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Dec 27, 2025

Replying to @nina_kali_nina@tech.lgbt

@nina_kali_nina@tech.lgbt I used to have one of these.. Co. I worked for had a few, and I liberated an unused one in the 486 era. Unfortunately I left it behind in a "simplification" of my life, 26 years ago, and I'm pretty sure it was binned (along with a pile of other not-quite-PCs I couldn't take with me, that makes me cry now, but at the time were worthless) when the house was sold later on.

Rob\Viewdata UK @robert@irrelevant.me.uk · Nov 16, 2022

Replying to @AJDB@mstdn.social

@AJDB@mstdn.social @gcluley@mastodon.green Never assume anything on a computer, particularly somebody else's, is private. I learned this one whilst debugging an email server, mid 90s, came across messages between two staff obviously conducting an affair. Not people I knew personally, thankfully. (It was at a customer site. ) Unless e2ee is in force, assume /anybody/ can read your messages.

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Rob\Viewdata UK

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