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News TV Licensing Authority to deploy Wi-Fi sniffing vans

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 8 Aug 2016.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Hey, now, let's be fair: the vans totally do exist (I've seen 'em.) They just don't have any detection equipment in the back...
     
  2. SexyHyde

    SexyHyde Minimodder

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    The only thing the BBC is worth keeping for is the World Service and that gets diminished more by the day as the uptake of mobile devices grows in countries that need it most. Is it really worth £12+ a month for EVERY household in the UK?
     
  3. Yadda

    Yadda Minimodder

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    That's for you to decide. You can opt out very easily on their website.
     
  4. Corky42

    Corky42 Where's walle?

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    Doesn't Bob eating his cheese sandwich count then. :D
     
  5. Yadda

    Yadda Minimodder

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    Things are much simpler for us Welshfolk. Last night for example, we all sat and watched a potato together. No licence, no vans.

    I wonder what it'll be tonight.
     
  6. jinq-sea

    jinq-sea 'write that down in your copy book' Super Moderator

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    Watching asparagus grow, man!
     
  7. Harlequin

    Harlequin Modder

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    itv player requires a login so wont be long till bbc `catch up` ;)
     
  8. Yadda

    Yadda Minimodder

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    Of course, it's Tuesday. Thanks for the reminder! :clap:
     
  9. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Well, I guess they do have 'detection equipment': a chap looking out the window to see if the building has an aerial on it!
     
  10. kzinti1

    kzinti1 What's a Dremel?

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    Sounds like a scam to me.
    How many millions of households would they have to check if this were actually true?
    Where I'm from, if we spot a suspicious vehicle driving around our neighborhood apparently casing our neighbors houses, Community Watch would 1st surround the vehicle and check its reason to be intruding here.
    Then, we may or may not call the cops. Depending on if we take care of the matter ourselves or not.
     
  11. Yadda

    Yadda Minimodder

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    Here, they would likely tell you to P*** off and threaten to call the Police unless you stopped deliberately obstructing their right of way on a public road.
     
    Last edited: 9 Aug 2016
  12. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    That sounds both illegal and like something from Hot Fuzz ("for the greater good.")
     
  13. SexyHyde

    SexyHyde Minimodder

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    Like I said previously, haven't had a licence for 3 or 4 years now. But you're right, it is very easy.
     
  14. Flibblebot

    Flibblebot Smile with me

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    You Londoners and your posh vegetables! ;)
     
  15. GiGo

    GiGo was once a nerd.....

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    BBC is crap.

    The only program I did watch was Top Gear, now it's dead.

    I've started watching Robot Wars, ok BBC I'll not bother paying you. It's not worth the £145? a year.

    I haven't paid it in 4 years this September and don't intend too! My Amazon Prime subscription is worth more and now it has the Clarkson, May and Hammond it will be even better!

    As for sniffer vans, I'll be reporting any dodgy looking van outside my house to the Police and asking them to move, if they don't move I'll park a car either side of them so they can't move and then go out for the day lol

    If you still want to watch BBC programs there is still nothing stopping you from having a friend to record them (someone who has a TV licence) then you can use the recording perfectly legally so long as you destroy/delete it after 3 months (I assume the law hasn't changed on recordings).
     
  16. Isitari

    Isitari Minimodder

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    I think this says a lot more about you than the BBC if you're not willing to pay for what you're consuming ;)

    Sent from my SM-N915FY using Tapatalk
     
  17. GiGo

    GiGo was once a nerd.....

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    I didn't say I was going to carry on watching the BBC, my aerials in my home have all be disconnected so I won't be using terrestrial TV and it would make a lot of sense if my ISP could block iplayer as I don't have a valid TV licence, that might be next step, ISP blocking of iplayer if you have no TV licence, that would be more efficient than having van's running around.

    If I now need a licence to watch iplayer then I won't, I don't feel that 6 hours worth of entertainment is worth the licence fee. But as I stated there is no law in obtaining a pre-recorded program.

    If I am not willing to pay for a TV licence, which I am not I won't be using iplayer or terrestrial TV.

    With the likes of Netflix and Amazon, and in particular YouTube, the BBC and other 'normal' TV stations need to change the way they do things.

    People work longer and harder than ever before and don't have time or aren't around to watch the latest episode of corrie or eastenders (why people watch these I have no idea lol), so scheduled TV will become a thing of the past.
     
  18. SexyHyde

    SexyHyde Minimodder

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    This about sums the situation up. For years the licence fee was well worth the money with great broad content and unrivalled quality. Now its just an overpriced tax on the masses.
     
  19. Xir

    Xir Modder

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    Yes please...but you've corrected yourself, haven't you?

    So for my social surroundings, near-unique doesn't apply
    (and I suppose for most poeple on this forum it doesn't apply either, no matter how many countries in Africa don't have it :D

    Welllll, that's the "Official" version. What they did is they replaced it. To finance the abolishment they raised basis income tax 1.1% SPECIFICALLY for the public viewing system. so now more people pay as you can't opt-out anymore
     
  20. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Good job I wasn't writing from the perspective of your social surroundings, ain't it? :p
     

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