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Contributor name: Champ
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Contributor since: Dec 8, 2006
Last seen: Dec 8, 2006

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What Champ thinks of other contributors' views

64% (54 votes) agreed

What other contributors thinks of Champ's views

89% (16 votes) agreed

Latest comments posted

Does Co Creation Create Better Products?
Champ thinks: I like to call it public brainstorming. I think it's a great idea that could come up with some very innovative products in years to come.

Alarm clock hell
Champ thinks: I can't say I put that much thought into it, but I think my alarm clock serves as more of a backup system than anything. Maybe it would be different if i was a heavy sleeper, but I usually wake up at the same time every day. My body clock seem to have it's own alarm clock. So, I say go cheap unless you have serious problems waking up i the morning.

Can money buy happiness?Are people who earn 2 dollars a day sad?
Champ thinks: It's an economy of scale. It all depends on where you live. Happiness is also relative although I agree that true happiness does not come from material wealth.

Intrusive advertising
Champ thinks: Expanding flash banner ads should be banned for use in online advertising. Too many times I am faced with an ad that covers the content I want to say and not giving me an option to close, ultimately leading me to ignore the whole reason I went to the site in the first place.

How to avoid complexity stealing your energy?
Champ thinks: Good points chloe10! Simplify your day starting with little task. It's amazing how it can add up in the end.

Latest comments agreed with

Conference Phones
Simpler thinks: Good point. Am sitting here next to my office phone realizing that I still don't know how to transfer calls, dial other in, put people on hold, etc. A secretary once made a quick menu for all of us. Now I have lost it and just can't be bothered to remember the right sequence to press 4 or 5 buttons. It already has about 30 buttons - why not devoted a few to these core functions and get rid of the rest?

Conference Phones
JBonnin thinks: Please, phone companies, make it understandable and easy!!!!!

Wordless Instructions
OBTobi thinks: I think that wordless instructions show how a product works without complicating the process with fancy mumbo-jumbo and unlogical lingo. Plus, it will simply show images of the product being assembled.

Who could want for anything more??


Wordless Instructions
justemma thinks: Wordless instructions can be good if done well, but anyone who's ever put together a bit of flat pack furniture from a well-known Swedish furniture store will doubtless know the frustration of trying to differentiate between 4 kinds of screws, with a millimetre or two difference in length, with illustrations which are not to scale.

Are hot water heaters outdated?
dreamer thinks: Hot water-hmmm.

I think an 'overview' is first needed to clarify the options.

the current most efficient means of energy distribution to human habitat units is electicity, via a national grid, generated by stations, utilising the principal of 'economy of size'.

Once constructed (correctly) the system minimises replacement and maintainance requirement. It is therefore the most viable solution, compared to the manufacture, distribuion and maintainance of 'individual' power units.

The method of station generation has historically been dependant on cost of aquisition/abundence of fossil fuel (coal, oil,gas). Nuclear fusion reactor method is far superior in all respects- minimal fuel (uranium) aquisition impact/risk (consider oil/gas platforms, tankers, coal mines hazard), much lower harmful emissions, especially when 'charging' all transport-electric cars etc.

The unfortunate waste disposal issue is solvable, and is anyway a transiant one,

given the inevitable evolution to fusion reactors, effectively the 'dream machine' we ignore its continued R & D at our peril. Perhaps, individual 'micro' fusion reactors, will prove the grid obsolete, but that is for the future.

However, variety is the spice of life, and other ways must and will have there role to play, especially in the developing world (wave,wind,solar,geotherm­al,fuel-cell) acting as a deterent to centralised multinational profiteering.

SO, for the majority, mains-electricity heats our water (well, I believe that should be the plan).

Heat transfer is by conduction or radiation (convection not applicable, as it is in the case of remote source of hot air for space heating).

The 'element' method is simple and effective , it is hard to conceive a more viable alternative. The problem is the heat transfer rate over volume requirement, necesitates storage-an insulated boiler. That in turn requires piping to point of use, which incurs unproductive heat loss.

However, gas boilers lose significant heat venting externally, and in any case should be abhored as an archaic method of energy distribution.

Multi­ple heating devices at point of use (similiar to shower heaters) mounted within/under taps or at radiator feeds, would eliminate the requirement of the boiler/storage but not all the plumbing, The plumbing would be halfed (no hot pipes), but you can 'run' two pipes, just as easily as one and extra electrical supplies to the devices would be required.

Furthermo­re, multiple units increase the probability of failure/servicing.

­The practice of running pipes via loft which only serves to heat the sky, could perhaps be solved by a hollow skirting board system?

In conclusion, I think the station/grid/boiler should be viewed as a sound example of the evolution of competent design and engineering. It heralds the 'fision revolution'.

What a burden that incompetent russian nuclear industry placed on our shoulders. Proliferation? - a rouge state would just find an alternative WMD.

Is a biological warhead to be considered preferable to an atom bomb?

At least the weapons grade plutonium comes from a station that energises and prides its nation, to hopefully choose to compete in the peaceful way.

Perhaps a terrorist organisation will find it easier to aquire a biological weapon then a nuclear one, if the former is more available?.

Latest comments disagreed with

Conference Phones
SimplyOverwhelmed thinks: It's true that once you know one, you can figure out the rest. For me, knowing how to use the technology is what makes it fun to use...simplify it too much and you've taken away the appealing side! ;)

Wordless Instructions
dreve thinks: how do you cope with multilangual language with worless instruction, how do the computer recognise if u speak in 2 languages at the same time? I think I can't see wordless instructions be used in general for another 20 years

Are hot water heaters outdated?
JBonnin thinks: It is a shame that the domestic conversion to solar requires such a big investment. I dream about living in a solar powered house.

Nevertheless­, some kind of advantage should be ensured to building companies in order to stimulate the implement of alternative energy as well as water recycling systems.


Merging Man and Machine
rorki thinks: I don't have a problem with others being able to read the data so much, only if it's possible to hack this info, modify and present your information as being someone else. Last thing you need is for this to be an in-secure product, you get to the airport, your kids hack into you from their PDA, and as you go through the passport scanner it shows the name Mickey Mouse, complete with digital likeness... or something more dangerous, like a footballer banned from travelling, or a terrorist...

Merging Man and Machine
Simpler thinks: then the chip should also be RFID enabled so I could pay in stores, check in to hotels and in airports, etc. with no hassle. Only if the benefit was substantial would I allow this intrusion of my body.
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