The blog of Steve Root

  • J'apprends Franais!

    Mercredi soir, j’attendais Canterbury Christchurch University pour apprends franais. Depuis douze ans depuis j’apprends franais a l’cole. A l’cole j’tudie le “A/S”, peut tre un ‘demi baccalaurat’.

    Pour moi, la grammar est difficile en anglais et en plus difficile en franais! Masculine/feminine, “tu ton tes” (je pense?). Maintenant je connais en plus de nouveau mot franais aprs seulement une semaine.

    A l’cole, j’achte un livre “Jochim a des enuis” (peut tre “jochim es les enfant?”) – un livre pour les enfant je pense, mais pour moi c’tait trs difficile. Peut tre aprs mon tude (en douze semaine) je peux lire un autre livre franais.

    J’espre cet est lisible pour tout person franais! Utilise la “comments” sil vous plat! (En franais aussi, pour aidez mon tudie).

    ********
    Addition!
    Je trouve “Joachim a des ennuis” a amazon!

    Addition deux!
    Merci pour google “spellcheck”! Je voudrais le google “grammarcheck” aussi!

  • Plagiarism is the greatest form of flattery. I guess I've been flattered then?

    It is said that “Plagiarism is the greatest form of flattery”. So in some ways I feel quite honored that some of the things I have written for my company website have been copied by other companies to use verbatim.

    For little sections of text, a particular way of saying things perhaps, I can understand. There’s only so many ways you can say something after all. I’d say something like copying:

    This is by far the most common type of worktop in the UK and comes in a range of standard colours

    I would find not unreasonable.

    Copying something clearly unique like

    Worktops for your kitchen (bathroom, work shop and many other places too…) Worktop or countertop, whatever you call it it takes more punishment than many other parts of your kitchen. It also has to look good for a long time, no matter how many times the children cut their sandwiches without using a chopping board!

    is pushing your luck. I caught a company using that extract form our website around 2001.

    However, I have to take my hat off to an Italian company. The don’t just copy text, they copy with style: worktops:

    XXXX srl in XXXXXXXX Italy

    Number one for worktops

    high quality for worktops

    A manufacturing firm of furniture components is situated in XXXXXXXX (LE), it has been working since 1974.
    It is qualified in planning and manufacturing worktops with backsplash covered with HPL laminate.
    ……(snip)………
    Laminate Worktops
    What makes a good laminate worktop?

    All the worktops sold by Roots are high quality, kitchen grade worktops. Not the cheapest available but designed for long life and long term good looks. Finishing touches such as a “hot melt seal” or “drip seal” repel water to stop spillages running along the base of the worktop and into your kitchen units.

    That last paragraph looks awfully familiar…. yeah, they even copied the bit with our company name in it. That reminds me of a trip abroad when I was a teenager. People were always trying to sell you a “Genuine fake Rolex”.

  • I've done something amazing

    i-4397a072cb905f3e4f2f795bb99ea47c-blooddonor10.jpg I’ve given blood 10 times. I’m not exactly a record breaking donor. I started giving blood when I was around 18 when the National Blood Service used to collect blood in the canteen. When I started the business it was always hard making the time. The last few years have seen me going more consistently.

    The blood service also have a really useful web site. It allows you to book appointments and find out how your blood is used. The thing I find most interesting is the “Blood Stocks” page, which gives you up to date information on how much blood is in stock by number of units and more usefully how many days they think that stock will last. As I write this, there are 39,854 units of blood available in the country but only 0.6% (258 units) are in my blood group. Before I go and wrap my self in bublewrap and cotton wool, this will last about 5 days. They don’t have to have your blood group, some groups can take blood from other groups and all of this is explained on their web site.

    I encourage you all to go and give blood at your local donor session.

    Giving blood costs nothing and one day it may help someone you know. It may even help you. If you are nervous about giving blood feel free to give me a call and if I can I’ll go with you.

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