Deteriorating services

I think I wrote in a previous blog about my mission to transfer photos from my phone to my computer since having this new phone.

Genevieve showed me a method that was somewhat hit and miss. The computer seemed to allow me to accept photos sometimes, while rejecting the effort at others. And so, it was with trepidation that I attempted the task again, the first time I have tried to do it since having fibre installed. I was surprised that I was able to transfer my first 100 without any problem and it was quick too. After several transferals of 100, I upped the amount to 200 photos at a time. Though slightly longer, still no problem. I think I had about 1500 in all and was down to my last 300 (I upped it again) when I was told that Cloud had a daily limit on the amount I was allowed to upload (or was it download), at one time. Still not a problem, as I managed to transfer the remaining photos yesterday morning, again with ease.

I have spoken many times about my lack of computer abilities so I was pleasantly surprised with this latest effort and am wondering if having fibre actually made any difference. I am one of the lucky ones here. There are so many people on the Peninsula who have been waiting months to be connected, with their installation times constantly being put back. Our time was changed once, but we still had the fibre installed during the middle of last year. Someone posted their experience with the company on Facebook, drawing many comments. It seems some were told that there wasn’t the labour to install the fibre. Come on. If there is a demand, surely one would employ extra people to meet this demand.

I was shocked yesterday while in town. I bought a birthday present for my brother, intending to post it so that it would reach him in time for his birthday.

Our post shop has already been down-graded, to squash into a corner of the chemist, but I was shocked to see a sign up, saying: Sorry, Post Office closed today, due to lack of staff. What the hell. A post office closed? If one does not have staff, then one gets them from somewhere else. Oh, that’s right, the highway to the next town hasn’t been fixed from a slip months ago – probably now too far to expect replacement staff to travel. This all comes back to the Government. It is easy for us to feel forgotten in this part of the country. Since the flooding, I don’t think anyone would begrudge resources being sent to the flood-ravaged Hawkes Bay and Gisborne, rather than us, but it does make one wonder about the Government’s ability to maintain its assets. The slip blocking State Highway 1 occurred months ago, long before Cyclone Gabrielle. Since when is it Ok to close a post office. Most of the people who shop in this town, have travelled long distances to reach it. We don’t just nip up the road, rather, make a list and do everything on our weekly or fortnightly shop.

As for the fibre company, I found this piece on the internet. It is responsible for building approximately 70% of the new fibre optic Ultra-fast Broadband network and received a government subsidy of $929 million to do it.

Or maybe not to do it, if people’s examples here on the peninsula are anything to go by. Is this whole thing reeking of greed? Take the subsidy, but don’t complete the task?

It seems services and things we once took for granted are deteriorating. I certainly didn’t think 20 years ago, that I would be worse off today than I was then.

What will the next 20 years bring?

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