Tuesday 30 June 2009

One size fits all

News that the major mobile communications companies have begun to collaborate so as to produce a single, universal charger which can handle all makes and models of mobile phone has the makings of one big tick on my short list of 'Things To Do To Create One Genuinely Global Community'.

Other outstanding items include:

• One standard electrical domestic plug and socket set
• Consistent coding of hot and cold water taps
• Universal keyboard notations for all non-alphabetical keys
• Agreed On/Off positions for wall switches
• One shoe size convention

Perhaps if we could get some of these little issues sorted (or crowd sourced?) it would provide the necessary impetus to connect up with the other ninety-eight percent of the world's population who are not in a position to read this and for whom clean water, electricity, new shoes and internet access are dreams deferred.

Or maybe we just live with it?

2 comments:

  1. James - I've just trawled through the various ramblings you've posted which confirm what I already knew. You are a sagacious polymath looking for his true purpose in life. Global standardisation is surley not it. But if you want to persist I would add to your list the need to have all cars as right hand drive (I hate change) and a maximum transfer fee for footballers of say, 10 quid. Anything can be paid above this amount but the surplus would go to charity. If you agree, where would you send the £79,999,990.00 United received for old whatsisname?

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  2. We did make a small contribution to a project to neuter feral cats on Orkney recently - I'll check whether they could use another 79 and something million.

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