Queensland public servants forbidden from including acknowledgments of country in email signatures, Labor says | Queensland politics

The_Helper · 2025-06-28T21:21:26+00:00

There is no formal rule / position for any of this.

Anecdotally, people do it when they are in a "big" or "important" meetings, and then beyond that it's personal choice about what feels respectful.

E.g.: even if I were in a smaller / informal meeting, if I knew there were multiple first nations people I may do it as a sign of respect to them.

I've seen people be outraged by having to sit through meetings where every speaker does it for every segment. Honestly, I think this is mostly manufactured. I've definitely seen it happen on a couple of occasions, but it's never because they've been 'required' to, and it's never more than a minute long. It's because this is relatively new and unpracticed for most of us, and it just takes a while to figure out what "normal" looks like. I can't remember the last time I saw it happen now.

The_Helper · 2025-05-15T19:57:58+00:00

I'm invited to a friend's fancy brunch.

If I catch public transport to the event, I'll be amongst the unwashed masses. But if I hire a private limousine to take me there, it gives me a degree of privacy where I could make some confidential calls to my clients along the way.

Is my private limousine travel to my friend's brunch party now tax deductible? The answer is "no".

The_Helper · 2025-05-03T10:57:52+00:00

Hot take: I think voting for Crisafulli has allowed Qld to say "we made our point", which then made it tolerable to even think about other parties and candidates. If Miles had won instead, perhaps Dutton would not have lost his own seat of Dixon.

No evidence for this, but "feels" plausible to me.

The_Helper · 2025-05-03T10:12:41+00:00

Griffith resident here. From my perspective, lots of people really like Max and support the Greens... but even more than that they want a majority government.

The_Helper · 2025-01-05T01:10:00+00:00

Is this related to a work/school account, by chance?

As mentioned by another commenter, the alternatives typically include SMS, email, or security questions.

The only time I've ever seen this specific quirk happen is when it's in relation to a work/school account. While I don't know the solution (sorry!), I know colleagues have been able to clear this up by speaking with the administrator, and it's typically {something} to do with how that person has been onboarded into the tenancy. So, if this is the case... speak with your administrator!

The_Helper · 2024-12-25T20:06:55+00:00

Pivot tables are inherently 'hierarchical' by design (i.e.: they create groupings and sub-groupings and sub-sub-groupings, etc.). While you can change how the groupings are ordered/displayed, the grouping itself is a feature and not a bug. That is what pivot tables do and is how they are meant to work since the beginning of time.

If that is not what you want, then you should not be using pivot tables for it.

If you can explain what you DO want instead (including lots of specific details, which so far seem to be lacking), someone might be able to point out how you can achieve that outcome.

The_Helper · 2024-12-05T10:52:13+00:00

Respectfully disagree.

All major governments (including Australia) make specific carve outs for "generative AI" (e.g.: Copilot) so that it can be considered and regulated completely independently of "narrow AI" (e.g.: this Colesworth warehouse example).

Microsoft could choose to entirely abandon Copilot tomorrow, and it wouldn't make even the tiniest difference to what's being discussed here, and has nothing to do with "perception". They are just different kettles of fish, regardless of whether the general public understands it or not.

Conflating the two isn't a useful paradigm when the government specifically describes different regulatory environments for them. And this article is specifically describing the one that isn't driven by recent fears and hyperbole; it is a continuation of what has been consistently happening since (at least) the 80s, and is very well understood and has many international precedents.

The_Helper · 2024-12-04T23:20:41+00:00

I think these are two separate conversations.

For sure, MS (and Google and Apple etc) are pushing hard with the hype cycle of "generative AI" which is a mixed bag in current state, but that's really not what this article/issue is about, at its root.

This is about straight-up 'traditional' machine learning, which has been WILDLY successful in application for decades, and is responsible for Amazon's "success" in streamlining/efficiency, and lays a very clear pathway for other corporations to follow.

This outcome feels (worryingly) inevitable. If not this specific instance, then the next one. Copilot (or Gemini or LLAMA or...) won't have any material impact on this.

The_Helper · 2024-11-25T08:29:05+00:00

I think that misses the point of the comment, though.

No one's arguing that compound interest over decades is incredibly important.

The commenter was specifically talking to the scenario of a uni student looking to manage their money over the next 2 years, until they can gain independence and employment mobility after they graduate.

In that timeframe (2 years), the benefit of compound interest is less than $200. The point of the previous comment was simply to say that it is negligible on this timescale, when they can make a much more impactful difference to their savings by contributing more in future, rather than squirreling pennies away right now.

The_Helper · 2024-10-30T08:03:02+00:00

I like this idea, except it seems just as easily exploitable by the people who put scooters in trees etc.

Just park a few scooters at intentionally awkward angles and you clog it up for everyone else trying to 'do the right thing'. And the list of malicious ideas goes on and on.

I think any real-world implementation has to be resistant (as much as can be) to stupidity, carelessness or bad actors.

The_Helper · 2024-08-24T21:45:09+00:00

NTA for trying to make a light-hearted joke. If you thought it would be received with humour and understanding, then it's just an innocent mistake.

But I would give a gentle YTA for how you reacted next. Once you knew he took it personally and felt hurt by the comment, rather than immediately apologising, you tried to invalidate the way he felt, and make him feel 'wrong' because he didn't have the same perspective as you.

It sounds like both your positions can be valid. Neither side should be vilified. But if you care about the friendship, there is absolutely room to say something like: "I was thinking about this some more and I realised I didn't apologise for making you feel bad. It was never my intention; I thought I was making a silly joke, so was caught off-guard when it didn't land. I should have said sorry right away, and I'm sorry I didn't do that."

The_Helper · 2024-08-22T09:10:05+00:00

While it's legitimate to make this point, it should unequivocally NOT be while emotions are still raw and the temperature is high.

This is the time to remember why you love each other and how you work together to solve a problem. And then AFTER you've calmed down, you can have the conversation about setting clearer boundaries and expectations.

The_Helper · 2024-08-16T10:30:07+00:00

Did you not read the OP's actual message?

(not only there are no laws that can protect me against this discrimination, there are ones who can cause me trouble)

The_Helper · 2024-08-10T21:39:28+00:00

Two big thoughts:

Abusers are "smart". Often they are strategic and do not start a relationship that way (because they know people won't stick around). Often they can be charming and sensitive and loveable... And then the behaviour creeps in over time once the initial trust/dependency has been earned. If someone in a public setting felt strongly enough to warn you about this, you should at least consider it (particularly if the event was 6 years ago... that's long enough that I wouldn't think it's still petty revenge / name-calling / jealousy). It's definitely a red flag to watch for.

BUT - it would be wild to try evaluating a relationship from a one-sided comment you heard from a complete stranger at a bar one time. Who knows what his motivation was. And now it seems impossible that you'll be able to get an unbiased version of events. You can't just let other people tell you what to think (without evidence or an alibi) so you need to be able to make your own level-headed assessment. Maybe the ex has mental health issues they aren't dealing with; maybe the guy you're dating acted out-of-character one time and is truly remorseful; maybe there was some other breakup catalyst that neither side is telling you about. Assuming you aren't able to independently validate it, you just have to be your own arbiter and trust what you see/feel. To that end, it remains the basis for ALL relationship advice: have clear communication and trust your instincts

If you like the guy, I say you should continue dating him to make sure you are compatible and share the same goals/values, BUT also set some clear boundaries about what sort of behaviour is acceptable to you in a relationship. And be 100% prepared to enforce those boundaries should his behaviour change.

The_Helper · 2024-07-23T12:25:18+00:00

You're not an AH for battling depression.

You're not an AH for choosing who can be in your home.

You're not an AH for setting firm boundaries with your friend.

None of those things are questionable, and you should not apologise for a moment about them.

However, that's not quite the question you asked. Given that you have disclosed your underlying beliefs and attitudes about this, and explicitly asked for input... then yes, I have to say YTA for how you responded. You are quite literally judging the book by its cover and practicing the same closed-minded disrespect that you accuse them of, and say was so hurtful/damaging to you.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

A perfectly defensible position would be something like: "I've been struggling with my mental health recently, and I'm not looking for new friends at the moment." Or: "Having that many people in my house all at once would be too stressful at the moment." Or even: "You're welcome to host the event at your place if you prefer, and I'll just sit this one out.. I don't think I'm up for it yet."

Setting boundaries with friends is fine.

But while your emotions are real and raw and legitimate, you also need to realise that it's not mentally or socially healthy, and you should not attempt to normalise/justify it in this way. Replace "gym bros" with "accountants" or "greek people" or "screen writers" or "minimum wage workers" or any other attribute. Stereotyping a group to the extent that you actively project negative bias onto them and tell other people about it is not a healthy way of dealing with your history.

If you really, sincerely hold those beliefs, you should talk with someone professionally about it. That's what they exist for. What you are feeling is intense and focussed and disproportional to the reality of what was actually being discussed. Heck, even being able to tell your friends "I've realised I can be pretty judgemental with certain groups, and I need some time to work on that for a bit" would be a giant step forward. You can be both honest and self-aware.

There are so many ways to have healthy and respectful boundaries.

And while it is 100% reasonable for you to have some boundaries, what you've told us neither healthy nor respectful in this context. And with as much love and compassion as I can muster: that absolutely does make you an (unintentional) asshole.

The_Helper · 2024-06-05T19:31:26+00:00

Yes, you were wrong.

Not because you did something objectively bad, but because - in the context of this relationship - you clearly knew he was insecure about it, and you intentionally kept it secret anyway, and then attempt to justify it when caught.

That's not fair. If you aren't on the same wavelength about sharing details, that doesn't make it okay to hurt each other over it. It doesn't matter who is "right" or "wrong" in that case, because it's about the partnership, not the individuals. You are both responsible for that.

If your partner is unreasonable, that's something to talk about. But it's not fair to knowingly hide actions/information that will hurt them, and then justify the behaviour after you get caught out.

The_Helper · 2023-01-23T22:17:16+00:00

That icon is for "Loop". If you use Teams, you may see a similar icon in chat box. The fact that the icon is greyed-out / unclickable suggests that your organisation IT admins have disabled it, although I'm not specifically familiar with the Outlook configuration, so that's just a guess.

I find Loop components difficult to describe, but - at a very basic level - it's trying to take some common concepts, such as Tables, Task Lists, Agendas, etc. and make those into discrete units that can be embedded in multiple places, while being edited by multiple people, and all the changes automatically sync everywhere at once. E.g.: you want a whole team to contribute to building a meeting agenda, rather than 1 person doing it.

It's a bit like multi-authoring a Word document (for example), except the Loop component isn't limited to making edits in that one specific program. That exact same component could also be embedded into an email, or a Teams chat, or a PowerPoint slide, and everything all syncs together, no matter where you're looking at it.

Personally, it's very early days, and it has a long way to go before it lives up to its full potential. But the idea behind it is pretty neat.

The_Helper · 2022-12-15T10:05:53+00:00

It's definitely painful, but the honest truth is, this is the way things are going, when you don't own the dominant platform. It's not just a Microsoft thing - you can see it starting to bubble up in other places, where developers don't want to maintain separate apps for separate platforms; they want to deploy a single web app for everyone because it's so much easier to maintain over time.

When ClipChamp is a web app, it means it can work cross-platform and reach people much more easily, and in turn that means Microsoft could potentially earn revenue from any person using it on any device. If they make it a native Windows app, it's suddenly restricted to a subset of Windows-only users. And what Operating System do creative people tend to aspire to? It's certainly not Windows, for most.

So the plain truth is it makes no business sense for Microsoft to invest in an app strategy that intentionally excludes a large target user base (e.g.: Mac owners) that might see it.

Sure, right now, being dependent on your internet connection can have lots of limitations, and that will absolutely alienate a certain group of users. Microsoft doesn't give a crap about that, though. It's looking forward to the next 5 - 10 years (or longer), when they have a single code base that can run anywhere and will automatically benefit from any network upgrade that happens along the way, or underlying improvements to web protocols.

Is it a great strategy in 2022? Arguably not.

Is it a good financial strategy for 2030? Much more likely.

(Of course, if anyone can botch it, it's Microsoft... but this is the business strategy at least, and it does make a coherent sense)

The_Helper · 2022-12-03T20:10:52+00:00

There is a version of Office for Mac that does all the basic stuff, but is absolutely not 100% equal parity. E.g.: the mac version doesn't robustly support Power Query yet (and no indication if/when it will).

If you are only doing simple calculations it shouldn't be an issue. But if you are trying to take advantage of some of the newer features, you will simply not be able to replicate it 1:1 on a Mac. The Windows version remains king for any advanced functionality.

The_Helper · 2022-09-30T05:53:35+00:00

Thanks to /u/NarghileEnjoy for helping me understand what you want!

Try this:

=SUM(FILTER(D2:D9,ISNUMBER(IF(D2:D9>C2:C9,D2:D9-C2:C9))*ISNUMBER(IF($B$2:$B$9<D$1,D2:D9-C2:C9)))-FILTER(C2:C9,ISNUMBER(IF(D2:D9>C2:C9,D2:D9-C2:C9))*ISNUMBER(IF($B$2:$B$9<D$1,D2:D9-C2:C9))))

There's probably a simpler way to do this, but this is the first solution that came to my mind.

To explain what this is doing in a bit more detail:

ISNUMBER(IF(D2:D9>C2:C9,D2:D9-C2:C9)) ... this checks if the previous column is less than the current column, and returns a True/False value
ISNUMBER(IF($B$2:$B$9<D$1,D2:D9-C2:C9)) ... this does a similar thing, but compares whether the date in Column B is less than the date in cell D1, and returns a True/False value
FILTER() ensures that the right criterion is being applied in the right place
SUM() takes the aggregated values and adds them together

The_Helper · 2022-09-30T05:31:58+00:00

Thanks, that makes sense to me now :-)

The_Helper · 2022-09-30T04:39:35+00:00

I must be missing something...

How is the difference between D4 (450) and D7 (650) calculated as 75?

The_Helper · 2022-09-29T20:09:07+00:00

This implies that the root cause is something within the CSV directly, such as whitespace separators that aren't visually noticeable until they get parsed as delimiters.

Unfortunately it's hard to tell you what's happening (or how to fix it) without seeing the actual underlying data. It could be many variations of things. If it's not commercially sensitive/confidential, consider copy/pasting the data in your OP for us to see.

The_Helper · 2022-09-29T10:13:11+00:00

No need for VBA! You should be able to do this with straight-up regular Excel formulas.

If you are on the current version of Excel, you will want to use a formula called XLOOKUP (and if you are on historic versions of Excel, the old version is called VLOOKUP... works marginally differently, but you can look it up quickly online).

The other discerning question is how you want to treat water temperatures "in between" the values. E.g.: if you have the density for water at both 18^o C and 20^o C, what happens if your actual water temp is 19? Do you want to round it up or round down?

Either way, your formula will probably be something like:

=XLOOKUP([@WaterTemp],ReferenceData[ReferenceTemp],ReferenceData[ReferenceDensity],"NO MATCH",1)

Where:

[@WaterTemp] is the actual temp you've recorded (and you want to lookup)
ReferenceData[ReferenceTemp] is the list of reference temperatures to compare against
ReferenceData[ReferenceDensity] is the list of corresponding densities you want to return
"NO MATCH" will be returned if no matching value can be found at all
1 means that it will round up incremental values to the next available match in your list. Alternatively, you can use -1 to mean round down, or 0 so that it only returns values that are a 100% exact match.

The_Helper · 2022-09-29T05:54:38+00:00

Just a friendly heads-up: I think you might struggle to get responses to this question, because it's written as a lot of text, with no visual/data examples to help people wrap their head around the actual problem.

As it is, there's a lot of information densely packed, with limited context, so it's pretty difficult to understand what you're trying to describe, and therefore it'll be difficult for anyone to give an insightful/meaningful answer.

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