# Wishlish funny



## CarlWalters (Oct 17, 2001)

thought I'd share this one as it amused me (when I finally worked it out that is).

I found several episodes of Blue Peter were scheduled to record because they'd been picked up on a wishlist. Now I don't have a Wishlist for Blue Peter so it took me a while to work it out. The Episode Descriptions were for Blue Peter's Cook Of The Year. 

It was only when I picked out the late great satirist's name did the penny drop!

It amused me anyway


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Very good. However, I would have thought that, to a computer, "Peter's Cook" would be different to "Peter Cook". Shows how much I know, I suppose


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## CarlWalters (Oct 17, 2001)

Yes I though that too, but apparently not.


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## BrianHughes (Jan 21, 2001)

It's common when writing search software to try to standardise each word by removing plurals, ing etc. So that's obviously what Tivo is doing here.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Well how pedantic can you get!


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## BrianHughes (Jan 21, 2001)

Very


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## PeteM (Aug 11, 2002)

TiVo also seems to be remarkably unfussy about the order in which letters appear: I have a wishlist for "The O C", and it puzzled me for ages why it would periodically record "The C.H.A.O.S Clinic" until I realised it contained an "O" and a "C", just not necessarily in that order!


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

PeteM said:


> it contained an "O" and a "C", just not necessarily in that order!


They _are_ in the right order: *The* C.H.A.*O*.S *C*linic


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## iankb (Oct 9, 2000)

BrianHughes said:


> It's common when writing search software to try to standardise each word by removing plurals, ing etc. So that's obviously what Tivo is doing here.


Actually, it's probably because search engines treat any punctuation as a word separator, in the same way as a space. Therefore "Peter's" will have been treated as "Peter" and "S". Either the "S" is discarded as too short, or the match is being made on "Peter" and "Cook", without regard to intervening words or their sequence.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

PeteM said:


> TiVo also seems to be remarkably unfussy about the order in which letters appear: I have a wishlist for "The O C", and it puzzled me for ages why it would periodically record "The C.H.A.O.S Clinic" until I realised it contained an "O" and a "C", just not necessarily in that order!


Now I know why I have never been able to explain a number of the programs my Tivo has recorded as a result of the existence of a variety of Wishlists on the machine.


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## PeteM (Aug 11, 2002)

blindlemon said:


> They _are_ in the right order: *The* C.H.A.*O*.S *C*linic


Oh yeah, so they are!  Now I remember why I don't post much!


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## aerialplug (Oct 20, 2000)

Back in the early days of TiVo, someone I know was explaining how TiVo worked to his elderly mother - the fact that it recorded programmes that you liked based on what you previously watched.

He was somehow horrified and embarassed when he then listed the suggestions, one of which was 1001 Rent Boys. He suspects it was down to the fact that he'd recently recorded and given 3 thumbs up to 1001 Dalmations when it was recorded for the kids!

Another example comes to mind - I remember TiVo starting to record episodes of the current affairs programme Simpson's World on the basis that I'd thumbed up The Simpsons.

I still haven't worked out why TiVo ALWAYS records a specific episode of Friends, whenever it's aired - it's the one with rugby in it. I don't peticularly watch a lot of rugby and I've studied the synopsis for other common traits. But every month or so, this episode appears in the suggestions.


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Have you checked the extended info for guest actors, director, writer, producer etc.? 

I kept getting an unexpected recording of some bogus sitcom and eventually traced it to a producer/writer/actor called "China" something or other that was being picked up by my "Travel" advanced wishlist which includes the term "China"...


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## iankb (Oct 9, 2000)

PeteM said:


> Oh yeah, so they are!  Now I remember why I don't post much!


Yes, but isn't it nice to be able to post in such a friendly forum where, apart from one or two notable exceptions, you don't get flamed for every small misunderstanding. 

Anyway, you were right. Because search engines wouldn't match 'Clinic' with the single-letter 'C'. However, they don't usually take the sequence of the words into account, unless you make them into a phrase by enclosing them in quotes, which only some search engines can handle. However, while not really relevant in wishlist searching, search engines may boost results to the top based upon a matching sequence.


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## Prat77 (Apr 14, 2007)

aerialplug said:


> I still haven't worked out why TiVo ALWAYS records a specific episode of Friends, whenever it's aired - it's the one with rugby in it. I don't peticularly watch a lot of rugby and I've studied the synopsis for other common traits. But every month or so, this episode appears in the suggestions.


Friends Fact: It's the only episode of Friends with a guest actor called Mark Thomas; have you recorded or thumbed-up something with the comedian Mark Thomas in it?


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

"Prat77"?


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## SilkMan (Feb 13, 2007)

When we first got a Tivo (back in the mists of time) we set a season pass on Sex in the City. Since we only had a handfuls of SPs at that time, it had a disproportionate affect on the Tivo's suggestions - you would not believe what got recorded - I'm only glad that the kids were too young to work out how to use the remote!


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

TCM2007 said:


> "Prat77"?


Yes I was wondering about that and what were the intentions of our latest UK forum member in registering such a name.

I don't suppose I could have copyrighted or tradmarked 77 could I?


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## yungee (Dec 29, 2002)

Yeah Prat77 is a bit naughty and not quite in the friendly nature of these forums.

If Pete77 gets up your nose then I'm sure he's robust enough to be taken to task over it in whatever threads are necessary, but that's a bit of a "smartbomb" approach!

Jolly bad form, what what!


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

I agree.

Pete has some very forthright views, but at least he has the balls to say them without hiding behind a different name.

I hope this is genuinely a new member, perhaps a lurker. I wouldn't like to think that a forum member has created a new ID just to insult Pete. Not least because it's likely to result in a ban if they are found out.


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

Oh, and crongratulations to Pete for not mentioning NDunlavey or Pgogborn in his response


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## pgogborn (Nov 11, 2002)

?


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## Raisltin Majere (Mar 13, 2004)

pgogborn said:


> ?


Sorry, normally if a new member, or one with a low post count, upsets Pete he claims it's somebody else (you, Ndunlavey) posting in "disguise"


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## pgogborn (Nov 11, 2002)

Hiya Pete (me waves). 

I have never posted in disguise in my life - and all the forums I have ever posted on I have used the same ID.


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## Prat77 (Apr 14, 2007)

TCM2007 said:


> "Prat77"?


Goodness, it's like being back at school with people taking the mick out of me! I should have just used initials like you!


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

FYI, the reason your username is the subject of discussion is because there is another user on here called Pete77 who has ruffled a few people's feathers with his robust and highly personal style of posting. 

He also occasionally accuses his detractors of assuming new usernames to attack him anonymously and your username, clearly, looks like some kind of not-very-complimentary nod to his... Therefore, people have assumed (maybe incorrectly) that you are not really a new member of the forum, but one of Pete77's antagonists, hiding behind a username dreamed up to insult/attack him further. 

If that's not the case, then you have just been the victim of an unfortunate coincidence; if it is the case, then I guess I don't need to explain it to you anyway


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## ndunlavey (Jun 4, 2002)

Raisltin Majere said:


> Sorry, normally if a new member, or one with a low post count, upsets Pete he claims it's somebody else (you, Ndunlavey) posting in "disguise"


Or whoever else has fed his paranoia in the last few months?


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

ndunlavey said:


> Or whoever else has fed his paranoia in the last few months?


ndunlavey, is that you in disguise?


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## ndunlavey (Jun 4, 2002)

No, I've just hacked his account. I am really an anonymous representative of a conspiracy comprising pgogborn, PaulWIlkinsUK, Rupert Murdoch, the Department of Work & Pensions, OfCom, the management of eBay, the Order Of The Golden Dawn and the Priory Of Sion.


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## PaulWilkinsUK (Mar 20, 2006)

ndunlavey said:


> No, I've just hacked his account. I am really an anonymous representative of a conspiracy comprising pgogborn, PaulWIlkinsUK, Rupert Murdoch, the Department of Work & Pensions, OfCom, the management of eBay, the Order Of The Golden Dawn and the Priory Of Sion.


Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha - Nice !


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

ndunlavey said:


> No, I've just hacked his account. I am really an anonymous representative of a conspiracy comprising pgogborn, PaulWIlkinsUK, Rupert Murdoch, the Department of Work & Pensions, OfCom, the management of eBay, the Order Of The Golden Dawn and the Priory Of Sion.


I thought that was Pratt77?


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