WiFi on Panorama

[Ruggerbugger]

Who else is watching this now? I used to think Panorama was quality investigation, but this is appalling. "Electrosensitives", people with tinfoil-lined houses, unitless comparisons between levels of "radiation". Everyone they speak to is "world renowed", so of course, beyond criticism. They also conflate "biological effects" with "adverse health effects". I could touch you with a finger and get a biological effect, but that's not exactly an adverse health effect.

Very one sided reporting.

[MadduckUK]

meh, no not watching. but the more people get scared off the more clear channels there is for me and the better my connection will be

[javalord]

The problem is, there's too much "maybe" about this.

They also forget to mention that a typical wifi router will put out 25miliwatts max, compared to 1/2watts (depending on the network frequency)... also the dam things arent next to your heads.

This was very very biased.

[jonathan_phang]

I caught a glimpse of this when mum was watching it and went "Do we have one of those...????" I promptly walked out. Next step will be Blair/brown to commision that fella to do 6 months 'research' on the whole affair and to blow the whole thing out of proportion in the press.

I'm not saying its right or wrong - If it is detrimental then fine - but I just hate it when it becomes WIFI CAUSES CANCER FAST!!!!! or something like that....

[Clunk]

I knew it was on, I could feel it transmitting into my hat.

[Lee @ SCAN]

What a waste of TV license that was last night.

Who were these experts?
What had they studied?
What was the measuring system used and was the equipment properly calibrated?

Everything was if's and but's really. No real substancial backing up of anything with evidence. It's such a shame that the BBC is starting to dumb down it shows to be more appealing to the sun reading masses.

[iranu]

I'm going to go around a few of the local schools showing them how to make tin foil hats for the kiddies when they are using their computers.

£500 per hour consultancy fee and £20 per tin foil hat should do it.

[UKMuFFiN]

Originally Posted by iranu

I'm going to go around a few of the local schools showing them how to make tin foil hats for the kiddies when they are using their computers.

£500 per hour consultancy fee and £20 per tin foil hat should do it.

+ Subscription

[chicken]

Originally Posted by UKMuFFiN

+ Subscription

Yes, you might need to "Upgrade" the hats when WiMax takes over!

[Ruggerbugger]

But by then there'll be "three times as much radiation!!" As a teacher I despair at people's ideas of all "radiation" as "bad".

[Sinizter]

Great use of the licensing fee. This is the reason why I do not want to pay for it.

[mart_haj86]

Didnt watch it but sounds to me like a lot of the tripe that is being broadcast these days.

[arbitor]

Had a family ask this when i was installing a new pc into thier house, i said its no worse than your daughter being glued to the mobile phone,

hate stuff like this it ruins things, because naive people then get edgey about everything

[ponolops]

Titter ye not chaps!
Remember E'gg'wina Curry saying most eggs were infected with salmonella? She was thrown out of goverment but she was 100% right!
Remember the government saying BSE was not transferable from bovines to humans? It is!
I could go on but you get the message.
So this Panorama programme was a bit OTT but think seriously a minute.
If there is the slightest chance that children are receiving even a little more radiation than is safe (what the hell IS safe anyway?) don't you think it should be investigated thoroughly?
Especially if it were your child!

[Butuz]

A quote from the CEO of RM Plc:

Originally Posted by Tim Pearson

Firstly, everything has some risk. A thirteen-year-old boy died, tragically, earlier this year after reportedly swallowing a pen top. It seems certain to me that pens this year have killed more British schoolchildren than WiFi. This does not mean that because pretty much everything carries some risk we should ignore it. It's just that unless you are able to take a sensible look at the evidence the debate becomes emotional. I believe the level of risk is the only debate to be had.

Secondly, our own view has always been, and remains, that WiFi is very unlikely to carry significant risk, owing to three factors - (a) it is incredibly low power - much lower than the mobile phones that we all use (b) it is not normally in close contact to users, the difference between holding something a millimetre from your ear and 30 centimetres away is significant (c) WiFi and similar transmissions are used by all manner of different devices, so that any problems that do arise, are likely to be well reported - e.g. some baby monitors use similar frequency and power, most offices have WiFi, even some door bell systems use this sort of transmission these days.

Thirdly, the advice and information from the Health Protection Agency and the World Health Organisation looks pretty clear.

"On the basis of current evidence, the HPA does not consider there to be a problem with the safety of WLAN."

I have included links to these and other sources at the bottom of the article.

Obviously, each institution must make its own decision on the available health advice, but as your ICT partner I know many of you will ask our view. We will listen to your concerns and give you our current advice, we will also speak with Becta and give you an update in due course. If necessary we will directly employ a respected scientist to look at the data and share with you what he or she finds.

At present, neither my engineering staff, nor I have seen any credible scientific evidence at all, of risk to those using WiFi in normal classroom circumstances.

The one piece of health advice that seems a sensible precaution, in the meantime, is to ensure that pupils do not place WiFi active computers on their laps for any significant length of time. Working with the computer on a desk is much better (it's better for your back too!).

I missed the Panorama program unfortunatly - anyone know if and when it is repeated so I can take it? I only have 1 WAP in my school as wireless is unreliable and slow

Butuz

[Vowo]

You folks really arent taking this issue seriously enough

Follow these brain saving instructions immediately!!!