Mixed Signals
Any sufficiently advanced information is indistinguishable from noise
Thursday 4 October 2007, 9:01 PM
Queen's Own Mounted File Guard?
Now here's a funny thing. I came across it while trying to find out whether teasels are still used commercially in the napping of cloth (don't ask. But if you know, do tell).
The Army has a web page dedicated to the Queen's Life Guard, those fine young men who parade around in plumes outside Buck House for reasons they doubtless find compelling. And on that page is a link to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, who provide the bodies to Guard the Life of the Queen.
Or so it seems. The link to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment goes instead to a Unix support company called Gvon. Said company claims competency in email, networking, Oracle and other toothsome tasks - although as the link to their own web mail system isn't working, I'd want to check that if I were you. They do not claim competency in Guarding the Life of the Queen, Stomping Around In Tassles or Ignoring Rude Tourists And Their Even Ruder Offspring. I don't really think it's them in the shiny helmets.
But how could this happen? The address of the linked page - householdcavalry.gvon.com - has a subdomain that no Unix consultancy would choose, and a domain that no Army webrupert (*) would accidentally use. How did this peculiar pairing come to pass?
I wouldn't mind, but the Life of the Queen is at stake - and heaven only knows who's maintaining her Unix servers. Probably the Argyle and Sutherland Highlander's Pipe Band.
On such points, empires rise and fall.
(*) Army slang for an officer is a Rupert (alt. Wupert). Yes, I know. Creases the hell out of my army pals, too.
Previous
