Why do you blog ?
full answer here

What shall we call you ?
my real world name is dave, but funkypancake is fine or anything else. i'm open to all suggestions

Tell me about external links ?
see here

What about cookies / personal data ?
i'm not sure if my site uses cookies ! if it does then i don't do anything with them. update: i think cookies are used to remember if you're logged in for comments and to make sure you don't vote more than once on each entry. But i still don't have access to the info myself, and you can always turn cookies off in your browser.

what happens when i leave a comment
if you leave a comment then i ask you to fill in your email address / web address as an attempt to stop random comment unpleasantness. when you post a comment it is logged together with your IP address at the time of writing.

when your comment is published, i DON'T publish your email address / web address, but pls feel free to use a random email address if you don't want your actual address published.

i've recently been inundated with spam comments so i've had to implement a comment preview features for those not using the typekey

finally, i reserve the right to delete / edit your comments for any reason (particularly if they are offensive)

Why are your photos so small ?
mostly to make my pages quicker to download. if there's some important detail in the photo i'll usually make a link to the big version. it can also help with data protection / privacy stuff as you can't always recognise people !

I really liked one of your photos. can i use it for something (eg a desktop picture)
This will depend on what the photo is and what you want to use it for. Assuming it's ok then i'm happy to send you the high res version. email me with the picture number.

It's interesting for me to know how my photos are used so please drop me an email or leave a comment if you use my photos (even the small versions)

What camera do you use ?
Sony Cybershot DSC-P71. I carry it with me everywhere and find it really good (except in low light when it takes an age to focus)

UPDATE: I've now (August 2004) upgraded to a Sony Cybershot W-12

UPDATE2: And i've now (July 2005) also got a Canon 350D which is fantastic (i carry it around with me most of the time in a rucksack and my back is beginning to suffer for it)

UPDATE3: my workaday camera (since 2007) is my Canon 850IS.

Why the fascination with gloves/found stuff/dog photos etc ?
i don't know either. i love other people's rubbish. once you have a couple of items, it kind of turns in to a collection and i feel honour bound to display them to you

when will you stop ?
i dunno. when the server gets full up or the site too big or some other reason

i've seen it advertised on TV, which shop sells it ?
that's a good question, but you'll have to be more specific. have you tried your local garage ? their all night shops sell a wide variety of goods.

what day is it ?
sunday (correct at time of writing)

where do you live/work ?
in the south of england/london

i've seen something on your site and i don't like it
sorry, i don't intend to offend (in fact i try to unoffend as much as possible). if you don't like what i said then sorry, and i'm happy to reconsider if i should have said it. drop me an email and tell me where/what it is.

i don't like a comment someone's made on your site
i allow anyone to comment on my site, so occasionally it's going to get abused. i try to check new comments everyday and delete anything offensive or unpleasant. sometimes there can be a bit of delay and/or things get posted i'd rather not have. i've also got an anti-comment spam thing going on which gets rid of most junk.

as above, if there's anything you don't like on the site, let me know and i'll consider removing it (but i retain the final discretion)

tell me a bit more about comments
funkypancake does get archived to a few places, so you need to think whatever you write might be floating round the internet for a while. but that applies to the whole internet - be careful what you write kids (and grown-ups)

what about photos and things that people send you ?
people do send me photos and things to post on the website, and if i like them, and think you the reader will like them too, then i'll put them on the website. The understanding is that you'll extend your copyright to cover funkypancake and let me extend that to any third parties who have specifically asked to make archives or copies of the website.

As far as possible i'll attempt to confirm this with anyone who sends me things, but if i can't then you'll be deemed to give me permission for all such use (sorry to be so boring, but it's important!)

you've put up a dreadful photo of me, can you take it down please
of course. i try to check with the person i'm posting that they are happy to appear on the site. if i didn't then apologies. let me know which photo you want removed and i'll happily do it.

why can't you spell / construct sentences / use capital letters ?
i like little letters, i have no spell checker (but probably wouldn't use it anyway). i love what happens when you spell words wrongly. sometimes you get a better result.

i want to start my own blog !
start here

tell me some legal stuff about taking photographs in the uk ?
see this fantastic article here

submitted question: how old are you?
30s.I believe there is a way of working out how old you are by subtracting your birthdate from the current date and rounding down to the nearest whole year.

submitted question: which church do you go to ?
I got to an evangelical anglican church a few miles from where i live.

can i ask any other questions ?
of course, add them as a comment to this post and i'll add asap

tell me more about your professional life
there's not much to tell really. i went to school, went to university (studied electronic engineering at sheffield university), then worked for a telecoms company as a development engineer for 3 years, then worked Oftel, the telcoms regulator, regulating the Internet (sort of) for 3 years.

i was responsible for the regulatory department at another telecoms company (for 6 years) which then got bought by a FTSE 100 media company.

i'm now Head of Broadband Regulatory Policy in the strategy department of a major UK satellite broadcaster/media company.

telecoms regulation is great fun. you should try it sometime.

have you been photoing long ?
i got a digital camera for my 30th birthday. before that i wasn't really bothered about taking photos. now i'm a bit obsessive.

Has funkypancake appeared in the media ?
Yes it has:
* There was a big feature in Dogs Today magazine in May 2005
* i had a picture published in the London Line, a free london paper
* i was mentioned in passing in the Guardian once
* i was listed as a Great British Blog by the British Council in Japan (Aug 05)
* i appeared on BBC Radio Berkshire in August 05
* i think funkypancake was blog of the day in a london regional newspaper in August 06, but i didn't see a copy as i was on holiday at the time !
* i've had a photo published in canon's EOS magazine October 2008

Has funkypancake appeared in any exhibitions?

yes, most recently a photo exhibition in Swallowfield Berkshire November 2008