Now… according to the BBC (‘Illegal downloaders face UK ban’, 12/02/2008): ‘People in the UK who go online and illegally download music and films may have their internet access cut under plans the government is considering.’

I was impressed to read that. For if it catches on here (ha, unlikely, although G tells me it has been discussed), then all of France will have to go back to Minitel (and will no doubt gallantly re-embrace this 1980s interactive videotex French invention with a “bon” and a Gallic shrug).

For the French are prolific downloaders, or so it seems to this little computer illiterate black duck, and I think right up there after pétanque and Tour de France, “téléchargement” is the third French national sport.

I don’t really know – is it a common thing to have an external hard disk drive? Some friends here were comparing the size of theirs and I happened to joke that my introduction to external hard disk drives was my biggest culture shock since moving to France.

“Huh? You don’t have one? But how do you store your films and music?”

I had to confess that it was via DVDs and CDs and the shelves of a cupboard.

Everyone I know just has a USB stick, and as a student or backpacker, that was all I ever really needed, I admitted with a shrug to my shocked companions. Word files just don’t take up that much space.