Gah, another Entitlementard

Part of an email I got recently on the AUGD list: I accidently clicked on the wrong link on the Reunion.com site and it created Spam from my Gmail account. I am sincerely sorry. I have called Reunion and have filed a complaint and requested a call back from a manager. I also called Google … Continue reading “Gah, another Entitlementard”

Part of an email I got recently on the AUGD list:

I accidently clicked on the wrong link on the Reunion.com site and it created Spam from my Gmail account. I am sincerely sorry. I have called Reunion and have filed a complaint and requested a call back from a manager. I also called Google and the person that answered my call was very confrontational and insisted that Google did not have a relationship with Reunion and that any problem I had was my fault alone. If any one that has received the email sent out by Reunion is upset as I am here are the contacts for Reunion and Google.

The first thing to say is to take responsibility for your actions. An apology is fine but what’s this with phoning Reunion and Google. Is it their fault that you accidentally didn’t read a web page as you clicked through, accidentally clicked a link (which would have been explained) and accidentally entered your gmail username/password details to accidentally spam everyone in your address book, including a mailing list or two?

And with that attitude, I have zero faith that you were reasonable on the phone. Why? Well, because your demands on them were completely unreasonable.

Urging others to contact these companies in order to complain is the real sign of an Entitlementard. It’s the classic “I did something stupid and to make up for it, I’m going to find some customer support representatives and make their day hell because that’s what makes me feel better.”

Idiots like this should join the Free Software Foundation. Idiots like this make me ashamed to be an Apple User Group Leader.

Serious journalists or “Journalists? Seriously….”

Crass stupidity Microsoft is allegedly crafting a completely brand new operating system, completely removed from the Windows code base… …Rob Helm, director of research for Directions on Microsoft, notes that it is “possible,” having previously heard of a secret OS project headed by former Microsoft Servers and Tools vice president Eric Rudder. He continues, saying … Continue reading “Serious journalists or “Journalists? Seriously….””

Crass stupidity

Microsoft is allegedly crafting a completely brand new operating system, completely removed from the Windows code base…
…Rob Helm, director of research for Directions on Microsoft, notes that it is “possible,” having previously heard of a secret OS project headed by former Microsoft Servers and Tools vice president Eric Rudder. He continues, saying that the project is most likely conceptual at this point, but of a more serious nature than ideas tossed about at Microsoft Research.

In other words, not a single line of code has been written.

Someone was recently railing on bloggers saying how they miss the cut and thrust of ‘serious journalists’. Jesus Christ – if this is the sort of speculative shite that serious journalists consider to be news, then I think every blogger should just give up and go home.

This is turd. People rail when Apple releases something and there’s a load of hype. Compared that to this – Microsoft release NOTHING. Not even a roadmap, not even an admission of a research project, and this is news.

But then again – this is why blogging tends to be much better quality, much better informed and much more readable. Despite what TechWire says.

iPhone 3G cracking under the strain?

Some people claim that their iPhones are starting to show cracks: Critically, the owners all claim not to have abused their phones, only subjected them to normal use. Hm, I call bullshit. Why? Years and years of working with electronic devices. People bring them in with all sorts of abuse – dents, broken LCD screens, … Continue reading “iPhone 3G cracking under the strain?”

Some people claim that their iPhones are starting to show cracks:

Critically, the owners all claim not to have abused their phones, only subjected them to normal use.

Hm, I call bullshit.

Why? Years and years of working with electronic devices. People bring them in with all sorts of abuse – dents, broken LCD screens, watermarks inside. And ninety percent of them didn’t do anything other than “normal use”. You have to demonstrate the sort of impact that would cause dents, try to convince them that LCD screens do not spontaneously break without external aid and show the fungus growing from the sugary-coffee mixture that they spilled into the speaker grille of the laptop.

Anyway – define ‘normal use’?

The Mojave Experiment

The Mojave Experiment is a new push from Microsoft to see if marketing can fix Vista (where engineering failed). Welcome to the “Mojave Experiment.” What do people think of Windows Vista® when they don’t know it’s Windows Vista? We disguised Windows Vista as codename “Mojave,” the “next Microsoft OS,” so regular people who’ve never used … Continue reading “The Mojave Experiment”

The Mojave Experiment is a new push from Microsoft to see if marketing can fix Vista (where engineering failed).

Welcome to the “Mojave Experiment.” What do people think of Windows Vista® when they don’t know it’s Windows Vista? We disguised Windows Vista as codename “Mojave,” the “next Microsoft OS,” so regular people who’ve never used Windows Vista could see what it can do – and decide for themselves. Now decide for yourself.

Wil Shipley writes:

Microsoft has managed to prove that if you have a friendly expert on a controlled machine (with Vista pre-installed) showing a carefully selected subset of Vista features to an ignorant XP user for a few minutes, the XP user will often say he finds Vista acceptable. Wow.

That’s just tragic. Absolutely tragic.

Not even close.

…considering I’m in a barbers in Bangor, Northern Ireland. photo posted from my iPhone Related posts: Translink Annual Report – #freepublictransport Questions for Translink #FOI The Broadband Blueprint (re DETI Telecoms Consultation) Translink: just close the doors and turn off the lights

…considering I’m in a barbers in Bangor, Northern Ireland.

photo posted from my iPhone

Google Calendar now supports CalDAV/iCal

Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time knows that’s quite poignant. Here are the instructions. Related posts: Who wouldn’t choose Google over Microsoft? Me and Google Google Calendar? 30 Boxes? Yahoo!? Don’t like Outlook? Get Chandler. (or iCal Server…) (or…)

Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time knows that’s quite poignant.

Here are the instructions.

Cuil: a new approach on Search Engines

Mike Cane gives his considered opinion on Cuil, a new search engine which challenges Google immediately by having a black background! Of course the first search item anyone uses to test out a search engine is a vanity search. Because we all know our online presence best. Well this sucker splashed so much crap on … Continue reading “Cuil: a new approach on Search Engines”

Mike Cane gives his considered opinion on Cuil, a new search engine which challenges Google immediately by having a black background!

Of course the first search item anyone uses to test out a search engine is a vanity search. Because we all know our online presence best.

Well this sucker splashed so much crap on the screen in such a random fashion — with many links actually pointing to nowhere — that I sat there agog.

I didn’t even bother trying another search time. Waste of time.

I thought, “yeah, can’t hurt.” So I check out Google to remind myself how many of us there are:

Google Results for my name.

and compare to the Cuil results:

Cuil results for my name

Right. That certainly is a new approach on Search Engines. Thanks to Mike for the inspiration.

H is for ipocrisy

TechWire writes: For dull, repetitive reportage, stick with the blogs. Somewhat ironic considering that’s the second post on that blog made decrying the Irish blogging scene as “crap” or “dull”. You have to ask though – what is TechWire (and by extension, Damien Mulley and TwentyMajor) expecting from blogging? There are a lot of blogs … Continue reading “H is for ipocrisy”

TechWire writes:

For dull, repetitive reportage, stick with the blogs.

Somewhat ironic considering that’s the second post on that blog made decrying the Irish blogging scene as “crap” or “dull”.

You have to ask though – what is TechWire (and by extension, Damien Mulley and TwentyMajor) expecting from blogging?

There are a lot of blogs I simply don’t read. It’s not because I disagree with their opinions – I’d rather read something opinionated and disagreeable and respond to it directly. But, as I said, there’s a lot I don’t read. But considering that one of those blogs I don’t read is TwentyMajor, which has been a multiple-winner of the Irish Blog Awards, what the hell do I know about what makes a good blog. (and if you must know, I just didn’t find it that funny – there’s only so many times in this world that swearing is funny and I tired of tall tales and bad puns). But these are the A-listers so what the fuck do I know about what makes a good blog.

More than anything, we promote figures like Scoble or Calacanis to prominence by following them. We create their egos. And yes, there’s the Irish A-list scene (almost an oxymoron in itself) which we’re promoting to prominence. At the end of the day, who the fuck is TechWire? As Will Knott Joe Drumgoole commented when TechWire described the Irish blogging scene as “crap”:

This is what the net news groups used to call “flame bait”. The same tired old question can and has been asked of every information medium (new and old) and is essentially lazy journalism of the worst kind.

Bravo, Joe.

I think the A-listers, and TechWire (as the unwitting Troll) are putting unreasonable expectations out there. Most bloggers are not there to entertain, they’re writing because something needs said. The beauty of the internet is that it’s a great leveller. Anyone can talk.

Want a dissenting view on orthodox middle-class views of current affairs (US invasions, urban planning, health issues, gender issues etc)? Don’t look to Irish blogs: they largely sing off the same standard-issue hymn sheet (with one or two exceptions).

Idiocy. Go to any cross section of the blogosphere in any country and you’ll see perhaps 1% of the population tackling the really thorny issues. So, what, we want more Latte heroes? I don’t blog much about US politics because I’m inundated with that shit on the OSX-Nutters mailing list (where there seems to be an insanely high amount of discussion of US politics). The other topics only become topics when they affect someone I know. Look at the abortion topic (which steered into the “Why Iris Robinson hasn’t been removed from office” topic – which I’ve been as restrained as I can about, mainly because I’d have to Godwin myself if I went any further).

I can’t go to the newspapers for anything interesting because the coverage they give to things I’m interested is either scarce, misinformed or paid-for. No go. Blogs provide much more.

My only concern about the Irish blog scene is that with the beginnings of emancipation – where the blogs of Californian super-egos are deprecated – there are those attempting to fill the niche. Newflash: We don’t need you.

The ultimate irony has to be the TechWire blog. It’s more of a ‘whine’ than my own blog. And that’s something. Where’s the value? For gods sake, yes, let us rid the Irish Blog scene of useless blogs. Starting right there.