When I called Netflix yesterday around mid-day/lunchtime (Pacific Time Zone), I had a three minute wait. That's acceptable to me, anything over 5 mins. wouldn't have been.
I had to contact Netflix yesterday. In the past, I would dig through their contact page and try to find the right email link. It was extremely surprising - and VERY pleasing - to be able to pick up the phone and call them directly.
Even more pleasing: The helpful person on the other end of the line. Cheerful, almost too much so. But he managed to resolve the issue (which would have taken a couple of days for them to resolve if it had been done with email).
I do understand why companies use email, web-based feedback forms, etc. for customer contact. In Netflix's case, they're a customer service site that REALLY needs this sort of personalized assistance. And after yesterday's great experience, I'm reminded why I use Netflix, NOT some other DVD rental company. (That might sound like a sales pitch, but that's how I feel.)
I don't get this: Why is U.S.-based N.A.S.A. spending U.S. taxpayer $$ on vehicles from a foreign manufacturer?
Show me the need to purchase a BMW, aside from the test drivers enjoying a luxury vehicle to drive in. If this is a joint venture project, then I'd like to know.
What draws attention to Dvorak's writings? Negative, indulgent postulations like this from him. He's a masterful P.R. guru of his own work, promoting his thoughts while shouting from his soapbox.
Well, it works. He got a link from/. and we're discussing it.
I think Web 2.0 technologies will continue to advance/fuel the next generation of web dynamics/apps. I don't think we're going to see a similar collapse any time soon either. Imho, many online retailers are thinking smarter about their web presences; it's no longer "I gotta have a web site!" (just to have one) but having solid business planning in place. And web developers may be going gonzo with their own web video companies, etc., but this isn't a retread of the former bubble burst.
What Dvorak FAILS to account for: Global economy changes. Increased Internet traffic means increased economic opportunities which fuel next gen web developments. (India and China are two obvious examples.) The "bubble burst" is going to stem from technology shifts to other countries, eliminating jobs on the U.S. front via outsourcing/cost cutting, impacting jobs, growth/innovation, the economy...
Wait... maybe Web 2.0 is a bubble waiting to burst...
OpenSPARC is available from Sun Microsystems. The SPARC architecture is still highly relevant. Open source hardware projects like this are worth noting.
I'm a happy Vonage customer. As long as my service is up and running, this doesn't bother me. I'll stick with them for the time being, assuming the company stays solvent.
Now, if I were a Vonage shareholder, I would be freaking out right now...
You're forgetting: Sun offers CoolThreads technology. Do the math: The power savings and heat reduction on AMD's Opteron servers is considerable, esp when running Solaris. Check the benchmarks and claims - Sun is the solution to use.
Not bad for x86 and x64 hardware that's rated by Sun on over a dozen OSes. Sun is covering their bases well. (Even if you want to run Windows within that portable datacenter.)
With Project Blackbox, it's obvious that Sun is paying attention to their customers. Need to expand the datacenter, but don't have the space? Use their portable container setup. It's sheer genius, esp. for emergency contigencies/disaster situations. If I were a CIO/CTO, I would be taking a SERIOUS look at Sun's product as part of my data/computing landscape.
(And no jokes about hijacking the container with a forklift or breaking into it... That's why you hire 24/7 security if the data is important to you.)
Microsoft seems hellbent on adding their marketing spin to the product arena. This is one instance where they need to SIMPLIFY their verbage. I'm sorry, M$ - I'm far more comfortable putting my IT folks on a laptop, managing a remote UNIX (Solaris) or Linux solution than a Windows-based setup. Not unless I want to keep sending my user to the container's locale every few days for one issue or another.
Microsoft needs to rethink their strategy here. I think Sun ($un?) got it right.
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When I called Netflix yesterday around mid-day/lunchtime (Pacific Time Zone), I had a three minute wait. That's acceptable to me, anything over 5 mins. wouldn't have been.
I had to contact Netflix yesterday. In the past, I would dig through their contact page and try to find the right email link. It was extremely surprising - and VERY pleasing - to be able to pick up the phone and call them directly.
Even more pleasing: The helpful person on the other end of the line. Cheerful, almost too much so. But he managed to resolve the issue (which would have taken a couple of days for them to resolve if it had been done with email).
I do understand why companies use email, web-based feedback forms, etc. for customer contact. In Netflix's case, they're a customer service site that REALLY needs this sort of personalized assistance. And after yesterday's great experience, I'm reminded why I use Netflix, NOT some other DVD rental company. (That might sound like a sales pitch, but that's how I feel.)
I don't get this: Why is U.S.-based N.A.S.A. spending U.S. taxpayer $$ on vehicles from a foreign manufacturer?
Show me the need to purchase a BMW, aside from the test drivers enjoying a luxury vehicle to drive in. If this is a joint venture project, then I'd like to know.
What d'ya mean mouse or trackball? I flip my mouse over and use that ball thingy...
Actually, the Logitech trackball devices are excellent. I love how Micro$oft tried to copy them. (I still buy Logitech, though!)
What draws attention to Dvorak's writings? Negative, indulgent postulations like this from him. He's a masterful P.R. guru of his own work, promoting his thoughts while shouting from his soapbox.
/. and we're discussing it.
Well, it works. He got a link from
I think Web 2.0 technologies will continue to advance/fuel the next generation of web dynamics/apps. I don't think we're going to see a similar collapse any time soon either. Imho, many online retailers are thinking smarter about their web presences; it's no longer "I gotta have a web site!" (just to have one) but having solid business planning in place. And web developers may be going gonzo with their own web video companies, etc., but this isn't a retread of the former bubble burst.
What Dvorak FAILS to account for: Global economy changes. Increased Internet traffic means increased economic opportunities which fuel next gen web developments. (India and China are two obvious examples.) The "bubble burst" is going to stem from technology shifts to other countries, eliminating jobs on the U.S. front via outsourcing/cost cutting, impacting jobs, growth/innovation, the economy...
Wait... maybe Web 2.0 is a bubble waiting to burst...
Just not the way Dvorak is screaming about it.
OpenSPARC is available from Sun Microsystems. The SPARC architecture is still highly relevant. Open source hardware projects like this are worth noting.
I'm a happy Vonage customer. As long as my service is up and running, this doesn't bother me. I'll stick with them for the time being, assuming the company stays solvent.
Now, if I were a Vonage shareholder, I would be freaking out right now...
You're forgetting: Sun offers CoolThreads technology. Do the math: The power savings and heat reduction on AMD's Opteron servers is considerable, esp when running Solaris. Check the benchmarks and claims - Sun is the solution to use.
Not bad for x86 and x64 hardware that's rated by Sun on over a dozen OSes. Sun is covering their bases well. (Even if you want to run Windows within that portable datacenter.)
With Project Blackbox, it's obvious that Sun is paying attention to their customers. Need to expand the datacenter, but don't have the space? Use their portable container setup. It's sheer genius, esp. for emergency contigencies/disaster situations. If I were a CIO/CTO, I would be taking a SERIOUS look at Sun's product as part of my data/computing landscape.
(And no jokes about hijacking the container with a forklift or breaking into it... That's why you hire 24/7 security if the data is important to you.)
Microsoft seems hellbent on adding their marketing spin to the product arena. This is one instance where they need to SIMPLIFY their verbage. I'm sorry, M$ - I'm far more comfortable putting my IT folks on a laptop, managing a remote UNIX (Solaris) or Linux solution than a Windows-based setup. Not unless I want to keep sending my user to the container's locale every few days for one issue or another.
Microsoft needs to rethink their strategy here. I think Sun ($un?) got it right.