Questionable partnership & purchaser expectations
on
TiVo Upgrade Isn't
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· Score: 2
I read the av forum and was really surprised at the tone of the posts from TiVolutionary, supposedly a "face" to the TiVo company. Is this a pointer to the bigger issue of hardware ownership? I think it's pretty dangerous (legally and ethically) when a person can in no uncertain terms purchase i.e. you go to *favorite retailer goes here*, grab a TiVo, go to the cashier, and walk out with YOUR OWN unit with a receipt to prove ownership. Then find out later that no - that's not really how it works. The fine print in that case is bull$hit. The TiVo guy on that forum basically said that if you do not subscribe you are NOT A TiVo customer and go F yourself. He needs a boot in the ass to remember that TiVo is partnered with the hardware company, period. Being a complete Dick to the owners of those devices makes all parties look really bad.
Legally he may be right, but ethically and comercially he's dead wrong. The TiVo brand is all over that product (that thingie you walked out of Best Buy with a receipt taped on the box). With the official response that TiVolutionary Bozo posted I wonder how many people not only made the decision to NEVER subscribe, but also advised friends and family how the TiVo company is about "their" product. Yeah, so maybe the legaleeze that nobody reads lets TiVo off the hook, but I understand that the marketing shows that the TiVo subscription "enhances" the operation, but doesn't preclude the basic features. Why anyone would knowingly spend $400 and be OK with a nag screen on every button astounds me - so I am probably right in assuming that "feature" isn't exactly described on the packaging or other literature. When one person whines you say ok they are a freak. When an entire community screams - maybe, just maybe the company made a bad move.
I believe that any company selling a device that requires some sort of subscription, or that they plan on "upgrading" only do so with a lease of some type. AND THEN MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR WITH 40 PT TYPE THAT YOU ARE RENTING NOT OWNING THE DEVICE!! I get tv and Internet from my cable company. They are very clear that I am LEASING the digital converter box and cable modem. This gives them the undeniable right to change it whenever they see fit and me the undeniable right to have that crap picked up if I don't like an "upgrade". ALL BECAUSE I DON'T OWN IT! And I don't have a $400 purchase receipt the wipe the tears with either:-D
I do believe that the opportunity exists for today's students that didn't exist when I was in school. Virtual information overload and instant gratification. What has happened is that we are now facing a flood of "lazy students" that are too reliant on technology. It is nearly impossible to hire someone these days who can compose an intelligible business memo that a high $$$ client wouldn't ask "what retard sent this to me?" after looking at it. Or a systems guy who, while walking thru the data center, could do some long division on the back of a business card to figure out how many servers would fit in x racks on y sqare feet of floor without running for a spreadsheet. Wait that's pretty hard stuff - how about just figuring out floor sapce in a room with 1 foot square floor tiles. When it comes down to smarts many of these guys are at the top of their field but sure don't look it when something actually must be communicated or documented. Not many people recognize the value of knowing how something is calculated or communicated without the benefit of technology. Until its too late and a career limiting event occurs because they can't write legibly or do math without a computer.
Even if you are the guy shoveling poop behind the Clydesdales, you have made it past the security guard. Make sure you get the job at hand done first then focus on getting to know people and find a permanent job you could move toward. I like the earlier post on inventing your own job. I do that daily!
It depends on what you expect to gain. In terms of value on the job market, either is a credential that indicates your ability to complete something. Learning something relevant is a different animal...
If you intend to pursue a technical career path, choose the CS program. If you plan to be a business manager, you will probably get more out of the CIS deal.
My personal decision came at the halfway point while cursing physics labs and worrying about Calculus. When I looked ahead and had to decide whether strategic management or compiler theory supported my own ambitions, I went with CIS. Amazingly, the education has paid off in spades, especially the decision support and system design stuff.
Now leave me alone so I can make this VCR quit flashing 12:00!
What a snob Scott Kurtz is to say strips like User Friendly and Dilbert are in bad taste because those poor end users don't deserve ridicule. Fact is, most end users DON'T deserve it and can laugh with us about the rest. The ones that are the topic of these strips usually fall into two categories:
People that have bought an "Internet Appliance" and really don't need a computer. These have trouble programming their bread makers and waste expensive tech support time learning how to surf their favorite porn sites. Just get WebTV or a nice book instead.
People that are too busy or too important to get a clue in the first place. These are the ones that will call 1-800 before stretching that finger to touch F1 or click on "Help" or even read the dialogue in front of them to make the slightest effort to Solve Their Own Problem.
Maybe I am too close to this to be objective, but it really cheezes me when someone like this looks down their nose and leaps to the defense of people who are not worthy of defending. I have answered thousands of technical questions and I never make fun of even the "dumbest" question when the person asking has 0.5 of a clue, made an honest effort to figure it out, and is just stuck. How many of us have designed eloquent systems and then wasted a whole hour because you forgot a ';' at the end of one freaking line and just couldn't "see" it?
By the way, PvP is not funny. I read the strip linked in the/. article and even looked at the home page. When a cartoonist goes out of their way to be Politically Correct, the whole point of humor/satire is missed.
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I read the av forum and was really surprised at the tone of the posts from TiVolutionary, supposedly a "face" to the TiVo company. Is this a pointer to the bigger issue of hardware ownership? I think it's pretty dangerous (legally and ethically) when a person can in no uncertain terms purchase i.e. you go to *favorite retailer goes here*, grab a TiVo, go to the cashier, and walk out with YOUR OWN unit with a receipt to prove ownership. Then find out later that no - that's not really how it works. The fine print in that case is bull$hit. The TiVo guy on that forum basically said that if you do not subscribe you are NOT A TiVo customer and go F yourself. He needs a boot in the ass to remember that TiVo is partnered with the hardware company, period. Being a complete Dick to the owners of those devices makes all parties look really bad.
Legally he may be right, but ethically and comercially he's dead wrong. The TiVo brand is all over that product (that thingie you walked out of Best Buy with a receipt taped on the box). With the official response that TiVolutionary Bozo posted I wonder how many people not only made the decision to NEVER subscribe, but also advised friends and family how the TiVo company is about "their" product. Yeah, so maybe the legaleeze that nobody reads lets TiVo off the hook, but I understand that the marketing shows that the TiVo subscription "enhances" the operation, but doesn't preclude the basic features. Why anyone would knowingly spend $400 and be OK with a nag screen on every button astounds me - so I am probably right in assuming that "feature" isn't exactly described on the packaging or other literature. When one person whines you say ok they are a freak. When an entire community screams - maybe, just maybe the company made a bad move.
I believe that any company selling a device that requires some sort of subscription, or that they plan on "upgrading" only do so with a lease of some type. AND THEN MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR WITH 40 PT TYPE THAT YOU ARE RENTING NOT OWNING THE DEVICE!! I get tv and Internet from my cable company. They are very clear that I am LEASING the digital converter box and cable modem. This gives them the undeniable right to change it whenever they see fit and me the undeniable right to have that crap picked up if I don't like an "upgrade". ALL BECAUSE I DON'T OWN IT! And I don't have a $400 purchase receipt the wipe the tears with either :-D
I do believe that the opportunity exists for today's students that didn't exist when I was in school. Virtual information overload and instant gratification. What has happened is that we are now facing a flood of "lazy students" that are too reliant on technology. It is nearly impossible to hire someone these days who can compose an intelligible business memo that a high $$$ client wouldn't ask "what retard sent this to me?" after looking at it. Or a systems guy who, while walking thru the data center, could do some long division on the back of a business card to figure out how many servers would fit in x racks on y sqare feet of floor without running for a spreadsheet. Wait that's pretty hard stuff - how about just figuring out floor sapce in a room with 1 foot square floor tiles. When it comes down to smarts many of these guys are at the top of their field but sure don't look it when something actually must be communicated or documented. Not many people recognize the value of knowing how something is calculated or communicated without the benefit of technology. Until its too late and a career limiting event occurs because they can't write legibly or do math without a computer.
They're circling the toilet. Take what you can get and dump em! Run, don't walk, with the check to their bank if possible to get cash.
Even if you are the guy shoveling poop behind the Clydesdales, you have made it past the security guard. Make sure you get the job at hand done first then focus on getting to know people and find a permanent job you could move toward. I like the earlier post on inventing your own job. I do that daily!
One page taped to the security officer's baton will work.
It depends on what you expect to gain. In terms of value on the job market, either is a credential that indicates your ability to complete something. Learning something relevant is a different animal...
If you intend to pursue a technical career path, choose the CS program. If you plan to be a business manager, you will probably get more out of the CIS deal.
My personal decision came at the halfway point while cursing physics labs and worrying about Calculus. When I looked ahead and had to decide whether strategic management or compiler theory supported my own ambitions, I went with CIS. Amazingly, the education has paid off in spades, especially the decision support and system design stuff.
Now leave me alone so I can make this VCR quit flashing 12:00!
What a snob Scott Kurtz is to say strips like User Friendly and Dilbert are in bad taste because those poor end users don't deserve ridicule. Fact is, most end users DON'T deserve it and can laugh with us about the rest. The ones that are the topic of these strips usually fall into two categories:
Maybe I am too close to this to be objective, but it really cheezes me when someone like this looks down their nose and leaps to the defense of people who are not worthy of defending. I have answered thousands of technical questions and I never make fun of even the "dumbest" question when the person asking has 0.5 of a clue, made an honest effort to figure it out, and is just stuck. How many of us have designed eloquent systems and then wasted a whole hour because you forgot a ';' at the end of one freaking line and just couldn't "see" it?
By the way, PvP is not funny. I read the strip linked in the /. article and even looked at the home page. When a cartoonist goes out of their way to be Politically Correct, the whole point of humor/satire is missed.