No, the one thing we do NOT need is more federal regulation. There are plenty of other companies to choose from; pick a prepaid company and work with them.
This is the myth of the free market. The trouble is that this myth is predicated on an informed consumer being able to make a choice by being able to logically compare all the alternatives. There are two issues with this myth when confronted by the real world. First of all cell phone companies deliberately make the comparison of their services impossible by publishing data in the most obtuse fashion possible. Secondly when you do make an uninformed choice you can only act to select a different provider *after* you have discovered they have acted in bad faith - ie after you have suffered a loss. I would much prefer not to suffer a loss in the first place.
IMHO T-Mobile also has the best pre-paid plans in the US for a major carrier. I actually use a prepaid phone and for my usage I am paying well under half of what any of the contracted plans would pay. But then again I only use my phone as a phone so I don't need much in the way of functionality.
Also agree with T-mobile. When I wanted to unlock my phone they said "Sure!". I have also heard that they will support iPhone on their network. My only gripe is that in my own home I get at max 1 or 2 bars
It is very likely the customer service representatives who are offering those service blocks to better accommodate those customers are the better representatives who are actually trying to do a good job. And people wonder why customer service for some companies is so horrible, it is because of policies like this.
I'm likely to be one of the first to complain about bad service and practices, and I strongly dislike the way cell phone companies work in the US. However from TFA all I can see is a case of he said/she said. Is what the CSR said actually company policy, or is it just local management actions? Likewise I would expect a PR flunkie to say whatever in order to protect the company rather than saying the actual truth. But they will say the truth if it to the benefit of the company
I can't deny TFA because I see no proof. But I can't support TFA for the same reason. Show me a document on Verizon letter head that supports TFA and then I'll reconsider my position.
Except that one of the groups protesting the filter was actually a "protect the children" type of group - can't remember their name off hand but I dod remember their disdain for the proposed filtering.
I use T-Mobile in the US and when ever I needed a phone unlocked I simply asked them, and they did it for me. No fuss, no bother. Generally they would ask me why and I would say because I am traveling overseas and want to get a local SIM card. At one stage I had considered switching to AT&T (because T-Mobile coverage in my own house sucks) and unlocking was an issue for me. The AT&T rep I spoke with assured me that that was possible - however I have not put it to the test.
It may be a case of YMMV, but so far I have no complaints.
I'm not deep into the AGW/anti-AGW arguments (and not trying to start a flame war), but I thought that one of the anti-AGW arguments was that in general humans can't affect climate. This sort of research would seem to suggest that humans can affect climate and hence nullify some of the anti-AGW stance - or are these effects so localized that you can only state that the humans are affecting weather and not climate?
To me this is pure un-adulterated outright pollution. The Adv company is deliberately releasing odors into the atmosphere. And I bet they do no have an EPA license to do so.
I gave up on spelling bees in 6th grade when I lost the class bee because the teacher thought "atmosphere" was spelled "atomosphere" and refused to let me get the dictionary and prove I was right.
While not in a spelling bee, I was marked down in an story for using "implode", and had to explain to the teacher what it meant
And even earlier in a Sunday school class I was asked why I didn't colour in the horse in a picture. That one really pissed me off because in my mind it was a frickin' white horse and I didn't need to colour the frickin' thing in. Yep, been carrying that one around for 40+ years
You're not completely wrong, but I think you overstate it. We appreciate someone who has put in the effort to be the absolute best at something, though it can often (Scripps bee as an example) get to a point where we celebrate expertise that has gone to a level far beyond usefulness and real utility.
I'll counter with pre-school graduation ceremonies.
I also am amazed in high school graduation ceremonies. Where I am from finishing high school was not something to be celebrated like it is here, it was something that was expected and seen more as a precursor to college. And if you were not academically gifted there was no shame in shifting to a trade school that was the precursor to an apprenticeship. Yes people did drop out of high school, but that was the exception and not the norm.
But I have yet to be dissuaded from my opinion that in the US image is everything. It is not who you are that is important, but who you portray yourself to be.
As a European, I never understood the big thing about the US spelling contests.
As a foreigner living in the US I am coming to the conclusion that society here prefers pageantry and spectacle over form and substance. It also embraces parochialism (not sure if that is the best word for it) at a low level so that there always has to be an "us vs. them" mentality (this also works IMHO at multiple levels of their society - city vs country, state vs state and country vs country). And throw in a dose of parents living vicariously through their children. So to me the spelling bees are just a manifestation of the pathological state of the society as a whole.
Slashdot Mirror
4. Profit! (for the Telstra shareholders)
Well it would be about time for them
no no it's tourists they like to eat not fiber
No .. that's the dropbears. Or the crocs, or the sharks. The rest of the animal population are just venomous.
No, the one thing we do NOT need is more federal regulation. There are plenty of other companies to choose from; pick a prepaid company and work with them.
This is the myth of the free market. The trouble is that this myth is predicated on an informed consumer being able to make a choice by being able to logically compare all the alternatives. There are two issues with this myth when confronted by the real world. First of all cell phone companies deliberately make the comparison of their services impossible by publishing data in the most obtuse fashion possible. Secondly when you do make an uninformed choice you can only act to select a different provider *after* you have discovered they have acted in bad faith - ie after you have suffered a loss. I would much prefer not to suffer a loss in the first place.
IMHO T-Mobile also has the best pre-paid plans in the US for a major carrier. I actually use a prepaid phone and for my usage I am paying well under half of what any of the contracted plans would pay. But then again I only use my phone as a phone so I don't need much in the way of functionality.
Also agree with T-mobile. When I wanted to unlock my phone they said "Sure!". I have also heard that they will support iPhone on their network. My only gripe is that in my own home I get at max 1 or 2 bars
If the customer doesn't know about the blocks, it is a firable offense to inform them of them. No contradictions with either statement.
From TFA
First, she flatly denied that a customer service rep can be fired for suggesting a data block.
It is very likely the customer service representatives who are offering those service blocks to better accommodate those customers are the better representatives who are actually trying to do a good job. And people wonder why customer service for some companies is so horrible, it is because of policies like this.
I'm likely to be one of the first to complain about bad service and practices, and I strongly dislike the way cell phone companies work in the US. However from TFA all I can see is a case of he said/she said. Is what the CSR said actually company policy, or is it just local management actions? Likewise I would expect a PR flunkie to say whatever in order to protect the company rather than saying the actual truth. But they will say the truth if it to the benefit of the company
I can't deny TFA because I see no proof. But I can't support TFA for the same reason. Show me a document on Verizon letter head that supports TFA and then I'll reconsider my position.
Except that one of the groups protesting the filter was actually a "protect the children" type of group - can't remember their name off hand but I dod remember their disdain for the proposed filtering.
I use T-Mobile in the US and when ever I needed a phone unlocked I simply asked them, and they did it for me. No fuss, no bother. Generally they would ask me why and I would say because I am traveling overseas and want to get a local SIM card. At one stage I had considered switching to AT&T (because T-Mobile coverage in my own house sucks) and unlocking was an issue for me. The AT&T rep I spoke with assured me that that was possible - however I have not put it to the test.
It may be a case of YMMV, but so far I have no complaints.
apparently related?
Chunks of data that are
So how do they connect
I'm not deep into the AGW/anti-AGW arguments (and not trying to start a flame war), but I thought that one of the anti-AGW arguments was that in general humans can't affect climate. This sort of research would seem to suggest that humans can affect climate and hence nullify some of the anti-AGW stance - or are these effects so localized that you can only state that the humans are affecting weather and not climate?
Elektor
Oh baby .. thats one hot little CPU you have there. Do you like to cluster with other systems, or do you just go down all by yourself?
At some point, it might make more sense to reduce congestion by building enough roads with enough lanes for the cars.
I think that they tried this in California. If you had ever tried to drive on their freeways you wouldn't be making brash statements like that.
I agree with dodobh's reply that mass transit scales better .. but with the caveat of "in dense(r) areas"
This is North Carolina. I think smoking is still mandatory there.
Well Altria shipped all is manufacturing to Richmond, VA - so I think that smoking is no longer compulsory (for tweens at least)
To me this is pure un-adulterated outright pollution. The Adv company is deliberately releasing odors into the atmosphere. And I bet they do no have an EPA license to do so.
Seriously, doesn't this yell corruption into everybody's ears? What right is held back next?
Nope. What it more likely yells at me is a bad translation from French political/legal speech to English.
Dear Everyone
You voted us in.
Thanks,
Washington
Now take away their American Idol
Can that really be done??? Please?? Can you do it??
I gave up on spelling bees in 6th grade when I lost the class bee because the teacher thought "atmosphere" was spelled "atomosphere" and refused to let me get the dictionary and prove I was right.
While not in a spelling bee, I was marked down in an story for using "implode", and had to explain to the teacher what it meant
And even earlier in a Sunday school class I was asked why I didn't colour in the horse in a picture. That one really pissed me off because in my mind it was a frickin' white horse and I didn't need to colour the frickin' thing in. Yep, been carrying that one around for 40+ years
You're not completely wrong, but I think you overstate it. We appreciate someone who has put in the effort to be the absolute best at something, though it can often (Scripps bee as an example) get to a point where we celebrate expertise that has gone to a level far beyond usefulness and real utility.
I'll counter with pre-school graduation ceremonies.
I also am amazed in high school graduation ceremonies. Where I am from finishing high school was not something to be celebrated like it is here, it was something that was expected and seen more as a precursor to college. And if you were not academically gifted there was no shame in shifting to a trade school that was the precursor to an apprenticeship. Yes people did drop out of high school, but that was the exception and not the norm.
But I have yet to be dissuaded from my opinion that in the US image is everything. It is not who you are that is important, but who you portray yourself to be.
As a European, I never understood the big thing about the US spelling contests.
As a foreigner living in the US I am coming to the conclusion that society here prefers pageantry and spectacle over form and substance. It also embraces parochialism (not sure if that is the best word for it) at a low level so that there always has to be an "us vs. them" mentality (this also works IMHO at multiple levels of their society - city vs country, state vs state and country vs country). And throw in a dose of parents living vicariously through their children. So to me the spelling bees are just a manifestation of the pathological state of the society as a whole.
I much prefer the Lego Car factory way cooler IMHO than some paper and a coloured pen.