Chernobyl was poorly built, unsafe procedures, etc...in other words, a bad example of how to build a nuclear power plant. There's plenty of other nuclear plants in the world that don't make these mistakes. Don't blame the concept of nuclear power for Chernobyl...it wasn't the atoms' fault.
Because stupid people can't get the images of mushroom clouds and Chernobyl stuff out of their heads. Just like when someone hears you work with computers, they think you're an expert with anything that contains wires.
Don't you know that you're only supposed to buy new systems from a major OEM, and have it preloaded with all the software you ever plan to use?
Besides, 1.5 years into the 3 year time period you mentioned, the new versions of everything will be out and you'll have to upgrade or the only people you can exchange documents with will be the people in your office.
You'd think by now, with so many articles on this subject on Slashdot and so many other sites, that everyone would know that this is done on the browser end. There's nothing in the page source itself that causes the smart tags to appear.
Of course, a proxy server that automatically inserts the magic META tag that turns the smart tags off would be helpful.
Most places I've seen that primarily deal with electronics and computer equipment charge a 10-15% restocking fee on returns...but only if the merchandise is being returned for reasons other than damage. If CompUSA is charging a restocking fee on *damaged* merchandise, then that's bullshit and it should be changed. I have no problem with restock fees for "whim" returns (I didn't like it, I realized I couldn't eat next week if I spend that much, etc). The reason you gave for your return falls into this group.
Customer satisfaction hasn't been the ultimate goal of most businesses for quite some time, especially chain retail stores like CompUSA. Speaking from the experience of someone who has worked for companies that'll bend over backwards to keep a customer happy, I can say that it severely affects the bottom line if you always say "Yes, sir, that's fine, whatever you say." The customer is not always right.
I was referring more to the way you said you handled the situation. Restocking fees are pretty standard, and are there to help cover the costs involved with returns. You shouldn't have to pay a restocking fee if the product was actually damaged; in your case, if the printer wouldn't print at all, or left nasty streaks all over the page, or something like that. Returning a product just because you decide it isn't sufficient for your needs is a very different situation. The store did nothing wrong...they didn't sell you a broken printer. Not only that, but most likely the only reason they waived the fee is because you bitched long enough that the cost of having employees sit there and listen to you began to outweigh the fee.
If you're going to be a stickler for good customer service, pick better battles to fight.
Or he can take a low-wage job right now, while the tech bust is fresh on everyone's mind, and work like hell in his spare time to find a job in the tech field. Hell, if he works nights at a restaurant he won't even have to take time off to interview if he finds something. Just because you're employed doesn't mean you have to stop looking for something better.
Maybe because the porn site owners realize you don't need a huge staff of technical people to run a site.
I know a few people who run porn sites...usually they are the *only* technical person involved. They do all the site design, server stuff, etc. They realize that successful website design does not necessarily require 5 people sitting around in a conference room for a week trying to decide which shade of off-white is the perfect shade for their background.
Now admittedly there's some porn sites out there that are ugly as hell...but you know what? It doesn't really matter. In porno, we can really see that it's all about the content. Good pics in well-organized libraries, with frequent new additions. If you have what the customer wants, aesthetics becomes a secondary concern.
Could we at least switch these pasttimes around as to which one is in the banned-by-government slot? You know, teach kids not to use Realistic stereos, as they're just a gateway to harder stuff. Before long, you're passed out on the floor of a studio apartment in a bad neighborhood. No car, you sold it for speakers. No job either...you lost it due to always being late, because you were rewiring everything for the 50th time this week. The power company is sending around mafia goons due to your high power usage. You haven't bathed in a month because the bathtub has been converted into a special listening chamber. All your friends have stopped talking to you, because all you talk about is how wonderful it feels to crank up the volume.
Now all we need is a catchy acronym for the government department in charge of the whole thing.
I've seen some middle-aged women who go through diet soda like there's no tomorrow. Yeah, I know it's a stereotype, but walk into any office building; you'll see for yourself. The best part is, they won't drink coffee because it has too much caffeine.
No, I haven't, but you probably haven't either. Don't know until you try and all that. Personally, if someone called me (preferably someone who had already requested info on hosting services from me) and made such a request, I'd probably allow it.
Well, you could look at it from the same perspective as Judaism. The old testament gives many prophecies for the arrival of a savior. The term "christ" comes from the Greek "christos", meaning anointed..."christ" then is really more a title than a name. So, who THE christ is (and whether or not he's shown up yet) is dependent on your beliefs. An antichrist, depending on definition, can be anything from the devil to simply a person who actively does not believe in the existance (past, present, or future) of a christ.
There was one version that had a backlight, but it was only released in Japan. A friend of mine had one for a while...it was pretty cool, but the battery life sucked.
But they CAN say "We don't feel like buying the additional equipment at this time." And there's not a damn thing you can do about it, except maybe getting enough people in the area to say "yes, we want DSL" to warrant the equipment costs.
Dune and Dune II were separate games...but quite similar in style.
Re:Unions and what they can do for us
on
IT Unions?
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· Score: 2
It's a tricky question, really. I was directing my comments more against the assumption that a union would stay focused only on the original goals.
It is a sad thing that organizations almost always grow too large, often becoming evil in the process. It happens with corporations, governments, unions, even religions. Theoretically these could all reach a balance point that benefits all the organizations while not screwing the individual, but it never seems to happen. Perhaps it's not really possible, or perhaps there is not ever a true equilibrium...just swings towards different sides as time goes on.
Re:Unions and what they can do for us
on
IT Unions?
·
· Score: 2
Organizations have this nasty tendency to grow beyond their initial scope. Hell, look at existing unions in other industries...started out making genuinely needed changes in working conditions and pay. Now? Well...there has to be a reason so many people think most unions are corrupt and too powerful. Could be that they are...
The internet gives people more opportunity than ever before to look at porn without anyone else ever knowing. Someone who wouldn't go to a strip club (for fear of someone seeing his car in the parking lot) or buying a porn mag in a gas station (what if the attendant labels him as a pervert? Oh no!) might dig up porn on the internet. There's no need for direct human contact in the transaction. He's just another string of bits in a database.
Many people are more concerned about their image than they really have reason to be, and porn is one of those things that "decent people" don't want to be associated with. And even those people who look at porn on a regular basis frequently argue against porn so they won't be the one to sound like a pervert. It's one of those dirty little secrets that millions of people have, just like recreational drug use. Most people privately have nothing against porn, but damned if they'll admit it.
Besides, the ultra-conservative types will always scream loudly against anything that anyone could find pleasure in.
What's wrong with selfish and uncaring? I should have the right to be selfish and uncaring if I so desire, as long as I don't actively infringe on the rights of others. You want to give money to poor people? Go for it, it's your money. You want to help a junkie get off smack? More power to you. But don't require me to do anything. What's mine is mine. That includes my body. If I want to fuck up my life with drugs (not saying that I do), that's my choice to make.
The anti-"blame everybody else except me" angle is exactly what I was going for.
Parents don't always know what's going on with their kids, and it's not always the parent's fault. Hell, when I was a teenager I frequently lied to my parents about my whereabouts, my friends, and activities whenever anything was happening that I knew they wouldn't approve of. I don't consider them bad parents, but I could have stockpiled weapons and gone on a shooting spree pretty easily if I'd gotten the urge.
I'm really getting sick of civil lawsuits in general. You want someone punished for their misdeeds, get a criminal case going.
A funny sidenote to all the anti-Doom sentiment...back in high school I used to play multiplayer Doom and Doom 2 via a BBS that would make a virtual IPX network (so's you could have 4 player over modems)...aside from other students in the area, know what the most common occupation of the players was? Lawyers.:)
The kids are the ones who committed the crime. The kids are dead. I can't really say for certain (not being a parent), but I imagine that the parents already a) feel like shit from this whole incident and b) they've already lost their kids.
No amount of money will bring the victims back from the grave. Any lawsuit over this sort of thing is just profiteering. Fuck that.
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Chernobyl was poorly built, unsafe procedures, etc...in other words, a bad example of how to build a nuclear power plant. There's plenty of other nuclear plants in the world that don't make these mistakes. Don't blame the concept of nuclear power for Chernobyl...it wasn't the atoms' fault.
Because stupid people can't get the images of mushroom clouds and Chernobyl stuff out of their heads. Just like when someone hears you work with computers, they think you're an expert with anything that contains wires.
Tsk tsk tsk....
Don't you know that you're only supposed to buy new systems from a major OEM, and have it preloaded with all the software you ever plan to use?
Besides, 1.5 years into the 3 year time period you mentioned, the new versions of everything will be out and you'll have to upgrade or the only people you can exchange documents with will be the people in your office.
Goddamn MS licensing is a pain in the ass.
You'd think by now, with so many articles on this subject on Slashdot and so many other sites, that everyone would know that this is done on the browser end. There's nothing in the page source itself that causes the smart tags to appear.
Of course, a proxy server that automatically inserts the magic META tag that turns the smart tags off would be helpful.
Most places I've seen that primarily deal with electronics and computer equipment charge a 10-15% restocking fee on returns...but only if the merchandise is being returned for reasons other than damage. If CompUSA is charging a restocking fee on *damaged* merchandise, then that's bullshit and it should be changed. I have no problem with restock fees for "whim" returns (I didn't like it, I realized I couldn't eat next week if I spend that much, etc). The reason you gave for your return falls into this group.
Customer satisfaction hasn't been the ultimate goal of most businesses for quite some time, especially chain retail stores like CompUSA. Speaking from the experience of someone who has worked for companies that'll bend over backwards to keep a customer happy, I can say that it severely affects the bottom line if you always say "Yes, sir, that's fine, whatever you say." The customer is not always right.
I was referring more to the way you said you handled the situation. Restocking fees are pretty standard, and are there to help cover the costs involved with returns. You shouldn't have to pay a restocking fee if the product was actually damaged; in your case, if the printer wouldn't print at all, or left nasty streaks all over the page, or something like that. Returning a product just because you decide it isn't sufficient for your needs is a very different situation. The store did nothing wrong...they didn't sell you a broken printer. Not only that, but most likely the only reason they waived the fee is because you bitched long enough that the cost of having employees sit there and listen to you began to outweigh the fee.
If you're going to be a stickler for good customer service, pick better battles to fight.
I don't believe you should hold the store liable just because the product sucked. They don't manufacture printers, they just sell 'em.
You probably were pissed just because you failed to research the product beforehand. That's no reason to be an ass about it.
Or he can take a low-wage job right now, while the tech bust is fresh on everyone's mind, and work like hell in his spare time to find a job in the tech field. Hell, if he works nights at a restaurant he won't even have to take time off to interview if he finds something. Just because you're employed doesn't mean you have to stop looking for something better.
Maybe because the porn site owners realize you don't need a huge staff of technical people to run a site.
I know a few people who run porn sites...usually they are the *only* technical person involved. They do all the site design, server stuff, etc. They realize that successful website design does not necessarily require 5 people sitting around in a conference room for a week trying to decide which shade of off-white is the perfect shade for their background.
Now admittedly there's some porn sites out there that are ugly as hell...but you know what? It doesn't really matter. In porno, we can really see that it's all about the content. Good pics in well-organized libraries, with frequent new additions. If you have what the customer wants, aesthetics becomes a secondary concern.
Could we at least switch these pasttimes around as to which one is in the banned-by-government slot? You know, teach kids not to use Realistic stereos, as they're just a gateway to harder stuff. Before long, you're passed out on the floor of a studio apartment in a bad neighborhood. No car, you sold it for speakers. No job either...you lost it due to always being late, because you were rewiring everything for the 50th time this week. The power company is sending around mafia goons due to your high power usage. You haven't bathed in a month because the bathtub has been converted into a special listening chamber. All your friends have stopped talking to you, because all you talk about is how wonderful it feels to crank up the volume.
Now all we need is a catchy acronym for the government department in charge of the whole thing.
I've seen some middle-aged women who go through diet soda like there's no tomorrow. Yeah, I know it's a stereotype, but walk into any office building; you'll see for yourself. The best part is, they won't drink coffee because it has too much caffeine.
Gee. A device designed to take a modulated electric signal and turn it into sound...takes a modulated electric signal and turns it into sound.
Fucking amazing.
No, I haven't, but you probably haven't either. Don't know until you try and all that. Personally, if someone called me (preferably someone who had already requested info on hosting services from me) and made such a request, I'd probably allow it.
Perhaps a friendly call to them to get permission first?
Check http://ledmuseum.home.att.net. Dude must spend hours every day playing with LEDs of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
Well, you could look at it from the same perspective as Judaism. The old testament gives many prophecies for the arrival of a savior. The term "christ" comes from the Greek "christos", meaning anointed..."christ" then is really more a title than a name. So, who THE christ is (and whether or not he's shown up yet) is dependent on your beliefs. An antichrist, depending on definition, can be anything from the devil to simply a person who actively does not believe in the existance (past, present, or future) of a christ.
There was one version that had a backlight, but it was only released in Japan. A friend of mine had one for a while...it was pretty cool, but the battery life sucked.
But they CAN say "We don't feel like buying the additional equipment at this time." And there's not a damn thing you can do about it, except maybe getting enough people in the area to say "yes, we want DSL" to warrant the equipment costs.
Dune and Dune II were separate games...but quite similar in style.
It's a tricky question, really. I was directing my comments more against the assumption that a union would stay focused only on the original goals.
It is a sad thing that organizations almost always grow too large, often becoming evil in the process. It happens with corporations, governments, unions, even religions. Theoretically these could all reach a balance point that benefits all the organizations while not screwing the individual, but it never seems to happen. Perhaps it's not really possible, or perhaps there is not ever a true equilibrium...just swings towards different sides as time goes on.
Organizations have this nasty tendency to grow beyond their initial scope. Hell, look at existing unions in other industries...started out making genuinely needed changes in working conditions and pay. Now? Well...there has to be a reason so many people think most unions are corrupt and too powerful. Could be that they are...
Privately? Sure. Publicly? Not for a while.
The internet gives people more opportunity than ever before to look at porn without anyone else ever knowing. Someone who wouldn't go to a strip club (for fear of someone seeing his car in the parking lot) or buying a porn mag in a gas station (what if the attendant labels him as a pervert? Oh no!) might dig up porn on the internet. There's no need for direct human contact in the transaction. He's just another string of bits in a database.
Many people are more concerned about their image than they really have reason to be, and porn is one of those things that "decent people" don't want to be associated with. And even those people who look at porn on a regular basis frequently argue against porn so they won't be the one to sound like a pervert. It's one of those dirty little secrets that millions of people have, just like recreational drug use. Most people privately have nothing against porn, but damned if they'll admit it.
Besides, the ultra-conservative types will always scream loudly against anything that anyone could find pleasure in.
What's wrong with selfish and uncaring? I should have the right to be selfish and uncaring if I so desire, as long as I don't actively infringe on the rights of others. You want to give money to poor people? Go for it, it's your money. You want to help a junkie get off smack? More power to you. But don't require me to do anything. What's mine is mine. That includes my body. If I want to fuck up my life with drugs (not saying that I do), that's my choice to make.
The anti-"blame everybody else except me" angle is exactly what I was going for.
:)
Parents don't always know what's going on with their kids, and it's not always the parent's fault. Hell, when I was a teenager I frequently lied to my parents about my whereabouts, my friends, and activities whenever anything was happening that I knew they wouldn't approve of. I don't consider them bad parents, but I could have stockpiled weapons and gone on a shooting spree pretty easily if I'd gotten the urge.
I'm really getting sick of civil lawsuits in general. You want someone punished for their misdeeds, get a criminal case going.
A funny sidenote to all the anti-Doom sentiment...back in high school I used to play multiplayer Doom and Doom 2 via a BBS that would make a virtual IPX network (so's you could have 4 player over modems)...aside from other students in the area, know what the most common occupation of the players was? Lawyers.
Why sue the parents?
The kids are the ones who committed the crime. The kids are dead. I can't really say for certain (not being a parent), but I imagine that the parents already a) feel like shit from this whole incident and b) they've already lost their kids.
No amount of money will bring the victims back from the grave. Any lawsuit over this sort of thing is just profiteering. Fuck that.