The email account I registered with is active and I check it regularily, i was not sent a message regarding being re-billed.
Interesting question about the TOS for X-BOx Live though, if your TV is too small to actually read the TOS, and thats the only place you see a lot of it, can they hold you to it?
I noticed in December a charge on my CC from Microsoft Online Services. I was quite surprised as, like you, i had not used X-Box live for several months (read 8), and had expected to be involved in any sort of re-bill process (ie a message on the X-Box). The whole Live! sign up process was very difficult, with a whole heck of a lot of questions, and I was under the impression that they took down my CC only to confirm i was age for some of the content. I found it ludicris that I needed to give my CC# to the company whose service I had already paid for at the store...
I caught it quicker than you did, and called them in December and spoke to someone there (3 forwards and 20 minutes on hold later) who eventually relented and offered a refund. I waited over a month and saw nothing on my CC. So I called back on the 3rd, spoke to someone else who said that they had cancelled the service, I had a credit on my account, but they wern't actually planning on sending that refund to my card. After more haggling, more hold time etc, they agreed to refund my card.
All in all X-Box Live! was a difficult, expensive service to sign up for with unclear purchasing terms. I'm not happy with it, but I should have my money back soon....
I don't think i've ever scored a -1 rating before, so i thought I would respond to my critics.
Firstly, the EULAs, I will concentrate on Napster 2. - They may update their EULA at any time, and will not inform you of these changes, the EULA posted on their website (the only place you can see the current version) is not dated nor marked with a revision number. So the entire document must be scanned for changes, unless you complain and uninstall within 30 days of a change, you have indicated your acceptance. -They reserve the right to push updates to your machine, both for their software, and for any software that communicates with it (namely WMP, but could include Windows itself, and Roxio CD burner). I don't particularily want someone else patching my software thank you very much. -They reserve the right to disable any related software if the security is tripped, this includes Napster, WMP, and possibly windows itself...
To me, thats all scary stuff individually, when you add it up, I don't think there isnt any rights I havent given them with regards to my machine, and if I havent givent them those rights yet, they can just update the EULA to give them to themselves.
I tried Napster 2 and iTunes hoping to be able to purchase music convienently online. I no longer watch stolen movies, use stolen software, or listen to stolen music. So I needed an easy way to get single songs, or albums I liked, easily. Unfortuantly, not living in the US prevents me from doing this.
And no, it isn't legal for me to copy my neighbour's CDs, even in Canada.
The EULAs for iTunes and Napster 2 are horrible, more draconion than Microsoft software (which you are already running if you can use iTunes or Napster 2). If I choose to pay for music (and it is a choice these days), stop restricting me, stop invading my privacy and harassing me. It would have been easier to use Kazaa, eDonkey or Piolet to begin with, and there wouldnt have been any restrictions.
Add to that I live in canada, so I can't purchase music with these services (yes I tried).
Fork is a four letter word in my vocabulary, and it is that word that stops me from taking some of my projects open source. I worry that members of the project team will argue and discuss a fork, leaving me to try and hold the 'team' togethor.
Thank you for the clarification, thankfully you got modded up quicker, so people should see them both.
Personally, I think that giving users (wether end-users or technical) the opportunity to run exactly the same software at home and at the office is the only way to go. Otherwise you double the learning curve, and cut the pace at which one proceeds along it.
To be honest, I haven't looked into the fedora project too much, so I am not sure how similar it is to Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation.
Morrowind caught me quicker, Baulders Gate caught me quicker, online MUDs caught me quicker, heck so did pen and paper.
I didn't really like the interface, but as it was such a short time I wasn't going to hold that against it (yet). I just really didnt care what happened to the charecter. Combat was also stuningly unapealing.
Legislate the law two ways. Spammers must use the.spm domain name for any mailings or related websites.
ISPs MAY NOT block mail from.spm except as requested on a case by case basis from individual users, and then, only block it for that specific account.
Charge an arm and a leg for.spm Domain names, ie 100K/yr just to register. Though some sort of a/traffic amount would work better..spm Registration fees (minus regular TLD registration fees) are given to backbone internet carriers for their capitol budget.
If (many will argue When would be the right term) they lose the lawsuits, and it is found that Linux contains no code that is part of their IP. Will they automatically grant complete refunds (none of this $99 processing fee cra) to those who purchased a pointless license from them.
Most of the few headhunters I have spoken to have all been interested in longer term relationships. Building my resume became a group effort, me to excell in the positions, him to put me into them. It worked quite well.
I have spoken to one or two who presented themselves as one shot deals. Id rather use a temp agency then associate with someone with so little confidence in themselves, or me.
True, Also consider the/. article a while back about Dell PCs shipping without a way to read the EULA before accepting it. It asked on first boot, and wouldnt allow you to read the license, or use your computer before clicking on the 'I have read everything and agree to it' button.
All in all though, i would say the other points they made about encouraging false claims, not informing the end user of all of their obligations to the class, and mis-representations of the result of the DOJ anti trust case are certainly valid.
A lot of the problems (not including the real signature ones) have to do with missing parts of the form.
MS's laywers however also had a type
quote: In addition to mischaracterizing the settlement and encouraging consumers to submit defective claims that will denied, the website also encourages people to submit fraudulent claims.
Ive dropped some money on some really crappy games, and to be honest, I probably would have asked for a refund. Blood Wake for the X-Box for one example, I new within hours that I didnt want it, but was stuck with the purchase.
HMV in my area recently began their no-return policy on opened products to combat rampant burn & return customers (I am a good friend of the General Manager, who spoke of customers who repeatedly puchased 10+ cds to return the next weekend). Reasons like this justify these policies quite well in my opinion.
Lax return policies for games with online play can be a slap in the face for second round purchasers, imagine buying StarCraft or the like, just to get kicked off line frequently because your CD-Key is used elsewhere.
I think we are left with two equally distastefull alternatives. - Exchanges only on defective merchandise, no refunds, no exceptions - DRM Crusted software, store can confirm through online database that software has been removed from your system, and that you are no longer a rightfull owner.
When Cogeco started leaning towards enforcing their bandwidth caps (amongst other serious snafu's), I signed up with a local broadband ISP (www.jet2.net). To be honest, I have never had a problem.
Its the same price as Sympatico or Cogeco, good speeds and no issues. I also havent been dicked around for having port 80 running a service, or being double billed.
I don't get 24x7 technical support, but thats not generally an issue, the service went down once (bell cut my line), they refunded that month.
I was really thinking about entering this, I have a friend quite interested in game programming (It is what he would like to do after he graduates), and I am always looking for ways to push myself.
Unfortunatly, Giving away software that wont win, but will have some good ideas doesnt sound like an all star plan.
One member of our software development team ended up receiving over 10,000messages/hour during our peak load, about equally split between virus messages, and bounce backs/mailer daemon messages. The latter weren't blocked by the standard anti-spam solution.
The messages generally contain no usefull information, and are deleted without reading.
Spam catchers should be combined with anti virus solutions, to ensure that authentic messages do generate some sort of response, either to the sender or receiving, informing them of the infection. The technologies would mesh well in this case.
As I mentioned in my post, the issue was discovered and resolved before any blocks against us were put into place. So I do fail to see how being added to a block list sped our resolution of the problem, it was already resolved.
I am not the webmaster or NA, I am the technical support person for our software, so the insults mean little.
Traffic is metered on the host, if it was used by spammers as a relay, they didn't send enough messages to cause a change in the graphs.
I don't know, I am tired of over zealous spam lists, network admins, strange anti-spam mechanisms.
Recently, one of our mail servers got listed with a major spam list with a major time lag. It was allowing open relay (but was never used for nefarious purposes) 6 months ago, and this was resolved 3 months ago.
As a result, all of the mail that was sent to paying Road Runner customers was bounced back, this was mail that was requested, and mail they had just paid to receive. I attempted to forward from my ISP, but lo and behold, my personal ISP (different country than our corporate mail servers) had also been blocked by Road Runner.
I attempted to email Road Runner to get more information, but got standard auto-responders that didnt answer my question.
I ended up mailing the paying customers via my webmail account on my personal domain.
We lost about six accounts to refunds over non-recipt of information, since it took us a week to figgure out what was going on (mails are sent from an unmonitored account).
Also: Most non-technical users don't know how to properly manage opt-in spam blockers (the ones with auto responders pointint you to websites where you can fill out all your personal information, your mothers maiden name, and perhaps the person might deem it acceptable to let your mail in). They sign up for things, dont add the posted address to their list, the mail gets blocked, so they email us complaining, not bothering to add the email address they just messaged to the allowable list. With the current virii going around, spoofing return headers, I just dont have the time to wade through all the mailer daemon/postmaster/spamblocker/virus blocker emails comming in.
ISP Level Spam blockers MUST:
Allow users to turn them on/off
Allow users to view blocked mail
Provide external groups with EXACT information on why a message was blocked, rather than pawning off responsibility to some Not-For-Profit.
Respond to queries from external groups within 1 business day, either with removal from lists, or more detailed information
Upon removal from a blocked list, spam cached within the past week from affected senders should be forwarded with an attached apology header.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh, One foot not sorry.
The email account I registered with is active and I check it regularily, i was not sent a message regarding being re-billed.
Interesting question about the TOS for X-BOx Live though, if your TV is too small to actually read the TOS, and thats the only place you see a lot of it, can they hold you to it?
Actually this just happened to me.
I noticed in December a charge on my CC from Microsoft Online Services. I was quite surprised as, like you, i had not used X-Box live for several months (read 8), and had expected to be involved in any sort of re-bill process (ie a message on the X-Box). The whole Live! sign up process was very difficult, with a whole heck of a lot of questions, and I was under the impression that they took down my CC only to confirm i was age for some of the content. I found it ludicris that I needed to give my CC# to the company whose service I had already paid for at the store...
I caught it quicker than you did, and called them in December and spoke to someone there (3 forwards and 20 minutes on hold later) who eventually relented and offered a refund. I waited over a month and saw nothing on my CC. So I called back on the 3rd, spoke to someone else who said that they had cancelled the service, I had a credit on my account, but they wern't actually planning on sending that refund to my card. After more haggling, more hold time etc, they agreed to refund my card.
All in all X-Box Live! was a difficult, expensive service to sign up for with unclear purchasing terms. I'm not happy with it, but I should have my money back soon....
I would suggest YoHoHO Puzzle Pirates.
Its an online game, where you go around as pirates, its all puzzle based. Many girls I know enjoy puzzle based games I (male) also enjoy it.
http://www.puzzlepirates.com/
I don't think i've ever scored a -1 rating before, so i thought I would respond to my critics.
Firstly, the EULAs, I will concentrate on Napster 2.
- They may update their EULA at any time, and will not inform you of these changes, the EULA posted on their website (the only place you can see the current version) is not dated nor marked with a revision number. So the entire document must be scanned for changes, unless you complain and uninstall within 30 days of a change, you have indicated your acceptance.
-They reserve the right to push updates to your machine, both for their software, and for any software that communicates with it (namely WMP, but could include Windows itself, and Roxio CD burner). I don't particularily want someone else patching my software thank you very much.
-They reserve the right to disable any related software if the security is tripped, this includes Napster, WMP, and possibly windows itself...
To me, thats all scary stuff individually, when you add it up, I don't think there isnt any rights I havent given them with regards to my machine, and if I havent givent them those rights yet, they can just update the EULA to give them to themselves.
I tried Napster 2 and iTunes hoping to be able to purchase music convienently online. I no longer watch stolen movies, use stolen software, or listen to stolen music. So I needed an easy way to get single songs, or albums I liked, easily. Unfortuantly, not living in the US prevents me from doing this.
And no, it isn't legal for me to copy my neighbour's CDs, even in Canada.
Is crap.
The EULAs for iTunes and Napster 2 are horrible, more draconion than Microsoft software (which you are already running if you can use iTunes or Napster 2). If I choose to pay for music (and it is a choice these days), stop restricting me, stop invading my privacy and harassing me. It would have been easier to use Kazaa, eDonkey or Piolet to begin with, and there wouldnt have been any restrictions.
Add to that I live in canada, so I can't purchase music with these services (yes I tried).
Fork is a four letter word in my vocabulary, and it is that word that stops me from taking some of my projects open source. I worry that members of the project team will argue and discuss a fork, leaving me to try and hold the 'team' togethor.
Thank you for the clarification, thankfully you got modded up quicker, so people should see them both.
Personally, I think that giving users (wether end-users or technical) the opportunity to run exactly the same software at home and at the office is the only way to go. Otherwise you double the learning curve, and cut the pace at which one proceeds along it.
To be honest, I haven't looked into the fedora project too much, so I am not sure how similar it is to Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation.
Is this the result of corporations really beleiving in the quality of the product, and its usefullness in their corporation?
Or have corporations just not yet had the chance to fully investigate the red hat alternatives since the desktop line went kaput.
We have been QA'ing a new default burn for desktops for the past 6-8mnths, in the meantime, we keep purchasing what we had before.
If there is going to be a dip because of the drop of the desktop line I wouldn't expect it untill at least next quarter
I buy games for entertainment.
I play games for an escape.
My goal when playing Diablo II, or Warcraft III isnt to have the biggest baddest charecter, or to win in the least amount of time. It is to have fun.
Paying hard earned real-world-dollars (RWD) to get virtual euipment, land, whatever just makes no cents.
Gaining the equipment, fighting the monster, challenging whomever is where the fun lies.
Its the journey not the destination.
Morrowind caught me quicker, Baulders Gate caught me quicker, online MUDs caught me quicker, heck so did pen and paper.
I didn't really like the interface, but as it was such a short time I wasn't going to hold that against it (yet). I just really didnt care what happened to the charecter. Combat was also stuningly unapealing.
I played the x-box version for all of five minutes, then stuck it at the bottom of the pile, just above Blood Wake, never to be played again.
It just didnt catch my eye. As such a PC convert will be even less attractive.
Legislate the law two ways. .spm domain name for any mailings or related websites.
.spm except as requested on a case by case basis from individual users, and then, only block it for that specific account.
.spm Domain names, ie 100K/yr just to register. Though some sort of a /traffic amount would work better. .spm Registration fees (minus regular TLD registration fees) are given to backbone internet carriers for their capitol budget.
Spammers must use the
ISPs MAY NOT block mail from
Charge an arm and a leg for
My big question is:
If (many will argue When would be the right term) they lose the lawsuits, and it is found that Linux contains no code that is part of their IP. Will they automatically grant complete refunds (none of this $99 processing fee cra) to those who purchased a pointless license from them.
If not, why?
Most of the few headhunters I have spoken to have all been interested in longer term relationships. Building my resume became a group effort, me to excell in the positions, him to put me into them. It worked quite well.
I have spoken to one or two who presented themselves as one shot deals. Id rather use a temp agency then associate with someone with so little confidence in themselves, or me.
/me laughs
/. article a while back about Dell PCs shipping without a way to read the EULA before accepting it. It asked on first boot, and wouldnt allow you to read the license, or use your computer before clicking on the 'I have read everything and agree to it' button.
True, Also consider the
All in all though, i would say the other points they made about encouraging false claims, not informing the end user of all of their obligations to the class, and mis-representations of the result of the DOJ anti trust case are certainly valid.
A lot of the problems (not including the real signature ones) have to do with missing parts of the form.
MS's laywers however also had a type
quote:
In addition to mischaracterizing the settlement and encouraging consumers to submit defective claims that will denied, the website also encourages people to submit fraudulent claims.
I am assuming that should say will BE denied.
Ive dropped some money on some really crappy games, and to be honest, I probably would have asked for a refund. Blood Wake for the X-Box for one example, I new within hours that I didnt want it, but was stuck with the purchase.
HMV in my area recently began their no-return policy on opened products to combat rampant burn & return customers (I am a good friend of the General Manager, who spoke of customers who repeatedly puchased 10+ cds to return the next weekend). Reasons like this justify these policies quite well in my opinion.
Lax return policies for games with online play can be a slap in the face for second round purchasers, imagine buying StarCraft or the like, just to get kicked off line frequently because your CD-Key is used elsewhere.
I think we are left with two equally distastefull alternatives.
- Exchanges only on defective merchandise, no refunds, no exceptions
- DRM Crusted software, store can confirm through online database that software has been removed from your system, and that you are no longer a rightfull owner.
When Cogeco started leaning towards enforcing their bandwidth caps (amongst other serious snafu's), I signed up with a local broadband ISP (www.jet2.net). To be honest, I have never had a problem.
Its the same price as Sympatico or Cogeco, good speeds and no issues. I also havent been dicked around for having port 80 running a service, or being double billed.
I don't get 24x7 technical support, but thats not generally an issue, the service went down once (bell cut my line), they refunded that month.
I was really thinking about entering this, I have a friend quite interested in game programming (It is what he would like to do after he graduates), and I am always looking for ways to push myself.
Unfortunatly, Giving away software that wont win, but will have some good ideas doesnt sound like an all star plan.
That and I am Canadian, so no entry for me.
:
One member of our software development team ended up receiving over 10,000messages/hour during our peak load, about equally split between virus messages, and bounce backs/mailer daemon messages. The latter weren't blocked by the standard anti-spam solution.
The messages generally contain no usefull information, and are deleted without reading.
Spam catchers should be combined with anti virus solutions, to ensure that authentic messages do generate some sort of response, either to the sender or receiving, informing them of the infection. The technologies would mesh well in this case.
Transmission Films Is an online independent films distributor that has been around for around a year, with a decent film library.
Are you single? Looking?
(smile)
As a foot note.
I wouldn't let my phone company selectivly block my calls for me, and I won't let my ISP selectivly block my email.
Both are service providers, I am paying for both. As far as I am concerned, it is the same situation.
As I mentioned in my post, the issue was discovered and resolved before any blocks against us were put into place. So I do fail to see how being added to a block list sped our resolution of the problem, it was already resolved.
I am not the webmaster or NA, I am the technical support person for our software, so the insults mean little.
Traffic is metered on the host, if it was used by spammers as a relay, they didn't send enough messages to cause a change in the graphs.
Recently, one of our mail servers got listed with a major spam list with a major time lag. It was allowing open relay (but was never used for nefarious purposes) 6 months ago, and this was resolved 3 months ago.
As a result, all of the mail that was sent to paying Road Runner customers was bounced back, this was mail that was requested, and mail they had just paid to receive. I attempted to forward from my ISP, but lo and behold, my personal ISP (different country than our corporate mail servers) had also been blocked by Road Runner.
I attempted to email Road Runner to get more information, but got standard auto-responders that didnt answer my question.
I ended up mailing the paying customers via my webmail account on my personal domain.
We lost about six accounts to refunds over non-recipt of information, since it took us a week to figgure out what was going on (mails are sent from an unmonitored account).
Also:
Most non-technical users don't know how to properly manage opt-in spam blockers (the ones with auto responders pointint you to websites where you can fill out all your personal information, your mothers maiden name, and perhaps the person might deem it acceptable to let your mail in). They sign up for things, dont add the posted address to their list, the mail gets blocked, so they email us complaining, not bothering to add the email address they just messaged to the allowable list. With the current virii going around, spoofing return headers, I just dont have the time to wade through all the mailer daemon/postmaster/spamblocker/virus blocker emails comming in.
ISP Level Spam blockers MUST: