I was never saying that people calling tech support should be pricks, but nor should they be satisfied with the service when they don't understand the terminology the techie uses, and when the techie keeps confusing them. If you'll note, my post was RESPONDING to his, I would not initiate things in this manner with tech support.
He is more than welcome to be bitter that he has a crappy job, however he is not more than welcome to take that out on customers or provide inferior service. He is hired for a reason, if he can't perform the job as required, he needs to find a new one.
I'm treating him the same way he treats others, because that is the tone he initiated with his post.
Now you have me all concerned. I just ordered an XPS 3gen system or whatever its called from Dell tonight. Now, I am well aware that they are over charging for the "high end" line, but unfortunately, they don't let you add certain things onto the lower end lines like they used to before they wised up.
" Oh... this will be wonderful for security the world over. If it works... Microsoft Programmer: "Why does our software suck?" *computer hangs, then bursts into flames from the load*"
No, it will Bluescreen, which....while crashing, would also give a wonderfully ironic answer to the question at hand.
And you would definitely be one of the people who people complained about getting shoddy service from. These people are calling you because they don't know how to do something with their computer for whatever reason or it is broken. There is no reason you should expect them to know as much as you do, or even be competent users, but there is absolutely NO reason why you should be insulting towards them.
It is YOUR job to explain it in terms they can understand. I know what a proxy server is, but my mom and dad sure as hell don't. You should have tried to explain it using terminology they might understand, or make an analogy, instead of thinking smugly to yourself "I should've told them the hamster stopped running". Smartass.
You are giving your company a bad name by providing poor customer service to these people. Don't even think about responding to me whining about how they should know more about computers. It would be nice if they did, but they are under no obligation to, whereas you are under obligation to provide them with quality customer service, as per your job description.
First, it will encourage the large companies to start nickle and diming for every damn thing they can. Want to go to this zone? 25 cents. Want that new uber item? 25 cents. And of course, they would start out by giving people who pay these micropayments an edge over those who don't. You can get a free complete heal/mana regen for only.10.
And of course, there would be all the little games out there who would start charging tiny amounts to play, possibly a one time, or possibly for each time you play.And while they are fun and addictive, they in no way merit me paying something to play them. Some things SHOULD stay free.
I, like most Slashdot readers got very upset when reading the blurb. However, when I clicked the link to go to the website to hunt for an email address to respond to the writer with concerning his blatant lack of knowledge of what stealing really is, I actually read the article.
Guess what, the whole beginning of it goes into detail about how tighter copy protection on video games is a BAD idea because it only hurts those who follow the law. He then goes on to make the argument that the companies need to instead increase the value of their product in terms of packaging, and things inside the packaging, such as maps, booklets, etc.
So, yes, he is completely wrong about what theft is, and has no concept of the term copyright infringement, and you should email him at Letters@gamerdad.com to tell him so, but he is spot on with the rest of the article.
You bring up an interesting point. Now, a question. I am going to be purchasing a cell phone soon, and while I don't want to purchase songs to put on there, I have several mp3s of music I've created I'd like to put on there and use as ringtones. Can anybody recommend a phone that lets you put your own mp3s onto it?
"DirecTv has been offering users who complain a $79 credit"
You must've missed the part where they stated they'd offer a $79 refund to those who complain. This is the price of the Series 2.
Now granted, I'm sure there will be plenty of people who don't call and complain and just upgrade, but that serves them right for not calling to complain over a faulty product.
So the consumer is really getting a free upgrade with some minor hastles.
"HD DVD is an enhanced version of the standard DVD technology."
You know, in this day and age with all the crap DRM and copy protection the RIAA is pushing through on its CDs, I can't help but shudder when I see "enhanced" with a product like this. I've come to associate it as a term that either implies superflous marketing speak with no real meaning, or a dysfunctional disc that is crippled by protection.
Any word yet on what kind of "enhancements" these HD DVDs will have?
Jebus, can they get any more blatant about their press releases?
I seriously wish Slashdot would start flagging them as such, but of course they'd never do that. God, just look at the wording used in it, and then, for absolute proof, check where the submitters name links to.
Yup, http://www.spotstop.com/.
I'll pass on this watch, no matter how much it might have interested me because of this submission.
"Also, my buddy in Japan just told me he got 100Meg DSL, the stuff you can do when bandwidth isn't a concern. Already Internet TV stations popping up there, amazing."
For those of us who speak english but would be interested in these tv stations, could you possibly post some URLs for us to check them out at?
For all who might be dubious about this mod based upon the previous versions...NEVER FEAR!
This update is practically an entire revamp. They've basically taken a beta version, and turned it into something nearly as polished as Desert Combat.
The gameplay is also freshly addictive and greatly differs from what all other BF1942 mods currently offer. There's a lot of concentrated action on a lot of the maps, and there's a great feeling to see two galleons blasting each other side by side as pirates jump onto the other ship or hop in the water and climb up the ropes.
For a minute I had my hopes up and thought this might be paving the way for technology like that in Minority Report.
You know, where all the cars go on a special highway that is automated, allowing the drivers to kick back and relax as they move at much higher speeds because of the computer control.
I mean, I'd still require that I be able to take manual control of my vehicle off that track, but it would be great if I could take a car that I owned, and just set it on cruise control to work every morning while I got in a little bit more sleep, or brushed and shaved (without driving, unlike some people these days) or talked on my cell phone, or ate breakfast and read the paper.
Wasn't there something being tested on the West Coast that was similar to that? By Toyota or Honda or something?
You know, whenever a story about bandwidth increases comes out, and there is the inevitable question of "but what will people do with it" I always find myself answering:
"Don't worry about it, just provide us with the bandwidth and we'll figure out a way to use it."
Seriously, there's really no telling WHAT will take off until people get their hands on it, start tinkering, and start doing things.
For starters, how about upping the quality of the media we transfer? Storage space is increasing and becoming cheaper, coupled with this there really will be no reason to keep cruddy 128kbps mp3s and low rez divx files around. People will start switching to lossless quality formats once the storage and bandwidth increase to usable amounts and lower respectively in price.
So, aside from all the potential new uses that people will invent for this bandwidth, you can ALWAYS assume that people will just take what they currently do with their current bandwidth, and just upgrade it in size till it works well with the improved bandwidth. Its practically a given.
No, the article basically says "hey, you're annoying because you're an IT person, and since we know you're insecure about your social skills, this would be a great time to pitch our book, so, BUY IT!"
I compliment this man on finding a good business idea. Create a music service "package", and sell it to everybody else. Kind of like how the people who really got rich during the goldrush were the people selling shovels.
However, for work I did some research into online music services, and really have to say that I am not happy with the quality of OD2. Lousy selection, high price for what you get, and it has restrictions up the whazoo.
So while he gets kudos for being intelligent enough to start the business and is indeed helping online music sales become big, his service sucks and should be recognized for that.
If you ever trade plans for famous stone monuments on P2P, the Stonecutters might sue you!
Come to think of it though, it would be kind of funny to see them show up in robes in court and have the judge address them as, "Number 26" and so on and so forth.
Well, if they ever made a reality tv show like the Real World skit they did on the Chapelle Show, thats one bit of reality tv I'd be willing to put up with.
They need to get it through their heads. If its not an MMORPG or an online matchmaking service or something, people don't want to pay a subscription. They want to pay a one time fee and own the game. Period.
"To be honest I tend to agree with your sentiment, but only because the barriers to a wide selection in media and entertainment are being forced down by a changing culture and with the advancement of technology. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
My thoughts are that hopefully more independent studios will arise once internet distribution technology matures, pushing Hollywood out of the role of middleman. Then perhaps we will see the development and targetted media.
I think its FAIRLY safe to say that the majority of true "geeks" are not thugs. The lifestyles/cultures just clash too much for that to seem feasible.
However, as you're all aware, the videogame industry is now outpacing Hollywood, which means geeks are no longer the main target audience. Games have gone mainstream in a horrible way.
Well, horrible for us at least. Which is what I'm getting at. You see, we may look down on this trend, I know I certainly do, but its not really our place to judge the people who they are now targeting.
Every generation has had their share of kids like this, the fad has just been different. Today its hiphop and thug culture. Doesn't make me like these kids any more, but they are certainly entitled to act this way. They're KIDS for fuck sake. Hopefully they'll grow out of it, otherwise, I'm sure with all the guns in the culture, Darwin will take care of the rest.
Fact is, this is only a phase that the games industry is going through, just like all the other ones they've gone through. Who knows what it will be next, but it really is luck that determines if it is compatible with older generations of gamers.
Don't fret though, once the gaming industry becomes more mature, we will start to see more stratification of companies as they target smaller audiences, and inevitably there will be some who choose to target older, more mature gamers.
Slashdot Mirror
He is more than welcome to be bitter that he has a crappy job, however he is not more than welcome to take that out on customers or provide inferior service. He is hired for a reason, if he can't perform the job as required, he needs to find a new one.
I'm treating him the same way he treats others, because that is the tone he initiated with his post.
Anybody know how severe this is?
And what if his tool has bugs of its own that prevent it from working properly?
No, it will Bluescreen, which....while crashing, would also give a wonderfully ironic answer to the question at hand.
It is YOUR job to explain it in terms they can understand. I know what a proxy server is, but my mom and dad sure as hell don't. You should have tried to explain it using terminology they might understand, or make an analogy, instead of thinking smugly to yourself "I should've told them the hamster stopped running". Smartass.
You are giving your company a bad name by providing poor customer service to these people. Don't even think about responding to me whining about how they should know more about computers. It would be nice if they did, but they are under no obligation to, whereas you are under obligation to provide them with quality customer service, as per your job description.
First, it will encourage the large companies to start nickle and diming for every damn thing they can. Want to go to this zone? 25 cents. Want that new uber item? 25 cents. And of course, they would start out by giving people who pay these micropayments an edge over those who don't. You can get a free complete heal/mana regen for only .10.
And of course, there would be all the little games out there who would start charging tiny amounts to play, possibly a one time, or possibly for each time you play.And while they are fun and addictive, they in no way merit me paying something to play them. Some things SHOULD stay free.
Guess what, the whole beginning of it goes into detail about how tighter copy protection on video games is a BAD idea because it only hurts those who follow the law. He then goes on to make the argument that the companies need to instead increase the value of their product in terms of packaging, and things inside the packaging, such as maps, booklets, etc.
So, yes, he is completely wrong about what theft is, and has no concept of the term copyright infringement, and you should email him at Letters@gamerdad.com to tell him so, but he is spot on with the rest of the article.
Yeah, so lots of people have pointed this out and um....I hope its not to tasteless to ask.......but um....could someone link to the files already?
You must've missed the part where they stated they'd offer a $79 refund to those who complain. This is the price of the Series 2.
Now granted, I'm sure there will be plenty of people who don't call and complain and just upgrade, but that serves them right for not calling to complain over a faulty product.
So the consumer is really getting a free upgrade with some minor hastles.
You know, in this day and age with all the crap DRM and copy protection the RIAA is pushing through on its CDs, I can't help but shudder when I see "enhanced" with a product like this. I've come to associate it as a term that either implies superflous marketing speak with no real meaning, or a dysfunctional disc that is crippled by protection.
Any word yet on what kind of "enhancements" these HD DVDs will have?
I seriously wish Slashdot would start flagging them as such, but of course they'd never do that. God, just look at the wording used in it, and then, for absolute proof, check where the submitters name links to.
Yup, http://www.spotstop.com/.
I'll pass on this watch, no matter how much it might have interested me because of this submission.
For those of us who speak english but would be interested in these tv stations, could you possibly post some URLs for us to check them out at?
This update is practically an entire revamp. They've basically taken a beta version, and turned it into something nearly as polished as Desert Combat.
The gameplay is also freshly addictive and greatly differs from what all other BF1942 mods currently offer. There's a lot of concentrated action on a lot of the maps, and there's a great feeling to see two galleons blasting each other side by side as pirates jump onto the other ship or hop in the water and climb up the ropes.
You know, where all the cars go on a special highway that is automated, allowing the drivers to kick back and relax as they move at much higher speeds because of the computer control.
I mean, I'd still require that I be able to take manual control of my vehicle off that track, but it would be great if I could take a car that I owned, and just set it on cruise control to work every morning while I got in a little bit more sleep, or brushed and shaved (without driving, unlike some people these days) or talked on my cell phone, or ate breakfast and read the paper.
Wasn't there something being tested on the West Coast that was similar to that? By Toyota or Honda or something?
"Don't worry about it, just provide us with the bandwidth and we'll figure out a way to use it."
Seriously, there's really no telling WHAT will take off until people get their hands on it, start tinkering, and start doing things.
For starters, how about upping the quality of the media we transfer? Storage space is increasing and becoming cheaper, coupled with this there really will be no reason to keep cruddy 128kbps mp3s and low rez divx files around. People will start switching to lossless quality formats once the storage and bandwidth increase to usable amounts and lower respectively in price.
So, aside from all the potential new uses that people will invent for this bandwidth, you can ALWAYS assume that people will just take what they currently do with their current bandwidth, and just upgrade it in size till it works well with the improved bandwidth. Its practically a given.
However, for work I did some research into online music services, and really have to say that I am not happy with the quality of OD2. Lousy selection, high price for what you get, and it has restrictions up the whazoo.
So while he gets kudos for being intelligent enough to start the business and is indeed helping online music sales become big, his service sucks and should be recognized for that.
Come to think of it though, it would be kind of funny to see them show up in robes in court and have the judge address them as, "Number 26" and so on and so forth.
My thoughts are that hopefully more independent studios will arise once internet distribution technology matures, pushing Hollywood out of the role of middleman. Then perhaps we will see the development and targetted media.
However, as you're all aware, the videogame industry is now outpacing Hollywood, which means geeks are no longer the main target audience. Games have gone mainstream in a horrible way.
Well, horrible for us at least. Which is what I'm getting at. You see, we may look down on this trend, I know I certainly do, but its not really our place to judge the people who they are now targeting.
Every generation has had their share of kids like this, the fad has just been different. Today its hiphop and thug culture. Doesn't make me like these kids any more, but they are certainly entitled to act this way. They're KIDS for fuck sake. Hopefully they'll grow out of it, otherwise, I'm sure with all the guns in the culture, Darwin will take care of the rest.
Fact is, this is only a phase that the games industry is going through, just like all the other ones they've gone through. Who knows what it will be next, but it really is luck that determines if it is compatible with older generations of gamers.
Don't fret though, once the gaming industry becomes more mature, we will start to see more stratification of companies as they target smaller audiences, and inevitably there will be some who choose to target older, more mature gamers.
And yes, Midway has sold out.