I've talked to several people this morning whose web sites were down for a few hours over the weekend -- and their DNS and hosting are managed by companies other than GoDaddy. They're mostly smaller regional ISPs rather than national names, but still. A few national donation systems for nonprofits were unresponsive or very sluggish yesterday morning, as well.
At my organization, we applied all of Microsoft's patches to our servers and we STILL have DST issues... our I.T. guys worked all day yesterday to minimize the damage, but there are still a lot of incorrectly-scheduled meetings in our Exchange calendar. That's ridiculous. ("No," they replied, "it's Microsofticulous.")
I have signed non-compete clauses, but they were specific. For example, when working at an online shopping portal, my non-compete clause prevented me from working at another online shopping portal for a year. Not really a problem.
A non-compete clause for "web design" is too broad. What aspect of web design -- conceptual design? layout? integration? sales? Is there a specific industry or set of industries your clients come from -- financial, medical, etc.?
I was previously the CTO of a small marketing agency in NYC. We were an all-Mac shop. When we had serious trouble, calling Apple was not helpful. We came to rely on local companies like TekServe for business-critical support (though it's not cheap). Consider this free advertising for them: they were great.
If you use Macs in business, I strongly advise you to find a local shop of Mac experts and rely on them.
It's been rumored for years that Microsoft was going to dump the Mac version of office. When MS bought out Connectix, thus acquiring the Virtual PC line of products, I remember seeing alleged quotes from Bill Gates that MS was going to stop Mac Office development and just ship VPC with a Windows version of Office.
...one of his trademark tactics is throwing around numbers that might or might not be considered, well, a bluff. He talks of the million players who have already joined the poker association -- a misstatement that prompted his handler, presidential style, to clarify that what the former senator meant is that the group hoped one day soon to have that many names on its rolls.
So as long as you frame everything in terms of playing a game, this is a "bluff". To everyone else it is a lie. Maybe that's the problem with some folks, it's all just a game....
(Aside: the Poker Players Alliance actually solicits donations to support its cause. Wow. Give them money so they can fight for your right to lose money.)
Gah! In the course of editing, I mistakenly wrote "encourages inquiries" when I meant "discourages inquiries" in my first sentence. (insert grumbling here)
Faith, however, requires belief without evidence and is considered by many religious people to be a virtue. This undermines inquiring into knowing. I am not suggesting this is your view, or the norm, but religion encourages it...
I'd agree that most organized religion encourages inquiries, because most leaders in organized religion have become trapped in the business of faith. Personally I think the idea of critical thinking comes through pretty clearly in Scripture. Jesus condemned the religious leaders of his day, and I'm convinced he has the same opinion of 21st-century religious leaders. True religion is not in a place or a denomination (a concept which frankly amounts to a "sect," decried quite strongly in the epistles) but moral life, love of fellow man, and a constant testing of the world around you. I don't trust a religious leader any more than I trust a noted scientist: hear what they say, read/hear what others are saying on the topic, and think about it carefully.
Both pop religion and pop science offer people routes to mental complacency. In both cases, the average adopter believes they don't need to think further about what they've heard: they've just had the truth explained to them, and their cognitive responsibilities end there.
When the television station 45 South (UHF channel 41) started up in September last year, Mr Jones thought the same technique could be applied. "The $20,000 for a commercial link was just money we didn't have, so we bought several woks from The Warehouse instead which was convenient and cheap," he said.
In other words, the work they did replacing the $80 link for wireless networking was then applied to the $20,000 commercial link for television. Sure sounds like they saved more than $60...
If you block MySpace succesfully, the people who visit MySpace during their work time will just find another way to waste time and expose the company's computers to spyware/etc. risks. It's a losing battle. Think of it as DRM for your employee's time.
Remember, Jobs wants 10% of the market in a year. Apple might get 10% of the smartphone market. But that's not 10% of the whole cellphone market.
No, he said he wanted one percent of the global market. If you think Apple might get 10% of the global smartphone market, that might not be far off from the 1% goal.
It's also becoming clear that Apple may be suffering from excessive hubris. That is evident by its strong demands on its partner in the U.S., Cingular/AT&T. The demands, including a slice of the cellular revenues and control of the sales channel, were so strong that Verizon Wireless turned the deal down.
Umm, if Apple does have hubris, it's just giving back the same hubris that the wireless carriers have been throwing around for years.
Remember that two years after Newton was introduced, a smaller, cheaper PDA appeared -- the Palm Pilot -- which truly did rock the world.
Exactly. The Newton was the first kid on the block, so it took competition a couple of years to appear, identify the flaws in the Newton, and beat it. That's the opposite of Apple: the smart phone market has been around for a few years, and Apple has identified the flaws in the existing offerings, and will beat them. It's like the iPod: hardly the first MP3 player, and certainly not the cheapest, but undoubtably the most succesful.
A recent survey found that a minuscule number of consumers would pay $500 for a 4 GB iPhone.
Probably the same kind of people who already spend $700+ on a so-called "smart phone" that does less, is harder to use, and looks less fashionable than the iPhone. And it doesn't really matter: if it makes a profit for Apple, then it's a good thing.
It's simple personal economics: if you don't want it, don't buy it.
We just migrated from GroupWise to Microsoft Exchange (don't ask me to explain why; I wasn't part of the migration team). They had to make a requirement that staffers couldn't have more than 4000 messages in their inbox prior to migration. This was tough because some long-time staffers literally had tens of thousands of messages in there.
When you start using your inbox like a file server, there's a problem.
If people are happy to practice unsafe web surfing and software download/installation, then they're gonna have a problem. People need to be taught, informed, educated, whatever term you want to use. Most people are simultaneously trusting of, and in fear of, the computer. When it does something they want, they're happy. When it does something they don't want, suddenly it is all a mystery.
Next up: an article on how people who don't pay attention while they drive, get into more car accidents... despite enormous advances in automotive safety technology.
"...it's not about copyrights or money. It's about control."
Uh... the control is about the money. The copyrights are about the money. Even the money is about more damn money. Maybe that's what you meant by "mass media isn't so profitable if everyone can participate"... but that's not what you started out to say.
I've worked with Network Solutions, 1&1, GoDaddy, Register.com, and others... honestly I have been dissatisfied with all of them. Back in the day, Netsol was the only game in town, but that's not true anymore. But in the full range, either the service or system sucks (e.g. 1&1), it's too expensive (e.g. Netsol, Enom), or I really detest their advertising (e.g. GoDaddy).
So now I use CheapCheap.biz for a few reasons: the prices are decent, the DNS controls are actually intelligent and usable (unlike 1&1's, for example, which are hideous), and I know the folks who founded it (so I'm happy to give them my business and promote them). Obviously you should take this with a grain of salt, but still... I don't stick with it just because I know people, but because it actually WORKS for me.
No need to neutralize RFID "dust" (if such a thing were really possible). Just coat yourself every morning with a good dose of random RFID tags and the government spy scanners will choke themselves silly.
Friend: "Dude, what's with all the dandruff lately?"
Me: "It's that new RFID-blocking shampoo I'm using. In addition to pro-vitamins and aloe vera, it contains thousands of random RFID particles that attach to my scalp. It also stops free radicals from damaging my natural curls, and gives me that extra level of metallic sheen."
Friend: "This explains why your hair sets of all the security alarms."
Isn't that some kind of breach of privacy for all the other users listed in the log files?
On the flip side, I'm waiting to see one of the spambot systems start churning out e-mails that copy the text of the "Dear Customer" letter at the end of the RIAA's missive... wouldn't it be funny if all the spam filters became trained to mark such mail as spam? (read the actual letter here)
They've already allocated 40 cores to the RIAA and MPAA for DRM processing, 30 cores to NSA/Homeland Security surveillance of all your computing activities, and 6 cores to combat spam and phishing. In the end, there is no net gain in performance over today's processors. Sorry.
A "home brew" device... let's see, the link you sent suggests ~$200 in hardware. Then it says "Apps I hope to get around to testing" and lists a few possible hacking tools (in other words, he hasn't done it yet). Add up the time it would take a skilled geek to develop and maintain the complete hacking software suite, make it as simple to use and automated, and patch it monthly with the latest exploits... suddenly $3600 sounds not so bad, especially if it includes a support contract (the article doesn't say). $3600 is the equivilent of 80 hours of a $45/hour techie. That's not bad at all for a highly specialized hardware/software product, if it works as advertised right out of the box.
Agreed about the Kyocera models with VZW. It's still true with the various EVDO models -- the Kyocera K650 card seems to be one of the best. I briefly had an AudioVox cell phone with VZ that was crap; my current Motorola (not RAZR) works nicely.
Tip: if you have to use VZW's EVDO service, save a few bucks by buying from Booster-Antenna.com. And get their external booster antenna. Much better signal strength == better transfer speeds. Using it right now, actually... zipping along at 90mph along the Hudson... nice sunny afternoon here on the river.:-)
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I've talked to several people this morning whose web sites were down for a few hours over the weekend -- and their DNS and hosting are managed by companies other than GoDaddy. They're mostly smaller regional ISPs rather than national names, but still. A few national donation systems for nonprofits were unresponsive or very sluggish yesterday morning, as well.
At my organization, we applied all of Microsoft's patches to our servers and we STILL have DST issues... our I.T. guys worked all day yesterday to minimize the damage, but there are still a lot of incorrectly-scheduled meetings in our Exchange calendar. That's ridiculous. ("No," they replied, "it's Microsofticulous.")
I have signed non-compete clauses, but they were specific. For example, when working at an online shopping portal, my non-compete clause prevented me from working at another online shopping portal for a year. Not really a problem.
A non-compete clause for "web design" is too broad. What aspect of web design -- conceptual design? layout? integration? sales? Is there a specific industry or set of industries your clients come from -- financial, medical, etc.?
Hey, mister, speak for yourself!!!
I was previously the CTO of a small marketing agency in NYC. We were an all-Mac shop. When we had serious trouble, calling Apple was not helpful. We came to rely on local companies like TekServe for business-critical support (though it's not cheap). Consider this free advertising for them: they were great.
If you use Macs in business, I strongly advise you to find a local shop of Mac experts and rely on them.
It's been rumored for years that Microsoft was going to dump the Mac version of office. When MS bought out Connectix, thus acquiring the Virtual PC line of products, I remember seeing alleged quotes from Bill Gates that MS was going to stop Mac Office development and just ship VPC with a Windows version of Office.
Ironically, Microsoft Excel was released for the Mac in 1985 and didn't arrive on Windows until 1987, while PowerPoint was first released on the Mac in 1987 and not released for Windows until 1990. (Admittedly, PPT was originally developed by another company and then purchased by MS.)
According to quoted experts, Diebold might dump its poorly-rated electronic voting division. Or it might not.
Sure. Then 99% of the vehicles in the U.S. will become registered as work vehicles.
FTA:
So as long as you frame everything in terms of playing a game, this is a "bluff". To everyone else it is a lie. Maybe that's the problem with some folks, it's all just a game....
(Aside: the Poker Players Alliance actually solicits donations to support its cause. Wow. Give them money so they can fight for your right to lose money.)
Gah! In the course of editing, I mistakenly wrote "encourages inquiries" when I meant "discourages inquiries" in my first sentence. (insert grumbling here)
I'd agree that most organized religion encourages inquiries, because most leaders in organized religion have become trapped in the business of faith. Personally I think the idea of critical thinking comes through pretty clearly in Scripture. Jesus condemned the religious leaders of his day, and I'm convinced he has the same opinion of 21st-century religious leaders. True religion is not in a place or a denomination (a concept which frankly amounts to a "sect," decried quite strongly in the epistles) but moral life, love of fellow man, and a constant testing of the world around you. I don't trust a religious leader any more than I trust a noted scientist: hear what they say, read/hear what others are saying on the topic, and think about it carefully.
Both pop religion and pop science offer people routes to mental complacency. In both cases, the average adopter believes they don't need to think further about what they've heard: they've just had the truth explained to them, and their cognitive responsibilities end there.
FTA:
In other words, the work they did replacing the $80 link for wireless networking was then applied to the $20,000 commercial link for television. Sure sounds like they saved more than $60...
Locks only keep honest people honest.
If you block MySpace succesfully, the people who visit MySpace during their work time will just find another way to waste time and expose the company's computers to spyware/etc. risks. It's a losing battle. Think of it as DRM for your employee's time.
No, he said he wanted one percent of the global market. If you think Apple might get 10% of the global smartphone market, that might not be far off from the 1% goal.
FTA:
Umm, if Apple does have hubris, it's just giving back the same hubris that the wireless carriers have been throwing around for years.
Exactly. The Newton was the first kid on the block, so it took competition a couple of years to appear, identify the flaws in the Newton, and beat it. That's the opposite of Apple: the smart phone market has been around for a few years, and Apple has identified the flaws in the existing offerings, and will beat them. It's like the iPod: hardly the first MP3 player, and certainly not the cheapest, but undoubtably the most succesful.
Probably the same kind of people who already spend $700+ on a so-called "smart phone" that does less, is harder to use, and looks less fashionable than the iPhone. And it doesn't really matter: if it makes a profit for Apple, then it's a good thing.
It's simple personal economics: if you don't want it, don't buy it.
We just migrated from GroupWise to Microsoft Exchange (don't ask me to explain why; I wasn't part of the migration team). They had to make a requirement that staffers couldn't have more than 4000 messages in their inbox prior to migration. This was tough because some long-time staffers literally had tens of thousands of messages in there.
When you start using your inbox like a file server, there's a problem.
You can't legislate intelligence.
If people are happy to practice unsafe web surfing and software download/installation, then they're gonna have a problem. People need to be taught, informed, educated, whatever term you want to use. Most people are simultaneously trusting of, and in fear of, the computer. When it does something they want, they're happy. When it does something they don't want, suddenly it is all a mystery.
Next up: an article on how people who don't pay attention while they drive, get into more car accidents... despite enormous advances in automotive safety technology.
Like it or not, it's still true. Think of it as "cause marketing" for a friend's cause (in this case, his company).
But if it makes you happy, I've added another "cause" to my sig. Nonprofit this time. What's your favorite cause, Anonymous Coward?
Uh... the control is about the money. The copyrights are about the money. Even the money is about more damn money. Maybe that's what you meant by "mass media isn't so profitable if everyone can participate"... but that's not what you started out to say.
Hmm... I'll have to ask. I remember them mentioning a couple reseller names and they definitely didn't include GoDaddy.
I've worked with Network Solutions, 1&1, GoDaddy, Register.com, and others... honestly I have been dissatisfied with all of them. Back in the day, Netsol was the only game in town, but that's not true anymore. But in the full range, either the service or system sucks (e.g. 1&1), it's too expensive (e.g. Netsol, Enom), or I really detest their advertising (e.g. GoDaddy).
So now I use CheapCheap.biz for a few reasons: the prices are decent, the DNS controls are actually intelligent and usable (unlike 1&1's, for example, which are hideous), and I know the folks who founded it (so I'm happy to give them my business and promote them). Obviously you should take this with a grain of salt, but still... I don't stick with it just because I know people, but because it actually WORKS for me.
No need to neutralize RFID "dust" (if such a thing were really possible). Just coat yourself every morning with a good dose of random RFID tags and the government spy scanners will choke themselves silly.
Friend: "Dude, what's with all the dandruff lately?"
Me: "It's that new RFID-blocking shampoo I'm using. In addition to pro-vitamins and aloe vera, it contains thousands of random RFID particles that attach to my scalp. It also stops free radicals from damaging my natural curls, and gives me that extra level of metallic sheen."
Friend: "This explains why your hair sets of all the security alarms."
Isn't that some kind of breach of privacy for all the other users listed in the log files?
On the flip side, I'm waiting to see one of the spambot systems start churning out e-mails that copy the text of the "Dear Customer" letter at the end of the RIAA's missive... wouldn't it be funny if all the spam filters became trained to mark such mail as spam? (read the actual letter here)
They've already allocated 40 cores to the RIAA and MPAA for DRM processing, 30 cores to NSA/Homeland Security surveillance of all your computing activities, and 6 cores to combat spam and phishing. In the end, there is no net gain in performance over today's processors. Sorry.
(tongue firmly planted in cheek)
Well, let's add it up...
Agreed about the Kyocera models with VZW. It's still true with the various EVDO models -- the Kyocera K650 card seems to be one of the best. I briefly had an AudioVox cell phone with VZ that was crap; my current Motorola (not RAZR) works nicely.
Tip: if you have to use VZW's EVDO service, save a few bucks by buying from Booster-Antenna.com. And get their external booster antenna. Much better signal strength == better transfer speeds. Using it right now, actually... zipping along at 90mph along the Hudson... nice sunny afternoon here on the river. :-)