Category Archives: corporations

The Inflated Worth of MySpace

Why doesn’t myspace want me to block spammers?

  1. I get an email from a new “friend” and have to click the link.
  2. MySpaceMustBeLoggedIn.pngI have to log in manually, because myspace is too stupid to provide me with a link in the email that will log me in and/or keep me logged in from last time. The link already has “id=901C2C3E- C4C7- 4B01- 8C3A- B8E67467D47F” in it, and it still couldn’t log me on.
  3. I’m shown the invitation and have to click through to the profile.
  4. I click “block user”.
  5. Java script pops up a confirmation panel and I have to click “OK”. Yes I really want to block this user. If I did it accidentally, I could always go unblock them.
  6. Another page reloads to re-confirm that yes, I really want to block this user. I click “block this user”.
  7. Back on the invite page, I take one more click to “mark as spam”.

There could easily have been a “mark as spam and block user” button there, and with auto-login, it could have taken me two steps. Why doesn’t myspace do this? Because they’re stupid? Yes, that’s true. But I think the reason they don’t is they like spam users. It drives up their “usage” stats, and makes them look somehow still relevant.It’s January 1 – and I have one spam friend invite. Come December 31 2007, I’d wager I’ve had 200 more. And hopefully, the slow to the party print media will have pronounced “MySpace is Dead”!

Cha Ching

AmeriquestLogo.jpgSo, a few years ago I refinanced my mortgage and Ameriquest gave me a god awful rate (others wouldn’t loan to me). Because of their predatory lending practices (which I’m sure did others in) they settled a large class action suit.

I just got settlement money in the bank. Yay, now I can afford to pay the mortgage on January 1.

Of course, all those bad mortgages are still going to kerplunk the credit market, and aid an economic slowdown if not a mild recession.

NBC Announces Closed Video Podcasting

In something so boneheaded it’s bound to fail, NBC (who previously withdrew video content from iTunes) will now be providing proprietary DRM’d video downloads of their programming that expire after a week. And it only works on Windows.

Old NBC Logo“With the creation of this new service, we are acknowledging that now, more than ever, viewers want to be in control of how, when and where they consumer [sic] their favorite entertainment,” said Vivi Zigler, Executive Vice President, NBC Digital Entertainment. “Not only does this feature give them more control, but it also gives them a higher quality video experience.” [emphasis mine]

That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. How is requiring software that works only for NBC, and plays only on your computer (no other devices), possiby giving you more control!

No more Heroes on your Apple.

Oh, and NBC, hire someone with an English degree to editor your press releases.

Angus Litigation

“Could you point to the Angus area?”

Cow DiagramI recently saw this Jack in the Box ad, and was mildly humored. They are selling their 100% sirloin burger, and backhandedly mocking the 100% Angus burger. I vaguely recalled someone advertising their Angusness but didn’t recall it being Carl Jr. (There aren’t any of those in the Houston area.)

I recall thinking mockingly “someone’s gonna sue for that”. And they did! The Language Log is wholeheartedly mocking them. They deserve it.

People moan about “litigious Americans”, but the vast majority of lawsuits are brought about by corporations, not individuals.  “Businesses file four times more lawsuits than private citizens and are sanctioned much more often for frivolous suits.”  It isn’t surprising, since corporations generally behave psychotically (trailer, part 1 of 23).

I don’t expect this lawsuit will go anywhere.

New Shorts, Locutus of AT&T

AT&T BorgI bought some new shorts – summer is here you know. Lots of pockets. Nice fit. Brown denim. They look nice now, but I’ll be wearing them all summer.

There was a pocket with a big cardboard label on it that said “Cellphone Pocket”. I guess owners of cell phones are so stupid they can’t figure out what to do with them. That would explain why they’re ALWAYS talking on them.

Anyway this “cellphone” pocket is the ideal size for 3×5 index cards and a pen. And the battery never fails on that.

In other news, I canceled the Call Notesâ„¢ on my phone. About 6 years after I should have. (It used to be a business expense.) At $8 a month, here are the pluses and minuses of Call Notesâ„¢. Continue reading