Month: April 2002

The return of Mister Zeldman

“The cult of web standards, of Flash, of accessibility, of usability: each reflects the passions of dedicated, intelligent people. But when passion becomes zealotry, we stop listening to each other, and when we stop listening we stop learning. Can’t we all just get along?”

Media Lab’s ‘Smart’ Clothing Is a Dumb Idea

“People could exchange data with a handshake”

Ok I know I’m pessimistic, but one issue this article doesn’t touch on one thing. Privacy.

If you can exchange data via a handshake, then how long before someone hacks the ability to be able to grab pertinent personal information but just ‘bumping’ into you. If you’ve ever been pick-pocketed, you’ll know just how easy it is for someone to surreptitously make contact with you even being aware of it.

And WHY would I want a feed of a video camera showing the view of the back of my head? Evolution has given me senses that work fine thank you very much, let’s not confuse them with technology.

Dammit, Vaughan keeps making me think… (actually it wasTinka).

We live in an age of instant communications. Why write a letter when you can email someone and receive a response in hours rather than days (depending on the person of course). Want the latest news? Check out your constantly streaming ticker app, hey, it even flashes if the news is really important! Got a mobile phone? Send a quick txt msg! (see I DO know all the clever …ehhh …textisms??)

Except surely it would be quicker to speak to the person. You know, you create noise from your mouth and the person on the other end of the phone interprets it and replies in kind… conversation I think they call it. Wow, what a radical concept, think it will ever catch on? Tell you what I’ll run it past the group of schoolkids I saw the other day, standing at the school gates, mobile phones in hand, txting away. Whatever happened to British Bulldog?

I should point out that this is a HUGE case of ‘pot… kettle… black’. I am easily the worldest worst for NOT keeping in touch with people. Ask anyone I went to school with, actually don’t bother, they’ll have forgotten who I am by now.

An example of good technical support

Download update of product.
Receive serial number.
Try to Install and enter serial number – error message!
Try again two more times.
Give up.
Contact Technical Support.
Receive an email 20 minutes later with the correct serial number.
Install product successfully.

So, many thanks to Angie and the Stardock team. Easily the swiftest and most personalable technical support I’ve ever received (and I’ve received a far amount in the last 10 years or so!)

You have a very happy WindowBlinds customer here!