Tech » Jay Toups

Facebook Hiatus

Oct 252010

“Coming home from very lonely places, all of us go a little mad: whether from great personal success, or just an all-night drive, we are the sole survivors of a world no one else has ever seen.”

- John le Carre

I’m done with being an active daily visitor on Facebook. In 1998 I moved to the mountains of western Montana and telecommuting as a career to be mostly shed of collective, in-your-face human stupidity, negative and aggressive people, the all-consuming urban milieu, and the obligatory crap that comes with living like maladjusted rats in a cage right next to hundreds, thousands or millions of other similarly afflicted rats.

A year on Facebook being “social” has reminded me why, over and over again, I made the right choice. Most of what people who live in America’s cities, drive cars to work and have regular jobs think is important, isn’t. Same with folks camped out on Facebook, generally. It’s just plain stupid socializing, like a cocktail party after midnight, and from what I’ve seen it brings up that level of saccharine banality and occasional streaks of meanness from people (if that…) and leaves little room for more.

Ignoring what’s important? Check. Niggling over minutia? Check! Whipping up sentiments? Good luck. Blurting trite tripe into the ether for other people to react to? Check! ”Click Like if you love Jesus Christ!” Being witty and “personal” in under 455 characters? Yep. It’s all there. Facebook asks, ”What’s on your mind?” In a great big nutshell, it’s people ignoring mountains, and instead manufacturing false Everests out of molehills. Much ado about not much at all.

I’ve learned that people who are interested in what I’m up to are a fraction of the people listed on my Facebook account as Friends. Real friends can always visit my personal site. The rest of you can, uh, talk about ‘Smores or the latest “undiscovered” video of the Monkees on Facebook.

If I die tomorrow, I will go happy knowing I did the right thing. I love my friends and family but there are more important and more rewarding pursuits than being a stalwart Facebooker.

Like just about everything else.

Clients with no sense (and no dollars)

Opinion, People, Tech, Work No Responses »

Jul 282009

Ah, the terrible true tale of a telecommuting techie’s fiscal traumatization at the hands of a dim-witted client. Last week a new small business client bounced their initial check for $1,000, and then followed that up via email saying “…sorry, but we don’t know when we can pay you the total due of $3250″ for the site (they’ve said repeatedly they think it’s great) because their products weren’t selling.

The bounced $1,000 check was the deposit on the project, which I held after beginning work on the project because they told me it might not clear “for a few days.” Well, finally, I did deposit it 9 weeks later, and it did bounce like they said it would.

I spent a few weeks of my life to design and build them a nice-looking, ridiculously easy to use, database-driven interactive web site, and then trained the managers, office staff and sales team in how to do all the site tasks they need, like editing and publishing pages, managing users, etc. But since the site went live nobody in the company or the sales team has even logged in lately, letalone edited or added any content [Hello Success Story, or gosh! a video] or manage a user account.

The site is dead in the water of owner/user non-activity. And now I don’t get paid on time because they can’t sell their product. I wonder if there’s a correlation.

Gee, Mr. Company President who can perfume the pig for hours just like Zig Zeigler but can’t balance the company checkbook, when I write a check for business or pleasure it’s spent money and NEVER spent twice. Accounting 101. Sheesh.

My harshest recourse is to take down the site. Who turns off the power when the bill goes unpaid, right? I could turn up the heat a bit and put up a SUSPENDED for NON-PAYMENT page. I’ve read that other developers have done this with some success, although this technique for collecting a past due invoice tends to destroy what’s left of the developer-client relationship. And there’s always Small Claims.

So there are options, but none of them is as good as simply getting paid for services without a load of crap.

I can’t solve the problem of clients who are broke, untruthful, lazy, too busy or stupid but I’m here for [paying] clients, 24/7.

One-Revolution

People, Tech, Travels, Unbelievable No Responses »

Jun 272009

Chris Waddell on Slickrock Trail, Moab, Utah

What can a middle-aged paraplegic athlete do that most walking people can’t even dream of, let alone do?

Chris Waddell, shown here with his Lightfoot-built handcycle on Utah slick rock, is planning and training to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain on earth, on this handcycle in August.

Lightfoot Cycles is a local bike manufacturer specializing in recumbents and trikes. Check them out!

Got Backup?

Tech No Responses »

Jun 162009

Update: 1:00 p.m. : Hallelujah glory be! It worked! Backups really work. Yay!

This morning, I’m downgrading a WordPress install from 2.8 back to 2.7.1 because the automatic upgrade failed. This week I’ve successfully upgraded 8 sites this way, but one client site decided to barf (no pages, nada!) this morning. So here I sit, patiently uploading the several hundred old version files and being careful not to overwrite any file that has a custom configuration, like wp-config.

Apparently, WordPress released 2.8 knowing that a good number of themes and plugins were not yet compatible. They did try to warn me to have my backups ready, which I do. But bolstered by my previous uneventful upgrades, I didn’t take time to check in advance for compatibility of the theme I’m using, or of the plugins. Something doesn’t like the 2.8 upgrade.

I just hit the upgrade button, like a craps shooter on a roll. Aaaaaaaargh.

I’m hoping the down rev goes smoothly.

Funny how, just when you think a particular client doesn’t really do much with their web site, it goes offline and almost instantly the phone rings and it’s the client: “What happened to the site?”

Shallow end of the friendship pool?

Opinion, People, Tech No Responses »

Apr 232009

No Facebook addiction here.

People all over the world are joining the never ending party on Facebook and finding lots of things to like about the FB interface, and the relative ease of staying connected with friends and family. Facebook is great for interacting with people, plus adding your photographs, videos, music, etc.

People who camp out on Facebook will probably never create a site of their own as a result, unless there’s a new and pressing personal or business need. And what passes for their Internet presence will be locked away behind logins, obscured to the general public (unavailable anyone who isn’t already a “friend”), and lost forever. That’s right, your whole Facebook account is like an unlisted number. You only give it out to friends and family. But the whole point of the Internet is being able to be found by anyone in one mouse click. Not ten or twenty or thousands. Or lucky enough to be invited to be your Facebook friend.

FB is fun to tinker with. But I have stopped adding media (music, videos, pics, etc.) to my Facebook page because it defeats the purpose of having a personal web site. I’ve also turned off the bothersome email notifications about new posts on my Facebook wall. The groups feature is good though…

This site is my wall, and a lot more. It’s been live since 1998. There’s tons of [me]dia stuff here, and more all the time. I’ve been careful to keep my stuff in a single place so that it amounts to more than a splattering of repartee, one liners and witty rejoinders and media posted across a bunch of web sites. Sure I have a Facebook profile. It points here.

Real friends actually visit here, and some even leave comments, etc. Other friends don’t take the time to do either. Fair enough.

Strong stuff. But it’s how I view the world and my place in it, especially the Internet world. Why add stuff to a social network controlled by someone else? In this case, a ballooning new Internet corporation that continues getting bigger and bigger because they have a firm grip on your eyeballs and those of all your friends? Isn’t this comparable to bringing your living room furniture, pajamas, a bottle of wine, and wall art to a nightclub and letting every friend and their friends sit on it, drink it or view it? What if you could invite your friends and family to your home on the Internet, i.e., your own web site?

I’m not about to say things on Facebook that require more than a sentence or two, infrequently. That’s what my personal site is for. I have much more to say to you and the rest of the wired world. I offer technical services too, descriptions of which would look kinda klunky on my Facebook profile. There’s more context to work with on this site.

Almost nobody I’ve friended on Facebook has a web site. A few musicians have sites, but the rest of them, nah. Too much trouble, not enough reason, independent streak isn’t strong enough, who knows the real reason why. Cost? It’s free to build a site. Reason? You do have more to say and share than one liners don’t you?

Real friends take the time to appreciate who their friends are, for who they are, and where they are. I’m just a click away. Not just because it’s cute to be found present and witty on some social network where every other friend can digest what’s being said as well. I will never get to know a lot of my Friends’ Friends. Not sure I want to, truth be told.

I hope you don’t take any of this personally. Or let me say that I hope you do take it personally and strike out on your own with an Internet presence that captures who you really are instead of a caricature served up by a corporation. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s good for you. If you build a site, I’ll be a frequent visitor. Why? Because I like you and respect your opinions and value the time spent savoring who you are.

Real friendships are good for one’s health. Shallow friendships are like junk food consumed on the run. Real friends take the time to drop by every now and then for a dose of the real me.

Pssst! Wanna see a great performing artist?

Music, Opinion, People, Tech, Unbelievable, Work No Responses »

Apr 222009

crowd_zachparrish081206

Come to my house for a very special concert on Friday night.

Last night I spent at least an hour swapping messages with a new friend on Facebook who happens to be the daughter of an interesting woman who lives nearby. I mentioned an upcoming concert featuring an internationally known fingerstyle guitar player at the absolute top of his game. And that she and her mother would be most welcome to attend. (This is outer Montana, very rural; every seat is a great seat, and every seat with a paying person in it counts. Which is why I work hard to sell the events. They wouldn’t happen otherwise.)

The artist in question is a music industry legend who fills concert halls and listening rooms and music festivals and who delights and thrills his audiences with every thumb-busting performance he gives. All over the world. This artist could easily win a place on a list of the top guitar players who have ever lived. At least among followers of fingerstyle guitar.

No kidding. This artist is easily a world-class performer, composer and musician, by any credible measure. One Google search would provide all the artist credibility needed to validate a decision to see the artist. But we’re not talking about what is credible here.

My new Facebook friend’s incredible ensuing interrogatory was predictable for someone who was looking—first and foremost—for a way out of “having to” attend a concert with an artist she did not yet know. She wasn’t interested in what she could learn about the artist by simply showing up, putting her butt in a seat and digesting every juicy moment of the show with the artist less than 8 feet away.

My Facebook pal wanted to know more about the artist: did he sing? Or does he “just” strum?

9-11: Something rotten in Denmark?

Opinion, Tech, Unbelievable No Responses »

Apr 142009

Seems as if America would like to just forget the horror of September 11, 2001 altogether. But amid growing worldwide skepticism of the veracity of the US government’s official report, it seems a lot of people are refusing to give up searching for credible answers to the baffling events of that fateful day.

9-11 Truthers are generally credible professionals (chemists, architects, explosives experts, physics professors, etc.) with a range of skills trying to prove scientifically that the US government’s official 9-11 story is, at least, wildly inaccurate, and at most, a cover-up of a grotesque travesty of justice unrivaled in human history, and needs to be thoroughly reinvestigated. I’m inclined to agree. What about you? Is it time to take a fresh look at what happened on September 11?

Who Doesn't Need A Web Site?

Opinion, Tech, Work No Responses »

Mar 112009

Don’t have a site? You’re not alone. For most people who have Internet access, “surfing” the Internet is much more about getting stuff (get/send email, shopping, searching) instead of gathering up and putting stuff on a web site. Too bad, because putting stuff on the Internet is the source of at least half the fun, and more importantly, the only source of whatever financial reward there is in having an Internet connection and a fancy computer in the first place.

Build a secure, beautiful, easy to use site in minutes for free
Publish your stories, videos and pics or sell your product or service
Make money by displaying ads on your site
Set up an Amazon affiliate store, make 4-11% on every product sold through your site
Share your site with whoever you want, worldwide
Create a secure team workspace, invite collaborators, family, etc.

You may not be unemployed (yet), but if you’re starting to feel the need for a site, read on… Continue reading »

Slime Doesn't Pay

Opinion, People, Tech 3 Responses »

Jan 122009

Several years back I worked for a software company run by a madman. How mad? You be the judge. After I left the company I wrote a post about my experience working for the guy. Start reading there for some background.

It’s truly amazing the company is still in business and the madman who founded the company still controls the whole operation. Rumors have long persisted that he hasn’t paid taxes in a number of years. But that’s nothing: In 2007, a young man who worked as a “bodyguard” for the CEO was stabbed to death in a drunken brawl outside a bar in the town where the company is located. And in 2008, he was sued by his former housekeepers for sexual harassment and found guilty. He owes them $330,000 in damages and reparations. And just today, another former employee sent me a link to a news article stating that he was being sued for back rent on his office building.

Quite a swath of destruction for a software company and its unscrupulous owner isn’t it? How many CEOs of software companies even need a bodyguard? The other sad part is that the guy is a talented developer of enterprise software. Software in use around the world in thousands of companies. If these customers knew how tenuous the guy’s grip on his business is, they would do whatever they needed to do to stop using the company’s software because it may not be supported for much longer.

This guy taught me a valuable lesson: Slime, no matter how good it might feel, doesn’t pay.

I could name the company and the man, but I won’t. Even if it is all too true. That would just be too slimy.

IE User? Do Yourself a Big Favor

Opinion, Tech No Responses »

Dec 162008

Download and use a browser (Firefox, Google Chrome) that doesn’t put you and your info at risk. IE has more holes than Swiss cheese.

Link to latest warning from Microsoft.

I Have Friends

Opinion, People, Tech 3 Responses »

Dec 142008

I have friends. You wouldn’t know it from the few snide comments on the site. But for one or two, my ‘friends’ have nothing whatsoever to do with it. I guess they’re too entrenched in their lives, or bummed out, or tired of me trying to be some sort of oracle about the environment. They might even think I’m flat-out stupid for even trying to make a difference in how people live their lives.

I have relatives. You wouldn’t know it from this site. None of them take the content here seriously because if they did they might feel driven to change how they live. They might feel a need to stop doing resource-intensive activities they really enjoy, like riding motorcycles or auto cross racing. Or leaving all the lights in their house on. Of course, they can’t take me or this site seriously. They would have to change.

I have business and professional associates. You wouldn’t know it from this page because they’re all consumed with running their businesses and paying their employees and bills. There’s no profit—and no time to waste—in exploring what they could do to reduce their carbon footprint. So they too ignore this page, even while hiring me to advance their businesses through web development and marketing communications.

I have unknown visitors from the Internet. You wouldn’t know it from this page. They’re mostly too rushed to linger long enough to savor the acrid sentiments of one writer who knows what the real source of the world’s environment problems is.

The real source? It’s you, unique visitor of the moment. I’m not too broke, rushed, bummed out, arrogant or smart to spend time and energy trying to reach you.

Big Sky Coalition: Let's give wildfires less fuel

Energy, Environment, Tech No Responses »

Nov 152007

A new environmental group has formed in the Bitterroot to address critical wildfire and forest management issues in our National forests. Specifically, the group hopes to create a groundswell of support from “the silent majority” of Montana residents who advocate for massive thinning of our overgrown forests in a sustained, long-term program to be administered by the US Forest Service and funded by taxpayer dollars.

Link to www.bigskycoalition.org

Gas $3 This Summer? Bummer, for Drivers

Environment, Opinion, Tech No Responses »

Feb 212007

Here’s a Wired article with a comment thread I’ve been participating in the last couple of days. Looks like I’ve hit a nerve. Perhaps I am being a tad “smug.” There are worse labels.

Nanosolar

Environment, Tech No Responses »

Feb 202007

Nanosolar is set to begin manufacturing roll-print solar cells that require only 1/100th as thick an absorber as a silicon-wafer cell (yet deliver similar performance and durability). The company has developed a semiconductor ink that allows it to make a solar cell using a simple printing process. The ink is deposited on a flexible substrate (the “paper”), and the nano components in the ink align themselves properly via molecular self-assembly. And, the process uses no silicon.

Soon we’ll have some real choices for where and how we power our lives. Your local power company might even become your customer. Won’t that be a refreshing change?

Link to site.

Australia to Ban Incandescent Bulbs

Environment, Tech No Responses »

Feb 202007

A radical concept embraced by Fidel Castro two years ago is set to take root down under: mandating the adoption of more efficient lighting across this huge country by banning resource- and carbon-intensive light bulbs.

You could be this radical today by just going to Home Depot or Lowes and replacing all your light bulbs with compact florescent lamps (CFLs).

Link to BusinessWeek article.

Climate resets 'Doomsday Clock'

Environment, Tech No Responses »

Jan 172007

The venerable “Doomsday Clock” from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has been expanded to include the ever increasing climate threat.

Add global warming to nuclear threats. Move the minute hand to five minutes before midnight. Set your alarm. Sweet dreams…

Link to article

I "must" provide a title?

Tech No Responses »

Nov 282006

Ah, Microsoft. This is my first test post using Microsoft Live Writer beta, a supposedly visual blogging interface and a hefty 8mb download.

First off it didn’t parse my blog’s inline CSS so I am not getting the WYSIWY(rofl)G editing they promised. Just a regula Word-style edit window…and they didn’t offer to fix it or make it easy to mod the default.htm and .css files. But why should I have to?

Blogger’s default publish API doesn’t generate an external .css file, the CSS parameter set is embedded inline in the HTML doc. The result is a single file instead of two, which is equally parseable ‘twould seem by any web server.

In other words I would need to hack my lovingly tended blog into two files just to make it work in your interface, Microsoft? As advertised? I don’t want to do that just yet. First, they’ll need to explain why their interface cannot consume well formed HTML documents with inline CSS. Or better yet I hope they figure it out so I don’t have to do anything different if I’m going to use Live Writer.

But on second thought, why add another layer of complexity just to see what I’m doing in a visual editor in the first place? Maybe I won’t.

Novell and Microsoft: Best Buddies

Opinion, Tech No Responses »

Nov 022006

Hell Freezes Over, Again

Novell and Microsoft have buried the hatchet, apparently settling their many differences in a sweeping announcement that promises to thoroughly rewrite the definition of coopetition, a term coined by the recently departed founder of Novell, Ray Noorda. If Mr. Noorda could have only lived long enough to see this.

The two companies have reached a patent covenant that protects their respective intellectual property, and Microsoft will be offering SUSE Linux Enterprise servers to its customers. Customers of both companies will benefit by the cooperation. A remarkable shift in the tech industry, wouldn’t you agree?

Ron Hovsepian, Novell’s head honcho, deserves lots of credit for providing the leadership to make this event happen!

Links to coverage:

http://www.novell.com/linux/microsoft/

http://digg.com/linux_unix/Microsoft_helping_Novell_sell_Linux_WSJ

Back To Nature: The High Tech Way

Environment, Tech No Responses »

Sep 182006

Back To Nature: The High Tech Way

Wow, an automated computer and aquarium driven system that uses a species of fish, the Bluegill, as something of a canary in the coalmine of today’s complex municipal water systems. And only $45K each.

Sure glad we don’t have to drink that stuff or buy bottled water.

Blogfathering: Risky Business

Opinion, People, Tech No Responses »

Aug 072006

Any parent wants to see their offspring do well in life. And any parent winces when one of their own stumbles, or worse, falls by the wayside because the hard work of growing up to be a blogger with something to offer is too much for them to bear.

I’ve helped a number of people start blogs, almost always for free. For most it was the first time they’d ever put anything onto the Web and a milestone in their use of the medium for more than shopping, research and email. For each person, it has involved some direct tutoring, even though it is relatively simple to set up a blog.

Predictably, most of the blogs are light on content. Some are DOA and haven’t been updated in years. Why is that? Converting life’s many lessons and experiences into text/video/pictures is hard work that is also non-essential. We all lead rich, blessed lives, yet few ever take the time to reflect on what is unique in their lives for the benefit and enjoyment of others.

For me, a day without blogging is like a day without sunshine. Here I can expunge my demons, purge my mind of bothersome thoughts about the state of the world, the state of people, the environment, technology, etc. If nobody reads, it’s really okay because I don’t do it for others. I write for me. If you enjoy it, great. If you don’t, great.

Welcome Federales

Tech 1 Response »

Jun 132006

Welcome yet again DoS spook: Just can’t get enough of the Whirled Home Journal? Have a great visit and let me know if you have any questions, okay? As a taxpayer, I want to make your job easier…not to mention more efficient.

Host Name: clayton.state.gov
IP Address: 169.252.4.21
Country: United States
Region: District Of Columbia
City: Washington
ISP: U.S. Department Of State
Returning Visits: 3

Welcome Back, Federales

Tech No Responses »

Jun 082006

The G Man from DoS is Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

A government snoop returns, mainly I assume, because I write engaging posts about sensitive issues (war, bad politics, the environment) what’s really wrong with the world. Ah what a life, being a desk jockey with a browser playing “spook” and pulling down a great wage and benefits courtesy of you and me taxpayers.

Host Name: clayton.state.gov
IP Address: 169.252.4.21
Country: United States
Region: District Of Columbia
City: Washington
ISP: U.S. Department Of State
Returning Visits: 1
Visit Length: Multiple visits spread over more than one day

If the visitor desired to be surreptitious, he’d use a non-government IP address. So it appears the visitor wants me to see the visit on my site logs. Or doesn’t care.

Welcome back Gman. Enjoy your visit to the Whirled Home Journal on the public dime.

Bored Federales?

Opinion, People, Tech No Responses »

Jun 032006

Welcome government readers:

Our tax dollars at work surfing the web, and my site?

Host Name: clayton.state.gov
IP Address: 169.252.4.21
Country: United States
Region: District Of Columbia
City: Washington
ISP: U.S. Department Of State
Returning Visits: 1
Visit Length: 10 mins 31 secs

Interesting what site logs reveal. In this case, to see government employees wasting tax dollars cruising the internet for clues about terrists I s’pose. I am sure I’m a clear and present danger to national security. Also interesting is that this particular IP address/hostname appears literally thousands of times in the site logs of sites all over the world, of all types, including libraries and forums. What a great job. You must be very proud of the work you do.

Waiting on Spring, Not Waiting on Broadband

Tech, Work No Responses »

Mar 032006

It’s been cold and snowy this winter on the West Fork south of Darby. And even though it’s warming up, I’m suffering cabin fever, mainly because I work from home via satellite and business is good. A little too good, in fact. Which means plenty of time in front of my computers. A fast connection is a must.

If you can get DSL through your local telephone provider, great. But lots of folks in these parts can only get a faster connection via satellite. And there at least 3 major satellite service providers to choose from: Direcway, Starband and WildBlue.

Many people who own personal computers in the Bitterroot are beyond the reach of land-based, high-speed Internet services offered by local area telephone providers such as Blackfoot Telephone and Qwest. For cost reasons, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service doesn’t extend into the side canyons and people who live in remote parts of the Bitterroot have but two connection choices: dialup and satellite Internet.

As a matter of fact, I just changed my connection service from Starband to WildBlue. Why change Internet providers? (Even though I still have six months left on my Starband account?) It’s simple. The new guys are nice, they respect their customers, and most importantly, they have a better product. WildBlue offers a big difference in overall performance and value, and with no difference in price. And they make it totally easy to get started. $299 buys the gear (dish and modem) you need, and the installation is fast, simple and FREE, courtesy of Bitteroot Comtel.com

Needless to say, dialup is slow and unappealing to anyone who has ever used a broadband connection. Yet many people in the Bitterroot (and everywhere else) stay on dialup because they can’t justify the addtional expense of a faster connection. Or can they?

Can you really afford to waste hours, days or even weeks over the course of time for pages to load? If you use a dialup connection for sending email and surfing the web and you hate waiting for everything you click on to do something, you’ll be amazed by the peppy page loads and multimedia richness of your broadband connection.

Let’s look at the cost comparison:

Dialup: 18.95 month
Satellite: 49.95 month

With satellite you won’t need an extra phone line for Internet access. And with satellite you won’t waste time waiting on pages to load. Even though there is some latency in satellite connectivity, it’s blindingly fast to anyone coming from a dialup past. With WildBlue you really can download full motion video and feature length movies from sites like Movielink. Lots of them. And you can quickly download mp3 files and large graphics files too. You get 7.5 gigabytes of download traffic on a rolling 30 day basis. Compared to Starband’s allotment of just 3GB per month, that is a lot of bandwidth!

WildBlue offers access plans up to 1.5Mbps download. That’s up to 30 times faster than dial-up. (I got the 500kbps Value package.) Plus you can always start surfing instantly. There are no dial-up delays or tying up your phone line. You’re always connected so you never have to worry about being “bumped off.” And the surfing experience is pleasurable because everything happens more quickly. WildBlue service can reach virtually anyone, anywhere in the USA. As long as your dish can have a clear view of the Southern sky.

Only $49.95 per month for the basic Value Pak—close to the cost of a second phone line plus a dial-up account—only much much faster and responsive! There’s a 12-month agreement. You can upgrade to higher speeds for 30 day periods, and they have a “vacation” price of just $10 per month.

Don't play games with my life, Starband.

Tech No Responses »

Feb 032006

I am 30 months into a 36-month agreement with Starband. Service and support has been okay until recently. But now they telling me that I can’t do what I’ve been doing since the beginning of the agreement and the service, which is simply use the connection all day long for email, blogging, work and web surfing.

I spent nearly 3 hours on the phone with Starband lately to learn of my throttling predicament. And I’d spent even more time trying to find fault with my computer or the modem before calling them. Last time I checked my connection speed was 89kbps down and 21kbps upstream. This is about dialup speed. And this speed comes only from my main PC, not from the nodes. Connections for those are working but terribly, with lots of incomplete pages and 404s. My wife is irritated, and rightfully so. She can’t even check her email most days.

This throttling business is eerily like dialup hell, only more expensive, evil and bloated. For example, downloading digital movies? Forget those too if you’re a Starband residential customer. You cannot download even one feature-length movie a week because your allotment of bandwidth would be exceeded and the account would be put into purgatory as a throttled account. You would have violated their ambiguous, poorly written “Acceptable Use Policy” and been penalized just for using the connection!

We are allowed 750MB of bandwidth for any 7 day period. (Just one movie from Movielink.com is 600-800MB.) Which means even if we download a single movie, we get throttled down to dialup speeds until the 7-day period is over. Then, the speed returns to something acceptably fast, say 380kbps. But it all starts over when the allotment for any 7 day period is exceeded, which we only learn of when the connection starts to suck big wind and I spend a half hour on hold waiting to talk to technical support. They have ignored my support emails about this topic.

So it seems we’ve been paying $50 a month for dialup speed lately. And we spent nearly $1,000 to purchase the equipment and pay for the installation. Some deal. NOT. It’s the little things like poorly implemented usage policies that drive customers off. It isn’t my fault you don’t have your act together enough to advise that we were exceeding your stingy traffic allowance, Starband. Yet, you penalized us routinely, and without our knowledge or consent. You didn’t advise us, you just stepped on us. We’re you customers, not your mules. We pay for a level of service. We got something entirely unsatisfactory. And it’s been going on for some time. Enough.

I hear good things about WildBlue, a new satellite provider. Like way faster speeds, more liberal bandwidth allowances, etc. WildBlue allows 10GB (just reduced effective March 1, 2006) 7.5GB of downloading per month, where Starband allots just 3GB to the same type of account. And WildBlue’s advertised speed is about %25 greater for the same account type.

Yet another advantage offered by WildBlue is found in their software approach. First off, they support Mac and Linux. Secondly, no software needs to be installed on my computer to use the service; it’s installed in the modem they provide. That’s bound to be an improvement: Starband’s Windows-only software is intrusive to the user. The connection is almost never quiet and there’slots of traffic back and forth with the Starband operation center even when no applications are running. Hmm, looks like I’m headed for the wild blue.

The final insult for me? Starband can’t even extend the simple courtesy of notifying customers of impending slowdowns if they exceed, say, 85% of their bandwidth allotment. Hey if your provider says slow down or you’ll run out of gas, what would you do? How simple is that?

This relationship is dead and you throttled it, Starband. Nice work.

Satellite Internet Blows

Opinion, Tech No Responses »

Jan 232006

UPDATE:

Starband has eased off on the throttle and I’m basically happy with their service once again. But it took some whining to git her done!

ORIGINAL POST:

“StarBand prefers to advise customers of inappropriate behavior if the Service is used in a way that StarBand, in its sole discretion, believes violates the Acceptable Use Policy, before taking remedial action. However, StarBand may take any responsive actions as it deems appropriate.”

Never get satellite Internet if you can avoid it. Starband’s service really is beginning to piss me off. Their AUP (acceptable use policy) says I am exceeding my allotted bandwidth, so they are throttling my connection.

Of course, I didn’t discover this until I got frustrated waiting on pages to load, and having many unfulfilled page requests, and so I called their technical support line. I then waited 42 minutes on hold to find out that if I download a single full-length movie that I will exceed my quota for the week. And that’s without downloading anything else!

If you have any other options to have high-speed Internet, exhaust them completely before you try satellite, especially from these guys. I have no other option besides dialup and I’m not going back.

10 Ways To Be More Technology Savvy

Opinion, Tech No Responses »

Jan 052006

1. Become your own first line of technical support. Be your own teacher/instructor and use Google to answer even your silliest questions. (They’ve all been asked before!)

2. Learn how to build a personal or family web page, get it hosted and maintain it. (This can be as simple as setting up a simple blog page in 3 mouse clicks!)

3. Teach someone else how to build a similar page and maintain it.

4. Always, always, always promptly reply to electronic communication from others, and take the time to make sure you’ve answered any questions as best you can. You wouldn’t ignore someone in real life, right?

5. Find at least one way to use the Web to reduce traveling to and from your work.

6. Join the global electronic community: read and interact with the blogs and pages of your friends and family, good causes, good writers, etc. Don’t just be a Net consumer, give something back to the dialogue!

7. Learn keyboard shortcuts, such as “Alt-Tab” (Windows) to help you select between open applications.

8. Get a faster connection. If you are still on dialup, you aren’t exposed to the real worth of the Internet because you can’t access most of it! Take all the time you spend waiting for pages to load and give yourself an economic reason to upgrade. What is your time worth?

9. Don’t worry about what you don’t know! Nobody could possibly know it all when it comes to all the various facets of Internet-era computing, so don’t fret. Just focus on doing what you want to do and get the job done. (See question 1…)

10. Become more tech savvy by practicing and doing, not by delaying and avoiding learning processes and making lame excuses. (Almost every excuse is lame…unless you are a vegetable. And you aren’t a vegetable because you can read this.)

Happy Accidents Will Happen, But It's Mostly Hit and Run

Opinion, Tech No Responses »

Dec 182005

List of visitors from different countries in my web server logs this month:

USA, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, England, Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, Phillipines, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain.

What does it mean to have visitors from all over the place dropping by? Heck, I don’t know. Most of them come from searches for images or text that is mentioned on the site. Statistics are wonderful, numbers are great, but it’s still a challenge to figure out why and how some people visit and sometimes linger on the site. One visitor from Abuja, Nigeria has been to the site 15 times since September! Perhaps this person is one of those Nigerian scam artists looking for a ‘vulnerability’ before they send me one of those notorious letters promising millions if I help them out of a jam. LOL. I wouldn’t know because the person has left nothing more of a trail than an IP address.

Revealing What We Don't Know: Top 10 Dictionary Lookups

Opinion, Tech No Responses »

Dec 112005

Revealing What We Don’t Know: Top 10 Dictionary Lookups

Interesting that integrity, a noun meaning, essentially, wholeness or non-corruptibility, should top the list of the 10 most popular definition searches at Merriam Webster.

At #10 this year, people also searched in droves for the meaning of: inept, as in, not quite up to whatever.

Another popular word search this year was insipid, as in “lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate or challenge; dull, flat.”

Perhaps people who slept through their high school English classes are becoming more aware that they (or some of our elected leaders) might be insipid, not to mention deficient in integrity and lacking the necessary aptitude to lead our country.

Message to 66.56.66.106

People, Tech 1 Response »

Dec 082005

Message to 66.56.66.106

This site gets a fair number of hits. But not so many that I can’t in some cases deduce who the unique visitor might be. After all, every Internet user has a unique IP address, it gets logged by the server, I can parse the address against a mapping tool and sometimes be able connect a person I know in that area to the unique machine’s address. Like connecting an IP address of the visitor with a school, business or government institution. Now who could that be? Hmm, don’t tell me, let me guess!

I would never ‘out’ a visitor. And I hope that you don’t read this and leave in a huff and never visit again. But I would definitely like to have some fun with the idea that I think I know who’s reading. Like “Why do you visit and leave no visible reminder?” Or, “Why is my page interesting but not enough to say so?” Or, “What have you been doing for the past decade (or two)?”

The problem with Anonymous Coward visitors is that they are not much fun. They don’t reveal much. But here it’s hard not to leave some bit of evidence even when one desires anonymity. Anonymity’s a relative term. It’s an everyday illusion. To be truly anonymous you have to use proxy applications to hide your tracks. But you’re so smart you probably know that, or perhaps you don’t care either way.

If someone who manages a site wants to know more about who is on the other end visiting the site, it isn’t rocket science, or for that matter, preservation of historic structures. A little triangulation of time, place, and circumstance goes a long way. Guess it’s the very essence of knowing one’s audience, down to the person if possible. And it is an honor to know you and have the opportunity to in some way refresh the relationship with nothing more than a numerical address to work with.

I know who you are, I’m happy that you’re visiting. And oddly enough, I feel driven to say that I very much liked the person I knew as you, enough to zone in and recognize what likely appears to be a cyber visit from you.

How charming. I’d recognize you anywhere. Even hiding behind your gaudy IP mask.

Have a nice day!

The Church of the Nifty Blue Chrysler

Environment, Opinion, People, Tech No Responses »

Aug 272004

(Or whatever you’re driving these days…)

At least a dozen different Jehovah’s Witnesses have come to visit us out here in the woods over the years. My wife Tamera usually avoids anything beyond superficial interaction with them, but I take the bait because I don’t mind a little recreational mental jousting with others who have well-formed opinions and can defend themselves without ultimately wanting to kill or otherwise harm, judge or disrespect the messenger honestly responding to those opinions.

After a short howdy do, they start reading scripture and then ask questions about what I know of the Bible, its caveats, moral lessons and parables, and I try my best to respond with what I believe are credible answers.

They’re usually quick to point out that only Jesus is my true savior, and in so many words, convey to me that it’s a sin to worship false gods, such as nature and our dinkly little planet. They’re concerned for my soul, I reckon, and I think it’s mostly that they’re trying to pump up the numbers at the local Kingdom Hall, almost forty miles distant.

Pointing out to the able proselytizers (2 in my face and 2 more sitting in the car, which is usually also left running) that their mode of transport to my home is tantamount to worshipping a false god is lost on them. Further, I have said to them, given that it’s so far to drive to commune with all you good people, I can hardly see anything spiritual about puttering over to Hamilton on Sundays to fraternize with a bunch of self-serving, small-minded folks whose collective agenda seems to be positioning themselves perfectly for life after death.

In case you’re wondering about Witnesses, these are the folks who believe that only 144,000 people will make it into the kingdom of heaven to sit beside the heavenly father at the second coming…which they assure me could happen “any day” now. Damn, that’s gonna be a slugfest if only 144K people make it in and Jesus, Moses, Mohammed or Buddha slams the door on the rest of us.

Just who are the chosen people?

No wonder this world is being torn asunder by human arrogance in our hell-bent pursuit of advancing spiritual dogmatism, and the pursuit of whatever we want that requires oil and gasoline to obtain. Who doesn’t want to be right about their assumptions about just what life and the hereafter really IS? Is life a faith-based initiative? Shit no, it’s a spit-in-your-hands and get to work existence. Petroleum has made it easy to be a zombie recruit for a cause that does as much harm as good. But faith doesn’t build a home or grow a garden, and 37 flavors of faith won’t keep us all from tearing each other and the planet to pieces.

Religious do-gooders and atheists alike use the devil’s workshop to do their work too…which in the Christian view is preparing all God’s [human] children for the next world. This beautiful world means apparently little to nothing to organized religious practitioners because life on earth is “temporary” and heaven is “eternal” according to the scriptures they cite as gospel.

It is all the more insidious when they get ready to leave and push a tract my way and I tell them, no thanks. I prefer trees that are still standing.

Unbelievable.

Dumped on by Novell

Opinion, People, Tech No Responses »

Aug 052004

Workers dream of staying at home

Biggest downside of being a telecommuter? I think it’s the unbridled jealousy of managers who by virtue of choices they’ve made are simply not able to do what I have done, which is prove beyond doubt that a knowledgeable person armed with a browser and working from home—interacting with informed co-workers and adept managers—can make a huge difference in a large technology company’s business effort without being “front and center” every day, or any day for that matter.

I live in rural western Montana, forty miles from the nearest traffic light. My commute to work is a simple login to my broadband internet connection. The people and company I worked for over the past 8 years until very recently are located in big, dirty cities all over the world. The company’s employees report to their respective offices and cubicles five days a week, go to endless meetings, and spend one, two, three or more hours per week driving to and from work. It’s no wonder that the company’s marketing has fired on 6 of 8 cylinders for years.

Brand new boss number six, Ladd Timpson, (who just summarily pulled the plug on my “contract employee” career with this company) would never bring himself to admit that I was not only diligent and measurably effective in doing the jobs expected of me for many years, but also living a low-impact, low-stress lifestyle made possible by using technology for the purposes it was designed for—a better world where travel is a pleasure and not a daily obligation with disastrous consequences for the planet.

There is simply no reason to do face time when the real work of technology, marketing and communication is accomplished principally through electronic means. What does it matter where an employee lives since this is the case? Truth is, it doesn’t matter. But it did to some of the boys and girls at Novell.

Hey Novell, it’s your loss.

Internet Rot

People, Tech, Work No Responses »

Nov 022003

And the roads we all drive are smeared with roadkill, so what?

Internet Littered With Dead Web Sites

Digital Etiquette

Opinion, Tech No Responses »

May 122003

What is digital etiquette? Well, I’ll tell you what it is: it’s doing in the digital realm what you normally do in real business life. If somebody says something civil to you, you answer them, usually. You don’t ignore them, at least if you profess to respect the person or value their time. You’d be amazed at the number of emails I send that don’t get answered. One to one communication via email isn’t spam and doesn’t deserve to be ignored.

Even worse, if questions are in the body of the message, seldom are they answered…almost like the recipient was playing deaf. But this is digital and not real, so it’s more like selective vision to avoid having to process all the information needed to convey a lucid response.

Some people make their living in this medium and others are only casual visitors. I can sure tell the difference in the two.

Blogdomity

Opinion, Tech No Responses »

Apr 082003

Into the online vortex swirl hundreds of thousands (soon to be millions) of Web logs or “blogs” from people with access to the Internet. Some blog topics are deeply fascinating, some are shallow and disturbed, some are funny. Some are just plain sad, like the blog from “Raed” in Bagdad, whose last post was in late March just after the bombing had started. Was he real or an Iraqi “plant”? Was he killed? What happened? Why’d he stop posting? Who knows. That’s the incipient nature of a blog. You can ignore it like a dog and come back in a month, or a year, and pick up where you left off. That’s cool. I for one hope Raed is alive and will blog again soon.

http://www.blogger.com

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