RANT: Dell’s DirectConnect is NOT a hit over at locker gnome

Saturday, October 14, 2006

http://wow.locker gnome.co/nexus/it/2006/10/13/dells-direct connect-strangers-with-candy/

Dell’s direct connect, Strangers With Candy!

by Matt Harley on October 13, 2006 at 10:20 am
Categorized by gnome report

***Begin Quote***

Personally, I am very apprehensive about the very idea of allowing Dell raps to move around my PC via some unknown remote agent. It’s a nice idea for those who are comfortable in allowing a company with what I feel to be a disgusting record in the realm of tech support, rummaging around their PC.

***AND***

Dell can blow sunshine up my backside with knee jerk offers of “cool new products” and other frivolous carp all it likes.

***End Quote***

:-)

but, how do you really feel?

I agree. I’ve been holding off buying a new notebook and will take your advice. I’ll go local and to Linux.

Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECH: LOOKOUT OUTLOOK blank lines are wanted

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Argh, now our old friend LookOut, aka Microsoft Outlook, has decided that blank lines can be removed from some messages when it feels like it. Who died and left Microsoft king to decide this. If it does do it, then it should have an option to stop doing it. Otherwise leave the messages alone. Argh!

Leave a Comment » | Technology | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

JOBSEARCH: If you don’t use PLAXO right … …

Saturday, October 14, 2006

… … you are missing a big opportunity for “viral communication”.

Plaxo, the address book synchronization service that I like, allows you to put lots of “stuff” in it. I wish I had a nickel for every turkey that doesn’t have their record fully filled out. I recommend using their mini-bulletin board as an ongoing job search update. It replicates to EVERYONE that has your card. What better advertising would you want? It’s viral. It flies below the radar. And, your contacts will see it if they look at the “update stream”. So, I tell “my” turkeys that they should load the darn things up with anything positive that they can say. It costs NOTHING!

Yet people don’t do it.

Why?

1 Comment | JOBSEARCH | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GUNS: Truth in humor, but the Swiss have an interesting set of “toe clippers”

Saturday, October 14, 2006

http://www.2spare.com/item_61549.aspx

30 Funniest Jerry Seinfeld Quotes

***Begin Quote***

The Swiss have an interesting army. Five hundred years without a war. Pretty impressive. Also pretty lucky for them. Ever see that little Swiss Army knife they have to fight with? Not much of a weapon there. Corkscrews. Bottle openers. “Come on, buddy, let’s go. You get past me, the guy in back of me, he’s got a spoon. Back off. I’ve got the toe clippers right here.”

***End Quote***

1. Perhaps if we evaluated our politicians and our generals on this criteria we’d have a 500 year peace.

2. Perhaps we need to rename the military “the Department of Defense”. Oh yeah that’s right it is. Maybe we should have them doing more “defending” and less “offending”? Yeah, yeah, I know the best defense is a good offence, but that’s football. And, playing defense is playing to lose. So explain the Swiss?

3. Perhaps the fact that every Swiss man, old enough to “do anything important” and not too senile to point in the right direction, has a frigging machine gun and all the ammo he can carry. That was one thing that discouraged Hitler. That, every road can be an airfield, every tunnel an airplane revetment, and every tunnel destroyed quickly to stop an advancing army. Reminds me of a porcupine, just leave it alone.

4. An armed citizenry, hmm where have I heard that before? RKBA.

“A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”

Seems like the Swiss originated the idea?

5 Comments | GUNS | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TECH: It’s interesting how many site don’t implement search correctly

Saturday, October 14, 2006

For example, I was doing R&D for my alumni group and was looking at memorial sites that might have obits on my fellow Jaspers. Yeah I know depressing but someone has to do it. And, people like to know about their college buddies with whom they have lost touch.

Any way, back to the point, many sites offer a search. And on many it’s broken. Unfortunately, I have to have a search string with a space in it.

My preferred string is:

“manhattan college” -marymount -“borough of manhattan”

but most places barf at the minus sign. AND, many places search as if you said “manhattan” or “college”, ignoring the quoting. Some are a little better using “manhattan” and “college”.

So for example, I am not interested in “Borough of Manhattan Community College”, but get it if the site doesn’t parse “manhattan college” correctly.

I do often drop back to Google, who does it right, and use the “site:” option. That sometimes works.

I usually leave a nasty gram at the offending site like:

***Begin Quote***

Your advanced search doesn’t seem to work correctly. I searched for “manhattan college” and it returned lost of hits. I didn’t find any of my fellow alums and gave up. Just thought you’d want to know.

***End Quote***

BUT have never received any feedback, an “Ooopps”, or “live with it”, or “wadda ya want for free”, or just a form letter “Thanks for your email, your email is very important to us here in India”.

Arghh!

Leave a Comment » | Technology | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

ALUMNI: MC site doesn’t keep current addresses

Saturday, October 14, 2006

The alumni redirection site doesn’t always have current email addresses and gives no feedback as to when the address was last good. Hmmm?

Leave a Comment » | ALUMNI | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj