TECHNOLOGY: WPDC, Why don’t tags operate like categories?

Saturday, September 6, 2008

WPDC is the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom (and did I mention free!!!)

Yeah, I know “beggars and choosers”, but …

It would be nice if on the creation screen tags, like categories, could “suggest” the most frequently used ones, or show a list of all current ones to choose from.

The free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom is still my favorite; even if it doesn’t work the way I’d see it work.

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LINKEDIN: Backed up my contacts and profile. You?

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Download my contacts in CSV format.

Printed my profile into a pdf.

You?

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TECHNOLOGY: Backing up Facebook?

Monday, September 1, 2008

*** begin quote ***

had his previous account frozen by FB due to a malicious virus attack on FB. Now he is trying to reconnect with friends. Please help him. Up to 92 of 200.

*** end quote ***

Interesting?

As with any online service, how do you back it up?

I’ve been told that, for example, on linkedin to print your profile in an editable form and take a CSV export fo yoru contact file.

What can you do on Facebook?

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TECHNOLOGY: Suggestion to WP

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Make no mistake, I love the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom. But, I did make a suggestion.

*** begin quote ***

Any ideas about allowing the meta data to be in the post’s body and parsed out?

For example, You Tube allows me to post to my WordPress blog. Great! BUT, there always is a big butt, it doesn’t ‘do’ all the things I need. No title, no category, no tags, … you get the idea.

HOW ABOUT:

in a post if (let’s make it easy) at the beginning, the word “TITLE:” as the first thing in post triggered a suck out up to the title block. I’d suggest it should recognize: “TAG:”, “CATEGORY:”, “DATETIME:” for delaying, and well you get the idea.

It would be nice if I could email my posts in to.

Yeah, yeah, I know, ‘beggars and choosers’,
fwiw,
fjohn

*** end quote ***

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LINKEDIN: Groups killed

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

LinkedIn is further mudding the waters with group. Without disclosure or discussion, it is making unilateral changes. It no longer passes through to the underlying Yahoo Group. And, the management tools are gone. It makes it just worthless.

Oh well. When the LinkedIn competitor comes along maybe they will treat the PAYING users as if they mattered.

*** begin quote ***

First, thank you for managing your group on LinkedIn. We sincerely appreciate the time and effort you devote to your members, and we know they value it. Together you have made Groups one of the top features on LinkedIn.

This Friday, we will be adding several much-requested features to your group:

Discussion forums: Simple discussion spaces for you and your members. (You can turn discussions off in your management control panel if you like.)
Enhanced roster: Searchable list of group members.
Digest emails: Daily or weekly digests of new discussion topics which your members may choose to receive. (We will be turning digests on for all current group members soon, and prompting them to set to their own preference.)
Group home page: A private space for your members on LinkedIn.
We’re confident that these new features will spur communication, promote collaboration, and make your group more valuable to you and your members. We hope you can come by LinkedIn on Friday morning to check out the new functionality and get a group discussion going by posting a welcome message.

Sincerely,
The LinkedIn Groups Team

*** end quote ***

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TECHNOLOGY: Will Obama’s announcement crash the net?

Friday, August 22, 2008

My understanding is that Obama will announce his choice for VP tomorrow by simultaneous email, im, voice mail delviery. To all his supporters at the same time.

Hmmm!

Will all that message traffic overwhelm the internet?

idunno, interesting question, don’t you think?

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TECH SERVICE: Turn Gmail’s SSL Feature On Now

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Why_You_Should_Turn_Gmail_s_SSL_Feature_On_Now

***Begin Quote***

Why You Should Turn Gmail’s SSL Feature On Now
By Scott Loganbill August 19, 2008 Categories: Software & Tools, Web Basics

Let’s talk security and why you should take advantage of Gmail’s recent SSL feature, and why you might want to be careful using other non-SSL webmail services.

But first, make sure your connection is secured using SSL.

How do you know a connection is secured by SSL? The handy “s” after “http” will tell you. For example, https://mail.google.com is encrypted while http://mail.google.com is not. You can force an encryption by adding the “s” yourself, or by turning on “Always use https” from the Browser Connection settings of your Gmail account.

***End Quote***

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TECHNOLOGY: Passwords are so passe as are password reset questions!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

http://www.itworld.com/tech-society/54193/beware-meta-password-reuse

Crimeware
by Markus Jakobsson
Security
What is worse than reusing passwords?
August 12, 2008, 09:22 PM —

*** begin quote ***

Do you use the same password all over the place? Yes, you probably do – whether you know it or not.

The fact is, while some people still casually use the same password for many sites, almost all of us reuse what we may think of as “meta passwords” – the information used to reset passwords. That, I argue, is worse than reusing passwords – but harder to avoid!

When you have forgotten your password, some sites send you an email with a link for you to click. Phishers who have stolen access to your email account can do that, too. Other sites will ask you for your mother’s maiden name, the name of your best friend, what city you grew up in, or what brand your first car was. Did you know that phishers can answer those questions, too?

Like the city you grew up in, your mother’s maiden name can be derived from public records – from birth certificates and marriage certificates to be specific. (Download PDF for details.) Facebook might unwittingly tell the name of your best friend. And,until quite recently, Ford with its 25% market share had a pretty good chance of being the brand of your first car!

*** end quote ***

Nope, sorry, not on my accounts.

My mother’s maiden name has been successively — NU4H_ZQMQ, WUK6_BBV5, TJRC_UGLS, PFE8_RVSM, KZCW_Z8V8!

Score one for ROBOFORM’s ability to generate pseudo random trash.

I carefully inscribe these values to my book. You have to know that Page 72 is Yahoo. See on the first page it says Yahoo with 377251.

:-) and then I make my password “password”. :-)

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LINKEDIN: Groups “broken”; where competition!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

http://getsatisfaction.com/linkedin/topics/new_linkedin_group_issues

*** begin quote ***

New LinkedIn Group Issues
LinkedIn just changed (translation: “broke”) many things about LinkedIn Groups

*** end quote ***

Unfortunately, when LinkedIn went for the big buxs, it showed the Leadership’s true colors. It tells you a lot about people. How do they follow their principles. I’ve become unenamoured with LinkedIn over the years. When they were struggling for traction, it was come one and come all. Then, they got testy with the super connectors. Then, they got testy with me, even though I am a paying customer, not a super connector, and not an open networker. Then, the final straw, they lawyered up on Vincent Wright, one of their early and most popular “champions”. He did more support then they did … for free. He single handly did more to keep their start ont he rise than they did. He finally got disgusted.

The LinkedIn folks better hop that no comptitor targets them. I think they’ll be lunch. No one is suggesting that they don’t have the right to make their rules. But, a little openness, gratitude, and appreciation of why they got all those big buxs.

It wasn’t them. It was all the Vincent Wrights, and a grazillion little people.

Where is the competition?

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TECHSERVICE: AKAPOST for an email buffer

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

http://www.akapost.com/

*** begin quote ***

akapost is a simple and easy way to protect your email identity from being exposed on the Internet.

With akapost, you can send and receive emails from any of your existing email accounts but still keep your actual email addresses private.

akapost works with any email client or device such as computer, cell phone, or handheld, etc. No software download or installation is required. Simply sign up and register your email address, it’s ready to go.

Protecting email identity has never been so easy – and yet it’s FREE!

*** end quote ***

Hey, for free, how can you miss?

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TECHSERVICE: Web site for sick childrens’ journaling

Monday, August 11, 2008

http://www.caringbridge.org/

*** begin quote ***

YOU CAN HELP

Do you know someone who needs support due to cancer treatment, premature birth or chronic illness?

*** end quote ***

Here’s a free website that allows the journaling of life events for sick folks (My experience has been two children; emotionally draining!)

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TECHNOLOGY: In memoriam: Ed Foster

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

http://weblog.infoworld.com/gripeline/archives/2008/07/in_memoriam_ed.html

The Gripe Line | Ed Foster » In memoriam: Ed Foster

July 28, 2008 | Comments: (57)
101 votes

In memoriam: Ed Foster

*** begin quote ***

We at InfoWorld are sorry to announce that Ed Foster, InfoWorld’s venerable The Gripe Line blogger died this past Saturday. We are all saddened by Ed’s passing but grateful for his 15 years of consumer advocacy in the field of technology products through The Gripe Line column and blog.

Ed has contributed to InfoWorld and the technology-using community at large in many ways during his 20-year association with us, as a reporter, writer, editor, and columnist at InfoWorld.

We will all miss his passion and professionalism.

Ed’s son, Jeff, wanted to share the following with Ed’s readers:

I’m sorry to inform you all that my dad, Ed Foster, died on Saturday of an apparent heart attack. He was 59. He was very proud of the work he had done and the community he had built here. He was very engaged in what you all had to say, and we had many running instant message conversations about comments or emails people had sent. He was an extremely smart man, and he loved to be mentally stimulated, whether it was a good book, an interesting conversation, or one of the many comments you posted that made him look at something in a slightly different way. As you can probably tell, I’m not half the writer my dad was, and it’s very difficult for me to think of the words to say what I feel (it doesn’t help that when I get stuck on a word or phrase, I think “I know, I’ll ask my dad!”), but I just want everybody to know that this site and the people on it meant a lot to him. I’m going to miss him. More then words could express, even if he was here to help me think of them.

We invite you to post your remembrances of Ed and any other sentiments you’d like to express at this time.

Posted by Galen Gruman on July 28, 2008 05:21 PM

*** end quote ***

I’m stunned. Ed was always taking the technology vendors to task for all sorts of transgressions. A sigh of relief is comming form all the rip off artist in the technology field because Ed’s gone “off duty”. Ed was one of the few columnists that I followed religiously. Over the last eon it feels like, he and I exchanged emails about one scam or another. Some he even used in the column.  Graciously concealing my identity when I was particularly brain dead and blunder into one scam or another. I feel the loss.

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It also points out the unfairness of Social Security, he paid in for three decades and his family has NOTHING to show for it! It’s robbery by the gang in DC.

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TECHNOLOGY: Four hours and counting to do Jasper Jottings

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Argh, for as quick as it went last week, under an hour, this week is a DISASTER! All sorts of little problems leading up to the big one. 1AND1 tells me some fluff about my page is missing the L in html on the page and that’s why it is pushing the wrong page. Don’t sound right to me? I see all the files in place with the right names. Perhaps an index not updated on their end? Argh!

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TECHNOLOGY: LEGACY’s new look doesn’t FF3

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Interesting, in doing my Jasper Jottings, I am often on the LEGACY site picking up obits. In some obits, they force a new sexy front end. Only one problem, it doesn’t FF3. It just goes in an endless loop “loading”. Like the good inet denizen I am, I reported it. Wonder if I’ll ever get a response. Wonder if I’ll ever get a fix. Wonder if anyone other than me cares. P.S. When I hit that particular ‘brick wall’ i go around it by using SAFARI. Interesting?

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TECH SERVICE: MUSICMATCH swallowed by YAHOO! BARFed back on the users!! Refund?

Thursday, July 24, 2008

http://weblog.infoworld.com/gripeline/archives/2008/07/yahoo_plays_def.html

The Gripe Line | Ed Foster » Yahoo plays defunct DRM tune
July 24, 2008 | Comments: (0)
Yahoo plays defunct DRM tune

***Begin Quote***

It’s getting to be an old song. This week the Yahoo Music Store sent a message to customers saying they will turn off their DRM servers after September, thus joining MSN Music, Sony’s Connect music store and other online music services in eventually cutting off customers who purchased DRM-wrapped tunes. And readers have no doubt it’s a song the movie, e-book, and software publishers are also going to be singing in the future.

***End Quote***

So, do they give us a refund for DESTROYING a perfectly good working piece of software that they replaced with a POS?

Yeah, like that’s going to happen!

FTC? DOJ? Political help? Yeah, like that’s going to happen!

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LINKEDIN: LinkedIn deleting people’s accounts?

Thursday, July 17, 2008

http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2008/07/17/linkedin-maintenance-do-this-right-now-or-else

LinkedIn Maintenance: Do This Right Now (or else?)
July 17th, 2008

*** begin quote ***

I got an e-mail from Susan Ireland, at the Job Lounge. She asked me if I knew anything about LinkedIn deleting people’s accounts… I’ve heard a little about this, but mostly just hand-slapping for looking like spammers. Getting an account deleted can be a huge problem, especially as you use LinkedIn more.

*** end quote ***

LinkedIn deleting people’s accounts?

Wow, that’s news!

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MACBOOKAIR: Apple’s MOBILEME seems to be working

Thursday, July 17, 2008

http://web.mac.com/reinkefj/Site/Blog/Blog.html

I’ve been putting my McBa use items here.

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TECHSERVICE: Apple’s ‘MobileMe’ is up … slow and fubar

Friday, July 11, 2008

Many issues. My McBa blog is gone. I have it local. I don’t have the new DOTME cabalities and icons on the McBa.

It’s probably getting pounded pretty good. Hence there’s a lot of sitting a looking at the Mac equivalent of an hourglass.

Argh!!

#####


TECHSERVICE: Found a flaw with my WSP!

Friday, July 11, 2008

FROM THE NEW APPLE MOBILEME

Add Personal Domain

Before your iWeb site can be viewed at your personal domain, you must complete the following steps:

* Go to your registrar’s website. Define web.me.com as the “www” CNAME (alias) for your domain.

If you need help creating a CNAME, contact your registrar

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FROM 1AND1

Can I use a CNAME record to point to my web space?

Unfortunately, you cannot use a CNAME record to point to 1&1 web space. You

must provide our DNS servers to your domain name registrar.

# – # – #

Argh!

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Powered by Bleezer


TECH SERVICE: Easy to bookmark or recommend

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Added a tool to make it easier for you to promote the content.

2008-07-JUL003A

 

Which gives you lots of choices:

2008-07-JUL002A

It would be nice to get good publicity and a grazillion visitors!

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TECH SERVICE: Fooling around with CAFEPRESS stores

Monday, July 7, 2008

http://www.cafepress.com/isic

http://www.cafepress.com/reinkefj

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TECHHARDWARE: JVC Customer Service Camcorder set

Monday, July 7, 2008

The following information has been sent to JVC Customer Service.

*** begin quote ***

First Name: fjohn
Last Name: reinke
E-Mail:
Address:
City: Kendall Park
State: NJ
Zip Code: 08824
Phone Number:
Model Number: GZ-HD3U
Serial Number: 13265472
Purchase Date: 2008-07-06
Product Type: Everio/Camcorder
Inquiry Type: Hookup/Operation
E-Mail Body: Can’t set the clock. Seems dumb.

Your email has been sent! Due to our increasing email volume, our current response time is 5 business days. We apologize for this temporary inconvenience. Thank you for contacting JVC Customer Care.

*** end quote ***

Guess what guys. If I can’t figure out how to set the clock by bed time tonight. Back it goes!!

# # # # #

Dear Ms. Garcia: Way too late. You didn’t make your promised SLA. I wound up calling in. The clock is set. But, it didn’t work for several hours as I reset the clock over and over again. It just wouldn’t save. It was as if there was a magic button I was missing. When I called in and powered it up talking to the phone rep, magic: the clock was set. I hope whatever gremlin was there has left for other places. But, who knows. fjohn

p.s., Emailing me the reproduced instruction page is really irritating. Did you think I didn’t read it? Or couldn’t find page 17! The phone rep was equally condescending. Argh!

#####

On Jul 11, 2008, at 10:01 AM, Garcia, Nancy wrote:

Dear Mr. / Ms. Reinke,

Thank you for contacting JVC Customer Care. I am Nancy, your email care specialist. We value you as a JVC customer and appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance.

I understand that you are inquiring about having trouble setting the clock.

Please follow the steps below on how to set the clock.

<image001.jpg> <image002.jpg>

If we can be of further assistance, please let us know at customerrelations@jvc.com.

Sincerely,

Nancy
JVC Customer Care Center

This e-mail and its attachments may contain JVC proprietary information, which is PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL, or subject to COPYRIGHT belonging to JVC. This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering this e-mail to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of and attachments to this e-mail is STRICTLY PROHIBITED and may be UNLAWFUL. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copy of this e-mail and any printout. Thank you.

[JR: Privileged? Confidential? Copyright? Are they kidding!?!]

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LINKEDIN: The 3 minute LinkedIn Overview video

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

The LinkedIn Blog: The 3 minute LinkedIn Overview video

Posted using ShareThis


TECH SERVICE: the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom is unsurpassed

Saturday, June 28, 2008

I’m a WORDPRESS fan. I finally found something it doesn’t do that it should

***Begin Quote***

Subject: [WordPress #ZRP-768006]: [unknown] [reinkefj.wordpress.com] Maybe I’m obtuse How do I put a table in a post?

Howdy!
There is currently no icon to insert a table. You must do this through the HTML view and actually type the tags. Please check out the following resource:

http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_tables.asp

Best,
Anthony

***End Quote***

MEDIAWIKI has is it and I was looking to do a table in RFL when I couldn’t find the icon I needed.

I just pasted a table from WORD and it worked. So …

This doesn’t change my opinion that the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom is unsurpassed.

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McBookaire: Stupidity is a good way to leave yourself without power.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Last night, didn’t notice the plug was out and McBa was sitting in hibernate. Today noticed it. Battery is under a quarter. Wonder what happens when it goes flat? Any way, cant take it with me today to doc office because it’s so low. Maybe that is a design problem. It should shutdown after hibernate for say an hour?

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TECH SERVICE: Vangard requires Adobe PDF Reader! Yuck!!!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Vangard requires Adobe PDF Reader! Yuck!!!

Adobe stinks. It’s a pig in terms of size and complexity. You put out a pdf. Why can’t I use an Open Source free product to view the pdf? And, it used to work. SO you’ve introduced a change without notification. Just like your split authentication change, it does zip from my perspective except make my life more difficult.

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