Tag Archives: google

Seeing Stars

Posted on by
Reply

Between the Google Reader and del.icio.us, my saved bookmarks are spiralling out of control yet again.

I shame-facedly went to the Google Reader, as I detailed here. In spite of my aversion to the Google, it has worked well. Too well. The “add star” feature is just too handy, and I use it too much. I have north of 160 starred items, some of which should have been bookmarked on delicious straight out of the gate. Other starred items are blog posts I wanted to read later, then either save or delete.

Also some of my delicious items are links to blogs that got my attention, and to which I may subscribe.

So I have starred items that should be bookmarked on delicious, and delicious items that should be subscribed via the Google. And I guess the only way to fix the mess is just to slog through both, and fix it up. And thereafter, use each tool for its proper purpose. Easy to say, requires discipline to do.

-k-

Lying with the Dogs

Posted on by
1

I’ve griped and groused here on this old blog, and back in my days with the Twitter, about my need to consolidate all my RSS and Atom feeds under one roof, preferably a web-based one.

I tried Gregarius, as detailed here. And it was cool. I was hosting my own feeds. Problem was, I found the interface to be somewhat impenetrable; it was hard, at least for me, to mark items read, and have them stay so marked. I liked the tagging features, and appreciated the available plugins and themes. Nevertheless, it remained a pain to use.

From there, I migrated to Feed on Feeds. It was easier to navigate, though lacking in available plugins. After a few weeks of use, I noticed that read articles popped up again, unaccountably. Or worse, that unread ones got marked read.

With both, I had to lash up my own feed update mechanism. With both, perhaps my wanting it to do everything I wanted out of the box was part of the problem. Reading feeds shouldn’t be so high maintenance in my world.

So, shamefacedly, and bashfully, I went to the Google, and opened an account.

After a week, I’ll say that it’s a great web-based reader. I don’t like the Google, I don’t trust them, and consider them to be the new Microsoft. Any company whose mantra is Do no Evil is hiding or doing something, to my notion. Do no Evil is best demonstrated by example.

But, at least for now, all my subscribed feeds are back in one sock.

-k-

Over the Hump

Posted on by
Reply

I have yet to flush the first spammer from the Akismet trap here in my new digs, but incoming links were hosed in the tank, due to my own inexperience ignorance when I set this blog up over a year ago.

Thanks to help from Dave, and a little further tweaking with the help of my new host and The Google, I think things are stable, and behave as they should.

I’m still concerned about feeds; I think I got ‘em all fixed, but I’m not sure. So, if you’re reading this via a feed that is still borked, you’ll never know. But herein lies the advantage of a small potato blog with a small but loyal readership like I have; if you don’t hear from me for a few days, you’ll actually stop by, knock on the door, and see what’s up. At least I keep telling myself that.

And the first flushing of the Akismet sludge filter will be proof that things are back to normal.

Tomorrow, sweeping the floor and turning out the lights at my old host, followed by the WP 2.1.1 upgrade.

-k-

Technorati Tags: ,

Paying for Stuff

Posted on by
Reply

I attempt to pay everything I can with my American Express. Since 1978, they have provided excellent service. In the on-line age, they offer fraud protection unparalleled in the industry. I’ve used The Card for everything. Except to acquire hosting from DreamHost. They are perfectly happy if I use The Card, but apparently only if it is somehow vetted through The Google.

This is like a store who is perfectly happy to accept your American Express, but only if you carry it in an eelskin wallet.

They can all piss up a rope.

-k-

Technorati Tags: ,

My Reply to Dreamhost Satisfaction Survey

Posted on by
1

Dreamhost is on it. I replied to their satisfaction survey, and emailed them back, with the following:

I’m a 57 year old grandfather, who isn’t a fraudster, and who’s ordered > $5K of services and merchandise in the last two weeks with the very American Express Card I was prepared to use tonight.

I find it difficult to believe that The Google offers better fraud protection than AmEx. However, it’s your business, do what you feel is right.

I’m just disappointed that I haven’t found a host offering nearly as good as yours. And that you folks are so difficult to pay.

-k-

Only one little error in the above; at this writing, I’m only 56.

Technorati Tags:

Not Dreaming, and Won’t Be

Posted on by
2

I visited the Dreamhost site tonight, all primed to sign up and move this blog to a different host. Keyed in the first screen of info, made sure PJ’s promo code was there, and proceeded to something called “Google Checkout.” I was then asked for my “Google Login”, which I don’t have, and another option to get a “Google Account.”

I don’t like The Google, I don’t trust The Google, and the last thing I want is a “Google Account.” I also don’t want a “Microsoft Passport” or whatever it’s called, and have zero intention of acquiring either. So I contacted Dreamhost with the following:

Subject: Lost Sale – Maybe
Message: Hello: I was all fired up to get a DH Code Monster account tonight; I’d checked your offering, saw a nice write-up about your company on a friend’s weblog, and was salivating at the prospect of hosting my blog with you. Upon checkout, I was asked for my “Google Account Number”, and as asked to register for a “Google Account” if I didn’t have one. Is the only way to pay you folks through Google? I don’t do business with the Google, and I have zero intention of acquiring a “Google account”. And if this is the only way we can do business, I’ll be looking elsewhere for a hosting solution that isn’t as good as your offering. Thanks. Ken Nelson www.quietvoice.org

And, man, while I type this, a reply from the Dreamsters:

Hey, Ken

Unfortunately there is only google and cheque/money orders when signing
up. The reason we use google is to help prevent fraudsters from signing
up and since then it has cut the number of fraud cases down to an
absolute zero. We apologize if it is to much of an inconvience, but it is
for the greater good. We wish you good luck on your future hosting
venues.

The reply was fast, spoke to my question, and unfortunately means that we won’t be doing any business. Dreamhost would have been a good provider; I was prepared to pay them with American Express, who would have been on the hook for any fraud. In the last two weeks, I’ve bought more than $5K of stuff online; a Sharp teevee, and a RedHat class come immediately to mind. Neither of them required that I register with The Google.

I don’t know where I go from here, but I came across some other asshole hosting outfit that wanted a Drivers License to turn on ssh access. Those bums probably wanted a DNA sample to sign up with them.

Still Speakin’ Easy.

-k-

Technorati Tags: ,