How Intrusive is the Internet Anyway?

Ouch!  I'm glad that my net days aren't like Chris's:

Someone was grilling out tonight - I could smell the charcoal. Steak started to sound good, so I found myself turning around and heading back to the store. That's when a t-bone flew in through the other window and landed on my lap. I was able to brush it off quickly, but now I have this horrible stain on my pants that I won't be able to get out - even if I send it through the washer a few times. In a blink, I was back in the same place that had abused me just ten minutes before. The store's name? The Internet.

Web marketers and advertisers who think they're actually getting better results with their intrusive tactics are deluding themselves, destroying the vehicles which could potentially bring them an audience, and generally making life not worth living online. [_Go_]

I do know why my online experiences aren't like his so much though -- I don't go to commercial web sites very much.  That's right -- my "site time" is mostly spent on blogs, places like Dave, Mark, John, Kasia, Jeremy, Jake.  Still I do map particularly noxious advertisers like DoubleClick to my local host which makes them go away fairly nicely. 

But there's no doubt in my mind that Chris is right -- online marketing basically sucks right now and it is doing a wonderful job of alienating customers.  Marketers don't seem to get that being in our faces isn't helping them at all -- in fact it's just ruining it for them.  Use the web to serve our needs not your own.  'Nuff said.

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Really Cogent Comments on Switch 

Thanks to Chris Pirillo, I found Brad or Joe User who has really good comments on being a new Mac convert.  From Brad (Joe User) comes a :

In my view, I’m a “Switcher”. Apple is spending millions trying to convince Windows users like me to switch to the iMac. So I bought a Mac. Not just any Mac but the iMac, the one that is most designed to be a “plug in and forget” product.

 

So when I get condemned for being annoyed that I can’t easily connect to a printer shared on a Windows machine, I can’t help but shake my head. When people “Switch” do Mac users expect them to just toss out their PCs and start from scratch? I am a PC user but Apple targeted people like me to switch. So don’t bitch if some of us complain that the printer settings are stuffed away in some obscure folder rather than in the control panel applet thingy.  [_Go_]

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Must Be Monday ...

You know something's wrong when you can't even order from Amazon.  Oh that's right -- it's Monday.  I decided to take 347's advice on the iPod (thanks Man!) and trundle my ass off to Amazon.  I see an offer for an iPod, an iRock and a car charger for the same price as the iPod itself.  [_Go_]  Well cool.  I would have bought those anyway.  So I add it to my cart.  Add a few CDs and got to buy.  And I get this:

Important Message
There's something wrong with the gift certificate claim code you entered. Please check for transposed digits, omitted digits, and similar errors.

So I delete the CDs and try again.  Nope.  Delete everything and try again.  Nope.  Fill out the customer support email form and now I'm waiting.  Sigh.  A pox upon Mondays.  My (pitiful) kingdom for a life without Mondays.  I can't be the only person who's seen this offer, can I?

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A Wicked Cool use of iFrames

Check out what Paolo has done with iFrames and Marc Barrott's ActiveRender.  Sweet! [ Go ]

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Help!  Nomad or Zen ?

I'm about to take the plunge into the 20 gb MP3 arena and can't decide between the iPod and the Creative Zen.  We all know the iPod well but here here's the Amazon info for the Zen. [ Go ]  Mac support isn't an issue AND I already have a FireWire connection so which do I go for?  I do like the idea of the digital recorder built into the Zen but I suspect it's the same proprietary crappy NVF format they used to use.  Comments?

Note: Interesting that Amazon has good info on the Zen but doesn't seem to stock it.  That's a real point in favor of the iPod as is the new iPod Travel Bundle. [ Go ]

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Call for PHP Input

PHP Journal is a new, quarterly technical publication focused on all things PHP. The first issue of PHPJ is scheduled for publication in January 2003, and features a great line-up of columns (that will appear  in every issue) and feature stories, all written by experienced PHP developers and authors. If you want to know more about the content of the journal, check our Web site (http://www.phpj.com), which is just starting to take shape. Watch for subscription information between now and January.

One of the regular columns in PHPJ is called "Out in the Open," and it's dedicated to getting PHP community news out to the ommunity. For example, do you run a PHP user group and want to invite others to attend? Are you writing a book about PHP, or are you already published? Have you release a new PEAR module or PHP application that you'd like to share with others? If it's about PHP, we want to hear about it.

If you'd like your announcement to appear in "Out in the Open", please send your announcement in the the following format to phpjed @ phpj.com:

Title (what are you announcing)

Brief description (50 words of less)

URL (for more information)

We are happy to receive product announcements, press releases, and blurbs from individuals and groups. Entries will be edited for grammar and space, and not every announcement can run do to space constraints in the printed version of the magazine.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Martin Streicher, Editor, PHP Journal

phpjed @ phpj.com

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Postings Delayed for a Bit Today

I'm finishing up my first "On the Horizon" column for PHP Journal this morning so I'll be heads down writing until this afternoon.  Being a columnist has been interesting so far.  Responses have ranged from my partner (Cool) to my family (PHP what?) to the slight bit of credibility a writer has -- but Starbucks will not give you a discount.  My first column is on the upcoming php 4.3 release which looks very, very nice.  More later.

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