The Vent and Rant Thread

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Who said this, at one time or another? "If you make something more idiot proof, the universe just invents a better idiot."

I've said it more than once, and I mean it: some people should not be allowed to use a computer.

One of Murphy's Laws. Along with "There's always one more idiot than you counted on."

[cromag]

I'm going out to shovel snow. Again.

[Barcey]

Originally Posted by CRussel

One of Murphy's Laws. Along with "There's always one more idiot than you counted on."

I prefer, "It's impossible to make something idiot proof because idiots are too ingenious."

[CRussel]

"Build a system that a fool can use, and only a fool will want to use it."

And a hundred or so others...

(I DID write the book on Murphy, after all! )

[Dylrob]

For the 50 billionth time Google, I don't want you to use my real name and I DON'T want a G+ account!

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Attachment 119180

For the 50 billionth time Google, I don't want you to use my real name and I DON'T want a G+ account!

Damnation. They really should stop that. It's the ONE thing I don't want to have to do anything anymore with Google, if I could help it.

But... I do need a smart phone nowadays, and Google, Apple and Microsoft are all the same with their "Use your real name" and "Create a profile" crap.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Damnation. They really should stop that. It's the ONE thing I don't want to have to do anything anymore with Google, if I could help it.

But... I do need a smart phone nowadays, and Google, Apple and Microsoft are all the same with their "Use your real name" and "Create a profile" crap.

It's not a problem. My real name is Stitchawl. Stitchawl, with a yahoo.com mailing address. It solves a lot of problems and none of their spam garbage ever reaches my 'real' e-mail box. Same with Facebook and their requests for birthday, high school name, where you were born, where you work, when you got married, blood type and DNA are probably next. Now they are 'offering' little games for people under the guise of 'what is your state,' 'what is your movie,' 'what is your generation,' by asking a series of 10-15 questions about personal preferences. An absolute GOLD MINE for Data mining companies when combined with your real name and birth day. They can then zero in on your Social Security number, and from then on, you are an open book!
Yep... my name is Stitchawl


Stitchawl

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

It's not a problem. My real name is Stitchawl. Stitchawl, with a yahoo.com mailing address. It solves a lot of problems and none of their spam garbage ever reaches my 'real' e-mail box. Same with Facebook and their requests for birthday, high school name, where you were born, where you work, when you got married, blood type and DNA are probably next. Now they are 'offering' little games for people under the guise of 'what is your state,' 'what is your movie,' 'what is your generation,' by asking a series of 10-15 questions about personal preferences. An absolute GOLD MINE for Data mining companies when combined with your real name and birth day. They can then zero in on your Social Security number, and from then on, you are an open book!
Yep... my name is Stitchawl


Stitchawl

I don't even exist on the Internet.

Search Katsuami. You will find a website Katsunami.com, which is not mine. You'll find a (somewhat) famous DJ that is not me. You'll find thousands of Katsunami's inside and outside of Japan, being nicknames or even real names.

If you search for my full real name, you'll find 3 pages with Google hits, all referring to people that are not me (and all of them in a different country), except for one hit that refers to my account at a marketplace website for photography gear. (ATM, I could quit that account, should I want to.)

So, yeah; for all intents and purposes, I don't exist on the internet, and I'd like to keep it that way. This is the reason wy I NEVER fill out any profiles, and disable all profile comments and reactions on any forum. Obviously, I don't have facebook, twitter, linked-in.... which makes some people think that I'm some sort of idiot.

"But... Why don't you have those accounts? Why can't you be found on the internet? You're in IT, more reason to have them!"
- "Yeah. I don't have these accounts BECAUSE I'm in IT. I know what companies and people can do with that data. Once on the internet, always on the internet."

They don't understand.

And then they complain when they get tangled up in feuds because of reading and posting stuff on facebook, or get fired at work because they twittered that the boss is an @$$h013.

Then they suddenly understand.

[Freeshadow]

People don't listen until shit-hits-fan.

[Stitchawl]

I use the Stitchawl name in two different forums. I use other names in other forums. I do use my real name in Facebook, but with no information in my profile other than my name. When a date of birth is required, I use Jan 1, 1945 which of course isn't my real birthday. I made the mistake back in the day of using my real name in some Usenet groups and getting stalked for years by three nut jobs. One of them so crazed that he continued to viciously attack a fellow with the same name as mine who was in the terminal stages of pancreatic cancer, thinking he was me! Didn't stop until the man died, and even then, threw a few more digs.
I won't make that mistake again...


Stitchawl

[cromag]

Tried to get out to the store tonight. Tried, but didn't. I cleared as much snow as I could the past few days, but ice built up around the wheels. It's difficult just to get a snow shovel under the van, let alone get enough power to crack up some ice. I rocked back and forth for a while, which works for snow, but not ice.

Ah, well. We're due to get more snow tonight -- maybe 2 to 4 inches -- but tomorrow afternoon it should get up into the 40s, so I'll try again after it warms up.

(I didn't actually need anything from the store, I just wanted to get out for a while!)

[ProfCrash]

Heat wave coming this week so hopefully you will get out!

[cromag]

My wife had a class this morning. I got up early (for me) to help her out. She has an all wheel drive Subaru and got out without (too much) trouble.

But my minivan is still stuck on the ice.

We had a UPS truck stuck crosswise in the road about half an hour ago, trying to make a U-turn to get out of our dead end. Fortunately, he had tire chains, and he just got out.

Once you get out of our dead end the roads aren't too bad.

[PeterT]

Grrr. This last week my Drs office called a few times to remind me to go and get blood tests done, so after fasting overnight I went to a nearby lab this morning. Got there by 9, took a number (34) and saw they were registering #12. Hour and a half later they have just done 33, and of course, this is when the person on the desk takes a break.

Ten minutes later one of the technicians starts processing my form and after working on it for 5 minutes tells me there are errors on the damn form!

The Drs name is not present in one area, although it is elsewhere on the form, and the damn address for the office is 1257 on the form but 1255 in their records.

For PETE'S sake... I don't care.. I just want the tests done so I can go eat.

Rather than holding up the other people waiting I say I'll go to the office and get it sorted. Of course, damn office is closed till Monday.

So here I am, Starbucks with venti black coffee and oatmeal with nuts.

[CRussel]

How annoying, Peter! Makes me appreciate what we have here on the Coast! Where they take appointments for blood work, make sure that the fasting ones are first thing in the morning, and if there's a problem, they deal with it and sort it later.