Platform 327

As you’ve probably noticed, certain CDs and DVDs start up automatically when you stick them into your computer. Back when there were no weird copy protection methods on movies and music, and the only CDs that started automatically had software you bought on them, this wasn’t much of a problem. Now, not only does some weird proprietary movie player start when you put a DVD into your computer, but you’ve got viruses that use Windows’ “autorun” feature to spread themselves through the CDs you burn or the USB drives you back up your files on.

This article tells you how to turn “autorun” off, and also provides a little program (which, of course, you’re going to want to check with a virus scanner before you use) to do it for you if you’re not comfortable playing with your computer’s settings.

Just thought I’d pass it along.

… I forgot to mention I have broken down and joined Facebook. Not that I wanted to, but there were a few people I was looking to get in contact with, and the only thing that came up for them on Google was a Facebook profile that I could only read if I joined. I find it baffling that someone in this day and age can go through life without creating some kind of presence on the regular Internet. I guess I’m just a bigger web whore than most.

If you’re out and about with your laptop computer, you might find a wireless access point called “Free Public Wifi.” While the first instinct would be to connect to this network (hey, it’s free and public, right?), don’t do it. For all the reasons, read this.

Don’t say I never done nothing for ya.

… of people blaming others for their own stupidity.

“It’s the pirates! The pirates, I say!” But will they do anything that makes good business sense, like simplifying the product or lowering the price? Of course not. They’ll just make sure that those “DOWNLOADING IS STEALING” messages on every fucking DVD and video game you buy will just be more loud and abrasive. Not to mention the fact that the operating system will send more of your personal information to Microsoft’s servers in the name of “security.” It is so time to go Linux.

Hanlon’s Razon tells us, “Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.” And damn, there’s a whole lot of stupidity in the world. That’s one reason I don’t buy into a whole lot of conspiracy theories: conspiracy theorists have way too much faith in human intelligence. I, on the other hand, think that most of the world’s ills are due to dumbfucks in high places whose only job qualifications consist of being able to do as little as possible whilst covering their collective asses well enough to keep their jobs. Submitted for your approval: an Canadian owned and operated automobile company that builds zero-emission vehicles… that are illegal to operate in Canada.

There is no conspiracy here. People are just a bunch of fuck-ups. Hopefully the intelligent people behind this car are persistent enough to stay in business long enough for the idiots to wake up.

We knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Canada’s rather lax (in comparison to our southern neighbours) copyright laws are getting a facelift.

Quite frankly, I could give a rats ass about what the major labels do. They’ve been feeding us nothing but pablum, shit, and boomer nostalgia for way too many years, and it’s about time their profits start to suffer for it.

What I do hope that someone wakes up to is the fact that if the major record labels get a free hand to sue every 12-year-old girl with a downloaded Britney track on her iPod, the levy on blank media should be lifted, especially these days when there’s no guarantee that a blank CDR is going to be used to make a copy of copyrighted music. All I use blank CDRs for is making Linux disks, creating copyright-free audiobooks for my dad, or making CDs that I’ve made from music given away for free by independent artists… or music that I’ve even bought from independent artists. There’s nothing good coming out of the major labels anyway. Why should I have to pay a levy to them?

I’ll be fine with continuing to pay my $0.21 per CD if that means bullshit lawsuits are kept out of the courts. Otherwise, it should go. Or, of course, I could just mail-order blank CDRs from the US. Maybe I should stock up while our dollar is still somewhat hot.

My PDA is broke, and I need a new one. I went to Factory Direct and… well, I’ll just let the letter I sent to those assholes speak for itself:

TO: toronto@factorydirect.ca
RE: The Final Straw

To Whom It May Concern,

As a Factory Direct customer for years, I have grown to expect low-quality customer service in exchange for price. Today, however, marks the last day I set foot into any Factory Direct store.

I came in looking for the Palm m505 PDA that was advertised for $49.99 (after a $20 mail-in rebate), and listed as “in stock” at your store. After more than a half hour of waiting to speak with a store employee (typical, even on a weekday afternoon), I was informed that although the computer said the item was in stock, that it was “probably” in the back, and that I should come back “in a few days” to see if they have managed to unpack it.

This is October 10, and the rebate offer is good until October 12. In “a few days,” the advertised rebate period for this item will have expired. Whether this situation is due to incompetence or deliberate fraud, it is unprofessional and unacceptable. I will be making no further purchases from Factory Direct as a result.

Gotta stop rewarding stupidity sometime, right? “Yes, we have the item you’re looking for in stock, but you can’t have it at the advertised price.” Fuck you. I mean shit, that’s borderline illegal, is it not?

All the old Livejournal posts have been imported into the new blog. Enjoy.

I think I’m going to like WordPress… once I get things figured out to the point where I can get a custom template created.

Well, I solved my tech support issues with Yahoo. It was just a matter of creating a new account. Which means there’s a problem with the old yahoo.ca account, and likely the only reason that that email (and very little else) still works is because I’m paying for it through Rogers. I tried re-uploading my Geocities web sites only to have them deleted again. If what I’ve been reading about Yahoo’s MO recently holds true, as soon as Rogers isn’t my ISP anymore, that account will be completely locked out and all my emails, addresses, stored photos, etc. will be lost. That account is already locked out of Yahoo 360 and all the premium music services I’m paying for. Is anyone answering my questions as to why? Of course not. In fact Rogers told me that my support issues were with Yahoo and I should contact them directly. The contact info Rogers gave me for Yahoo’s service department was an email address that went to someone at Rogers.

It sucks because I’ve had that Yahoo account for years, and it’s become pretty entrenched in my everyday life. Now I’m going through the crap of moving all my stuff off of there before it disappears. I’ve got a new email address (if you haven’t received it but think you should have, leave a comment here and I’ll send it to you). I’ve switched my Yahoo Messenger to my new account (see bracketed comment regarding email) so as I can listen to the music channels, but that account will also disappear once I dump Rogers (as it’s an @rogers email and not an @yahoo one), so don’t get too attached to it.

Just goes to show you that you shouldn’t put too much trust in all of these nifty internet companies offering suites of “free” services. Does anyone in town know of a good bare-bones get-me-on-the-internet-and-shut-up ISP in town?

I re-uploaded my site to Geocities, and it was deleted again. No notice, no reasons, nothing. Screw them.

I’m gonna be switching from my Yahoo email. If you think I should have your email address and haven’t received an email from me about my new one, leave a comment and I’ll send it to you.