A Conversation for Ask h2g2
Petty Hates
Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am... Posted Nov 5, 2014
"Whats the point of the BBC dangling an interesting titbit of information in front of its readers when maybe the majority can't read the full article"
Because just flipping Google it? It's unlikely that the source the BBC links to will be the only one.
Petty Hates
Pastey Posted Nov 5, 2014
Sorry, I hate the idea that someone should just go and Google something.
If an article somewhere deliberately links to another article elsewhere, then you should rightly expect that article to be free and open to access, unless it clearly states otherwise. This is how the internet works.
The problem is that the people at the beeb will almost certainly have a subscription to these sites, and not even think that other people won't.
The solution isn't to "just Google it", the solution is for the writers to not make the readers have to.
It's like those websites that say "you must install x browser" or "your screen should be y wide." Rubbish, you should make your website work on my device.
Not doing these simple things just means that people will go elsewhere. The idea that the reader should conform to your world is utter self-centred crud.
Petty Hates
KB Posted Nov 5, 2014
Agreed - how professional would the BBC look as a news source if they said "There's a fantastic article all about women's rights in Saudi Arabia. But I won't tell you where it is, go and Google it!"
They'd look like a bunch of jokers, but that's effectively what they are doing.
Petty Hates
Sho - employed again! Posted Nov 5, 2014
it's sometimes happened here in ask though, someone will ask a question and the first reply is either "google is your friend" or a link to a google search page.
If people ask here it's because they want a human to answer...
Petty Hates
Pastey Posted Nov 5, 2014
"If people ask here it's because they want a human to answer"
That's why I ask things here. Google will give you stuff, but rarely what you're after I find
Petty Hates
Lanzababy - Guide Editor Posted Nov 5, 2014
Petty Hates: Skype. It used to synch across all devices and let me know if there were any new messages. pfffffffffff
Petty Hates
You can call me TC Posted Nov 5, 2014
I'm amazed that no one has complained yet about the new Amazon MP3 app. You used to be able to call up any record that you had ever bought and stream it and listen to it wherever you were. Now the app is totally useless.
Well, TBH I didn't even download it onto my new phone because the reviews were so vehemently against it and warned "DO NOT DOWN LOAD THIS APP"!!
Petty Hates
Sho - employed again! Posted Nov 5, 2014
I loathe that amazon app
when I was travelling I thought I'd give it a go - but it was so frustrating to use, not intuitive at all (I never thought I'd have a music app more than I loathe iTunes, but Amazon managed it)
I wrote a mail after searching through the "manual" and FAQ and replied that it was next to useless for anything at all - and haven't received a reply since
Petty Hates
Pastey Posted Nov 5, 2014
PH: People on Twitter who follow you in the hope that you'll follow them back, and when you don't they unfollow you so they can follow you again, thereby "nudging" you to follow them.
Petty Hates
Lusus Posted Nov 5, 2014
"Because just flipping Google it? It's unlikely that the source the BBC links to will be the only one."
Although its been a while, when I write an entry for H2G2 I don't add links within the entry to a Google search. Instead I add links to relevant web pages.
Also, I do not add footers that say 'just flipping Google it'. Thats the way the internet works (everything interconnected). Google isn't your friend; relevant (working) links are.
Petty Hates
Sho - employed again! Posted Nov 5, 2014
The GDL union. I am usually in favour of unions etc, but this train strike is all about a power struggle in a small union that wants to have more members and more power.
and I have to leave the house at 5am just to get to work.
Petty Hates
Pastey Posted Nov 6, 2014
PH: Ill-informed idiots who think they know more than you, and try to preach to you.
Case in point, someone has noticed that I use a plastic hot liquor tank and boiler in the brewery, and felt that they just couldn't hold their tongue any longer because they're angry enough about it, and they know that others are holding their tongues. Because plastics leech chemicals into the liquids that they boil, and I am therefore a very bad person putting the public at risk.
Even though when they asked if it was a plastic kettle, I told them it was HDPE, which is *perfectly* safe to use.
They've read a scare story and are of course an expert on all things plastic in the food industry now, whereas I spent a good few days researching the different sorts of plastics, and what risks there might be.
At least they had the decency to say I was a bad person over private messaging and not in public threads. So I was able to correct them without either of us looking bad.
Petty Hates
Cheerful Dragon Posted Nov 12, 2014
'Contact Us' "facilities" that don't allow you to report the problem you want to report. I want to notify Amazon UK that the Daily Deal link doesn't show any books for the third time recently (second time in two days). I get the Daily Deal newsletter telling me that there are deals today, but clicking on the link takes me to a page without daily deals. I can contact Amazon about problems with orders, devices or my account, but not about problems with their website.
Ah, well! If they're happy to lose custom, that's up to them.
Petty Hates
Sho - employed again! Posted Nov 12, 2014
in Germany the daily deal has changed to a Monthly deal with a lot of books, at various prices. So I don't bother much.
Petty Hates
Cheerful Dragon Posted Nov 12, 2014
Amazon UK has both. At least, I get a Daily Deal newsletter every day, there's still a link for it on the Kindle Books page and I haven't seen anything about Daily Deals being discontinued.
Petty Hates
Cheerful Dragon Posted Nov 12, 2014
I found the problem. Amazon are still doing Daily Deals, but they only show up if you use Internet Explorer. I tried Chrome and Firefox and got nothing. I don't know about other browsers.
I've sent an email to Customer Service, but I don't expect much. The last time I emailed them (some books appeared under differrent titles) I got a response that basically repeated my original email. Customer Service aren't the right people to talk to over this, but it's the only point of contact customers have with Amazon.
Petty Hates
Pastey Posted Nov 12, 2014
If you're on Twitter, try pointing it out to them there. A lot of internet based companies respond quickly there as it's a public facing forum.
Petty Hates
Cheerful Dragon Posted Nov 13, 2014
Now for a catalogue of Petty Hates linked to my last one:
Customer Support out-sourced to India. The people I had an online chat with tried to be helpful and it wasn't their fault that they couldn't resolve the problem. It just rankles that Amazon feel the need to have a call centre in India.
Techno-muzak on hold. When the people in India couldn't solve the problem, they had somebody call me. I experienced several minutes of dreadful techno-muzak while the woman researched my the issue.
"It doesn't happen on my computer." I've heard this umpteen times in the past, and even said it myself. The problem I have with Kindle Daily Deals happens with Chrome and Firefox, not with Internet Explorer. However, the woman at Customer Support also has access to Chrome and Firefox, and she didn't experience the same problem.
Not being able to talk to somebody with knowledge of the system affected. Amazon does help for Kindle problems, not for problems you might have with their website. The woman I spoke with didn't know anything about browsers and what might affect the appearance of the website on different browsers.
Basically, my problem is unresolved. If anybody out there knows anything about Chrome and/or Firefox, I'd be greatful for any advice. The browsers on Android are also affected, so I can't even check the daily deals there.
Key: Complain about this post
Petty Hates
- 13861: Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am... (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13862: Pastey (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13863: KB (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13864: Sho - employed again! (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13865: Pastey (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13866: Lanzababy - Guide Editor (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13867: You can call me TC (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13868: Pastey (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13869: Sho - employed again! (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13870: Pastey (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13871: Lusus (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13872: Sho - employed again! (Nov 5, 2014)
- 13873: Pastey (Nov 6, 2014)
- 13874: Cheerful Dragon (Nov 12, 2014)
- 13875: Sho - employed again! (Nov 12, 2014)
- 13876: Cheerful Dragon (Nov 12, 2014)
- 13877: Cheerful Dragon (Nov 12, 2014)
- 13878: Pastey (Nov 12, 2014)
- 13879: Cheerful Dragon (Nov 13, 2014)
- 13880: Pastey (Nov 13, 2014)
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