I frequently get into arguments about politics.  I’ve been interested in politics since the 1988 presidential election.  I missed being old enough to vote that year by one day!  The day after election day was my 18th birthday.  If I had been able to vote, I would have cast my first vote for George H. W. Bush.  I had grown to love Ronald Reagan during his time in office, and it just seemed right to elect his vice president to succeed him.  While some of my beliefs, and values could be regarded as by some people as “liberal”, I place myself into the conservative, and libertarian categories.

Most people are unaware that the U.S. Constitution is actually a very unique document.  Most of the other democracies in the world do not have a formal, written social contract.  In the UK for instance, they have several documents that codify the rights of the people, mostly the noble classes, which were written several hundred years ago.  The U.S. Constitution was written to ensure limited government, and to protect individual rights.  Although it has not always been applied to all of the people, the Constitution has protected the people of the United States from tyranny for over 200 years.  Now, the Constitution itself is under attack from those who have sworn to uphold, and protect it.

I first read the U.S. Constitution when I was in high school.  Mr. Tabor, my Government teacher, assigned all of his students to read the Constitution.  The next day, he asked us to discuss what we had read.  What struck me  the most about the Constitution was that it is a very short document.  It does not attempt to address every issue.  The framers of the Constitution wished to form a limited national government with only two goals:  protect individual liberty, and defend the nation against threats.  Today, Congress is voting on laws that consist of thousands of pages, which most of its members haven’t even read!  I wonder how many of the 535 members of Congress have actually read the Constitution.

Very few people in the United States have actually read the Constitution.  Most people don’t understand the importance of having a formal, written document stating the powers, and limitations of government.  Instead, the U.S. has a lot of ignorant, and complacent people who do not possess the intellectual curiosity to question what they hear from the media, and from elected officials.  Ignorance has become a very serious threat to liberty.  If you don’t know what the rules are, how can you make sure that the people in government are actually following them?

The Bill of Rights was not part of the original text of the Constitution, yet these first ten amendments are arguably the most important part of the Constitution.  These amendments focus upon the rights of the individual, and they dictate what government is not allowed to do to the people.  President Obama views the Bill of Rights as a “charter of negative liberties”, and he laments that the Constitution does not empower government enough.  Unfortunately, our current president doesn’t understand that individuals are better qualified than government bureaucrats to care for themselves.  Instead, he wishes to create massive bureaucracies that will run every aspect of our lives.  President Reagan once asked, “If no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?”.  Reagan sought to reduce government involvement in our daily lives.

Our nation seems to be developing into a nation of sheep who willingly give up liberty in exchange for some kind of “benefit”.  Let’s examine the recent healthcare bill for a moment.  Although most Americans opposed its passage, there are still millions of people throughout the nation who welcomed it.  These people are willing to live with the restrictions on their freedom to make life choices in return for “free” healthcare.  Why?  What changes have occurred in American culture that make so many people willing to give up their rights to make decisions about their own lives?  These same people help contribute to the election of people like Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.  Obama, Pelosi, and Reid have tapped into the desire for “free” government services to build their power base, and slowly chip away at the Constitution.  The Constitution was meant to curb government power, yet the ignorance of the electorate has allowed power hungry politicians to flourish.  These politicians talk about “economic” justice, and returning the nation’s wealth to the “rightful owners”.  While these words can sound good to those of us who have been disadvantaged, they nonetheless hide the real agenda.  That agenda is to take control of the private sector, and redistribute wealth, and essentially make government the sole provider of all essential goods, and services.  The Constitution prohibits this type of government control, yet it has been ignored by a large amount of the electorate, and by the power hungry politicians elected by them.

In a capitalist, free market society, there will always be winners, and losers.  Risk takers will sometimes fail, while others will build multi-million dollar companies.  For the past 70 years or so, there has been a growing movement in the U.S. that has vilified the accumulation of wealth.  Wealth has been made into an evil thing.  For someone to have wealth, they must have taken it from others.  While our history has a lot of examples of exploitation of workers, we have not seen this type of abuse in over 100 years.  Strong regulations, labor unions, and a general change in business culture have all contributed to improved working conditions, and higher salaries.  If someone has more wealth than you, it’s more likely that they earned it, rather than having obtained it from exploiting other people.  In the end, our lives are a product of the choices that we have made, and our unique abilities.  The only role that government should play in our economy is to ensure fairness, then step out of the way, and let the people pursue their own business interests according to their own wants, and needs.  Excessive taxation, regulation, and massive bureaucracies hinder economic growth, and destroy freedom.  The founders of this nation never intended for the federal government to extend itself into our daily lives.  Thomas Jefferson once stated that “A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits in industry and development, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread that it has earned.  This is the sum of good government.”

The U.S. Constitution is very succinct in its definition of the powers, and limitations of the federal government.  The limitations of the federal government are best defined by the 10 Amendment.  Basically, the 10th Amendment states that if a power is not specifically given to the federal government, that power then belongs to the states, or to the people.  Most of what President Obama, and Congress are currently trying to enact into law, as well as the recently passed healthcare legislation, are all violations of the 10th Amendment.  If the states don’t do anything to combat this usurpation of power, and violations of individual liberty, how can the people expect their government stay within its constitutionally mandated limits?  It’s up to all of us as individuals to learn about the Constitution, as well as the history of the United States, and the world.  Only then will we understand that life as free individuals is preferable to tyranny, even if tyranny hides itself in soaring rhetoric, and shouts of “yes we can!”.  Remember that Hitler gave great speeches too.

Here is my prescription for reining in government, and forcing it back into the boundaries set by the Constitution:

First, we need a constitutional amendment that creates term limits for members of the House, and the Senate.  No member of Congress should serve for longer than 12 years.  By imposing term limits, we help to reduce the influence of special interests, and we squash the ambitions of career politicians who run for office not to serve the people, but instead, to serve their own interests.  If we had term limits, there would be no way for people like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Ted Kennedy to stay in office for their entire adult lives. The founders never intended for someone to live their entire career as a member of Congress.  Even before a limit was imposed upon the presidency, George Washington established the custom that a president should only serve no more than two consecutive terms.  Franklin Roosevelt broke that tradition when he ran for president 4 times.

Second, the people of the United States need to read the Constitution, and understand what it means, and why it was written.  Most people that I talk to have never read past the first few portions of the Constitution.  These are the people who argue against strictly following the Constitution because it would mean the return of slavery.  They’re making reference to Article I of the Constitution recognizing slavery, and even apportioning representation based upon how many slaves were in a state.  Had these people read further, and actually gotten to the 13th Amendment, they would have known that slavery was outlawed by constitutional amendment after the Civil War.  Therefore, the provision in Article I recognizing slavery was rendered null and void.  History is full of tyrants.  If we educate ourselves, we learn to recognize tyranny, and stamp it out.  The Constitution can work only if we educate ourselves, and demand that our government officials follow it.

Last, we need to embark on a quest to bring America back to its culture of self reliance, and rugged individualism.  Today, many Americans feel entitled to things that generations of Americans before them had to work to achieve.  Healthcare is a privilege that we should pay for, not receive for free.  A home is something that we should have only if we can afford to pay for it, instead of relying on government subsidized lenders.  If you can’t afford health insurance, or to buy a home, you should find a way to work harder, and earn more income.  That’s what someone would have done 100 years ago.  Why is this not an obvious answer today?  What’s next?  Will we demand cars?  Personal electronics?  Who pays for these things?  Nothing is truly free.  Someone who works hard, and pays taxes will always be hit with the bill for all of the great “free” things other people want their government to provide.

Coming soon…  I will address some very specific, key issues that our country faces such as racism, the economy, same-sex marriage, and national security.

Constitution of the United States

Declaration of Independence

*UPDATE: Upon further examination of my blog stats, I found reference to an Apple IP address.  It’s true.  Apple is indeed testing Mac OS X 10.7.  Hopefully, Apple will announce details of the new OS soon!

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A few days ago, I was checking the stats of my blog using a plugin called StatPress.  To my surprise, I found that one of the visitors of my blog was using Mac OS X 10.7, which has so far been unannounced by Apple.  Could someone at Apple be testing the next version of Mac OS X?  On further examination, I could not locate any reference to Apple’s IP address range (17.x.x.x) anywhere else in the web stats.  Therefore, the mysterious user of 10.7 must have been someone outside of Apple’s corporate network.

I was disappointed that we did not hear anything from Apple at the World Wide Developers Conference in June regarding the newest version of Mac OS X, which is obviously in development right now.  Hopefully, Apple will announce something soon.  One of the fun things about being a Mac user is that we always have the pleasure of looking forward to something new.

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]]> http://www.howiesweb.com/wp/2010/08/08/apple-testing-mac-os-x-10-7/feed/ 0 http://www.howiesweb.com/wp/2010/07/19/switch-to-mac/ http://www.howiesweb.com/wp/2010/07/19/switch-to-mac/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:06:54 +0000 Howie http://www.howiesweb.com/wp/?p=676

So you’ve decided to switch your business to Macs, and you’re wondering how to move over all of your data from Windows, and get everything else setup?  In this article, I will discuss some of the process, and show you that switching to the Mac isn’t as hard as you think.

Email, Contacts, and Calendars

These days, businesses can’t function without staying in touch with their customers, and keeping all of their employees on schedule, and organized.  Microsoft Outlook has served businesses very well, but there is no version yet available for the Mac.  Outlook holds email, contacts, and calendar data inside of one file, the PST file.  While you can move the PST file to the Mac, the Mac cannot read, or import the file.  Therefore, we must convert the data inside the PST into a form that is readable by the Mac.  There are many methods to make this conversion.  You need some type of conversion software to make your Outlook data compatible with the Mac.  Some of my favorites are Outlook To Mac, and two apps made by Mozilla — Thunderbird, and Sunbird.

Outlook To Mac (O2M) was created by a company called Little Machines.  O2M exports your email into mBox format, which is an open format.  Since the Mac also uses mBox to store email messages, your converted email can easily be imported onto your new Mac.  mBox is also used by many other mail clients such as Thunderbird, and Eudora.  O2M will convert your contacts to vCard, which can then be imported into Address Book on the Mac.  Calendars are exported by O2M into iCalendar, another open format.  The new iCalendar files can then be imported into iCal on the Mac.  If you choose instead to use Microsoft Entourage for email, contacts, and calendars, Entourage can also import your converted data.  Outlook To Mac costs only $10, but if you want a free option, there’s Mozilla Thunderbird.

Like Mail.app on the Mac, Thunderbird uses a variant of mBox to store email.  After you have installed Thunderbird onto your PC, you can then import your email and contacts into Thunderbird.  Once the import is complete, you will be able to export your contacts into LDIF.  Your emails are stored inside of the current user’s local application data in Windows.  Once you’ve moved the converted email to your Mac, all you have to do is import it into your email client of choice.  Address Book, on the Mac is able to import the contacts stored in the LDIF file created by Thunderbird.  Since Thunderbird does not handle calendars, you’ll need to import your Outlook calendars into Sunbird.  Once you’ve completed the calendar import into Sunbird, you can then export the calendar data into iCalendar format.

They key is to free all of your information from Outlook.  This process seems complicated, but it’s really not.

Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF, Music, Pictures

All of your files created in Microsoft Office, pictures, music, PDFs will just work.  Microsoft makes a great version of Office for the Mac.  It includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Entourage.  If you’ve decided to abandon Microsoft altogether, Apple’s iWork suite of applications can open files created by Microsoft Office.  In addition, there are several office suites such as Neo Office, and Open Office, which will allow you to open, and create Word, and Excel documents.

Mac OS X already includes an application called Preview, which will open, and combine PDF documents, and even allow you to notate them.  Any document that can be printed can be exported to PDF on the Mac.  PDF exporting has been built into Mac OS X since day one.  There’s no need to purchase additional software to export documents to PDF, or to combine PDF files.

Since late 2003, Windows users have enjoyed using iTunes on their PCs.  If you’ve been using iTunes on your PC, moving your music to the Mac is simple.  All of the pictures on your PC can be easily imported into iPhoto on the Mac.  Both iTunes, and iPhoto are included on every Mac at no additional charge.

Setting up your all Mac office

Gone are the days when Windows ruled the business world.  Macs can serve all of your computing needs from basic office tasks to serving up files, websites, and email.  Accounting applications for the Mac have greatly improved over the last few years.  Intuit’s Quickbooks, and Quicken have finally achieved feature parity with the Windows versions.  There are even several point of sale applications available for the Mac.  The medical industry has several EMR (electronic medical records) options for the Mac.  MacPractice works really well for most types of medical practices.  Two months ago, I helped move an orthodontics practice from Windows to the Mac.  Their choice of EMR software was Tops Ortho.  Tops doesn’t require Mac OS X Server, which will save time, and money during setup, and the support team at Tops is awesome.  Law offices have been making the switch to Mac.  Recently, my colleagues from Kinetic Technology Group and I migrated two law firms to Mac.

Mac OS X Server includes a built in email server in addition to calendar server.  For a lot of small offices, Mac OS X Server’s built in messaging technologies work really well.  For businesses who need a messaging solution with more features, I recommend Kerio Connect from Kerio Technologies.  Like Exchange, Kerio Connect includes a robust email server, calendar server, and contacts server.  Kerio Connect is a great cross platform messaging solution.  It works seamlessly with Macs, Windows PCs, iPhone, and several other mobile devices.  Your email, calendars, and contacts stay synched between all of your devices, and computers.  Kerio Connect provides easy administration, and it is compatible with most smartphone platforms such as iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile.  If your business continues to run Windows servers, Kerio Connect will integrate easily into Active Directory, so that all of your user accounts are available in Kerio.  If you need to migrate Exchange accounts to Kerio Connect, Kerio provides an Exchange migration tool which will transfer all of your user accounts, their email, contacts, and calendars directly into Kerio Connect.  Kerio Connect runs on Mac OS X Server, and Windows Server.  If your business intends to keep its Exchange server, your new Macs will be able to work with Exchange.

If you plan on keeping some Windows PCs, or servers, have no fear.  Macs, and Windows PCs get along quite well on the same network.  Macs can use file, print, email, and web services hosted by Windows servers, and Windows PCs can do the same with Mac servers.

While the transition from Windows to the Mac isn’t as difficult as you might have believed, there are thousands of Apple Consultants around the U.S. who can assist you.  Apple Consultants are independent contractors who are Apple certified.  Their skills range from setting up home, or small office networks to enterprise level deployments.  They’re fanatical about Apple technology, and they will always try to find the best solutions for their customers.  If you have questions about moving to the Mac, feel free to contact me.

[Update] 7/17/2010

Last night, I watched Apple’s press conference.  Since I never actually had a problem with my iPhone 4, I’m very happy with Apple’s response to “antennagate”.  Even if I did have a problem, I would still appreciate their actions.  I’ve been reading several blogs this afternoon, and my point still stands…  It doesn’t matter what Apple does, or says.  People will still complain.  The bloggers who have jumped all over this non-issue should be ashamed of themselves, especially the Apple related blogs.  Apple is bread and butter for a lot of people such as myself, and for a lot of professional bloggers.  I’ve been an Apple customer for over 20 years, and I know of no other tech company who treats its customers better than Apple.  While Apple does make mistakes, and they sometimes take a long time to admit those mistakes, they always make things right.  I think it’s time for these hack bloggers to shut the hell up, and move on!  Get your advertising revenue by attacking a company that deserves it.

I’ve been using my new iPhone 4 for almost two weeks.  For the first week, I used my iPhone without any kind of case.  It wasn’t until this past Thursday morning that I was able to purchase an iPhone Bumper so that I could use my iPhone without the constant fear of it slipping out of my hand.  I have experienced far less dropped calls than with the previous iPhone.  Unfortunately for AT&T customers in Dallas/Fort Worth, there are several areas of poor coverage all over the city.  I have identified at least three specific locations where I have experienced consistent dropped calls almost on a daily basis.  For almost four years, I have called into AT&T to report these locations in the hope that these issues would someday be fixed.  Since upgrading to iPhone 4, my dropped calls in these problem areas have been reduced.  In one of the locations, the dropped calls have stopped altogether.

Although I believe that Apple should have taken more time to respond, they have responded to reports of poor reception by claiming that this is mainly a software issue with the way that the new iPhone displays signal strength.  They have promised a fix that will be issued soon.  Within hours of Apple’s latest statement, the blogosphere was full of more complaints from users who allege that they have experienced a lot of reception issues with the new iPhone.  After reading some of them, I was forced to conclude that it doesn’t matter what Apple says.  People will still find a way to complain.  After working for Apple for over four and a half years, and using Apple products for over twenty years, I have concluded that Apple will never be able to completely satisfy their critics.  If Apple announced today that they would begin to bundle a bumper with each iPhone, there would still be complaints.  Apple could issue store credits to customers who bought the new iPhone, but the complaints would continue.  It’s a no-win situation.

No Apple product that I have ever owned has been 100% perfect.  My last MacBook Pro was plagued with several hardware issues.  Last year, Apple replaced it.  I didn’t have to complain on my blog.  I didn’t post my complaints on any Apple related websites.  I didn’t try to sue Apple.  I simply called AppleCare, and voiced my dissatisfaction with the quality of my laptop.  When I requested a replacement, my complaint was forwarded to Apple’s customer relations department who agreed to replace my computer.  The whole process took about 3 days.  Apple takes care of its customers when they have problems.  Whining and complaining on every website on the Internet only makes the problem worse.  I know eight people (including myself) who have an iPhone 4.  None of us have had significant reception issues with our new iPhones.  In fact, we’ve all had BETTER reception just as Apple promised.

I’ll admit that I’m an Apple fanboy.  I started using Macs in 1986.  Though, I’m a very experienced Windows user, I have always found that the Mac has suited me best for everything that I need to do.  Apple produces a superior product, and therefore, they deserve the adoration of their customers.  While some of the Mac geeks that I know take things a bit far, I really can’t criticize them too much since I’m drinking coffee right now from an Apple logo coffee cup  While working for Apple, I noted that no matter what we introduced, there were always customers who would complain.  You should have seen the carnage when Apple phased out FireWire in iPods!  One man told me that he would never buy an Intel Mac because they weren’t “real Macs”.  Oh well.  You just can’t convince some people.

I believe that all of this mock outrage over iPhone 4 will eventually subside.  I believe that most of this has been fomented by people who have a great deal of interest in seeing Apple fail.  Apple’s average customers seem to be overwhelmingly happy with their new iPhones.  That’s what really matters.  If Apple focuses on a few people who have had reception issues, and neglects the rest of us, it will be playing into the hands of the scare mongers who seem to be obsessed with hating all things Apple.  It’s a cut throat industry that Apple plays in.  Although Apple should actively defend itself against the lawsuits, and the uninformed hype, I think that they should focus on making their products better.  If the complainers have a real problem they should work with Apple to identify the problems, and be a part of the solution.  Whining and complaining on blogs and forums all over the Internet seems counterproductive.  I’m still not convinced there really are problems with the iPhone.  Nothing from my own experience of using the new iPhone every day has convinced me that there really is anything wrong with it.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have had two phone conversations with representatives from AT&T’s “Office of the President”, each in response to my constant complaining over AT&T’s new iPhone tethering charge.  The case that I have made from the beginning has been that AT&T is unjustified in charging an additional $20 for tethering on top of the $25 charge for 2GB of data.  Since we will be capped at 2GB of data, and charged an additional $10 for each additional GB, why does AT&T care about how much data we use, and how?  If I use all of my 2GB of data on my iPhone using Safari, or Mail, or any other app that uses the 3G network, it would be EXACTLY the same as using Safari, or Mail on my MacBook Pro.

AT&T claims that tethering my iPhone to my laptop will use more data.  This claim is ridiculous, and insults the intelligence of AT&T customers.  I was shocked when “Sophia” from the Office of the President made this claim.  It leaves me wondering if “Sophia” is an idiot, or if AT&T thinks its customers are idiots.  To be fair to Sophia, I’m going to go with the latter.

If I know that my data plan will be capped at 2GB, and since AT&T gives me the means on their website to track my usage, why would I use more data on my laptop through tethering than I would using 3G directly from my iPhone?  This logic was lost on “Sophia”.  She merely restated her faulty claim that I would use more data on my laptop via tethering than I would by using my iPhone directly.

Most of the time, I’m using a wifi network.  I would only need to tether my iPhone when I’m not within range of a wifi network.  Since 3G is nowhere near as fast as a broadband connection such as a T1, DSL, or cable connection, why would I use tethering as my default connectivity?  I have discussed this with several other AT&T customers who also use an iPhone, and who are also always on the go with their laptops.  All of them acknowledge that their 3G usage would be limited to only what they need, and would not be used for general internet connectivity.  Either way you look at this, why should AT&T care?  They’re going to charge an additional fee if we go over 2GB.

What this is REALLY about is AT&T’s desire for yet another revenue stream.  They know that we love to get the most out of our iPhones, and that we’re more likely than anyone else to use 3G data in large amounts.  The iPhone was the first phone I had that is actually capable of doing everything that was promised.  My last ‘smartphone’ was capable of sending email, and had limited web capability, but it was pretty much useless for those things, so I cancelled my data plan.  Then, the iPhone arrived.  I send, and receive several email messages from my phone on a daily basis.  I also have the ability to look up something on the internet whenever the mood strikes me.  Apple has created a great product only to have it be hobbled by AT&T’s greed.

AT&T’s stated reason for adding the extra $20 fee for tethering is bullshit!  If you agree, make sure to complain.  Email Randall Stephenson, the CEO of AT&T at:  rs2982@att.com.  Within a few business days, you’ll receive a call just like I did.  Make sure to tell the rep that you know that AT&T is just being greedy, and that you don’t accept their lame reason to charge for tethering.

When I got up this morning, I checked my email, and found this message from Apple:

Maybe I’m receiving my iPhone early because Apple wants to try to avoid the activation snarl that will ensue on Thursday?  What ever the reason, getting my iPhone a day early is greatly appreciated.  Last night, I updated my iPhone 3G to iOS 4.  I love the new folder feature, and the unified inbox.  I’m disappointed that I cannot have a customized home screen background.  According to an email sent by Steve Jobs to a Cult Of Mac reader, the customized home screen would cause performance issues.  Hmmmm…  Maybe, but I think I would have preferred having the choice to use that feature or not.  How does Steve explain the fact that jailbroken iPhones, and iPods have had this feature for quite sometime without any performance issues?  In the end, it’s not that important.  I’m just tired of the bland, black screen.

Although members of the mainstream media, and our current president aren’t fond of blogs, I love them.  Blogs are a great source of information, and relevant opinions that keep us all informed.  Some blogs are full of outright lies, and uninformed opinions. Despite that, they’re still very helpful. They represent free thinking in an era where free speech is increasingly under attack from the mainstream information sources who are seeking to silence all of us regular people who want to express our opinions.

For about three years, I have been a regular reader at Consumerist.com.  Although I frequently disagree with a lot of the stories there, I have found their articles to be very informative.  It’s interesting to read the comments, and get a feel for what people really think about the issues.  I have always tried to add my own thoughts, and opinions if I feel strongly about something.  Often, my comments run counter to the feelings of the other readers.  I feel that a blunt expression of my thoughts and ideas is always the best policy.

In order to be able to comment at Consumerist, anyone who registers must first go through a trial period during which someone at Consumerist reads over the comments submitted, and then decides on the worthiness of those comments to be allowed to be visible on the website.

Screenshot of comment approval message.

While this policy isn’t unique to Consumerist, I know of no other blog that makes readers go through an ‘interview’ process whereby they must wait to be made worthy of participating.  By instituting this policy, Consumerist is essentially dictating what views can be expressed on their website.  While it is entirely their right to control the content on their website, this policy of holding comments for moderation, and later, banning readers for supposed offenses runs counter to what we the readers would expect from a website like Consumerist.com.  If you read their ‘About Us‘ page, you’ll get the impression that Consumerist.com is a great place for consumers to be informed about scams, and bad corporate behavior.  You won’t get the impression that the moderators will censor your ideas, and ban you when you express opinions that they don’t like.

Over the years, I’ve been guilty of leaving some extremely blunt comments in various online forums, and blogs.  Have some of those comments been offensive?  Probably so.  Offense taken is yet another choice that we all make.  I’ve been offended by a lot of the comments that I’ve seen at Consumerist.  I’ve also been offended by some of their stories.  Most notably, I’ve been offended by their constant bashing of Walmart, and their implying that those of us who shop there are stupid, or bad people.  What’s so stupid, or bad about wanting to save money on every day needs?  I’m not fond of a lot of things that Walmart does, but when I’m short on cash, I’m not going to be too judgmental about where I buy my groceries, and household goods.  Let the editors of Consumerist shop where they want, and I’ll do the same.

This past week, while reading through some articles on Consumerist, I found that my account was rejecting my password.  I was a little suspicious since I NEVER forget my passwords.  Nonetheless, I followed the password reset procedure, and I was allowed to log back in.  After this, I found that I was no longer able to comment.

Screenshot of banned message.

There was absolutely no notification given by Consumerist that I had been banned.  In fact, Meg Marco at Consumerist replied to one of my emails, and said that she had checked into the situation, and that I had not been banned.  She said that she would try and find out what happened.  She never got back to me.  I later received an email from someone named Roz.  Roz told me that she remembered me from when I had been banned before (apparently, she keeps a file).  She told me to stop creating new accounts.

I have absolutely no idea what caused me to be banned this time around.  Apparently, Roz is someone who takes immense pleasure in locking out people who express opinions that she doesn’t like.  Roz, The Comment Nazi will ban you for no reason, and will refuse to state why.  Furthermore, her colleagues at Consumerist will feign ignorance when you try to get answers.  Either that, or they’re not aware that Roz runs her own private gestapo that bans people when she thinks that they’re no longer good enough to comment on articles.  Roz is so clever.  She knows that she banned me before, and she has discovered two of my new profiles, and banned those too.  She hasn’t discovered my newest one yet since I created the account using an email address that she could never trace back to me.  She’ll have to go through every profile on the site before she’ll catch me this time.  Why do I keep this up?  Well, if Consumerist is going to have a guard dog keeping watch over their precious website, then I may as well make her work harder.  Since she has been so unbending, and a total fascist,  it’s about time that someone turns the screws on her instead of the other way around. Just do a Google search for ‘Roz’, and Consumerist.  You’ll find a lot of complaints about her, and some very similar stories like the one I’m telling here.  The bottom line is that Consumerist.com is not a place for free thinking, nor is it a good place for readers to exchange ideas, and opinions.  It is a walled in community where Roz banishes those who don’t agree with her.  Hey Consumerist, do yourself a favor, and either fire Roz, or take away her moderator privileges.  She’s not worthy of the position.

]]> http://www.howiesweb.com/wp/2010/06/16/consumerist/feed/ 3 http://www.howiesweb.com/wp/2010/06/04/att-reps-monitor-twitter-for-complaints-dont-do-anything-to-help/ http://www.howiesweb.com/wp/2010/06/04/att-reps-monitor-twitter-for-complaints-dont-do-anything-to-help/#comments Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:37:16 +0000 Howie http://www.howiesweb.com/wp/?p=609

I’m sure that this isn’t surprising, but if you tweet enough about your displeasure with AT&T’s wireless service, you will inevitably be contacted by someone from AT&T.  I’ve been contacted by five AT&T employees, all responding to my repeated complaints about the quality of their network, or their latest act of evil — charging an extra $20 for iPhone tethering.  iPhone customers in the U.S. have been waiting almost a year to enjoy what iPhone users in other parts of the world have enjoyed almost from the initial release of iPhone 3.0.  The iPhone gives customers the ability to attach their iPhone to their Mac or PC, and use the iPhone’s 3G connection to access the internet without the need for a 3G card.  It’s a great feature, and I’ve waited anxiously for the day when I would be ALLOWED to use it.  The iPhone has had the ability to tether since the first day that iPhone 3.0 was released.  AT&T has stood in the way citing concerns about network capacity.  Hey AT&T, here’s a thought…  Why not beef up your network BEFORE you start selling the iPhone?  In case you’re not familiar with AT&T’s new iPhone data plans, AT&T announced this week that they are doing away with the unlimited data plan that iPhone users have enjoyed for nearly three years.  They’re replacing it with a $25/month plan that limits customers to only 2GB of data per month.  It’s true that most customers don’t come anywhere near 2GB per month (myself included), but where the evil begins is when AT&T insists on charging another $20 for the privilege of tethering.  Why should AT&T care how we use our 2GB of data per month?  Why charge another $20?  My bill is already over $100 month.  In addition, I also pay $150 per month for AT&T’s U-Verse service.  How much more of my money does AT&T need?

Tonight, I was contacted by @ATTJulia on Twitter.  She explained that the extra $20 charge for tethering is standard across the industry.  That may be true, but it does not excuse AT&T’s greed.  That’s what this is.  Normally, I’m a free market capitalist all the way.  I have no problem with being paying a fair price for quality services.  However, this extra $20 fee is nothing but naked greed.  Clothing that greed with a flimsy excuse that the extra charge is standard is not only lame, but it’s insulting that AT&T would believe that their customers would accept it.

The iPhone is a revolutionary product.  It’s the best smartphone on the market.  The sheer sales numbers over the past three years is proof of that.  What AT&T is doing is taking that wonderful product, and using it for their own greedy goals.  They have diminished the iPhone’s phenomenal user experience by shackling it to their sorry data plans, and their lousy network.  I call on every iPhone user in the U.S. to demand that AT&T treat us fairly, and stop trying to find more ways to syphon more and more money from us.  If you use Twitter, message AT&T, and voice your complaints:

@ATTCustomerCare @ATTJohnathon @ATTChrisL @ATTJulie

When you call customer care, complain.  Email AT&T’s executives and tell them you don’t like the data plan change.  Blog about your outrage.  Make your voice heard.  As it stands, I won’t be using the new tethering service.  I refuse to pay AT&T an additional $20 to be allowed to use a feature that my iPhone has had for almost a year.

When Google announced recently that they will begin phasing out Windows at their corporate offices, I was very happy.  This move represents something that a lot of people working in I.T. have known for years.  Devotion to using only one platform, Windows in particular, presents many security risks.  Mac OS X, and Linux are not immune to security issues; however, these two UNIX based platforms tend to offer better security, as well as better reliability, and stability.

Many business users will still argue that Windows offers more applications, specifically in accounting, than are offered for Mac and Linux.  They’re right, but this assumption is misleading.  Most business applications today have a Mac equivalent, or a version written for the Mac.  Microsoft Word, and Excel actually shipped on the Mac BEFORE they shipped for Windows.  Today, Microsoft Office 2008 is a great business software suite that provides Mac users with seamless compatibility with their Windows using couterparts.  There are also several application suites available for Linux that also provide compatibility with Microsoft Office documents.  Companies like Intuit, and other software vendors who make accounting software have largely marginalized Mac and Linux users.  That’s starting to change.  The latest versions of Quickbooks for the Mac have been vastly improved.  Intuit has also started offering an online version of their Quickbooks software, which allows any user with a supported web browser to access their company’s Quickbooks data.  This means that Windows is no longer mandatory for accounting.  Still, a lot of businesses who wish to move their computing to the Mac may still be hesitant.  Why not keep the Windows PCs for accounting, and other specialized tasks, and go Mac, or Linux for everyone else?  Also, keep in mind that, since 2006, Macs have been able to run Windows side by side with Mac OS X using either Parallels Desktop, or VMware Fusion. I’ve used both of these products.  They’re both great solutions for Mac users who want to run Windows applications while still enjoying all of the features and benefits of the Mac.

For the rest of this post, I will focus on the Mac, since that is my primary area of expertise.  However, a lot of the points that I will make are just as valid when applied to Linux.

One of the many things that I hear from I.T. people that I deal with is that “Macs can’t do that”.  I hear this when I’m trying to help a company integrate Macs into their network.  About 99% of the time, these I.T. guys are wrong.  About a year ago, I helped integrate ten MacBook Pros into an all Windows environment for a large company in Dallas.  The I.T. guys insisted that Exchange would not work on the Macs.  I showed that this assumption was wrong.  They simply needed to join the Macs onto Active Directory, then configure the necessary LDAP settings in Microsoft Entourage.  The problem was that no one on the I.T. staff knew how to do these things, so they assumed that the Mac was incapable of working with Exchange.  Now that Snow Leopard is out, the Mac has native Exchange compatibility.  Using Apple’s Mail app, iCal, and Address Book app, Macs don’t need any extra help.  If users prefer to use Microsoft Entourage instead (part of Microsoft Office for the Mac), I.T. simply needs add the necessary LDAP, and authentication settings.  Last Summer, I helped another large company integrate two Apple Xserves into their mostly Windows environment.  The two Xserves were able to replicate all of the company’s Active Directory users and groups, which allowed the server admins to provide Mac users with even better file services for their specialized needs.

You need a Mac server for Mac PCs right?  Nope.  Macs work great with Windows servers, and vice versa.  Macs can easily connect to shares hosted by Windows Server.  In the past, administrators needed to activate ‘Services for Macintosh’ on their Windows servers.  That is no longer required, and hasn’t been for many years.  When a Mac is joined to a Windows server via Active Directory, the users’ home folders can be hosted on the Windows server, and passwords and other security policies can be enforced.  This should make administrators very happy.  Mac OS X Server is a great platform for hosting all files, and services needed by businesses, including email, and web services.  In addition, Mac OS X Server uses the same industry standard LDAP services (Open Directory) that Windows uses.  Mac OS X Server includes great email, calendar, and contacts services, but I usually recommend Kerio Connect since it offers better cross platform support, and it offers the same groupware features as Exchange, and for a much lower cost.  Kerio Connect also offers much better iPhone support than Mac OS X Server’s own email, calendar, and contacts services.

Integrating Macs into a mostly Windows environment doesn’t require a lot of pain, or sacrifice, but it does require thinking differently.  The Mac is still a victim of a lot of old I.T. myths.  Talking to an Apple Consultant is a great way to start your quest of bringing Macs into your organization.  Like myself, many Apple Consultants are former I.T. guys.  I’ve worked with Windows PCs for several years, and I’ve helped a lot of businesses integrate Windows and Macs into their workflow.  When needed, Apple Consultants will partner with other technology professionals to provide customers with the best solutions.  I’ve worked with Windows techs, Cisco engineers, and various data service providers. The key is to provide the customer with a solution that achieves their goals, and meets their needs.

If you’re located in or near Dallas/Fort Worth, Kinetic Technology Group can help you get started.

Cult of Mac reports that several Mac Geniuses have filed suit over the lack of breaks while working their shifts.  I wanted to weigh in on this since I was once a Mac Genius at the Apple Store at Willow Bend.

I worked really hard at the Apple Store, often working through lunch, much to the annoyance of the managers.  I never complained about this since no one made me do it.  As for breaks, I almost never needed them.  I enjoyed working at the Genius Bar when it was busy.  For me, the “chaos” was the most fun part of my job.  I loved standing there fixing problems, and making people happy.  On the days when I worked in the “genius room” doing repairs, I would try to get as much done as possible, which often made me work through my lunch break.  I never minded doing this since it was my choice to do so.  Every once in a while, I would get my hands on a particularly difficult repair case in which the solution was very hard to find.  I’ve always been a bit of an obsessive compulsive, so It’s difficult for me to put something down, and walk away.  I pursue the solution relentlessly until the problem is fixed.  I wasn’t alone in these characteristics.  Other Mac Geniuses that I worked with often worked through lunch, and never took breaks.  Again, no one MADE me do this.  Therefore, I think that the Mac Geniuses who filed this suit need to drop it.  Apple is a great company to work for, and they have taken great care in protecting their people.  Any of these Geniuses could have complained to management.  If they didn’t get satisfaction, they could have talked to their HR rep.  Every region has at least one HR rep serving the stores.

Being a Mac Genius is hard work.  It takes intelligence (a rare trait these days), and dedication.  My only problem with the job was that I don’t believe that Apple pays the Mac Geniuses enough.  These guys (and gals) put up with a lot of crap from customers, and from management.  Although the managers often look like the heroes when something goes wrong, it’s the Mac Genius who made everything right for the customer.  The Mac Genius is the ultimate customer service specialist.  He repairs software, and hardware problems, answers a lot of questions, and goes up to bat for the customer when managers turn a blind eye, and simply worry about the bottom line.

At Willow Bend, the Mac Geniuses looked out for each other, and didn’t need management to “give” us breaks.  If I needed to step away from the Genius Bar for a while, one of the other guys would come out front and fill in.  I did the same on many occasions.  The less we had to deal with the managers, the better.  I think that it’s disgraceful for this group of “geniuses” to sue Apple over something so petty.  To my knowledge, Apple doesn’t force its retail employees to work through lunch, or deprive them of breaks.  This is utter nonsense.  How about these “geniuses” simply grow a pair, or just move on to an easier job where they can have all the breaks that they want?  Why are there so many pansies in the workforce today?  It’s really sad.

Apple Geniuses File Class Action Suit over Breaks | Cult of Mac.