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The LangaList
9-Mar-00
A Free Email Newsletter from Fred
Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware,
Software, and Time Online
1) It's A, Er, Moving Experience
Art imitates life (and sometimes vice versa); and cyberspace imitates the real world: Online or in real life, a move is a major pain in the posterior.
My wife and I have moved our family 11 times over the years--- as much as some military families (although we're humble civilians). Each time, no matter how well-planned and professionally executed the move actually is, some things get lost or broken, mail gets misrouted, and for a while everything feels one short step away from chaos.
Well, moving a web site isn't that much different. 8-)
The DNS (domain name servers) are partway through processing the Langa.Com changes as I type this; my mail is being routed through one site, but the web pages are coming from another. Half my mail filters aren't working and my email autoresponders are squarely in limbo: I'm actually rerouting the 800+ emails I get each day to my backup MSN and Hotmail accounts to try to keep up. It's a mess. Sigh.
But it's *almost* done, and you can see the new site design---cleaner, clearer, a more legible typeface, and an easier-to-navigate structure--- at http://www.langa.com (this will soon be registered as the all-new "www.langa.com").
With luck, the dust will settle very soon. Meanwhile, I apologize for any inconvenience, or any seeming nonresponsiveness to email. It'll all get sorted out soon!
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Here's a question that's been
bugging me for a while: Why do so few complain when AOL, Sun and others employ
exactly the same bad behavior for which Microsoft was justifiably nailed? Let me explain: AOL is the
world's largest ISP, the world's largest online service provider, and totally
dominates the Instant Messaging space. With its melding with Time-Warner, it's
now also the world's largest content provider. AOL has often played the
"open standards" and "fair competition" card when it wanted
something from a competitor--- cable access, browser unbundling, or whatnot.
It's pled its case about openness and a "level playing field" to
congress, to the Department of Justice, and to the public. But AOL's actions
often have been exactly the opposite of its public posturing. For example, instant messaging is
becoming increasingly important. But after gobbling up some innovative startups
in the instant-messaging arena, AOL locked down its IM services and jiggered its
code deliberately to prevent interoperability with other, competing IM systems.
First, AOL blocked Microsoft's MSN Messenger; then just last week, it blocked
iCast's iCaster (which contains the popular Tribal Voice instant-messaging
component). It appears that AOL will block interoperability with *any*
competitor. One could, in fact, say that AOL
has a de facto monopoly in instant messaging; and it's doing all it can to
retain that monopoly through proprietary technology, to the detriment of its
customers (who cannot communicate with non-AOL systems) and to its competitors. Microsoft was justifiably
pilloried in the courts and in public opinion for many of these same kinds of
actions. Why, then, have so many turned a blind eye to the actions of AOL (and
others---including Netscape and Sun)? Isn't it gross hypocrisy to call for
Microsoft's destruction because the software giant tried to unfairly lock up the
browser market, but not to make a sound when (say) AOL, the overwhelming media
giant, tries to lock up Instant Messaging? I'm not defending Microsoft; I
*am* however, wondering about double standards. Where's the outrage? I give additional information
(such as some detail on Sun's and Netscape's unsavory actions of late) in my
current InformationWeek Online column, online now at http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter
. Please check it out, and then tell me: What's your take? Is the unequal
treatment of the various cases in fact due to hypocrisy, or is some other factor
at play? Does the notion of fair play and equal justice apply here, or am I off
the mark? Join the discussion! http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter Click to
email this item to a friend In recent issues, we discussed
the intent of DoubleClick---the banner-ad giant---to circumvent the privacy
safeguards built into "Cookies" by buying databases that contain
detailed purchase and registration information, and matching the anonymous
Cookie information with the information from the databases. The result would
have been DoubleClick's knowing more about your web habits and practices than
anyone else. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/feb-21-00.htm#2
and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/feb-28-00.htm#8
) This sort of cross-matching
between databases goes on all the time with paper mail. That's why when you buy
any product by mail, you soon get 900 catalogs from other companies selling
similar products: The first company (where you made your initial purchase) sold
your name and buying preferences to the other companies, who now target you as a
live prospect. That's bad enough. But at least
there are some built-in brakes with paper mail: For example, it costs a
nontrivial amount of money to produce, print, and mail a catalog. This tends to
filter out the small fry and fly-by-night companies--- leaving the larger, but
somewhat more reputable ones to inundate you with catalogs and flyers. But online, any flimflam artist
with $50 can open a web site; for a few hundred bucks, he can set up a complete
online store; and can blast out literally millions of spammails practically for
free. The online barriers to large-scale unsavory business practices are much,
much lower than in the real world. Plus, the web is different from
real life in that Doubleclick (and similar companies) can theoretically track
where you go online: You don't even have to make a purchase to get inside their
databases. But after a firestorm of protest,
and after who-knows how many people chose to "opt-out" of
DoubleClick's tracking, they backed down and announced they would NOT attempt to
link databases--- at least for now. If you were one of the many who
Opted Out or otherwise voiced your displeasure at DoubleClick's action---
congratulations and thanks! Your actions helped make the web a little safer for
us all. Click to
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This wasn't a security/privacy
issue, but one of simple usability. In January (see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/jan-31-00.htm#3),
we talked about Deja News: It started life as a web-based front-end to
"UseNet" newsgroups, which once were the #1 way to share information
online in just about every area of human interest. There are now well over
30,000 newsgroups online ranging from user-to-user tech help groups to
hobby-oriented groups to professional interest groups to groups exploring the
furthest and ,um, least savory fringes of the human experience. Deja News'
greatest strength was that it allowed you easily to search and sort vast
archives of old newsgroup postings. But so many websites now offer
easy ways to share user-to-user info. The majority of people online have never
looked at any newsgroup, ever. So Deja News changed its name to "Deja.Com"
and become a regular web site aimed mainly at letting users share experiences
with commercial products: The idea is that before buying something, you'd
go to Deja.Com and see what others say about the product you were thinking of
buying. The once-central Usenet search
was relegated to a hard-to-find corner of the site; a shame. But last week, I got this in the
mail: Subject: Important Changes from
Deja.com We've created a separate
site for our Usenet service, where newsgroups are now organized by the
traditional Usenet hierarchy, and discussion pages are now cleaner and faster.
To go directly to the Deja.com Discussions service, visit http://www.deja.com/usenet/. Looks like I wasn't the only one
unhappy with Deja's previous downplaying of newsgroups. Now, it's much, much
better: Next time you need to find an obscure bit of info, try it out! Click to
email this item to a friend The business about Aureate's
secret "spyware" is too long to recap here: If none of this sounds
familiar, then before you go on, please check out http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/mar-2-00.htm#4
and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/mar-6-00.htm#3
. Many readers who did NOT find the
spyware on their system still wanted to use the clever "fake DLL"
trick discussed in the last issue to inoculate themselves against possible
future secret installation of the file (see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/mar-6-00.htm#3):
If this includes you, then place the fake DLL in the windows\system directory. Some users of the *commercial*
version of several of the suspect applications (that install the Aureate DLLs)
learned that the for-pay versions (e.g. the $30 version of GoZilla) do NOT use
the Aureate spyware. It seems the Aureate software is only used on the free,
ad-supported versions. Aureate maintains that their
software is really just an ad-tracking app, and I believe that is indeed the
primary purpose. But it also *can* be used to collect demographic data, and
while this is supposed to be an overt thing done with the users' full knowledge
and consent, the potential for abuse is too large for me. As I've stated
previously, even if Aureate's heart is pure, the risks are more than I want to
bear---so no Aureate apps for me. You'll have to weigh the pros and
cons, and decide for yourself. Click to
email this item to a friend If you think the
LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the
LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful
information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win $10,000 for
your trouble (full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1 Or, win a copy of
"Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins,
Discussion Groups and Other Powerful Communications Tools." This book has
been described as "An excellent, straightforward manual on email
publishing, banner ads, driving traffic and especially ethics." (Full
details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 Either way, thank
you, and good luck! Click to
email this item to a friend Man, you folks are amazing! In
recent weeks, we've discussed the new reader-created Langa.Com "FavIcon"
and how to create on for your own web pages. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/mar-2-00.htm#6
and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/mar-6-00.htm#6
) Now, reader Jevon Wright writes: While reading your great
newsletter, I remembered something that I saw recently in a computing magazine
(real life one) a few months ago. All you need to do to insert an icon into a
page (aka Favicon) is you need to add this code between the Head tags of your
web page: <LINK REL="SHORTCUT
ICON" HREF="http://www.langa.com/favicon.ico"> ... where you change the
http://www.langa.com/favicon.ico part into your icon location. Now your web page
has an icon! You can use software like Microangelo ( http://www.impactsoft.com
) to create icons. Apparently there is an MSDN page about this feature, its at http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/howto/ShortcutIcon.asp Enjoy!--- Jevon Wright And reader Gary
Hollingsworth offers a related tip: Fred: You can also
change the default icon on the IE 4.0 and later lists just like your desktop and
application icons. Right click the link from the drop down, select properties
and then click the Change Icon button. Yes, you are limited to those icons
stuffed inside various files - but it's better than the default. I use a few
common icons to help visually organize the sites by types; financial=dollar
sign, etc. Thanks, Jevon and Gary! Click to
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Reader Lysa McCarroll wtote: Dear Fred, Reviewing this week’s
web report for togetherworks.net our initial reaction was "what the _Heck_
is going on? Can this be right -- Singapore, Qatar, the Russian Federation --
just to name a few of the countries -- and then we saw it: top referring urls: http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/feb-28-00.htm WOW! Thanks! And
thanks for putting out a terrific, highly informative newsletter. What Lysa did was "Load the
Code," and you can too: Do you have a home page or website? (It doesn't
matter what size.) Please click on over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm,
and maybe your page can be featured here too! Meanwhile, if you'd like to see
what your fellow readers are up to, here's a VERY eclectic selection of reader
sites--- some slick and professional, some very personal--- from among the many,
many readers who have taken me up on my "Load the Code" offer. Click to
email this item to a friend Reader Bruce Starling sends this
along: Computer Problem Report
Form 1. Describe your problem
: Click to
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See you next issue! Best, (Please recommend
the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!) An easier-to read formatted HTML version is
available in the "what's new" section of http://www.langa.com.
(The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [GMT-5] of the
issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available via the same link. Why are you getting this newsletter? There are
only two ways to get on the list (direct email request or via the WinMag mail
list signup page) so if you're getting this newsletter; your name came to me
through one of those channels. SUBSCRIBE (it's free!): Send email to subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net About
the advertisers: Langa Consulting LLC will never knowingly accept
advertising for a fraudulent product, company or service. However, Langa Consulting LLC makes no implied or explicit warranty, recommendation or endorsement
of or for the products, companies or services mentioned in the ads. Disclaimer:
The tips and other information given in the newsletter are researched and are
believed to be accurate, but we cannot and do not guarantee that all the
information here will work on all systems, for all users, all the time. All
information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind. Neither
Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any
loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from application of
any information presented here. This newsletter is a free service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2000 Langa Consulting LLC. All rights reserved.2)
Where's the Outrage?
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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DoubleClick Cleans Up Its Act
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page4)
...and Deja.Com Cleans Up *Its* Act
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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But The Aureate Mess Lingers On
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Don’t Make Me Beg! 8-)
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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More FavIcon Info
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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It Pays To "Load The Code!"
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
return to top of page9) Just For
Grins
2. Now, describe the problem accurately :
3. Speculate wildly about the cause of the problem :
4. Problem Severity:
A. Minor __
B. Minor __
C. Minor __
D. Trivial __
5. Nature of the problem:
A.
Locked Up __
B.
Frozen __
C. Hung
__
D.
Strange Smell __
6. Is your computer plugged in? Yes __ No __
7. Is it turned on? Yes __ No __
8. Have you tried to fix it yourself? Yes __ No __
9. Have you made it worse? Yes __
10. Have you had a friend who knows all about computers try to fix it
for you?
Yes __ No __
11. Did they make it even worse? Yes __
12. Have you read the manual? Yes __ No __
13. Are you sure you've read the manual? Maybe __ No __
14. Are you
absolutely certain you've read the manual? No __
15. If you read the manual, do you think you understood it? Yes
__ No__
16. If Yes, then explain why you can't fix the problem yourself.
17. What were you doing with your computer at the time the problem occurred?
l8. If you answered "nothing," then explain why you were logged in?
l9. Are you sure you aren't imagining the problem? Yes __ No __
20. Does the clock on your home VCR blink 12:00?
Yes
__
What's
a VCR? __
21. Do you have a copy of "PCs for Dummies?" Yes __ No __
22. Do you have any independent witnesses to the problem? Yes __ No __
23. Do you have any electronics products that DO work? Yes__ No__
24. Is there anyone else you could blame this problem on? Yes
__ No __
25. Have you given the machine a good whack on the top? Yes
__ No __
26. Is the machine on fire? Yes __ Not Yet __
27. Can you do something else instead of bothering me? Yes __
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Fred
(fred@langa.com)
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