Friday, September 23, 2011
A Day in the Life of a Nobody: FACEBOOK........UGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
A Day in the Life of a Nobody: FACEBOOK........UGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!: Among some of the things I learned teaching business courses at two universities for the past fifteen years, is that nine out of ten custome...
FACEBOOK........UGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Among some of the things I learned teaching business courses at two universities for the past fifteen years, is that nine out of ten customers will not complain about your product or service. If they are unhappy, they will simply go somewhere else. Another and more important thing in business is that humans are very resistant to change, and if they do not like a product or service, they also will go somewhere else.
Yes, there are many progressive people who embrace change, but they do not represent the mainstream, who only embrace change when there is a reason to do so. People are creatures of habit. They like for things to stay the same. They resist efforts that force them to exert energy to try new things, and to do things differently than the way they are use to. So with that in mind, FACEBOOK now has an obligation to listen to their users/customers.
However interesting it is that users of a service, (that is provided free of charge, and can only be obtained by subscribing to it) would think that they have any rights to voice opinions to the provider of the service. How dare they object to changes in how the page should look; what the features should be; or when it is available to them. The nerve of them!
But lets face the real facts. Users of FACEBOOK are really customers. Customers who are expected to look at and read the commercials that FACEBOOK puts in front of them, as they use the FACEBOOK social network which is provided to them free of charge. Now keep in mind that FACEBOOK charges those advertisers fees that increase or decrease according to the readership and audience numbers. Not much different than how a newspaper, or television performance generates revenue for their owners. The advertisers are making an investment that those readers or viewers will purchase their products and services.
Now with that in mind, does FACEBOOK have an obligation to its users? It would appear so. Recently FACEBOOK made a drastic change to how users use its service. It was so radical that almost all of the news media made comment on it. It made such an uproar in the user community that it forced its creator, Mark Zukerberg, to make public comments about it. However, as a FACEBOOK user, this morning I did notice some additional changes, changes that addressed some of the users concerns. Such as two additional buttons, one that says "Top Stories Since Your Last Visit" and one that says "More Recent Stories".
Now I question myself......were those buttons there yesterday and I did not notice them, or are they new additions? I simply cannot recall. I certainly did not notice them before. But does it really matter? They are now there, and provide me with some relief in my anger and resentment to the initial changes. Did the people cry out, and the provider respond? I'll never really know the answer to that question, because I simply cannot recall whether those buttons were there or not. But does it really matter? Because it is also a known business fact, that in the IT world when there are changes, resistance to change is initially displayed in the beginning of the change, and as the users get used to those changes their anger subsides, because the user has no choice but to use the new system. Pretty soon the user simply forgets about the changes and proceeds as normal........as if nothing really happened at all.
FACEBOOK is a pretty good predictor to what people will do, react to, and how their subscribers use their service. These changes did not take place overnight, but were more than likely in the planning stages for months. Soon the uproar will be gone, and the users will be plodding along as usual........myself included.....
And then it finally hit me as to the real reason for the change. A simple business reason.....free up more space on the screen. The more free space, the more advertising that can be put in front of the users. The more advertisements, the more revenue for FACEBOOK......hmmmmmmmm, I thought! The rest is simple. Just you wait and see.
If you like this article and opinions expressed herein, please share it with your friends and neighbors. The more readers and followers their are, the more incentive there is to providing you with opinions, insight, commentary.
Yes, there are many progressive people who embrace change, but they do not represent the mainstream, who only embrace change when there is a reason to do so. People are creatures of habit. They like for things to stay the same. They resist efforts that force them to exert energy to try new things, and to do things differently than the way they are use to. So with that in mind, FACEBOOK now has an obligation to listen to their users/customers.
However interesting it is that users of a service, (that is provided free of charge, and can only be obtained by subscribing to it) would think that they have any rights to voice opinions to the provider of the service. How dare they object to changes in how the page should look; what the features should be; or when it is available to them. The nerve of them!
But lets face the real facts. Users of FACEBOOK are really customers. Customers who are expected to look at and read the commercials that FACEBOOK puts in front of them, as they use the FACEBOOK social network which is provided to them free of charge. Now keep in mind that FACEBOOK charges those advertisers fees that increase or decrease according to the readership and audience numbers. Not much different than how a newspaper, or television performance generates revenue for their owners. The advertisers are making an investment that those readers or viewers will purchase their products and services.
Now with that in mind, does FACEBOOK have an obligation to its users? It would appear so. Recently FACEBOOK made a drastic change to how users use its service. It was so radical that almost all of the news media made comment on it. It made such an uproar in the user community that it forced its creator, Mark Zukerberg, to make public comments about it. However, as a FACEBOOK user, this morning I did notice some additional changes, changes that addressed some of the users concerns. Such as two additional buttons, one that says "Top Stories Since Your Last Visit" and one that says "More Recent Stories".
Now I question myself......were those buttons there yesterday and I did not notice them, or are they new additions? I simply cannot recall. I certainly did not notice them before. But does it really matter? They are now there, and provide me with some relief in my anger and resentment to the initial changes. Did the people cry out, and the provider respond? I'll never really know the answer to that question, because I simply cannot recall whether those buttons were there or not. But does it really matter? Because it is also a known business fact, that in the IT world when there are changes, resistance to change is initially displayed in the beginning of the change, and as the users get used to those changes their anger subsides, because the user has no choice but to use the new system. Pretty soon the user simply forgets about the changes and proceeds as normal........as if nothing really happened at all.
FACEBOOK is a pretty good predictor to what people will do, react to, and how their subscribers use their service. These changes did not take place overnight, but were more than likely in the planning stages for months. Soon the uproar will be gone, and the users will be plodding along as usual........myself included.....
And then it finally hit me as to the real reason for the change. A simple business reason.....free up more space on the screen. The more free space, the more advertising that can be put in front of the users. The more advertisements, the more revenue for FACEBOOK......hmmmmmmmm, I thought! The rest is simple. Just you wait and see.
If you like this article and opinions expressed herein, please share it with your friends and neighbors. The more readers and followers their are, the more incentive there is to providing you with opinions, insight, commentary.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Feeling Stupid?
Ever feel stupid? Recently I did, big time! It's 2AM as I lay here in bed. Just staring up at the "pop corn" ceiling above me. Wondering just how it could have happened. How could I be so stupid? Some might think that I am being too hard on myself, but I don't think so, because I should have known better. But even I know that sometimes, the answers are right in front of you........but you just don't see them. My technical skills and training tell me to simply walk away for a while and come back to the problem later, and rethink it.
But then there are times when the answers are right there in front of you and you just don't see them. You just don't see them, that is, until you stop looking. What the heck am I talking about, you might ask?
Well, the other day I went to log on to my small note book computer, and after waiting for it to boot up, the only screen display that came into view, was a black screen, with white letters, stating there was a problem and I should start it, "in safe mode". However, when I tried to do that, it just kept reverting to the same screen, over and over. So I simply shut it off.
"I think it needs a rest", I thought. "It was plugged in for a very long time, and it must be tired."
However, when I came back later, and tried it again, the same thing happen......
"Was it over heated," I thought? Nope, the same results happened.
Now what was I going to do? I need my computer. I am tethered to cyber space and cannot live without it, or so I thought. It is the computer that keeps me in touch with the outside world. It's what lets me know what is going on in the lives of distant friends and relatives as well as the local ones. It keeps me informed as to what is happening in the world. Why, I have been in contact with friends I have not seen in over 45 years, but we're still friends, and still in touch with each others lives. It's also the device that lets others keep in contact with me.......no matter where I am. Any place, and at any time of the day or night. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO??????
"I know", I thought? "I'll simply use the other one until I get this one fixed."
Now keep in mind that I have an ASUS Notebook, and an ASUS Lap Top. I'll just use the Lap Top until I can get the Notebook into the guru's who work on such guizmos. So I disconnected all of the cables from the Lap Top. Put it on my "Lap" and there I was, back in business. It was refreshing, when I logged on. Here was the cyber world, welcoming me back, and telling me how much it missed me......yuck, yuck!
When I was done, I simply put the Lap Top back on the desk, and reconnected all of the cables and turned it back on. But there seemed to be a new problem......the Lap Top screen was now black, similar to the Notebook problem.....I simply could not get a display. Holy Crap, as Peter Boyle would say.
"Did I just get infected again and my info wiped out", I thought? "I am now in a real pickle now, the internet will be looking for me. My friends will wonder what happened to me. THIS SIMPLY CANNOT HAPPEN!"
I tried over and over, but ended up with the same results. I finally gave up and the next morning, I took both of them to the "shop" for the geeks to take a look. After placing both of them on the service counter, the technician looked at the Notebook first, and sure enough, it was fried. They would need to do a more complete diagnostic testing to see if it could be fixed. So a repair ticket was written and my little Notebook was reluctantly handed over to him to fix. It was really hard letting it go....as if it was some sort of puppy. In my mind I wondered,
"Would they take good care of it? Would they give it the care and attention that I would?"
Funny how we become attached to things. I probably should have named it. Perhaps something like "Info" or "Textie", after all some people give names their cars or boats, why not their computers too? Anyone remember ENIAC 1?
Next up, the Lap Top. The technician turned it on, and it booted up right away......no problem.....What the heck, I thought? "OK, then I'll just take this one back with me." I told the tech. Whew, it was a relief to know it was working after all. And now for the long ride home. Me and my Lap Top, side by side. Me looking out the window, and the Lap Top beside me on the front seat, comfortably resting.
When I arrived home I put the Lap Top down on the desk, and turned it on. It booted right up with no noticeable problem. I then started to connect all of its cables. First the power cable, then the external speaker cable, then the internet cable, then the printer cable, then the HDMI cable. It was when I connected the HDMI cable that all hell broke loose. The screen display went black..... So I disconnected it, and the screen display came back on. I did this a few times, with the same results. I could duplicate these results over and over.
"What could the problem be?" I thought.
It's time to walk away and think about it. But then I remembered. Many years ago, when I was teaching at the University, I used to use a Lap Top computer connected to an overhead projector to give Power Point presentations, etc. When I connected my Lap Top to the over head projector, and if I hit the "Function" and "F8" button, the screen on the lap top would go blank, but the over head projector would receive the signal and project the display. If I did it a second time, then the Lap Top would keep the display and so would the over head projector. Could this be what was happening when I plugged in the HDMI cable? I went back to the Lap Top to give it a try, and sure enough, that was the problem. A simple pressing of the "Function" and "F8" keys at the same time, would replicate the problem. It would put the display on what ever screen I wanted it to be on, whether it be the Lap Top, the TV, or both. You see the HDMI cable is connected from the Lap Top to the TV in order to play all of those great movies I get from Netflix from time to time.
So the answer was right in front of me all of the time. I should have seen it, but didn't and that's why I was felling so stupid! I guess my only advice should something like this happen to you, is take your time, go over all of the possibilities before you jump to conclusions......... Good Luck!
But then there are times when the answers are right there in front of you and you just don't see them. You just don't see them, that is, until you stop looking. What the heck am I talking about, you might ask?
Well, the other day I went to log on to my small note book computer, and after waiting for it to boot up, the only screen display that came into view, was a black screen, with white letters, stating there was a problem and I should start it, "in safe mode". However, when I tried to do that, it just kept reverting to the same screen, over and over. So I simply shut it off.
"I think it needs a rest", I thought. "It was plugged in for a very long time, and it must be tired."
However, when I came back later, and tried it again, the same thing happen......
"Was it over heated," I thought? Nope, the same results happened.
Now what was I going to do? I need my computer. I am tethered to cyber space and cannot live without it, or so I thought. It is the computer that keeps me in touch with the outside world. It's what lets me know what is going on in the lives of distant friends and relatives as well as the local ones. It keeps me informed as to what is happening in the world. Why, I have been in contact with friends I have not seen in over 45 years, but we're still friends, and still in touch with each others lives. It's also the device that lets others keep in contact with me.......no matter where I am. Any place, and at any time of the day or night. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO??????
"I know", I thought? "I'll simply use the other one until I get this one fixed."
Now keep in mind that I have an ASUS Notebook, and an ASUS Lap Top. I'll just use the Lap Top until I can get the Notebook into the guru's who work on such guizmos. So I disconnected all of the cables from the Lap Top. Put it on my "Lap" and there I was, back in business. It was refreshing, when I logged on. Here was the cyber world, welcoming me back, and telling me how much it missed me......yuck, yuck!
When I was done, I simply put the Lap Top back on the desk, and reconnected all of the cables and turned it back on. But there seemed to be a new problem......the Lap Top screen was now black, similar to the Notebook problem.....I simply could not get a display. Holy Crap, as Peter Boyle would say.
"Did I just get infected again and my info wiped out", I thought? "I am now in a real pickle now, the internet will be looking for me. My friends will wonder what happened to me. THIS SIMPLY CANNOT HAPPEN!"
I tried over and over, but ended up with the same results. I finally gave up and the next morning, I took both of them to the "shop" for the geeks to take a look. After placing both of them on the service counter, the technician looked at the Notebook first, and sure enough, it was fried. They would need to do a more complete diagnostic testing to see if it could be fixed. So a repair ticket was written and my little Notebook was reluctantly handed over to him to fix. It was really hard letting it go....as if it was some sort of puppy. In my mind I wondered,
"Would they take good care of it? Would they give it the care and attention that I would?"
Funny how we become attached to things. I probably should have named it. Perhaps something like "Info" or "Textie", after all some people give names their cars or boats, why not their computers too? Anyone remember ENIAC 1?
Next up, the Lap Top. The technician turned it on, and it booted up right away......no problem.....What the heck, I thought? "OK, then I'll just take this one back with me." I told the tech. Whew, it was a relief to know it was working after all. And now for the long ride home. Me and my Lap Top, side by side. Me looking out the window, and the Lap Top beside me on the front seat, comfortably resting.
When I arrived home I put the Lap Top down on the desk, and turned it on. It booted right up with no noticeable problem. I then started to connect all of its cables. First the power cable, then the external speaker cable, then the internet cable, then the printer cable, then the HDMI cable. It was when I connected the HDMI cable that all hell broke loose. The screen display went black..... So I disconnected it, and the screen display came back on. I did this a few times, with the same results. I could duplicate these results over and over.
"What could the problem be?" I thought.
It's time to walk away and think about it. But then I remembered. Many years ago, when I was teaching at the University, I used to use a Lap Top computer connected to an overhead projector to give Power Point presentations, etc. When I connected my Lap Top to the over head projector, and if I hit the "Function" and "F8" button, the screen on the lap top would go blank, but the over head projector would receive the signal and project the display. If I did it a second time, then the Lap Top would keep the display and so would the over head projector. Could this be what was happening when I plugged in the HDMI cable? I went back to the Lap Top to give it a try, and sure enough, that was the problem. A simple pressing of the "Function" and "F8" keys at the same time, would replicate the problem. It would put the display on what ever screen I wanted it to be on, whether it be the Lap Top, the TV, or both. You see the HDMI cable is connected from the Lap Top to the TV in order to play all of those great movies I get from Netflix from time to time.
So the answer was right in front of me all of the time. I should have seen it, but didn't and that's why I was felling so stupid! I guess my only advice should something like this happen to you, is take your time, go over all of the possibilities before you jump to conclusions......... Good Luck!
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