Category Archives: web

Switched from Monkeybrains to Dreamhost

Posted on 2018-08-31 by skierpage_32obsm

Meet the new host, much like the old host. Alex and Rudy at Monkeybrains are great folk, I was happy to give them money to handle e-mail and host this site and some others (but not jhanebarnesisgod.com, sigh, lost to … Continue reading →

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disintermediation: The end game for retail, and how you can profit

Posted on 2018-05-23 by skierpage

It doesn’t make any sense for 50 merchants to be selling the (allegedly) same battery or memory card through Amazon. Most ship through Amazon or even commingle items, so the robot pulls your order from one shelf filled with all … Continue reading →

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disintermediation: zero-value sellers on Amazon

Posted on 2017-09-04 by skierpage

The defective cardboard eclipse viewers fiasco shows the risks of blindly (ha ha) buying from the cheapest seller of some product off Amazon. It’s not even enough to choose a “fulfillment by Amazon” merchant or even a “✓Prime FREE Shipping” … Continue reading →

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web: companies too lazy to follow phishing advice

Posted on 2016-05-28 by skierpage

Basic Internet security means “Don’t click links that resemble legitimate sites”. Yet lazy companies persist in sending e-mails that invite you to “View your statement” or “Enjoy our discount offer” that go to e.g. click.global.expediamail.com instead of expedia.com (that one … Continue reading →

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music: Ylvis “Stonehenge” the best comic music video

Posted on 2013-11-24 by skierpage

I was dimly aware of “What the Fox Says,” (now over 240 million views!) but my first exposure to Ylvis was someone mentioning their song “Massachusetts.” It’s light goofy parody, let down by falling back to retro homosexual panic. I … Continue reading →

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music: not paying for ANYTHING

Posted on 2013-11-02 by skierpage

Google Executive: “You Cannot Devalue Music. It’s Impossible” blathers away about  a pyramid of music fans paying more money towards the top and the industry’s solemn duty to encourage fans to migrate higher. Commenter “WhoCares?” nails the money quote, and … Continue reading →

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software: TurboTax lameness

Posted on 2013-03-24 by skierpage

After a long break I bought TurboTax to do taxes. Intuit has had 20+ years to get this software right. Let’s see how they’re doing. Re-enter contact info I have to enter my name, address, and phone number to register … Continue reading →

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non-support: PayPal can’t help itself

Posted on 2012-08-25 by skierpage

Another day, another company that won’t let me tell them what’s wrong with their site. Same as it ever was. This time it’s PayPal. Their interface to Subscription payments is poor. Firstly, you can’t find it under Send money, or … Continue reading →

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music: piracy is wrong, copyright matters

Posted on 2012-07-14 by skierpage

The Trichordist tore into an NPR columnist who admitted to having 11,000 songs but hardly paying for any of them. Now Free Software guru Richard M. Stallman wades in, and gets it wrong. I criticize him thusly (originally on Slashdot … Continue reading →

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software: misplaced Linux desktop angst, just make HTML5 great

Posted on 2012-06-29 by skierpage

Linux users and developers bemoan the few apps available for their desktop. Where are the app developers? is a typical lament. But every commercial next-gen platform going up against Apple/Android — BlackBerry X, Tizen, even Windows — has figured out … Continue reading →

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