InternetSense

#talktalk or #shiteshite?

Open Letter to TalkTalk
your customer service is shite
Your organisation is a shambles
And your billing system stinks like big dogs poos.

But how do I know these things?
How do I know you have offices in The Philippines, In India, in Preston in England and some nice fellows in Waterford Ireland?

How do I know that you have 1st,2nd and tertiary level fault support?

How do I know that if you are in any way unhappy with a customers either tone of voice or general attitude -you dump him (in olden sales days this was known as the 'the mars bar run' -you drive to the petrol station and give him a pound for x3 mars bars -you then drive off and leave him!)

How do I know that your own internal communication system is beyond appalling? Actually let me answer this one for you? because despite asking me my own phone number -4 separate times today over 35 minutes and cutting me off not once but twice -you still can't manage to phone me back

How do I know that you have textedit me more than a dozen times to see if fault is fixed? (how should I know if your fault is fixed?)
How do I know that your own billing system is appalling -after promising to credit my last months bills -despite some smug bastard telling me 10 times that I didn't infact pay for broadband -It was free (my retort being if the milkman delivers the bottles with no milk -he ain't getting paid) in reality I wouldn't entertain a fully legally binding contract with no exit (including death) with a crap milk man.

How do I know that I live 1.1 miles from the exchange?

How do I know that 2meg is the acceptable minimum for UK?
and today I have a new upload 'broadband speed record' of 0.05mbps
Do I win a prize?

I have a question for the World -I live opposite the gates of Stormont (our nations parliament) do they share the same speeds? Or are they sucking up all my bandwidth?

One last question -Do you care? Oh and when is my sentence up?and any chance of early release?

Best Regards Phil '@internetsense'

Good Friday Agreement 2.0

The Good Friday Agreement 2.0 (For Entrepreneurs, Digital Innovators, and Creatives)

Not so far back in our recent history -Northern Ireland as a nation stood a top of the World. AS a Nation we embarked on a new journey, a new freedom. On that day in history NI stood looking down on tomorrow, looking down on our future together and dreaming of how one day our children would one day play together in peace.

As a nation we forgot the past, we engaged in a freedom of speech and movement, a flow of ideas, we reached a new level of interaction, a new level of involvement. Sides we thought would never meet, met, they talked, they began to dance to the same tune, legend has it that their was a even a chuckle or two (see below)

We swapped dynamite for democracy, attrition for accord, and deep seated hatred for convivial intercourse.

I sit here a member of perhaps the most marginalised community on the 'Island of Ireland'. You see (I am almost afraid to say it out loud). ...I am a 'Proddypreneur' an Entrepreneur born of the 'Mystical East' (that Oscar Wilde spoke of in such a positive fashion) while I am at it I may as well come clean -you see as well as being tarred with the brush of Protestant Entrepreneurship I am as well a Communicator and a 'Starter' (see below) I said it!

Unfortunately for me Protestant Entrepreneurship is by far the most marginalised community on the 'Island of Ireland'. You see like the Jedi of the 'Old Republic' we live as hermits, shying away from the limelight, away from the publicity, knowing that one loose word, one slip of the tongue could cost us what little funding we receive effectively snuffing out our 'digital flame'. You see the Proddypreneur is a dying breed, for years we have been hunted down by the Bureaucratic armies, by the consultants (see below)', by the facilitators (see below)

So now I ask you on our most historic of Birthdays, of New Dawn days -is it not time that we as a nation took up arms against the oppression,the tyranny, against the bureaucrats (see below) , the consultants (think  C 3PO only less shiny...infact a lot duller) ,Against the 'PDF Downloads' and the Endless 'Explain your vision for a Brighter Tomorrow in 100 words or less -But where to start?

Let's start by bringing the 'Tick Boxers' (see below) and the Innovators together, let's remove the Evil of the coffee and the voluvents and abolish once and for all the mindless drivel of the '86ers'! (see below)

Let's Live our Tomorrow Today! By indulging in truly meaningful dialogue and not mindless drivel about the benefits of the 'Knowledge Economy' (see below) Let's retrain the 'Tick Boxers' with new more meaning full skills. And....

Just for once let's if the Burecrats and the Entrpreneurs can indeed dance to the same tune.

#Chuckle -None of Northern Irelands ruling parties were available for comment on this matter. 

#'Proddypeneur' A shy and recently become endangered species who's natural habitat can be found in the east.

#Starter -a new breed of Entrepreneur covered so well by Jason Fried and the book 'Rework'

#Consultants 'know 40 ways to have sex -but don't know any women' Easy to spot, dull grey suits with matching ties, two children at University studying Law and Economics and youngest child finishing their A Levels. Drives a 2005 Mercedes (diesel) and plays golf twice a week. (easily confused with bureaucrats)

#Facilitators -like 'dictators' only lacking direction. Easily recognised by their comments 'sounds challenging' and some shite about 'integration', 'interactivity' 'involvement' and no facilitator is complete without 'Involvement' and 'Empowerment'

#'Tick Boxers' really needs no explaining.

#86ers  Self appointed experts. Who are still allowed to talk in public. The reason they are called the 86 ers is because they have been banging on about the same auld drivel since 1986. And worse still they get paid too. On closer inspection it becomes obvious that the reason they haven't amended their slides is either because their son hasn't yet returned from Uni or that they can't actually use PowerPoint '95. Easy to spot hanging with the bureaucrats and the consultants saying things like 'my wife doesn't understand me'

#'Knowledge Economy' a term used mainly by our local politicians when they haven't got a clue about the industry they are there to speak about. Can also cleverly be used to cover up yet another call centre.

# 'Volauvent Boys' a collective term describing a group of Bureaucrats, facilitators, consultants and 86ers (see above)

Is a hedgehog cool?

As I was heading to work this morning my daughter (Eva -Aged 4) told me how excited she was because today she was off to see the ‘Wild Animals’ -Not Lions, Tigers, Panthers and Sharks but Frogs, Foxes, Badgers and a ‘Hedgehog Daddy!’ You see if you are four years of age a hedgehog may well be the coolest thing on the planet!

On the way to work I couldn't help but relate this mornings chat from my daughter with the disgusting events fresh off the presses at ICC headquarters (Governing Body for World Cricket). You see for the last month the mighty Irish have been going nose to nose with the ‘MIghty India’ (the eventual winners) the ‘Kings of the Jungle’ , with the ‘Lions’ of England, is a Springbok afraid of a little hedgehog? One look into the eyes of Graeme Smith (SA Captain) said ‘will this match never end?’ Can a hedgehog defeat a Lion in a fair fight? Well just ask Andrew Strauss (Eng Captain) -as we all now know the answer is a resounding yes! You see Ireland may be unfancied, unfashionable but the Irish cricket team are survivors, scrappers, they are winners! 

How well could Ireland have done if they had had Eoin Morgan in their ranks?
Would Ireland now be better ranked if Ed Joyce had been in their side for the last 5 years?
The ICC have it all wrong:- the Eoin Morgan thing was a disgrace and the 2015 WC decision -well what can I say -what planet are you on ICC?
My advice to the boys in Green would be to throw the cards in -you should all put in for a transfer -seek out a long lost grandparent and send in your transfer requests If the ICC get an entire team of transfer requests then perhaps they will get the message. Taking Ireland out of Associate cricket is like taking India out of top flight cricket.

So ICC -is a hedgehog cool?

As I write this I am reminded of a time from my own childhood, by the road side was a dead hedgehog on the way to my granny’s house. This dead hedgehog sat and rotted in the gutter, ICC you not only killed Ireland cricket -you have left us to rot in the gutter!

Oh and finally don't worry if you are the audacious young Ireland spinner -Dockrell -as I suspect you will be playing in the 2015 World Cup.

 

Managers of One

About January last year I received a phone call from a student looking a 'work placement' with MatchMedia Ireland Ltd. This particular person I had worked with before, and those who are familiar with both myself and MatchMedia will know the gent to whom this applies. At the end of his 'placement' time I was asked to recommend him -or not as the case may be. I sat with a blank sheet of paper not really knowing what to say or indeed write (those who know me know this is an extremely unusual event). Eventually I simply quoted the business book that I had been reading and a passage entitled 'Managers of One'

 

Managers of one are people who come up with their own goals and execute them. They don’t need heavy dissection. They don’t need daily check-ins. They do what a manager would do – set the tone, assign items, determine what needs to get done, etc – but they do it by themselves and for themselves.

These people free you from oversight. They set their own direction. When you leave them alone, they surprise you with how much they’ve gotten done. They don’t need a lot of hand-holding or supervision.

How can you spot these people? Look at their backgrounds. They have set the tone for how they’ve worked at other jobs. They’ve run something on their own or launched some kind of project.

You want someone who’s capable of building something from scratch and seeing it through. Finding these people frees the rest of your team to work more and manage less.

 

SKY rip off!

How much do you pay for SKY TV and is what you pay the real cost?

How much do you pay for SKY -I pay £71.00 per month and guess what SKY i have been your customer for 20+ years. But guess what the true cost of my SKY service which is some movies and lots of sport -I have two boxes one of which is SKY+ The true cost of this service is in effect £121. How do I know this? It is because in the month of Feb I have been charged £121! wtf! The reason apparently is because one of my boxes has not been connected properly to a phone line. This is a crime. A crime worthy of a £50 penalty -not a one off but month on month. My next SKY payment is due on 23rd March again it will be £121.

So what did I do?

I phoned SKY -it took me 15 mins to find the number on their website. A 0845 number (more expense) I explained that they had robbed me and I wished to cancel my subscription (my current contract has been in place for 5 1/2 years) since I moved into my new house.

I spoke to a young lady called Prit and I explained that I wished to get my money back £50 and I explained clearly that I wished to fully terminate my contract with immediate effect. I was pretty specific 'I would like a full refund of the £50 that you stole from me and I would like to cancel my contract with immediate effect' said I.

Not possible because if I cancel my contract they cannot refund the money they stole -this is because my account would no longer be on their system and therefore a credit would be impossible as I would have no account.

I stated clearly on I guess 15 occasions

I wish a full and immediate refund and I wish to terminate my contract with immediate effect.

This was not possible. I asked to speak to somebody who could manage this -nobody else could help and a supervisor is to phone me back. When will your supervisor phone me? As my next payment of £121 is due on 23rd March -perhaps Sunday but more likely to be Monday says Prit.

I raised my voice and said 'I WANT A FULL AND IMMEDIATE REFUND AND I WISH TO TERMINATE MY CONTRACT WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT!

Prit kept saying that it was all my fault as my box is not properly connected to the phone system -I -it appears am public enemy number one and a very bad boy.

 

Some facts:-

FACT1

I know £71 is already far too much -i have often thought about doing something about it -but couldn't really be bothered. I also know if I cancel they will have me back in a few months at £40ish pounds

 

FACT2

Virgin+phone+broadband+sports+some movies is about £40

 

FACT3

BT Vision has a channel or two less -and is less money.

 

FACT4

Please don't tell SKY but I am a Liverpool fan so for the last 20 years SKY has been vitally important to my life -But hey SKY -Liverpool are now CRAP! It fact you would need to actually get paid to watch them. Even if Liverpool win every remaining match this season 10 nil they will still finish about six or seven. So I am happy to cancel.

 

FACT5 

SKY seem to think we have a contract. As far as I am concerned when I entered into my contract 51/2 yrs ago they would have had to have told me that I was paying £50 odd pounds per mth but should I not do everything they asked that they would in effect -without any warning -be removing an extra £50 out of my account every month until I got my act in gear!

 

FACT6

SKY this is appalling -Customer of 20 years -treated like shit! I used to like SKY but not now. Now I am telling the 1600 people who follow my facebook/twitter feeds to check your contract -or indeed move providers.

 

Phil

 

PSSST Pass it on!

 

The bathroom is at the back.

The screen in front of me tells me that United and Continental Airlines are soon to be one. Well best of British luck to you both - why do I say that? The reason is because the way your treat your customers is best described as 'piss poor'. In twenty years of business travel I never remember being treated so poorly.
Outbound flight Belfast -Newark delayed by nearly 2 hrs leaving Belfast -which means I am almost certain to miss my connection to San Francisco . I am bundled then onto a flight with Continental's 'partner in crime' United Airlines -3 hours later!Unfortunately for me who had pretty much been travelling all day -this flight was about as sophisticated as the night bus to Dungannon. This may be fine for Contentintal's bottom line - but for me as a paying customer it was an absolute disgrace.The appalling treatment I received on the outbound flight was further compounded by when I tried to complain not being treated with apathy but with distain by the Continental ground staff.
However I am sure you have guessed you ain't heard nothing yet!
Homeward bound, board the plane to Newark ( again late) to discover that they have no room for my hand luggage. I smile at the hostess as if to say 'can you help me find a spot for this please?' Her reply (no smile) 'we will have to check it' (place in the hold) I smile again and reply 'you can't it's hand luggage' to which her aggressive retort comes back ' we can either check it -or you can get the next flight?Now what's it goin to be?' I was so shocked I thought I was going to explode.So I tipped my essentials onto the seat and off she marched to check my bag. I was left feeling shocked, exasperated and humiliated as this incident had occurred in front of all my fellow passengers. This I could have coped with if it had not been for my next run in with Hitler's sisters
As I am seated in 8d -I am obviously closest to the toilet at the front of the plane. However directly in front of me sits first class. Towards the end of the flight -I need a quick pee. As the cart is blocking the aisle to the back of the flight (some 70+ rows) I do of course nip to the front lav. On exiting the toilet (wearing headphones) I have a finger wagged at me like a naughty school boy. But what could I possible have done wrong?'Your toilet is at the back of the plane' What she mean't to say was 'excuse me Sir -if I could trouble you for just a moment ,it is just that the toilet at the front of the aircraft is predominantly for the use of our first class passengers and if it wasn't too much trouble perhaps you could see your way clear to using the toilet at the rear of the aircraft in future?'
As I write this my Continental odyssey is far from over -but let's just say I will never be back! If you have a choice Contential should 100% not be it - unless you have some kind of fetish for this kind of domination.

A smile costs nothing.

'Planet Me' -selling yourself

Planet Me

via matchmedia.typepad.com

Twitter CEO to stand down

The joint creator and CEO of Twitter for the past two years, Evan Williams, has stated that he is standing down as chief executive.

Evan Williams, who has overseen the company since 2008, is to be replaced to allow him to focus on methods of making Twitter more profitable.

Williams announced his decision on his blog, stating that Twitter needed to: "meet its potential as a profitable company".

He will be replaced by the current chief operating officer, Dick Costolo.

Over the past few years Twitter has increased it's user numbers rapidly, with 160 million users now, compared with 3 million two years ago.

But Mr Williams said that in order to continue to be successful, the company now needed to start converting that growth into profit: "Growing big is not success in itself."

"Success to us means meeting our potential as a profitable company that can retain its culture and user focus while having a positive impact on the world. This is no small task."

"This is why I have decided to ask our COO, Dick Costolo, to become Twitter's CEO. Starting today, I'll be completely focused on product strategy."

Williams is the second of Twitter's founders to have served as chief executive, after taking over from Jack Dorsey in 2007 after he moved on to become the company's chairman.

This could be a very important stage in Twitter's history. Could they be linked with Google? Will we see more advertising? Or will we see more of the Fail Whale?

Toshiba showcase 3DTV without glasses

Toshiba has launched the first 3D televisions that do not require special glasses.

The two sets have the ability to create 3D effects in real time from standard film and television pictures. They achieve this by using  a special lenticular sheet to create an array of nine overlapping images. The viewer sees different images with each eye, creating the illusion of a 3D picture.

The system is similar to that in use by Nintendo's 3DS handheld gaming console.

Both Toshiba televisions  use the Cell processing unit - originally designed for Sony's PlayStation 3 - to process the images.

Masaaki Oosumi, president of Toshiba Visual Products said it was "obviously more natural to watch TV without glasses." However the technology requires a person to be sat in an optimal position to see clear 3D images.

The electronics giant suggests that the viewer sites 90cm from its 20-inch set and 65cm from its 12-inch set. The picture is also optimally viewed with a 40-degree "sweet spot" in front of the set.

These limitations are the prime reason why most manufacturers - including Sony, Samsung and Panasonic - use glasses to display their 3D generated effects. These rely on images for each eye being broadcast one after the other in rapid succession. Filters in the glasses flash on and off in sync with the moving images, filtering the correct image to each eye. The brain recombines the image into a 3D picture.

3DTV is still an up and coming technology, but broadcasters are already producing 3D broadcasts in the UK. Just last week, Sky launched Europe's first dedicated 3D television channel, whilst Virgin has recently launched a 3D movie channel.

Toshiba has revealed that the smaller version of its new sets will cost around $1,400 and the larger will be around double the price. They are also working on a larger 56-inch model. Toshiba hope to sell 1,000 units per month, but have no plans to sell the sets abroad.

Build stories with Storify

Web apps like Tumblr and Posterous make personal blogging really simple. While you can write long blog posts, you can also use a bookmarklet or email to submit individual content quickly. Storify is the next step in this evolution.

The new service is in beta and is all about the content curation from other social networking sites. For example, if you see a tweet and want to build a story around it, with the click of a button, you can drag it into your Storify story. This can also be used with Flickr photos, YouTube videos or a Facebook status update.

It seems that the interwebs are on the verge of a new wave of content curation. This is shown with startups like Storify and Curated.by that present users with a very low barrier of entry towards creating their own new content. It's sad, but true, that people just don't have the time to blog, so instead, why not enable them to do something with the content they're consuming?

The service's approach to spreading this content is excellent. If someone uses a tweet of yours for a Storify post, there's an option to ping you about it on Twitter so that you can share it as well. And best of all, all the content pulled into Storify links back to its original source, so that it can be shared too.

And you ask how they monetise this venture? Simple, insert sponsored content into Storify story streams.

Storify has raised $50,000 to date, and is continuing to grow. You can access the beta using the code: TCDISRUPT.