Day: July 7, 2005

Categories
Internet

Charter continued

Last post this this morning and afternoon. I don’t know why I’m in such a chatty mood.

The Charter Communications issue updated: In preparation for filing a complaint with the BBB and the State Attorney General, I call Charter to get a copy of this contract I supposedly signed. The billing office refers me to another office where the person does not identify themselves, and is in the process of eating a late morning snack, if the sounds into the phone are anything to go by.

I put in my request for a copy of the contract and the person tells me that there wasn’t a ‘real’ contract–I had signed up for the internet service on the internet, and therefore that agreement was binding.

Now I did try to get the internet service through the internet last November because it would be 10.00 cheaper to ’sign up online’. However, there was nothing in the online form that said the agreement would be for a year, and that there would be a penalty if I quit early. More than that, though, Charter never followed through on the Internet order, and I had to go down to the local store and place the reconnect order.

According to the gentleman today, I was misinformed on Tuesday about not being able to disconnect the television portion of the service, and that I could continue with the internet for 29.95. He also tried to resell me the television service for 39.95, leaving me silenced with trying to understand how he got there from here.

I don’t want the television service. I’m calling about the internet service.

I returned to this so-called agreement I had. I said I wanted a copy, a digital imprint, of the page that I had supposedly signed with agreement. A page that contains the information about the year contract and the early leaving penalty. I said since he was telling me this information, they must have a copy of it. That’s when it gets interesting.

They don’t necessarily have the information about what I signed up for. They just assumed that since I signed up on the internet, this was something I had agreed to. Because, as he said all people who signed up on the internet sign up for a year.

So then I tell him about going online yesterday and how the site advertised internet service for 26.95 a month, no contract required. At that point in time he said, well, there really is a three month contract with this offer–but that was besides the point. I would have to maintain my internet service with them through December of 2005, or pay 150.00 just to not do business with the company.

The BBB person I talked to said that Charter Communications in the St. Louis area has had 768 complaints — serious complaints — in the last three years. Well, now they’ve had 769 complaints. And I’m also filing a complaint with the State Attorney General. As for Charter’s ‘offer’ to let me keep the internet connection for the 29.95 a month until December–mighty big of the company, but I’ll pass.

Categories
Technology

Google Maps API

I am in the process of converting my metadata extensions for photos into simple drop in pages. There is no interest in the larger application, but some in the smaller uses. Not a lot — folks really are not interested in the whole ‘metadata’ thing. But I’d like to salvage some of the work I did.

My biggest problem I’m having with the change is Google’s Map API requires a key that is really limited. It only works within a specific directory. Worse, it doesn’t allow you to add a URL as a parameter in a query. Right now I’m working around this by passing in the post ID for the post. However, for a one page drop in application, a person needs to pass in a full URL.

I’m trying to figure out how to get the URL to the application without passing it in through a GET parameter, but still have it accessible via one click from a web page.

I don’t want to take long on this as I am finishing up documentation for JournURL, a hosted community/weblog system. I’ve been enjoying the effort and working with Roger Benningfield, mad scientist and leading developer.

And I would love to take another road trip. Somewhere. Anywhere.

Categories
Connecting Media Social Media

Stop

Stop. Stop right now.

I won’t point to the sites, and I won’t repeat the exact words. But now is not the time to point to a ‘wiki’ setup to collect information about the bombs in London, and smugly say how much better it is at covering the news than the New York Times.

Now is not the time to point to each other, almost in joy, because, to paraphrase, “we’re covering the story better than the BBC”.

Now is not the time to bring up the incriminations of why this happened and use it as fodder and ammunition in this stupid oneupmanship that characterizes too many of the popular web sites.

Write on our shared sorrow for the people in London. Or write on flowers and trips to Maine and life in general, because life is good. Life is good. But not this. Don’t use this event to promote weblogging.

You’re all pathetic, and you make me ashamed of writing to this weblog. Sorry, got just a wee bit angry. I forget sometimes that we all have different ways of dealing with tragedy.

Categories
Events of note

Call out to London

For being a person who loves to travel, I’ve not had opportunity to travel outside the country as I much as I would wish. The only place I’ve visited in Europe was London, during the Easter holiday weekend in 2001.

I was charmed by the friendliness of the people, the wonderful architecture, and most of all, how extensive and rather amazing the Underground was. My favorite souvenir was a refrigerator magnet, now sadly gone, that featured the sign, “Mind the Gap”. I still have the brolly I bought, and a small bag of left over coins.

London is a wonderful city.

My sympathies and my compassion go out to those in London after this senseless attack today. If the terrorists think, though, that Londoners will respond in fear, they don’t know the history of the city, and the resolve of the people. As Euan Semple wrote today (and glad I am to hear he is okay):

Maybe is is because we have had years of being bombed by the IRA and who knows, maybe it goes all the way back to the blitz, but the prevailing response to the awful events in London today is one of calm interest and concern for those poor souls involved but not once anything resembling panic.

All of my friends have said they will be back on public transport tomorrow and all have expressed the view that becoming fearful and curtailing our lives is just the response terrorists want.

We in the States can learn much from our friends in London.

Categories
Media

West Side Story

We’ve had a delightful chat in the comments to the post about no singing at the XML2005 presentation. And though I sympathize with Charles about the use of “Somewhere” in an ad, I agree with Dan about show tunes being fun and contagious. I love Broadway show tunes, even those in the “King and I” ( Sorry, Yule).

James mentioned a Pet Shop Boys version of “Somewhere” and Ralph mentions one by Tom Wait (’gargling with gravel’–love it).

But I remember the first time seeing a young and innocent Natalie Wood singing this song (well, mouthing the words) as she and Tony cling to each other in her bedroom. Their world has collapsed around them and you and I watching the movie know that no good will come to them. That’s what saved the song, really: we knew that tragedy was inevitable, even in the face of such determined hope. In the movie, and in real life as an older, but not so old, Natalie, drifting face down in the water is superimposed over the younger in my mind.

Writing this I am reminded of another movie that released the same year: Breakfast at Tiffany’s. To a movie critic, to compare Breakfast at Tiffany’s to West Side Story, is the same as comparing the surgeon’s delicate touch to a jackhammer driver. Which is which, though, will change, critic by critic.

Do you remember the scene in Breakfast with the cat? It’s killer, I cried. But I also cried during West Side Story. I am not a sophisticated woman. This worries me sometimes.