tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90056027747197178772024-09-09T14:10:57.815-07:00"A unique, wry and often satirical look at the Internet, the modern age and life in general" (there is way too much search-engine competition for the phrase "incoherent ramblings")markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-90746437852080039122010-09-09T01:28:00.000-07:002010-09-09T02:13:32.348-07:00

Do you have a daughter aged around 12? Do you know that at this very moment, she is feverishly engaged in one single task, to the exclusion of all others?That task is the attempt to discover Justin Bieber's phone number.Evidence of this can be found on Yahoo Answers, where questions relating to "Justin Biebers phone number" appear with a frequency which can only be described as

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-23905012717779806962009-06-29T01:36:00.000-07:002009-06-29T01:54:41.230-07:00

Well, Facebook has well and truly trounced MySpace and vindicated my long-held belief and carefully researched position that Facebook is better than MySpace.Isn't Facebook great?!You can form an instant relationship with someone you met minutes ago and gain an instant insight into their every thought, every photographed moment of their lives, every friend they have, and feel as though you have

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-38173781525915915742009-03-18T00:25:00.000-07:002009-03-18T00:46:24.354-07:00

What's on my mind? What's on my mind? Gah... I don't know - wait, let me think... oh, I've blocked up, I'm sure there was something...I mean, what's with Facebook? You knew where you were with "What are you doing?", or just plain old "status" - now they want a period of deep self-examination before you change your status. I can imagine men the world over, a cold chill running down their spine - "

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-17530784023842979922009-02-20T05:07:00.000-08:002009-02-20T05:35:39.658-08:00

Are you the proud owner of a netbook? Perhaps an Asus, Dell or MSI netbook?No you're not - according to Psion there is only one "netBook" and that trademark was registered by them as early as 1996.A number of sites using "netbook" in one generic sense or another received cease and desist letters from Psion at the end of December informing them as much, and many, like this site selling used

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-64786638795555879922008-11-04T04:00:00.000-08:002008-11-04T04:13:12.135-08:00

Microsoft are so desperate to get a piece of the Google search pie that they are resorting to bribery again! Yes, in a repeat of their UK Big Snap campaign from February 2008, they have launched Big Snap Search II, in which you can possibly (not) win some prizes in the form of - TA-DAAA, some John Lewis coupons - nice!What's the catch? Well, for a chance to match two different-valued coupons and

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-41528918950423110612008-09-08T03:53:00.000-07:002008-09-08T04:15:41.224-07:00

The amazing success of the netbook format of notebook computer has prompted a venerable industry name to jump on the bandwagon - no less than Commodore itself!Though Commodore today has little in common with the company that produced the almighty C64, as well as the VIC20, C128 and later of course, the Amiga, it is thought that new Commodore UMMD 8010 netbook, announced at the IFA Show in Berlin,

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-57216179263494993352008-03-07T01:32:00.000-08:002008-03-07T02:01:31.937-08:00

As yet another request to urgently verify my bank details online lands in my inbox (funny, I didn't know I had an account in the National Credit Union) I have got to thinking about the issue of protection against online fraudsters and the whole question of literacy.Computer literacyI know that my calls for compulsory netiquette and basic Internet and literacy training for new computer users will

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-67451011822189722162008-01-25T03:42:00.001-08:002008-02-04T06:50:22.133-08:00

As I mentioned in a recent post (Why I Didn't Buy a Dell), I have finally joined the notebook "elite" (I usually join elites about 10 years after they are no longer elite) and one of the things I was really looking forward to was being able to sit in a cafe, sip a coffee or two and work there as a change from the home office, connected to the internet of course via the cafe's wireless hotspot. In

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-57891348889920650912008-01-23T04:48:00.000-08:002008-03-24T09:41:37.554-07:00

They NEARLY got me.I needed a new laptop, actually my first laptop, now that my job has become a little more mobile. Dell seemed the obvious choice. They are a close second in the notebook market behind HP (20% and 15% of the market respectively - 2006 figures, e.g. see here) and they have a great attraction for the small business and home user, for many of whom Dell is almost a synonym for "new

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-25716505683915747502007-12-11T02:53:00.000-08:002007-12-11T03:26:22.637-08:00

Reading re-KindledI've been wanting to remark on this for a while but haven't got round to looking into it properly - the new "Kindle" from Amazon (what kind of a name is that?!) Well, having read up on it a bit more, or at least Amazon's blurb I can say it has certainly caught my interest. What is the Kindle? In short, an e-book reader, one that initially retails at $399, which seems a bit steep

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-57796193900876514142007-12-11T02:17:00.000-08:002007-12-11T02:29:54.891-08:00

As Agloco dies a much-predicted death, my thoughts turn to Blogrush, another much-virally-publicised scheme, supposedly for "Driving a flood of targeted readers to your blog" by installing a sidebar widget which syndicates articles from related blogs in the widget, and in return syndicates your articles to other related blogs. Like a big, happy, network of blogs. It gained initial publicity by

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-11452132364236628502007-12-10T14:33:00.000-08:002007-12-10T14:46:30.686-08:00

If anyone was in on the wild and crazy, make-money-to-surf Agloco scheme they would have received this email during the day:We would like to update you on the status of AGLOCO's operations. We continue to believe in the AGLOCO concept, but our revenue is currently not sufficient to give Members a meaningful distribution. And though there are increases in membership, the resulting revenue is not

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-21661306745398676522007-12-10T00:02:00.000-08:002007-12-10T00:23:06.219-08:00

I am not the first to notice this, but Facebook is becoming ANNOYING!Yes, it is clever, darned clever, fiendishly effective at drawing you in - it ensures that unlike with MySpace you are basically in contact with people who are genuinely your friends, and who is going to refuse to click on a link that says, "Your friend xxxx has sent you a message..."?But this viral vivacity could be its

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-51709994027090587122007-11-20T08:30:00.000-08:002008-12-09T12:16:41.216-08:00

There's no real darkness anymore. And it's all technology's fault.Example: when I was a kid, probably in around 1980, I visited a cave system in Slovenia called Postojnska jama. Maybe you've been there? It features spectacular natural subterranean beauty, with the most amazing stalactites and stalagmites and other geological features.But the highlight of the trip for me as a wee nipper was when

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-7681952863785341782007-11-15T05:44:00.000-08:002007-11-15T06:03:41.081-08:00

Maybe I am preaching to the converted, but I have to get this off my chest. Because it seems that this crime is still being committed with impunity across the Internet.Only this morning, I received an e-mail from someone who I thought knew better. It was a legitimate marketing mailing, sent to some 100 recipients, advertising a relevant product. Nothing wrong with that.But how do I know how

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-33432862428839644382007-11-09T03:29:00.000-08:002007-11-09T03:37:51.273-08:00

You probably know this, but a lot of blogs are not just written for the good of the blogger's eternal soul, but they actually make money from them as well!But there is a growing phenomenon of blogs about how to make money from blogging. Some of the most successful such blogs are those of Darren Rowse (ProBlogger) and John Chow, where you can find a constant supply of good information about how to

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-65346700051012853712007-10-27T11:02:00.001-07:002007-10-27T11:13:19.062-07:00

Having firmly established that Facebook is better than MySpace, I must comment on something I feel warrants the attention of you Future-Phobics. It is the friend-collecting phenomenon, which was absolutely rife on MySpace and which you need to actively consider if you are to avoid it on Facebook.Facebook is quite different from MySpace in that the connections you make are strictly "friend of a

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-53772171593218978792007-10-19T00:35:00.000-07:002007-10-19T01:44:52.932-07:00

I was thinking these days how much Amazon has diversified. I mean, weren't they originally a bookstore?! That does seem a long time ago!Now when you go to their site, you are confronted with an almost unfathomable array of different windows displaying bestseller lists, "related products", new products, wishlists, customer reviews and a dozen other features which most of us ignore.Not only that,

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-6652876257096389592007-10-11T03:16:00.000-07:002007-10-12T00:08:10.010-07:00

I am racing down a mountain road on my bike, the wind whistling past me, yelling seemingly to myself, "Paaaaaaarzzzzz, paaaaaarrrrzzzzz!!" How did things come to this pass?To go back a little way, I was recently reviewing a new mobile phone, the HP iPaq 514/512/510 Voice Messenger, on my mountain-biking blog (long story, go and check it out, maybe this rant will make more sense) and I was

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-14914614551888089232007-10-10T04:30:00.000-07:002007-10-10T04:36:03.508-07:00

Following on from my article, Google confirms Facebook is better than MySpace, I can reveal that DigitalPoint forum members agree! In fact the discerning users of this well-known forum for webmasters started a poll a few weeks back (nothing to do with me guv'nor!) asking the simple question, Facebook or Myspace?And guess what - the results are almost exactly the same as my scientific Google-based

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-1862982997148939462007-10-05T08:56:00.000-07:002007-10-05T09:02:51.569-07:00

The position of First Page of the Internet is already taken. But your site can be the second page of the internet! What is the second page of the internet? It's the page that is linked to from the first page of the Internet, right?Have a wander over to the First Page of the Internet and get your site (or someone else's!) listed as the Second Page of the Internet, at least for a fleeting moment in

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-64726491852738599052007-09-28T02:08:00.000-07:002007-09-28T02:18:34.045-07:00

An article at ZDnet today has highlighted the plight of poverty-stricken Google.Google is projected to earn $19 billion in revenue in 2009, and yet the company, and the markets, have their sights set on $100 billion. How are they going to claw their way out of the "tens of billions" poverty trap and ensure a normal third-world-economy-sized financial future for their children and their children's

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-76979207132284724082007-09-26T00:41:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:16:41.629-08:00

The debate rages on - which is better, MySpace (sh'yeah, right) or Facebook?I like to do things scientifically here, and in an unbiased way, which means I will use the mighty Google to settle this debate once and for all, democratically.My method is as follows:1) Search Google for the phrase "MySpace is better than Facebook" and note the minuscule number of web pages which contain this exact

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-35936446256718921222007-09-03T01:47:00.000-07:002007-09-03T01:52:41.555-07:00

I wonder, what particular part of the phrase "End now" is it that Windows XP does not understand?Similarly foreign to our favourite operating system is the mystical operation "Cancel", particularly useless when you have removed a CD from the drive and have not intention of putting it back in, whatever stupid reason the OS has for wanting it.Windows should just have one button that pops up every

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9005602774719717877.post-39482345272818125872007-06-25T04:47:00.002-07:002007-07-10T13:21:52.939-07:00

The year is somewhere around 3007, and the Galaxy is poised on the brink of war. This will be the conflict to end all conflicts, making the oil, water and Moon wars of the mid-third millennium look like mere skirmishes in comparison.This is the battle for the Last remaining Domain Name. Slowly but inexorably, for the last thousand years, the domain-squatters, spammers and Google subdivisions have

markowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01691087571429357848noreply@blogger.com1