You know how they always start with automated message "This call may be monitored or recorded..."?
So I start the conversation with the rep like this:
Me: Oh hi, this call may be monitored or recorded, correct?
Rep: Yes.
Me: Okay.
Consent given: the rep has just said that this call may be recorded [by me]. (Well, he doesn't think he did, but hey... who cares. I am not supposed to be a psychic, and this exchange is a semantically correct expression of agreement from the English language perspective.)
I spoke at length with one of the taxi drivers who signed up for Uber while he was driving me. He says that while he indeed gets less of gratuity, he's really happy: Uber saves him effort to find clients. But, also, Uber offers big bounties (like $600!) for drivers who exceed service levels (i.e., like, when 90% Uber clients submitted to him are served within 5 minutes, etc.) All in all, he is on the plus side even though he gets less per ride.
And not to mention Uber is extremely convenient for me. (I still remember when we had to stand in the cold for about an hour because no dispatch wanted to send a cab our way -- and that was within city limits, mind you!) Every single taxi ride I take, I book on Uber now.
Mike, you'd be surprised, but I'm an example of blood type change. In my infancy, they did blood transfusion from my father, and after that, I ended up with his blood type rather than mother's.
Well, what do you expect? It only took the airline industry (and not all of it, either) about 15 years to realize that boarding passengers rear-to-front is faster. The Peter Principle at work.
I still have TV service by Comcast. You know why? Because they offered "TV + 6mbps" package for the price of 3 mbps internet (for a year). Sure I'll take that! But when the cable guy came, I told him, "get the data flowing and get outta here, I don't care about the video signal". So in [less than a year], Comcast is set to have another "cable cutter" on their stats, hehehehe.
Mike, he was fired for complaining to the President, not for complaining in general. No manager ever appreciated subordinates complaining directly to higher-ups bypassing "over his head".
I think it works well because those who donate satisfy the human's natural urge to "look better than the others". When you're *buying* something, it's nothing special, business as usual. When you're donating, you're, well, *doing something good*, that "any reasonable person" won't do! And, given that just about anyone wants to feel that he's better than others... more people end up donating than paying.
...not seeing the other person is a BENEFIT, don't you get it?
1) without video, it's easier to tell lies (to one's wife about where the person is; to a rejected applicant that "we will call you next week", etc etc etc);
2) in about 90% of all calls, people just don't feel like being seen. Take me for example -- on most of the incoming calls I take, I'm not groomed, shaved, dressed, or all of the above; most of the outgoing calls, I make while on the loo (need to use that time for something useful, you know).
If you ever read Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog", that's one of the methods for discouragement: first, reward the behavior [that you consider undesirable], and then gradually stop giving the reward. The subject's thinking is, "Why the hell should I continue the behavior if I'm no longer getting the reward for it?"
I go about it a bit differently.
You know how they always start with automated message "This call may be monitored or recorded..."?
So I start the conversation with the rep like this:
Me: Oh hi, this call may be monitored or recorded, correct?
Rep: Yes.
Me: Okay.
Consent given: the rep has just said that this call may be recorded [by me]. (Well, he doesn't think he did, but hey... who cares. I am not supposed to be a psychic, and this exchange is a semantically correct expression of agreement from the English language perspective.)
(untitled comment)
Brilliant! I totally know what mine will look like...
[x] Convert [any gift] from [anynone] to [gift card].
(untitled comment)
I spoke at length with one of the taxi drivers who signed up for Uber while he was driving me. He says that while he indeed gets less of gratuity, he's really happy: Uber saves him effort to find clients. But, also, Uber offers big bounties (like $600!) for drivers who exceed service levels (i.e., like, when 90% Uber clients submitted to him are served within 5 minutes, etc.) All in all, he is on the plus side even though he gets less per ride.
And not to mention Uber is extremely convenient for me. (I still remember when we had to stand in the cold for about an hour because no dispatch wanted to send a cab our way -- and that was within city limits, mind you!) Every single taxi ride I take, I book on Uber now.
(untitled comment)
Mike, you are missing one more thing:
Competition.
YES, buyers do compete, when the seller gives them a chance to compete!
Top Contributions list at http://www.humblebundle.com/ is a brilliant, if underappreciated idea.
Am I the only one who noticed?
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Mike, you'd be surprised, but I'm an example of blood type change. In my infancy, they did blood transfusion from my father, and after that, I ended up with his blood type rather than mother's.
I have a theory...
Kmart is cursed. It is destined to bleed money and go bankrupt, no matter who buys it.
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Qu'on me donne six lignes écrites de la main du plus honnête homme, j'y trouverai de quoi le faire pendre.
(If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him.)
-- Cardinal Richelieu
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Well, what do you expect? It only took the airline industry (and not all of it, either) about 15 years to realize that boarding passengers rear-to-front is faster. The Peter Principle at work.
(untitled comment)
I still have TV service by Comcast. You know why? Because they offered "TV + 6mbps" package for the price of 3 mbps internet (for a year). Sure I'll take that! But when the cable guy came, I told him, "get the data flowing and get outta here, I don't care about the video signal". So in [less than a year], Comcast is set to have another "cable cutter" on their stats, hehehehe.
Re: Re:
Poor monolingual coward, learn to use google translate :-b
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Mike, he was fired for complaining to the President, not for complaining in general. No manager ever appreciated subordinates complaining directly to higher-ups bypassing "over his head".
Re: DRM?
> Wait, why is this being called DRM?
Because it's Digitial, and it Manages Restrictions?
But will that OCR work...
... if you turn the page upside down?
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I think it works well because those who donate satisfy the human's natural urge to "look better than the others". When you're *buying* something, it's nothing special, business as usual. When you're donating, you're, well, *doing something good*, that "any reasonable person" won't do! And, given that just about anyone wants to feel that he's better than others... more people end up donating than paying.
(untitled comment)
I have personally digitized my library back in 2000 before moving because no way in hell I would take 200+ pounds of dead trees overseas.
(untitled comment)
Tequila is a substance, not a device.
Sincerely yours,
Nitpicker.
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I claim that video calling well NEVER catch on.
Because...
...not seeing the other person is a BENEFIT, don't you get it?
1) without video, it's easier to tell lies (to one's wife about where the person is; to a rejected applicant that "we will call you next week", etc etc etc);
2) in about 90% of all calls, people just don't feel like being seen. Take me for example -- on most of the incoming calls I take, I'm not groomed, shaved, dressed, or all of the above; most of the outgoing calls, I make while on the loo (need to use that time for something useful, you know).
In fact, it has exactly the opposite effect...
If you ever read Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog", that's one of the methods for discouragement: first, reward the behavior [that you consider undesirable], and then gradually stop giving the reward. The subject's thinking is, "Why the hell should I continue the behavior if I'm no longer getting the reward for it?"
(untitled comment)
Gosh... I went to LVRJ.com to write a snarky remark, but then... in order to register, you need to provide them...
* Full name
* Email
* Street address (optional)
* ZIP code
* Birth date
Thought police, anyone? Post something they don't like, and the partyvan is on the way...
(note 1: Geneder (inferred from name) + ZIP + DOB = 87% identification rate)
(note 2: Of course, everybody lies on the internet. Or should, at least.)
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Jokes are SUPPOSED to be retold by ordinary people, dammit! It's not like the student was pulling off a paid comedy routine. :-b