Uber: the good, the bad, the ugly

I used to love Uber. LOVE it. Whenever I can't get a cab, which is often in San Francisco, Uber is there. I always knew it cost more. On average, it is about double the price of a regular taxi when riding within town. No problem - not only am I getting a nicer car with the convenience of not having to pay cash, I'm getting a ride when there previously was none.

Now enter SURGE PRICING! I understand the laws of supply and demand, but I don't understand why Uber feels the need to nearly double their rates when there is a "shortage" of cars. And WHO exactly determines when there is a shortage?

I recently used Uber to get home to the Sunset from Fisherman's Wharf during a "surge" pricing timeframe. The cost: a WHOPPING $84! It should NOT cost $84 for a ride across town. A fare review with Uber just generated a useless canned email response from Brian the community manager telling me all the ways in which I was advised of surge pricing.

My beef is not with surge pricing. Fine, charge a little more when it's busy. I say charge a LITTLE more when it is busy, not A LOT more. There is something seriously wrong with the Uber product, as a whole, when a fare across town costs $84.

Oh and UberX - the supposedly cheaper alternative that sends hybrids instead of towncars? I've tried to use it at least 5 times and there is never a car available.

The once darling app on my iphone's front screen is now getting tucked away in some last page folder somewhere. Riders beware...

----------------
Brian, Jul 21 16:58 (PDT):
Hey Craig,
Our goal is to be as reliable as possible and sometimes we see such high demand our supply of available cars gets tight. To ensure we have rides available for everyone who needs one, we have surge pricing which increases our rates incrementally as our demand outstrips our supply and then lowers them back to normal as demand goes down and cars free up. We take notifying you of the current rates seriously – you should absolutely be aware of the higher cost. So, to that end we show the screen pictured on this blog post on your app: http://blog.uber.com/2012/03/14/clear-and-straight-forward-surge-pricing/

We also include a reminder in our confirmation text that lets you know your driver is on the way just in case: Hi Craig, your Uber is en route! Yacine (4.6 stars) will pick you up in 5 minutes. Note that your fare will be 1.75x the normal Uber fare

Let me know if you have any questions!

Brian SF Community Manager Twitter: @Uber_SF

Craig Given, Jul 21 15:59 (PDT): I'm disappointed that this trip from downtown cost $84. It is way too expensive. I do not understand surge pricing, or how/when it is determined. It almost seems arbitrary. So, I'm just pointing out that a trip across town should NOT cost $84. I am definitely going to reconsider my future use of Uber if it is going to cost this much.
----------------

Commute

My recent new job has meant a new commute to get used to. It is one, however, that is far more difficult than I could have ever anticipated. My new job is in the Potrero Hill district of San Francisco, and I have to get there from the Sunset district. Sounds easy enough as it is across town and only 4.5 miles away, right? Wrong.


I have tried to use MUNI to get to work, but it is unreliable and very unpleasant. On average it takes 1.5hrs to go this distance using MUNI, and can sometimes take as long as 2hrs! That is unacceptable for a city to city trip in my opinion. People who I work with are arriving to work in less time from San Jose using Caltrain! I have tried to take the 71 or 71L to the 22 Fillmore, the N-Judah to the 22 Filmore, and my least favorite - the N-Judah to the 19 Polk. The 19 Polk may as well be called the 19 Skidrow as it is the most...colorful...bus ride in the city, filthy, and consistently smells like weed and booze at all hours.

To further complicate things, MUNI has started requiring the use of Clipper Cards to pay for transit. In a strange twist of backward technology, it takes 3 days for money deposited to the Clipper Card online to be usable on the card! So if I decide right now that I want to re-up my Clipper Card so I can go out and use it, MUNI will take my money immediately but I will not be able to use those funds for 3 days. Waiting 3 days is absurd. The bank doesn't even take that long to cash an out of state check! This must be fixed.

With all the business flourishing in Potrero Hill, you'd expect there to be more reliable public transportation to and from the neighborhood. For as long as I've been in San Francisco, Potrero Hill has been "up & coming". I believe it will remain stuck in this status (for better or for worse) for as long as the public transportation is insufficient.

It is so sad to me that there is a public transit system in this city that I cannot use. This dilemma has unfortunately forced me to ride either my motorcycle or my car to work everyday, while the trend is to use public transportation when you can. Some people have suggested I take a bicycle, but the city streets are far too dangerous in my opinion for a bike.

So much for being green.

Your Hotmail is H@cK3d

There seems to be an epidemic going on. I'm getting spam email from friends linking me to websites on v1agra, s3x enhancements, and all sorts of other spam worthy products. In the past week or two, I have seen 3 Hotmail accounts from friends get hacked. The final straw was one night when I was at my desk - Julia was in bed and I got a mass spam email from her Hotmail account (freshly hacked)!

This is not the first time I have seen Hotmail accounts get compromised so someone can send out link spam to the entire address book. Is the problem the security of the Hotmail account itself, or is it the lack of security precautions taken by Hotmail users?

I have never liked Hotmail as an email service, as I have known it to be unreliable at times and very easy to compromise. Take, for example, the "forgot password" security questions they offer in case you forget your password. They tend to be very simple questions like "What was the name of your first pet?". So even though you have a very beefy secure password of "hWbkj5@g", it is easy for someone to figure out that "Rover" is the answer to your security question - and thus gain access to your account through the backdoor (so to speak).

Someone who knows you well but has malicious intent may easily be able to figure out your first pet's name, and thus gain access to your account - even though your password is uber secure! Another possibility is that a hacker with intent to send out link spam to your entire address book can easily program a script that will try thousands of possible pet names, quite possibly coming up with yours. In reality, how difficult are the pet names we usually choose?

One of the better options, if it is offered by your service, is to allow the password reset instructions to be text messaged to your cellular phone. You are usually the only person carrying your cell phone, and if someone does try to hack your account - you will know becuase you are getting the text messages. (gmail offers this)

This largely seems to be a problem with Hotmail. I rarely, if ever, get spam link emails sent to someone's entire address book from friends on Gmail, Yahoo, or any other email service. I know it is hard to change your email address, but if you are using Hotmail - I'd highly recommend switching to another service.

Chinese Steel

WHY are we buying Chinese steel for the new span of the Oakland Bay Bridge? Have we not learned our lessons yet with children's toys and milk? China has a long way to go in regulating industry quality before it can be trusted. Also, think of the JOBS it would create or support if the steel came from the United States! Does the United States not make steel anymore? I can't imagine a better thing for the economy than a $6.3 billion dollar project where all parts and labor are sourced domestically.

Happy New Year

How will you pronounce "2010"?

I hear people saying "Twenty-Ten", which is different than the way we have been saying the year for the past 10 years (two thousand, two thousand one, two thousand two, etc) - BUT this means we are back to saying the year the way it was said in the 1900's (nineteen ninety, nineteen ninety one, nineteen ninety two, etc). No one ever really said "one thousand nine hundred ninety nine" or "nineteen hundred ninety nine for 1999, as would be assumed since people were saying "two thousand nine" for 2009 instead of "twenty O-nine" (or "nineteen O-9" for 1909). They said 1999 like "nineteen ninety nine"!

So, is it "Twenty Ten" or "Two Thousand Ten"?

I'm going with "Twenty Ten".

Obama is Hitler?

The other day I went to the post office in my neighborhood to mail some Christmas cards, and there was a guy and a girl with a small table in front heckling people as they passed by. As I walked into the post office, the girl said in a smart-ass tone: "Would you like to mail Obama to the North Pole?". I ignored her and went inside.

What really caught my attention about these two was the posters they had displayed and hanging from their little table. They were pictures of Obama with a Hitler-like mustache drawn in. This is the first time I have seen that. (To put it into perspective and see similar pictures, click this link to see some images that come up in a Google search result for "obama hitler")

After a little bit of research, it is clear that this is not a new idea. I found Obama/Hitler references dating back over 2 years ago (2007). It is also clear that this is not an obscure idea, as a simple search pulls up a plethora of information on the topic.

It seems that some people feel there are similarities in both Hitler and Obama's rise to power. I can see that, in a stretch I suppose. Although, the similarities are not great enough for me to accept it. Here's a few similarities people are claiming, and my response to each:

1. Hitler rose to power during a period of great economic depression for Germany, similar to how Obama rose to power during national economic hardship.

I don't think economic conditions in the United States can even remotely compare to those in Germany after WWI. Germany was war- torn and heavily sanctioned by the Treaty of Versailles in the time between WWI and WWII. The Treaty called for the trial of Germany's leadership as war criminals, restricted Germany's future military growth, changed Germany's borders, forced Germany to pay war reparations (thus crippling any prospect of future economic growth), and forced Germany to accept sole and full responsibility for the entire war! The United States before Obama, on the other hand, was in an economic recession (not depression) that, although serious, did not even end up comparing to the worst US economic depression in history (The Great Depression). Germany after WWI had it far worse.

2. Hitler rose to power under the Nazi Party on a platform of change and reform, and especially appealed to the young people of Germany - similar to how Obama's "campaign of change" did in the 2008 US Presidential election.

I will give supporters of this theory a slight nod here. There are similarities in how Hitler's early platform of change can be compared to Obama's. However, there are glaring (and I do mean GLARING) differences in how Obama rose to power over how Hitler rose to power.

First off; Hitler attempted on several occasions to overthrow the German government before he gained power. The most famous of which was the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, in which Hitler attempted a coup. It failed, 23 people died, and Hitler was convicted of treason and sent to prison. It wasn't a total loss though, as it gave Hitler and the Nazi party the exposure it needed to become known to the German public. I don't recall Obama attempting a coup, being convicted of treason, or being imprisoned as part of his rise to power.

Next; Hitler used a series of legal measures to gain power. He basically gained support in the government over time after the Beer Hall Putsch and used this support to change the German constitution. The Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act in 1933, combined with the Night of Long Knives in 1934, swept the Nazi's into power.

The Reichstag Fire of 1933 (the equivalent of there being a fire at the US Capitol today perhaps, hypothetically) caused fear and panic among the German population that Communist forces were at hand trying to overthrow the government. It is still unknown what caused this fire, but it was considered an act of arson and terrorism in Germany at the time. The government responded by passing the Reichstag Fire Decree which nullified civil liberties, gave the Nazi's legal authority to imprison anyone who stood against the Nazi party, and suppressed anti-government publications. This sounds a lot more like the Bush administration's response to 9/11 and the Patriot Act than it does about Obama's rise to power!

Soon after the fire, an Enabling Act was passed in Germany. This act changed the German constitution so that the government can act without the consent of the Reichstag. The equivalent of this in the US today, hypothetically, would be the house & senate voting to pass a law that would grant the Obama administration power to pass laws without needing to go through the house, senate, and veto process (thus making the house/senate powerless). Not only is it unconstitutional, it didn't happen! Obama must adhere to the same checks and balances as his predecessors, and Obama has not changed the Constitution.

With these new powers, the Nazi's staged the Night of Long Knives in 1934. Hitler executed many of his political adversaries (some sources say 85 people, others say 400 people), and passed a law retroactively legalizing the murders. To my knowledge, NO ONE was killed during Obama's rise to power for being a political adversary of Obama.

3. There was a wave of nationalism and admiration for Hitler during his rise to power, similar to what was experienced during Obama's rise to power.

It is true that the there was a wave of nationalism and admiration for Obama when he came to power. Obama represented a reminder and living proof that the American political system works. We had a peaceful transition of power. A black man from an unlikely upbringing became President, something many people thought would not happen in their lifetime given the history of slavery, segregation, and racism in the United States. There was a wave of nationalism and admiration for him indeed.

It's what happened and what is happening after the election that matters to me most in debunking this point. Hitler changed the German government's authority structure after he came to power. He made himself a dictator. Obama is not a dictator. Obama is not changing the government in that way. There will be another election in 2012. The 22nd Amendment will ensure Obama has to step down one day, no matter how popular he is. What will not change is that he will have to give up power one day in a peaceful transition, just like the day he received power. That is the beauty, really, of the American political system.

That said, it is still a good time to take a lesson from history here. History reminds us to beware of fascism. A wave of nationalism, however, is not automatically fascism. Nationalism can be a very positive force. It could galvanize a country to change for the better. With knowledge of the past and political safeguards in place, nationalism can be just that...

I wish there was a way for me to have portrayed in an instant all of this information to those 2 people standing in front of the post office that day. It would have been useless though, as I think they were there to just get a rise out of people. As I walked out of the post office, the guy said to me "Are you grateful for Obama?". I said "Yes, I am. I like him.". As I walked off, not interested in getting into a debate, he said "You should be, he's Santa Claus. He's got presents for everyone." (perhaps referring to the stimulus/bailout package or health care?). As I said in my tweet that day, I respect their right to speak freely on the street. (Ironically, if Obama really were like Hitler they would have been executed for speaking out).

Their message did make me think for a moment though about whether or not I was missing something. After doing my own research though, it's clear to me that they are entirely ignorant to compare Obama to Hitler. I didn't even need to mention the obvious antisemitic atrocities Hitler was responsible for to come to this conclusion. Making this comparison is not only in bad taste, but it is offensive. Whatever anti-Obama message these people had, they are not winning any new support with that poor comparison and are just clouding their possibly legitimate argument. There are a lot of reasons not to like Obama, but comparing him to Hitler is just plain ridiculous.

Now for something a little less serious, Jon Stewart made me feel much better about this situation after watching this: :-)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Unusual Suspect
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

De-friending on Facebook

I have only had to do it 3 times, and I am about to do it again. I am de-friending someone on Facebook. It has become a social step one takes in breaking off ties with people. People getting into an argument is one thing, but if they decide to take the step to de-friend, then it is an indication that things really are over. Someone will say "..S/He even defriended me on facebook..." - O M G!

It has become the final slap in the face, the final insult, the final indication that the person de-friending you no longer wants contact with you. It is interesting that taking this small action in the online world can end up having such impact in the real world. Well, at least there is no more ambiguity. A word of caution though, make sure you mean it before you do it. People take it very seriously when they find out they have been de-friended!


To the person I am de-friending: when I try to reach out to you and you continue to ignore me, well then, sadly - what is the point of staying connected if we aren't going to stay connected? Good luck to ya...

iTunes Sucks

I have to say, I have always had problems with iTunes. First it was their DRM on all of their audio tracks. Then they lifted the DRM, but if you bought DRM music in the past and wanted the DRM lifted, you had to pay. Now, I hate them because of POOR QUALITY!

I ordered "Dub Like an Antelope: The Legends of Reggae Celebrate Phish" from iTunes. It's a fantastic reggae compilation album of reggae stars performing Phish tunes. One of the songs, however, is cut off at the last 2 seconds! (Makisupa Policeman) How could that happen? The guy who ripped it must have made an error. Seems like an easy problem to fix, just rip another copy of it and upload it to the store.

I complained, expecting that result. Instead, they gave me a credit for 1 song. I used the credit to download the exact same song that was damaged to prove to myself it wasn't a problem on my end. I was right, the 2nd version I downloaded was still messed up. I complained again and they gave me another song credit.

Totally, Totally, unacceptable. If I bought a CD from the store and it skipped, I would return it and probably get a full refund. I fought for a refund from iTunes, and got it (rightfully so). It might seem like a minor problem, but I expect the download to be in perfect order just like you would expect your brand new CD to work perfectly.

But SHAME ON YOU ITUNES! They continue to sell the same poor quality track to other people!!!! Instead of fixing the problem, they tried to make me go away with a song credit. Poor customer service. I tried to leave a comment in the iTunes store warning people of the problem, but iTunes censored me and did not post it.

WARNING: DO NOT BUY THIS ALBUM FROM ITUNES!

How could they accept such poor quality in their store?

Question: Why don't online music vendors sell FLAC files? I want FLAC files for my music downloads. WE WANT QUALITY!

Vehicle Break-In's

There has been an increase in the number of vehicle break-in's in the Sunset District of SF, and possibly city-wide. I receive the Taraval Police Station Crime Report email and they have reported this increase, as well as have warned residents not to leave anything valuable in their vehicles when parking on the streets.

Over the past month or so, two vehicles have been burglarized in front of my home (both parked in the same spot ironically). It is certainly un-nerving to have this happen in front of your home. Alarmed by the situation, I decided to write Supervisor Carmen Chu to make sure she was aware of this situation and to ask if the city is doing anything to try to prevent these vehicle break-in's from becoming an epidemic. Here is my letter to her, which pretty much explains my concern.

Dear Supervisor Chu:
I am writing to you about a growing problem in the Sunset; theft from locked vehicles. I receive the Taraval Police Station Crime Report emails and have read about the growing problem, and the police department's warning about not leaving valuables in vehicles. Recently though, I have experienced this problem first hand as several parked vehicles in front of my home have been burglarized.

I understand that there is little that can be done to prevent such crime short of encouraging the public to report crimes in progress or suspicious activity, ensuring that the streets are lit, and educating the public not to leave valuables in their vehicles. Although vigilant, I have not witnessed any vehicle break-ins but am often left sweeping the broken glass off the sidewalk. The problem I have is that SFPD does not respond to vehicle break-ins.

When a vehicle is burglarized, the owner of the vehicle will sometimes not realize for several days that they have been robbed. In my opinion, this puts the property owner where that vehicle is parked and the area at large in risk of additional crimes (Broken Window Theory). If SFPD would respond, it is possible that the owner lives nearby and can be notified so their vehicle can be moved or repaired. I am sure the reason SFPD does not respond is due to a lack of resources, however given that this issue is becoming an epidemic perhaps some better police involvement would help reduce the number of vehicle burglaries?

Please let me know what action, if any, the city is taking to help reduce these crimes. They threaten to endanger the safety and security of our neighborhood if left unchecked. In the meantime we have ransacked vehicles with broken windows in front of our homes; sometimes for days.

Thank you,
Craig Given

I was surprised to receive a call from Ms.Chu to explain what she is trying to do about it. First off, it is not very often that you receive a call from a politician you write to about a particular problem. Granted, she is much closer to her constituents than say a Senator or The President - but she deals with quality of life issues that impact everyone's "day to day" in the Sunset. It was nice that she would set aside the time to call me about this, and I was happy to hear her tell me her plans.

She agreed that the problem was growing, and agreed with me that SFPD should take more action. She planned on talking to the new SFPD Taraval Station Captain (Captain Denise Schmidt) as well. I certainly don't expect SFPD to solve a vehicle break-in, that would be very difficult - but to show some involvement after the fact might send a message to the perpetrator that the police ARE involved. (Currently, SFPD does NOT respond to calls for vehicle break-in's unless the crime is in progress or you know who/where the suspect is. If you are victimized, you can only file a report online).

Perhaps a small amount of investigative work could go a long way in finding similarities among the crimes, and linking them to arrests in other areas? At the minimum, it would be nice to have SFPD respond so the owners of the victimized vehicles can be contacted and the vehicles can be removed from our streets sooner; and hopefully prevent residual crimes from occurring (Broken Window Theory).

I am a believer in the "Broken Window Theory", and do my part to preserve the neighborhood by doing regular upkeep of my building, keeping the sidewalk in front of my house clear, and generally helping keep the entire block clean. The theory states:

Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside. Or consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or breaking into cars.
-The Atlantic Monthly; March 1982. "Broken Windows" by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling

So if we continue leaving ransacked and burglarized cars in our neighborhood unchecked, what message does that send and what other crime will that attract?

Aside from Supervisor Chu's verbal assurance of understanding the issue and her desire to ask SFPD for more involvement, she responded to me:

Thank you for your email Craig,

I'm glad we had a chance to touch base today. While I do believe that having additional investigative support at the Taraval Police District will help to address property crime issues over the long run, I will also speak to Captain Schmidt about her more immediate plans to address the issue of property crime in the District.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.

Carmen Chu
SF Board of Supervisors
District 4

Thank you Supervisor Chu for your time and attention, and I hope SFPD becomes more involved. In the meantime I keep a close eye on my block, take precautions so I don't become a victim, quickly clean up any break in's I come across in my immediate area, and put up a small sign in front of my property to warn people (pictured at top). I hope that Chinese translates well (thank you Google Translate). What more can I do?

Where does he keep his MUNI pass?

Saw this guy on the N-Judah on my way into work. He got the floor all wet and sandy. :-/ Don't think I've ever seen a surfer on MUNI (even though it goes to the beach).

I submitted this image to muni diaries, so let's see if they post it. Although, I am a little perturbed at them for deciding to take down a picture of a woman nearly passed out on a bus who looks just like Whitney Houston (not the pretty version of her). Pushing the envelope (which they claim to do sometimes) means people will get upset, but it doesn't necessarily mean you should take something down b/c a few people complained. Here's the post, and here's the photo they took down.

My comments to muni diaries about taking down that pic:

Totally disagree with the decision to take that photo down. I mean, you have a photo posted of a used cherry flavored condom – no one objected to that? If I were you I would keep posting until a letter from an attorney comes in. THAT’S pushing the envelope. Furthermore, having people outraged is good publicity. You can’t please everyone.

Where's the break I have been looking for?

After 5 months of forced unemployment due to an unfortunate economic situation at my past company, I have finally found a full time job. It's not a permanent job, by which I mean one where I plan to work for this company for many years to come. I accepted a contract position where they would like for me to stay for 6 months, but are not able to offer me the security of a full time employee position. Even this type of situation has been hard to find over the past 5 months, so I am grateful to be back to work and gaining more experience.

I am still looking though for that full time employee position. I am doing the best job I can at this contract job, but I cannot lay down roots and expect to earn a future from it. I am eager to start working for a company where with hard work I can plan to be there for many years, and continue to grow in my career there. Because of the scarcity of jobs and the hundreds of candidates hiring manager must see now for an open position, it is not uncommon to have them scrutinize your experience and exclude you for something seemingly minor. Hiring companies have the luxury now of trying to find the 'perfect candidate' .

I for one am tired of being overlooked because I am missing experience with an application I could probably learn quickly, or perhaps I have just under the required number of years experience in a particular position. I challenge a company to hire me because I will be a long term employee, because I will be dedicated to the job, and because I want my career to grow with the company. Finding a model employee who will stay for year is worth it's weight in gold. Give me the break I have been looking for, the break I have earned, the break I have YET to earn - and you won't regret it!

Whale Wars

One of my new favorite shows currently is Whale Wars on Animal Planet. It's a reality series about a ship (The MV Steve Irwin) that sales from Southern Australia to Antarctica to fight Japanese whalers from being able to kill whales. It's a noble cause. Americans generally don't eat or consume whales so it's easy for me to consider it a noble cause. If there was a band of animal rights activists that sailed the seas preventing lobster fisherman from fishing lobster, maybe I wouldn't think that was such a noble cause b/c I love lobster. I digress...my point is that Japanese culture use whale meat and see nothing wrong with it. The debate is that whales are supposedly protected by international law, which is not enforced - so the Sea Sheperds try to enforce it.

It's an enjoyable show to watch. People with passion to save the Planet and doing something about it. David vs Goliath types of odds. Whalers throw flash grenades while these guys throw buteric acid (rancid butter) & bags of flour. Plus they go to amazing locations not very many people get to see. Some of the footage of icebergs, the southern Oceans, whales, and other wildlife is amazing. And how about that bad-ass ship of theirs? Painted black and yellow with a skull and crossbones looking pirate -like logo - Sharp! Their adventures are fascinating too, to watch how they intimidate the Japanese whaling fleet using non-lethal methods and risk their own lives in the process.

I am not, however, without reservation about the show (part of the reason I like it so much). There are things that bother me about the Sea Sheperds and the MV Steve Irwin. First, is their disregard for the safety of their crew. They make it clear to everyone on board that the whales are the priority. If they are chasing a whaling vessel, and you fall off the boat in the line of duty, your ass is being left behind to die! That's messed up in my opinion. How about a little respect for human life and for the crew that are working so hard to make the mission happen? They are also grossly under trained. There are always a few experts on board, like Captain Paul Watson, First Mate Peter Hammarstedt, and a few other engineers but pretty much everyone else is a novice sailor and a volunteer - and they are doing dangerous things like putting zodiacs in waters so cold that it will kill you in 5 minutes if you fall in and chasing large ships. Seems some professional training could go a long way to preserve life and safety. Finally, the MV Steve Irwin itself - NOT equipped to go through ice, but being used to sail to Antarctica! Seems like that is like me taking my Volkswagen Passat on the Rubicon Trail. (dumb. disaster.)

Aside from these hang ups about their process and disregard for expertise, human life, and safety - I do enjoy the show and it has garnered some degree of sympathy from me regarding their cause. I can't get behind them 100% b/c I'd be a hypocrite. I eat meat and fish. So if I say save the whales, what about that chicken I just had for dinner? Is anyone going to save the chickens? Someone in Japan is having whale for dinner and it seems perfectly natural to them. The whales they hunt are not endangered. The chickens I eat are not endangered. Whales are intelligent. Chickens are (somewhat) intelligent. So I'm not about to put a Save the Whales bumper sticker on my car. Regardless, I think the world needs its radicals to keep things in balance and I appreciate the sacrifice the Sea Sheperds make for animal rights and global preservation. So mission accomplished Sea Sheperds with getting your name out there and gaining some public sympathy.

Spoiler Alert:
One comment I have to make though about this current season (2); what is up with now former first mate Peter Brown? I mean, what a jerk! He looks like he is absolutely horrible to work with. Seems like he makes terrible decisions that endanger the crew. He's not a team player at all - hates everyone and everything. I think he has been at it for too long (since 1982) and is not feeling the love anymore. It's like he wants someone to give him an award or something for all his years of service, but it ain't gonna happen! Few activists are bestowed with that honor. That is part of being an activist! It's a thankless job, and Peter Brown seems to have forgotten that. It's good he left b/c he clearly needs a break. I'm sure he was/is a great, dedicated, and smart activist - but all I have to go by is what I've seen on Whale Wars; and Whale Wars portrayed him like a total asshole. Peter, they did not do you any favors my man!!!

Twitter has jumped the shark

I am not the first person to say it. I did a quick search to see if I could find the person who said Twitter has jumped the shark first, but seems that many people have been saying it since earlier this year. Was it Ashton Kutcher's push for a million follows? Was it OPRAH'S first (all caps) tweet live from her show? Was it members of Congress tweeting during Obama speeches? For me, it was some girl named "Kitty" being my 200th follower sending me a message to look at her porn pics (blocked you, sorry Kitty).

What has happened this year is that Twitter has gone mainstream. Ashton and Oprah contributed to that, but recognition by mainstream news services like CNN really sold it. All of a sudden, CNN is reporting on what people are saying on Twitter about this or that. Then the Iran Election happens. Twitter buzz is news worthy now. All of a sudden, everyone wants to be on Twitter - or at least try to understand it. It's certainly a household name now.

What has followed is SPAM! Twitter used to be relatively free of Spam, and I have seen Twitter try to keep up with fighting spam by deleting bogus accounts periodically. I think though they are likely overwhelmed and unable to keep up with accounts that are bogus or spam.

Spam will be the downfall of Twitter. Users experience spam in different ways.

1. You get a random reply from someone trying to sell you something (like this from a conversation between @adamjackson and I)
2. You are followed by a user who has only one or a few tweets, trying to link you somewhere (usually to porn)
3. You mention something and all of a sudden people who 'specialize' in that are following you or replying to you. For example, I mentioned "Tequila" in a post recently and all of a sudden I had people selling tequila following me. Below is an example of a reply I got after mentioning "Vegas". (Imagine if you mentioned the word "sex" or "porn" in a post!)

I try to do my part by blocking bogus followers, as I'm under the assumption Twitter looks at accounts that are blocked excessively. But I will only have the patience to police my account for so long. The next thing that will happen, like what happened with the Craigslist killer, is that someone will get hurt or killed as a result of using Twitter, it will be widely publicized, and it will hurt Twitters reputation and credibility (as the Craigslist killer has done for CL in my opinion).

One thing Twitter users can do to protect themselves is become more private by protecting their updates, but this defeats the purpose of sharing publicly - something which is key to Twitter's current success. I have already started looking for a Twitter substitute, and plan to curb my usage.

Pay Consultants Promptly, Please

Since I have been out of traditional employment for 3+ months, I have ramped up efforts to do independent consulting work. I have several trusted clients who I have developed rapport with, but with extra time available - I have looked outside this circle of trust for new clients so that I could possibly come close to being able sustain myself financially between traditional employment positions.

Competition for such work is fierce. In order to compete, I price myself reasonably and try to make dealing with me as easy as possible. One such policy I have is not to charge anything upfront, but instead issue quotes for a defined amount of work and then collect on that quote after the work is complete.

Unfortunately, this system of trust does not always work in my favor. It may bring the client to me, but what compels the client to follow through on their commitment to pay (outside of common decency) when the job is completed to satisfaction?

I have had a few situations lately, with new clients, where work is complete but payment is lacking. Asking several times is not only uncomfortable, but brings more empty promises and excuses. I have had to make the decision to cut some of these clients, and still have not received payment. I can only ask so many times, and small claims court would only be a time hog and a 'feel good' victory.

Working and not getting paid is obviously a detriment to any business, but for the independent consultant (IC) it is devastating as this is the bread on my table. As it stands normally, the amount of work for IC's is not consistent month after month and sometimes even honest payments may take as long as a month to come through. The small bill from the non-threatening IC may not be a priority to a business having received the services, but it could very well be the lifeline for the IC.

A friend of mine does website consulting and had some advice for me. He offers hosting in addition to website consulting, so he retains a credit card for the hosting charges:

It helps that we offer hosting and accept credit cards. People are more likely to pay if they know we can shut down their website and accepting credit cards means there's no excuse.

We also require signed contracts and if we don't have a previous relationship with a client, we require a 50% deposit. If a client is flaky, we work off of retainer.

Nothing you can really do about collecting except for being persistent.

I am probably going to have to give up independent consulting, simply b/c I cannot seem to make the income steady enough to support recurring personal bills like mortgage, healthcare, utilities, etc. It is unfortunate, b/c I do enjoy IC work and believe I provide a valuable service to my clients - who may experience some difficulty in having to find and train a replacement.

The message here is to show your appreciation for your independent consultant by paying them promptly. It can sometimes be a thankless job, and to get a prompt payment is the best sign of appreciation you should show. For those who have been consistent with me over the months/years, I appreciate you now more then ever.

Web 2.0 vs Web 3.0

After sending a perspective employer my resume for an open job opportunity, they responded by asking me to answer a few questions via email. This seems to be more common these days as it's happened to me a few times. The next step after sending a resume to an employer used to be a phone interview, but now there seems to be an "email question" phase between the "initial resume" and "phone interview" phases.

Most of the time, the employer is asking for more information about your experience pertaining to the position - however, they sometimes throw in a curve ball question. One employer asked me for a funny story. Another asked me what I've been reading lately. And today I am faced with another curve ball question, one that I have enjoyed thinking about and answering: How would you describe Web2.0 and what is your vision of Web3.0?

Before giving my answer, I of course did some research to see how other people have answered. Of course, there is a lot out there on Web2.0 as it is now a pretty widely used term. To my surprise though, there are not a lot of people (after a quick and simple search) who have tried to define Web3.0. Here is my shot at a definition:

Web 2.0 is the proliferation of interaction between user and web app. Prior to Web 2.0, web applications were a one way street. Web apps posted content for users to view, but there was no way for the user to interact with what they were viewing. People have used Web 2.0 capabilities to build communities and to become more transparent over the Internet.

Web 3.0 is commonly thought to be the process of using the information already provided by users in Web 2.0 applications to create new information. However, I see Web 3.0 differently. I see Web 3.0 as the proliferation of mobile Internet technology. Web 3.0 will be the ability to use the Internet from any location reliably and for this ability to become more accessible to the public.

Part of what has made Web 2.0 applications (for example; Twitter) so popular is the ability to use it from a mobile device. Mobile Internet technology, though, is still “clunky”. It is expensive, it is not available everywhere, it is slow and unreliable, it requires special hardware, and the capabilities are limited compared to that of a laptop or a desktop computer. Web 3.0 will be the widespread availability of the Internet from any location, and where the lines between using the Internet from a mobile device or a “fixed” device are blurred.

I know I dream of a world where I don't have to wait until I get home to my desktop computer and my Internet connection (or walk around looking for wifi with my latop) to do what I need to do. The iPhone doesn't always cut it.

Web 2.0 Map image courtesy of Markus Angermeier (11/11/2005) based on the article "What is Web2.0" written by Tim O'Reilly (9/30/2005).

Update 1/8/10:
Great Web 3.0 slideshows here:
Web 3.0 Concepts Explained in Plain English

a few choice words on SCALPING

It's no secret among people who know me that I like the band, Phish. I came to like them during a very impressionable part of my life (early college), when they were still a bar band. The first time I saw them was at The Haunt in Ithaca, NY in 1990 (The Haunt was on Green Street back then). There couldn't have been more than 200 people there. Today, you can't see them with less than 20,000 people - and it has been incredible to follow them throughout the years and be a part of their growth.

I've always admired their taping policy, which basically allows fans to record shows and trade them for personal use (not for profit). Not many musicians allow this, and this has greatly contributed to their popularity - and the fact that they try to make each show a unique experience. On the same note, they have a "strict" policy on scalping tickets called "A FEW CHOICE WORDS ON SCALPING". It reads:

Phish Tickets has a zero tolerance for scalping and insists that all patrons of our service abide by our policy stated herein. Tickets made available through this site are intended only for fans who are actually planning on attending the shows requested. It is strictly prohibited to resell any tickets obtained through Phish Tickets for more than the purchase price. If you are found to be reselling, trading or brokering tickets that you purchased through our site for profit, Phish Tickets may at its discretion cancel your ticket order and all other pending orders in your name. This cancellation will result in a refund of the total price for the tickets minus a $7.00 per ticket processing fee and any shipping fees that have been incurred with respect to the order. We reserve the right to investigate all orders suspected to be in violation of this policy. (Source)

Before the proliferation of the Internet (and at the most basic level), this may have meant under cover cops posing as fans in the parking lot before a show trying to find someone who will sell them a ticket for over asking price. Today, they have to contend with over the asking price sales of tickets taking place on Craigslist, Ebay, StubHub (just to name a few) months before the event.

My latest experience in trying to obtain tickets the "right" way for the Summer 2009 Tour confirmed; Phish isn't doing nearly enough to prevent scalping. They can spin their wheels all day trying to take down individual ebay auctions or StubHub postings and cancelling people's orders for a mere $7 penalty - but being so reactive is a complete waste of time and barely makes a dent on the problem. Phish needs to find a way to sell tickets so that more people who actually intend on going to the show are the ones receiving the tickets.

I did everything right to get tickets to some summer tour shows:

1. I ordered via pre-order and followed the rules. My order was for the number of tickets I actually needed. Result? DENIED.
2. I waited to the exact second that tickets went on sale to the public and tried via phone AND internet to order. Result? DENIED.

I can go on about how both TicketMaster and LiveNation do not have sufficent web applications that can handle the demand of selling for a show that sells out in 5 mins (It was a HORRIBLE website sales experience full of errors). Phish should just completely eliminate allowing TicketMaster and LiveNation to sell tickets - b/c they clearly can't handle the load on their websites. I digress though...

So after being denied tickets by the legitimate avenues, I of course had no problem buying tickets for DOUBLE the face value on StubHub. There were hundreds of tickets available on StubHub for double and I had no problem ordering, but I could not not obtain a signle ticket through the legitimate channel - and I'm the target audience!!! (a fan doing everything right). What's wrong with this picture?

I sent Phish an email expressing my displeasure with their ticketing process (Here's someone else who did the same thing). This was their response:

Dear Fan,
We are aware that tickets to the Hampton shows are being resold on EBAY, StubHub, Tickets.com, etc. We went to great lengths to cancel any suspect or fraudulent ticket requests before the successful orders were selected.
Now that the ticket request period is over and the public on-sale has commenced, we cannot confirm the source of a given auction.

Please understand that the only way to eliminate scalping is to simply not cooperate with it.

Sincerely,
Phish Ticketing Customer Service Dept

So this means, Phish, that you were basically reactive to the problem. You are just chipping away at the top of an iceberg. How about thinking of a proactive solution to prevent so many tickets going to scalpers to begin with? Check out how FIFA sells tickets for the World Cup. Eliminate TicketMaster, LiveNation, and the like.

Also, your advice that the "only way to eliminate scalping is to simply not cooperate with it" is noble. I have never sold a Phish ticket for more than the face value. But now that I am left without a ticket myself, does that mean I should BOYCOTT the shows? Does this mean I should just give up and not go? What if everyone did that? Then what you'd have, dear Phish, is a CANCELED TOUR because there would be tons of tickets on sale for double the price (or more) and no one going to the shows!

Scalping has become the backbone of the Phish ticket sales process! What is Phish going to do about it? (other than cancel people's orders, refund money, and penalize $7 - oohh big deal).

Extra Green for Being Green?

Ok, it's soap box time. Why do some businesses charge a "green fee" for being environmentally friendly? It is such a bogus fee. They are passing on the cost of doing business the way they SHOULD be doing business to the consumer. I know there are some music festivals, in particular, that you could add a fee to the already over taxed ticket price to "green up" your experience. So if I don't pay the fee, then they will not be green about running the event?

My experience at the Sundance Kabuki movie theater on Fillmore/Geary in San Francisco last night got me started. They charged me a $3 per ticket "amenities fee" (and on top of that they have a complicated pricing structure for the fee depending on when you are there - ??? - as if time of day makes a difference?).

When inquired about it, and also posted on their website, the fee is because they used recycled materials in building the theaters, and because they use real butter on their popcorn, and because they use compostable materials at their concessions, among others. That's all great, but that is what they SHOULD be doing. Why do I have to pay an extra fee for it? They say it is because they are providing me with a "superior experience", but they should be doing that without the extra fee. So without the fee I would be getting an "unsuperior experience"? (Read the "Our Amenities" section on their website for their reasoning)

Do it like any other business and work your costs into the price of your product. If you truly have a superior product, people will continue to come back. Don't do the right thing, and then charge an extra and added fee for it!

I sent them an email expressing my displeasure about it. If I get a response, I will post it.