Recursive

Author: jezmck

  • BBC Homepage Beta Using jQuery

    The BBC Beta Homepage is using jQuery, but unfortunately it’s ugly.

    I should qualify that – I think it’s a good move to make the homepage more personalisable, but does it have to look so Web2.0?
    Big text was a fad a year ago, but it’s too informal for an internationally recognised and respected news source, and it makes it look so childish – I dread to think what the new CBBC sites would look like!

    I realise this is only a beta, and may well change considerably, but without a bit of a shrink I won’t be likely to use it as a homepage tab.

  • BT (‘British’ Tele-extortion) Woes

    BT have me in a head-lock.

    I get my phone and broadband service from them, and am charged, on average, £30 per month.
    This is not overly excessive, but I wanted to reduce it somehow, since I’ve been made better offers by Virgin Media.

    After digging through the website after looking at my online (paperfree) bill, I eventually find a number. (The usual 0800 800 150).
    On calling this number I’m asked by the automated system whether I’m calling from the phone[line] I wish to talk about.
    I am, and press ‘1’ to indicate as such. (The alternative is to enter the phone number.)
    So why am I asked for that number every bleeding time I actually talk to a real human being?

    I’m then asked for my account number for ID verification (though they are loathe to admit that’s why), oh, and my name and my address and postcode. (All of which are on the bill, so anyone who can intercept my bill can claim to be me.)

    So, who do I speak with? Various people in India, that well-known British territory.
    Is that why they can’t see my phone number, because they’re on some crappy-quality network 5000 miles away?

    After explaining the reason for my call I’m told all the things I already know, the total cost of my last bill etc., and I have to suggest that we look into changing my broadband package. Oh no, that means I have to be put through to another department! Okay, fine, just get on with it.
    “Welcome to BT. Your call may be recorded…” … “If you’re calling from the phone you wish to talk about…” Argh!

    I give all my details again, and am eventually told that I might be better of upgrading my broadband package to avoid a repeat of “your recent email” notifying me that I went over my 8GB limit. That was about 6 months ago.

    Can I just cancel my account? “Yes, but you’ll be charged the cancellation fee.”
    Not actually a fee, just the whole bill (minus call charges) for the remainder of the contract, which is until August ’08.

    Oh bugger.

  • 3 / Skype Marketing Technique

    I was recently contacted by Matt of 3mobilebuzz.com and offered the chance to trial a pair of 3 (the network) Skype
    (the VoIP company) mobile phones (3skypephone.com) for a month. (No obligation to do anything, other than the mention of returning them after a month.)

    I thought it was an interesting marketing ploy – it seems very generous, but is probably not actually particularly expensive to such large companies.
    I also thought it seemed a little risky – how many people will return the phones? How many people will actually generate any hype, and will it be positive?

    The first link above will show that the scheme has been going for some time already and world-wide – highlighting one of the benefits of calls made using VoIP (i.e. via the internet).
    You can also see that they’re being fair with the selection of linked blog articles – some have negative points about the phone.

    I’m not going to review the phone itself since many others have done that already, unless enough people leave comments here.

  • JavaScript Bug – Modulo of small numbers

    It seems that there is a problem with the modulo function, ‘%’, in JavaScript.

    For example: 10 % 0.1 should equate to zero but comes out as 0.09999999999999945 probably due to some internal floating-point rounding errors.

    Easy solution (a hack really): Multiply both numbers by 1000 before using the modulo function.

  • Recursive Moved Itself

    The highly observant amongst you may have noticed that I have moved this blog to my personal domain, jezmckean.com.
    You should have been brought to this domain automatically, and I hope to fix the multitude of links online, but need the automatic move for those I can’t fix.
    I’ve done this because I’m working to separate my freelance business, jazzle.co.uk, from my personal stuff.

    Eventually, the blog subdomain at jazzle will be replaced with a work related one.

  • Baby Clothes & Gifts

    Some online companies have fantastic customer service and deserve to be mentioned.

    The latest of these I’ve dealt with is LouLouBee, who I contacted after discovering they are one of just two UK companies who sell Wry Baby products. (The other was very slow to respond and only stocked one item anyway.)

    LouLouBee were so friendly when I contacted them, asking for a particular product, and then again when I realised I’d made a mistake when ordering. I was even given some discount codes (which I gave to a work colleague) after I thanked them for being so helpful.

  • Rename Terrorism

    If only [tag]terrorism[/tag] were renamed to ‘mild trepidation-ism‘ it wouldn’t be so effective.

    Fortunately, I live in the [tag]UK[/tag], [tag]England[/tag] specifically, where our stiff-upper-lip-ed-ness prevents us from being too affected by [tag]terrorist[/tag] attacks.
    It’s only when services are damaged that the country is really slowed.

    Clearly there are some who unfortunately bear the brunt, often physically, in these attacks. Life for them, and their family and friends, may well be permanently changed.
    But we have to put things in perspective: many many more people are killed by smoking than by terrorists in the UK; many more people are injured in simple DIY accidents than by terrorists. So why be so scared of it?

    Being terrified by such a slim statistic is no way to live a life.

    Calling it ‘Terrorism’ only serves to make it more powerful.

  • ‘Groovy Dancing Girl’ Video

    Awesome, great music too.

    EDIT:

  • Why I might leave my bank: The NatWest Card Reader

    Update, over 10 years later… I didn’t switch.

    nwcardreader.jpgI have received in the post a Card Reader from NatWest.

    They have designed this device to beef up the security around the (excellent btw) online banking.

    The flaw? The fact that we will eventually have to take the damn thing everywhere you go. And the card of course.

    The whole point of online banking is, afaiac, the fact that you can use it anywhere. Now we will only be able to use it IF we have the card reader with us, IF we have the card with us, and IF it actually works. And IF the battery isn’t dead.

    I regularly use NWOLB at home and at work, so what do they suggest? “You could use someone else’s.” Well that’s just stupid.

    Further issues:

    • I have two accounts with NatWest, both of which are accessible with the same login credentials. However, only one of those accounts has a card new enough to use this card reader. When will I therefore be forced to start using the card reader? I don’t know, but I expect that they will send me a new card (meaning my saved card details at various sites will have to be updated) and probably another card reader.
    • nwcardreaderpackaging.jpgThe amount of plastic, cardboard and paper used to send the card reader is shameful. From the outside in: Plastic postage bag, cardboard box, plastic tray, cardboard box (again), bubble-wrap, plastic bag.
    • It is my joint account which is ready for the card reader, but the other holder (the gf) wasn’t informed, and certainly wasn’t provided with a reader. She has also used NWOLB from work, so that’s four places we already use the service, i.e. three places we now won’t be able unless we carry this thing with us. Which we obviously can’t both do.

    I am happy to pay the few extra pennies it would take to cover the fraud that this device might prevent.
    I am happy to take the risk that it is my account that is compromised if they just abandon this daft device.

    I am genuinely considering moving to another bank if this reader turns out to be compulsory.

  • Ticketmaster Rip Off!

    I just bought tickets for me and the gf to see Jimmy Carr in June.
    £18.50 each, seems okay.

    Total cost once Ticketmaster have added excessive fees and exorbitant postal charges: £46.75!
    That’s an extra 25%. Absurd, but we have no choice.

    UPDATE: Jimmy Carr was great! I even got a laugh myself when I called something out. (Audience participation was encouraged btw!)