The Strange Case of the Shocker

Grok Headline matches for The Strange Case of the Shocker

Update on the Strange SCO Case

Update on the Strange SCO Case 03/14/2003 01:02 PM
Eric Raymond is preparing an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief for the SCO case. Some highlights:

Strange Bedfellows in E-Mail Case

Strange Bedfellows in E-Mail Case 09/04/2004 04:59 AM
Civil liberties groups join the Department of Justice to protest a ruling that said ISPs can freely monitor e-mail. By Ryan Singel.

The Strange Case of the Karmic Bus
Ticket Machines...

The Strange Case of the Karmic Bus
Ticket Machines... 11/02/2003 06:29 PM

Central London's bus routes have a new feature - small machines that you buy tickets from before you can embark. They have two particularly interesting features. Firstly they are the least well-designed / usable ticket machines I've ever seen, with buttons that you have to press before you play cunningly placed about half a foot below the place where you put the money in. So you see loads of people putting in money and then pressing buttons and looking a bit blank. They form in little clots around the machines making it impossible to get a ticket before the bus moves off. The other feature of these accursed machines is that it's easy for people to game. Every single machine I use is clogged up with money at least twice a week. The reason? There's a guy who roams up and down Oxford Street, putting in sticking/clogging substances into the pay slot, waiting for the money to build up and then coming along later and harvesting the machines of lovely lovely cash. I have lost several pounds to this nefarious prankster. He is ... objectionable ... in my sight...

Anyway - yesterday I got to the bus stop, put in a pound, pressed the button (wrong order again, dammit, bloody machines), then pressed the button and put the pound back in again. Nothing. So I pressed the 'eject money' button. Nothing. So I thumped it with my fist... And jackpot! Five shiny pounds clang down into the tray at the bottom. I am rich! My bus ticket karma is strong and I have been rewarded!

One stop later and the world finds equilibrium. Two people get on the bus without tickets. They want to get off again and buy tickets while the bus waits. The bus driver is understandably cross and refuses to let them do this as the ticket machine process is long and complex. They refuse to get out. Everyone on the bus shouts at them. Even I shout at them which is a surprise (I don't shout at people much in public - only at the infestation of charity workers that colonise Central London). But they won't get off. They say they've been waiting for half an hour. Everyone on the bus says they were waiting for half an hour too thank you very much. After ten minutes of stand-off, I get off the bus, buy them both tickets, thrust them in their hands, give them a piece of my mind about their behaviour (I'm becoming my mother) and sit down again on my seat. But they throw their tickets on the floor, the bus driver refuses to let them stay on board, the police arrive and then finally the police drag them off. At the next stop, almost exactly the same thing happens again! Again! Would you believe it! Only this time I'm wise to their tricks. No buying people tickets for no good reason for me... Oooooh no...

And so we see the great karmic network at work. For my extra four pounds that appeared from nowhere, I must pay two back and suffer nearly half an hour in delays. The world is a complex, intricate, designed place. And those bloody bus ticket machines are right at the heart of it...

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The Strange Case of the Disappearing
Open Source Vendors

The Strange Case of the Disappearing
Open Source Vendors 07/05/2002 02:32 AM
At the same time that many open source vendors have stumbled, though, the acceptance of open source has gone through the roof. And it is here that we can see the true significance of the Sherlock Holmes story with which I began this piece: the dog did nothing because it was the owner of the dog who came in during the night.

Open source is ultimately about empowering users, not vendors. -- Tim O'Reilly

"zeldman.logical"

Re: Strange Java Loader (not so strange
- Trojan.ByteVerify)

Re: Strange Java Loader (not so strange
- Trojan.ByteVerify) 12/30/2004 09:51 PM
K-OTiK Security (Dec 30 2004)

Shocker: E-Bay to Buy Pay Pal

Shocker: E-Bay to Buy Pay Pal 07/08/2002 08:42 AM
"Reuters: eBay said it will swap 0.39 eBay share for each PayPal share. The deal values PayPal at about $23.61 per share based on eBays closing Nasdaq stock price on Friday of $60.55. "

gawker shocker!

gawker shocker! 01/08/2004 08:11 PM
the feds are trying to find out who tipped off choire. I'll visit you in prison, my friend!

RFH: Battery shocker

RFH: Battery shocker 11/25/2003 10:32 PM
[RFH= Request for Help] I bought a big, fat Sony lithium-ion battery (NP-FS21) for my digital video camera two years ago. Now, after fairly minimal use, it's dead, Jim. When I plug it into the recharger, the charge light comes on for about 15 seconds. The thing just doesn't take a charge. Any ideas about how to regenerate it? Failing that, does anyone have any recommendations for offbrand batteries that actually work from vendors who don't suck?...

Shocker: DVR Users Use DVR Functionality

Shocker: DVR Users Use DVR Functionality 06/17/2004 08:53 PM
It turns out, believe it or not, that people who have DVR devices like TiVo actually (gasp!) dare to use them to watch TV when they want to. The writer of this article about a study on DVR usage sounds surprised that people who own them don't tend to watch TV programs when they air, but prefer to wait, even if just to be able to skip commercials. Of course, while TiVo users may see more ads as they fast forward through them, it does sound like plenty of users do still end up watching ads. It's just that they're more picky about them. 38% of users do say they fast forward through all the ads they see, but that still leaves plenty who don't. However, it seems pretty clear that the ads need to at least get their attention. People are no longer passive consumers of media. That doesn't mean that video-based ads are dead, but just that they need to get more creative.

Creative bath ad shocker

Creative bath ad shocker 04/22/2004 06:33 AM
Letters Readers dead angry

Swastika still controversial, shocker

Swastika still controversial, shocker 02/18/2004 04:12 PM
Letters: A opinion or ten from El Reg's postbag

Cisco's Job Shocker (washingtonpost.com)

Cisco's Job Shocker (washingtonpost.com) 05/12/2004 12:45 PM
washingtonpost.com - Silicon Valley, prepare for an earthquake.

Shocker: Cameraphone Photos Not Printed

Shocker: Cameraphone Photos Not Printed 12/28/2004 02:51 PM
Apparently printer makers are freaking out that, even as cameraphone popularity grows, no one is actually printing out cameraphone photos. Of course, in reading this, it seems like they're skipping a step. Are people printing out any digital camera photos, whether or not they're from cameraphones? While some people definitely do, plenty of people (especially of the younger generations who are more likely to jump on the cameraphone bandwagon) are probably perfectly happy in most cases to simply store their photos online for viewing. Printing out photos seems sort of archaic. Trying to convince people to print them out, as the printer makers are apparently doing, seems sort of pointless. It's like convincing new automobile owners that they should hook up a horse to pull the vehicle.

Shocker: People Don't Think They Should
Be Sued For Downloading

Shocker: People Don't Think They Should
Be Sued For Downloading 06/29/2004 09:49 PM
A new study shows that completely unsurprising results that most people don't think the RIAA should be suing people for downloading. While the majority of those over 55 had no problem with the lawsuits, under that age barrier they felt the RIAA was going too far. Of course, the RIAA lawsuits are not about downloading. Every one of the lawsuits so far have been about offering songs (i.e., potentially uploading songs) rather than the actual downloading of songs. Still, it certainly suggests that people are getting fed up with the RIAA's heavy handed tactics.

Yesterday's Shocker Is Today's Must Read

Yesterday's Shocker Is Today's Must Read 09/10/2004 08:50 AM
The formerly outré, freaky and unthinkable now constitute business as usual in popular culture. And these have become outright selling points for books that eagerly capitalize on their kinks.

Sun delivers Unix shocker with DTrace

Sun delivers Unix shocker with DTrace 07/08/2004 05:22 PM
Analysis It slices, it dices, it spins, it whirls

Shocker: Spammers Don't Protect Privacy
Of Buyers

Shocker: Spammers Don't Protect Privacy
Of Buyers 03/19/2005 03:17 AM
There are more stories every day about various companies not doing an adequate job protecting people's privacy. However, at least those companies act like they wanted to keep the data private. At the other end of the extreme are spammers, who are gleefully s elling all of the private info they have collected from those ignor ant people who buy from spam. There are, of course, those who believe that anyone stupid enough to buy from a spammer deserves whatever else happens to them, but it's unlikely those people realize that their data is getting passed around. While the old wisdom was that people who bought from spammers had just their email addresses put on "suckers lists" that got sold around, today's spammers are giving up all sorts of info, including "home addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, Internet protocol (IP) addresses, and prescription histories." One more reason (as if you needed any more) to avoid buying from spam. That last link also includes the idea that any time a spammer is successfully caught -- anyone who bought from that spammer should be publicly humiliated. Might be one way to cut down on spam buyers -- though, probably not a particularly legal one.

Shocker: Study Shows No One Keeps Your
Data Secure

Shocker: Study Shows No One Keeps Your
Data Secure 03/29/2005 02:05 PM
In what was either a well-timed release, or a hastily put together study, one research group has released a study saying that most companies don't do a very good job protecting your private info. Given the number of stories coming out over the past couple of months about companies leaking your data, this seems like a "well, duh" sort of study. Financial service firms, retailers and insurance firms were apparently "the worst" at keeping your data private -- which might make you wonder who's left who's actually good at protecting your data? According to the article, it turns out that it's airlines and travel companies who tend to be better at keeping your data private -- but apparently that all goes out the window when the government comes calling. Basically, if you hadn't realized it by now, you should know that your data is out there, and you pretty much have no control over it at all. Realizing that, it makes the entire idea of being able to watch back make a lot more sense.

Labour MP backs Captain Cyborg shocker

Labour MP backs Captain Cyborg shocker 03/24/2005 08:28 AM
Vote Tory before it's too late

Cable, telcos face Internet shocker

Cable, telcos face Internet shocker 08/09/2004 04:21 AM
National Post Aug 9 2004 8:46AM GMT

Arbitron shocker: Franken beats Limbaugh

Arbitron shocker: Franken beats Limbaugh 06/01/2004 10:38 AM

Shocker: Entertainment Industry Worried
About File Sharing

Shocker: Entertainment Industry Worried
About File Sharing 01/04/2005 03:17 PM
In what may be the most pointless study done in quite some time, a research firm has determined that (no! really?!?) entertainment industry executives are worried about "digital piracy." The study also found that many feel it's already impacting their bottom line. Of course, what it doesn't say is that just because they're afraid of something, doesn't mean it's bad. This is the same industry that was once deathly afraid of the VCR and claimed it would completely destroy the movie industry -- when it actually revived an industry that was in trouble. Also, just because something impacts your bottom line, it doesn't mean it's bad. The automobile business impacted the horse and buggy industry, but most people realized that was a good thing in the long run. If the horse and buggy makers had realized they were in the "transportation business" and not the "horse and buggy business," they would have made out better. All it means is that the companies impacted need to learn to adjust to the changes they face in the market. So far, however, the entertainment industry hasn't shown the ability to do that with these latest changes. Instead of realizing what the "entertainment industry" really means, executives think that they're in the business of selling content on a specific medium (CDs, film etc.) rather than realizing that what they can provide encompasses a much broader picture, which opens up many new opportunities, beyond just selling individual units.

UK study shocker: "18" ratings not
keeping games from kids

UK study shocker: "18" ratings not
keeping games from kids 06/24/2005 03:33 PM
A study shows that parents know about age ratings for games, but they're not using them to make decisions about what kids play. The kids also know about the ratings, and they are taking them into consideration.

Shocker: Digital Files Easier To Find
Than Paper

Shocker: Digital Files Easier To Find
Than Paper 09/01/2004 03:14 PM
While it is true that the paperless office is someth ing of a joke that doesn't mean there aren't advantages to digital copies of things. In what might be the most obvious study seen this week (it's actually scary how big the competition is for this award), a new study has found that it's easier to misfile paper than digital documents. This should be completely surprising to the three or four people in the world who have not yet discovered the ability to "search" on a computer.

Shocker: People Realize That Internet
Affairs Are Damaging

Shocker: People Realize That Internet
Affairs Are Damaging 04/19/2004 04:15 AM
For those who didn't yet figure it out, even an online "affair" can damage a relationship. That's what a new study says, though, I question the methodology. They study was only conducted with students who may have a fairly different definition of what constitutes a relationship than those out of college and in the working world. Still, as the study shows, even those who don't necessarily think of an online affair as "cheating," most still realize that it would hurt their partner to know about it. It seems pretty obvious that if something you're doing would hurt your partner that it's probably not going to do much good for the relationship.

Shocker: Online Breast Enhancement
Solution May Be Fake

Shocker: Online Breast Enhancement
Solution May Be Fake 07/01/2004 01:49 PM
Well, it was the obvious next step after someone tried to sue penis pill internet marketers for misleading claims. Now, the Washington state Attorney General's Office is suing a company offering "breast enhancement" solutions online. What amazes me is that anyone actually believes these companies in the first place. The AG's office noted that the company talked about clinical tests that (surprise, surprise) didn't exist, lies concerning FDA approval of the products, and lies about the fact about whether the pills contained hormones. They're also going to go through the (most likely made up) "testimonials" and try to determine whether or not they're true. Anyway, I'm sure someone else has already opened up an identical site somewhere else.

Shocker: More People Prefer Online Car
Sales To Dealing With Dealers

Shocker: More People Prefer Online Car
Sales To Dealing With Dealers 04/11/2005 03:31 PM
Can you possibly imagine that people wouldn't like going in to car dealers and buying cars from a profession that seems to be defined by its own sleaze? Indeed, it appears that the less sleaze-inducing internet route for buying cars is picking up steam -- with plenty of car purchases originating online. Also, person-to-person car sales have been increasing as the internet has aided that process, and cut out the need for dealers to broker those types of sales. Meanwhile, fewer people seem to be going to the old newspaper classified section to find out about car deals, as it just doesn't seem efficient any more. The car sellers are looking elsewhere and car buyers prefer going online and avoiding dealers as much as possible as well.

Shocker: People Realize That Mobile
Carriers Won't Make Money From Music

Shocker: People Realize That Mobile
Carriers Won't Make Money From Music 04/15/2005 04:49 AM
For quite some time, a bunch of folks have been pointing out that the mobile phone operators are being somewhat idiotic in their belief that they they can be music and media moguls. They got this idea in their head once ringtones started to take off, and rather than thinking they might just be a fad, both the music industry and the mobile operators start drooling over how much money they think they're going to make -- when neither of them seem to actually understand the other's business very much. While the theme of the last few months in the mobile world seemed to be unquestioned acceptance that "content is king" it appears the backlash is starting, as even the folks at Business Week are realizing the mobile operators will never make much money by selling music directly. The article points out what everyone always seems to forget. Even for Apple, the clear leader in selling music online, selli ng music is a loss leader. In other words, the carriers would do better to team up with someone (such as Apple) to handle selling music, and they should just be happy with the increased usage. Of course, instead of that, the operators are complaining that iTune s on phones will take revenue away from them. And, of course, this doesn't even touch on issues like network over-capacity and the fact that people don't want different music services on their phones and on their computers. Between the recording industry and the mobile operators, about the only thing you can bet on is that both industries' short term greed, and total lack of understanding of what users want, is likely to screw up any offerings for quite a few years.

"Kerry Photo Shocker: Candidate Teamed
Up With 'Hanoi' Jane Fonda"

"Kerry Photo Shocker: Candidate Teamed
Up With 'Hanoi' Jane Fonda" 02/11/2004 03:46 AM

We all need a little strange sometimes

We all need a little strange sometimes 11/17/2003 07:48 PM
Laura’s Blog .. RockerGirl .. Laura

rockergirl.zapto.org
track this site | 9 links

Nothing So Strange

Nothing So Strange 01/07/2004 07:04 PM
Nothing So Strange is an excellent movie on numerous levels. On one level, its a straightforward documentary of one group?s?

the law + sex = strange bedfellows

the law + sex = strange bedfellows 07/21/2004 04:40 PM
How does same sex marriage differ from heterosexual marriage? It may really be until death do us part. or Awkward things happen when legislative debate trails judicial necessity.

Strange Attractores

Strange Attractores 09/06/2004 12:12 AM
Strange Attractors ~ 12 independent animators from Australia have set up a showcase of animated films. (via Cartoon Brew)

new strange worm

new strange worm 04/13/2004 12:43 AM
Alex Gen (Apr 12 2004)

Strange Dolls

Strange Dolls 03/30/2005 07:38 AM
Strange Dolls

strangedolls.net
track this site | 4 links

Strange names are okay

Strange names are okay 05/01/2004 03:23 AM

I got an email from a friend asking if "RSS" is really the best name for the activity of creating and reading XML-based news feeds. I think it is, because if there was only going to be one name for the activity, RSS would have to be it. I can prove it. Suppose you call it XYZ and convince some people to call it that. Then some people will call it RSS and other people will call it XYZ. Unless you can convince everyone to change, which is a very hard thing to do, you're going to have two names for one thing, which is more than twice as confusing as one name.

An example. I use a GSM phone in Europe. I even met the people who designed it. I have absolutely no idea what it stands for and I don't need or want to know.

Another example. In Germany the high speed trains are called ICE. When I got on my first train, the American than I am, I called it an ice-train. The conductor explained that it's an acronym. I-C-E. What does it stand for? Inter City Express. This in a country where the first and only language is German. An English acronym is the name of their high speed rail system, one that they are justifiably proud of.

All around us are things which have incomprehensible names. Eventually that fades into the background and they become new words in our common vocabulary, familiar and happy. Like TV. What is that short for? Tele Vision. What the hell does that mean?

One more. Read the title of this section. Okay. Now think about that for a minute. It's a fairly universal cross-language word for "got it." We all say okay all the time. It's an acronym, right? What is it an acronym for? I bet you'll be surprised.

strange reaction

strange reaction 04/15/2005 04:23 PM
Strange Reaction is a music blog that serves up mp3s from obscure and out of print old school punk records. Don't miss The Damned on John Peel, Bad Brain's first 7", and T he Neon Boys (pre-Television Richard Hell and Tom Verlaine!).

The internet is strange

The internet is strange 09/03/2004 06:18 AM
T his guy complains that his dog's blog gets more hits than his own blog.

Well, the dog blog is written in dog. And on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog... So obviously, there must be a lot of dogs about. More than you might think.

Ruff, ruff ruff ruff ruff. Ruff ruff ruff ruff, ruff ruff ruff ruff ruff.

Ja sama suomeksi: hau, vuh vuh vuh vuh. Vuh hau, grrr vuh vuh.

Strange alliance

Strange alliance 07/09/2004 08:34 AM
Why is Rupert Murdoch's media empire publishing Ralph Nader's latest tome?
Grok Description matches for The Strange Case of the Shocker
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The Strange Case of the Shocker

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