Beta Download Fiasco is Another Shot in the Foot For M$
There is just so much coverage of this; and it’s being updated so much, that this blog is unable to stay up to date with events. What I’m going to do, therefore, is link to other sites that have commentaries along with regular updates on the state of play: -
Some sources are suggesting that distribution by BitTorrent would have been an effective solution to the problem. Whatever might have been; with a vast number of "server too busy" messages; Microsoft have failed again due to their under-performance and lack of foresight. Judging by some of the comments I see; it appears that the Softies have just shot themselves in the foot again.
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Microsoft Set to Let the Cat out of the Bag Re. Windows 7
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Microsoft says that it will be giving us a primary view of Windows 7 in October: It will be providing concise technical previews at the Professional Developers Conference on 27 October and also at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference taking place in the first week of September.
Microsoft is reported to be taking an “open and honest” approach to the operating system’s developments; unlike it did with Vista which was cloaked in secrecy and hit an unprepared market. Maybe the softies learned something from the disaster they called Vista? This time round they’re taking an open discussion approach to get as much feedback as they can before the next chapter of the Microsoft o/s saga is released: So much so, in fact, that they even have an Engineering Windows 7 blog.
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In contrast to the Vista fiasco, this time they seem to be taking a different approach with Windows 7, in order to make sure that there is a reasonable degree of confidence in the product.
Windows 7 is expected to be released in 2010; although it would make more sense to release it in November 2009 in time for the holiday season in my opinion.
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Blunder Telecommunications
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Here’s another moan about BT: The British face of Indian incompetence; or should that read the Indian face of British incompetence? :
BT, for those not in the know, are British Telecommunications; a multinational conglomerate which centres its’ operations here in the UK. Years ago BT took the British telephone network over from the Post Office Telecommunications department and had a monopoly for some years, until the rise of Mercury Communications in 1995 following deregulation of telecommunications services. Mercury tried to be as big as BT but cheaper from the off – And went bust. Following further deregulation and an independent enquiry from the Monopolies and Mergers Commission into unfair monopolisation and anti-competitiveness by BT, the telecommunications giant was forced to share its exchanges and equipment with other upcoming telecommunications companies; hence the many ISPs and phone services around in the UK today. If you read the article “BT and the 150 Fuckwits“; you’ll realise that BT aren’t my favourite cup of tea right now. Nevertheless I still use BT as my ISP and phone-line* provider because things rarely go wrong, since in essence they built the modern UK telephone network and know it inside-out. (* I use 18185.co.uk for calls.) On the rare occasions that things do go wrong, however, it’s usually at the most inopportune moment and it’s nearly impossible to get any sense out of the Indian at a call-centre in India on the other end of the phone; unless you happen to get one who is experienced in speaking English and has a technical background: Unusual circumstances, but it has happened. -So you can imagine how unbelievably pissed-off I was when right in the middle of a PC Mech online meeting, early this morning in the UK; my internet connection failed, and everything; pictures from Florida and IRC, vanished into a greyed-out window. My BT Home Hub router was displaying signs that it wasn’t getting a signal. (The Broadband light was flashing fast orange while the Wireless and Power lights were a stable green.) I checked my own wiring between the BT phone socket and the computer – Which was all fine. Forgetting the BT Broadband Desktop Help software I had installed I instead made the mistake of phoning BT: Ten minutes later when I had negotiated the series of complicated menus I was told that the team was available between the hours of … But if I needed technical assistance; phone 0800 800 …. After another puzzling set of menus I finally got through to … an Indian with a strong accent who spent the next 15 minutes verifying my identity: Now to be helpful I always; within the first few sentences, state my name, account number, etc. This guy was a product of the job though; a biological answering machine: He asked me for all my details including name, account number, etc, again. He then instructed me to bring up the router’s control panel by typing in the router’s ip address, which I did. We then went through every different way to try to make the router connect to something, without success. He then got me to check my wiring again; which I did with a continuity tester, and then he had me taking the BT socket apart and connecting directly to the phone line itself. Now I’m a geekette, and a computer-builder, as well as a blogger, so I always have a small flat-headed screwdriver lying around somewhere; but how many other people actually do same? Not a lot. He seemed to take it for granted, however, that all BT customers have a basic toolkit to hand at all times, and have at least some technical know-how….Anyway the result of this was that the situation stayed the same. He said he was going to test my line and would have to ring me on another line, so I gave him my business line number and as soon as I hung up I popped a new ADSL filter module in circuit just to be on the safe side. I waited an hour and phoned again. This time a non-English-speaking technically-illiterate Indian picked up the phone, went all through the identity-verification process, asking me to repeat everything at least once, and tried to start the entire process of faultfinding from the very beginning again. Eventually I got him to read the notes from the previous encounter, and he calmed down and said that a fault had been detected either on the line or at the exchange, and that my connection would be restored within the next 48 hours. 48 hours without internet! Just as I began to see red I remembered the BT Broadband Desktop Help software that I had installed on my computer and activated it while I was still trying to translate the representative’s further words into something intelligible and getting him to understand what I was saying. The software said that I had no internet connection because the router needed resetting by pressing the reset button on the side of the hardware unit for 10 seconds and then releasing it. I told the Indian this but he wasn’t programmed to respond in that area and couldn’t understand what I was saying. He then denied that my software existed; even though it was provided by BT, following which he started repeating over and over that my connection would be restored within 48 hours. I fobbed the idiot off that he was 100% right and thanked him for his “help” before hanging up. It was then that I did what I should have done in the first place: I held the reset button in for 10 seconds and released it, clicked the connect button that appeared on the screen, and… connection restored. Target neutralised. It was now 5:35 AM, and I’d wasted sleeping time talking to incompetent idiots and tying to solve a fault their way that I eventually solved in less than a minute with the correct way. - So BT users in the UK: If your internet dies suddenly, don’t phone BT, especially outside of office hours. Instead run the BT Broadband Desktop help module that you probably have installed on your computer: If you don’t have it installed you can download it HERE. Set it up while your computer and internet are running normally. – Yes I know the software used to be as much help as the Indian; but it’s now been vastly improved and is a great diagnostic tool for BT internet users only: Use it; rather than the Indian pillock you’ll most likely get on the other end of the phone – It’ll save you much time and effort. |
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BT and the 150 Fuckwits
| Yesterday I made a bit of a boob: I was attempting to alter a Direct Debit to BT because I was paying too much, and to cut a long story short I ended up accidentally cancelling the Direct Debit instruction instead. With most companies this wouldn’t have caused too much of a problem; but this was BT: Incompetence unlimited. |
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| I called their Freephone 150 number on my BT line and was instantly put through to… India!”I am velly solly if you were kept waiting for a long time.” Came a voice. “I am Bruhpuhindasta Muszxhyfkjprtnfs [That sounds too Polish...OK whatever...] and you’re through to BT. How may I help you?”"Hi.” I replied “My name’s Sharron Field. Account number… and yesterday I accidentally cancelled my Direct Debit instruction…”"Can I have your account number please.” She interrupted.”I just gave you that” I retorted “Oh well, no points for observance. Here it is again…”"Thank you; and can I have the name on the account.” She continued.”Yes my name is…”
“Is that the name on the account?” She asked. “Well if it’s anything else I’ll get free telephone calls.” I replied. “OK; and can I take your name please?” She asked. “Oh for.. OK Listen very carefully: I shall say this only once.” I was starting to get annoyed. “My name is Sharron Field. MY account number is *********. The name on the account is my name. Capiche?” “I am solly could you repeat that please.” I checked my blood which was rising up from my body to my head. “No I won’t say it a third time.” I stated forcefully. “I cannot help you unless I have your details.” She said. “I can’t give you my details because you’re not listening.” I replied “Are you intending to pay me for my time that you’re wasting?” “Hold on a minute please – Please be on the line – I am going to hand you over to my colleague.” Another two minutes passed; I could hear a lot of Urdu being spoken. Eventually a different woman’s voice sounded: “I am sorry about that.” She said. “My name is Bhruphiada Harinami [Another made-up Indian sounding name, but you honestly don't expect me to remember the real names do you?] and you are again through to BT. May I take your name please?” I was starting to give up hope. “Please do me a favour and write this down.” I noticed the anxiety in my own voice. “I don’t care if I have to speak to everyone in India before someone understands me; but I don’t intend to answer the same questions every time. My name is Sharron Field: That’s Sharron with 2 “R”s.” “How do you spell that please?” – I felt the words “Fuck” and “off” forming in my mouth, but somehow restrained myself. I spelled out my name; in phonetics just to be on the safe side, as I knew the Indian staff were trained in phonetics by BT, and I also gave my account number again in an extremely pissed-off voice when asked. After 5 minutes I’d answered the same 2 questions 4 times and got nowhere. Progress was imminent or I was going to be ending the call and making a complaint I decided. “How may I assist you today Miss Field?” She asked. YES! I was getting through at last! I explained that I’d accidentally cancelled my Direct Debiting instruction and that to set it up again I needed the details of the account that I should pay in to. “You want to set up a Direct Debit?” She asked. AARRRGH! I was becoming rapidly annoyed. I explained again. “You want the details of your account?” She asked. I bit my tongue. It was quite obvious that I wasn’t going to get anywhere like this; so I changed tack: “No no no. Forget it.” I said “Start again. I’m now setting up a Direct Debit on my computer via Internet Banking, OK. I have all the details I need except that I need to know which account to pay in to.” “I’m not sure.” Came the reply. “I will pass you on to our Finance Department…” “You’ll do no such thing!” I interjected abruptly. “I’ll just try something. Don’t go away or pass me on to anyone. Wait a minute: Now I’m clicking Bill Payment and typing in BT; that should do the trick. OK I have been given account number GB 305*****. Is that the correct account?” “That is a GB account yes? I don’t have any details of GB accounts available here.” I was starting to lose it: “So you’re the public face of BT for the UK – In India of all places – And you have no idea as to which account UK customers pay their bills into?” “Please wait. I will go and ask someone. Stay on the line please. I will not be long.” I silently muttered several blasphemies mixed with Anglo-Saxon phraseology in the following 2 minutes until she returned: “I am solly Miss Field but my call was cut off and I cannot get back through to the department I need to ask. You could always try to ring them yourself. I will give you their number. Do you have a pen?” I considered this a good option as I badly needed a break and was rapidly approaching the end of my tether. “I have a pen. Fire away.” I said. “Hello Miss Field. Do you have a pen?” “What’s up with you? I just told you I have a pen. What’s the number?” I replied No answer: “Hello; can you hear me?” I asked. Miss Field. Hello. Miss field are you there?” “Hello I’m here. You obviously need to replace your hearing-aid battery.” I snapped. “Miss Field I am sorry but I will have to terminate this call as you are not answering. I will suggest that you attempt to ring again on 0800 800 150 . Thank you. Goodbye.” The Line went dead. |
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| I made a coffee and attempted to put the entire call out of my mind: “What a bunch of incompetent assholes.” I muttered; trying not to think about it, but without success.Charged with the gentle buzz of caffeine from a strong mug of coffee I picked up the phone again and dialled 150, listened to all the crap about calls being recorded, and pressed 1 to indicate that I was calling on the telephone which I was enquiring about. I eventually selected option 3 out of the list of sub-options from the sub-menu of the sub -main menu in the billing section of the main menu. It was now 35 minutes since I’d started the first call and progress was absolutely zero.”Hello. You’re through to BT. I’m solly if you were waiting a long time. Can I take your name and account number please?”Trying desperately not to swear I gave the requested details and explained the situation once again. The Indian operator asked me to hold a minute and ten seconds later a number-unobtainable tone sounded in the earpiece. |
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| I pretended to stay calm and cancelled the call from my end. Seeing red I went to BT.com ( http://www.bt.com ), logged in, and waded through their hundreds of helpful links; all of which were the links I didn’t need, going round in several circles several times. Eventually, somehow, I got to a link marked “Contact Us”, which had only taken 15 minutes to find. I clicked it and was sent to an electronic online bot who answered the question “Which account do I pay my bill to” with a link back to my account and instructions on setting up a Direct Debit. I found my way back to the “Contact Us” link and was this time sent to a massive FAQ page. Scrolling down past several miles of FAQs I found a link near the bottom of the page “Email Us”. This led me to several links: “Corporate”, “Business” and “Home”. Home led me to “Billing”, Billing led to “Payment Amount”, “Friends and Family”, and loads of other crap. Eventually I got to a blank email which also had spaces to input your life history in full detail, (Required) how many grains of sugar you had on last Wednesday’s breakfast cereal, (Required) and a 27-digit prime number in base 7. (Required). Having filled in all the required shite and written a scathing email about the Indian call-centre and it’s incompetent staff, the maze that BT calls its website, and the crappy phone service, I submitted it.I’m now expecting it to vanish, be ignored, or be returned with a note saying that it was sent to the wrong department. |
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| In all honesty, other than this, BT have always given me good telephone and internet services, and have even proved to be most helpful at times. Quite obviously following this fiasco my opinion of them has gone down by a huge margin. I’ve always been very wary of any of their so-called “money-saving” deals as they’re mostly all a huge con; giving you extra on one hand and taking twice that back on something else. For a corporate business their standard of ethicality and competence leaves a lot to be desired in many aspects, although I’ve learned how to work them to my advantage: Things such as use a BT line and use an internet discount phone company through that line saving huge amounts on calls – Such as 4.5p a minute for a weekend call to a mobile phone (Or 6p/min for a weekday call.) via 18185.co.uk by dialling the prefix 18185 before the call as opposed to BT’s 28p/min weekday rate. (You must register with 18185.co.uk before you can do this.) See http://kkomp.com/archives/173 for more on this moneysaver. I use BT because their quality with regard to call-clarity, line-quality, and internet-service in general is pretty good overall: They charge high prices for it so you’d expect them to give quality. I know a few ways round paying their high prices though, so I get a better deal. As we’ve seen though: Customer service-wise they are utterly crap; which makes it very difficult for the customer when things actually do go wrong. Their few internet outages usually apply to whole areas, so I generally let other affected parties phone India and complain with all the associated hassle. I’ve only once had their internet service go down for more than 24 hours: They insisted that it was my fault and the malfunction was in my equipment that time – So I asked them, via a different department, to upgrade my service from 2Mb/s to 8Mb/s as it tied in with the time when they were giving that upgrade for free – Low and behold my internet service suddenly started working as soon as the upgrade took effect, without me doing anything at my end. I also told them that I wanted 8mb/s at the same price I’d seen it offered for with a different company or I’d switch to that company since my contract with BT had run out. They cut the price of my service but couldn’t match the one I was on about, so I got them to send me a new digital cordless phone with caller-display to prevent me from switching. The buggers secured me to an 18-month contract in return, but I still have and use the phone they sent me years ago so it wasn’t that bad a deal. |
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‘Watch BT if you do business with them: They’re very shrewd and snide: But they can be utilised in an overall cost-cutting strategy nevertheless. |
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