Monday, September 26, 2011

A Song of Fire and Ice (aka how to be cruel to your readers)

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


That's it! I can't read anymore. Martin is a great writer, skilled at weaving engaging and vibrant stories . . . but his perverse and sadistic obsession with making us love a character only to kill him or her off is torturing me. There is only so much I can take of these depressing twists of the knife. Someone give George R.R. Martin a hug and a big bar of chocolate. He needs more cheer.

Bah.



View all my reviews

Friday, September 23, 2011

Make It Yours, Make It Better

Better Facebook allows you to customize your facebook page via its browser app. Even better, Better Facebook is a free application (although, if you like freeware or even just like the idea of freeware, you should donate at least something to the cause) and a safe download.

With Better Facebook, add skins, tabs, easily hide annoying content (so you won't have to "unfriend" your Farmville loving pals), move notifications to where they are convenient for you, make chat work the way you want, and much more.

You have nothing to lose in trying; if you don't like it, the Better Facebook plug-in is as simple to remove as it is to add on.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

We Love Our Social Media, So Why Does It Keep Changing?

Here's why:
Facebook's Singular Goal is to be THE Center of the World.
Well, the world wide web. Everything you do on the internet, Facebook wants to be a part of it. That's a tall order, though, for a site better known as a Farmville platform or a myspace 2.0. Then, you have to consider that Google+ is looming overhead, waiting to usurp them all.

That's not all; Facebook also has its face undergoing cosmetic surgery. An entire page is devoted to this update: Timeline, which has a very blog-like, web-page-y feel to it. Many will consider this a radical change and extremely terrifying to some users if even a small switch from "fan" to "like" could upset millions.

For some reason, even though we voted a man into The White House based on his promise for change, social media users do not like change. Every change made on Facebook sparks hundreds of new Facebook group pages devoted to protesting it, and many thousands more who banner their profiles with complaints and disgruntled "Me no like" status updates. Constant change, though, is what resulted in the technology we're now spoiled by and dependent upon.

In the meantime, you will find me on my blog more often. Any changes in format or content is in my (Muwahahahaha) absolute control. That's how I like it. Between Twitter and Blogger, what more could a girl want?

Well, more readers perhaps. And my own nuclear powered island. All that may come . . . in time.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Netflix Apology Is Defensive But Misses The Mark

In his blog last Sunday, Netflix CEO and Co-Founder Reed Hastings offered An Explanation and Some Reflections about the latest Netflix price hike. Last month, Netflix announced that it was splitting its services—dvd shipments and instant streaming—into two pay structures, angering millions of users as the change resulted in a significant increase in monthly subscription rates. As the effect took place September 1st, Netflix lost over one million subscribers and its stock values plunged.

Now Hastings' apology dumps another blow on his dissatisfied customers' heads; Netflix is splitting into two separate companies: Netflix for instant streaming content and Qwikster for DVD by mail service. Read more, and offer your opinion, here.

UPDATE: as of 10/10/11, Netflix has reversed its plans: DVDs are staying on the main site. Seems that the power of customer feedback also remains. Read more here.