xarkGirl

Bad service is bad business

it seems to me that many corporations intentionally make their Websites a royal pain in the ass: to make you stop bothering them; to make you late so they can charge you a fee; they are just a$$hats.

my health insurance company's site won't tab automatically when fields are finished, e.g. a phone number. If you have an error, they clear the fields and make you start over. They sent a new password at my request THAT DIDN"T WORK. why? oh, my bad. because to log in to their site takes one login and password and to pay takes ANOTHER login and password.

The fixes are so simple that even little me with my rudimentary HTML skillz could fix this So, i would bet you that at least one reason behind the passage of the health care reform was the sense that health insurance companies don't give a shit about their service to you or how much they waste your time when you are just trying to do what is asked of you. Like pay the premium. Get the coverage you paid for. Talk to someone who even pretends they care about your problem.

Never underestimate the potential damage of failing to treat clients with respect.

For the love of all things 'Netty

I am increasingly, intransigently convinced that people who hold their noses about the internet don't DO anything.

They must not shop. They don't need to read user reviews of products to cut through the hype; they don't need the lowest price; they don't need to have things shipped overnight; they don't care about a range of options. I can assure you they have never tried to buy a black dust ruffle with an 18" drop.

They must have great health insurance. They don't look up symptoms. Or try to understand a loved one's diagnosis. Or find an OTC remedy. Or a holistic one. They don't need the CDC take on swine flu because media's breathless interpretations are enough.

They don't go anywhere. They don't need maps or directions or business hours. Or flight information. Or hotel rates. They don't need to check their bank balances. Or pay a bill at that last minute.

They don't need to know how to fix a lawnmower. Or whether that knocking sound could be a little or a big expense. They don't need to find a recipe for something with avocado and ground beef because they never get down to almost nothing in the fridge. Or find a recipe for 7-layer salad for Easter dinner.

I guess they have enough friends and don't care to reconnect with the old ones. Or keep up with relatives from far away with pictures and videos. They don't like to get instant communication or confirmation of their request.

Yeah, i guess you can do all of these things elsewhere. In my experience, that takes longer, costs more, uses more resources and is more frustrating than dial-up. 

And there's the junk information argument: The lack of veracity or proof thereof. As compared to ... what? Infomercials? TV? Any form of mass media with gatekeepers and stockholders? At least online you can check several sources instantly.

So whine if you will about the evils of the Web. Over there. Out of earshot. Thanks.

Xarker and I spent most of the day pedaling around the islands. Stopped in for conversation with a friend on Sullivan's and later, had a beer at Poe's. Damn life is sweet when you own a Trek FX 7.5. Except for the sunburn. No tan on hands (gloves) and thighs (bike shorts). Yes, it looks silly. But was so worth it. It was Friday. Huzzah!

I love this commercial. Not only is this guy gorgeous, but his delivery is hilarious. And the company and its advertising agency finally got a clue: Women are the ones who prolly buy most of the body wash. The parody of romance novel covers and a host of other romantic ideals isn't mean-spirited, it's funny and invites women in on the joke. 

I think it is just brilliant and i LMAO everytime I see it.

Things I know are true

1. Life in a body is really, really fun.

2. I have the right to say "I disagree" "no," "stop" and "good-bye."

3. I have to accept that everyone has the right to say "I disagree" "no," "stop" and "good-bye."

4. If your life sucks, you're living it wrong and you can fix it. Only you. No one can make you happy. 

Corollary: Some people are determined to be unhappy. It's the only way they feel alive. Run from them, even if you are in high heels and a mini-skirt, run. 

5. Everything looks cute in a size 4.

6. The Law of Attraction is immutable and reliable.

7. Cats always scratch the most expensive and/or most favoritest piece of furniture.

8. No one can teach a student unwilling to learn. 

Corollary: Stay the hell away from people who are unwilling to learn.  

9. I am not responsible for other people's poor choices.

Corollary:  I will help others to the extent that they ask for my help, that I am capable of helping them where they are and they do not intend to drag me into the pit with them.  

10. People who argue proxy issues and don't know what that means should be avoided like ebola. 

11. Craft beers and good whiskey are proof (sorry!) that the universe is benevolent. 

12. Angels are not always subtle. Sometimes if you are on the wrong path, you get a face full of dirt.  

Corollary: When work (for a paycheck, in a relationship, for a goal) becomes onerous, it's time to move on. 

13. Fashion is when you wear what other people tell you to wear, style is when you wear what you love. 

Corollary: Women under 40 should never, ever presume to tell women over 40 what to wear. We will kick your neophyte butt. In a nice, new-age, feel-good sort of way, of course. In fact, women should just lay off criticizing other women all together. We are all of us jewels. 

14. I have always wandered off the path. Sometimes the view is spectacular. Sometimes I fall down.

15. Family and friends are the best the universe has to offer. Although $60 million would not suck.

So, what about y'all? Share, please.

The return of Xarkgirl!

Hello all. I am back after nearly a year of silence. You're welcome for the quiet! Many stories include the nadir of the main character who disappears into the black, only to emerge (one hopes!) as a wiser person. 

My legal matter with The Post and Courier was resolved and I no longer work there. Given the lack of teeth in the government agencies charged with protecting the rights of women in the workplace, the issue was settled as well as one could expect. Much love and respect to one Allan Holmes, Esq. (Lawyers get a bad rap but they are sometimes the lone force between what is right and what doesn't even come close.) God bless, my man!

I am now working remotely for a paper in the Caribbean (thanks, RG) I am knee-deep in starting a business with the ever-amazing xarker.  I have 6 bikes in my dining room and one in the kitchen; one cat in the house and a stray residing underneath. Kids everywhere. Most of them are mine. I've made some home improvements in my leisure but it's still pretty much chezXark: messy, crowded and full of life. I used to worry, but now I know: I like it like that. 

I like to write, too, and I am unfettered now, in so many ways. Life IS good.

What does the LoCo need?

i would like to get some input from you guys on what we could do --- what YOU would do --- with a building that could have shared infrastructure in terms of both space and tech. I'm talking about a really spacious spot, with room for cooperative workspace, offices, artist studios, classroom space, editing bays, event venue, commercial kitchen, even conference and workshop space. Maybe a gallery. The concept I'm in love with is downtown. It is HUGE, though, and mostly ready to go. 

What does downtown Charleston/rest of Lowcountry need? What courses could be taught? Photoshop? Premiere? Flash? Maya? Acting classes? Cooking? Writing workshops? Social media? Biz-oriented classes? Final Cut? Videography? Photography? Is there a need for a co-op work building? What would it need to offer? WiFi, office machines, receptionist? Could we build a think-tank around it? Podcasting and video studios that could be rented? Rental equipment like HD cameras? Post-production facilities? Server farm? News cafe? Coffee shop/hangout? What else?

Go wild. Don't worry about cost just yet, although any ideas for generating revenue are most welcome. Just riff on what would help support a creative, artistic, tech-savvy community in the Lowcountry.

Sex and clubs

Good lord, the Belizean Grove stuff has made the hairs on my neck stand up.

You don't have to Google much more than "single-sex organizations" to find a plethora of rants, scholarly articles and research projects on whether they are good or bad. There are more single-gender groups than Britney Spears cover shots. Let's see: the Alibi Club, the Alfalfa Club, the Bohemian Club and Skull and Bones. Fraternities. Sororities. Women's auxiliaries. Girl Scouts. Boy Scouts. Golf clubs. Sex clubs. Book clubs. There's even scholarly debate now about whether single-sex classrooms are better for actually educating children.

I don't care to argue about that at all. I'm no expert on social ramifications and psychological dynamics of groups. I do find the hypocrisy ludicrous.

We keep bringing up these proxy issues and pontificating on the symptoms whilst completely ignoring core issues such as pay disparity, promotion discrimination, domestic violence, social stigma on sexual activity, and other inequities that actually matter. The real argument about mono-gender clubs is whether the included get disproportionate access to power and information.

Twitter, Google and other life-altering cuteness

So Peggy Noonan has an interesting piece on the Iranian election sitch, touching on the role of technology in a revolution. She, rightly so, notes that technology such as Twitter and YouTube only intensify and encourage the sentiments of people, they don't create them.

Well, gee. Information still plays the role of information no matter what delivery system it's in.  Remember how the printing press made something of a stir?  We humans are social creatures. It's why we are the dominant species. Better delivery systems just widen that society. We expand ourselves.

I do take exception to her closing call for more serious names for technology inventions, as she complains that Google, Twitter and Facebook are "baby talk." I call bullshit on that. We geeks don't need -- as xarker put it -- "borrowed gravitas." We don't make the same distinctions that the generations before us did between what we're told is serious and what we see as serious. More like what is useful and what is not useful. Need to be aware of and need to act on.

What's the value to me of video from Iranian protesters versus knowing that traffic is backed up on I-26 and I'll never make it to my job interview on time if I go that way? Arguably Iran is more "serious" in terms of global politics and the meaning of life, but I need that f'n job. The two pieces of information are not comparable, yet the delivery system is. I get both in real time. Does it matter that "Twitter" sounds kinda cute?

Sex discrimination quiz

I about had a stroke (which is really not funny) when I read comments on the story about Susan Inhe, a  former editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times who filed a $15 million wrongful termination suit. Sadly, they seem to have been removed, thus you will have to take my word for it.

In the interest of education, here's a little quiz about why a woman who worked for a company for 27 years only to be fired by a man who'd been there half a minute deserves to be innocent until proven idiotic. In addition to any personal desire to, say, not be a sexist jerk. There is no prize except the knowledge that you don't need two hands to find your ass.

True or false.

1.  The day after you get mad (or get fired), you can hire an attorney and file a $15 million suit. Uh, no. False.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC to its friends, is a federal agency charged with investigating discrimination claims, primarily with an eye toward reducing the burden on the courts and protecting companies from false claims by people confused about their rights in the workplace or in some cases, money-grubbing liars.

Therefore, anyone making a complaint must file paperwork with the agency, which then has 180 days to conduct an inquiry. Six months in which the complainant must wait - without her job or working in the situation that prompted the charge in the first place. Granted, the EEOC could comb through documents, conduct interviews, file paperwork and issue a ruling much more quickly. (see #2)

Or the problem could be resolved via mediation. Even before beginning an investigation, the agency will try to get both parties in a room with an impartial, specially trained referee.