I have a broadband connection with Dodo. When I took out a new account after moving house, there was the added incentive of a free mp3 player. When it didn’t turn up I sent emails asking why and was told that because I was not a new customer (just renewing) I was not eligible. I sent an email back politely asking what the difference between me and a new customer was - same expenditure! Yesterday I got a message on the answering machine to give them a call.
So, I rang them this morning. After waiting about ten minutes on hold I’m told that the gift will cost me about $25 in postage and handling! That really boils my soup! I only have one other question for Dodo - what is false and misleading advertising?
Bern
Well, I’ve just finished reading Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code. This book is a first class example of an author cashing in on their fame. The book is awful. The plot has the potential to be a top story. But, Dan Brown seems to have in mind how it would look on the big screen. There is a lot of gratuitous violence. The action is used as punctuation marks. Brown gets to a quiet scene so he adds some action. It’s pointless.
The plot hinges on the invention of an unbreakable code that will make the American super stealthy snooping organisation, the NSA, useless. Now, to my way of thinking, any story that hinges on the activity of true geniuses, like the world’s top code breakers, is courting disaster unless the writer has a thorough understanding of the topic. Dan Brown does not. For example, it takes 400 pages or more before someone susses that Tandako is an anagram of Ndakota (North Dakota). This is in fact pivotal to the story.
Second example: The writer assumes that people’s email addresses have to reflect their true identity.
Third example: The writer confuses plays on word with code.
If you’ve got a few hours to waste, read the book. Otherwise don’t worry.
Bern
It has just taken 23 days to get my ADSL broadband connection reinstated after moving house. Admittedly I’m now living ‘in the sticks’, but I mean to say 23 days - that is almost intolerable.
The only good thing about it is that it’s faster than my old connection - just a different account type. This one’s 512KB/156KB capped at 5GB. My old one was unlimited but slower for the same price. Seeing as I never went over 700MB I think I’m safe. Now, the next thing to do is to churn the account to something cheaper I’ve found in the meantime.
Bern