Today I received an email from AARP asking me to take a survey. (Yes, I am a member of AARP.)
I went to the site to take the survey and of course they want me to log in. So I entered my email address and password and then got a message 'enter a valid email address'. So thinking I may have made a typo the first time, I entered it again. Nope, 'Enter a valid email address' popped up again.
Well this 'invalid email address' has been receiving and sending email a long time,including from AARP so I can only assume AARP is having a problem with their site. Their email server is apparently working though, as I received their email sent to my 'invalid email address' just fine.
If this is happening to a lot of other folks and I suspect it is, I wonder how long it will take them to figure out something is wrong.
Since most of the time the emails I get from them are wanting me to send money for some purpose or other, I think I will just unsubscribe from AARP's email. That is as soon as I can convince them the email they have been using to send me those emails is 'valid'.
Martha
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Writer's Block Due to Being Overwhelmed by Political Pablum
As a general rule, I can think of a lot of stuff to write about, when I am away from the computer. But just let me decide I need to put a new post on my blog and the block looms large.
I think part of my problem right now is the fact that I am so sick and tired of all the political stuff coming at me from every direction. I have this urge to jump on folks and lambast them for such obvious one sided views that I am becoming unreasonable about the whole political thing.
All of the stuff I read is so one sided, regardless of which side. They bash everyone that doesn't think the way they think. Free speech is something I treasure and since I do treasure it, I refrain from replying in snide remarks about their choice of candidates and their derision for others in this crazy political year.
I just wish things could be a bit more positive instead of so much negative remarks. So you don't like Sarah Palin? Then say something positive about Biden. Don't like Obama? Say something positive about McCain. Can't think of anything nice to say about any of them? Keep quiet.
Don't insult my intelligence either. Don't start telling me how bad a candidate is based on what you have read. I don't care if you think someone is not fit for the job. (In my personal opinion, none of them are ready for the awful job that lies ahead for the unfortunates who mange to win this election.)
The problem for me lies in the fact that all of this political stuff just started too soon. I think we should have primaries in every state at the same time. September would be a good time. No more conventions, just let the candidates with the most votes in the primaries get the nominations. (Think of the saved money!) No more 'Super delegates'! Super delegates just totally goes against my idea of democracy. Why should anyone have more say in an election than the average citizen?
I could go on and on. Guess my writer's block lifted on this subject!
Martha
I think part of my problem right now is the fact that I am so sick and tired of all the political stuff coming at me from every direction. I have this urge to jump on folks and lambast them for such obvious one sided views that I am becoming unreasonable about the whole political thing.
All of the stuff I read is so one sided, regardless of which side. They bash everyone that doesn't think the way they think. Free speech is something I treasure and since I do treasure it, I refrain from replying in snide remarks about their choice of candidates and their derision for others in this crazy political year.
I just wish things could be a bit more positive instead of so much negative remarks. So you don't like Sarah Palin? Then say something positive about Biden. Don't like Obama? Say something positive about McCain. Can't think of anything nice to say about any of them? Keep quiet.
Don't insult my intelligence either. Don't start telling me how bad a candidate is based on what you have read. I don't care if you think someone is not fit for the job. (In my personal opinion, none of them are ready for the awful job that lies ahead for the unfortunates who mange to win this election.)
The problem for me lies in the fact that all of this political stuff just started too soon. I think we should have primaries in every state at the same time. September would be a good time. No more conventions, just let the candidates with the most votes in the primaries get the nominations. (Think of the saved money!) No more 'Super delegates'! Super delegates just totally goes against my idea of democracy. Why should anyone have more say in an election than the average citizen?
I could go on and on. Guess my writer's block lifted on this subject!
Martha
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Chrome? Or Not to Chrome?
I don't 'do' betas any more since a disastrous beta several years ago (from Microsoft no less) made me do a complete reinstall of Windows.
Today I have a better system using Acronis True Image and a beta causing havoc could be taken care of in quick order by using my backup restore, but betas can be frustrating.
But that's not the reason I won't install Chrome. Never mind it has big honkin security holes. I am not going to give Google another way to track everything I do online. In case you didn't know that Chrome will do that, better read this!
Some things are best left to what they do best, like Google has the best search engine and I will continue to use it, even though it supposedly keeps every search I make in a big database the size of the sun somewhere.
There are enough browsers now, although there could be some improvements in all of them. If Microsoft would remove ActiveX from Internet Explorer, that would solve a bunch of security problems. (Think drive by spyware installs.)
I use Firefox as my default browser, but it too has some bugs. If I didn't use Firefox as the default, my next choice is Opera. I use Firefox because it has such nice addons known as 'extensions'. If Opera would do the same, then Opera might be my default browser.
Anyway, back to Chrome. I have heard that if it is uninstalled the uninstall might take some other stuff with it, but that is unsubstantiated at present. Some folks love it and some folks hate it.
When it comes out of beta I may install it on my secondary computer, just to check how my web sites look in Chrome. Until then, no Chrome for me.
Martha
Today I have a better system using Acronis True Image and a beta causing havoc could be taken care of in quick order by using my backup restore, but betas can be frustrating.
But that's not the reason I won't install Chrome. Never mind it has big honkin security holes. I am not going to give Google another way to track everything I do online. In case you didn't know that Chrome will do that, better read this!
Some things are best left to what they do best, like Google has the best search engine and I will continue to use it, even though it supposedly keeps every search I make in a big database the size of the sun somewhere.
There are enough browsers now, although there could be some improvements in all of them. If Microsoft would remove ActiveX from Internet Explorer, that would solve a bunch of security problems. (Think drive by spyware installs.)
I use Firefox as my default browser, but it too has some bugs. If I didn't use Firefox as the default, my next choice is Opera. I use Firefox because it has such nice addons known as 'extensions'. If Opera would do the same, then Opera might be my default browser.
Anyway, back to Chrome. I have heard that if it is uninstalled the uninstall might take some other stuff with it, but that is unsubstantiated at present. Some folks love it and some folks hate it.
When it comes out of beta I may install it on my secondary computer, just to check how my web sites look in Chrome. Until then, no Chrome for me.
Martha
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Why I Don't Have a Newsletter
I really like to receive newsletters; at least some of them. At one time I did think about doing a newsletter, but decided against it because knowing me, after awhile I would just stop sending them. If I had folks that had subscribed, I like to think this might have disappointed them.
I subscribe to a number of newsletters that I really like. If you are at all curious which ones you can read about it on the newsletter page on Martha's Web. I try to keep this page updated as all good things come to an end and so do newsletters.
Another reason I don't write a newsletter is because I don't want to give wrong information about stuff. In a newsletter (not on my newsletter page) I read some stuff about how to fix a problem with Outlook. Now I am no expert by any means, but this was basic stuff and the 'fix' was totally wrong!
I sometimes get really annoyed about folks who continually bad-mouth products I use and really like. I have discontinued two newsletters for that very reason. One insinuated if I use Microsoft Front Page to make my website I have 'bad' code on the site. I would challenge that person to find the 'bad' code on my site! True I remade it using Expression Web, but it didn't have bad code before then. I have seen bad code on sites made with DreamWeaver which is what the newsletter editor was saying everyone should use. Another kept bad-mouthing Microsoft Vista to the point I just unsubbed for that reason alone. These folks are 'trashees', and so I left their cyber missives.
Most of the time I learn good stuff from my newsletters. But one thing I have noticed; they are all trying to get me to buy stuff. Generally it is software, usually security software. I don't mind that as everyone needs to pay the bills. I just ignore most of it as I have all the software I need. I do notice the fact that some of them are insinuating what I have is not the best available.
Again, they are just trying to make some $$ but what they are pushing may NOT be the best! So while I really enjoy my newsletters I am aware that a really good newsletter takes a lot of time and work to keep up with new trends, new and good software, accurate information about 'fixes' and it needs to go out to subscribers on a regular basis. (There are some exceptions to the regular basis. If the subscriber knows up front the newsletter will arrive once in awhile and not on a schedule, then forewarned is forearmed.)
Since lately I can't even post on a regular basis to this blog, I suspect my decision to not have a newsletter is the right decision.
Martha
I subscribe to a number of newsletters that I really like. If you are at all curious which ones you can read about it on the newsletter page on Martha's Web. I try to keep this page updated as all good things come to an end and so do newsletters.
Another reason I don't write a newsletter is because I don't want to give wrong information about stuff. In a newsletter (not on my newsletter page) I read some stuff about how to fix a problem with Outlook. Now I am no expert by any means, but this was basic stuff and the 'fix' was totally wrong!
I sometimes get really annoyed about folks who continually bad-mouth products I use and really like. I have discontinued two newsletters for that very reason. One insinuated if I use Microsoft Front Page to make my website I have 'bad' code on the site. I would challenge that person to find the 'bad' code on my site! True I remade it using Expression Web, but it didn't have bad code before then. I have seen bad code on sites made with DreamWeaver which is what the newsletter editor was saying everyone should use. Another kept bad-mouthing Microsoft Vista to the point I just unsubbed for that reason alone. These folks are 'trashees', and so I left their cyber missives.
Most of the time I learn good stuff from my newsletters. But one thing I have noticed; they are all trying to get me to buy stuff. Generally it is software, usually security software. I don't mind that as everyone needs to pay the bills. I just ignore most of it as I have all the software I need. I do notice the fact that some of them are insinuating what I have is not the best available.
Again, they are just trying to make some $$ but what they are pushing may NOT be the best! So while I really enjoy my newsletters I am aware that a really good newsletter takes a lot of time and work to keep up with new trends, new and good software, accurate information about 'fixes' and it needs to go out to subscribers on a regular basis. (There are some exceptions to the regular basis. If the subscriber knows up front the newsletter will arrive once in awhile and not on a schedule, then forewarned is forearmed.)
Since lately I can't even post on a regular basis to this blog, I suspect my decision to not have a newsletter is the right decision.
Martha
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