Note: This column represents the opinions
of the writer and as such, is not purported as fact
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As you'll notice by the number of readers' comments on the subject, Xtra's
decision to suddenly enforce one of the terms and conditions of its service
provision contract has annoyed the snot out of many people.
Let's be quite clear about this -- they've done nothing illegal -- but it's
pretty bad form to make such a change at a time of the year when many people
may be pre-occupied with other issues.
According to Peter Griffin's story in today's NZ Herald, the reason Xtra gave
for not advising people amounts to a suggestion that 98% of its users are
simply too thick to understand.
If you're an Xtra customer I bet this makes you feel stupid eh?
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One Aardvark reader quite insitefully suggested that perhaps this was a cunning
ploy to drag a whole heap of DSL and wireless users back into the Xtra
camp.
Since Telecom began reselling its DSL service through other ISPs there
has obviously been a level of defection that has seen former Xtra customers
jump-ship. This represents a loss of revenue to Xtra so what better way
to force them back than to deny them POP3 access to their mailbox?
I wonder how many ISPs reselling Telecom's DSL service are happy at this
possible strategy to raid a percentage of their customer base?
However, this whole issue might not be a total loss.
With Xtra seemingly tightening up on the enforcement of its terms and conditions,
maybe they'll decide to enforce the "no spam" aspect of their TOS instead of
giving customers a "get out of jail free" card that results in nothing more
than a slap on the wrist.
Actually, I was just kidding about that. I am unaware of any Xtra customer
who has been kicked out for spamming, regardless of the volume of complaints
received, and the company conveniently refuses to admit that it's simply
issued a warning by claiming it's a matter of "privacy".
I would have thought that sending out thousands of unsolicited commercial emails
would have seen any customer forfeit their claims to privacy -- wouldn't you?
Ah well -- enough of this depressing subject -- we're just one sleep to Christmas!
And speaking of Christmas, I received a lovely email from
ACT the other day with the
subject line "Christmas Gift." This email told me that I should give my
friends an email subscription to the ACT single-opt-in mailing list as
a wonderful Christmas gift. What a splendid idea -- NOT!
Fortunately, in a move of unequalled incompetence (or perhaps a few too many
pre-Christmas drinkies), the URL given to sign people up was
http:\\www.act.org.nz/xmas
so anyone stupid enough to agree that this was a great gift suggestion would
probably also be too thick to figure out why it doesn't work.
Oh yeah, I'd trust these people to run the country, wouldn't you?
The headers of that email also made very interesting reading too. Who the
hell was responsible for naming a server psex02.ps.ad.parliament.govt.nz?
Is it another perk of the job that you get tax-free access to the parliamentary
porn server I wonder?
Okay, that's it from me for a few days (unless some big story breaks), I'm
heading into the workshop to do some work on the X-Jet and the rest of the
time I'll be busting my fingers in an attempt to get my book finished by the
new year.
I hope you all have a great Christmas. Please don't drink and drive -- and
if you see someone else who's about to drive off after having a few drinkies,
go smack them in the mouth and throw their keys away. Nobody deserves to
have a friend or family member killed by an inconsiderate drunk at this
time of the year (or at any time for that matter).
ps: if you want to sell your house on the Net it looks as if this is a good
place to advertise it. Mine sold yesterday -- no agent fees to pay ]either!
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