Categories
Uncategorized

Three months now and Google insists I’m not me. The troubles with “real” identities and the latest ‘nymwars’

Interesting article in today’s San Jose Mercury News: Who has the right to decide how you’re known on the Internet — you, or the online service you’re using?

‘Nymwars’ debate over online identity
explodes

Who has the right to decide how you’re known on the Internet
— you, or the online service you’re using? That simmering question, which
erupted with the launch of the new Google (GOOG)+ social network
this summer, rolled into a boil this week with two high-profile developments.

First, Facebook decided to enforce its “real names only” policy against internationally
known author Salman Rushdie, changing his page — without his consent — to the name
on his passport, Ahmed. Next, the Justice Department told Congress that it needs the ability to prosecute people who provide false information to websites with the intent to harm others, stirring fears across cyberspace that people might be busted for lying about their weight and age on Match.com.

It’s been three months: as noted in a prior post, Google doesn’t believe I’m me. This started in mid August when I found the following note from Google on my profile…

“After reviewing your profile, we determined that the name provided violates the Google+ Names Policy.”

Really?

This from Google’s policy…

“Your common name is the name your friends, family or co-workers usually call you. For example, if your legal name is Charles Jones Jr. but you normally use Chuck Jones or Junior Jones, any of these would be acceptable.”

Maybe Google should Bing it. Similar results on Google’s search site, too.

At least Facebook has a customer service group of sorts to resolve these types of issues (although it took some time as I noted here).
Friends have still managed to find me on their network.
And an interesting side note: Given Vic Gundotra’s first name is Vivek, I wonder if his profile would’ve been denied? Or perhaps he’s leading the way on the use of ‘nyms, as they’re called. 😉

Tags: Social, Google

Bookmark this on Delicious Bookmark and Share

Also available via http://bit.ly/toUl0g

Categories
Uncategorized

It’s Time To Fall Back An Hour in the US and Canada: Daylight Saving Time Ends This Sunday

Yes, it’s that time again if you’ll pardon the pun, to fall back in much of the Northern Hemisphere.

Daylight saving time ends at 2:00AM local time on Sunday, November 6, 2011, in much of the U.S and Canada, except in parts of the countries (including Hawaii and Arizona). You can read more than you’ll ever want to know about DST here and on our official Microsoft Daylight Saving Time Help and Support Center at http://www.microsoft.com/time.

This year, DST in much of the US and Canada ends in accordance with the US Department of Energy’s Energy Policy Act of 2005 that was passed into law. DST will end later than it did prior to 2007, on the first Sunday of November; more details on the new DST start and end times can be found here). This results in a new DST period that is approximately three to four weeks longer than in previous years.

The switch to daylight saving time also means the time zone suffix changes, now using Daylight Time: for example, Pacific Standard Time is now Pacific Daylight Time (aka PDT). The other time zones move to Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), Central Daylight Time (CDT), and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

As I noted in this article, Microsoft strongly recommends that DST and time zone updates be installed on all affected systems, devices and applications to ensure consistency with current DST rules and time zone settings worldwide. Customers should review the product updates available and posted on this site and at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/dst_prodlist for the latest and updated information of Microsoft products affected by daylight saving time.

Fall Back: Daylight Saving Time Ends Sunday: Don’t forget to turn your clocks back an hour before turning in Saturday night. Most of the U.S. returns to standard time Nov. 6 at 2 a.m. (MSN.com).

Here’s more coverage from Bing News

On a personal note, remember to keep things in perspective. Time is a precious thing. Never waste it

Have a good evening.

Tags: Microsoft, Daylight Saving Time, Daylight Savings Time,DST:

References to DST on Bing: 45,300,000 (up three fold from 2010).

Share this post: Bookmark and Share

Also available via http://bit.ly/tJYaw0

Categories
Uncategorized

The time has come to move on… to Windows 7 (especially if you’re still on Windows XP)

It’s time to make a move away from Windows… Windows XP that is.

As Rich Reynolds noted in his post on the Windows team blog commemorating Windows XP this week…

“We’ve been talking a lot about the anniversary of Windows XP and how much technology and business have changed since a decade ago when it launched. Today we officially commemorate its 10 year anniversary and we also celebrate the anniversary of Windows 7 officially being in market for two years on Saturday.

“We also thought it would be fun to represent the shifts over the last decade through this infographic.

“Although a lot has changed since we launched Windows XP, the one constant that remains is our focus on enriching people’s lives through the power of technology.”

I agree.

And perhaps with all the talk of “falling behind” and changing the batteries in your smoke detectors, I’ll say that upcoming “fall back” from daylight saving time is a good time to go out and get a new PC, or at least upgrade to Windows 7. (Disclosure: I upgraded my own HP Touchsmart to Windows 7 from Windows Vista.)

Get a good-looking new PC. It’s a great time to get a new PC that, as the Windows team says, goes great with your living room and your budget. I’m looking to replace my now three year old PC at home with a new All-in-One (love the design of the HP Touchsmart) and considering the latest version of the line, such as this HP TouchSmart 610-1151f. (The new 420 and 520 model in the line are also quite nice.) I’m also looking at the new Sony VAIO VPCL235FX/B and the Samsung DP700 (which you can use as a mega-slate, with it’s full flat design).

Tags: Microsoft, articles, blogs, Microsoft, Windows 7

Clubhouse Tags: Clubhouse, Windows 7, computers, how-to

Bookmark and Share

Also available via http://bit.ly/uqUYcU

Categories
Uncategorized

Announcement: Late breaking 2011 time zone changes for Armenia and Ukraine (again)

I originally posted that we confirmed that Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine won’t fall back but also stay permanently on summer time on October 30, similar to the move in Russia.

Well, it appears that that these decisions were recently reversed.

Please note we have received reports that Armenia and Ukraine have canceled their proposed changes. (http://blogs.technet.com/b/dst2007/archive/2011/10/19/notice-ukraine-and-armenia-revert-2011-dst-cancellation.aspx).

According to reports in Rada and Kyivpost that we have confirmed through our offices in the region, Ukraine will not stay on permanent summer time and instead will fall back to winter time on October 30, 2011 as originally scheduled. If these reports become the plan of record, customers in Armenia and Ukraine will not have to adjust time zone settings on their computers that are running Windows operating system.

The Microsoft Knowledgebase article KB2625508 has been updated with this information.

Our advice? Check with your local government if you live in Armenia or Ukraine to get more details. This is one of the reasons we recommend that in order to achieve more seamless transitions to new DST and time zone policies, Microsoft requests that governments provide the following:

  1. Ample advance notice (1 year or more) of the planned change.
  2. Official published confirmation of planned changes to DST or time zones.
  3. Concentrated efforts on promoting the change to the affected citizens.

Tags: Microsoft, Daylight Saving Time, Daylight Savings Time, RSS, DST, Russia

Bookmark this on Delicious Bookmark and Share

Also available via http://bit.ly/ruDYnA

Categories
Uncategorized

Google determines I’m not me: the troubles with “real” identities

Love it. As noted in a prior post, Google doesn’t believe I’m me: the troubles with "real" identities. This started in mid August.

Today I found the following note from Google on my profile…

"After reviewing your profile, we determined that the name provided violates the Google+ Names Policy."

Really?

This from Google’s policy…

"Your common name is the name your friends, family or co-workers usually call you. For example, if your legal name is Charles Jones Jr. but you normally use Chuck Jones or Junior Jones, any of these would be acceptable."

Maybe Google should Bing it. Similar results on Google’s search site, too.

A benefit I’ve found at Microsoft over some of our competitors: our customer service staff if fairly accessible and responsive on various social media networks. For example, type in "microsoft support" in Twitter’s search box under "Who To Follow" and you’ll see several links to our service teams from many of our teams, including…

MicrosoftHelps – Official account for Microsoft Customer Service & Support

XboxSupport – Guinness World Record Holder: Most Responsive Brand on Twitter

ZuneSupport – Official Zune Support on Twitter

Oh, an interesting side note: Given Vic Gundotra’s first name is Vivek, I wonder if his profile would’ve been denied? 😉

 

Tags: Social, Google

Delicious Bookmark this on Delicious Bookmark and Share

Also available via http://bit.ly/pECBOi