Dell: 'May i know what is TB?'
I decided to give Dell a little bit of a test while searching for a pc. I basically wanted a pc with a shed load of storage and, well..that's it really.
Here's how I got on with the online chat:
12:21:07 System System Initial Question/Comment: What is the best option for me? I'm looking for a large amount of storage (3-4TB and upgradable), decent spec multimedia pc.
12:21:53 System System You are now being connected to an agent. Thank you for using Dell Chat
12:21:53 System System Connected with Sreedhar_Janke
12:21:58 Agent Sreedhar_Janke Thank you for contacting Dell Sales Chat. This is Sreedhar Janke, your Sales Advisor. Please allow me a moment while I review your query.
12:23:34 System System Connected with Sreedhar_Janke
12:23:34 Agent Sreedhar_Janke Please allow me a minute
12:23:34 Agent Sreedhar_Janke What would be the basic usage of the computer?
12:23:34 Agent Sreedhar_Janke What sort of applications would you like to perform on the computer ?
12:24:52 Customer Liam Bowers It would be a mix between development machine and for multimedia (video).
So basically would need atleast 2gb ram for applications although they are not too resource intensive. I do play games but that is not paramount.
12:26:50 Agent Sreedhar_Janke I suggest Precision 690 Desktop
12:28:12 Customer Liam Bowers "The Dell Precision 690 supports a potential capacity of 2.5TB"
12:28:49 Customer Liam Bowers 500mb to 1.5TB lower than what I need.
12:30:50 Customer Liam Bowers so, anything else?
12:34:56 Customer Liam Bowers Umm hello?
12:35:09 Agent Sreedhar_Janke Please allow me one more minute/
12:35:19 Agent Sreedhar_Janke I am also looking at an alternative
12:35:36 Customer Liam Bowers ok sure.
12:46:03 Customer Liam Bowers So how are you coming along? I've given you a minute.. and an extra 10 to be sure.
12:52:48 Customer Liam Bowers Have you finished your shift and gone home?
12:54:06 Customer Liam Bowers Heart attack and died?
12:55:04 Customer Liam Bowers Had enough of work for Dell and gone and shot all of your workmates followed by turning the gun on yourself?
12:57:55 Customer Liam Bowers Well, whatever it is .. have a good day.. or funeral.
You've been a great help, no really.. you should be proud of your service. You've made it really clear what computer I shouldn't buy and what company I shouldn't buy it from.
12:58:24 Customer Liam Bowers Dell would be proud
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13:02:12 System System You are now being connected to an agent. Thank you for using Dell Chat
13:02:12 System System Connected with rayees_fatima
13:02:17 Agent rayees_fatima Thank you for contacting Dell Sales Chat. This is Rayees Fatima, your Sales Advisor. Please give me a moment while I review your query.
13:05:08 Agent rayees_fatima May i know what is TB?
13:07:57 Customer Liam Bowers Terrabyte - it's roughly 1000Gigabytes
13:12:01 Customer Liam Bowers so, can you help me?
13:16:22 Customer Liam Bowers I'm erm, guessing thats a no?
Captcha research
Hey folks,
I'd really appreciate it if you could spare 5 minutes to help me with my dissertation research.
1) Go to http://www.liambowers.co.uk/captcha and take a look around.
2) When you're bored of that have a look at the questions below and answer them as fully as possible so try not to give one word answers if you can help it. The more constructive feedback I receive, the better it is for me and my dissertation!
3) Once finished, send it back to me at liam.bowers at gmail dot com
Thankyou!
Liam
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Limpy Captcha http://www.liambowers.co.uk/captcha/limpy.php:
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Are the instructions clear enough to understand what you need to do?
Is it easy to answer/solve this Captcha?
Did you have any difficulties in using it? If so, what?
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Snap Captcha http://www.liambowers.co.uk/captcha/snap.php:
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Are the instructions clear enough to understand what you need to do?
Is it easy to answer/solve this Captcha?
Did you have any difficulties in using it? If so, what?
Do you have any criticism or suggestions for any improvements that could be made to it?
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General
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Which of the two Captcha's do you prefer and why?
Would you be willing to solve a Captcha to verify that you are a human when you send an e-mail? (Assuming you hadn't passed the test previously)
Any other feedback that doesn't fit in under the previous questions?
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Developer Questions - Unless you are a web developer or blog/site owner, you are not required to answer these questions (but feel free to if you wish).
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Assuming you had the need of a Captcha:
What type of system would you use it for? (i.e. a site blog, cms, e-mail server or other software)
Would you implement a Limpy style Captcha on your site(s)? Please explain your reasoning.
Would you implement the Snap Captcha on your site(s)? Please explain your reasoning.
Are there any technical issues that you believe should be addressed?
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Thank you for your time!
Ooops! - A catch up.
Sorry folks (heh.. I say that as if I expect someone to actually read this) but I've been a lazy ass and after I finished making this... well, lets just say I'm not a natural 'blogger'.
So, my life.. what's new? A few things actually!
Firstly, Susannah my long term girlfriend and future wife has now finished University and has moved over to England for good! I'll post a 'back story' to that at somepoint... but basically she is from Australia, I'm from England and we met 5 years ago. We've been doing University 11,000 miles away and it's basically been a pain in the arse over the last few years simply to see the other so living in the same country is fantastic!
I'm in my final year at uni, 2 months away from finishing and really frikkin busy! The last few months have consisted of major year long projects/assignments/coursework being handed in every week and will continue until the 11th of May I believe. I've got a couple of exams in May but I'm actually looking forward to them because it would mean that my dissertation has been done and I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore! I've got roughly 6-7000 words left and finding it very hard to pick up and 'do'. I'll write another post about what it actually is at somepoint too as I could do with some feedback for part of the evaluation.
Heathrow is hell.
Right - well this is a belated entry for the 19th->20th of September that I still need to record!
I set off back from Australia flying from Hobart(Tasmania), Melbourne, Hong Kong, Heathrow and finally Manchester... or at least that was the plan!
I was worried that I might have issues with Heathrow due to all the security 'issues' going on at the moment but it seemed that only outbound flights would have a problem so I wasn't too bothered about it all.
I got in to Heathrow a little late and needed to catch a domestic flight to Manchester 45 minutes later. I'd had a few close connections in the past and this one should have been fine. On the way through the airport we got lead down a corridor with one huge line of people and a smaller one. I noticed there were staff members kindly informing everyone that we couldn't take on water or liquid. What? Are you kidding? It wasn't a problem on the last 3 flights I took! Anyways I didn’t have time (or the balls) to argue with airport staff so I went upon my way. I didn't have a clue which one I needed so I went for the small one and hoped for the best. I managed to speak to one of the airport staff and they told me I didn’t need to be in any of these lines and could just snake my way down further...so that I did!
The next room had a medium sized snaking queue with a man saying that we could only take on one item of luggage. It's worth pointing out that I had a backpack with various bits and pieces including a very expensive camera and a laptop bag. I didn't trust either one to be checked in and arrive at the next destination in one piece so a managed to sneak by them luckily.
The next room...well, shocking comes to mind. It had two bluddy huge queues of people that just covered it like a swarm. I knew that I’d be there a long while if I had to queue in there so I hoped for the best and asked a staff member where I was informed that I wouldn’t be making my flight! Crap! Bugger! Poo! I had 2 hours or so of queuing to stew in my anger. I wanted to kill someone but I realised that it most certainly won’t get me on a plane any quicker!!
When I realised that there was no way of getting my flight I did the sensible thing and tried to ring my folks who were waiting for me at Manchester airport. I turned my phone on and... and...and... Nothing. It was dead. It was fully charged when I left Hobart but for some reason had drained by the time I got to England. No idea why, and at the point in time I don’t think I cared - I was more concerned with my folks paying a crazy amount on parking fees!
I finally got through the security point, having had to take my shoes off?! and getting pulled over for having a small bottle of unopened water in my bag courtesy of QANTAS. *sigh*
I had flown somewhere in the region of 13000 miles, gone through countless security points and baggage screenings and stayed within the 'screened' areas of all 4 airports I’d been to that trip...and I still had to go through that crap - what the heck is that all about!?
Aaaanyways, I stood in yet another queue to get another flight sorted and behind me was a guy with an English and Australian passport. I overheard him say that he was tempted to use the Australian one because he was ashamed and embarrassed to be English at that point in time and I don’t blame him!
My flight thankfully got sorted and I only had to wait 30 minutes or so for the next one. As much as I wanted an incident free flight it wasn't to be! I was sat on the left side and the engine was extremely noisy. It sounded very very wrong and it was obvious that there was a problem with it as they played about with the throttle on that engine trying to see what it was. Thankfully the flight was over very quickly and I was glad to be on land again!
No more flights! Just need to get my baggage and meet my folks and get driven home! Easy!
As if.
When I got to the baggage claim there were bags everywhere and I went straight to the helpdesk and tried to find out if I shouldn't bother wasting my time waiting for them....and she agreed... my bags weren't going to be there! Oh joy!
I borrowed their phone and rang the only number I knew - home. My sister answered as expected and told me the good news. My step dad had been taken in to hospital and my mum was with him...and I had to make my own way home.
I laughed.
2 trains and one tram later and I was back home at last.
I had a much needed nights sleep and moved house the next day! No rest for the wicked and all that!
First post!
Well i've finally got myself sorted and created a blog!
Although now i've created one.. i'm not sure what to write in it! There are lots of things i want to do to it so if there's a feature that you think might be good here or whatever, let me know and i'll see about adding it.
So...ummm what should I write?
Liam
