Heavy Metal Yahrtziet Candle in honor of Ronnie James Dio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_James_Dio

Somehow I think they have the wrong person working as a copy editor for their pump displays

The biggest lesson learned, according to members of the two top teams, was the power of collaboration. It was not a single insight, algorithm or concept that allowed both teams to surpass the goal Netflix,……Instead, they say, the formula for success was to bring together people with complementary skills and combine different methods of problem-solving.

The sad thing is that somebody had to put up a million bucks to figure that out.

Sigh.

“If they start making products people don’t want, and start losing users, then Apple’s strategy will run into problems,” said Benjamin Reitzes, an analyst at  Barclays Capital. “If they continue to have an aura where their products are seen as defining the marketplace, they are going to be fine.

Has there ever been a business whose strategy was to “start making products people don’t want, and start losing users” ?

Why in the world did they quote that clown?

We believe the Portland Buy Local campaign is critical to our community and our way of life. Locally owned, independent businesses contribute far more to our local economy than chain operations controlled by out-of-state interests. And it’s locally owned businesses that give Portland Maine its unique identity and character in an increasingly homogenized consumer culture.

Subscriber’s Automatic Renewal Program:
You authorize This Old House Magazine to charge your credit/debit card or your PayPal account at the price above now and in time to renew your This Old House subscription, without interruption, before the start of each new annual term at the guaranteed low rate then in effect unless you tell us to stop. You may cancel at any time during your subscription by contacting customer service and receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. If your credit/debit card or your PayPal account cannot be charged, we’ll bill you directly instead.

I immediately called and and had them take off this “feature” on my account. To be fair, I went back and looked a the fine print in the checkout proceedure and that language was there beforehand.

In this day and age of identity theft, to have a major corporation hold onto my personal and credit card information for two years, just to auto-renew my subsriptions seems foolish.  Foolish for me in the exposure to my personal credit,  and foolish for them in that the cost of keeping that data 100% secure (do you think consumers would ever give them their credit card numbers if they were stolen en-mass?) for those 2 years has got to be outweighed by the risk associated with that.  Perhaps someone did  a cost analysis that proves me wrong.  I just think you could figure out a more creative way to keep subscribers – without the risk to all parties.  It is quite easy – have good product.
Also, I still think it is an obnoxious business practice.

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