August 2008
23 posts
“1st Level Fighter / 14th Level Aristocrat: His stat block is STR 12, INT 9, WIS...”
– From an ingenious feature on Wired News: “If John McCain were a D&D character, what kind would he be?” You can pen your own description, and vote on the ones others have posted. This one currently has the most votes.
My chat with Sprint about why my Sprint wireless...
Xander: Thank you for contacting Sprint. My name is Xander. How may I assist you today?
Clive Thompson: Hi Xander!
Xander: Hi Clive
Clive Thompson: I've been having a problem with my Sprint wireless modem.
Xander: I'll be happy to assist you with that today Clive.
Clive Thompson: I'm having no problem logging on, and surfing the Internet.
Clive Thompson: I've been using it for five months now with no problem.
Clive Thompson: But today, I found that I could not load the web site www.boingboing.net.
Clive Thompson: That site is not down -- other people around me can access it, using wifi or other forms of Net access.
Clive Thompson: It's just me, using the Sprint wireless service.
Clive Thompson: So I'm wondering: Is Sprint now filtering or blocking www.boingboing.net for some reason?
Xander: To verity other sites other than that one site works?
Clive Thompson: Yes -- every other site I'm visiting is loading no problem.
Clive Thompson: And email is working, as well as instant messaging -- i.e. every other form of data transport.
Xander: This is on your [NUMBER DELETED] line?
Clive Thompson: No, it's on my [NUMBER DELETED] line.
Clive Thompson: A connection card plan.
Xander: Are you using internet explorer?
Clive Thompson: No, Firefox. But I'll try Internet explorer if you want.
Clive Thompson: It's not loading via Internet Explorer either.
Xander: If you don't mind please.
Clive Thompson: I already tried and reported the results -- scroll up two lines and you'll see! It didn't work in Internet Explorer either.
Xander: Please try clearing your history, cookies and saved files from Internet options.
Clive Thompson: All right -- hold a sec.
System System: Connected with Xander
Xander: Did that help?
Clive Thompson: I'm afraid the site is still not loading.
Clive Thompson: I cleared the cache, cookies, and history in both IE and Firefox, but www.boingboing.net is still not working.
Clive Thompson: Do you know whether Sprint uses any blocking software? I know that Boing Boing has from time to time been blocked by several of the major corporate blocking services.
Xander: I apologize, however there may be something on that site that blocks access from certain device.
Xander: Sprint doesn't block any sites or content.
Clive Thompson: I didn't *think* Sprint had any blocking software installed, but I wasn't sure.
Clive Thompson: Why would something on that site render it inaccessible from a Sprint wireless modem?
Clive Thompson: It's a pretty inert device, the modem -- it just sends packets back and forth, theoretically.
Xander: I do apologize, it may have something to do with the browser settings.
Clive Thompson: Do you have any suggestions of what I can do about this?
Clive Thompson: If it's something to do with the browser settings, can you suggest something to change in them that would make the site accessible?
Xander: You might want to try in permitted sites, adding that site.
Clive Thompson: Okay, let me try that right now. Hold a sec.
Clive Thompson: Hmm -- didn't help, it appears. The site still won't load.
Xander: I apologize, you may want to contact the site and see if they have certain content restrictions.
Clive Thompson: Okay, I'll ask them and get back to you. What do you mean by "certain content restrictions"?
Xander: Anything that would restrict access to the web site.
Clive Thompson: All right. Thanks!
Xander: Not a problem.
Xander: Have I resolved the issue that prompted you to chat with us today?
Clive Thompson: No, you haven't, but thanks for trying.
Xander: Thank You for contacting Sprint, our goal is to make your chat experience a great one. Please complete the short online survey presented at the end of your chat. Should you have any additional feedback or comments you would like to provide regarding your chat or chat agent, please send us an email at: sprint.customerappreciation@connextions.com. If you have any further questions about your account or about Sprint’s products or services please contact us by chatting in again.
Clive Thompson: All right, thanks.
I have no idea who this person is -- s/he IM'ed me...
TrustworthyTrout: Have you lied to your children today?
pomeranian99: Nope.
TrustworthyTrout: ?
pomeranian99: Yeah, no.
TrustworthyTrout: ok
pomeranian99: Have you?
TrustworthyTrout: state who you are or i'm blocking you
pomeranian99: Clive Thompson.
TrustworthyTrout: i don't know you
pomeranian99: I'm really nice.
pomeranian99: Hey, what's it like being a chatbot?
TrustworthyTrout: wtf?
pomeranian99: You're *not* a chatbot?
pomeranian99: Sorry, I think I have my Turing filter set too high.
TrustworthyTrout: ?
pomeranian99: See, the problem is, every time you go "?", I'm like, y'know, that is *exactly* what you program a chatbot to say when it doesn't have a preprogrammed response.
TrustworthyTrout signed off at 8: 08:24 PM.
TrustworthyTrout is offline and will receive your IMs when signing back in.
“In fact, if he got to count [his gold medals] in a separate column, Phelps the...”
– globeandmail.com: Zero to seven in 24 glorious hours
“Parents are more afraid of their kids playing Grand Theft Auto than drinking...”
– Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on PC Features: Grand Theft Auto worse than beer, porn says parents - GameDaily
Nice. I like it when a memoirist has his one-sided... →
First it’s a Batman who’s afraid of bats. Now it’s... →
Freudian, really
mishatepper: I was just explaining also in another window that his closing talk at the Interactions conference in Feb talked about the need for literacy in the interactions of everyday life, of urbanity in particular as a system of signs and meaning that one can become more or less fluent in, as well as digital interactions
pomeranian99: sos
pomeranian99: wow
pomeranian99: i mean
pomeranian99: ahahahah
pomeranian99: great typo
“I was in the middle of a riveting conversation with science writer and amateur...”
– Vanity Fair: vanityfair.com
Astrobioethics
“Have you ever wanted to put a new word in the dictionary? Now’s your chance: say hello to astrobioethics, a branch of ethics involving the implications of life science in space.
Granted, it’s not yet as relevant as “abbamatically,” or the “the tendency for an unbearably cloying song to repeat over and over in your head all day after hearing it on the radio....
WatchMe Right Now: Clive Thompson on Vimeo (via Vimeo)
“It’s going to be really weird when I’m 80 years old, in a walker, and people are...”
– Shawn Johnson Balances Life and Gymnastics With Help of Chinese Coaches - NYTimes.com 