Michael N. Dundas

Grooveshark.com rocks!  I have been using them regularly as a source of music since the fall of 2009.  A couple months ago I even purchased a year subscription I liked them so much.  Why?  Unlike Xmradio and Last.fm, they give me what I want.

I have created a play list for when I run that I periodically update.  I have a separate play list for when I workout, and another when I am in the office working.  They do not limit play lists or music listening.  They even have Grooveshark Radio which will pick songs for you based on your criteria selection and taste.  Everything is available without a subscription as well.   The difference between subscription and non subscription is advertisements.  Non subscription users will see advertisements appear on the side of the screen while music was playing.  Obviously these will go away when you purchase a subscription. But that is not why I purchased a subscription.  I purchased a subscription because unlike others they gave me the customer what I want.

My wife has an Xmradio in her car and we have a subscription.  The subscription permits you to log on via the web and listen sort of.  They have a ‘better sounding’ version you can pay extra for to listen on the web.  For basic subscribers that only have a car radio and do not wish to give them more money than we already do, there is a lower quality version if you choose to listen on the web.  In order to run it, I had to use a windows machine (the only windows machine in the house is my work one).  I had to run Internet Explorer as apparently Firefox isn’t supported.   Aside from their obvious vehicle penetration, the service is really a subset of what Grooveshark offers at a higher price point and they are difficult to deploy in the home.

Last.Fm I have already written about here and here.  My views on them have not changed.

If Grooveshark offered an ‘in vehicle’ version of their service I’d sign up.  I’d gladly give the money we pay for our XMradio subscription to them. Based on my feelings about these online services, I found the latest Google Webtrends data interesting.

Grooveshark is a slow almost constant trend upwards. Xmradio.com is the reverse (of course this represents web access not vehicle access), and Last.fm, is heading downward in 2010.

If you use online music services, give Grooveshark a try.  You won’t be disappointed.

Several years ago I was hired to assist with an internal investigation.  The client, a large company had some concerns about an employee and wanted to covertly gather information and data on what this employee was doing while at work.   For about a week, I sat passively on the network, monitoring the subjects connections to servers, internet systems, e-mail, instant messaging and any other network connection.  There was not the selection of automated software there is today to accomplish this, so most of it was done with packet sniffers.  I would gather the data, use scripts to extract specific types of data and run it through statistical analysis, look for data that was ‘different’ or ‘suspect’ in some way. Basically the goal was to profile the user, compare his activities to other users.  Then using this profile, identify and focus on things that didn’t fit.   Personally, I found it a little creepy.  Looking into the details of someone’s private life is not really fun, a part of me felt like I was being invasive, not respecting their privacy — and technically that is true.  But it was the job, what I was asked to do.   Sometimes doing things one would prefer not to do is necessary.

One thing I had identified to the client was that the subject was using a type of VoIP software.  They asked if it was possible to listen in on the voice conversations.  I told them it was, and that I could probably get them a copy of the voice conversations the subject previously had during the time I was monitoring.  I had packet captures, most non-encrypted so it was just work and time.  At the clients request, I extracted the VoIP conversations into wmv files using date and time of the call as a file name.

At the end of the job, I was having a conversation with the CTO.  He was wondering if there was an automated way to keep audio conversations of all the employees.  At the time, this technology was not as prevalent, cheap, and available to the general public as it is today.  I asked him if he thought that was really appropriate.  I explained that I had just listened in on someones private conversations.   Maybe it wasn’t any of the companies business.   Maybe there were legalities if they were to do that (yes, I was annoyed).  His response was very quick.  “The company has a right to view all data, monitor activity that its equipment or network is used for, period”.   He told me all the employees know this and sign a document to that effect.  I said that made sense.   I asked him what he would think if he was in a confidential conversation on the phone with someone in a different province and Bell had listened in on his conversation?  I said that I assume he didn’t have problem with it, after all it is their network, their devices.  Aside from the angry facial expression, he said that was ‘different’ and they shouldn’t be allowed to do that.

Fast forward to now.  Everyone has a video camera or picture camera on them as a result of mobile phones.  If you are serious about it, you can find all kinds of tiny spy cameras.  Rob Spence has implanted a camera in his eye. It amuses me when law enforcement gets all concerned about citizens taking their picture and video taping them.  I guess they feel that they should be able to watch and monitor us, but we shouldn’t be able to watch and monitor them.  Of course if they are not doing anything wrong, then they should have nothing to worry about right? (that statement is an entire topic in and of itself).

Everyone has reasons why a particular person or group of people should or should not be monitored.  It really comes down to the basic premise that we as humans don’t want to be monitored, but we want the ability to monitor others, especially if we deem them as a threat.  Government wants the ability to covertly monitor their citizens but do not want organizations covertly monitoring them.  Police want cameras everywhere so they can monitor what is going on and use it to assist with their job, but they don’t want to be video taped in case they get caught doing something controversial, such as Robert Dziekanski being killed by officers at Vancouver airport. The video once released on the Internet, forced police to change their story.  Businesses feel they have a right to monitor their employees, but would have concerns if employees were monitoring some of their activities.

Personally, I think it is futile to attempt to stop one group from monitoring another, especially in public places.  It will never be successful.  Who do you feel should be able to monitor who?   Under what circumstances and conditions is video or audio surveillance appropriate?

photo credit

I have a Visa card that I use only when I am on business.  The idea being that all charges on that card are business related and are therefore re-paid by clients.  As such I am forced to on a regular basis walk through all the transactions, ensure I have the appropriate documentation, submit it to the appropriate parties so that I get the money back.  I say forced because I really hate doing expenses, so much so that I will avoid it as much as humanly possible.

I have been traveling for work a fair bit lately, and two months of expenses have piled up.   Begrudgingly, I sit down to do my expenses. All the transactions are fine, except for two, one on each month for $6.79 cents from a company called clickandbuy.com.  Not a company I have dealt with.  I go to the clickandbuy.com website.  In the FAQ section I find an entry describing my problem.  In order to contact them electronically, I have to register first, giving them a bunch of information I don’t want to give them.   The fact is they probably already have the information from whatever method they obtained my credit card information, but I don’t want to confirm it, I don’t want to be their customer.  There is a long distance number I can call if I want a person directly, no toll free number.

Next, I call my Visa company.  I get the standard series of  endless automated prompts.  Eventually I get an option for customers that wish to discuss specific charges on their account.  Selecting that option the first thing the recording system tells me is (paraphrased):  If the charge in question is related to an internet transaction, please contact the vendor to resolve the charge.  If I still have trouble, I can work with them because after 45 days the transaction is my responsibility.  I wait on the line.  Next I receive a message that they are not open right now and to call back during ‘normal business hours’, which they don’t provide.

At this point I have spent approximately 30 minutes, dealing with two transactions worth $13.58 on my weekend.  I am mad at clickandbuy.com and I am furious with my Visa company.  How dare they waste my time.  How dare they permit a charge to be placed on my card, then make it inconvenient for me to discuss and dispute the charge they put on a card I did not authorize (at least not knowingly).   The question becomes, how do I save my time?  I call my Visa company back up select the ‘report a lost or stolen Visa’ option.  I immediately get a person, who is very helpful and I have a new card coming to me in a few days.

Why did I do this?  Well this happened to my wife about a year ago and experience is a good teacher.  Different financial institution, different scummy vendor.  We spent hours of time and frustration on the phone, email, filling out forms, responding to voice mails, waiting on the phone in queues.  Not worth it.   And since the Visa companies value the merchant and their time more than their customers and my time (this is obvious by their actions), I can play that game too. In five days it will be all fixed, minimal time lost and stress induced for me.

End result is that scummy ClickandBuy.com, obtained $13.58 from me due to the despicable and scummy business practices they employ — you are welcome Clickandbuy.com.  $13.58 vs. calling my Visa company repeatedly, having to fight with them, then having them send me forms via snail mail, which I have to fill out, return via snail mail or fax, then wait for the to investigate and decide, easy choice.

As for the company who provides me the Visa, I will receive a new one next week.  I may not activate it however.  I am going to look around, maybe select a new provider.  Sure they will probably be the similar with rules as my current Visa company when it comes to despicable companies like clickandbuy.com.  My Visa company is big and I am just a tiny little single customer.  But I will do it on principle.  I highly recommend that everyone that has a problem like this to just call in and report your card lost.  They have to terminate the card, they have no choice.  They are obviously trying to push the Internet purchasing problem off to their customers rather than come up with a solution.  This makes it their problem again, which is where the problem is and should be.