Green Apple, I'll Forgive You For iTunes 9

Ballsy Green Apple Sheds Association With Ignoramus

I don't read business trade rags, so while I'm all giddy about the stand Apple took quitting its membership from the US Chamber of Commerce over global warming/climate change views, the big surprise (to me) was that its 2009, almost 2010, and it seems we still have some hopelessly ignorant, or maybe its really selectively ignorant, group of adults collectively known as the US Chamber of Commerce. Sigh...

Ok, Apple, my disgust over iTunes 9 will take a back seat to this great move :)

iTunes 9: Beware. Great Eye Candy, Fubar Storefront

Yeah, Apple Design Can Go Horribly Wrong

Version 9 is the first version of iTunes I regret downloading and installing. After all these years of it being practically the only way I purchase music, this latest version's shortcomings come as a shocker.

1. Shopping Cart is gone
   I think we all know what a shopping cart is. I don't care if you're Apple, but trying to redefine "shopping cart" into a "wish list" is, utter crapola. Get real, they're different, period.
   
   
2. I think we all drag and drop. Say goodbye to that too - at least from iTunes Store to your playlist - can't drag a song you want to buy to a playlist.
   While this sounds strange, my music interests span different genres (who doesn't?) and that's how I create playlists. The added benefit of drag and drop to playlist *prior* to purchase is that after I do purchase the songs, they're already neatly grouped into the right "playlist"
   
   
3. They think everyone has a widescreen monitor greater than 1280 pixels wide
   I think Apple is drinking too much of their Kool Aid. Yeah, you can't seem to resize columns in Version 9 of iTunes.
   
   
4. The kicker: Wish List
   So you've lost the shopping cart, you can't drag a song from iTunes Store to your playlist, you can't see details of a song because of the fixed column widths, what more can this version do to make life miserable? Oh yeah, it has one more nail to drive through your skull - try finding the Wish List. Yeah, the shopping cart wannabe.
   
   The shopping cart was ever present in your left bar (along with your Playlists). So you know where to go to purchase whatever it is you've added. Now that its been replaced by a Wish List, you'd think it would at least be easy to find - I mean, this is what drives revenue generation, isn't it?
   
   Know where it is? It can only be accessed one way. In the Quick Links section, when you click on iTunes store. If you got confused by this sentence, you're in good company.

Sorry Apple, its a sad day indeed to know that you are quite capable of handing out crap. While iTunes 9 has some good eye candy, as a storefront its taking more than a few leaps backward - purchasing items, yes, your revenue model, is FUBAR in version 9.

Oh yeah, thanks for the Home Sharing feature. It's cool. But sadly, now that I know how bad this version is, don't expect me to propagate it to my other PC/Mac. They'll stay (v8) until these errors in judgment are fixed (hopefully)....which by the by, makes Home Sharing moot for me....sigh.

So if your iTunes usage sounds like mine, beware. I told you so.

Whole Foods = Whole Paycheck, For Some That Is

An Open Letter to John Mackey, CEO, Whole Foods

RE: WSJ Article and subsequent "explanation" on Whole Foods company blog regarding Health Care Reform

I’m a fan of Whole Foods, have one less than a mile from where I live, and while I can see the distinction between a personal opinion and a company policy, you are who you are, and you are blogging on a corporate web site. It isn't Blogger, WordPress, MySpace, nor Twitter, is it?

I’m not sure what your “other credentials” are to be "invitied" to do a piece with the Wall Street Journal, so with all due respect, when you write or speak, and are introduced with a title that bears your company’s name, you are in fact, a representative of such company. I’m not a CEO of anything, and it’s comical that even a lowly director such as myself would know that.

To back track and start with a quote on socialism is hypocrisy. I think the Wall Street Journal editors got it, and used the new title quite accurately. Or did you actually think that the extent of comprehension of the reading public starts and ends with the title? Oh wait, maybe you're on to something....

BUT

Contrary to what maybe your own belief, not everyone in this country is an idiot ("get the government out of my Medicare!", and other hilarious, idiotic and utterly ignorant quotes), nor rich enough to only have issues with “transparency”....hey, maybe there is something to that "whole foods, whole paycheck" phrase - not to worry, I'm no fool, I find the quote funny, even if it has some reality to it - notice that I said "reality", not "truth", since the latter somehow denotes a lie was in place - no, its a case of "it is what it is".

With all due respect, might your cluelessness to the concept of using your company blog, and subsequently your title, to be invited to do a piece for the WSJ, extend to the reality of “lesser folk"?

John, can I call you John? I can’t complain about my bill if I don’t get one – not because I don’t have health care insurance, I do, but because my coverage doesn’t include some procedure. Do I blame my employer? No. I understand fully what the company can afford. I’m not screaming “entitlement”. Here's a term for those who have everything: inadequate.

Nobody is asking for a free ride, just a shot at security.

And that’s the bottom line. I too agree in less government intrusion, they should stick to the basics – security. And contrary to most alpha male idiots, security isn’t just about an army. It starts with ensuring that it’s people, it’s members, is secure, from within. Yeah, a person's core.

Your company strives to do that, with health and wellness, security from within – I would expect it’s CEO to understand that.

I’m not foolish, I will shop at Whole Foods, because of what it offers - quality. Yes, I’m not clueless to equate one fool at the top, to the excellent meat, produce and groceries coming from people and producers who know better.

I Told You So, Again: EV SSL Is Stupid

EV SSL Certificates Are No More Valuable
Than The Cheapest SSL Certificate

Not my quote, but matches my sentiments on the abomination known as EV SSL. Sure, this latest exploit is based on a specific use case (so far, that is), but that's really not the point.

EV SSL is nothing more than a cash cow and is an abomination that ultimately damages consumer confidence in "SSL" or the "padlock" by introducing the notion of "bad SSL" or the "not-so-good-browser-padlock".

If Certificate Issuers and Authorities are supposed to be the "entrusted" source for this technology, they simply must do their job and vet applicants. Its really that simple. Higher cost? Sure. Just don't introduce abominations that question your own reason for being, damages and confuses consumers.

Anyone can create a self-signed certificate, it really is that trivial. Certificate Authorities exist to do what the name implies. Be the Authority.

Google Checkout: Just Another Paypal Thingy

Rumors of Microsoft's Demise Were In Fact Greatly Exaggerated.

Rumors of Google's Dominance Even More So.

Well, it seems the Kool Aid has run out. There was a time when Google "could do no wrong". Whatever BETA they came out with was a "Microsoft Killer". Google Docs will be the "end of Office". Even trusted trade rags drank the Google Kool Aid.

Well cracks in the armor are showing. In what was once a "PayPal killer", Google Checkout, with what was once a unique offering with it's Google Adwords tie-in, has, (gasp) matched the rate structure of PayPal, and ditched it's Adwords tie-in - generating a growing revolt among merchants, small business, and just about anyone who had something to sell, all using Google Checkout.

Make no mistake, PayPal is king among alternative payment/checkout options - and I've enough experience working with retailers payment processes to know that for a fact. I'd say anecdotally it's a 90/10 ratio for PayPal.

PayPal's dominance isn't just in market share. They've been at it for a while so their product is mature, very mature. Their acquisition of Verisign's payment processing gateway operations years ago, makes them a one-stop shop for merchants of any size. Standard credit card payment gateways? Check. Not quite ready for a merchant account? Check.

To be sure, Google Checkout's features had some interesting twists, and it was definitely getting better. Sadly, "being just another PayPal" may not be enough - after all, payments should be simple right? The goal is a "one click checkout" Amazon.com-like process right?

And here's the kicker. Customer Service. Anyone who's done business with Google (unless you're huge fish) will know that support is well, almost non-existent. If you're a fan of open source deployments, where you get your help from the community via forums, and such, well that's what you'll get with Google. Forums run by their customers. Imagine that. You have forums for a service you are thinking about adopting that will form the lifeblood of your revenue flow. Yes, imagine that. I guess you could say this is what BETA really means! But um, Google Checkout isn't a BETA. Tsk tsk.

PayPal on the other hand? Yup, it's not entirely something to praise - they can't even get PayPal vs. Gateway (Payflow Pro) support telephone transferring or IVR down to this day. BUT you do get a person, and their employees patrol the forums and blogs. Not mouthpieces, actual developers and/or technical support personnel.

Just about the only exception in Google-land is Adwords - of course they can't mess with their golden cow. You do get Google-based humans for support. Otherwise, it's a bleak world. Case in point - a few weeks ago, I looked into Google Messaging Security (aka Postini). It's a paid service and wanted to communicate (email or whatever) for pre-sales questions. Total responses? Zero. Nada. Zilch. I ended up successfully deploying it, but I'm a seasoned IT guy so, in true geek fashion, difficulty = challenge. So getting slapped with a non-response didn't stop me from being their customer. Think about that statement too.

So much has been said about "evil" Microsoft, but ahem, you get almost first-class support and guidance on Microsoft forums and employee blogs! Think about that for a second. Visit any active MSDN, ASP.Net blog run by Microsoft employees, and you actually get a team member responsible for the product you are using! That's more than 1st class support - that's a dream come true!

So today, the Google shine has dulled. The reality of the Google Product Line seems to be finally dawning upon us all. Some would say, exactly what product line would that be? Fair question. As shown above, PayPal vs. Google Checkout isn't a much of a match.

Will Google Checkout survive? I'd say yes, but let's just all end the "PayPal killer" crapola talk. It'll be just one of those "PayPal thingys".

Google does crapola after all. Speculations abound, and this blog entry says what I really think is going on.

What about this free Blogger service? Uh oh. Hopefully it generates enough AdWords revenue! Or else....gulp.

Finally, let me be clear. There is a dark horse in the payments, alternative checkout services space. One that has arguably mastered the art of the checkout. Amazon.com.

Wow, it's time to wait and see how this plays out.

Adobe Store Customer Service: A Monumental Waste Of Time

Buying direct from Adobe is my worst purchasing experience in years.
Failing spectacularly at point of purchase isn't a strategy for
recovery.

Hate to be scrooge, but it's 2008, we're all spoiled with one-click online shopping from even an online start-up, negating the need for telephone calls, and saving that store a ton of money by not having to run a massive customer service infrastructure.

Well, it turns out that one big name hasn't gotten the memo and is, at least to me, just one confused, undoubtedly expensive, massive mess of an operation: Adobe.

One might ask why I'd actually need to order a product directly from Adobe, and not some other online reseller, like Amazon perhaps, which would have unquestionably done an excellent job of taking the order, processing it, and fulfilling it, no calls, nor service emails from me. I have a valid answer: I was going for a cross platform upgrade from PC to MAC, which can only be done by dealing directly with Adobe. It was for Production Premium CS4.

These days, you might think that sales mattered right? After all, Adobe even blamed the lackluster adoption of CS4 as one of the reasons for recent layoffs (also covered by the San Francisco Chronicle) Maybe their CEO should look at it a little better. Is it pricing? Are your direct sales operations actually closing orders? Or are they just making a mess of things that orders aren't booked? Maybe you should stop running your own store and hand over full sales operations to resellers?

So what's going on? In painful bullet point fashion:

• Phone order placed with Adobe Sales on Dec. 2, 2008. It was pleasant, and the first utterance of "done in 7 to 10 business days" is spoken.
  
  
• Faxed the required LOD (for platform switching) same day. Acknowledged by Adobe.
  
  
• And today is the 23rd with no end in sight...did they lose all the engineering talent and counting is a lost art at Adobe?

What, that's it? Yep, I'll spare you the Groundhog Day details. But essentially, it's been in "processing" ever since, with one department not knowing what the other department is doing. It's approved in one place, blocked in another. "Blocked?" That's actually in their own words! WTF! Excuse my French but WTF??!! Who exactly is the customer here? Did you lose an understanding of buyer and seller in addition to counting days?!!

I had sarcastically joked about being hopeful that resolution was expected before Christmas, and if that was too soon, maybe before the New Year (2009)...well, it seems the joke's on me. It's the 23rd, a couple of days before Christmas and I'm screaming humbug because of Adobe! Sigh...

Oh, did I mention that no pro-active communication is ever generated by Adobe? 100% of the communication is started by the customer, me, asking that oh so 90's question, "What's the status of my order?".

Hey Adobe! I love your products, but you've got to stop being a joke of a sales (online/phone/whatever) operation. Save money and ditch this segment of your company, hand it over to online retailers who have a clue. This might sound like a joke, but it isn't: I've had better purchasing experience with a small shop running on Yahoo Stores than yours! Not as elaborate, not as pretty nor eye-catching as yours, but guess what? They know what matters: sales (in your bigger world it's called revenue).

Don't look at the excellent Product Management and Engineering personnel/talent you have for cuts and take a long hard look at the cost of running a service operation simply because you haven't yet learned how to sell the way it's done in this one-click shopping world.

Postmortem Update 12/31/08:

Finally. My Christmas-gift-now-a-New-Year-welcome-gift-to-myself is in my hands. I guess my last call to Adobe Sales last 12/23/08, actually discussing canceling the order, lit a fire in someone's you know what.

See, during the course of this ordeal, a friend of mine who's been a Mac user for eons, was kind enough to lend me his MacBook Pro loaded with Final Cut Studio after seeing the absolute crap I was going through trying to purchase a product Adobe should be desperately trying to sell. I've known about Final Cut, but I've never used it. I have however, been an Adobe user since Illustrator first came out with a PC version (yup, I just dated myself), so my choice to go with Adobe was based on familiarity.

After a few hours of getting used to the Final Cut interface, and with a little help from friends, I loved the experience - enough for me to complete a project I originally had in mind for CS4, and ergo, ending my ordeal and go Final Cut Studio.

How did Adobe dodge a bullet? I'm upgrading to CS4 while a Final Cut purchase would be my first and therefore a full version. Economics was the main reason I extended my patience. The other? FedEx. The promise provided to me by Adobe that shipment was actually already made didn't hold much credibility - for all the reasons I already gave. Their savior? FedEx - and that all important tracking number.

Astoundingly Ignorant Wall Street Journal Article

In the article, Google Wants Its Own Fast Track on the Web, a couple of technically challenged journalists of the Wall Street Journal seem to think that caching networks, CDNs, and yes, the good old concept of mirror sites is "preferential treatment". Oh my!

I'd expect this type of crapola from some newbie on the block, but from the Wall Street Journal? I wonder what's going on in that prestigious organization after it was sold.

Implementing good network architecture isn't preferential treatment - it is what it is: repeat after me, "implementing good network architecture".