Monday

Comcast and the Bot-You Got To Read This. Delaware Political Insight/Snark Against the Local Politicos.

PIC OF DAY


Comcast, the Bot and Norton
=====================

A bot, by definition, is:

A “Bot” is a malicious software or malware that is used to gain control over your computer, typically without your knowledge. Online criminals can use Bots to collect your personal and private data, such as Social Security numbers, bank account information and credit card numbers by monitoring your keystrokes. This can lead to identity theft and fraud.

Bullshit.

Comcast ought to be fined for this stunt. Soon I will be getting Verizon FIOS so I will no longer have to have Comcast anywhere near me.

To begin, this is not the FIRST time Comcast has done this to me.

During this past July 4th holiday weekend, the Internet went down in our house. I don't know why, it was a blip, a blip that turned out to be attributable directly to Comcast's own equipment which we paid rent on.

I wanted to know how to reset the password on the modem. I know there's a little pinhole thing in the router that had to be reset with a pen or an unbent paperclip. Before they would tell me how to do it Comcast made me sign up for their Xfinity plan, EVEN THOUGH I WAS RENTING THIS EQUIPMENT FROM COMCAST!

I tried to explain this but twas a mean and nasty Comcast employee and if I wanted internet over the holiday weekend I had to agree to sign up.

Which turned out to be a bunch of crap because the damn thing didn't work anyway and I still had no Internet over the holiday weekend plus now had a $49 bill for their stupid Xfinity service.

I ended up getting most of that crap written off AND I had Comcast come out to my house. They replaced my modem...which was BAD, AND my router, replacing it with a more modern modem/router combined and which I rent and do NOT have to pay Comcast for service.

I resented those brats on the Comcast help line more than you know.

But this ridiculous Comcast Bot has me devoted to spending my life lambasting that awful, awful service.

Here's how it came down.

This huge message began appearing on the screen, below a screen-capture.



The pic above is from my computer. This thing would show up on husband's computer, also on the Kindle. On the computers the window could be moved off to the side but NOT ON THE KINDLE!

Right there I have Comcast interrupting use of my Kindle, note I PAY Comcast handsomely for their services so what the hell right do they have to deny me use of my computer? Did I somehow ask Comcast to be checking my computer for a Bot and to notify me when they find one? Even so, even if it's in some small print on some contract or another, why can't they just email me? Or maybe they could notify me once a day or something. Does the company, WHICH I PAY EVERY MONTH-have a right to deny my use of a Kindle to tell me about this Bot….WITH EVERY EMAIL I OPEN, WITH EVERY WEB SITE I VISIT, EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME????

Of course Comcast wants to be annoying, this service I PAY for I remind again, more on this later.

Also, this message would eventually go away but I've timed it and at times it stayed on the screen for up to five minutes. You must understand that without being able to move it out of my way on the Kindle this situation effectively made my Kindle useless as who wants to sit around and wait minutes to see an email or a web site?

Now what is a Bot?

I checked into this and dear Lord, there are lots and lots of things that one might consider a Bot. Norton, yes I took care of my computer, wiping the drive, re-installing every thing then installing Norton virus protector….Norton finds what it calls "tracking cookies" which are little thingies that keep track of what sites you visit and send the info back to some host. Norton calls them of "low" danger. I'm willing to bet that this is what Comcast keeps calling a BOT.

In addition, since this Bot came right after I got a Kindle….some apps have what is called a "locator tracker", which is true for Facebook. Facebook has a really nice app for a Kindle but hey, they got to make money. This location tracker tells advertisers where I'm calling in from, so to speak, and this way local advertisers can get their product in front of my face.

This location tracker might also be considered a BOT by Comcast standards.

Hold on, I am not done telling yon reader how damn dumb Comcast is. Note on the infamous Bot screen that there are links to click that will tell us dummies what a BOT is and like Obama with the sequester, will tell us that the apocalypse is near.

None of the links work. What kind of business is this? I pay these people over $200 bucks a month and they take away the use of my Kindle for a service I do not want then they offer me a solution with their insane intrusive message with LINKS THAT DON'T WORK!!


Below just one other Bot recipient backs up this Comcast crap, the boards of full of them.
I just received the same “bot” email (followed by a 1.800 call the next day) from Comcast. I must say, as a marketer I was impressed with the coordination of their online/offline communications. However, after reaching step 2 of their 4 step DIY online solution – the step where you need to purchase Constant Guard™ Protection Suite if you ever want to see your family photos again – I started thinking about switching to Verizon FioS. From what I can tell, Comcast detected a “surge” in activity via my modem that set off a wave of “the end is near” communications designed to make me poop my pants (mission accomplished). Interestingly, the “surge” they detected coincided with an automatic Firefox plug-in update that occurred the night before. Even if their intentions were legitimate, Xfinity’s predatory tactics were “malicious.”

This guy above says that he did the "fix" that Comcast tells you to do on their web site.

Note how they get you even if doing it yourself, cause they want to sell you a service.

I don't need frigging Comcast to fix my computer, they have no right to intrude on my service with advertisements for their Xfinity bullcrap, not that I would hire a computer company to fix my computer when their online advertisements have links that don't work.

I "FIXED" my computer and installed a virus program against my better desires. I absolutely hate virus programs that slow my computer to a crawl but this the second time now I've had to wipe my computer but even at that Norton finds cookies tracking me. I have Norton now erasing them all the time but these are the BOTS Comcast so hated and so wanted to scare me with. It's just a sneaky way for a business to locate customers to target.

Despicable way to run a business.

I advise anyone thinking about signing up for Comcast, consider my story. Cause if they've no qualms about interrupting your service that you PAY them for (unlike Facebook, which I do NOT pay for but must suffer the advertisements...Comcast wants it BOTH ways.) For next comcast will be broadcasting for soap powder, perhaps paper towels.

Why wouldn't they if they can get away with it?

I intend to forward this entire message to Comcast/Xfinity. I will report back if they bother to respond.


Delaware Politicians Continue to Push Gun Control Legislation That None of Us Asked For
=========================================

But of course.

For these elected political elite, they are our masters, they are out keepers, they know what is best for us.

Below a story about a recent hearing on that awful gun bill Delaware is pushing through, with a little help from spineless Republicans.
======================================

Attendees included Governor Markell's representatives, Andrew Lippstone, Esq. Governor Markell's Chief Legal Counsel and Brenda Mayrack, an advocate for the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence (DCAGV). They debated Anthony Delcollo, Esq. President, Delaware Association of Second Amendment Lawyers and Mark Blake, Civic Leader and NRA Lifetime member. Following their debate, there was time for question and answers.

Here is a summary of the debate written by Lorrie Glode: Click for Summary

Gun Control Poll

A focal point of DCAGV part of the presentation, was a Gun Control poll that they organized through a Washington polling company. They proudly released the results which stated, " 66% in New Castle County, 56% in Kent County and 54% in Sussex county supported stricter laws for gun control. " That sounds pretty overwhelming until you consider the following.

There are 917,092 people in Delaware. This group "randomly" selected 600 registered voters in Delaware to conduct their poll. That means .065% of Delawareans were contacted. That is less than 1%! 

This sounded very biased so during the question and answer period, our Executive Director, Theresa Garcia conducted our own poll of the approximately 200 people in attendance.

This poll of 200 Delawareans, mainly from NCC, revealed an overwhelming response. 99% of those in attendance were against all five of Markell's bills!

Keep in mind that this meeting was open to the public and heavily advertised by the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence.


Delaware Legislators Are Our Masters, We Must Bow Before Their Brilliance
============================

Now we do have some pro gun-control goofballs showing up at hearings on those ridiculous and totally un-needed gun control bills now being bandied about, on command from the current White House regime no doubt.

The vast majority of this country does NOT want any more gun control, citizens are not clamoring for yet more gubmint laws to control our behavior and restrict our rights.

But they flip us the bird, this elected elite, and get busy exactly what we do NOT want them to do.

Let's have a look at those five gun control bills the misguided Markell wants to enact in Delaware.

-Background checks for gun sales between private parties.

So okay I got a gun I want to sell to my neighbor. Neighbor gives me a hundred bucks, I give him gun.

Delaware, insert smile here, expects ME to file a background check on my neighbor. I would have to pay a licensed dealer $50 to conduct the background check.

Decent legislators, ie lawmakers who really care about the laws they enact, which does not include minions of Obama/Biden, do not pass laws they know cannot be enforced.

How on earth is this thing going to be enforced?

AFTER my neighbor kills someone with the gun he purchased that was registered to me, well my neighbor gets charged with murder and I get charged with what….failing to conduct a background check?

Like this is the most important thing a prosecutor has to worry about.

The elected political elite are our masters, they own us, they know better than us.

This crappy rule will prevent no murders, I got a bridge to sell to anyone who thinks it will.

An amendment to this HB 35 would exempt concealed carry holders from this requirement. So my neighbor tells me he has a concealed carry permit so I believe him and don't bother with the background check cause he's my neighbor, I believe the man!

Another bill that they will shackle us with for no reason at all, and as supported by the fine, fine very honest Mike Castle, requires guns to be limited to those that hold no more than ten rounds of ammunition.

I know this is a law...stupid, stupid, stupid...that is meant to restrict mass murders, ie a case where a guy goes in to shoot a bunch of innocent theater goers.

The legislators, those who rule and control us, the political elite who are our masters, maybe don't realize that most of these mass murderers had more than one gun with them.

Our political elite are too darn busy to consider things like this, leave them alone!

A Senate bill requires those of us who lose or have our guns stolen must report it within 48 hours of the discovery.

Yeah right.

Another totally unenforceable bill that's just stupid.

There is floating about a proposal to ban assault weapons, a bill already passed once at the federal level and a law that was allowed to expire for the uselessness of it.

All of these new gun laws our masters would load on us will stop no mass murders, they will not make the world be safer.

These bills will only hurt and harass innocent citizens like you and I.

But they are our masters, they spend their time passing bills that keep us helpless and mired in the red tape of it.

They must be obeyed.

ENDING WITH A SMILE
=====================

No comments: