hitchhiker's Profile

  • Apr 22, 2008
  • 48
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Latest comments made by: hitchhiker

  • And, yes there is a typo in my comment... ;-)
    hitchhiker had this to say on Feb 11, 2008 Posts: 48
    Video Rentals & Downloads Will Be the Future
  • Can you please employ a sub-editor - this piece is a mess. "Over the years, we’ve embraced numerous video formats, most of those being an abandoned child from Sony." Ignoring the atrocious grammar, what the heck does that parapgraph even mean? "Digital downloads are no different, but this time around it’s a 3-way battle, one that won’t be easily won." Again, setting-aside the grammar... any chance of elaborating on the three way battle you mention? You do mention three big problems... but no battle. Sorry to sound like a broken record but the quality of writing on this site is going to hell in a handcart. This story has no structure and appalling grammar, reading like the outline notes for an article were submitted rather than the article itself. Citizen media is a wonderful idea - but not if it's so-badly written that nobody's got a clue what you're talking about.
    hitchhiker had this to say on Feb 11, 2008 Posts: 48
    Video Rentals & Downloads Will Be the Future
  • "I agree that Apple never so much as mentioned that upgrades for the iPod touch would be free as for the iPhone, but they made sure that people assumed that they would be so they bought those iPod touches." No, you assumed, apparently. How did they "make sure" precisely. I own an iPod touch. Would I have liked the apps to be free? Of course. Do I feel as if I've been lied to by Apple? Er, no. If you can provide me with one single piece of evidence that demonstrates Apple's "little hint", I'll happily agree that we've all been shafted but until then...
  • ps. Whilst I may have appeared overly-rude to Beeb, if this thread was taken in isolation; time and again, I've seen him do the same thing to me and others - twist, contort and exaggerate things people say to fulfil his own agenda.
  • With the greatest of respect James - what I said in my first comment was... "It comes across as an internal memo; and certainly isn’t a “story” in any sense of the word." and "Do you guys have either an editor or a sub-editor who views, tidys up and, occasionally, spikes stories?" In short, I both asked "why?" and made comment about quality control. I repeat - in the same initial comment. I didn't get offended by Beeb's comments regarding news, merely his assertion that, as I'd used the word "story", that didn't include so-called "op-ed" pieces. Maybe it's a difference in the vernacular but, to me as a former journalist, they're one and the same. So I've never changed my opinion or attitude, I made TWO initial points, and have carried them through until now. And I maintain both of them. Sorry, nothing personal I assure you. There's some good writing on AM but far too much of it gets lost because it's not well-written. To me, this piece was just one example. And, again, I apologise if you consider this statement rude.
  • Sometimes I don't know why I bother... There really is no point in attempting anything resembling an adult discussion/argument with someone who changes their story, edits in their own head the things you've actually written, purposely mis-quotes or misinterprets and, if all else fails, makes things up. I get more considered reasoning from my five year old daughter.
  • Interested to read that I offered advice regarding offence. What advice was that precisely? "Come down like a hammer and prevent its publication." Yeah, cause that's what I said isn't it. Editing/sub-editing = "come down like a hammer". If you want to engage in intelligent disagreement, you have to read, absorb and react to the comments that people make. Not extrapollate them into distortion. I want one simple thing: quality control. Too often stories/articles/pieces on this site could do with tightening-up. The points they make are lost in sloppy writing, which is a terrible waste. Not too much to ask I thought.
  • "This is not a “story.” It’s an op-ed on a site that is mostly op-eds. That’s just the nature of the site. You can get Apple news anywhere. You come here for the unique voices and opinions of the writers of this site." No offence Beeb - oh, sod it, you'll take offence anyway, so it doesn't matter what I say. An op-ed is simply an opinion piece, otherwise known as a "story". It's a wacky convention writers employ - using the word "story" to denote anything they're writing at the time. "Say, what story you working on?" "I'm doing the op-ed." "Nice etc." As for the site being full of op-eds. Please do attempt to stop being an arse for just a few seconds. My point - which in typical style you glossed over to make your own - was that this site, in my humble opinion, needs some quality control in the form of an editor or sub-editor. Unique voices are good. Submissions for their own sake are not. The quality control - again in my humble opinion - is lacking.
  • You guys crack me up - computers, yeah right. On a serious note - and this isn't aimed at you James - whilst different opinions are good (we often see one contributor commenting on the story of another), articles like this... well, they don't say anything. It comes across as an internal memo; and certainly isn't a "story" in any sense of the word. I'm not going to do the "and I will be removing your so-called 'blog' from my RSS feeds" that a lot of people do about this point - but, seriously, what's the point in this story? Do you guys have either an editor or a sub-editor who views, tidys up and, occasionally, spikes stories?
  • I was looking forward to the UK launch of the iPhone but, once the dust had settled, I was one of the disappointed. I don't the situation in the US but launching a phone in the UK without 3G and MMS would be suicide for anybody but Apple. Lots of people will buy it because it's the iPhone - maybe they don't realise its shortcomings? - because it's "an iPod with a mobile phone built in." As for me - and, I'm sure, countless others... we'll be waiting for v2 that must surely come out early next year with 3G capabilities, MMS and a decent camera.
    hitchhiker had this to say on Sep 19, 2007 Posts: 48
    Life is Getting Tougher for the New Apple
  • Sorry - should be cap T on "the" and "much of THE componentry..."
    hitchhiker had this to say on Jul 16, 2007 Posts: 48
    July 16, 1994: A Mac Does DOS
  • Er... did you read this before you posted it? Sorry if I appear anal but the errors do jump out... "...caompatible." "the DOS side... componentry ."
    hitchhiker had this to say on Jul 16, 2007 Posts: 48
    July 16, 1994: A Mac Does DOS
  • "3G isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. It doesn’t allow handovers which is the absolute worst when you travel from 3G area to NON-3G area while on the phone. You know you left because it hangs up. Going through the 3G switchover was also a PITA as calls would drop consistantly and getting the phone to stick to one serivce was a Pain." I don't know about 3G networks in the US - but in the UK, that just isn't true. I have a 3G phone which connects to 3G if possible but, if I move out of a 3G area, then it reverts to 2.5G or whatever's available. So I don't know if your problems are to do with the US 'version' of 3G or your cellular network - but it's not 3G per se. Not that I'm saying your problems aren't real just that it's not necessarily a symptom of 3G as such.
    hitchhiker had this to say on Jul 01, 2007 Posts: 48
    The Network Behind the iPhone
  • 1. I did. Lots. Some direct, some implied. 2. I did notice. Should recognise my own words. My, you are so very clever aren't you. 3. It's not strange... and then you lost me. And the rest, well it looks like English... but all I see is "blah blah blah."
    hitchhiker had this to say on Jun 14, 2007 Posts: 48
    Apple Culture vs. Microsoft Culture
  • I never said you were a stupid Belgian: you simply offered your own evidence to suggest this was the case. Again, thanks for the lesson in the English language and the definition of PR. Quite how I coped before you turned up I'll never know. Interestingly, you also failed to answer any of my comments or questions. Funny that. As to what's keeping you here: God only knows. Boredom? A mistaken belief that you're getting to me? Masochism? Intellectual sparring? Whatever it is, I hope it passes soon. And Ben - yes, Herge's one of the three famous Belgians. The others are Hercule Poirot and Jean Claude Van Damme.
    hitchhiker had this to say on Jun 13, 2007 Posts: 48
    Apple Culture vs. Microsoft Culture