Spammers and phishers never cease to amaze me, and it seems that they provide some valuable insight into the psyche of the people they are targetting. Consider for example this mail, which I received today:
They first address me by my full name, and then they tell me that all they need to send me money is my first name and surname, no additional information required.
I'm assuming that the web page I'm supposed to visit has been designed to install a virus on my computer, but the interesting questions here are:
How many people will actually click on the link?
Is the fact that the mail is asking to provide information that the sender already knows an oversight,
or has it been specifically designed that way because they are assuming that people who don't realize that they're being tricked are also less likely to have anti-virus software installed?
Update: Apparently they're not installing a Trojan, but simply offering a dubious job. Unser täglich Spam has details.
When I first switched on an Apple Macintosh computer in 1987, the first thing I saw was a tiny icon of a computer smiling at me. The "Happy Mac" eventually disapeared fifteen years later, but I still see it as an (if you excuse the pun) iconic example of Steve Jobs' philosophy of what computing was supposed to be about.
You could instantly see that Jobs was always emotionally involved in what Apple was doing. His keynotes weren't your average business presentations, they were events that everybody looked forward to. When he introduced a new product that he was excited about, like the iPhone, his eyes sparkled, and his enthusiasm translated to everybody in the room. Even when miscommunication happened (as during the early stages of the iPhone 4 release), it seemed to be because he was so emotionally connected to his products.
Jobs didn't just market products emotionally, he had them designed so that they would appeal to users in an emotional way. From the Happy Mac to the first bondi-blue iMac, to the first version of OS X that looked "so delicious you want to lick it". It's probably why the products create such strong emotional responses and why discussions between Apple users and Apple haters tend to heat up to ridiculous proportions.
Under Jobs' guidance, the company placed priority on preventing anything that could disrupt the emotional interaction between user and computer; this is the main reason why Apple's interface guidelines and the restrictions the company places on developers are so strict it's legendary. Still, the result speaks for itself: if people talk about hitting a computer or throwing it out the window, they never talk about an Apple Mac.
More important, however, and what really distinguished Jobs from just about every other CEO in the business was his ability to think outside the box. In the course of his career, he constantly questioned every established wisdom of the business. In sharp contrast to the "embrace and expand" strategy employed by Microsoft and many other companies, Jobs was never hesitant to tear things down and rebuild them from scratch, constantly looking and going in new directions rather than adding layer upon layer of basically the same thing.
Unlike other CEOs, Jobs saw interconnections and interdependencies that reached far outside his company into the world of his users, and he was ready to shift the paradigms when he deemed it necessary. Computers are all about technological specifications? Let's concentrate on the user interface instead. Customers want an extensive choice of products? No, a handful is more than enough. Video editing is for professionals only? Welcome iMovie. Apple is a computer manufacturer? Let's revolutionize the mobile phone market.
It was Jobs' way of thinking, his realization that a company's business does not end at the walls of its buildings but that it is a constant interaction with just about everybody, that transformed Apple from the ailing computer manufacturer of 1997, almost ruined by single-minded business executives, into the cutting-edge company that it is today.
Steve's energy and his unique vision will be sorely missed.
This day 100 years ago, on May 18th, 1911, the Austrian composer and conductor Gustav Mahler died at age 50 of heart disease.
During his lifetime, Mahler was both famous and infamous as one of the most meticulous and demanding conductors of his time; when he received the prestigious post as musical director of the Vienna Opera house in 1897, he set about to turn it into one of the leading opera houses in the world; in fact, much of the reputation it has today still goes back to Mahler. His performances of Wagner, Mozart and Beethoven's Fidelio were considered revolutionary at the time. When an anti-Semitic press campaign (Mahler was born a Jew, but converted to Catholicism early on) led to his resignation in 1907, Mahler took on posts at the Met and with the New York Philharmonic.
As a composer, Mahler continued the symphonic tradition of Brahms and Bruckner, paving the way for the musical modernism of Shostakovich, Webern, or Schönberg. However, during his lifetime his symphonies were met with little acclaim, and after his death they all but disappeared from the repertoire, until their grandeur was rediscovered in the 1960s. Today, his symphonies are considered milestones of early 20th century music.
Something of an interesting sidenote, which I noticed some time back, is that Mahler's symphonic music also seems to have had quite an influence on film scores. Take for example the opening to his first symphony, which seems rather close to the original "Star Trek" theme. Or the beginning of the sixth symphony, which appears to have been an inspiration to the "Star Wars" Darth Vader theme. And there's this section, also from the sixth, which a friend of mine noticed was uncannily similar to the "Indiana Jones" theme.
Whether the influence is actually true or merely imagined, there is no doubt that Mahler's expansive soundscapes with their intense emotionality have inspired countless composers and listeners since his death and that he remains one of the most important composers of the 20th century.
A team of scientists tried to figure out if the perception that certain countries vote for each other at the Eurovision Song Contest is actually true. They fed all available voting data into a computer, and it turned out that there are indeed six clusters of countries with similar musical tastes or other kinds of allegiances.
The results also proved once and for all what we always kind of suspected: that Austria is really located in the Balkans.
American soldiers have recently found Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. In 1971, the bin Laden family took a trip to Sweden, where this picture (source: Die Zeit) was taken.
Now here's the real mindboggler: Who on this picture is Osama bin Laden? (Click on the picture to enlarge it.) And, most importantly: can you solve this mystery without consulting Google?
At somewhat short (but manageable) notice, I received an invitation to speak at the Verbundtag 2011, a convention of Austrian librarians, where the plenary session of the first day was to be on mobile services for libraries. As I recently coordinated (and to some degree also programmed) a mobile version of Vienna University Library's website, they thought that I could add a local perspective to Patrick Hochstenbach's (excellent) presentation on "Mobilising Ghent University".
My presentation went well. It took a little longer than I had expected, but the audience remained surprisingly attentive throughout, despite the prospect of the free lunch buffet that was waiting outside.
I made a few slides to go with my presentation, and this video, which demonstrates the mobile website and catalogue:
One of many indicators of the sad state of Austrian politics: Conservative MEP Ernst Strasser is filmed by Sunday Times reporters accepting money for legislation:
Here's one of the resulting attempts at comic relief:
Still, nauseating sleaze and desperate humour aside, what's similarly disturbing is that Strasser would have gone free if he had acted as an Austrian MP instead of an an MEP. Contrary to EU law, Austrian law allows lobbyism in parliament, and accepting money for legislation is perfectly legal. I guess this explains several political decisions, and it turns politics into a farce that is losing the people's confidence with good reason.
Es folgt ein Exkurs in die wundersame Welt der Paketdienste. Wobei das einzige Wunder darin besteht, dass diese Firmen nicht schon längst Pleite gegangen sind. Denn mit Ausnahme eines einzigen zuverlässigen Dienstes habe ich von diesen bisher mehr Pakete nicht erhalten als erhalten; in der Regel wurden sie als "unzustellbar" oder "Empfänger unbekannt" einfach zurückgeschickt. Ein Kollege in der Poststelle unserer Bibliothek hat einmal von bis zu 25% falsch oder nicht zugestellten Paketen von Paketdiensten gesprochen (im Gegensatz zu unter 1% bei der Post).
Spitzenreiter meines Paketdienst-Hasses war bisher DHL, deren Pakete ich grundsätzlich nur bekomme, wenn ich das Online-Tracking quasi im Minutentakt verfolge, und selbst dann sollte ich am besten vor der Haustüre auf den Lieferanten warten.
Nun hat UPS, von einer Kollegin liebevoll "Unfähige Packl-Schupfer" genannt, in die erste Reihe aufgeschlossen.
Ich habe etwas vom Apple Store bestellt. Das tut man manchmal, besonders, wenn es ein extrem günstiges Sonderangebot für Uni-Mitarbeiter gibt. Aus praktischen Gründen gab ich als Lieferadresse die Bibliothek an. Bei bisherigen Apple Store-Bestellungen gab es da auch noch nie Probleme.
Anfangs sah alles noch sehr gut aus, denn nach ein paar Tagen (am 16.3.) erhielt ich ein Mail, dass das Paket nun versendet worden sei. Dann geschah mal länger nichts.
Am 18.3. sah ich im Online-Tracking von UPS nach, wo das Paket ist und stellte fest, dass es in Wien angekommen war. Ich erwartete die Lieferung also nach dem Wochenende.
Am 21.3. passierte nichts.
Am 22.3. sah ich nochmal nach, ob das Paket schon in Auslieferung sei, aber da hatte sich nichts verändert. Allerdings fiel mir auf, dass ich bei der Bestellung aus Versehen eine falsche Postleitzahl angegeben hatte.
Erstes Telefongespräch mit UPS am 22.3.: Die Dame am Apparat versichert mir, dass das Paket noch in Wien im Lager sei und es problemlos möglich ist, die Postleitzahl zu ändern. Allerdings könne sie das nicht tun, ich müsste dazu bei Apple anrufen. Mit der Lieferung sei dann am 23.3. zu rechnen.
Telefongespräch mit Apple am 22.3.: Ein freundlicher Mitarbeiter ändert die Postleitzahl und verspricht, dies an UPS weiterzuleiten. Er gibt mir seine persönlichen Kontaktinformationen, falls noch ein Problem auftreten sollte.
Am 23.3. erschien im Online-Tracking-System von UPS der Hinweis, dass meine Postleitzahländerung vorgenommen worden war und ein neuer Liefertermin stattfinden würde.
Am 23.3. gegen Mittag tauchte ein UPS-Lieferant in der Bibliothek auf, während ich gerade in einer Besprechung war. Dieser hatte allerdings kein Paket bei sich, sondern nur einen Zettel. Er redete auf die anwesenden Mitarbeiterinnen ein, er hätte das Paket zwei Tage zuvor (am 21.) hier abgeliefert und wollte jetzt dafür eine Unterschrift auf dem Zettel haben. Da er darauf bestand, eine Unterschrift ohne Ware zu bekommen, verständigten die Mitarbeiterinnen mich. Ich bestätigte, dass ich kein Paket erhalten hatte, der UPS-Lieferant wurde kleinlauter und verschwand.
Da die Dame von UPS am Tag zuvor noch versichert hatte, dass das Paket noch nicht zugestellt war und auch kein Zustellversuch im Online-Tracking erschien, kam mir das alles sehr merkwürdig vor.
Daher zweiter Anruf bei UPS, unmittelbar nachdem der Lieferant verschwunden war: Die Dame von UPS teilte mir mit, dass das Paket am 21.3. nicht zugestellt worden war und am 22.3. eine Adressänderung durchgeführt worden war. Das Paket müsste derzeit in Auslieferung sein. Auf meine Bedenken bezüglich des Lieferanten, der Mitarbeiterinnen zu einer Unterschrift nötigen wollte, ging sie nicht ein, fragte lediglich, ob der Mann eine braune Uniform getragen hätte. Hatte er. Sie sagte dann etwas in der Art von "Das kommt vor."
Am 24.3. Vormittag kam kein Paket. Am Nachmittag erschien dann im Online-Tracking folgende Meldung:
Besonders die Worte "Verlorener Nachforschungsauftrag" beunruhigten mich etwas.
Daher dritter Anruf bei UPS, am 24.3., und nun wird die Sache vollends absurd:
Ich frage, was die Meldung bedeute. Die UPS-Dame wirkt ungehalten und sagt, Apple habe einen Nachforschungsantrag gestellt, da das Paket noch nicht zugestellt worden ist.
Ich frage, was "Verloren" in diesem Zusammenhang bedeute. Die UPS-Dame wird noch eine Spur unfreundlicher und meint, sie könne mir das nicht sagen.
Ich frage, ob das Paket noch bei UPS sei und wann ich es geliefert bekomme. Sie sagt, ich müsse bei Apple anrufen, um eine Antwort auf diese Fragen zu bekommen.
Lassen wir uns das bitte auf der Zunge zergehen: ein Lieferant, der nach allen Hinweisen (und auch nach eigener Aussage) noch in Besitz eines Stücks Frachtgut ist, schickt mich ernsthaft zum Absender des Pakets, weil er selbst nicht fähig (oder willens) ist, mir eine Auskunft zu geben.
Letzte Aktion von mir, heute vormittag: ich schickte ein E-Mail an den Apple-Mitarbeiter, der mir seine Kontaktinformationen gesendet hatte. Weniger als 20 Minuten später hatte ich eine Antwort. Er entschuldigte sich für das Problem, konnte mir aber logischerweise natürlich nicht sagen, wo das Paket gerade ist. Apple werde ein Ermittlungsverfahren einleiten; nach 72 Stunden sollte ich eine Antwort erhalten. UPS müsse den Artikel in dieser Zeit finden oder ersetzen.
Irgendwie ist es absurd, einen absolut professionellen und freundlichen Service (Apple) Seite an Seite mit einem derart inkompetenten und im letzten Telefongespräch auch sehr unfreundlichen Lieferanten (UPS) zu sehen. Ich werde berichten, wie die Sache weitergegangen ist.
When I first switched on an Apple Macintosh computer in 1987, the first thing I saw was a tiny icon of a computer smiling at me. The "Happy Mac" eventually disapeared fifteen years later, but I still see it as an (if you excuse the pun) iconic example of Steve Jobs' philosophy of what computing was supposed to be about.
This day 100 years ago, on May 18th, 1911, the Austrian composer and conductor Gustav Mahler died at age 50 of heart disease.
