The Redbacks Web

Here’s the text of a press release that I’ve just issued.

Officially launching today, NewTricks.net.au is a new website specifically targeted at an area that is currently not very well served by the mainstream media outlets. The new site is intended to be a repository for technology, lifestyle and assistive technology products that will be used by those people who are 50 years of age or more, but who may be struggling with technology, or perhaps who may be unaware of what is available within the market.

Where most technology websites specifically address the younger generations – people who have grown up with technology – there are those who are a little older and who may not be quite as comfortable with all of the new devices that are being thrust upon them.

This age group has been identified as including those for whom technology may be anything from an unexplored minefield through to a valid and relevant lifestyle choice, and this would typically include many people who may have a need – or perhaps just a desire – to use the vast array of technology available today, but who are having trouble understanding it all, or dealing with the concepts.

And many of these people will now be leading lives of greater freedom: their kids will now be grown up and have moved out, and they may have a greater proportion of their disposable incomes available for discretionary purchases. This leads to potentially more lifestyle purchases being made.

The goal is to try to demystify technology, and to present and explain to them technology that will be more relevant to their needs and lifestyle.

With those target demographics in mind, NewTricks.net.au is now online and ready to provide a service to Australia and the world.

In Sydney, we have some very quaint customs.

For instance, as a part of our roadways (I refuse to use the term road system) we have what are called “bus lanes”.

The concept is that these are traffic lanes on the roadways that have been set aside to enable buses to operate more efficiently. The theory is that they should be able to use these lanes and gain access to an unimpeded traffic lane, and thus stick to their allotted timetables.

That’s all well and good.

Except that we have, in many areas, bus lanes that operate for 24 hours a day, every day.

Yet the bus services that might take advantage of those bus lanes don’t operate on a 24 hour hour schedule. If we look at, for instance, the Sydney Eastern Suburbs 389 route, we would see that for much of the day, the buses only run at ten minute intervals.

That’s just six buses in an hour, but the buses also don’t run even a 24 hour service for those six buses every hour!

Yet traffic is forced to abide by this stupid assignment of the lanes for the exclusive use of these non-existent buses.

Will somebody from the new NSW State Government please take a look at this stupid situation, and fix the problem?

Too often we are greeted with bad service or a bad attitude, or somebody just not doing it right. And when we encounter that, we speak about it, we bleat about it, we complain about it … and occasionally, we may be heard, and those who are doing it wrong take on board the message and start to do it right.

But how often do we note when they’re doing it right? Acknowledge the change, the improvement … in a public forum? Not often enough, I’m afraid, and I don’t think that’s a good thing: if we’re going to be willing to put the boot in when they screw up, we should be equally vocal when they get something right.

So, following my recent trip to the USofA, there were a couple of loose ends that need to be tied up. A couple of my flight segments haven’t yet been credited to my frequent flier account. Similarly, I need to submit details of my car rental agreements to gain the points for those transactions as well.

But when I went to United’s website to find the procedures etc, I was redirected to the car rental company’s website, only to find out that the targeted link no longer resolved to the specified site. “Page not found” was the error.

So I sent a note of to United’s Customer Support team, letting them know of what I’d experienced, with a request that they should address the problem.

Here’s the start of their response email, received within one business day …

“Hello Mr. Stark,