Tuesday, March 13, 2007

I resist upgrades because...

... they're never seamless. Take something as simple as updating your blogger tamplate. I did it so I could put a widget with an RSS feed to Jobokplease.com. What's more, it appeared quite painless. The page looks the same...

And yet. The google Adsense code disappeared. My sitemeter code and blogstreet button disappeared. Sitemeter is relatively easy to put back. But inserting Adsense code in the new layout is a bit of a problem.

If I use the 'add a page element' interface, there is just one default location the code will go and stick to. When I try to 'edit html' and insert it (in what I guess must be the right location!) nothing happens.

Forget it... I really can't struggle too much for a few extra cents. The point is, things were working fine. Then, you upgrade me. But you don't upgrade a few elements of my old blog. It's like jumping off a BEST bus into an a/c service, having left your handkerchief and subah ka newspaper behind. Not an irretrievable loss, but a definite inconvenience.

Lastly, the new template makes the blog unviewable on GPRS. Not that I need to see it that often- but still.

Aakhir kyun?
It's exactly the same fear of the unknown that has prevented me from going out and buying a new cellphone.

My Nokia 6670 is 2.5 years old, which in 'phone years' is pushing old age, senility and debility. Trouble is, this phone was quite senile from Day 1.

The migration from the super user-friendly Nokia 3310 was a nightmare. Everything from the call receive button (made in a size suitable for midgets) to the messaging menu (completely different) made phone a royal pain (in the ear and otherwise) for over a month.

The experience inspired me to write a piece titled 'Too dumb for a smartphone' for Digit magazine back then.

Eventually I got the hang of it - but I stuck to the bare minimum stuff I needed to use. The brick-thick manual went into the dustbin.

I'm not 'happy' with this phone but I'm used to it. And changing that feeling to 'not sure how to switch this on' is a daunting task.

In the interim I did use a few other phones for brief periods - like the MotoKrzr. Motorola phones are amazing in design - they fit snugly in your hand quite unlike the bhaari bharkam Nokia. But while Motorola is beauty and Nokia the Beast, the latter has better options in cameraphones. And a camera is, for me, a crucial professional requirement.

In response to my earlier post asking for cameraphone suggestions, one of you said I should buy a regular digicam instead. Well, hello, we own 3 digital cameras ranging from 3 to 6 megapixels. The point is, you can't carry a camera with you all the time. Secondly, try whipping out a camera in a restaurant or shop and taking pics. There is hajaar natak. Permissions to be taken blah blah blah. It's just easier and faster to do the job discreetly with a quality cameraphone.

Getting back to the 'upgrade' bit, I have seen reviews and reviews. What I never read in the review is "how hassly is it to switch to the new phone, for an existing user of X, Y or Z". I know that level of detail may be like asking for the moon ... but I want it anyways.

Meanwhile, I resist. I find excuses to delay my purchase. And pixellatedly challenged, plod on!

16 comments:

  1. try using any of d sony ericsson ,ofcourse it wud be again a while to get accustomed to features since u have used nokia or motorola ,but in case u have any sony ericsson in tht the basic functionality of switching is mostly d same :)

    and yah i recommend using sony ericsson becoz it takes good pics also at night .

    P.S. i am using sony w810i and pix come good even at night

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  2. some typos is line

    in case u have any sony ericsson in tht the basic functionality of switching is mostly d same :)

    should have been

    in case u have used any sony ericsson in the past the basic functionality of switching is mostly d same :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. If you dont need the smartphone features and just want to use your phone for Calls, Camera and Music and other basic features then go for Sony erricsson 3MP fone. Their camera is much better than any of the N series one ( you can check with any of the sites dedicated to mobiles like mobile-review.com)

    Also Sony phones are light in weight....Me a nokia fan and own a N70 but i believe from ur requirements a K790i( i guess thats the 3MP model ) would be a better phone

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  4. Hi Rashmi, You can drag and drop the html or adsense in the 'layout' to the top of your blog post. There are image banners which you can add and thoes might attract more attention. I don't earn a zilch out of any of them but you might :). I am experiemnting and http://labnol.blogspot.com is great inspiration. I still haven't figured out how to insert in between or after every post, will need to dig the html for that.

    ReplyDelete
  5. its very typical of people who don't know a shit about technology to blame it when it doesn't work for them .

    the blogger html template is a standard template. when you switch it , it gives a warning that all customizations made will be lost. isnt that simple enough to understand that your adsense , sitemeter and blah blah code will disappear ? are you looking for some super complier that will read your mind ?

    just look at how far the technology has come. earlier ppl used to write shabby html code and design websites. now all that complexity has been abstracted and any idiot ... i repeat any idiot can now get on the web with a blog and blame the blog hosting site itself!
    kinda strange!

    besides its common sense to backup the template before modifying so just in case things don't work out, you can revert back to the original.

    hope this helps!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rashmi

    I am confused. In your earlier post
    http://youthcurry.blogspot.com/2006/09/perils-of-user-generated-content.html

    you were critical of camera phones being used discreetly without the correct permissions. All that hoo-haa and now you are justifying the same means... Interesting...

    -Kustavan
    BTW, i have a post on this topic as well you might be interested in...
    http://kustavan.blogspot.com/2007/01/crazy-kiya-re.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello,
    Can you please refrain from using the tagline "No Experience??, No Problem" at JobsOkPlease. GradsWanted.com has been using this tag line since late 2005 and has been trademarked at the King county registrar's office.I have already sent multiple emails to the folks at JobsOkPlease but have not heard back.

    Thanks!
    Sunder Iyer

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kustavan, I said in my post on user-generated content that people should not click pictures of girls on the street and upload it for a contest without permission. That's different from taking pictures of a dish I have ordered in a restaurant (as in the Park Hotel post). Yr post abt the search for a cellphone was interesting...

    Sunder, we had no idea about the existence of the site you mentioned. And we're not using that line as a 'tagline'. Let me look into it anyhow.

    CK, unfortunately most users of technology are nitwits like me. Companies have to design products which help us overcome our stupidity. Sure, blogging is easy today and yes, I have a copy of the old template. But I want the widget too hence the new template. And inserting code on the new template is more tedious than the old one which I am not happy abt. Comprendez?

    ReplyDelete
  9. i guess if a digi cam demands a permission then so would a camera phone. If permission can be avoided by using camera phone it is anyways illegal.

    So if it is a girl - taking picture by a digi cam and camera phone both are same(only that you might not be able to hide the digi cam and take picture).
    And if its the dish in a hotel if the hotel insists upon permission then it would be a good practice to take permission before picturing with ur camera phone too. The only way you can get saved is by cneaking in a picture without taking permission when you should have done so. Hence does not makes much difference in hassles of permissions!!(ethically).

    Yes, convenience level - any day camera phones can me more convenient. But Sony cybershots are sleek. T series is as small as Nokia N series phones!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Well 'Parivartan' is the thing that most of us dont like :) And ur jump from 3310 to 6670 was not a mearly a jump. It was huge leap as far a usability & functionality of cell is concerned which caused initial uneasiness.

    I recently bought a N80. I looked towards options like N73 , 5300 Xpress music and a few other ( I am a nokia fan for sure)
    Well its a decent type model with alomst every damn feature.The only draw back that I found out till now is that its lil bulkier and can cause inconvience if you try to fit in your Jeans pocket.

    you can check these ones out ..

    http://reviews.cnet.com/Nokia_N80/4505-6452_7-31582495.html

    http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=2345

    As far as taking pic in night ... even good digicam like sony and cannon fail in bad/low light. So dont expect miracles form any of ur cell phone cams.

    If you are goin for it ... take the black one .. it looks awesome.

    Market seems to have shortage of N80. I had to hunt for several shop before I found one.

    -Ankit

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  11. Sony ericcson!! How could you forget. :)

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  12. N80 has abad camera.. though it is 3 MP.. but no autofocus.. N73 has a better 3MP camera with carl zeiss lenses.. and it is light in wight as well..

    one more thing.. the slider in N80 is horrible.. DONT BUY N80 !!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anjai: If you are looking mostly for music then Sony Erricson is a good pic.

    Harwinder :
    I dont think its that bad as you sound... on the contrary its too smooth .. if thats what you call horrible then I am sure its horrible !

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  14. Hello Moto.
    Motorola phones are the coolest one of them all. Check out the new Moto Ming and the Moto Rokr. Both touch screen and fantastic UI.
    Camera - 2.0 megapixel.

    Trust me, one you go MOTO, you never go back !

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  15. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  16. Well .. with so much of "help" about the various companies/models available .. I assume you are back to square one of your research :) guess its time for another post !

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