Spambot on steroids

Well, didn't the Spambots get their arses in a sling over that last post. Two hundred and thirty three comments made on it, all saying "buy firefox, buy firefox, it's great". Don'tcha just love the "delete all" function in the Moderate Comments menu. Which brings me to the latest corporate advertising evil, the automated cold caller. Phone rings, there's a pause and the robot voice says "this is a message to you....blah blah blah". Hell, does ANYONE listen to these things? Isn't it illegal? Didn't this feature in an episode of the Simpsons about ten years ago? It's not as if robots aren't regarded as the most annoying thing about telecommunications anyway... phone any utility company and you'll have to fight your way through three menubots before you get - IF you get to an operator; unless you know how to wangle the system you'll end up talking to a paybot; book a hotel and the odds are you'll have to talk to a bookingbot... oh god, don't get me started on these voicerecognitionbots that expect you to talk to them loudly and clearly to them, and then keel over when faced with any kind of regional accent... those things will push me from CALM to BROKEN TELEPHONE faster than anything else, and I am convinced are sold by the Phillips corporation to boost handset sales. Face it up, companies... your customers don't like them, and resent you for using them. Pack it in. Please. Or I'm going to have to buy ANOTHER handset.

Just re-read the end of the Harrogate beer festival article and it seems that indeed, the disasters have been saved for this weekend ! Never mind. Clearly I've been overdoing it, and my lack of drive yesterday was there for a reason as I was asleep by about eight last night, and apart from a short break or two was asleep til half eight today. Clearly needed. About to jump in the shower, do some brekkie, pick up a paper and head off Leicesterwards, beer drinking for the use of. Last time I went there, things were different and I ended up in one of the worst restuarants known to man; so bad in fact that I didn't eat. And the time before that was a whole different kettle of complication.