ROBUST discussion

https://us.txtr.com/

It's sad in a tragic way. There are already two tombstones in this unique graveyard. Diesel and Sony. Now a third headstone will be engraved and set up on June 26, 2015.

I'm sure the boys over at the 'Zon will all toast Txtr with a shot of Scotch on the rocks, and once the toast is done, they will toss the ice on the ground.

That is what the Mafia used to do when they celebrated the death of an opponent to their organization.

I won't spell out their full name. Just the 'Zon now. They own Goodreads now, and I suspect they have a bot that reports all use of their name to somebody. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

It's why we call Lucif... err... it's why we call the devil a name like satan. Satan is actually a Hebrew word that means adversary. Saying that fallen angel's name is supposed to get his attention turned upon you, and nobody wants that.

It's the same reason why I'm calling them the 'Zon from here on out. Like the devil, they will celebrate the demise of Txtr on the inside in private chambers, but remain remorseful and unhappy with the rest of the humans on the outside.

Damn it. There was no nice way to say that.

/rant off

Who do you think is next, Daniel?

I had hopes for the subscription library services like Textr and Scribd.

Scribd won't be next, as they had a market before they went SLS (Subscription Library Service) but the 'Zon launched their own, which bloodied the waters.

The debt sharks came and feasted on Txtr. They filed for bankruptcy, but the sharks were mighty hungry.

The 'Zon -has- to swat somebody every so often to feel good. They almost swatted Barnes&Noble Nook before they launched KU, and I feel the Eye of Sauron turning back to B&N.

The 'Zon has enjoyed their appetizer, and now for the feast. It has to be a big meal, or the 'Zon gets cranky and takes somebody to court again.

If they eat up B&N Nook, then Scribd will be the dessert. Or they may surprise us all and not go to the dining table until Windows 10 free offer expires in a year and a couple months.

Marketing gurus are sick in the head. They know that MS will run warnings over and over again, get it free while you can, time is running out. They will set up a marketing campaign to capitalize a 'discounted' Prime upgrade, like an extra treat in the candy store. "Here for the free OS before it's gone? While you're saving hundreds, spend half of that for a year of Prime, and we'll double it to two years. Free Windows, a free year of Prime (after purchase of the first year at half price, of course) and you're set for the best Windows 10 and Kindle reading experience ever!"

Then would be a good time to really take down a bigger fish.

Maybe. We'll see.

Evil can be patient, when it has to be.

Even the Zon can't be big enough to swallow Microsoft. I'm no admirer of MS, but at least Bill Gates started out as a programmer. It doesn't take much technical know-how to become the world's largest barrow-boy, but if the barrow-boy takes over a high-tech company which depends so crucially on the quality of its programming as MS, that will be shareholder funds down the tubes in a very big way. What does the Zon gain from such a mismatch?

Microsoft doesn't have to partner or agree to anything. It's called 'Market Ride' and is a promotion tool used often by the bigger companies.

Think Macy's. When Macy's had a sale, Gimbels would have a sale. They were competitors, but they ran marketing strategies that were designed to play off of each other. Companies don't have to be competitors to market ride each other. They don't have to approve it with each other as well, if done properly. Believe me, the Marketing Gurus know all of those ins and outs.

Microsoft is about to give away Windows 10 to millions of users for free. From July 29, 2015 to July 29, 2016 is the one year bracket for folks with Windows 7 and 8 and 8.1 to grab the 3GB download that gives them free Windows 10.

Now the 'Zon may Market Ride from this. Microsoft doesn't have to approve, because it's free PR for MS. "Plan on upgrading to Windows 10? These are the exclusive deals from Amazon if you do!"

I'm not saying the 'Zon will do this, but it is a huge opportunity. All they have to do is run a campaign for all new Windows 10 users from July 29, 2015 to the same day on 2016. 'Zon servers will know if the customer logging in is using Windows 10 or not.

The next message from the 'Zon can say something like... "Look at all the money saved from getting a free OS upgrade, so we'll help you save more!" Yadda yadda, yakkety smakkety and you know the rest."

The more they pull in to their program, the more the other ebook and brick store retailers will feel it. At the very least, 'Zon stocks will go up, while their competitors that are still on life support, like B&N Nook, may get the plug kicked out of the wall after a full year of downturns.

I don't know if it will all go down as suspected, personally, but it's not unreasonable to predict the possible move.

That's a brilliant analysis, Daniel. If I were still a marketer, I'd be green with envy -- aw, sheet, I would probably have thought it up.

Is there any indication whether Windows 10 will be worth getting? I've clung to Windows 7 pretty tightly.

Matt,

I'm pretty clingy to Win 7 as well. I knew about Smartscreen in Win 8 before that OS was out of beta, and is one of the reasons why I never got Win 8 in any form. Smartscreen could be disabled, but turned back on remotely without the owner even knowing it was turned back on. Programs like Smartscreen are a hackers ultimate dream.

I've confirmed with an OEM tech buddy that Windows 10 will have Smartscreen as well, but they fixed the exploit. Turning it off manually will keep it off, regardless of online commands to tell it to turn back on. That way your keystrokes aren't logged anymore while somebody else is remote viewing your desktop as you do stuff.

If you have Windows 8 and you've gotten that phone call from a guy pretending to be from Microsoft in an attempt to scam money from you, that is because of a Smartscreen hack to learn things about your online habits, purchases, standard everyday uses.

I have 4 machines. Two desktops and two laptops. I'm waiting sixty days after their launch to evaluate how the online upgrade is performing across the board. If the reviews are mostly positive, I'll upgrade one laptop and one desktop. The older ones. If I can actually turn off Smartsceen and I can't hack it aback on anymore by pretending to be a Microsoft server with a spoofed IP, I might consider upgrading.

If anyone wants to know why I'm so... conspiracy theorist... I worked for Dell Inc from 1998 to 2000. I was granted a level 4 security clearance to work in an International Trading Zone to support servers in other countries.

Man, I can tell you now... compared to the briefings we would get, it makes anything you can dream up seem pale in comparison. There is this one tech guy who accidentally sent a 56k modem as a replacement part to Saudi Arabia in 1999. He got 30 years in Federal Prison. Good thing it was a provable accident, or he would have gotten more time. The Feds went easy on him.

@ Andre - Thanks for the compliment. Those are never wasted on me. ^_^

I wouldn't know. I use Macs, always have since CP/M went out.

But we have PCs too, for testing stuff, and for those who don't know what's good for them. Conversation with some cold caller with an accent that didn't originate within 10,000 miles of me.

"Hello, I'm calling from Microsoft to save your computer."

"Thank God. We've been waiting for you. Microsoft in Woking, right?" (This is Microsoft HQ in Britain, perhaps in Europe.)

"Yes, yes, of course. Now tell me what is wrong."

"You can come see for yourself. From the main reception, take the elevator to level three and turn right. We're the fourth door on your left. Come right in."

"No, no, we solve your problems on the phone."

"Why? We're both in the same building."

"What? What building?"

"The Microsoft building in Woking. I thought you said you're Microsoft too."

"Yes but—"

"Well, if you aren't Microsoft, why should anyone want you when they can get a qualified technician?"

At this point there was a long silence while I choked back laughter. Then he hung up very gently.

On another occasion it was a woman on the phone. I pretended to be a personnel agency and offered to find her "a very nice position as a streetwalker in Macao, with an understanding pimp."

Haven't had those calls for a while. I think they've blacklisted me...

Of course, this is nothing to the time when out in Australia I invited a couple of Mormon missionaries in "for freshly squeezed orange squash" and dosed it with increasing dollops of vodka until they were roaring drunk, but one does what one can on the phone to reduce the impertinent nuisances of modern life.

***

That's a compliment you earned the hard way, Daniel, by being smarter than me, on my own patch of economics and psychology too; it doesn't happen too often but I savour the moment as holding out hope for humanity. Yet.

What will you do for an encore?

Those phony Microsoft calls...I about squealed when I got the first one.

"OMG! You guys are real?" I started to giggle. "I can't believe it."

"Yes, yes," he replied "We're calling from Microsoft."

I laughed. "Listen guys, I know better. Microsoft NEVER calls ANYBODY. So don't call here again!"

Daniel's post that was here has been moved to a thread of its own to act as the kernel in a radio book promotion tutorial that will benefit all members. See
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...