PreshBlog

Some time ago, I had a Google Adsense account, which was separate to my main Google account (as they weren’t linked back then).

It didn’t seem possible to move the Adsense account to become part of my main Google account, so at some point I signed up for Adsense again with my main Google account, intending to then close the other one; that signup was rejected, because I already had an account.

I’m now left in the position where I have an account I can’t access, because the email address used for it is associated with my main Google account, so when I try to log in, I get logged in to my main Google account instead, where I am simply told of the rejected application.

Can I contact Google to get this sorted? Hah! Their ugly help pages mention I can contact them, but not how:

(From their How can I contact AdSense support? “support” page).

Seems the only way is to post on their public AdSense forum, cross your fingers and hope for the best. I tried that months ago, with no luck.

Oh well.

</rant>

EDIT: I did eventually find a link in a random forum post to a form to submit to indicate that I had no access to the old account and wanted it dropped in favour of the new account: https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/request.py?contact=noaccountaccess – I submitted the form, and fairly soon after, I received an email indicating that it had been done. So, it was eventually sorted, but the whole process was harder than it needed to be, and customer-unfriendly.

At home we have TV through Virgin Media, with “TV XL”.

As part of the package, we get on-demand TV shows and music videos, but recently Virgin have started adding adverts (for example, for FilmFlex) to the start of the videos. Sorry, what? We’re paying a fortune for the service which includes on-demand stuff; don’t add adverts to it. If we were getting it for free and it was subsidised by the adverts, fair enough, but we’re paying for it, so just show us what we ask for, without adding crap.

Time to call them up I think.

This afternoon there’s been a lot of speculation based on this pastebin post, which claims to be by LulzSec, and warns:

We have blissfully obtained records of every single citizen who gave their records to the security-illiterate UK government for the 2011 census

We’re keeping them under lock and key though… so don’t worry about your privacy (…until we finish re-formatting them for release)

Myself and the rest of my Lulz shipmates will then embark upon a trip to ThePirateBay with our beautiful records for your viewing pleasure!

It’s gathered a lot of attention, including a report on The Register, SC Magazine, V3, but with nothing to actually suggest it’s true.

LulzSec’s Twitter stream disclaims any knowledge:

Looks like someone decided to make up a rumour, and it’s been circulated widely by the media.

Of course, I wouldn’t have actually been at all surprised if it did turn out to be true; this is the UK Government and Lockheed Martin we’re talking about, and LulzSec have shown their ability to hit some pretty big targets in the past…

I’ve just been sending a phone number by SMS as a vCard to a friend’s iPhone, and after two attempts, both of which were successfully delivered to the phone, according to the delivery report, he didn’t receive them.

A bit of Googling would suggest that the iPhone just silently ignores incoming vCard contact details. Seriously, what the actual fuck?

Just how many hard drives and other bits of kit did the Government waste our money on for their stupid, ill-conceived and now abandoned ID cards scheme? "The government destroyed the final 500 hard drives that contained the national identity register…"

In total about 500 hard drives and 100 back-up tapes that contained the details of around 15,000 holders of the ID cards were magnetically wiped and shredded.

Even if they were going to store a buttload of data on each individual, 500 hard drives for 15,000 people? Seriously?

I’d hate to know how much taxpayer money they wasted in total on this hare-brained scheme.

The taxpayer copped a £400,000 bill for contractors to delete the data collected during the scheme, which was brought in by the previous Labour government.

Part of the cost included the Identity and Passport Service writing to those few people with an ID card to tell them that it was no longer worth the plastic it was printed on.

How much does it send 15,000 letters? I’m sure it shouldn’t cost much to safely destroy hard drives (or, better and less wastefully, securely wipe them then donate them to some computing charity or auction them off…).

In light of the recent flight disruptions caused by volcanic ash, I decided to enquire as to whether my travel insurance provider, Atlas Direct, would attempt to weasel out of claims should we be hit by problems (we don’t travel until August, so should be safe, fingers crossed, but wanted to check…).

10 working days later, I finally received the following response:

We do not consider volcanic ash to be “adverse weather” therefore there is no cover under the “Travel Delay and Abandonment” and the “Missed Departure” sections.

Additionally it is not a stated reason to cancel or curtail a trip and therefore there is no cover under the “Cancellation, Curtailment and Trip Interruption” section.

If the Insured is stranded abroad their policy will be automatically extended for the period the Insured is abroad provided you return on the earliest possible flight to the UK. The Insured is only covered for “Medical Emergency and Repatriation” and “Luggage”.

Additional accommodation and travel costs due to volcanic ash incident are not covered under this extension.

So, if you’re using Atlas Direct, do be aware that, if you are affected by flight cancellations from volcanic ash, they will not help you. Hopefully your airline/tour operator will, but they will not. I previously held Atlas Direct in fairly high regard and was happy to be insured with them, now I’m not so sure. (I know they’re not alone in wanting to weasel out of any claims due to the ash,though!)

Seems a lot of clueless users have been trying to get to Facebook by searching for “facebook login” rather than going to Facebook, and landing on a blog post titled Facebook wants to be your one true login from ReadWriteWeb, not understanding that they’re on an entirely different site, and bitching (in depressingly moronic ways) that they don’t like the new Facebook login, or can’t understand how to log in.

The comments on that post (all 7 pages, as of last time I looked) make for depressing reading.

Now, I don’t like to make fun of people just because their computer skills might not be particularly good, but the lack of literacy, reading skills, logic and general comprehension shown in the comments is just… it’s depressing.

Some examples:

WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN ON WITH THIS FACEBOOK.. FIRST YOU WANNA CHARGE NA YOU WANNA NOT LET US LOG IN….. UGH STOP CHANGIN IT I LIKE THE OLD FB…. IF YOU ARE THE NEW OWNER YOU SUCK AND I WISH YOU WOULD CREATE UR OWN SHTY AND LEAVE FB ALONE LOSER………

wtf is this bullshttttttttttt all about. can i get n plzzzzzzzzz

This is such a mess I can’t do a thing on my facebook .The changes you have made are ridiculous,I can’t even login!!!!!I am very upset!!!

i do not like this, please go back to the old one or drop me from facebook.

My daughters&sons show me how 2 use facbook,Iwas confuse then now i’m really confuse just let me log in the old way this way really sucks!!!!!!!!

this is a waste of time, go back to the way it was!!!!!!!!!!!

I like thr old way to sign in this sucks big time let me in

this is not a good thing i just don’t think u have thought this thru. I haven’t made a decision yet but i might give facebook up this is too much trouble

I hate this bring the old facebook back. Cannot login.

HELL,WHERE IS THE FACEBOOK PAGE.DAM!SOON AS YOU LEARN ONE THING HERE WE CHANGING SHIT.

i dont like this new changes i like the way was before and now is a disaster at list live the page the same of before i dont’ care if they change the owner.ok?bye now hope you go back the same of before

Ok If I have to I will comment,I love facebook so right now just want to log in if thats ok with you..lol Keep up the good work…

OK, that’s enough examples of epic fail.

It makes you wonder how some of these people survive in general life, and how they managed to get on the Internet in the first place.

KFC advertisement in Australia sparks race row

The Australian arm of the fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken has had to withdraw an advertisement after accusations of racial insensitivity.

[...]

When the advertisement reached America via the internet there were complaints.
It was accused of reinforcing a derogatory racial stereotype linking black people in the American deep south with a love of fried food.

Picked up by the American media, the advertisement immediately stirred controversy, because it was alleged to have perpetuated the racial stereotype that black people eat a lot of fried chicken.

[...]

It is the second time in three months that something broadcast in Australia has caused a racial stir in America.

Dear America: the world does not revolve around you; please pipe down and shut the fuck up about things that don’t concern you. Kthx.

Hah. “Tube passengers may face “cattle-class” conditions if improvements to the London Underground are delayed or scrapped, a business group has warned..

Um – they already are cattle-class, at best, during rush hour. How the hell could it get any worse?

Someone came to my blog yesterday whilst searching for christmas blackberry wallpaper.

Christmas wallpapers, already? Sheesh, we’re not even half way through October yet, FFS. Why do Christmas preparations seem to get earlier and earlier every year?

Anyway, since apparently someone is looking, I posted one last year – maybe I’ll get round to making some more this year, nearer Christmas!