WriteLarge.com

Dear Friendly Folks at Netflix.

I'm having nothing but trouble with your view on demand services. I have a Windows Vista laptop with all the latest patches and service packs but it will not play your on demand videos. The system continually tells me there are problems with the DRM. I follow the instructions to reset the DRM, but I they never seem to clear up the problem.

Please consider abandoning the hostile DRM wrappers that make your service non-functional. Not only do they make it hard for legitimate, long-time customers such as myself to enjoy your service, they actively lock your product and service into a single delivery mechanism, which, I'm sure you understand, limits your firms abilities to respond to changing marketing conditions.

I understand that there are market pressures that prevent your firm from operating without DRM systems in place, but that doesn't mean your firm should only provide service to a single class of PC users. In that regard, I support expanding your streaming service to other set-top-boxes like the Playstation 3. I would consider even spending a small increase in my subscription fee for the ability to stream netflix movies to the PS3.

One thing, however, I do not support, is the addition of a premium charge for blue-ray disks. I will not pay an additional fee to include blue-ray disks in my netflix cue. Please do not enact one, as it will merely curtail my enjoyment of the blue-ray platform.

Thank you very much for your time, consideration, and timely response,

Gabe Wollenburg
Netflix consumer since March, 2004.

PS. Please note that a copy of this message has been posted on my blog at writelarge.com/openlettertonetflix

There has been some consideration lately on my part as to what exactly my problem is with Adobe. Particularly with Air. Let's talk.

See! See! Air asked me to do an update and added a stinkin' desktop shortcut. Very annoying. Especially, considering that in Vista, I have to enter a a password to delete the shortcut.

This is an example of Adobe's general hostility towards its users. Adobe wraps its products in disruptive and hostile copy protection, creates services and updaters that erode system resource pools, and generally treat the users playgrounds as they're own little stomping grounds.

I believe adobe is manhandling of my personal computer space, and that the shortcut appears without my permission or warning is a symbol of a larger problem of end-user hostility that permeates many of Adobe's products.

I posed this sentiment to some folks at Adobe who have not yet responded. I'll keep you updated if I hear back or I change my mind.

Hey! I had a win!

Remember a few months ago when I blogged about calling the state on a gas pump I suspected was shortchanging me?

And remember the guy who said, "I work at a gas staion (sic) and when I open and turn the pumps on in the morning,sometimes the pump will shoot up to 4 or 5 cents before the trigger is pulled on the nozzle.You did get that 4 or 5 cents worth of gas. I gave the customer who complained a nickel and explained to him that it only happens to the first customer of the day and maintenance can't do anything about it."

Suck it, Guy who said that. The state says my complaint has served a valuable function in the detection of unfair business practices."