Ian's dashboard

Ian replied on December 09, 2009 06:28 to the question "The internet is worldwide" in Snipi, Inc.:

It's ok Andre, thanks for your response. I just get annoyed with so many people and companies acting like the world revolves around America and that anything outside America is irrelevant. For example, look at the amount of foreign news in America (excluding royalty news), or the amount of news about Pandora and Hulu, both of which work only in America. On Mashable today, they write about how Pandora could be my next radio - I doubt that!

Ian reported a problem in Twitter on December 08, 2009 11:46:

SMS updates not working properly in UK

I'm getting updates from people I follow texted to my phone. They are not DMs, which are texted to me, and the updates are from people I have not opted to receive texted updates from, but I am following them. I've checked the Twitter blog and status page where there is no record of this fault. To stop the influx of text messages I have had to turn off all texted updates. I am on Vodaphone.

Maybe something can be done about the following too so and to end the scourge of DM spam:
http://getsatisfaction.com/twitter/to...

Ian asked a question in Snipi, Inc. on December 05, 2009 07:57:

The internet is worldwide

I was just wondering why you ask for a zip code and won't accept anything that is not an American zipcode? The internet is worldwide, your website is accessible outside America.

Ian replied on November 29, 2009 22:31 to the question "how to recover password when original email is also not in use?" in Twitter:

Good question, I'm interested too, maybe you can reactivate or recreate the address. I could do that if only I could remember what the address was!

Ian replied on November 29, 2009 22:29 to the question "How do I stop a hacker?" in Twitter:

I send this to everyone who DMs me the spam: Your inadvertent auto-DM inviting me to a scammers 'IQ quiz' is spam. Change your PW and revise Connections in Twitter settings now.

Ian replied on November 25, 2009 02:31 to the idea "Remove Dock Icon + Start on login" in QFeeder:

It's easy to remove/hide the icon of any app shown in the Dock. Just get the free/donation-supported Dock Dodger which is also very easy to use and only needs to be active when hiding or unhiding app icons, details here: http://foggynoggin.com/dockdodger

Also to start any app on startup, just add it to your startup items in Accounts, which you'll find in System Preferences.

Ian shared an idea in QFeeder on November 24, 2009 23:42:

QFeeder General Feedback & Development Ideas

First, this link is broken: http://qfeeder.com/website/priorities There was a link in the app to this.

Now, I think QFeeder is fantastic but only for people following less than a hundred or so people, I follow thousands. I have a private account just for close friends and that is the only account I feel I can use QFeeder with. If QFeeder supported private Lists, then I would be able to use it with my regular account.

I suggest at the top or bottom of the column that there are small links with a dark background and those links are to select which List to view, the main view, replies, DMs and Favourites, etc.

When using QFeeder with multiple accounts, I also don't like how all updates from friends on all accounts are all lumped into one stream. There is no way to easily have some continuity.

One last suggestion, for now, is that users should be able to decide which level QFeeder is on. For example, the Desktop level, the icon level, and above or below windows. The best example of this in action is with the free Dateline calendar application, also shown in the screenshot below.

Ian replied to "How do I edit/delete auto DMs?", but it was removed. see the change log

Ian asked a question in Twitter on November 23, 2009 21:19:

How to Stop DM Spam

There are numerous ways to stop Direct Message spam, most of which involves registration with various services and then opting out of their DM messages. That does cut out most of it. However the best solution is this:

Twitter must make DM messages opt-in. This means not only do you have to follow someone for them to DM you, you must expressly give them permission to DM you and the default is to not do so. This would save Twitter Inc. vast sums of money as well and save everyone time deleting unwanted DMs from users who are nothing more than a passing interest.

To reduce messages texted, there needs to be list of who I am permitting to send me DMs, not just a checkbox to text ALL direct messages. This will make Twitter more attractive to all responsible users, save money, save time and reduce server bandwidth.
So Twitter, when is it going to happen? Hopefully this decade!

Ian replied on November 23, 2009 21:03 to the question "How do I set up another Twitter Account?" in Twitter:

I have about 20 Twitter accounts, half are active and the rest will be soon. To set up another Twitter account, just logout and create a new account the same way you created the first one, however each account requires a different email address. If you have your own domain name, just set up a forwarding address to your existing address, then you don't have to check two email accounts. Also a cellphone can only be linked to one Twitter account.
To manage multiple accounts at the same time without logging in and out, I recommend using Twhirl, but Tweetdeck and Seesmic Desktop are a good popular choices too.

A comment on the question "Help getting an inactive Twitter username?" in Twitter:

Go to http://twitter.com/account/settings and change your username. It looks like "NASCARNUT" already exists. I suggest changing that account name, and then changing your old account name to "NASCARNUT". If you don't own the existing "NASCARNUT" account then you can't change it. Read my reply from six days ago.

Oh and it is widely known that using CAPITALS is a sign of aggression and disrespect online, you might like to press stop that. – Ian, on November 20, 2009 19:47

A comment on the question "Help getting an inactive Twitter username?" in Twitter:

You created it so you'll know the registered email address, so go here:
http://twitter.com/account/resend_pas... – Ian, on November 20, 2009 14:29

Ian reported a problem in cookstr on November 17, 2009 16:25:

Invalid Validation Link

Just signed up to Cookstr, validation link resulted in a 404 error but did log me in. I logged out and then attempted to login again to save the details in my password manager, but found it won't let me login. It's not a good start.

Ian replied on November 15, 2009 15:53 to the question "Help getting an inactive Twitter username?" in Twitter:

You can't and you're not the only one wanting the username of a long-time inactive account. We just have to wait until Twitter get round to it, if they ever do.

Ian replied on November 14, 2009 14:05 to the question "How do I edit/delete auto DMs?" in Twitter:

Sign up to socialtoo.com, socialoomph.com and fun140.com. At each one make sure you check in the settings that you wish to opt out of receiving auto-DMs from those services.

SocialToo and Fun140 do not require registration, just Twitter approval, so make sure you're logged in to Twitter at the time. For SocialOomph, I think you can just do as instructed here: http://twitter.com/optmeout

It won't stop all DMs but will massively reduce them, though recently fun140 has started sending me them again, though I think it's because I changed my username since opting out a while ago. It's a pain, why can't they just be opt-in? After a warning, I may just block anyone who sends a fun140 DM (note they are usually a quiz and do not include the name Fun140).

Those same services let you auto-DM new followers - an activity which will promptly lose you some of your new followers as people do not want unsolicited updates from people who are not close friends, especially if they are getting DMs texted to their phones. That activity may also get you blocked and consequently investigate pending possible account suspension.

I'll just add another to opt-out of to reduce those auto-DMs. Go to http://www.twables.com while logged into Twitter and let Twitter connect to them, then opt out of their auto-DMs here: http://www.twables.com/opt

If you want to follow me, you can at at http://www.twitter.com/mayman but misuse auto-DM at your own risk.

Ian replied on November 14, 2009 14:00 to the question "Help getting an inactive Twitter username?" in Twitter:

No they do not. We just have to wait... one day Twitter will release inactive and unused accounts, but nobody knows when that will be. In the mean time, link your phone to Twitter and get updates texted you from the inactive account, then you'll at least know if it does become active.

Ian replied on November 03, 2009 09:24 to the discussion "Changes for SMS users: the good news and the bad" in Twitter:

It's available to receive messages for free in America, Canada and the UK. In the UK, it is available only to people on O2 or Vodaphone.

Ian asked a question in Twitter on November 03, 2009 08:54:

SPAM: Limit replies for non-followers.

In an effort to stop spam, a limit should be imposed on the number of replies that can be sent to people who are not followed by the recipient. Then spammers that I do not follow will send far less generic message that show in my replies feed for days - and cannot be deleted.

I think there should also be a limit to the number of mentions per tweet as many of my replies are like this:
"Thanks for RT. #followfriday @username1 @username2 @username3 @username4 @username5 @username6 @username7 @username8 @username9 @username10 @username11 @username12 @username13 @username14 @username15 @username16 @username17 @username18".

Great, someone noticed for a moment that I exist, but there is no content in a message like this. It would also put a stop to the overuse of the #followfriday hashtag which means nothing to me because so many users do it that they can't truly know that many people well enough to recommend them, and there is less to read due to lists of names in my Twitter stream, like the example tweet above.

Ian asked a question in Twitter on November 03, 2009 08:48:

Make direct messages opt-out per followed

Make direct messages opt-out per followed, then only those friends and companies I select from those I follow can send me Direct Messages, each of which are texted to me. I have 3,400+ followers and currently I get an unwanted DM perhaps every other day. This is effectively spam, the unwanted DM is texted to me which has to then be deleted from my phone and from my Twitter account. Just because I follow someone does not mean I want a DM sent to hundreds of people, my interest may only be 'casual'.
Opt-in means people will use DMs more responsibly and be more considerate but will still give them at least one opportunity to send a DM. Some people have linked a mobile and request DMs to be sent as text messages, which costs money, so lets not waste it.

Ian reported a problem in happier.com on September 09, 2009 23:58:

Alternative Payment Methods

I do not live in America, I live in Europe and my preferred method of payment is Maestro which is the most widely accepted debit card in Europe and which is accepted in other continents too, so naturally I am curious to know why you - just like two other American services I've tried to buy membership with - are not accepting Maestro? I can't get a credit card, so your suggested payment methods are not available to me without incurring charges. I would have just bought a six month membership just now were it not for this problem.

If you're unwilling or unable to accept a payment method not widely accepted in America, then you should accept Paypal as a payment method, not just for some security reason, why can't I just pay with Paypal which offers a lot more payment options?

Thanks for your help.