Um, the title graphic for the Message Center (the one that says Message Center in the Buffied font) has changed into a black dot.

Are we having fun yet?

The graphic looks fine to me.

Huh. It's working for me in another browser, but I can't get Mozilla to show it. Off to clear the cache. (edit: And that did it.)

It seems to be getting worse for me.

So, I suppose today is not a good day to die?

By which I mean, running deathmatches is not so good today?

Unfortunately, according to Kristen, they've had it with us.

Okay, I understand that they've told Kristen that they've had it with us, and absolutely refuse to give us any more help, and Kristen has offered an explanation as to why that is, but here's what I don't understand--

We have paid them for a service. There are certain things we have a right to expect in return for that payment, like equipment and software that works. Why do we not have the right to ask/demand that they provide these basic minimums? Why is "we've had it with you" an acceptable answer from them?

I appreciate everything Kristen and our code peeps have done for us, but I just don't understand how this response from the ISP is acceptable when it seems to me that what we're asking for is not only reasonable, but seems to be something that should be included in the purchase price.

When I buy a new car, if I find out that after a few months that it will only drive a mile before it shuts down, and I have to restart it before I can go any further, and I also find out that it happens because of something the manufacturer did, I don't have to just suck it up and find a new car--I have a right to demand the manufacturer make it better.

Now, those are just my thoughts, and again, I appreciate Kristen, and ita, and everybody else, and the things they've done for us. If my thoughts are inappropriate (heh) or unwanted, I'll come back and delete them.

just don't understand how this response from the ISP is acceptable when it seems to me that what we're asking for is not only reasonable, but seems to be something that should be included in the purchase price.

I think, Sean, that the metaphor is probably more like a doctor trying to treat a patient having general pains than like a car dealer and customer. The ISP folks tried this, and tried that, and were -- let's recall -- a lot more patient and willing-to-keep-trying with us than the bad New York company whose name I've forgotten.

So the doctor does lots of tests on us, the little old lady with pains, and X-ray, and MRI, and what-have-you, and with no clear results and no improvement, the doctor hits a point at which he just throws up his hands in disgust and asks the little old lady to either stop having pains or find another doctor.

I mean, doctors usually don't phrase it that bluntly, but they do sometimes decide in their minds "this patient is a malingerer" or "it's all in this patient's head". And once the doctor has decided that, it's very hard to convince him/her to take another look and re-assess.

Where "it's all in the patient's head", read "it's all in the customer's code".

Could be Blockbuster Customer rule #684.

When I was in college, I worked two retail jobs, one at Blockbuster Video. There was a Complaint Threshhold with each customer. I would look at their account as they bitched incessantly about something perfectly valid for complaining. Were they a customer for two years and only rented 4 videos and complained about all? Yes?

The, "If You Were Never Born, There Would Still Be a Blockbuster" rule would kick in. One customer x four complaints x four rentals + two years = Royal Pain in the Ass.

Once the sum of the formula reaches overload, the "If You Were Never Born, There Would Still Be a Blockbuster" rule would kick in. Take your business elsewhere, it's not gonna kill us, and you'll feel better.

Mayhaps that's where the host is coming from.

I mean, doctors usually don't phrase it that bluntly, but they do sometimes decide in their minds "this patient is a malingerer" or "it's all in this patient's head".

Huh, okay, I can see how that would be slightly different. Still, once we get to a point where we can say "no, this thing here is broken," and be able to point to it (which we seem to be at least close to doing, though I accept I could be wrong about that), don't we get to go back to the doctor and say "this is what's wrong, let's fix it?"

Have they really done much try and fix our problem? Other than fixing some parameters on one occasion, and the auto-overload message we get now, what changes have they made?