GeekSugar

Flickr Caved in to Protesters Donut Demands

GeekSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:00:22 -0700

Here's the lowdown: recently, Flickr rolled out a new video feature that allows pro members to upload 90 second videos to their pages. This move sparked a heap of "No Video on Flickr" protest groups demanding that Flickr disassemble the feature in fear that the beloved site would become a Jr. YouTube. But knowing nerds all too well, where there are protestors, there will be mockery.

Flash forward: a "non-protest," protest group calling themselves "We Demand Donuts" isn't interested in taking Flickr video hostage, they just want free donuts. Insisting that Flickr buy them all free doughnuts – and subsequently making a mockery of the video protest groups – if they get 20,000 members to join hands for their donut demands. And surprisingly enough, Flickr obliged:

"While you have not yet reached your goal of 20K members, we at FlickrHQ have heard of your noble efforts and seek to answer your cries for justice."

Unfortunately, it seems that not everyone got the free donut goodness, since the "Donut Day" festivities took place yesterday in San Francisco only. So I'm curious, did anyone from SF get his or her free donut on yesterday?

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The Webby Awards Name Top Internet Moments of the Decade

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:10:28 -0800

The 2000s were an important decade for the Internet. It was a platform for endless amounts of innovation, a ton of new ideas and content, and it brought lots of change. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to whittle down all of the important things that have happened into a list of only 10. Thankfully popular awards organization the Webby Awards took the initiative to do it themselves and released a list of the Top 10 Most Influential Internet Moments of the Decade.

Among them: Craigslist's nationwide expansion in 2000, music-sharing site Napster's shutdown in 2001, Facebook opening to non-college students in 2006, and the Iranian election protests (a.k.a. "The Twitter Revolution") earlier this year. The list is pretty comprehensive, though I think they should add "the launch of GeekSugar" in 2006! The full list includes some major high-profile announcements as well as some that set the stage for further development and change.

David-Michel Davies, the executive director of the Webby Awards told CNN:

"Maybe in twenty years we'll look back and some of these might change. Something might become more important. I think history and time always gives you more insight into what moments or sites or companies shaped the landscape."

Indeed! It's fun to look back at the moments that shaped Internet history over the past decade, and exciting to think of what's to come in the next 10 years.

How to Complain About Those Factory Warranty Spam Calls

GeekSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:28:18 -0700

I turn into an angry she-Hulk every time my cell phone rings and I dive for it, only to hear "This is the second notice that the factory warranty on your vehicle is about to expire." I all but explode to the recording "But I don't even have a car!"

These spammy calls seem to affect everyone I know - and we're all sick of it. What's the deal? Even if you're on the Do Not Call Registry, these extended warranty companies can still get to you. So what can you do to stop the madness?

You can wait to be connected to someone after the recording, and tell them you'd like to be taken off their list. If you're guffawing right now, that's because you, like me, have already done that and continue to get calls.

To see a solution to end the calls posted on the sharing site Reddit, just read more.

Reddit's suggestions for how to put an end to these spam calls is simple: complaints. No, it's not an immediate end to the calls, but it does feel satisfying to officially put in your protest. Here are some of the places Reddit suggests you express your anger.

File a complaint on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)'s website.
File an online complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Call your own cell phone carrier and complain.

Have you been getting these calls? Are you complaining, or just hanging up?

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HAPPY CAPS LOCK DAY!

GeekSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:00:22 -0700

NO, I'M NOT YELLING AT YOU, TODAY IS NATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY, Y'ALL! TODAY, YOU TOTALLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO "SHOUT" AT PEOPLE IN FORUMS AND HAVE A VALID EXCUSE.

ACTUALLY, I WASN'T AWARE OF HOW CONTROVERSIAL THE CAPS LOCK KEY WAS UNTIL I DID MY RESEARCH ON THIS GEEKY HOLIDAY. FOR EXAMPLE, DID YOU KNOW THAT IN 2006, THE CAPS LOCK KEY WAS NEARLY WIPED CLEAN FROM THE FACE OF YOUR QWERTY BY A CAMPAIGN STARTED BY PIETER HINTJENS? AND ALTHOUGH THAT PARTICULAR PROTEST OF THE CAPS DIDN'T PAN OUT, THE KID-FRIENDLY OLPC DOES NOT HAVE A CAPS LOCK AT ALL - THERE'S A BACKSPACE IN ITS PLACE!

SO IN HONOR OF GRANNIES WHO SEND EMAILS AND MOMS WHO INSTANT MESSAGE IN ALL CAPS - DESPITE HOW OFTEN YOU REMIND THEM NOT TO - I WISH YOU A HAPPY CAPS LOCK DAY! OKAY, THIS IS HURTING MY EYES NOW. . .

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Tech News Roundup - Nerds on Desks

GeekSugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:00:12 -0700

This one's just for laughs. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs: Nerds on Desks - Gizmodo
Is it just me, or is your aura happy to see me? Aura Ball flashing phone strap - Shiny Shiny
Gone are the days of rowdy, impassioned protests on college campuses. Apparently, students are waging protests on Facebook. - Switched
Bling Bling has never been so practical. "Stunning Ring" Conceals Pepper Spray - Boing Boing Gadgets
Next week's Apple event will likely see the announcement of the next evolution of iPod, dubbed the iPod Touch. Will it have Safari? - Cult of Mac
Cute computers attack! It's a Mainframe robot! - Notcot

Daily Tech: So Long Polaroid Cameras, So Long

GeekSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:35:27 -0800

It had to happen at some point. Polaroid photos are being replaced by digital images, forcing Polaroid to close the rest of their production plants. - CrunchGear
Remember the adorable Valentine's Day Zunes? Well, word on the street is that Microsoft may not be able to fulfill all of its orders. So not cool. - Engadget
Ever notice how hard it is to break free from the Facebook chains? Once you sign up, you are basically a member for life. - The New York Times
Hundreds of internet users stepped out in front of the New York City Church of Scientology yesterday to protest the Church and the organization's policies. - Crave
Log in and take the Centro quiz to win a pretty-in-pink Centro by Palm! - geeksugar

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