What the HEY?

Life and Times

2011-08-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

I don't really post very much these days. I started out posting about VOIP products and telecommunications because that's what I know, but somehow fell off of that.

So I started to post about other things. Life in general.

I've been in business for several years and sometimes not successful and yet other times fairly successful. I, like many others, have a lot of knowledge to share, but I don't believe in Life Coaches or anything that I consider to be, at best, hogwash! Life Coaches should be people who set examples, not people who charge to give their opinion about what you should, or should not, do. One should take it upon themselves to go to the Library and read books about the subjects that they wish to learn about and stop watching so much television.

I am not successful in trying to interview for jobs. I have never held a position that I had to interview for. Every job that I have ever had I have created by establishing a company for myself. This is me. Good bad or indifferent.

But I have studied Human Resources. I have studied about human psychology. And I gotta admit that I think that Charles Schultz probably knew more about the Human Psyche than most of these so called psychological experts.

Now, why do I say that? Most jobs in the age that we live in do not require one to be a Rocket Scientist --- and believe me, I know some Rocket Scientists. Most jobs require some basic understanding of things and the ability to just get along with people. That's it. Not much more unless you get into very specific stuff like accounting. Other than that, that's pretty much it. But most HR people don't see it this way.

I once took a test to work at JC Pennys - the Store. I was taking a test to take a job as a store merchandiser. You know, help arrange merchandise and how it is presented to the public within the store. Well, here is an example of the kind of questions asked by the computerized test that JC Pennys will ask you to answer --- things like:

Would you recommend to people you know to shop in JC Pennys? Well, I would if I found that I got good deals their, but I don't because JC Pennys is almost always the highest price for those kinds of goods. By the way, if you ever want to work at Pennys then do not answer a question like that with that type of answer.

Now, of course, JC Pennys is trying to screen out people. These are psychological test that supposedly will lead them to having better employees. But I just don't buy that argument. For instance, I once talked with a former "Lifer" that worked for JC Pennys for almost all of his working, adult life. He was hired the old fashion way. He had to go into the store and fill out a written application - Oh the Humanities! Writing! And without a computer too!

He was hired before all of this online employment crap (and it is just that - CRAP! - sorry HR people!) and was held over after online employment started to take off. He eventually became a Division manager over several stores in the Mid-West. Now here's what he told me - he took the online test just before he retired from JC Pennys. Now mind you, this is a man that had worked for JC Pennys for over FORTY (40) YEARS! As a top level Manager in Corporate! And he couldn't pass the online test! So, if he had been applying for a position at Pennys he couldn't and wouldn't have worked at JC Pennys! Let alone retire from CORPORATE JC Pennys years after having had a very successful career their! And JC Pennys would not have ahd a very good, long lasting employee that helps their company!

So, HR Managers, just who is it that you are trying to screen out? You can make all kinds of justifications about those online tests and hat you think (or have been lead to believe by some "experts") as to what they tell you, but the facts are that these types of test are not scientific and do not tell what the "experts" think that they tell you.

Let's just be honest for a second with each other (I'm talking to the directors of HR now). You're just trying to alleviate human interaction with potential employees because you don't have the manpower to interview all of them on a personal level. And you're also trying to minimize lawsuits from potential employees.

You can justify your positions however you like, but in the end it boils down to these two things just listed above. And HR is not a science! and nor are these so called psychological tests administered online. In the end people are hired because of a "Gut Feeling" or not. And that takes personal interaction.

I ran across this tune from Suzie Plakson which I think sums this up pretty well (Ms Plakson I hope that you don't mind my linking to your song)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ntEJQ61sBM

Thanks to Suzie Plakson for writing that song and making the video. This, of course, needs to be taken as it is intended -- tongue in cheek. I do not want people to go around "Blowing stuff up".
SO THERE!
BLFER

Sarah Palin

2011-01-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

I don't know Sarah Palin at all. I have only heard things about her. I don't read about her or listen to any news about her.

But I do have an Opinion about her and it is this ---
Sarah Palin? You can go to HELL! Shut your mouth and listen to what you are saying.

You are part of the problem. So SHUT UP!

That's enough. Now back to the real world.

A Little Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Christmas Eve and a Merry Christmas to all who read this. This is one of those evenings that my wife and I shall spend together by ourselves. We shall raise a Toast to the evening and probably watch a Christmas special on the television. It won't be special for any other reason than it is Christmas Eve which is celebrated throughout the world.

But to me it is special because I Love my wife dearly and every day that I spend with her is special to me.

I wish everyone would spend every day as though it were Christmas, with both those you love and those you should try to forgive. You know them, the ones that don't think highly of you.

As Jesus said, "...love those who hate you. Bless them...." Boy, that's tough! But, we should all try to do it. It's hard to teach old dogs new tricks, but not impossible.

Perhaps it is better to say that we will agree to disagree on some matters and not vehemently oppose those who don't agree with us.

I am sure that not everyone agrees with me and that some people think that I am a down right idiot. Well, perhaps they are right, or perhaps they are wrong but the issue to me has not yet been decided because I am still here for at least a little more time.

There are two things in life that I know:
1. That I love my wife and she loves me, and
2. That someday I will die.

We are not rich in material things - not by any means and yet I am still happy. I wish everyone had the same kind of happiness that I have with her. So, here's to that - Merry Christmas to all.,....

Legacies of an Unknown (to the world) Man!

2009-09-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

I know that I started this blog as a post on technology, but....

Many, many years ago my father was elected the head of the Teacher's Union in Lancaster Wisconsin. It was a position that he gladly accepted and was justifiably proud of. When he left Lancaster it was thought by many that he was, as one person later on in the 2000s put it to me “run out of town” by the Lancaster WI School Board. Well, that just isn't so. So I am posting today to say that ---

This is to tell my father's side of the story because he can't anymore. He died Oct 8^th 2002. I finally decided that this needed to be posted on this blog.

This is for him.

The Teachers Union of Lancaster Wisconsin was one of the first – not the first, but one of the first -- Teachers Unions in the United States to ask for and receive a prorated employment payment contract based on a twelve month payment period and not the norm of the time. You see, up until this time most teaching contracts were presented, accepted and payed on a school year basis which consisted of a nine month calender period. This means that when a teacher received and accepted a contract from a school board that the teacher would be paid during the time spent in the school year. Previously a school year was based on a nine month schedule starting in September (sometimes August) and going until May (or perhaps early June). It just depended on the start of the year. This was not uncommon in the teaching industry at the time and was, in fact, the norm. Then the summer of 1969 happened.

For those of you who do not know what I am referring to let me refresh your memory.
In the summer of 1969 a Teachers Union in the city of New York, New York went on strike. It made national news at the time. In case you are to young , or you just don't remember, making the national news broadcast at that time was a BIG! DEAL!! That's because more people watched the national news broadcasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC, (in particular Walter Conkrite of CBS NEWS) than any other broadcasts on television. Period.

One of the reasons that this Teacher's Union went on strike that year was because of the payment time issue, not necessarily the pay increase of the day. You see, as like most people teachers live twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year. One of the things that they asked for and did not receive was:

To have their salary pro-rated over the entire calender year. In other words, at that time when a teacher was employed by a school the teacher was paid for only nine months of work. The Teachers Union asked for a Pro Rating of EVERY teachers contract, beginning in 1970, so that each teacher would receive the same amount of pay over the entire calender year. The teachers were not asking to be paid more, they were just asking to be paid longer.

Today this makes perfect sense and is the standard for paying teachers. But back then it was very new. This was not the only issue of the day, but it was one of the major issues during that time. Now, to those of you who don't think that this was a big deal let me state to you that IT WAS and IT IS! Teachers Unions have what they have now, today, because of people like my father.

People went to war over this kind of stuff. So much so that in the summer of 1969 this Teacher's Union went on strike and picketed. The police were called out to break up the picketers. Water cannons were used on them and an ensuing riot took place with several teachers being arrested. This went on for several weeks during the summer of 1969.

Needless to say, hard feelings were created by and on both sides of the issue. And it was all on TV. This was pretty hard stuff for folks to watch on the national news.

This all happened when my father was hired in Lancaster Wisconsin in the summer of 1969. When he got to Lancaster he ran for and was elected the head of the Lancaster Wisconsin Teacher's Union (LTU). It just so happened that in his first contract negotiation with the Lancaster School Board (LSB) he asked for this type of payment for his Union members.

When asked what he would suggest for union members to do if the LSB denied this particular request he later stated to me that his reply was --- “well, I could always suggest that we (the LTU) could go on strike”.

Suffice it to say --- this did not go over well with the LSB members. This was the start of a feud.

Now, during my father's employment in Lancaster there were both good and bad times, both for my family and the Lancaster School System. Yet, the ensuing years brought the LSB many legal set-backs at the hand of the LTU. I can not tell you if this was because the LSB was just incompetent at the time, or if the legal representation of the LSB was incompetent, or if the LTU legal representation was that much better than that of the LSB at that time, or..., or..., etc.,.....

What I can tell you is this:

that at that time, under the leadership of my father and others, the LTU was successful in suing and obtaining legal judgements that went against the LSB. In other words the LTU won it's legal battles of the day vs the LSB. This resulted in the LSB having to pay monies to the LTU. And it happened several times. In fact, during my father's leadership of the LTU he NEVER lost a legal argument to the LSB! EVER!!! This did take several years. And it also built up resentment.

Because of this the LSB decided to bust the LTU by getting rid of my father. Losing does that to people. Losing money in the process is even worse. And losing tax payer's money because of incompetence is worst yet.

My father was eventually reduced to part time status. Then, after a period of two years, let go from the Lancaster School System.

But here is the rub. Now, remember what was stated above, my father NEVER lost a legal argument with the LSB. He sued the LSB for wrongful termination. This went to arbitration. The LSB claimed, at the time, that the overall school system population was declining and that my father's position would be eliminated because of it. (You can't make this stuff up folks!)

The arbitrator's decision in this case was:

Because the LSB was eliminating my father's position due to school population decrease, the LSB could let my father go. If, however, the LSB should ever resume this position --- and my father was still living --- and the LSB wanted to re-hire someone --- anyone --- for this position, then my father will have the right of first refusal for this position, or my father will be paid an amount set by the arbitration (which remains undisclosed to this day) if he should turn the position down.

(Like I said folks, you can't make this stuff up!)

This decision and arbitration was set forth in the year 1982.

Fast forward twelve years. It is now the year 1994.

It just so happens that in1994 my father turned sixty five years of age. In our society this is traditionally the age at which one retires. It just so happened that this was also the year that the LSB decided that they were going to re-instate the position my father had held from 1969-to-1982 and had been let go from in 1982.

You see, in August of that year he received a letter from the LSB stating that his former position was going to be re-instated in the Lancaster School System. The reason for this was because the overall school population growth had increased to previous levels and that the position was again needed.

How coincidental is that? Isn't this sounding familiar?

I have seen this letter and check. It stated that he would be offered his former position at a higher salary rate. It also stated that in accordance to the termination agreement a check was enclosed in the case that my father did not want to accept this position.

I recall asking him what he was going to do. He stated that he would cash the check and that if the check bounced he'd have to sue the LSB for breach of contract, again!

Now, I'm not going to say how much the check was for, but I can tell you that it was in the five figure amount (this does not include decimal points). As far as my father is concerned this was the end of that event for him.

But it isn't for me. You see, in the 1990s and early 2000s I had a small business. This business took me all over the mid-west and one of the places that it took me to was back to Lancaster WI. While there I had an opportunity to meet with some of my father's old teaching friends. It was here that I learned of the consensus in town: that my father had been run out of town by the LSB.

Well, I knew that that just wasn't the case and so I informed them of “The Rest of the Story” (who used to say that?) which they were unaware of.

When I was visiting Lancaster on business it was stated to me by some of my father's old teaching friends that they really liked my dad. They also wished he was still the head of the LTU. He was a good negotiator and had gained some things which were rolled back after his removal (as is often the case).

Let's just put these events into proper prospective: Pure and simple, this was a case of union busting by the LSB. And in 1982 it happened to my father. Then in 1994 the LSB took a calculated risk concerning the re-instatement of his former position.

Now, in case you are from Lancaster WI and you are reading this let me state that my father never begrudged anyone anything for what happened to him concerning the LTU and the LSB. He always said that his work was his work and that he tried to perform his duties (whatever they were) to the best of his abilities. Life happens. Sometimes we control it and sometimes we don't. My father always stated that he was not going to hold a grudge against anyone from that town. I do not recall him ever be-ratting anyone from Lancaster. Ever. If he did it is unknown to me.

People are entitled to their own opinions, but never to their own set of facts.

The fact of the matter is that my father was never “run out of town”. He was let go from a position, as many people are for any number of reasons. In this particular case it was under rare circumstances albeit in kind of a strange way. But let this be said of him --- he ALWAYS tried to teach his students the best he knew how even when it was stressful. In my opinion this is something to be proud of.

I can see how some people have come to their conclusions. My father was a tough negotiator with the LSB and people (LSB members) sometimes held it against him. These are the facts. They just are what they are.

However, we (my family) do not hold grudges but we do remember the past! And Facts are Facts!

If the LSB ran a budget deposit in 1994 my father didn't help the situation any. But the check did cash. Regardless, this is an example of how and why students and statistics are used in education. This is only one case.

My father's name was Buddy Lorraine Fraser.

And we miss him!

2009-06-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

Just a short note. I'm busy reviewing several new web-based audio phone systems. We're even trying out some newer hardware based internet systems as well. I'll be writing soon to let you know what's up with them and whether or not I recommend them for use. Keep in mind that I am pursuing systems which allow people to use their existing in-house phone system which is CHEAPER than using the POTS (plain old -regular-telephone system) provided by the local POTS! Thanks again for reading and I'll keep posting.

Sincerely,
Haggis

Putting Technology to work for US!

2009-05-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it's taken me a lot longer to get back to this blog POST than I had originally anticipated. If you've been reading the POSTs, then you will know that I have been writing about computers, software, telecommunications companies, etc.,.... You will also know that I have been writing on how to put this newer technology to work for US (you and me). This is so we , you and I, can take back the control, money and peace of mind of our lives.

Well, it's time to put this knowledge to work!

What I have been up to during the interim? I and my partners have been establishing a telecommunication server for my house and business(s). We have been primarily focused on controlling cost for the voice and video services of telecommunications. We are initially using Skype technology. However, Skype is NOT! OSS technology. It is, for the moment, the DOMINANT PC telecommunications platform. But this won't last. However, at this time, the cost of using and operating it is UNBEATABLE!

In the future, we will be focusing on an OSS technology platform for voice and video communications. We have set high priorities and goals for these services and technology platforms. So, in the future, we will focus on OSS Telecommunications services. They fit the bill nicely!

ALSO:
We are focusing on how to integrate this technology platform with your existing phone infrastructure. You know, the one already built into your house, business, etc.,.... Why would you go out and buy a newer phone system which cannot utilize the existing phone wiring? This doesn't make sense to me either. But, it is harder than it seems folks! We are doing this because we are SICK AND TIRED of paying ALOT for the PHONE SERVICE! The reason? COST and CONTROL! PURE and SIMPLE!

OUR GOALS:
1. Control COST!
Gotta be SUBSTANTIALLY less than VOIP and/or the regular phone company costs (monthly payments). Otherwise why do it?

2. Service!
It's gotta be just as good as a regular, local phone companie's service or better!

3. Reliability!
Let's face it folks. The machines and service have got to be ubiquitous! They just have to work! When you go to use this stuff you pick up your regular phone handset, dial a number, the line rings and you talk to someone! It's that simple. It's gotta be reliable.

If you've read the previous POSTs you'll find that I, like many others in the world, really don't like paying alot for things. Who does? Particularly when those things can be had for less money. ALOT! less money. Thing like services. You know, the phones, cable T.V., ISPs, ETC.,.... AND! I do not understand, for the life of me, why someone would PAY for a service that you could OWN! (But I DISGRESS, let's get back on track).

But, of course, people pay for a services because they do not have the time or the knowledge to provide the service for themselves. This I do understand. But why would you pay for a service which COST ALOT MORE? When you could have that same service for ALOT LESS? Of course, I am talking about having the same types and quality of services (QOS) and products. Otherwise, why would anyone do it?

We (my partners and I) have been slowly building and trying out a telecommunications server. We've been testing out how it works and what we have to do with it to accomplish our goals. We are examining what needs to be done for running it, what programs are available, and so on and so forth. We are doing all of this on the LINUX platform. We are using the OSS platform because of the price for the software. It is right! We are not focusing on the Windows platform because we are not interested in spending money! Remember COST and CONTROL?

--- Windows weenies should be running scared by this' bout now! ---
--- OOOOOOO! Scary LINUX! ---

Believe me, if you wanted to you could spend ALOT! of money on software for this service. But, in our opinion, it just isn't worth it because, with the OSS, you can get all the functionality you want for free - Yes! That bears repeating -- You read that right! NO! MONEY! for software FOLKS!

However, the OSS platform doesn't include the reduced cost of the hardware, the cost of running the server system, and the cost of providing the service. Yet, we are talking about a reduced price for all of the necessary systems to make UNLIMITED! phone calls! or UNLIMITED video calls to the world!

So, if YOU! want to spend lots of time and money (to the tune of several hundreds of dollars or several months --possibly years -- worth of time) on this type of software, then you have at it. I personally am not interested in doing that. We're (my partners and I) all about providing a real service by bringing you relevant information about this subject in the booklet we are writing.

About SKYPE.
Disclosure:
We (my partners and I) do not own ANY PART of SKYPE (the company or otherwise)! Nor do we know anyone who is even remotely associated with SKYPE (the company or otherwise)!

Interesting thing about Skype - there's lots of hype on the internet about it! But, when it comes to specifics about what to do with it, well good luck! Skype claims to have customer service, but it does not. Not really. If you want to get a question answered good luck. Skype (the company and the software) does have it's qwerks.

To be honest, you can find alot of information about where to download and how to set up Skype, what its capabilities are, etc.,.... What we have been concentrating on are the little problems that Skype has. It is definitely not for everyone. So we're hear to help.

For us Skype has been working out well --- SO FAR! We've only had very minor problems. However, you have to know going in that Skype Customer Service is almost NON-EXISTANT. Yes, they have forums for ONLINE help. But getting information off of this is pretty much like pulling teeth for a living --- tough as nails and you're gonna starve. If you want or need help with Skype you are pretty much on your own. Try finding out how to make Skype work with your regular phone lines which exist in your house? Just try and ask that one, I did --- with STILL no replys on the Skype forum!

That's why the booklet.

Yes! It's going to cost you some money to buy the booklet --- we ain't doing research and giving our hard earned knowledge away for free here! But, when you are saving $40 or more dollars per month because you switched from your LOCAL Phone company, or $20 per month because you switched from a HIGH PRICED VOIP company, then we feel that the little money we charge for the booklet is well WORTH THE COST. Listen, if you want to continue paying $400 plus dollars a year for phone services then you have at it. With this information I am paying less than $60 dollars per year. Yes, you read that right! Less than $60 per year! for the same service! And I can back this up too!

Further more, we - unlike many other books that I've read in the recent past - aren't going to leave you stranded without further knowledge. We are going to keep researching this stuff and communicating it back to you through our site(s) and forums, and even phone conversations if necessary. Yes, we'll give out our numbers to you readers when necessary.

This BLOG is going to become a blog about Cheap Telecommunications Services. I don't know about you but I really HATE! the phone companies and local taxes for the phone system. It just seems that they (the local politicians and the local phone company) try to screw you at every turn. What I mean by this is how they try to nickle and dime us out of EVERY PENNY they can get their hands on. Well, this BLOG is now about how to turn the tables! How to SCREW the local politicians (when it comes to local phone taxes) AND the local phone company (when it comes to local AND long distance phone service) out of ALL the money they request. AND! it is legal TOO!! I am not a lawyer, but, where I live there are NO! internet sales taxes.

We (myself, and my partners) are writing a E-Booklet all about the experience. This booklet will inform you how to buy a really good, used computer, where to look for a good deal, how to buy the needed computer resources (RAM, Hard Drive(s), etc.,...) to set-up the telecommunications server. It will also cover what we did to fix problems.

Remember:
We're NOT SKYPE! We DO NOT! guarantee their software! But, we will inform you how we dealt with the computer and the software problems so you can FIX the problem.

So go to the site and see for yourself how you can save. If you are a novice (or even if you're not) we can cheaply help you set it up so that you dial a number on your regular phone handset and your phone just works. Try it, You'll LIKE it!

www.canetree.com

Haggis

But Wait! There's MORE!!

2009-03-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of research on the company Zonbu since the last Post. It turns out that Zonbu is (or was) a company with very few people in it. The Person presented as the face of Zonbu has started several companies in the past. But he has't been very sucessful at it if you think of success as being a long term event for the company. All of his companies have ultimately failed in five years or less. Even the one he sold during the DOT.COM boom. This is not a very good track record. I don't think that he should expect a call from Warren Buffett anytime soon. Buffett doesn't invest into companies that don't have a long track record of time and experience.

I have been around the block a few times in my life. I consider myself an average guy. And like many people, I'm certainly not dumb, but, also like many people, I have had to work hard at things in my life. That's why I have been known to say --- I may be stupid, but I ain't dumb. Well, Zonbu took people to be dummies. Don't you hate that?

I hate it when companies do that (don't you?). Let me explain:
Zonbu was set up to be a company which employed very few people. Their whole purpose in life was to sell a computer as a service (see my previous post). A sort of "CLOUD COMPUTING EXPERIENCE"!

Well, if you read my previous posts, you can tell that I think that this is JUST STUPID. And I truly believe that people may be dumb! but they are NOT STUPID! They just need to be pointed in the best way to consume goods, materials, and services. They'll figure out the rest.

Zonbu was trying to sell a cloud computing system. They offered a cheap computer and tried to sell a service of online storage. This is something I know a little bit about. It really doesn't take much to set up a server system these days. It takes, say Three People. These folks obviously have to know about the right software to use for the server system. You also have to have a physical place for the servers to sit. Say an office closet which can be rented for about $200US per month depending on where you live (obviously). Now, I haven't looked into Zonbu that closely, as of yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion that that is EXACTLY what they did. I did a little sluthing (very little) and found out that they have a place of business listed BUT NO ADDRESS.

After the servers are set up and running, customer service was set up via an Online Forum. They Probably had some people be forum monitors from home to answer any technical questions. This is just a guess on my part, but that is normal nowdays. This is known as an ONLINE Shell company. And the owners thought that they could make millions on it. Problem is that these types of companies almost always fail because the people running them are cheap, greedy little bastards!

Let me repeat that --- These types of companies ALMOST ALWAYS FAIL! IN my collage days these types of companies would have been known as FBN for Fly By NIGHT because they almost ALWAYS go under in a short period of time --- Overnight perhaps?

There is a reason a guy like Warren Buffett invests with people who have built up a company over a LONG! period of time. Because that company already has INVESTMENT in it by the owners. It has investment in it of TIME AND MONEY by people who care about sucess! Zonbu owners are missing these elements!

Let me state at this point that I don't know any of the people who established and ran Zonbu. Not personally or otherwise. They may be very nice people and, in fact, I hope that they are for their sake. However, experience tells me that these people tried to do this Zonbu Cloud Computing Business on the CHEAP! This is not against the law. It's not even immoral! But in terms of success it almost never succeeds.

You see, my measure of success, like that of Warren Bufett, is a long term profitable business which pays people (not just the owner) WELL! Enough for people to make a REAL LIVING ON AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY! This is not Zonbu.

If you've read my previous entires you have figured out that I don't think very highly of these types of business ventures. Why on earth would someone pay a fee for something that they could OWN? Like their own DATA! I have never understood this way of thinking. And this is why I think that cloud computing is not going anywhere fast! Just ask Zonbu!

Here is an example of a growing market of the internet which allows people to re-take control of their lives: VOIP! (Voice Over Internet Phoning)

Why is VOIP so successful? There are many reasons, but I believe that there is one overriding reason. Because VOIP allows a household to better control its own internal cost. This is why the telephone company's (you know them, AT&T, Qwest, Verizon, etc.,...) land-line subscriptions have declined by OVER thirty three percent in the last year alone. Let me restate that folks --- the telephone companyies LOST over 33% of their land-line business last year! It's that simple folks. You pay less and get more with VOIP!

But even VOIP is over priced! YES! You read that right! VOIP is overpriced! In my last blog I wrote about many trends in the computer industry. Now it's time to put these trends to work for US! Yes, YOU and ME! To better control your household's expenses (who doesn't like saving money in this economy?) take your old Zonbu and make it into --- Drumroll please --- A Skype telephone server! Look, its something you ALREADY OWN! You paid for it! It's YOURS! Instead of letting it be a big paperweight let it do something for you like reduce your monthly telephone bill from $35/month (Land-Line), or $25/month (VOIP) to just over $6 plus change. YES! You read that right. Let me state that again --- $6 plus change per month for UNLIMITED telephone service in North America. And you thought that your Zonbu machine was worthless!

They'll be more to come, so keep reading.
Haggis!

Zonbu Followers

2009-03-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been almost 4 hours now and I have been thinking about my first post. I know that Zonbu --- what a name, who thought that name up anyway? --- is having a hard time of things lately. After all, you don't just let people out of their contracts for no reason at all. And that has happened.

But, What if...........!

I follow a few trends in the IT industry and have even been involved in a couple in the past.

Trend one:
Flash memory is getting cheaper and better by the month. Its price decrease is consistent with Moore's Law. In five or more years Flash Memory, the kind used in the original Zonbu Mini Computer, is going to become really cheap! Eventually it is going to become so cheap that we'll be able to go into a Wal-Mart (a store that I really don't like, but that's another story) and buy a 128GB Flash Memory Card for, say $30 US. Or a 256GB Flash Memory Card for $50US? That would be a good deal, by the way. A very good deal indeed!

Trend Two:
Zonbu selected, for it's initial device, the Via C7m Chip. Via is not an industry leader, at all, except in the realm of low power chips.

A bit of history:
The C series of chips, which Via now owns the IP to, was originally produced by none other than Cyrix Corporation. Cyrix was a company started back in the late 1980s. In the 1990s Cyrix tried, unsuccessfully, to compete with Intel and AMD. Needless to say, this business model didn't work out so well. Eventually Cyrix failed and the company, and it's IP, was sold off. The C series chip IP was bought by Via. And so Via started slowly updating these chips and it's technology. So we arrive at today with Via, the C7m series chip, and Zonbu.

What happens when Via starts to put several CPU cores onto it's low power chips? This is going to happen eventually. Instead of a single core they will eventually put two, then four, then eight and so on cores onto these chips. Granted, the C series chips are going to become slightly hotter, but technology will deal with that problem also. A chip with four 1.5 GHz cores on it would have the processing power of a 6 GHz CPU. Now, thats some processing power by anyone's measure. And this is happening, or is certainly on its way. Either way, it is going to happen.

Trend Three:
RAM. RAM, or Random Access Memory, is becoming cheaper and better all the time. This is an old story by now, so I won't go into it.

But:
So what happens when the price for RAM has become so low that a company can greatly boost the performance of it's computers by just adding ALOT of RAM into the computer? Theoretical arguments aside, you can do alot more with RAM in the computer than what is done today. But I digress.

Trend Four:
Linux and OSS. Open Source Software is growing up and becoming useful. For instance, in the field of Operating System (OS) development there is much work being done to advance OSS OS(s) so that they can take full advantage of the number of CPU cores present on a processor chip. Everyone's heard of Ubuntu and Fedora. Take a look at Morph OS, or Haiku. Some would argue that these OS(s) are derivative works of the original Amiga OS (another story which I won't get into here). But here is the point: these OS(s) are becoming VERY USEFUL as FULL products in and of themselves! And the associated software to do real WORK using these OS(s) is becoming JUST AS USEFUL. As an example, just look at how far Open Office has come as a project/product.

Trend Five:
Skype. Becoming bigger and better than ever. And now they have entered into OSS with Skype for Linux. Oh! oh! oh! It has been determined that Skype is already inside of at least 40 million computers! in the US alone! with over 400 MILLION downloads worldwide.

Trend Six:
Asterisk. For those of you who don't follow this stuff Asterisk is an OSS Linux Phone PBX. I won't go into much detail here but, suffice it to say, Asterisk has teamed up with Skype and they are working on an Asterisk for Skype project to enhance both products. Asterisk has been downloaded over 200 million times.

Trend Seven:
Energy efficiency. This part Zonbu got right! Everything in society has to become and should be more efficient. Especially computers.

And combining all of these trends into a product makes for an even better idea.

The BIG! Idea:
Given the current Zonbu Mini computer and Zonbu's attempt to sell the computer as a service, I think that Zonbu is on to something which they haven't figured out yet, and may never. What they are really onto is not selling the computer as a service --- Bill Gates would like to try to do that. At least he figured out that Microsoft should NOT be taken down that path and suffer the same fate which Zonbu has. No, Zonbu is on to something more powerful and bigger then they ever could imagine and probably haven't.

What I think that they have missed is:
Replacing the Audio and Video Telecommunications Industry as we know it. Telecoms (Verizon, Qwest, etc.,...) look out!

There is a company who has such a business model which they think will do just that - replace the Audio/Video Telecommunications business as we know it for our Homes and Businesses. Their name is Ooma (you can find them at ooma.com). They have a problem though. When you want to acquire an Ooma (ooooma-as they say) device you have to pay alot for it as compared to, say, Open Source Software. OSS is normally given away for free to people and companies to use. But if you want a warranty with OSS software and Tech Support, that! you have to pay for McGrue! The problem for Ooma is this: Ooma has to place a proprietary machine into every household (or at least a hellofa lot of them) for it's system to work and gain traction. But computers have ALREADY been placed into most households WORLDWIDE giving OSS products like Skype and Asterisk a clear advantage.

So, what happens when you have a machine like the Zonbu Mini Computer which has the resources like the ones mentioned above and truly sells for $100 to $200US? And it is loaded with a Skype/Asterisk product which lets people use the regular telephone lines which currently exist in their homes (the audio phone system which is NOT going away anytime soon!)? It also allows them to continue to use their regular digital phones which they have had for several years? And! this computer could ALWAYS BE ON! ECONOMICALLY! It WILL NOT eat you out of house and home with its power consumption! Because it sips electricity! And all you are doing with this product is replacing an older computer which people already have and use because they know they need it in their household! And this machine contains 8GB of RAM with a 256GB CFM (Compact Flash Memory) Card --- bought at Wal-Mart no less --- which you can pop in or out and replace as needed, and a Four Core (1.5GHz each) 6 GHz CPU which runs everything?

Well! My friends, thats what you call a WINNER PRODUCT! Which EVERYONE will want!

Zonbu is just a little ahead of the game. It produced a product which was not as beefy as the one envisioned above, but Hey! At least they are playing the Game! Its just that they didn't play the RIGHT GAME. Everyone wants to OWN & CONTROL their data because of MONEY and TRUST! I don't trust the other guy therefore I am going to take MY money and buy a computer that I CONTROL. And I am NOT going to pay a service, no matter how insignificant, for keeping MY INFORMATION! Regardless what people say about Linux and OSS --- this is what Linux and OSS is really all about - CONTROL! Give it to Janet Jackson! She figured it out back in the 1980s!

Some people will pay for a service (as Zonbu found out) but not MOST of the people. However, they WILL pay for a machine which lets them control costs of their household.

Or, In baseball terms:
When Zonbu got a hit in the game that they thought they were playing they ran to Third Base instead of First! And they'll probably never figure it out! Foreigners!

Any thoughts?
BLFER

Buy - Sell Zonbu

2009-03-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

I've been reading quite abit about Zonbu as of late. I am really interested in hearing people tell their side of the Zonbu Mini Computer story. I'm sort of a Linux Geek at heart and want to know more about this subject. But, I am not interested in the company selling me a service. Might I mention, at this time, that I have NOTHING to do with the company in question. I don't own one of their computers - yet, etc.,....

I also want to tell people that I am interested in purchasing a Zonbu Mini Computer! If you want to sell it then I want to buy it. The Zonbu Mini Computer that is. If you do want to sell a:

USED Zonbu Mini Computer

Then you can reach me at:
blfer1960@yahoo.com

I'd be happy to take it off of your hands.

Please do comment. I do want to hear this story. Thanks in advance
BLFER