I’m even more convinced than ever that Internet Explorer is the root of many Internet problems.

Last week, I tried to list my Canon EOS 20D camera for sale on Ebay. Simple, right? Wrong. I listed it, all right, but it never showed up. Ugh! Naturally, I went through their site to find out why my camera wasn’t showing up. My personal page didn’t’ even show that I was selling an item, let alone selling a camera. However, I had an e-mail from Ebay that my account had been suspended because of something I couldn’t comprehend at the time. You can only imagine what I was thinking. Why on earth would Ebay suspend my account? They did leave a note that I could chat-live with them, so you know I did. It didn’t matter if it was Midnight or 10AM; I needed to find out what happened to my account. It’s not like I do a lot of business with them but I have purchased a few items here and there from them and have even sold a couple of things.

Seems that somehow my keystrokes were being copied and someone used my login to create several auctions, on my behalf. They thought that I possibly had spyware or a virus in my computer that allowed access to my information.

At first, I was a little taken back but no big deal. Ebay’s security was on it and I could rest easily and my camera would be back on the site, soon to be sold. Not. The security center had me verify some information which would have been cool except…they went so far back in time that not even my mother would have remembered it. Still, it was for security reasons. I told the guy my life story and finally whatever I told him answered his question and he was sure I was me. I wasn’t, but he was. LOL

So now that I’ve answered all his questions, I go to bed knowing that the next day my camera would be listed. Low and behold, I got busy with my blogs (this one in fact) and never checked my account Saturday. It wasn’t until yesterday that I finally got to it. Ugh! Still, it’s not listed. Still, my account is suspended for a month. All right, now this is bordering on being a pain-in-the-neck! All I want to do is be a normal person, sell my camera on a website, mail the camera, collect my money and go about being normal. But…nope, not going to happen.

Sunday afternoon I proceed to go back onto the chat-live with Ebay again. This person doesn’t ask my life story but now, they want to confirm that I am me with copies of my ID’s. No, they said I can’t e-mail them, which you all know is very easy for me. I need to fax them. I don’t have a fax machine. It’s a miracle I have Internet let alone a fax. So, they tell me I can mail the documents. From where I live, to mail documents to Ebay would take over a month for them to get the papers.

It’s at this point I tell the guy, Jeremy, that something I didn’t do and am trying to fix is bordering on being a pain just so I can sell a camera when they already have the situation fixed. Well, he proceeds to tell me nothing can be done until the documents are received, thanks me for contacting them and closes the window. Is that like a hang-up call?

After I collect a few thoughts, I realize that because Jeremy closed my window so I don’t have the fax number, the address to mail the information to and can’t find the information on their website so…I need to chat-live, again. I’m getting good at this by now. I’m so proud ;-).

This time, I’m fortunate enough to talk with Patch. Nice guy. I get the information I need and no one hangs up on anyone. All ends well. My neighbor has a fax machine and I faxed what they asked for within minutes. Hopefully, sometime in the next 24-72 hours my account will be restored and I’ll be selling my camera. Any bidders? Call or e-mail me. I’m serious!

As the story continues, today I’m building a weblog for my son’s new Firestone store. I hope he likes it. He’s so into customer service having a blog is the next step in being there for his customers. As I’m going through template ideas I see this note on one:

“I noticed you are using Internet Explorer. If you did not know already: Internet Explorer does not display this site correctly, mostly due to the inability of Microsoft to comply with web standards. More importantly Internet Explorer is susceptible to viruses, and spyware because Microsoft has problems patching Internet Explorer in a timely manner. So I highly recommend, a safe, more standards compliant browser such as Mozilla Firefox.”

My little brain starts spinning with this message…Ebay told me it was spyware that caused my account with them to be corrupted. I use Firefox for all my blogging now but…not my normal e-mail, Ebay, or other transactions. Yep! This was it. Internet Explorer allowed my information to be taken from me without my permission causing my account to be frozen. Who knows what else they could have had access to before I changed all my passwords and stopped using IE?

At this exact moment, I’m not sure if I’m angry or relieved. Angry someone stole my account from me causing havoc in my normally tranquil life or relieved no more was taken. Jeeez. Drama-drama-drama

First, “Thank you, Ebay, for your security and helping me resolve the problem so quickly. It was a pain, but less painful than coming up with money I shouldn’t owe.”

Second, if you use Internet Explorer, no matter how many firewalls or virus protections you have on your computer…you’re not safe. I have the firewall and protection I need but if you’re using a browser that allows someone to track your keystrokes…all the protection in the world isn’t going to help. It’s kind of like on one of the first Seinfeld episodes when his apartment is broken into. He didn’t need insurance since he had the best lock on the market, the Clapto D29. It only had one design flaw…in order for the lock to work the door had to be shut. In order for your computer to be protected you can’t leave the door open through Internet Explorer.

Enjoy your day and if you are interested in a great camera, call me!

~ Diana

Microsoft Corp. is again going back to the bargaining table…well, sort of.

May 18th, 2008: “Microsoft announced that it is continuing to explore and pursue its alternatives to improve and expand its online services and advertising business.” Microsoft Corp.

It appears that Microsoft is going to try to work a deal with Yahoo! using the July 3rd deadline of the Yahoo’s annual meeting as a [possible pressure point.

If Yahoo’s founders Jerry Yang and David Filo and the chairman Roy Bostock don’t strike some kind of deal there’s bound to be trouble for them and the entire board of directors come July 3rd.

From what I’ve heard, Microsoft’s bid, if there is one, will not be for the entire company and at a lower price. hmmm

Microsoft will be a good competitor for Google. It will make the industry, as a whole, stronger.

At this point, everyone connected with both companies has to be on pins and needles with emotions all over the place, again. Hopefully, as negotiations will move towards a decision where that is best of both companies, the employees and the public that utilizes their services.

~Diana

…but you’ll soon be losing your job.

The below article was taken from zdnet Australia. I thought you’d like to read what Jerry Yang, Cheif Exec of Yahoo! said to his employees. No, the grammar is not mine…it’s his. How much does this Yahoo! make that he can’t take a typing, English or grammar class?

This is the text of the e-mail Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang sent to his company’s staff on Saturday after Microsoft withdrew its offer to acquire the Internet pioneer.

From: jerry yang
To: [Yahoo Employees]
Sent: Sat May 03 19:26 2008
Subject: today’s news

yahoos,

today microsoft announced that it has withdrawn its proposal to acquire yahoo!. from the beginning of this process, our independent board and leadership team have maintained that microsoft’s offer undervalues the company, and we’re pleased that many of our shareholders agreed with us. our board and leadership team now remain focused on maximizing shareholder value and pursuing strategic opportunities that position us for success and leadership in our markets.

of course, we anticipate that microsoft’s announcement will draw media attention and speculation as to what happens next for yahoo!. that means the spotlight will be on us - just as it has been for the past three months. i’m incredibly proud of how we’ve performed under such scrutiny, with last quarter’s great financial results as a testament to everyone’s hard work and focus. just as we did last quarter, now is the time for us to shine and show what we’re made of.

with the distraction of microsoft’s unsolicited proposal behind us, we must redouble our efforts. we should focus our energies on continuing to execute the most important transition in our history. how will we do this? by executing against the strategies and priorities we already have in place, and by continuing to deliver indispensable experiences for our communities of users, advertisers, publishers and developers.

in the end, it all comes back to who we are as a company. we have a spirit and a culture that is uniquely yahoo! - and we can’t forget that. staying true to who we are has helped us pull through the recent uncertainty we’ve faced, and will continue to be an asset as we move ahead. there’s a reason why we’re the only fortune 500 company with an exclamation point at the end of our name, and now is the time to demonstrate what that exclamation point stands for.

over the next several weeks, sue and i plan to visit as many offices as we can to thank you in-person for everything you’ve done and continue to do for yahoo!. we hope you’re as excited as we are about the future that lies ahead for all of us — together as one yahoo!.

jerry

Again, I’m not a investor person, a money person or a business person…I’m just a person that uses the Internet - a lot. Personally, I prefer Yahoo! for my searches but use Google’s Adsense (coming to this site soon). All this being said, is Yahoo! being a true yahoo or are they making the deal of the century now that they passed on the Microsoft buy-out?

At first, I thought that Chief Exec, Jerry Yang, was about to have his head served for dinner but it appears he wants to pull off a major coo and go into partnership with Google on their searches and possible make a deal with Time Warner Inc’s AOL.

I can’t say that I’m for or against whatever Yahoo! does but the Yahoo! employees need to care because it appears that jobs will be cut whatever deal Yahoo! accepts. Why is it that when mergers happen that jobs are on the line? I can kind of understand some of the upper-crust losing out or moving to other areas because of too many chiefs or duplicate responsibilities. But, can’t Corporate America find a way to save jobs in spite of mergers, buy-outs or acquisitions? Shouldn’t that be paramount? It’s not like the US has a huge surplus of jobs out there to offer these people.

I don’t know, maybe I need to take some business classes (that’ll be the day…not) but it seems this and other mergers are for the shareholders with no thought of the employees that will lose their jobs. And, if this isn’t bad enough…these employees have been dealing with the stress of the Microsoft buy-out for a year now…and it appears it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. Talk about job stress.

Again, loyal American workers lose out to shareholders that will make a lot of money - leaving the loyal workers…out in the dust.

Just my thoughts…I’d love to hear your’s,

~Diana