Things We Do for Coffee
Internet security company VeriSign Inc. wanted the answer to a pressing question: Would people give up their computer passwords for a cup of coffee? Do we even have to tell you the answer?
The San Jose Mercury News reported on the company's marketing stunt: "VeriSign on Thursday offered passersby in downtown San Francisco $3 coffee coupons if they would reveal their passwords to survey-takers. Two-thirds of the 272 respondents turned over their passwords without flinching. The rain and then a BART bomb scare seemed more problematic. A few who said they simply would give a made-up password were dropped from the results, though they did get free coffee. And with a little coaxing, 70 percent of those who said 'no way' gave up significant hints, like wife's name, anniversary date and the ever popular pet's name." I drink enough coffee that even William S. Burroughs would try to stage an intervention were he still alive, so I guess I'd have to carry around a fake password for just such an occasion.
It seems, however, that San Franciscans didn't think twice about giving up the real goods, the Merc reported. "You would think people in the Bay Area might show more tech sophistication, said VeriSign executive Mark Griffiths. 'People are in denial,' he said. To wit: One executive, too busy to stop, sent his secretary back with his password so he could get the free coffee. She gave up hers, too."
It's a Geek's World
There has been a lot of news lately about Geek Squad and other computer service companies that make house calls to help frustrated PC users figure out why their machines aren't working. It's no secret that it's a booming business, but New Hampshire's Nashua Telegraph discerned an interesting trend. "How much room exists in this industry is a good question right now, following last month's arrival in Nashua of Geeks on Call, the national franchise of tech repair whose TV commercials have given a high profile to what has been generally been a home-brewed business. ... Charging people at least $50 an hour to bring computer repair and service to their houses, rather than charging less if they lug their beige box into your shop, is big business. But it's still tiny compared with on-site tech service and work within industry, where IT departments are the norm. As a result, the house-call tech industry remains fragmented, with one-man operations dominating."
The Telegraph said that some computer experts are signing on as franchisees, but several told the paper that they think this is one business that will always have room enough for big players and independents.
North Carolina: Serving Porn to the Nation
Don't look for it on any license plates, but it's true. The Charlotte Observer last week profiled AEBN, the nation's largest distributor of online porn movies. "AEBN doesn't produce porn. Instead the company sells movies made by others, such as Playboy and porn giant Vivid Entertainment, to view over the Web on streaming video. And now it will send clips to mobile phones. 'We're more of a technical company,' said AEBN President and founder Scott Coffman, who got into porn after failed bids to write cartoon books and create a cell phone directory." This is far from the Research Triangle technology hub that state officials probably were anticipating, but it could prove beneficial for the economy all the same. The Observer reported that online porn-video-on-demand sales could surpass DVD and videocassette sales within three years, according to adult industry statistics.
No Menino for You!
Sometimes protecting your image is a painful process. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (D) is discovering this as he prepares to run for reelection in the heart of the Internet age. The Boston Globe reported that his reelection committee has registered a stack of Web addresses that opponents could use to make fun of his famous penchant for word-mangling in public.
"They're not nice names, even in the rough-and-tumble world of the Internet: meninomumbles.com, mumblesmenino.org, mumblesmeninoformayor.net," the Globe reported. "The mayor, who said he did not know anything about the purchases, has in recent years embraced the name that has dogged him for years." The Globe noted that the campaign's first choice -- formayormenino.com -- is a bit of a dog (to say the least). Other obvious choices went unclaimed, however: "Three addresses -- meninoformayor.com, menino2005.com, and reelectmenino.com -- were all bought by the oldies radio station AM 830 WCRN. The Frank Foley Show snapped up the addresses in January as a publicity stunt, saying they would give them up only if Menino paid a ransom of two dozen doughnuts." The campaign said it won't negotiate.
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