PharmiMike

I have been re-arranging my home office over the weekend and though that this was quite relevant:

http://smashingshare.com/2010/01/19/10-tips-to-create-a-motivating-working-environment-at-home/

Each day I, as well as everyone else on the planet, get a whole bunch of  ”junk” email. Most of this is fairly harmless promotional stuff as all the enhancement drugs and Nigerian 401 scams have been filtered out by the time I get them. But in any case, each day, as part of my routine, I try to un-subscribe from a few of them,  in the misguided hope that my “wanted:unwanted” email ratio will not continue to grow exponentially.  However, as I have numerous email accounts (which I don’t believe is unusual these days) I  forward all my accounts to gmail. Its convenient, includes powerful spam filtering, can be accessed from anywhere, and of course is free.

The problem (and the rant) comes when :

1. I click on the unsubscribe link – and I’m forced to login in order to “change my preferences” – usually of course, details are long forgotten, thus initiating a painful “forgotten password” – wait for email – login – change preferences sequence. Not only is this a waste of my time, it also annoys the hell out of me and makes me hate the organisation I am unsubscribing from even more!
2. or.. I receive an email with an unsubscribe link. Yet, when I click on it I am forced  to add my email address. Or it simply creates an email back to the remove@ email address. However, if like me, your various email addresses end up in the same place, you have no idea which one the offending item was sent to in the first place! OK, check the “To” field. Nope, often this is a generic email that means I was simply BCC’d into a bunch of old junk email. No way to unsubscribe. Surely every email system these days uses a unique ID to identify me in their list, so that a simple click can remove me!? – Apparently not.

It should be compulsory for every “marketing” email to include a single click unsubscribe.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/10/remote-workforce-changing/

I’ve been looking for systems that will allow candidates to keep track of jobs that they’ve applied for. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
Mike

Hi

I’m trying to find out what proportion of people do some form of work while they are on vacation..

So I have created a few simple questions. If you complete the Survey, I will put your name into the hat for some PharmiWeb.com freebies. I’ve got mugs, pens, mouse mats, and all sorts of goodies.

Thanks for your help!

Mike

>>> CLICK HERE to take the survey <<<

An interesting piece by Naseem Javed published on PharmiWeb.com

Esther Dyson the Great Dame of Silicon Valley, at times matriarch to Bill Gates and many other lads on the innovative circuit, wrote a harsh column August 26th on GPS CNN on ICANN gTLD. I like and respect Esther especially her technical background, we have shared the podium, but as this topic deals with the centrality of global corporate nomenclature it demands an authoritative analysis and I feel it’s my responsibility to clarify and taken the liberty to address her entire piece item by item.

http://www.pharmiweb.com/Features/feature.asp?ROW_ID=1363

A good example of a Pharma Corporate Video (Although quite long!)

http://video.novonordisk.com/video/1598801/the-novo-nordisk-way-english

It’s not often I’m impressed by online service, but this week I ordered a child’s play toy, and, being a man, left it to the last minute.

Using a link I’d been given (“buy one of these”), I found myself on the Kiddicare website. Expecting all sorts of problems getting what I wanted in time,   I was pleasantly surprised to find that the item was in stock.  Next I was then expecting to have to pay a surcharge for fast delivery. Yet again I was impressed.. next day delivery if ordered before 5:00 pm. I was in luck.

Out came the credit card, and I placed my order. Normally that’s the end of it until I hear the knock at the door, but on this occasion my expectations were exceeded after receiving a text (and an email) saying my Kiddicare order had been shipped and was on its way.

The next morning at 8:11, yet another text to say it was due to be with me between 13:16 and 14:16, and a selection of text response options should I wish to reschedule delivery. I got a nice clear email too. I’m liking it.

Nice work Kiddicare…  keeping the customer informed all the way through the process –  there are many companies that could learn a lot from you.

OK here I was with my credit card in hand, and about to commit to spending £100 each month (or more) with Oodle.com on their PRO account.

I’m all fired up and ready to go, and start to complete the registration form but … hang on, they want a phone number, OK, I don’t mind too much, but its says I have to use the format “Phone (xxx-xxx-xxxx)” - well, given that UK phone numbers are of the format xx-xxxx-xxxxxx that’s a bit of a problem. OK I can fudge it and leave out a few numbers.

Moving on, I have a field titled “State” – hmmmm its mandtory, can I select NON USA, nope, that’s just not an option… ok, so the only way forward is to select a US state. I have no personal bias on US states, so I just pick one at random.

Finally I have to include a Zip Code. Well, I know that sometimes the field might be titled ZIPCODE, but I can still enter a POSTCODE. Unfortunately in Oodle’s case I can’t – as Its demanding a numeric only field, and a Postcode (for those that have never looked outside the USA)  is alpha-numeric!

At this point I have failed to complete the form on 3 out of the 8 fields I have been presented with – so I give up.

I wonder how many other people have done the same, and I wonder how many other websites lose business because they don’t consider customers might live in a different country and have different details to enter.

Oddle.com has failed to let me give them money – surely that’s not good for business?

Interesting! have LinkedIn got it right?

http://gigaom.com/collaboration/linkedins-digital-resume-and-the-world-of-work/