Sunday, December 19, 2004
a few small victories
 
YEE-HA!!! In a landmark move, spammers have been ordered to pay $1 billion to an internet service provider and I for one couldn't be happier to hear this. I think it's safe to say that every single one of us is fed up with spam, and eagerly await the day when it is outlawed. I have even had to give up a couple of my e-mail addresses because they were so inundated with spam. As I mentioned in a post the other day, I have even been getting spam in my brand new Gmail account but I have been impressed by Gmail's spam filter, which has caught every single one thus far. Please don't ruin my beloved Gmail account, you spam bastards!!!

In another interesting development Blockbuster Video has decided to eliminate their late fees, the number one complaint among customers. "Under the new rental terms, movie and video-game rentals will still have a due date, but there's a one-week grace period on top of that.

But there's a catch. If a customer hasn't returned the rental a week after the due date, they own it. Blockbuster will charge customers' accounts accordingly (the sale price of the item, minus the rental fee).

If a customer decides not to buy the movie or game they've rented after all, there's an additional 30-day grace period. Blockbuster says customers can return a rental after 30 days, and get a refund. But, they will be charged with a small restocking fee. In the U.S., that fee will be $1.25."

"The company said it plans to get rid of late fees on March 31 in Canada. In the U.S., the new policy takes effect on January 1."

I have actually debated this news with a couple of friends, trying to figure out just how this is going to work for Blockbuster. While I commend them for making the move, I can't see how this will logistically work. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Before I go, here are a few blogs you might find intriguing:

Query Letters I Love, "Actual, honest to god query letters I've received in Hollywood." This blog has *hilarious* letters written by people trying to pitch their ideas to Hollywood. A must read.

In Context is a great blog I stumbled upon that takes news headlines about Israel, picks them apart and analyzes them. May not be for everyone, but it's very interesting.

The Art of Getting By (aka: Planet Janet). A brilliantly funny blog, I *highly* recommend!

Jewlicious. Coz come on... you love Jews, right? This woman gives insightful and often amusing takes on world issues, with focus on Jewish and Israeli issues. Go check it out, it's funny and well written.