Here’s some excerpts he says about the strategy:

• “My first line of defense from ne’er-do-wells and miscreants is CloudFlare.
  

  Cloudflare (Photo credit: Daniele Nicolucci)

  They stop most of the bad guys before they even reach my site. Still, for some sorts of attacks, when there’s doubt it’s better to let the bad guy through. It may turn out to be a good guy.”

• “A program called Bad Behavior is my next line of defense. It sits on my server and quickly spots liars and weasels. For dangerous-looking attacks, that’s the limit. But, when there’s doubt and the site itself is not at risk, Bad Behavior will let the attack through.”
• “Most of the comment spam has been stopped as well, but some has been given the benefit of the doubt. That’s where Akismet comes in. This layer spots the rest of the comment spam, and it can be much more aggressive since it doesn’t actually cut the spam, it puts it into a bin for future review.”

$1,000 Prize for the Best CloudFlare App (Photo credit: kawanet)

The problem this user runs into is with the order of CloudFlare and Bad Behavior working together. But I should add this should no longer be an issue. Since the redesign of Bad Behavior, it now works well with CloudFlare. It should no longer get false positives from bods like Google and Microsoft since the new architecture 2.2+ was introduced.

There’s also a point the author makes about using the CloudFlare plugin. The best solution is to run both the CloudFlare WordPress plugin, along with the CloudFlare Apache module. Unfortunately, not all hosting companies run the Apache module. This will change in time.

I found CloudFlare quite easy to use. It also does some excellent caching and you can refer to Google Analytics in CloudFlare.

Some good WordPress plugins are described in the article entitled 10 Powerful and Free WordPress Plugins at 10 Powerful and Free WordPress Plugins. I also like the plugins WP Super Cache, All-in-One SEO Pack and Secure WordPress.

It should be noted that CloudFlare mentions they work well with spam plugins like Akismet, caching plugins like WP Super Cache, and Google Analytics plugins like Google Analytics for WordPress.

Image via CrunchBase

I should mention I played devil’s advocate in the past. I pretended I was a hacker for a client site and tried getting past both CloudFlare and Bad Behavior. They have a very good set of defenses. This is all approved behavior – mind you. I wanted to make sure these packages lived up to their reputation.

Akismet is also very good and is light years ahead of Defensio (i.e. a close competitor). Sometimes it gives false positives but it is probably over ninety percent right. Please enjoy the SPAM tools recommended here.

Image by gordon2208 via Flickr

Is it possible to get a live Boost Mobile customer service rep?

This is the question I tried answering this week – right after I signed up for Boost Mobile. You can read all about my experience with Boost Mobile. Just check out last week’s blog post.

When I tried to contact customer service via the toll-free number, I got caught in a maze of options. But there are ways of circumventing this maze. It doesn’t matter if the maze belongs to Boost Mobile, AT&T or a host of other big and little telephone mazes. Here’s some things that may help:

• If you search for the “right keyword combinations”, you will find discussions on technical sites, Yahoo answers, etc., where they will discuss this. All you need to do is look for what the respondents say.
• Try contracting an “independent” store that carries and sells the product. Ask them if they know a shortcut for getting through to customer service.
• Depending on the customer service rep answering, they might give you the answer – if you ask.
• There is a website that does keep up a list of company toll-free numbers, along with the shortcut to get a customer service representative. Here’s what they say: “This is a simple website list that is compiled by the users, internet resources, user suggestions, a lot of research and phone dialing and a lot of unusual methods. Sometimes a company discovers you know the ‘back line’ or shortcut prompts and they change them so that they can ‘keep up employee efficiency’.”

I won’t be giving “specifics” here. If I do, it’s possible Boost Mobile will be reading this blog and just react to the user shortcuts. Then we begin the cycle again with the hackers discovering the new shortcuts. I did try all the avenues I mentioned above. From those who responded, I have multiple ways I can try.

Image by xcode via Flickr

My talk with Boost Mobile on Facebook

Here’s a conversation I initiated with Boost Mobile on Facebook.

Me:

I have Boost Mobile Unlimited and I love the service. But when I call the customer support number, I get the automated system with automated options. How do you get a live person when you are in that automated system.

Boost Mobile:

“You would have to go through the prompts to get an agent through customer service, you can email us at bstsocialcare@sprint.com we would also be able to help you.

Me:

Going through the prompts reminds me of watching Mission Impossible. I find that navigating the prompts to a live agent is “more difficult” than other customer service systems (i.e. Comcast). But I did try the email option and I was surprised that it was very effective. I’ll have to see if I get the same email results in future endeavors.

Who designs these automated phone systems anyway?

I don’t know the answer but I can make an educated guess. It’s probably someone or group from IT that doesn’t know a thing about marketing, psychology or any related discipline. If you want my opinion, the designers can be better served by hiring university psychology researchers or clinical psychologists and pair them with subject matter experts (i.e. marketing for a marketing company, technology for a technology company, etc.). Then you might get a system that works the way a human wants it to work.

Image via Wikipedia

A pleasant surprise

I did end up with a pleasant surprise from Boost Mobile. I filled out the customer contact form off their website. I provided an email and phone number (i.e. non Boost Mobile) in the form spaces provided. About two to three hours later, an actual Boost Customer service agent called me. I’m not sure if this will work every time. I’ll try this first before I avoid the system.

I should add I am somewhat tech savvy and won’t contact their customer service on trivia stuff. Boost Mobile is a good addition to my NetTalk, Skype,  Google Voice and ATT bare-bones land line.

Image via CrunchBase

Today I ask these questions:

• Is a prepaid cell phone plan the best option?
• Is Boost Mobile the best prepaid cell phone plan?

But before I begin, let me guide you to a great article entitled 50 Great LinkedIn Groups for Academics at 50 great online groups for academics.

As you may well know, I did an article about a week ago looking at Clearwire wireless Internet service. This service has a controlling interest by Sprint/Nextel. According to Clearwire, they have augmented the Sprint network towers for 4 GL Internet applications. I also like about a mile from one of their towers. Boost Mobile is also a Sprint/Nextel subsidiary. While I didn’t go with Clearwire, Boost Mobile is an entirely different story.

Why I looked at Boost Mobile

There are three reasons I looked at Boost Mobile:

• The top 10 reviews at rating prepaid cell phone providers has rated it the best prepaid cell phone plan. The article gives many definitive reasons for the rating. This article has the ratings for 2012
• I looked at the article in the January 2012 issue of Consumer Reports entitled Best Phones and Service: the top carriers and hottest phones, plus cost-saving strategies. This report is only available online by subscription only. But your local US public library reference librarian usually has a copy available and you can photocopy the article.
• I asked questions of a local retailer called Chicago Wireless (Chicago Wireless/). They sell Boost Mobile and were happy to answer my questions.
  

  Image via Wikipedia

When testing a new service, I won’t get the most expensive phone. Consumer Reports recommends staying away from the carrier retail stores, as their phones are the most expensive. They recommend places like Walmart, online, or the buying club Costco (i.e. membership is about a third of the cost as the Walmart version Sam’s Club). I ended up getting my Boost Mobile at the Family Dollar, which is a local dollar store.

Some notable Consumer Report items

Here’s some quotes from the Consumer Reports article related to Sprint, along with my commentary where applicable:

• “Among the four major carriers, Verizon and Sprint offered more satisfying data service, according to readers.”
• “That’s especially true now that all the major carriers except sprint have dropped unlimited, full-speed data provisions.” Commentary: I’m a bit confused here. The Top 10 Reviews article has mentioned other unlimited recommendations like Cricket and their prepaid plan. But Consumer Reports also mentioned that, “…the biggest data hogs who have grandfathered unlimited plans with AT&T and Verizon may see their data speeds clipped in months when their usage is high, in a controversial practice known as data-throttling.”
• “Our readers rated Sprint only average on value but better than Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T.” Commentary: AT&T doesn’t surprise me but I’m a bit surprised at Verizon. It seems that in the Consumer Reports survey, Consumer Cellular came out with high marks. Another thing I noticed is that in the Top Ten Reviews the TracFone came up last. Yet Consumer Reports staff seems to like them.

Image via Wikipedia

Plans for now

I would encourage everyone to study the Top 10 Reviews and Consumer Reports articles I mentioned. For now, I have brought a cheap Boost Mobile Sanyo phone at the Family Dollar store. I’ve signed up for the pay as you go plan and will test things out a bit. I’ve set up my voice mail and Boost Mobile account and connected the phone number to Google Voice. I will also keep my TracFone account for now, which is also set up for Google Voice.

One thing I like is that Boost Mobile unlimited has a shrinkage plan. For every six months you pay on time, they cut your bill by five dollars. In eighteen months (i.e. non-consecutive) you can cut your total bill by fifteen dollars. I learn this in the same week ABC news talks about AT&T raising their mobile plans – as much as thirty per cent.

I found out I can pick up a universal charger (i.e. auto and home) at the Dollar General for $10 and a Bluetooth headset at Walmart for around $20.

Image via Wikipedia

Sage Telecom and Clearwire Wireless Internet

This week, I decided to look at Sage Telecom and Clear Wireless Internet as alternatives to AT&T phone and Comcast Internet respectively. I have friends who use Clear and Sage, so it is worth exploring. You can find out more about Clearwire in the Wiki article at Wiki on Clearwire.

Clear Wireless Internet

Time Warner and Comcast Cable contributions

In an article entitled Can 4G wireless take on traditional broadband? at Can 4G wireless take on traditional broadband?, we find this:

“Time Warner Cable and Comcast have each contributed billions of dollars to Clearwire to help the company complete its network. As part of the deal, they are reselling the 4G service as an add-on to their existing broadband customers.”

What Hoovers Said

Next I went online to my College of DuPage library Hoovers reference. I found out they were founded in 2003, make about half a billion in net profit and Sprint Nextel is their parent company.  Here’s one thing that Hoovers said that causes me some concern:

“Rapidly growing Clearwire has never been profitable, and it expects to continuing losing money in the immediate future as it builds out its network to expand business. “

Better Business Bureau rating

I did ask about their BBB rating on the BBB website and found it was A+.

My trip to Best Buy and Verizon

The Clear website told me I could buy their service at Best Buy. This would give me a chance to see it in action. But the sales staff at Best Buy told me they didn’t have a demo. They wanted to show and sell me a Verizon broadband card wireless solution. They showed me all the good stuff with none of the bad. Let’s do a bit more digging.

Next I stopped at a Verizon store. This was a pleasant experience. The sales person asked me questions about my Internet habits. He told me about the 9 or 10 gigabytes limit for this solution. Guess what? Nobody at Best Buy brought this point up. Perhaps this is why Verizon rates high on the JD Powers customer satisfaction rating.

So here is what Clear is offering:

• Unlimited data
• No long term contract
• A 15 day trial period

Image via Wikipedia

The final selling point

In It’s Clear, I Hate Comcast – Comcast vs Clear at Comcast vs Clearwire , the author makes these points:

• “ I did check out their website prior to calling just to verify I had coverage. You can check Clear’s coverage here. I would suggest that you zoom in close to your residence and be sure to click on the ‘Towers’ option to see how close in proximity their wireless transmission towers are to you.”
• “I am a little over one mile from my Clear wireless tower and regularly receive three out of five green lights on my wireless modem.”

The negatives

In the earlier article, the author says this: “I will admit that both the download and upload speed are not as fast as they were with my Comcast account, but they are not terribly slower either (nothing that bothers me).”

Sorry Charlie (i.e. reference to Charlie Tuna). I also live about a mile from a Clear cell tower. I did test the speeds of both Comcast and Clear using Speed Test at Speed Test. For Comcast, I had ping of 14, download speed of 24.70 megabytes per second and an upload speed of 4.19 megabytes per second. But for Clear, the download speed was 9.10 megabytes per second and upload speed of 1.03 Megabytes per second. This means the Comcast download speed was about 6 times faster and their upload speed was about 4 times faster. These tests were conducted within 10 minutes of each other.

Then there is the problem of the Linksys modem. It works OK with no changes for a Motorola cable modem connected to Comcast. I can’t get the Clear modem to work with my router – only through a direct computer connection. The forums tell me the router should connect with no problem – even Clear tech support is referenced in the forums.

Image by sekimura via Flickr

Based upon these points, I canceled immediately. Now I might look at their mobile option for an individual PC in the future. It would be great for going to places without a WiFi option. Comcast:

• Costs the same as Clear after their initial price reduction period is over (i.e. that is for my particular installation).
• Their support is 24/7.
• They offer a 30 day trial period vs the Clear 15 day one.
• They throw in a free Norton security suite for each computer (i.e. AT and T does something similar)
• Is Clearwire using offshore support?  The two times I called support I got one person with an Indian background and one with a Greek background.

My advice

Run tests with 2 computers, if you look at Clearwire for your home service.  Hook up one with Clearwire and another with an area service that offers a trial period, like Time Warner, Comcast, AA and T, etc.  Run several Speed tests to see how they compare.

Image via Wikipedia

Sage Telecom

These guys make me mad. You can find out more about them in the Wiki article at Wiki on Sage Telecom.  I saw an option for service for around 30 dollars. I went through the order process. When I got almost to the end, it said my estimated bill is about 50 dollars. What? I called Sage and they tried to tell me about taxes, etc. AT&T doesn’t add $20 worth of fees in taxes, etc., to my bill. On the plus side, they do get an A+ rating with the BBB.

Now I don’t like Vonage and I wrote many articles about my experience. But they had an option where you clicked on the advertised price and it gave you an accurate estimate of your final bill – including an itemized breakdown – all before you start the sign up process. It’s in their start-up cost calculator off their main website.  Sage reminds me of MagicJack Plus, where they don’t show the product price on their website. Here’s the Vonage estimated charges on their world plan – far less than the approximately 20 dollar fees from Sage Telecom:

10 Books on China Every MBA Student Should Read

Image by mattsaxey via Flickr

Is it a good PR move to allow non-customers to use washrooms?

Here is the scenario:

Occasionally, I pay a visit to my local comic book store. It’s in a local strip mall and the local bowling alley has the only washroom.

For months, I visited their washroom before visiting the comic book store. Recently I paid a washroom visit during low tide (i.e. there were few customers in the place). I was dressed in business casual, while a red-headed, middle-aged man waited on customers.

So I walk by this man and turn the corner. He is waiting on another middle-aged man and his kids. As I round the corner, I can hear him remark: “Washrooms are for bowling customers only.”

So he’s looking at the customer but talking to me? Clearly I wasn’t in his line of vision. But it raises many interesting PR standpoint questions.

• The bathroom (i.e. both men and women) have many stalls available. Not much is distracting from regular customers – unlike those for small mom and pop store, etc.
• How does the attendant know that I haven’t been a previous customer? If so, does that mean I need to bowl every time I use the washroom?
• A bowling alley usually has several components that make money. In this particular example, there is a store that sells bowling equipment. There is a full service food restaurant. One also finds a full service bar there. That’s as well as providing bowling for all interested parties. Since the bowling attendant has much to entice me, can’t he see the value of a free washroom visit?

Image via Wikipedia

An example from Vegas casinos

I haven’t been to a Vegas casino. Nor have I gambled in an Illinois casino. But I have talked to people who visited Las Vegas casinos. The closest I’ve come to casinos is playing the Publishers Clearing House PCHSLOTS.

But I do know enticements – to play the slot machines.

Why do you think that casinos place slot machines in food areas? These are food areas with free buffets and reduced price drinks (or even free). Why do you think that is? It’s so you will play the slot machines as you sample the buffet or drink a refreshing alcoholic beverage.

Perhaps this bowling alley operator or owner needs to take an example from Las Vegas. Perhaps as I walk to and from the washroom, I might be enticed to:

• Have a refreshing alcoholic beverage.
• Play a bowling game.
• Have some food.
• Buy some bowling equipment.

Perhaps this guy will get so progressive as to put video games in each toilet stall. For a small fee, you can play a video game, connect to the Internet, check your email, etc. I hope you realize I’m just having a bit of fun – don’t take me seriously.

Back to basics

Now let’s get back to basics – the original question. Is it a good PR move to allow non-customers to use washrooms? What do you think?