musings of a social architect

Mumbai, Call Centers and Intrusive Ads

A few random thoughts...

I just got off the phone with Chase customer service, and actually recieved knowledgeable, pleasant tech support from a lady located in Mumbai. Existence Proof!

I realized today why-and-when some Yahoo services really irritate me. It's when I'm task-oriented, and the ads are irrelevant to what I'm there for -- 'cause it distracts me from my goal - e.g. checking the weather, scanning headlines, etc. And if the ads are intrusive (e.g. big, colorful, contain movement...)

I'm gonna try checking the weather on my mobile each morning. I wonder which services are most accurate and up-to-date? If you've had any experiences with mobile weather services, I'd love to hear about that.

Elan Lee's Alternate Reality

For anyone interested is ARGs (alternative reality games) like Majestic and I Love Bees,  here's a fastinating interview with Elan Lee's on the Gamasutra site.

Brazil Indians sell chanting cellphone ringtones

From ringtonia.com, a report that tribal chants from Indians in the Amazon rainforest are finding their way into the ringtone market. Maybe the "healing dance" could become the chosen ringtone for my doctor's office... :)

Xavante Indians living on the southern edge of Brazil's Amazon rainforest plan to start selling ringtones of traditional chants like the hunt song and the healing dance to cell phone users in China and Europe.

"The project has generated tens of thousands of dollars for the Xavante and several other impoverished rural communities".