Archive for February, 2009

25FebNemesis Wanted

I’ve decided that I need to find a nemesis. It may sound ridiculous, but I’m actually completely honest.

Normally, you would find the term nemesis used in comic books and movies. It could be the evil super villian destroying the world or the grumpy dean putting your fraternity on double super secret uber probation. In any situation, a nemesis is somebody who tries to foil your plans, usually in unexpected ways.

It may sound like a horrible idea to want a nemesis, but for a programmer, a nemesis could be a catalyst to becoming better. Knowing that somebody is out there, ready to expose flaws in your code, submit dirty words into your forms or upload nude photos of Bea Arthur onto your server is a good motivation to make things right the first time. Each time you or your nemesis acheives victory, the losing side must plan more inventive and advanced strategies to win the next battle.

The nemesis relationship is a sybiotic one where both parties grow and become stronger. The being said, here are a few nemesis ground rules I would reccomend.

  1. Attacks against your nemesis should be such that they expose flaws or weakness, but avoid causing damage. Just like comic books, nobody every really dies, they skulk away to comeback another day.
  2. You should avoid getting your nemesis fired or divorced.
  3. No firearms.
  4. No felonies.

If you’re interested in being my Nemesis. Let me know. Here are the general job responsibilities:

  1. Expose problems with my apps
  2. Counter points I make on my blog and/or Twitter
  3. Ask heckling questions at my presentations
  4. Generally foil my plans for world domination
  5. (Suggested by GrimDaddy) Point out my bad taste in music.

Anybody interested should let me know.

in About The Blog. 6 Comments

13FebAdventures with Bank of America

Anybody who follows me on Twitter, likely knows that I’ve had some recent issues with Bank of America. Through a combination of new policies and the BoA website, I ended up getting an avalanche of overdraft fees resulting from one transaction.  The situation was resolved, but in the end it really exemplifies why I have a love/hate relationship with Bank of America. Hopefully, this post sets the record straight.

Let me note that this post was not solicited by Bank of America in anyway.

I’ve been with Bank of America since they bought Fleet Bank back in 2004.Bank of America has always seemed to have some arcane formula for generating and assessing fees like many other banks, but their staff has made up for it. I’ve had many issues, but not one of them has gone unresolved. In short, their branch staff are better than most of the banks I’ve dealt with.

Over the past few years, I’ve been relying more on online banking. While this is more convenient, it removes the human element and can often lead to confusion and unresolved issues.  The current issue arose from mistakes in transactions online not matching up with transactions in real life. I couldn’t tell what fees went with what transactions. The online balance sheet made it look like I was in the black, but I was getting overdraft fees left and right. At the branch, there are people to help sort out the mess, online I’ve got some obnoxious little live chat thing.

After getting nowhere with the previously mentioned live chat, I hopped on my Twitter account and unleashed the full angsty fury that I have a habit of unleashing.  Within a few minutes, I was contacted by contacted BofA_help. After resolving some communication issues, I was connected with people that could help. This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s really a pretty revolutionary thing.

Bank of America managed to bring the experience I expect at the branch to the web. I wasn’t talking to chat participant 18943, I was talking with David from Phoenix. David took the time to research what happened and called me to go over it. He then put in contact with another representative, Matt,  who helped me figure out how to avoid it happening again. This isn’t the first time I’ve had a problem with a bank, but this is the first time I’ve gotten this level of customer service online.

In summary, thanks to David and Matt for stepping up and fixing this. While I really don’t agree with the fees, at least I know I have people to talk to when things go bad.

in Opinion. 2 Comments

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