Unbelievable

Italy's tax payer data still available on the internet

Posted Fri, 2008-05-02 by Markus Thielmann

Earlier this week, Italy's posted returns for all 40 million Italians who paid taxes in 2005 on the internet.

Although the data was withdrawn after massive protests of consumer protection organisations, it seems it is still available on the net through filesharing systems.

It's quite easy to get data on the internet and it's quite impossible to remove them. So better think before publishing.

Charging 150,- € for a webservice beta test

Posted Wed, 2008-04-30 by Markus Thielmann

GoodGaze claims that it's webservice is able to predict which parts of your website will get attention, based on neuro-scientific research.

If it works "good enough", you'll be able to safe thousends of Euros for a real test, based on the behavior of real probands.

GoodGaze is operated by the Institute of Cognitive Science of the University of Osnabrück.
While the educational background seems strong, I politely doubt that this applies to the business part as well.

After asking for an invitation to the closed beta service, I was told that there are still slots free. One small catch: I have to pay 187,50 € (including taxes, around 278,- USD) to get signed up for the beta service:

Um bei auftretenden Fragen und Vorschlägen zur Verbesserung des Dienstes
schnellstmöglich reagieren zu können, begrenzen wir die Nutzerzahl und
erheben einen Unkostenbeitrag von 150 EUR (zzgl. MwSt.).

I'm testing quite a lot of services and I'm happy to help improving products without getting paid for it. I can hardly imagine to pay for a service which I never tested before, which I never read a single test report of an independent source and which does not clearly state what services I'm charged for and how long I will be able to benefit from them.

So GoodGaze might want to consult some University department, which has some descend understanding of e-commerce requirements.

I'm still hoping GoodGaze is able to deliver what it claims and will find some successful business model, which isn't based upon charging beta testers.

Jason Beghe on how he got into a disputable cult (and why he got out)

Posted Wed, 2008-04-23 by Markus Thielmann

American film and television actor Jason Beghe talks about his experiences as a member of a disputable organisation, which is monitored by the german offices for the protection of the constitution. According to the "Verfassungsschutz", concrete evidence of activities directed against the free democratic basic order continues to be available for this self-proclaimed "church".

The interview delivers a deep and personal insight into how easy Jason Beghe was drawn into the cult and why he decided to leave.

Interviewer Mark Bunker released the video to the Internet, so enjoy watching it:

Unbelievable

Walk of the Hawk

Posted Mon, 2008-04-21 by Markus Thielmann

A boyhood dream of some day walking around the world. Not in eighty days as Jules Verne wrote about in his famous novel. But a walk around the world in seven thousand, three hundred and fifty days or thereabouts.

Harry Lee "Hawk" Mc Ginnis is traveling by foot across seven continents, since 1983. Now he's 81 and still living his childhood dream.

41 hours in an elevator