blip blip blip

Photo © Ulf Fågelhammar

Have you noticed that there is music on 591? Right now playing is a desert blues by Ali Farka Toure. Wonderful. I am always curious to check out possible innovations for the blog...yes I am a modern man. If you dont like the blip, please start a facebook group: "No blips on 591". When you have 100+ members I promise to shut down the channel.

Speaking of modernity. There are a few things that I really, really don´t like in the blipping world I live in. These are the worst:

1. Telephone support with voice recognition. OK, it may sound like an innovation compared to "press 1 if you need support for broadband", "press 2 if you need support for digital television" etc. If you have tried that you know that it will take you some time to get through to a human being.

Well I had this problem that did not fit in to any of the categories set up by the big telecommunication company. There is a lovely woman answering "please tell me about your request in your own words, you don´t have to press any buttons to get through, I will help you"

I suddenly realize that I am talking to a robot (it´s always a woman. Why?) OK I wanted to ask why Yngve keeps winning our Scramble matches. He uses a modem from the 1990's and I have 100 Mbit broadband. Well I had some other questions too...

I try to talk to the woman (the robot) but she just says "Excuse me, I did not understand. Could you please repeat your question." We keep on like that for quite a while. Now I am getting angry - I start to scream. "Help!", "Support!" , "Operator!". She says: "Excuse me, I did not underst...

Now I am like the Hulk or Basil Fawlty on acid. I shout "MÄNNISKA!" That is "A human" in English. And it works! Incredible.

2. Short message service (SMS). Not for me. I need about ten minutes just to create a message.

3. Robot cashiers in the super market. It is just too surreal. You blip your groceries and pay with a credit card, listening to a voice (yes, a female voice?!) that tells you what to do. No human contact. A terrible experience.

Mr Urbano ( blip blip )