X10 Community Forum

💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: birdzeye on March 22, 2010, 09:57:47 PM

Title: Newsletter?
Post by: birdzeye on March 22, 2010, 09:57:47 PM
I haven't been getting my daily newsletters delivered to my mailbox for 2 weeks, and I updated it on the website to make sure but I'm still not getting them. What's up?
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: HA Dave on March 22, 2010, 10:10:52 PM
I haven't been getting my daily newsletters delivered to my mailbox for 2 weeks, and I updated it on the website to make sure but I'm still not getting them. What's up?

I get mine! Make sure yours aren't being blocked as spam. Sometimes doing a (fake) return email... and adding the address in your mail will help.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: birdzeye on March 22, 2010, 10:19:00 PM
I get mine! Make sure yours aren't being blocked as spam. Sometimes doing a (fake) return email... and adding the address in your mail will help.

I don't get it Davex10, how do I do this fake thing you describe above?
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: HA Dave on March 22, 2010, 10:37:36 PM
I don't get it Davex10, how do I do this fake thing you describe above?

Generally... you would click reply... then with X10's email address in the address box. Use that address to add it to you addresses. Make sure it isn't being blocked of seen as spam or trash.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: birdzeye on March 22, 2010, 10:48:18 PM
Quote from: Dave_x10_L link=topic=20024.msg112641javascript:void(0); ;D#msg112641 date=1269311856
I don't get it Davex10, how do I do this fake thing you describe above?

Generally... you would click reply... then with X10's email address in the address box. Use that address to add it to you addresses. Make sure it isn't being blocked of seen as spam or trash.

K thanks. ;D
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Brian H on March 23, 2010, 06:11:07 AM
I got the opposite happining.
I had the Newsetter turned off and about a month ago it started again.
X10 sent me an email saying because I entered an X10 contests it was turned on and if it was a mistake they would turn it back off.
Well I never entered any X10 contest and again requested it be turned off.
If I want something from X10 I can go to their sales site and look at today's Newsletter.

I am getting the feeling that the economy is also effecting X10s sales. Smarthome is also getting real pusshy lately.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: nybuck on March 23, 2010, 09:26:28 AM
It's probably part of the X10 Stimulus Package.   ;D

I think I have the solution! 
Brian, forward the newsletters to Birdzeye!  Maybe you can set up a wireless camera on your computer screen, and when it senses motion, it can take a snapshot and flag a macro to email it to Birdzeye automatically....

Uh oh, I've been spending too much time on the forum.....   rofl
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Charles Sullivan on March 23, 2010, 10:07:19 AM
I got the opposite happining.
I had the Newsetter turned off and about a month ago it started again.
X10 sent me an email saying because I entered an X10 contests it was turned on and if it was a mistake they would turn it back off.
Well I never entered any X10 contest and again requested it be turned off.
If I want something from X10 I can go to their sales site and look at today's Newsletter.

I am getting the feeling that the economy is also effecting X10s sales. Smarthome is also getting real pusshy lately.

I had something similar happen.  About 10 or 12 years ago I signed up for their newsletter but not too long afterward I unsubscribed.  A couple of years later I tried to resubscribe but never got anything, so I subscribed under an alternate email address.  That worked.

About the same time as you mention I received the email about having entered a contest (which I may or may not have done over the last decade), and started getting a second copy of the newsletter on the original email address.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: HA Dave on March 23, 2010, 10:42:57 AM
...... I am getting the feeling that the economy is also effecting X10s sales.

Not everyone... nor every industry... is being effected by the current economy. But I think, or would guess that X10 tracks well with consumer retail spending. Retail sales have been mostly trending down or flat since September 2008. But we have seen a rise from the lowest points. I have to agree with the administration... when they called the recession over in January. We are no longer experiencing what is traditionally called a recession.
 
If you would have told me three years ago the GM was going to file bankruptcy.... I would have agree that they were going to at least need to sell off a part of their holdings to survive. If you would have told me that GM was going to fail... and be picked up by the government... I would have explained why that could not be done under the American legal system.

If you would have told me two years ago that GM, All major American banks, all student loans, 80 percent of home mortgages, The healthcare industry, and the insurance industry were all going to be absorbed into the federal management... I would have thought the comment too silly to concider.
 
Businesses that do need funds to stay afloat... can have trouble finding them. The feds lend money to [now] fed controlled banks for nearly nothing. Then immediately borrow it back at several times what it was lent at. So banks appear to make money... although it is merely tax money.... redistributed. I am not sure anymore if the question is: Is X10 making money... or is it: Will the feds take over X10?

Although new... our current economic condition is not unfamiliar. We Americans experienced a similar Malaise less than forty years ago. Then.... a young inventor convinced all (except one) computer manufactures to use his single unifying product. That propelled computers into a new direction and that in turn increased productivity as well as creating a new [American lead] industry.

It was the MicroSoft revolution... like it or not.. that ended our country's last Malaise. It will take something as big... or BIGGER to end this one. Those that think we can force the turnaround with decades old labor intensive solar and wind technologies... are beating a dead horse (as the saying goes). We need something big, and new.

Yeah... I agree the economy is proability effecting X10s sales
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: dave w on March 23, 2010, 11:54:04 AM

If you would have told me two years ago that GM, All major American banks, all student loans, 80 percent of home mortgages, The healthcare industry, and the insurance industry were all going to be absorbed into the federal management... I would have thought the comment too silly concider.
 
 I am not sure anymore if the question is: Is X10 making money... or is it: Will the feds take over X10?

It will take something as big... or BIGGER to end this one. Those that think we can force the turnaround with decades old labor intensive solar and wind technologies... are beating a dead horse (as the saying goes). We need something big, and new.

Maybe big, but not necessarily "new". Obviously this administration has no interest in becoming energy independant, but "dril, drill, drill!" and  "nuke, nuke, nuke!" should be added to the tea party chant for November.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: HA Dave on March 23, 2010, 12:44:34 PM
.......... "drill, drill, drill!" and "nuke, nuke, nuke!" should be added to the tea party chant for November.

Cheap energy can't hurt! But a little more in a few years... is too little too late. But I do believe that there is wisdom in truisms and therefore necessity is [actually] the mother of invention.

I read recently about an experiment underway now... that will direct 192 low-powered lasers onto a single hydrogen molecule. If it is successful we might be able to create the power of the sun... right here on earth. That is the type of change that would rank up there with the computer revolution, the mass-producted automobile, the electric light, the telegraph, the steam engine, the discovery of the new world, the printing press.... and all those other man-driven creations that have inspired hope and lifted economies in the past.

Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Mel99 on March 23, 2010, 01:24:04 PM
A few thoughts on this thread;

Although new... our current economic condition is not unfamiliar. We Americans experienced a similar Malaise less than forty years ago. Then.... a young inventor convinced all (except one) computer manufactures to use his single unifying product. That propelled computers into a new direction and that in turn increased productivity as well as creating a new [American lead] industry.

It was the MicroSoft revolution... like it or not.. that ended our country's last Malaise. It will take something as big... or BIGGER to end this one. Those that think we can force the turnaround with decades old labor intensive solar and wind technologies... are beating a dead horse (as the saying goes). We need something big, and new.

When I was a sales rep at a ComputerLand store in the early 80's, Apple was the dominant player.  IBM was developing their hardware and wanted to buy or license an operating system.  The story at that time was that IBM first approached Digital Research and wanted to use their OS's, CP/M and MP/M.  They, IBM and DR, could not come to terms, so IBM then approached Microsoft to use what they called PCDOS.  We in the retail computer sales field considered DR's OS's to be more robust that PCDOS.  It was later renamed MSDOS.

Next,
The concept of entering a contest and the ensuing followup, newsletters and/or phone calls is an old marketing trick/technique.  Soon after the No-Contact-List policy was announced, I signed up to have no contact from any telemarketer/direct marketer.  Ah, the loopholes...  If a person contacts a marketing company for pretty much any reason, that person becomes fair game.  So, Company A contacts Company B and tells them that a person has entered one of their contests.  Company B contacts that person (in good faith??) and tries to sell them something.  As a result, I get phone calls and snail mail offerings and the pitch usually starts that because I entered a contest...  It's impossible to prove that I didn't enter the contest.  My only recourse is to threaten legal action against Company B.  I have no recourse against Company A.  I usually just hang up on the telemarketer and throw the mail piece in the trash.

I haven't been getting my daily newsletters delivered to my mailbox for 2 weeks, and I updated it on the website to make sure but I'm still not getting them. What's up?

You can have mine if you want them.  I have them sent to spam and I know where they are if I need to look at them.  :'

Mel
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: HA Dave on March 23, 2010, 01:47:30 PM
When I was a sales rep at a ComputerLand store in the early 80's, Apple was the dominant player.  IBM was developing their hardware and wanted to buy or license an operating system.  The story at that time was that IBM first approached Digital Research and wanted to use their OS's, CP/M and MP/M.  They, IBM and DR, could not come to terms, so IBM then approached Microsoft to use what they called PCDOS.  We in the retail computer sales field considered DR's OS's to be more robust that PCDOS.  It was later renamed MSDOS.

I am sure your memories are correct. Although the stories and history's read differently depending on memory and sources... the important part is the date.. not company name, or persons name. You can credit the computer revolution to AOL... for all I care. Actually.... a fair case could even be made for crediting Steve Case (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Case).

But the point is:  We know that these developments not only advance mankind... but spurred economic growth and prosperity. Many more inventions improve the human condition... yet never cause economic growth (like BVC (http://davesdomainonline.com/bvc/bvc.htm) and BlueWatch (http://davesdomainonline.com/bluewatch/bw.htm)). We also know that these advancements don't happen everyday. Creating the proper conditions for these kinds of developments (free markets) would benefit us all.

Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/moveable letters in 1436.
New world discovered by Columbus 1492.
James Watt, invented the first practical steam engine in 1765.
Samuel Morse invented a telegraph system that was a practical and commercial success 1844.
Edison had The first successful light bulb October 22, 1879. 
The Ford Motor Company manufactured its first car - the Model A - in 1903.
MSDOS was officially released in 1981 by Microsoft.

All these names... and dates.. could be debated. But the events and approximated dates are correct.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: dave w on March 23, 2010, 08:54:03 PM

I read recently about an experiment underway now... that will direct 192 low-powered lasers onto a single hydrogen molecule. If it is successful we might be able to create the power of the sun... right here on earth.
This sounds like the old laser ignition deuterium fusion reactor quest which has been going on for 30 years, and they say it's another 30 years out and that is probably wildly optimistic.
A-a-a-a-h,  but "TerraPower" and the "traveling wave reactor" might be far more doable in short term. You can bet your last dollar if Gates is invested, it isn't pipe dream. Buy your stock now, TerraPower might be the next Microsoft.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: birdzeye on April 04, 2010, 09:18:48 AM
OK everybody I'm receiving my newsletters again, and the economy will be one one step closer to recovery!

It seems that my ISP did some upgrading and was sending all x10 email to a junk repository. HAVEN'T THEY HEARD OF x10!! :o



Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Knightrider on April 04, 2010, 10:56:42 AM

It seems that my ISP did some upgrading and was sending all x10 email to a junk repository. HAVEN'T THEY HEARD OF x10!! :o


Think they have and that's probably why it went to junk.

I'm not bashing X10, just the trashy pics they tend to send.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Charles Sullivan on April 04, 2010, 02:39:07 PM
OK everybody I'm receiving my newsletters again, and the economy will be one one step closer to recovery!

It seems that my ISP did some upgrading and was sending all x10 email to a junk repository. HAVEN'T THEY HEARD OF x10!! :o


Given X-10's advertising history and reputation, who can blame them?  :D
 
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Brian H on April 04, 2010, 06:51:50 PM
X10 in earlier days was considered a Spammer. Some of the web pages with racy photos didn't help the cause either.
Newsletters and special deal emails where frequently send multiple times a day.
Some ISPs block X10 emails and I had one spam blocker program that everytime I got a new definition file. I would again have to go into the exceptions area and unchecked X10.com.

X10 has now gotten better but some ISPs still block X10.com.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Dan Lawrence on April 04, 2010, 09:31:42 PM
I always bought my X10 stuff from local (Baltimore) dealers until X10USA decided not to sell the CM15A/AHP to local X10 dealers.  The one I patronized for years was Pigs Electronics in Perry Hall until the guy who owned it decided to get out of the X10 business and sold off his inventory. He did a good business for many years, though.  I only bought my CM15A/AHP from X10USA because my local dealer could not sell it.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Brian H on April 05, 2010, 06:05:03 AM
Dan; I did some on line ordering from Pigs. Too bad he closed and I believe all his tutorial and tips are also gone.

I also had one of their Max Serial Interface Kits for X10.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Dan Lawrence on April 05, 2010, 07:13:23 PM
Gary Gabris, who ran Pigs Electronics is still around but only selling off inventory, here's the new URL for it: http://mysite.verizon.net/gary.gabris1/PIGSElectronics/index.htm#return   The Tech Tips are still there, no additions, though.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Brian H on April 05, 2010, 07:16:02 PM
Dan; Thank you for the revised link.
Title: Re: Newsletter?
Post by: Dan Lawrence on April 05, 2010, 07:18:52 PM
Gary promised he will keep the Tech Tips, that's why the new URL.   He lives about a mile and a half from me off Joppa Road.  I'm in Parkville.