Monday, February 13, 2012

A rose by any other name...

I am technologically challenged, no doubt about it. But I try, and somewhere in amongst the trying I sometimes succeed, although not always without parting with more money than I needed to.

When it comes to the internet, and any technology relating to the internet, I can reliably inform those people beyond our antipodean shores that us Aussies pay a premium for everything. We pay 50% more for iTunes songs, movies and videos, some of which aren't even available here for months after their northern hemisphere release dates. Similarly we are locked out of American online stores for purchasing software, like Photoshop or Lightroom. Little wonder that Australians (with a meagre 22 million population) are the second biggest pirates in the world. Apparently 5 million Australians are at it as I write this!

Unfortunately, I'm so dumb that I haven't worked out how to diddle the system, and my own pirating efforts have been limited to purchasing cheap DVDs in Bali. Yeah, I know it's wrong but if they made it fair for us Aussies to purchase at the same price as Americans for instance (especially as our dollar is so strong) then less of us would be tempted. I've completely given up buying books in Australia, even purchasing hard copies and getting them shipped using Amazon is cheaper than going down to the local bookstore. But since I got the Kindle, paper copies are now redundant. Amazon, unlike Apple and Adobe, doesn't restrict access, meaning I can purchase from both the American and UK online stores. Thankyou Amazon, who cares if you want world domination, it's OK by me.

Another area that I think I've been diddled is custom domain names. If you cast your eye up to the internet address line you may just notice that I have changed my name. No longer am I a blogspot address, I've graduated to a dot com. Pretty cool hey?

Now I didn't realise that I could get a dot com domain name for just a few dollars a year, and unfortunately went and purchased myself a domain name from an Australian internet domain name company at some ridiculously overinflated price. Stupid me. Of course I didn't purchase a dot com au address, that would be sheer financial lunacy, as it's twice as expensive. Owning a dot com au is such a liability, I mean I know us Aussies think we're pretty exclusive but Geeezus!!

I've learnt my lesson, and when it's time to renew I'll jump ship to somewhere cheaper. At present I'm staying on Blogger, because they're hosting me for free after all, and I have absolutely no intention to turn my blog into a money making venture (like I'd ever be successful at that anyway?). Though it's gratifying to see a lot more people visiting my blog than just my mum! Even people I don't even know!!! Hi, nice to meet you.

So nothing has changed on the blog, just the name, but even if you are still using the old address, blogger will redirect you here anyway. Just so you know. And can congratulate me and all that.

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