Years ago when i headed out into this world first, even phoning home was some adventure.

What will this call going to cost you? Does is need 2 or 3 leading "0" and the country code to dial home?
But today with everyone is carrying a cell phone this is no longer an issue anymore. We are used to pick our phone and dial whoever and whenever we want right away.

Now travelling some less occupied areas of the world it can happens that you reach the end of mobil phone coverage even these days.

Last this happened to me while traveling the outback of Australia. No one living out there …. no need (at least no commercial) to make effort covering this area for mobil phone usage.

But curious this time being over in the USA I’m running into similar situations. No cell phone network access since days … at least not with my european mobil phone. But knowing about there is no phoning anymore, it is impressive to see that nearly each Hotel/Motel does offer Wireless Internet connection for free …as a reason to exactly choose them and no other business instead.

Yes, world seems to be far more connected than once at the time when I headed out into it first.

But … tell me … how can they know, that today I far way more often communicate and write emails with international friends around the world … than calling folks at home and telling good old mum for example that I’m fine?

Yeah, things have changed dramatically …. but I couldn’t say I don’t like it.

Often it does not need much …. and as more unexpected it is, the more fun and joy it will bring.

On Monday an oversea friend of mine had her birthday. Now even living a few thousand kilometer away I think about them as good and close friends. So for sure postal services had to do some work (nothing special, just that bit of attention making the difference) lately.

Nontheless I had the idea to give her a call and so basic math dealing with time delays did start. When can you call someone at earliest on a normal working monday? Will there be a public holiday you could disturb on?

Anyway, in case there is a will some clever mind will make it through all and using a phone really isn’t a challenge at all … at least for most of us.

To dial the number was easy and then the tension reached the maximum …. to eases immediately when the exactly right person did take the call! No need to say we had a quick and nice chat then.

Just a few valuable and rare minutes though. Day had already started there… But ended with the given promise to do soon again…

It is so much of a difference to hear and speak with someone, even when you frequently stay in contact by email or chat.

But thats not the major aspect of all. At same stage it might not even possible to talk for some reason e.q. the missing ability to speak a language for example.

Often just small things make a big difference. This one second expiring the “unexpected” does make the difference. One day I still remember very well, I opened the letters shipped two weeks ago and nearly about 14000Km away. Something small for sure, but intended to honor friendship …. until today I keep it like a treasure. At least for me it is ONE!

Recently on monday Microsoft announced that they will make effort locking down noticeable software license keys.
Nothing to say about that. They write software and want to sell it ….

But tell me! What is a noticeable software license key? They on I bought with and found  on my old notebook?

Sure it is a nice and helpfully arrangement new systems today are bundled and offered with some valid OS license key keeping costs low and giving me the feeling I’m doing right. But what about the system gets old and I buy a new one and don’t like the new burning software on it and rather would prefer going on to use the older one I’m used to used from my prior hardware?

What about the old hardware is still functional and working and I’m going to sell it on eBay?

Sure the license keys will go with the hardware, but what about the changing owner? Will this new owner then have such a noticeable software license key?

I really do understand Microsoft and other companies. But isn’t the problem also forced by them and there more than archaic licencing modells?

Today in times of fast broadband internet connections you of don’t even get an installation medium. You download the software and request a valid serial key online easy paid by paypal or credit card.

Where the hell there is a problem to found something similar than the internet domain registration services to buy and administer your license keys online? Even perhaps on some time limited base?

Sometimes I don’t need the whole cake for ever. What about buying a Creative Studio or Office license for a quarter of a year with the option to get a cheap and easy renewing?

In my eyes it is about time for those big software companies to think about new and creative licencing modells.

Just my 5ct on that!

Sometimes I think it really doesn’t matter what news is written about a company.
Good or not … there was a news about and people get curious about … that is the aim and that is what we want!

Now knowing about the rumours about Apple has a build in backdoor within the new Apple iPhone 3G were recently confirmed by Steve Jobs …. indeed make me thinking about.

But not about the company or the product itself. Instead I’m more thinking about whether or not I do like that.

Do I really want a company being able to de-install  software fromsomething I have bought from them?

They got my money and I got the phone … now it is mine and it is up to me deciding about which software I run on it.
What ever they tell me it is good for they have such an option, I’m seriously and absolutely sure about I don’t NEED it!

Guess it needs some firewall software soon for this gadget.

Generally being much into friendship I’m on the other side aware that I might not always be a really easy friend to deal with though.

People often do call someone a friend right a few minutes after they have become familiar with each other first. That is not really my thing for sure and it needs far way more for me being able to call someone a friend and meaning it …. not just using the word to appear friendly.

Sure this is often some cultural and very more often some individual question how to deal with that. But often even thinking about someone as friendly or congenially, I keep some distance. Friendship has to grow, it has to be mutual … and finally it has to fit!!!

Sure this is not difficult and often works out with people you know in person and especially with people you met again and again on a regular basis

But how can this work out with online friendships?

To be honest I don’t know … it just happens. In fact I run a few online friendships since years. And also given the fact there is no easy catching up with them next saturday,  there is not much of a difference in them. Constant work it is anyway … working on that friendship I mean.

Yesterday now I had an interesting discussion with some online friend of me regarding to openness and the general ability to share things which each other. Being able to tell things to someone you’ve never met before! And curiously we both agreed about we do often share more with each other than with other friends living close by.

Thinking about it now, I get the impression about that is some inherit requirement of "online" friendship to do and finally making them possible first. Now in fact I’ve never ever met this friend before in person. Nontheless I know that much about my friend that I often know her answer in advance before typed ….. strange! Isn’t it?