Zipingo in Quicken?

Well perhaps not you, but some here seem to believe that.

I don't see it as that off base. Rating a service, to me, goes hand in hand with the decision to use, and therefore pay, a service.

I'm not as much worried about direct as opposed to useful.

And would there be something wrong with that?!? After all Intuit is in business to make money are they not?

It is legible, but it would be nicer if you'd left a blank line between quoted and reply test, which, if it is there, doesn't show up in my reader (Gnus, XEmacs, Linux)

-- HASM

So you think this despite the fact that there is no actual evidence to support the thought? Just some personal suspicion? What would make you think to contribute such a thought that you could not suport with evidence?

And what in the world would be wrong with Intuit doing what you suggest?

And what exactly does your suspicion amount to? Do you suspect that Intuit is doing something wrong? As in: trying to make a profit?

Please supply some evidence that makes your accusation credible. Please supply some evidence that shows there is something wrong with a company offering their customers a potential benefit - a benefit which the customers are totally free to avoid contributing to, or accepting the benefit from.

Oh, I don't know, the fact that it's in 4 different places strongly suggests that Intuit really, really, really wants you to "rate that payee". You have to turn off a setting for the "button" and you have to turn off a setting for the "link". However, you *can't* turn off the setting on the right click menu nor the one in the Online menu. I think most people living in the real world would consider that pretty convincing "evidence".

What would be wrong with the cable company advertising on the premium channels you pay for? Or the DVD industry peppering it's movies with commercials throughout?

I see, there's no "evidence" that they're profiteering, but if they are, it's OK? You really are blind.

If you think "Rate this payee" appearing in 4 different places is not about profit, please supply evidence that you have a drop of common sense.

You really should just stick to the "what's wrong with that?" strategy. When you ask for evidence *and* "what's wrong with that?", you appear flakey, like you're hedging your bets. But I'll address your point anyway:

Q: What's wrong with that?

A: It reveals a deficit in the integrity department.

Hark

......

Andrew, I have agreed with your earlier posts (tho not necessarily the tone of them) that if users don't like Zipingo they should just turn it off and move on (i'm paraphrasing). However, I do have to disagree with your contention that this could in any way be "useful" to people who are looking to make wise financial decisions. Part of making a wise choice is using sound information. If the results of Zipingo ratings were a political poll, I wonder what the margin of error would be? Maybe something in the neighborhood of plus/minus 80 percent (and I'm probably low-balling here)? Consider the sample of people responding to Zipingo: It's the universe of quicken users who have a version modern enough to have included Zipingo. Of that group, you have to narrow it down to users who have not turned Zip off. And of that group, you have to narrow it down to people who bother to rate a payee while they're doing their bills. It's a small group; hardly representative. I certainly wouldn't be making wise decisions if I relied on what that group had to say.

Evidence of what? Evidence of Intuit wanting to offer services in exchange for payment. Imagine that! Really, really wanting to offer services and have customers buy them is, after all, what businesses do you moron! The real question, which you didn't address, is what exactly is wrong with that?

Nothing. And if you hadn't noticed they are all doing exactly that! I always get a kick listening to radio stations, for example, that claim no commercials - *by advertising it!* Ah, duh. Excuse me but that's advertising. Advertising for others usually follows shortly thereafter. Premium channels do this too. And what's the real difference between say HBO (which I don't get) and say the Comedy Channel (which I do get)? I pay for the Comedy Channel yet it has ads. And if you hadn't noticed many DVDs have previews on them (which is also advertising).

Let's first prove the assumption before going further. Anybody can assume and allege anything. For example, I can assert that I see no evidence of you beating your wife but does that make it OK?

If there is any lack of common sense it is with those who think that companies should exist for the sole benefit of them. That's ludicrous! They exist to make profits - period. And there is nothing wrong with making profits.

Not at all. If the charge is that they are doing something then what exactly is wrong needs to be assessed.

Oh yes. being in business to turn a profit is a sure sign of a deficit in integrity! No it's just a sign of your deficit in integrity and intellect.

Great! I'm not here to "set a tone".

You have no idea.

Whether or not the ratings have a large enough sample size and whether or not what they say is an accurate depiction of reality is, of course, a decision that you must make. Again, nobody's forcing you to use the ratings of a vendor in purchasing decisions.

However the popularity of such rating systems should be unchallenged. There are many of them ranging from the Better Business Bureau, NetFlix ratings, support sites, dinner and movies to a few I bumped into lately about rating medical service providers.

IOW while you might think that the ratings are not trustworthy (and you can choose not to use them), many others do use them and find them useful.

Please post in a legible format if you wish to be read.

Thanks, Hark

It's not in my 2005 version. Course the quotes download stopped working so that may be part of it. I never quite figured out how to get the quotes going again so....maybe this is a good thing after all. I get my quote histories so it's ok.

Did I miss anything else you think?

Drum-

Geeze is there an echo in here or are you just an idiot!

You might look into getting some decent software if your having problems reading things.

Ah, once again, the refuge of fools....

I suppose a simple press of 'enter' is more than you can manage. I understand. There are just those in this world who are unable to cope with the pressures of even the simplest of tasks. This can often be associative behavior, symptomatic of deeper issues. I refuse, however, to waste my time in the attempt to decipher what is more than likely drivel anyway. You say it's my software reader, yet I have very rarely run into this issue, Thunderbird poster or not. I suppose other Thunderbird users have somehow managed to acquire a clue, something you apparently experience difficulty with in many areas.

This has also been revealed by your "head in sand" approach to the long term lack of integrity exhibited by Intuit. I truly do happen to believe that Quicken & QB are the best financial software packages available. However, their marketing practices are not "just a good 'ole company tryin' to make a livin'", as you so dim wittingly declare. They have consistently shown a willingness to fleece their users. Dyed in the wool, die hard blind followers like yourself are unable to make the distinction between skilled software production and shady, self serving, screw the customer in any way they can" marketing practices. You, of course, are welcome to your opinion, as I am welcome to mine. However, name calling and insults merely because some see the reality for which you lack the commom sense to discern is another matter entirely. That sort of behavior cries out to be reprimanded. And so it is. Please slap your wrist now.

Hark

John - oh come on - get real here - why else would they do this both on Q itself and in their latest electronic newsletter? Why else would they be pushing this onto us? Out of the goodness of their heart to become a better consumer?

I personally didn't even care that much, but it's obvious to me they're trying to make an additional buck (now or later); I'd don't begrudge them for that.

I said "I think". I didn't say "I know". One can't argue with a suspicion or a hunch. I didn't say it was for a fact. But then again, neither can you defend your position with logic that it isn't for that reason either, can you? Usually you're a logically individually, so let's just agree to disagree.

I don't intend to continue debating this one, my friend.

No it's more like the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results...

Oh I do a lot more than just hit return...

Funny, I see your issues...

You mean like you're doing right now eh there buddy?

I've been posting this way for more than 10 years.

OK, not here comes the non-related association so you can grind your axe....

I declared no such thing.

Let me ask you a simple question: Do you have/use Quicken? If so then why since you seem to despise it so. Only a fool would do that. If not then I must ask why are you here in this Quicken group?

Really? Well common sense tells me you're a fool! You're either a fool who complains bitterly about something that he uses or a fool that spends his time in a newsgroup dedicated to software that he doesn't use? Which is it? Because either action is foolish by common sense standards.

Yeah, right. I'm rushing to do that right now (and hoping your holding your breath).

What an idiot!

(Then again any educated response to my posting here would have flushed out the fact that you're a liar to yourself since you claim my posts are unreadable, to read and respond would prove you own words wrong. And any response without really reading what I wrote would be dishonest at best

- so I'm really looking forward to what happens next...)

Andrew, did you actually read what I wrote? (I left them here for you and everyone to read). Or were you just looking to make a complaint? Your comment is incredibly ignorant - really ignorant.

I have avoided responding to some of your comments in the past because you present yourself as an "nice" guy ... but I am not going to put up with this any more.

What do you mean when you say "why else would they do this ...." Are you saying that Inutit is doing something illegal? Something immoral? Something unethical"? What in the hell does "Out of the goodness of their heart" mean. Intuit is not an altruistic organization; they are a corporation in business to make a profit.

I asked why would anyone object to Intuit (or any other company) trying to earn a profit. THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF MY COMMENT!

What in the world are you saying when you say "Why else would they do this ...". They are doing "this" because they want to make a profit, by helping their customers ... what the hell did you think? And what in the world is wrong with making a profit? And where did I state, or insinutate, anything any different.

Andrew, you are either a total moron or you have made a major misinterpretation of my words. I have been understanding before, but I will no longer stand aside and allow you to put words (and meanings) in my mouth.

And if you truely understood what I said, and you stand by your response, then you are absolutely not a "nice" guy.

Increasingly, software manufacturers are making their applications "self-healing," where they automatically install new features. The idea is that it will save them $$ in support costs. In reality, it can (and does) break a lot of things that cause us computer professionals to have to go fix. I realize you got an "update" you didn't ask for, but this time the fix is simple. Go into preferences and disable it as I menioned in a previous post.

Regards,

Margaret

Gee. Finally, something legible. Surprisingly, you've proven you actually do have the metal dexterity to press 'enter'. Quite impressive, really. And what an intellectual dynamo you turned out to be! And to think I would have missed it had you not finally succumbed to common sense!

Sorry, didn't read the rest of that mess, although I congratulate you on masterminding what could have been a really clever trap.

I'm quite pleased that you are at least making the attempt to define integrity, even if somewhat misguided.

Why? You're finally getting potty trained?

Hark

-- A fool will always expose himself by repeatedly fighting battles he cannot win.

Annoying current customers with unwanted distractions is not what successful businesses do.

I have no problem with intuit trying to leverage Quicken's popularity to go off in a new business direction. I do have a problem with Intuit not giving me the opt-out capability so that I can decide whether or not I want to participate.

But, frankly, I'd rather Intuit spend the development resources to make it easier to move back and forth between Quicken/Windows and Quicken/Mac.

And oh, how I wish there was a Quicken/Linux....

Regards,

Margaret

Who claimed it to be self-healing? It could as easily be partially a patch to fix bugs and partially a patch to introduce new functionality.

That's an assumption on your part. Sure the bug fixes are there to not only save money in support costs but to, well, ah... FIX BUGS. And there is a portion that is obviously there to add some new functionality. The adding of this new functionality is hardly there to be self-healing nor to reduce support costs, rather it is there to add new functionality.