No, we’re not referring to Shane Warne..

Jerald Block, writing an editorial for the American Journal of Psychiatry, said “internet addiction” was a common disorder that deserved inclusion in a health professionals manual of mental disorders.

Excerpts from editorial:
It is a compulsive-impulsive spectrum disorder. Excessive text messages and emails, excessive gaming and sexual preoccupations and were all evidence of having the disorder. All symptoms sharing the following components:

1. excessive use, often associated with a loss of sense of time
2. withdrawal, including feelings of anger, tension, and/or depression when the computer is inaccessible
3. tolerance, including the need for better computer equipment, more software, or more hours of use, and
4. negative repercussions, including arguments, lying, and social isolation

Let me just say before you read on, I am in no way making fun of any mental illness or sickness. Any public reference, such as his, is a positive step to helping people understand - and in turn getting help for those who need it. I think Dr Block makes a good point about having it recognised.

However, I thought it was possible to turn that list around and compile another list:

Top 5 Reasons I’ve suffered “Internet addiction Disorder” with excessive emailing and sms

1. Excessive text messages from services flogging their promotional offers even after you’ve “opted out”.
2. Receiving excessive text messages saying “How are you?”, or “What are you doing”, making it impolite (?) to not spend our money or credit to answer ongoing open-ended questions and conversations.
3. The anger and tension experienced when a computer is inaccessible, like say, when you move and your service provider promises you’ll be back up and running within two days - which then stretches out to twenty phone calls and three weeks without access to your online business.
4. Then the lack of understanding of your associated withdrawal symptoms suffered when they’ve lost their sense of time.
5. The unfathomable promise that they’ll email you when your internet is back up… (Now let’s think about that for a moment - kinda hard to get that email). Perhaps that could be summed up by negative repercussions above?

Ok - putting the soap box back away now

x0x

“Initiate mile-high club invites via SMS?”

By year end, Qantas will be rolling out technology to allow customers to send and receive SMS and emails during selected domestic services.

They conducted trials with 11,000 customers to evaluate the technology, for use on their mobile phones and/or personal electronic devices. A GSM handset and global roaming account* will be needed to send or receive an SMS, while those wanting to send and receive emails will need a GPRS enabled device, like a Blackberry or an appropriately equipped laptop.

The evaluation of this new technology was a great success. An overwhelming majority of passengers involved in the evaluation indicated they wanted access to inflight connectivity on an ongoing basis, John Borghetti, Qantas Executive General Manager, said.

“Of course we want it - but at what price?”

Based on the quote to AMTA by Qantas GM Products and Services

we are committed to providing these products and services to the business market

The mention of “business market” might mean it will remain otherwise unaffordable. But it might just depend on our individual plans.

Guess it will be a game of ‘wait and see’ when the systems are in place, as to charges by our service providers based on global roaming rates*.

x0x

Related:

• Qantas news release
• AMTA update
• iTWire article

Updated:
08/04/08: In-flight mobile calls approved for Europe

Monthly email newsletters

Our FunkyCoverz email list (aka Funk-eList) receive a monthly update with indepth industry related articles, stories, content and related products.

From time to time, we also offer members only specials like free delivery on orders, free gifts, partner offers etc.

As a thank you, all our subscribers receive a 10% discount code for all repeat orders.

Listed below are the 2007 newsletters for quick reference:

• 12 January 2007
• 5 February 2007
• 6 March 2007
• 5 April 2007
• 3 May 2007
• 26 June 2007
• 13 August 2007
• 19 September 2007
• 24 October 2007
• 13 November 2007
• 4 December 2007

Happy reading, browsing, sharing

Related: Become a Funk-eList subscriber

Why?
- Be first to hear about new products, upcoming promotional offers & discounts
- Keep up-to-date on industry news, information and product reviews
- Gain access to any “Funk-Elist members only” specials
- Receive 10% discount code after first order

x0x

How much “pod slurping” have you done recently?

Sounds a little like gobbledygook, doesn’t it?! But if you’re moving with the times, it’s possible that “pod slurping”, “infomania” and “password fatigue” are all time-zapping parts of your life.

Macquarie Dictionary decided pod slurping was their word of the year - and that, along with others will be included in the yearly update of the dictionary.

So, what do those words even mean?

• Pod slurping (n): the downloading of large quantities of data from PC to an MP3 player or memory stick
• Infomania (n): the tendency to give immediate attention to incoming sms and emails, causing constant distraction and lower attention levels and work performance (shouldn’t they include Facebook in their causal descriptions?)
• Password fatigue (n): The level of frustration caused by having too many different passwords to remember, resulting in an inability to remember even those most commonly used (we’ve all done this..)

Read more: Macquarie Dictionary article

Oops, gotta go - just received an incoming email..

x0x

“Where do you find our monthly email newsletter?”

Over at our FunkyCoverz site, we send out a monthly email newsletter to our subscribers.

We started writing the Funk-eList newsletters August 2006.

They’ve certainly come a long way since then, in terms of content, format and of course loyal subscribers.

Links to our 2006 newsletters:

• 5 December 2006 - Beauty & Lace members discount, recycling tips, how to avoid mobile phones scams
• 6 October 2006 - iPods product updates, new iPod covers
• 17 October 2006 - new Mobile Phone Stands, great for your desk at home or work!

Happy reading

Related: Become a Funk-eList subscriber

Why?
- Be first to hear about new products, upcoming promotional offers & discounts
- Keep up-to-date on industry news, information and product reviews
- Gain access to any “Funk-Elist members only” specials
- Receive 10% discount code after first order

x0x