Denenberg in Blunderland 

(with apologies to the memory of Lewis Caroll)

I’m almost ashamed to admit that I’ve wasted about two hours on the phone trying to straighten out a computer-related issue. In a desperate attempt to assuage that guilt, I have chosen to view that experience as “research” for this article instead.

Having recently signed up for a "free trial" subscription to Apple TV in order to watch the much touted  "Ted Lasso" series, my wife and I had  decided to cancel (partially due to the inability to turn on subtitles because of the heavy English Accents in the opening scenes (To be fair, I later realized that instead of subtitles the issue might have been referring to them as "closed captions")).

Even though the trial period, (3 months free then $6.99 per month) had not yet ended, we decided  to cancel the trial subscription thinking that we had enough on our plate from our current Internet provider in terms of  culture, news and entertainment and better uses for our limited time on this sphere.

 This realization awakened a memory of a prophetic book I had  read almost 40 years ago by Neil Postman:  “Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business”. The publisher sums it all up nicely: 

“What happens when media and politics become forms of entertainment? As our world begins to look more and more like Orwell’s 1984, Neil’s Postman’s essential guide to the modern media is more relevant than ever. Originally published in 1985, Neil Postman’s groundbreaking polemic about the corrosive effects of television on our politics and public discourse has been hailed as a twenty-first-century book published in the twentieth century. Now, with television joined by more sophisticated electronic media—from the Internet to cell phones to DVDs—it has taken on even greater significance. Amusing Ourselves to Death is a prophetic look at what happens when politics, journalism, education, and even religion become subject to the demands of  entertainment. It is also a blueprint for regaining control of our media, so that they can serve our highest goals.  ... A brilliant, powerful, and important book. This is an indictment that Postman has laid down and, so far as I can see, an irrefutable one.” –Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World

Meanwhile, back in Blunderland, I get out my trusty iPhone and command Siri to “Unsubscribe” and she responds, “I can’t help with that on iPhone” in her cute Australian accent which I had chosen on setup. So, I decided to be more specific and asked,  ``How do I cancel an Apple TV Free Trial Subscription?” and got a glimpse of the potential rabbit hole I was about to jump into. I receive 3 responses,and follow what looks to be the most promising lead:

“1. Go to tv.apple.com

2. Choose the account icon at the top of the page. If you don’t see the account icon then..blah blah blah...

3. Choose Settings.

.4. Scroll to Subscriptions and choose Manage.

5. Choose Cancel Subscription.”

Simple enough. Duck soup, right?

I follow these instructions  assiduously---  to no avail. I did succeed with Step 1, but I am stumped by  Step 2: , I can’t find any “account icon” but after a careful perusal I locate a very small circle with my initials lhich I guess is my account icon, click and proceed on my journey.

 The furthest I get is more opportunities to subscribe!  Or I can watch one of the three  movies aptly  named “Unsubscribe”. Clearly not what I was looking for.

At this point I am offered a bunch of choices (as well as an opportunity for it to send me instructions which I reject,  knowing full well it will lead to another branch of the rabbit hole I’m already lost in. I give up on using my Internet and resort to making  a phone call to an Apple helpline. After a long (but not unexpected wait), I am offered an abundant list of choices from which I select  their Billing Department which, for me, is the raison d’etre for this whole journey. Another long wait on hold . Eventually I connect with Billing and after a long but delightful conversation with who I trust is an actual human person (you never know) we get down to business. After supplying some more personal Identification Data  (name, rank and serial number), I explain my issue, saying that I had reached the end of my rope in trying to cancel my “trial subscription” online and begged to do so forthwith. We traverse many of the same rabbit hole paths I had previously visited. Finally, after putting my wife on the phone to confirm ownership of the account (I learned that the account is in her, not my name)  -- you know the drill, no one wants a lawsuit-- the being on the other end of the phone informs me that I have no active subscriptions in their records and thus cannot cancel one. 

This misadventure has served only to reinforce my belief of what  “Free Trial “ actually means, “We  let you experience the product free for a fixed time but after that expires and you’re well  hooked, then you may cancel ( if you can ---sounds  similar to a pitch made by drug dealers and other hustlers).

Flabbergasted but undaunted, I realize that I may well have ordered AppleTV directly through our Internet provider. So, I brace myself to explore that  by all technological means possible before throwing in the towel. 

I believe that is the last metaphor my editor allows me in one article, so I'll just  sum up by saying that this path also produced no conclusive results and that I will simply wait to be billed (or not) and deal with it then. I don’t expect a quick fix.  

H. L. Mencken had this to say about quick fixes: “Every complex problem has a solution which is simple, direct, plausible — and wrong.” 

Wish me luck.

July 2023 Intelligent Computers are not the only Technology requiring Regulation

July 2023 Intelligent Computers are not the only Technology requiring Regulation

In last month’s column I argued that because of Artificial Intelligence (AI) being built into modern-day computers, some level of regulation would be  necessary. But, as you already know, it’s complicated. The need for the regulation of any technology that could possibly harm society was unfortunately and forcibly  brought home when we received the shocking news of the Titan submersible tragedy where five died in their attempt to visit the sunken wreck of the ocean liner Titanic.

It’s clear that submersibles like Titan are as much a result of technology as computers are, and as this column means to examine the relationship between technology and society, of  how one affects the other,and so it’s appropriate to examine the laws society creates to regulate its technology and, in this case,  the technology of submersibles. 

“Apart from size, the main technical difference between a "submersible" and a "submarine" is that submersibles are not fully autonomous and may rely on a support facility or vessel for replenishment of power and breathing gasses. Submersibles are much smaller, typically have shorter range, and operate primarily underwater.   Some submersibles operate on a "tether" or "umbilical", remaining connected to a tender (a submarine, surface vessel or platform). Submersibles have been able to dive to over 10 km (33,000 ft) below the surface. Submersibles may be relatively small, hold only a small crew, and have no living facilities.”

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submersible)

“ A submarine, on the other hand,  is used primarily in warfare to monitor and engage enemy warships  but can and has been used as an auxiliary weapon in a land invasion.  Also, I was surprised to learn that a submarine is generally unable to rest on the ocean floor: “Most nuclear submarines cannot rest on the seabed floor for long, as silt and other debris can block the intakes that draw in water to regulate the reactor's temperature.” (https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/) 

From an historical perspective, the development of submarines and submersible technology has been around and evolving  for the last 24 centuries: “Though submarines seem to be modern inventions, their origin goes back to the fourth century B.C.E. when “Greek historians said Alexander the Great's soldiers used "diving bells" for attacking underwater. 

(http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/St-Ts/Submarines-and-Submersibles.html)

Probably the first person to travel horizontally underwater was Dutch engineer Cornelis Drebbel. Around 1620, Drebbel built submersibles that resembled two wooden rowboats—one atop the other—made from grease-soaked leather stretched on a frame with oars stuck through waterproofed holes. Historians consider Drebbel's vessels the first practical use of a maneuverable submarine. “

“By the eighteenth century, submarines built in the United States, England, France, Germany, and Italy were larger in size than predecessors, but were still primitive hand-powered ships, with rudimentary and often ineffective explosive weapons. In 1776, Yale student David Bushnell built a submarine for the Americans during the Revolutionary War (from 1775 to 1783). The egg-shaped submarine was hand-propelled by two crude propellers, one for back-and forth motion, and another for ascending-and-descending motion. The Turtle carried a powder charge (some say the world's first torpedo) into battle with the British man-of-war Eagle. The submarine sank after numerous attempts to attach explosives to the ship's bottom.”

David Bushnell's Turtle, shown in this 1776 illustration, was intended to attach explosives to British ships in the Revolutionary War.

For a much more extensive discourse on the history of submarines and submersibles point your browser at:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_submarines

Personally, I have fond memories of enjoying the diving bell on Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I won’t say how old I was but I remember it cost a dime, the bell went down about  50 feet and with a little bit of luck, a fish would swim by.  Much later,  as a civilian employee working for the Navy, I appreciated learning about “Alvin”:

“Alvin (1964)

As the oldest manned research submersible still in operation, Alvin boasts an impressive résumé. Having logged over 4,000 dives so far, the titanium sphere was the first manned vessel to visit the wreckage of the RMS Titanic. Alvin has also helped researchers discover approximately 300 new animal species, including foot-long clams and giant red-tipped tubeworms. Thought lost in 1968 when her support cables failed and her crew abandoned ship, the craft spent 11 months on the seafloor, sustaining only minor damage. Near-freezing temperatures and a lack of oxygen kept even the lunches left onboard perfectly preserved—if a bit damp.”( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news-features/evolution-of-alvin/)

The failure of the Titan has generated  a ton of sensational coverage on Stockton Rush, describing him as the self-promoting  “ CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, and was aboard his company’s Titan submarine that imploded”  including the controversial view that “...bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation”

https://www.kiro7.com › news › world › canada-is

However, by now, you’ve most likely read about the allegations, accusations and lawsuits sure to follow as a result  of the Titan implosion: they center on the hubris of the enterprise such as overlooking fatigue in the innovative carbon-fiber hull of Titan,  and the general lack of maritime regulation of submersibles in International waters --- so there is no need to beat a dead horse.

The only positive outcome of this tragedy that I can foresee is that, like the sinking of the Titanic in1912, this will surely lead to additional needed regulation in the “adventure” travel industry.