BEWARE THIS WEB SITE HAS SOME EXTREMELY TIGHT COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NOT CLEARLY DISCLOSED BEFORE THE PURCHASE OF THE SERVICE ACCESS AND FORCES YOU TO GET SOFTWARES THAT ARE NOT THAT COMMON AND NOT THAT EASILY COMPATIBLE WITH WHAT EVER COMPUTER SYSTEM YOU ALREADY HAVE AT HOME
DISCLAIMER: this Letter is based on my Personal Opinion formed after the Bad Experience my Girlfriend and i had after trying to access the Web Services offered by this Website.
THE ONLY INTENT OF THIS LETTER IS MAKING OTHER USERS AWARE OF WHAT THEY COULD ENCOUNTER IF THEY PURCHASED SERVICES FROM THE WES SITE INDICATED BELOW
scroll down to read the full story
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE WEB SITES
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
&
" www.ncjua-nciua.org "
??? ??? ???
Yes, i am talking about one of those Web Sites where any insurance Agent that lives in the state of North Carolina has to go to renew his Insurance Agent License.
Well... for my Girlfriend, which has been an agent for 3 years, going to this badly managed web site became a Nightmare because i believe the people who runs this web site are possibly corrupted and they make everybody look stupid:
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
Keep in mind these words are just my opinion, but i can proudly present quite a list of technical qualification to just make it clear that this is not the Opinion of a Random upset user that doesn't know what he is doing, if i am saying what i am saying, it's because i am a heavily experienced Computer User that created and managed quite a few Networks,so i am what many people people would define as a Geek with all the qualifications of the case from the "University of Software Programming in Venice" and also "MCP" and "MCSA" with A+ certification and i also used to be a SonicWall registered IT Professional that even worked in the installation of the Security System at the Local Police Department, so just to let you now, my words towards this Web Site: Incompetent & Infamous are not just words i have blown off my mouth randomly.
REMEMBER: the Internet is a place the Connect the Whole World, to make the Internet possible, everybody had to accept certain Standards, such Standard are made to Guarantee that any Computer and any WebBrowser that is in compliance with such Standards, is capable of Displaying properly all the Function of the Web Sites.
the 3 Most Common Standards for Web Sites are:
W3C: World Wide Web Consortium (started in 1994)
HTML2: Hypertext Technology Working Group v2 (started 1997)
HTML4: Hypertext Technology Working Group v.4 (started in 2001)
HTML5: Hypertext Technology Working Group v.5 (started in 2012)
NOTE: all HTML Versions are in Compliance with the "W3C" Guidelines
BROWSERS THAT ARE 'W3C' COMPLIANT:
- Mozilla-Firefox
- Internet Explorer
- Google Chrome
- Opera Browser
- Safari
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE IGNORANCE OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
because if i was hired by this Company that works though this WebSite, i would quit immediately after i found out what i am ready to say just because i would feel ASHAMED of working for such a company, and please, dear workers of such Site... QUIT, you will do a favor to yourself because this really makes you look DUMB, and personally i don't want that for myself, plus just the idea of working for a Corrupted company makes me feel disgusted!
LET'S SAY THE STORY THAT JUST HAPPENED TO MY GIRLFRIEND
She had just 1 hour left of Video Course to watch to renew her Insurance Agent License, so her employer bought her a pass for the price of $60 on:
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
and here it starts the Fun:
She had to watch 3 Separate Videos and take a quick Quiz after each Video to demonstrate the Video had been Watched, and only after all 3, she could have taken the Final Test to Renew her License, but ...
PROBLEM 1)
she tired to access the site from her Office Computer, but guess what:
"YOUR COMPUTER IS PROTECTED BY A FIREWALL, PLEASE DISABLE ANY FIREWALLS IN YOUR NETWORK TO ACCESS THE VIDEO STREAM"
Sure!!! any office that handles confidential data will have an Open Network...
ARE YOU KIDDING??? knowing the type of service you're offering and especially TO WHO you're offering it, you better make sure that your site can work even in the presence of a Firewall, because there is not going to be an Insurance Office in North America that operates without Computer protection.
So, her Employer told her to please watch this 1 hour video at home.
AND NOW THE BEST PART BEGINS!!!
RIDICULOUS ISSUE
We were home for the Christmas Vacation at her House with her parents and after Lunch, on Sunday 29 she goes to her Computer, a MAC loaded with MAC OS X 10.4, and she logs in on the site where she is supposed to watch a Video in Streaming from.
As soon as she logs and Clicks on the Link to watch the Video, a Message stating that she was already watching the Video appears and tells her she has to wait 30 minutes before she can retry to open the link.
WHAT??? 30 MINUTES TO RE-CLICK A LINK???
let me repeat: NOT A 30 min lock out of your Account to re-enter user an Password that you accidentally typed wrong... 30 MINUTES TO CLICK A LINK TO A VIDEO!!!
Without need to LogIn again
THIS IS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS
But, OK, let's wait 30 minutes, after all everybody has time to waste to click a link... i wonder what's the point of Fast Internet Connection, we were better off surfing at 56k!
PROBLEM 2)
But while she was waiting, my Girlfriend asked my help to check if there was some sort of Problem...
So i realized soon that she was missing a Player that was capable of Playing *.wmv files.
Which is already pretty interesting to find someone that still does a Streaming in " Windows Media Video " since is such an unpopular format that has barely been used since the day Microsoft invented it.
So i immediately fixed the issue, i installed VLC Player for MAC, which is a well known Player in the Computer World that can play pretty much any kind of Video File present in the Computer World... or at least in the Normal Computer World, because if someone invents his own "Nut Head Stuff" without respecting the International Computer Software Standards, it may become a problem.
AND HERE WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!
Despite the Fact that i have installed VLC Player on her MAC, the Computer keeps giving the Same Message to wait 30 minutes before she can re-start watching the Video.
PROBLEM 3)
Considering Safari is not a commonly used Web Browser, we decided to abandon Safari and Switch to Firefox which is the most commonly used Web Browser... the Problem sticks the same way... she clicks on the Link and again:
" You were already watching the Video, you need to Wait 30 minutes before you can Click the Video Link again "
I check and re-check if anything is wrong, i re-verified that VLC Player was working properly and capable of reading ".wmv" files and i checked that the PlugIn in Firefox was active... but after waiting another 30 minutes, the result was still the same... at this point, 2 hours of our "Work Free Day" have already been wasted!
PROBLEM 4)
So at this point, i start suspecting that the Computer might have a Problem, so i decide to switch to a Device that i more common that a MAC Computer, and considering that Tablets have surpassed Desktop Computers in 2013 and considering that 81% of Tablets are equipped with Android, i went for the sure shot of using one of our Android Tablets to watch the Video.
So I installed the Video Player to play "Windows Media Video Files" and we went online using the Android Browser... but as usual, when she went to the screen with the Video Links, a message stating that she had to wait additional 30 minutes appeared.
Meanwhile, she decided to try to Call tech Support for
" WWW.INSURANCEEDUCATORS.COM "
but she only got a Voicemail where she left a message requesting the most prompt assistance possible.
PROBLEM 5)
OK, now i am decided i want to go even to a more common solution and i installed Chrome Browser on her Android Tablet, in my mind i thought:
" Android is the most common Operating System present on 81% of the Mobile Devices sold in 2013, and Tablets have just passed the number of Desktop Computers, and Google Chrome is one of the 3 mostly used Web Browsers... now we are definitely compatible... "
SCORE!!!
we finally managed to access the Video Link Page, but the Link to the Video did not work, yet it was offering to watch a Power Point Presentation that explained all that she needed to know to pass the quiz.
FINALLY SHE CAN START STUDYING...
a total of 64 Slides to watch and read, images where really an optional they forgot about, only words and charts.
FUNNY RIDICULOUS ISSUE
After patiently reading all of the stuff, she proceeds to take the Quiz.
AND THE FIRST QUESTION IS???
"What is the color of the shirt the person in the Video was wearing?"
IS THIS A JOKE???
We were unable to watch the Video, and on the nice Power Point Presentation they forgot to place a Picture of the Dude that explained all this stuff in the Video
But just when my Girlfriend was ready to simply guess a shirt color ( ... NO COMMENT ...)
THE PHONE RINGS!!!
PROBLEM 6)
it was a Tech Support Lady calling from what in the background sounded like a party, different noises and people blabbing in the background, but she says something very simple:
" YOU NEED TO USE A WINDOWS COMPUTER TO WATCH THE VIDEO "
and that was it, she addressed the issue in this simple way.
Well, here is the issue: at home we had only the following:
1 x MAC Computer with OSX 10.4
2 x ASUS Transformer Tablets with ANDROID 4.2 Jellyebean
2 x Apple iPad with iOS 6
1 x MAC Book with OSX 10.4
And all the people she knew in the area only had only either MAC Computer or Tablets.
There is only one solution... drive all the way to my house, a 75 miles drive to where i have a Windows Computer equipped with Windows XP Service Pack 2 that i had to modify in the years to make it compatible with my work (i can not install Service Pack 3 as it slows down the processes i need to use for work too much despite the 6Gb of RAM and i fairly large amount of Cache).
YES, i am a Tech Support Agent, i use my Home Computer that i have personally built with high quality components to connect to Industrial Production Machineries that are worth several hundreds of thousands of Dollars and often brake the million Dollars wall, and to keep my Computer compatible with the machinery requirements, i had to adapt the Software in the years because unfortunately, the Machines i work with are not compatible with neither "Windows Vista" or "Windows 7" nor "Windows 8" and due to the nature of Work i do, i am forced to have a Firewall that i disconnected temporarily just to allow my Girlfriend to take the test.
PROBLEM 7)
So after 75miles we arrive home, and she logs in again to the infamous Web Site:
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
this time she is using the Most Standard Configuration available on earth:
a Windows XP Computer, the 2nd most common Operating System in the World following Windows 7 that recently took the lead and she is browsing the Web with the Most Common Web Browser: Mozilla-Firefox version 25.
Off course the 30 minutes were up since we had just drove over 1 hour to get to my house... what a nice way to spend a Holiday with the Family...
but when she clicks on the Video, a Message appears from VLC Player:
" This video has been coded with a none standard Codec and is not compatible with VLC, please contact the Video provider and request a standard format copy of the Video "
Now i am starting to get Mad, "Windows Media Player" is known as a low quality player that the only reasons it is used is because it is provided with Windows, but is not good to play Videos nor Music, is a Decent Player that any person that likes to watch Videos or Music in full quality, will never use because of it's limited performances, but just for tha heck of it, i proceed and re-enable Windows Media Player.
FINALLY SHE CAN WATCH THE VIDEO
and the first thing to notice is that the guy in the Video is wearing, which for the record is BLUE, and the guys is an Afro American Guy Wearing Glasses, just in case someone elses can't see the video and has to answer the stupid questions of the case.
ANTOHER RIDICULOUS ISSUE
The Video Lasted 55 minutes, she tried to take the 1 Quiz Test on VIDEO 1, but at this point a message stating she had already attempted too many times to take that quiz.
So she called again the Tech Support Lady, which this time answered from what it sounded to be a Parking Lot somewhere with many cars honking at each other.
The lady stated that often they have this problem, and that in good faith she could have put a note that she had watched the Video already and passed the Quiz (... NICE) , in any case, such quiz DOES NOT COUNT for the Final Test, which will have to be taken after watching all the 3 Videos, so she said to my Girlfriend to just proceed to Video #2.
PROBLEM 8 )
so my Girlfriend goes back to the Page with the Video Links and she clicks on Video #2 and promptly Windows Media Player appears and ... ... ...
"MISSING CODEC, PLEASE DOWNLOAD UPDATED CODEC FOR WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER"
and now we hit the wall...
"Your version of Windows Media Player already contains all the available Codecs, you may need to update the Windows Media Player software to find the needed codecs"
Too bad Microsoft does not allow such update unless you update Windwos XP to Service Pack 3, but as i said before, i can not Install "Windows XP Service Pack 3" on my Computer as it hampers badly my working capabilities... i would like to upgrade to a better Windows, even Windows 8.1, but first Microsoft needs to find a way to make it as widely Compatible with everything like Windows XP is, so i am sorry Microsoft, but you lost a Customer.
REALLY BAD CUSTOMER SUPPORT SERVICE... the infuriating phone call
My Girlfriend calls again the Tech Support Lady, which says that she can have someone else call us to solve the issue.
Sure enough, in a few Minutes, a guy calls and starts telling my Girlfried instructions on how to surf their web site:
You need a Computer loaded with "Microsoft Windows" and you need to Surf the web with "Microsoft Internet Explorer".
and here my Web Design experience took over me.
I called the guy back and i said:
"Can you explain me a Technical Reason why "Explorer" should work and "Firefox" no? We watched Video 1 without any problems..."
The guy started playing SMART ASS, he directed me to one of the many pages in the Web Site, and by sending me to the bottom of a page, he made me read the statement saying:
"""
This program requires Microsoft Windows Media Player, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Adobe Reader 5.0
A broadband internet connection is required. This program will not work with Google Chrome and Mozilla FireFox.
"""
??? why do they want People to connect to their website using the most vulnerable Web Browser and without the protection of a Firewall???
So at this point the question comes spontaneous:
"Excuse me, but have you ever heard of W3C Standards and HTML4 & HTML5 Standards??? They are all Internationally known Standards that are supported by all Web Browser, why would you make such an incompatible thing???"
his answer was simply that they stated it and it's not his problem to make the web site compatible.
So i asked:
"So you mean to tell me that to go to your WebSite i need to go to BestBuy and buy another Computer just to see your Video???"
... and the answer is:
"YES SIR, IF YOU NEED TO, PROBABLY THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO"
(NOTICE: rather than giving me a fiseble solution the customer Support Agent suggested me to go Purchase a Computer to access his WebSite)
so i countered his answer:
"OK, go ahead, give me your Credit Card #, there are some good deals on Amazon.com, i will be happy to order a Computer with it"
he kept defending himself stating that if you searched on the pages it was stated, but he kept refusing explaining why they make it so difficult to access a Video.
We ended up driving back to her house, but the whole afternoon has been wasted for nothing, got back home at 830pm, everybody where done having fun by now and we lost our Free day simply because of the Poor Management of a Web Site and the Ignorance of the People working for it, unless they are instructed to act in such Ignorant way, in which case, i renew my invitation to QUIT and get away from there because working for people that makes you act like this, makes you look STUPID!
There are so many ways to give a Video to people, DO NOT WORRY, nobody is going to Copy or Resell the Video, is not like there is some kind of Hot Chick dancing in it... there is a Dude talking in a Blue Shirt!!!
WHAT ABOUT YOUTUBE???
You can simply Upload a Video as a Private Video, and give access only to those who have the Link, in any case, people will have to pay to take the Quiz anyway, so why bothering with so many crazy things to watch a Video?
Why don't you let people Download the Video on their Computer in a standard Format, like '.mp4' or '.mpg' so that i can watch it comfortably wherever i want???
Again, you will still get paid to let people take the quiz, so what's the issue?
The money would be the same, it would just render the life much easier to those who need to renew their license!
I THINK I KNOW THE ISSUE
Because if you think about it, any Business Man knows that when you sell a Product, you need to attract as many customers as possible, and to do so, you need to make your product accessible to as many people as possible.
Would you open a Gas Station that Sells only 93 Octane Fuel here in the United States knowing how many cars there are in the Market that can work with 87 Octane???
Most of the Customers would just drive around the corner and go to the other Gas Station...
I am pretty sure nobody would be that stupid to offer only a single grade of Fuel, i bet any gas station the first thing they sell is GAS in all 3 Grades and they are now even adding Diesel to attract even more customers.
UNLESS... YOU GET PAID BY SOMEONE TO DO THAT
Yes, you understood me right...
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE " www.insuranceeducators.com " IS CORRUPTED
And the only Logical Reason is that maybe someone that has interest in Pushing Microsoft Products, paid these people to make this Web Site totally Incompatible even with what is more common in the Market!
Windows XP between year 2001 and 2005 escalated to be on over 90% of the Computers worldwide, in those years, i would have understand a requirement to use a Windows Computer, but now we are in 2013, in the past 8 years, meaning since the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft has lost a huge chunk of Market with has reversed to Macintosh with MAC OS X... OK, we are not talking about a majority, but we are talking about 1/3rd of the Market, so potentially 100million People in the United States!!!
Not only that, but Internet Explorer had the bad reputation of being a really Vulnareble Web Browser, that's why Firefox is far more common on both Windows Computers and MAC Computers.
Why in the world would you ever make a Web Site that is not compatible with Mozilla-Firefox then???
You are cutting away a huge chunk of Customers, and the only economically logical answer to these questions is that what ever money you lost from this "Bad Website Design" you are getting those money from someone else
SO I AM HERE ADVISING ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS TO RENEW THEIR INSURANCE AGENT LICENSE TO BEWARE OF THIS WEB SITE ISSUES:
1) you will not be able to Access the Videos and the Quiz from just about any Office or Work Computer such Computer is likely Protected by a Firewall, so you will have to do it from home from an Unprotected Computer (i have to have a Firewall since i have confidential stuff in it)
2) you will have to Surf the Web with Internet Explorer which has several known vulnerability issue leaving your computer completely vulnerable to Hackers and Viruses exposing you to potential costly damages;
3) You will have to have a fairly New Computer equipped with one of the Latest Versions of Windows up the the latest Service Pack (which in my case is not supported by my Computer)
4) You will be forced to Install the Latest version of Windows Media Player which may go in confict with other softwares you use, in my case, i can not install Windows Media 11 as it conflicts with other Video Imaging Software i use to simulate machine movements and for some reasons, it crashes if i install Media Player 11
THE END OF THE STORY
PROBLEM 9)
my Girlfriend had to ask her Employer to bring his Wife's Computer in the Office (yes, because he personally uses a MAC Book too), off course the Test could not be taken through the Office WiFi since it's Firewall Protected so she had to take such Computer at home and watch the Video through her home WiFi
The Office Owner has already decided that from next year he will not use this WebSite to renew the Licenses of his Officers to avoid another mess like the one my Girlfriend had to go through.
isn't this Crazy?
So just beware
BEFORE YOU BUY SERVICES FROM
www.insuranceeducators.com
make sure they make their paid services accessible to all the commonly used devices!!!
otherwise browse around, there are many other options ;-)
DISCLAIMER: this Letter is based on my Personal Opinion formed after the Bad Experience my Girlfriend and i had after trying to access the Web Services offered by this Website.
THE ONLY INTENT OF THIS LETTER IS MAKING OTHER USERS AWARE OF WHAT THEY COULD ENCOUNTER IF THEY PURCHASED SERVICES FROM THE WES SITE INDICATED BELOW
scroll down to read the full story
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE WEB SITES
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
&
" www.ncjua-nciua.org "
??? ??? ???
Yes, i am talking about one of those Web Sites where any insurance Agent that lives in the state of North Carolina has to go to renew his Insurance Agent License.
Well... for my Girlfriend, which has been an agent for 3 years, going to this badly managed web site became a Nightmare because i believe the people who runs this web site are possibly corrupted and they make everybody look stupid:
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
Keep in mind these words are just my opinion, but i can proudly present quite a list of technical qualification to just make it clear that this is not the Opinion of a Random upset user that doesn't know what he is doing, if i am saying what i am saying, it's because i am a heavily experienced Computer User that created and managed quite a few Networks,so i am what many people people would define as a Geek with all the qualifications of the case from the "University of Software Programming in Venice" and also "MCP" and "MCSA" with A+ certification and i also used to be a SonicWall registered IT Professional that even worked in the installation of the Security System at the Local Police Department, so just to let you now, my words towards this Web Site: Incompetent & Infamous are not just words i have blown off my mouth randomly.
REMEMBER: the Internet is a place the Connect the Whole World, to make the Internet possible, everybody had to accept certain Standards, such Standard are made to Guarantee that any Computer and any WebBrowser that is in compliance with such Standards, is capable of Displaying properly all the Function of the Web Sites.
the 3 Most Common Standards for Web Sites are:
W3C: World Wide Web Consortium (started in 1994)
HTML2: Hypertext Technology Working Group v2 (started 1997)
HTML4: Hypertext Technology Working Group v.4 (started in 2001)
HTML5: Hypertext Technology Working Group v.5 (started in 2012)
NOTE: all HTML Versions are in Compliance with the "W3C" Guidelines
BROWSERS THAT ARE 'W3C' COMPLIANT:
- Mozilla-Firefox
- Internet Explorer
- Google Chrome
- Opera Browser
- Safari
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE IGNORANCE OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
because if i was hired by this Company that works though this WebSite, i would quit immediately after i found out what i am ready to say just because i would feel ASHAMED of working for such a company, and please, dear workers of such Site... QUIT, you will do a favor to yourself because this really makes you look DUMB, and personally i don't want that for myself, plus just the idea of working for a Corrupted company makes me feel disgusted!
LET'S SAY THE STORY THAT JUST HAPPENED TO MY GIRLFRIEND
She had just 1 hour left of Video Course to watch to renew her Insurance Agent License, so her employer bought her a pass for the price of $60 on:
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
and here it starts the Fun:
She had to watch 3 Separate Videos and take a quick Quiz after each Video to demonstrate the Video had been Watched, and only after all 3, she could have taken the Final Test to Renew her License, but ...
PROBLEM 1)
she tired to access the site from her Office Computer, but guess what:
"YOUR COMPUTER IS PROTECTED BY A FIREWALL, PLEASE DISABLE ANY FIREWALLS IN YOUR NETWORK TO ACCESS THE VIDEO STREAM"
Sure!!! any office that handles confidential data will have an Open Network...
ARE YOU KIDDING??? knowing the type of service you're offering and especially TO WHO you're offering it, you better make sure that your site can work even in the presence of a Firewall, because there is not going to be an Insurance Office in North America that operates without Computer protection.
So, her Employer told her to please watch this 1 hour video at home.
AND NOW THE BEST PART BEGINS!!!
RIDICULOUS ISSUE
We were home for the Christmas Vacation at her House with her parents and after Lunch, on Sunday 29 she goes to her Computer, a MAC loaded with MAC OS X 10.4, and she logs in on the site where she is supposed to watch a Video in Streaming from.
As soon as she logs and Clicks on the Link to watch the Video, a Message stating that she was already watching the Video appears and tells her she has to wait 30 minutes before she can retry to open the link.
WHAT??? 30 MINUTES TO RE-CLICK A LINK???
let me repeat: NOT A 30 min lock out of your Account to re-enter user an Password that you accidentally typed wrong... 30 MINUTES TO CLICK A LINK TO A VIDEO!!!
Without need to LogIn again
THIS IS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS
But, OK, let's wait 30 minutes, after all everybody has time to waste to click a link... i wonder what's the point of Fast Internet Connection, we were better off surfing at 56k!
PROBLEM 2)
But while she was waiting, my Girlfriend asked my help to check if there was some sort of Problem...
So i realized soon that she was missing a Player that was capable of Playing *.wmv files.
Which is already pretty interesting to find someone that still does a Streaming in " Windows Media Video " since is such an unpopular format that has barely been used since the day Microsoft invented it.
So i immediately fixed the issue, i installed VLC Player for MAC, which is a well known Player in the Computer World that can play pretty much any kind of Video File present in the Computer World... or at least in the Normal Computer World, because if someone invents his own "Nut Head Stuff" without respecting the International Computer Software Standards, it may become a problem.
AND HERE WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!
Despite the Fact that i have installed VLC Player on her MAC, the Computer keeps giving the Same Message to wait 30 minutes before she can re-start watching the Video.
PROBLEM 3)
Considering Safari is not a commonly used Web Browser, we decided to abandon Safari and Switch to Firefox which is the most commonly used Web Browser... the Problem sticks the same way... she clicks on the Link and again:
" You were already watching the Video, you need to Wait 30 minutes before you can Click the Video Link again "
I check and re-check if anything is wrong, i re-verified that VLC Player was working properly and capable of reading ".wmv" files and i checked that the PlugIn in Firefox was active... but after waiting another 30 minutes, the result was still the same... at this point, 2 hours of our "Work Free Day" have already been wasted!
PROBLEM 4)
So at this point, i start suspecting that the Computer might have a Problem, so i decide to switch to a Device that i more common that a MAC Computer, and considering that Tablets have surpassed Desktop Computers in 2013 and considering that 81% of Tablets are equipped with Android, i went for the sure shot of using one of our Android Tablets to watch the Video.
So I installed the Video Player to play "Windows Media Video Files" and we went online using the Android Browser... but as usual, when she went to the screen with the Video Links, a message stating that she had to wait additional 30 minutes appeared.
Meanwhile, she decided to try to Call tech Support for
" WWW.INSURANCEEDUCATORS.COM "
but she only got a Voicemail where she left a message requesting the most prompt assistance possible.
PROBLEM 5)
OK, now i am decided i want to go even to a more common solution and i installed Chrome Browser on her Android Tablet, in my mind i thought:
" Android is the most common Operating System present on 81% of the Mobile Devices sold in 2013, and Tablets have just passed the number of Desktop Computers, and Google Chrome is one of the 3 mostly used Web Browsers... now we are definitely compatible... "
SCORE!!!
we finally managed to access the Video Link Page, but the Link to the Video did not work, yet it was offering to watch a Power Point Presentation that explained all that she needed to know to pass the quiz.
FINALLY SHE CAN START STUDYING...
a total of 64 Slides to watch and read, images where really an optional they forgot about, only words and charts.
FUNNY RIDICULOUS ISSUE
After patiently reading all of the stuff, she proceeds to take the Quiz.
AND THE FIRST QUESTION IS???
"What is the color of the shirt the person in the Video was wearing?"
IS THIS A JOKE???
We were unable to watch the Video, and on the nice Power Point Presentation they forgot to place a Picture of the Dude that explained all this stuff in the Video
But just when my Girlfriend was ready to simply guess a shirt color ( ... NO COMMENT ...)
THE PHONE RINGS!!!
PROBLEM 6)
it was a Tech Support Lady calling from what in the background sounded like a party, different noises and people blabbing in the background, but she says something very simple:
" YOU NEED TO USE A WINDOWS COMPUTER TO WATCH THE VIDEO "
and that was it, she addressed the issue in this simple way.
Well, here is the issue: at home we had only the following:
1 x MAC Computer with OSX 10.4
2 x ASUS Transformer Tablets with ANDROID 4.2 Jellyebean
2 x Apple iPad with iOS 6
1 x MAC Book with OSX 10.4
And all the people she knew in the area only had only either MAC Computer or Tablets.
There is only one solution... drive all the way to my house, a 75 miles drive to where i have a Windows Computer equipped with Windows XP Service Pack 2 that i had to modify in the years to make it compatible with my work (i can not install Service Pack 3 as it slows down the processes i need to use for work too much despite the 6Gb of RAM and i fairly large amount of Cache).
YES, i am a Tech Support Agent, i use my Home Computer that i have personally built with high quality components to connect to Industrial Production Machineries that are worth several hundreds of thousands of Dollars and often brake the million Dollars wall, and to keep my Computer compatible with the machinery requirements, i had to adapt the Software in the years because unfortunately, the Machines i work with are not compatible with neither "Windows Vista" or "Windows 7" nor "Windows 8" and due to the nature of Work i do, i am forced to have a Firewall that i disconnected temporarily just to allow my Girlfriend to take the test.
PROBLEM 7)
So after 75miles we arrive home, and she logs in again to the infamous Web Site:
" www.insuranceeducators.com "
this time she is using the Most Standard Configuration available on earth:
a Windows XP Computer, the 2nd most common Operating System in the World following Windows 7 that recently took the lead and she is browsing the Web with the Most Common Web Browser: Mozilla-Firefox version 25.
Off course the 30 minutes were up since we had just drove over 1 hour to get to my house... what a nice way to spend a Holiday with the Family...
but when she clicks on the Video, a Message appears from VLC Player:
" This video has been coded with a none standard Codec and is not compatible with VLC, please contact the Video provider and request a standard format copy of the Video "
Now i am starting to get Mad, "Windows Media Player" is known as a low quality player that the only reasons it is used is because it is provided with Windows, but is not good to play Videos nor Music, is a Decent Player that any person that likes to watch Videos or Music in full quality, will never use because of it's limited performances, but just for tha heck of it, i proceed and re-enable Windows Media Player.
FINALLY SHE CAN WATCH THE VIDEO
and the first thing to notice is that the guy in the Video is wearing, which for the record is BLUE, and the guys is an Afro American Guy Wearing Glasses, just in case someone elses can't see the video and has to answer the stupid questions of the case.
ANTOHER RIDICULOUS ISSUE
The Video Lasted 55 minutes, she tried to take the 1 Quiz Test on VIDEO 1, but at this point a message stating she had already attempted too many times to take that quiz.
So she called again the Tech Support Lady, which this time answered from what it sounded to be a Parking Lot somewhere with many cars honking at each other.
The lady stated that often they have this problem, and that in good faith she could have put a note that she had watched the Video already and passed the Quiz (... NICE) , in any case, such quiz DOES NOT COUNT for the Final Test, which will have to be taken after watching all the 3 Videos, so she said to my Girlfriend to just proceed to Video #2.
PROBLEM 8 )
so my Girlfriend goes back to the Page with the Video Links and she clicks on Video #2 and promptly Windows Media Player appears and ... ... ...
"MISSING CODEC, PLEASE DOWNLOAD UPDATED CODEC FOR WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER"
and now we hit the wall...
"Your version of Windows Media Player already contains all the available Codecs, you may need to update the Windows Media Player software to find the needed codecs"
Too bad Microsoft does not allow such update unless you update Windwos XP to Service Pack 3, but as i said before, i can not Install "Windows XP Service Pack 3" on my Computer as it hampers badly my working capabilities... i would like to upgrade to a better Windows, even Windows 8.1, but first Microsoft needs to find a way to make it as widely Compatible with everything like Windows XP is, so i am sorry Microsoft, but you lost a Customer.
REALLY BAD CUSTOMER SUPPORT SERVICE... the infuriating phone call
My Girlfriend calls again the Tech Support Lady, which says that she can have someone else call us to solve the issue.
Sure enough, in a few Minutes, a guy calls and starts telling my Girlfried instructions on how to surf their web site:
You need a Computer loaded with "Microsoft Windows" and you need to Surf the web with "Microsoft Internet Explorer".
and here my Web Design experience took over me.
I called the guy back and i said:
"Can you explain me a Technical Reason why "Explorer" should work and "Firefox" no? We watched Video 1 without any problems..."
The guy started playing SMART ASS, he directed me to one of the many pages in the Web Site, and by sending me to the bottom of a page, he made me read the statement saying:
"""
This program requires Microsoft Windows Media Player, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Adobe Reader 5.0
A broadband internet connection is required. This program will not work with Google Chrome and Mozilla FireFox.
"""
??? why do they want People to connect to their website using the most vulnerable Web Browser and without the protection of a Firewall???
So at this point the question comes spontaneous:
"Excuse me, but have you ever heard of W3C Standards and HTML4 & HTML5 Standards??? They are all Internationally known Standards that are supported by all Web Browser, why would you make such an incompatible thing???"
his answer was simply that they stated it and it's not his problem to make the web site compatible.
So i asked:
"So you mean to tell me that to go to your WebSite i need to go to BestBuy and buy another Computer just to see your Video???"
... and the answer is:
"YES SIR, IF YOU NEED TO, PROBABLY THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO"
(NOTICE: rather than giving me a fiseble solution the customer Support Agent suggested me to go Purchase a Computer to access his WebSite)
so i countered his answer:
"OK, go ahead, give me your Credit Card #, there are some good deals on Amazon.com, i will be happy to order a Computer with it"
he kept defending himself stating that if you searched on the pages it was stated, but he kept refusing explaining why they make it so difficult to access a Video.
We ended up driving back to her house, but the whole afternoon has been wasted for nothing, got back home at 830pm, everybody where done having fun by now and we lost our Free day simply because of the Poor Management of a Web Site and the Ignorance of the People working for it, unless they are instructed to act in such Ignorant way, in which case, i renew my invitation to QUIT and get away from there because working for people that makes you act like this, makes you look STUPID!
There are so many ways to give a Video to people, DO NOT WORRY, nobody is going to Copy or Resell the Video, is not like there is some kind of Hot Chick dancing in it... there is a Dude talking in a Blue Shirt!!!
WHAT ABOUT YOUTUBE???
You can simply Upload a Video as a Private Video, and give access only to those who have the Link, in any case, people will have to pay to take the Quiz anyway, so why bothering with so many crazy things to watch a Video?
Why don't you let people Download the Video on their Computer in a standard Format, like '.mp4' or '.mpg' so that i can watch it comfortably wherever i want???
Again, you will still get paid to let people take the quiz, so what's the issue?
The money would be the same, it would just render the life much easier to those who need to renew their license!
I THINK I KNOW THE ISSUE
Because if you think about it, any Business Man knows that when you sell a Product, you need to attract as many customers as possible, and to do so, you need to make your product accessible to as many people as possible.
Would you open a Gas Station that Sells only 93 Octane Fuel here in the United States knowing how many cars there are in the Market that can work with 87 Octane???
Most of the Customers would just drive around the corner and go to the other Gas Station...
I am pretty sure nobody would be that stupid to offer only a single grade of Fuel, i bet any gas station the first thing they sell is GAS in all 3 Grades and they are now even adding Diesel to attract even more customers.
UNLESS... YOU GET PAID BY SOMEONE TO DO THAT
Yes, you understood me right...
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE " www.insuranceeducators.com " IS CORRUPTED
And the only Logical Reason is that maybe someone that has interest in Pushing Microsoft Products, paid these people to make this Web Site totally Incompatible even with what is more common in the Market!
Windows XP between year 2001 and 2005 escalated to be on over 90% of the Computers worldwide, in those years, i would have understand a requirement to use a Windows Computer, but now we are in 2013, in the past 8 years, meaning since the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft has lost a huge chunk of Market with has reversed to Macintosh with MAC OS X... OK, we are not talking about a majority, but we are talking about 1/3rd of the Market, so potentially 100million People in the United States!!!
Not only that, but Internet Explorer had the bad reputation of being a really Vulnareble Web Browser, that's why Firefox is far more common on both Windows Computers and MAC Computers.
Why in the world would you ever make a Web Site that is not compatible with Mozilla-Firefox then???
You are cutting away a huge chunk of Customers, and the only economically logical answer to these questions is that what ever money you lost from this "Bad Website Design" you are getting those money from someone else
SO I AM HERE ADVISING ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS TO RENEW THEIR INSURANCE AGENT LICENSE TO BEWARE OF THIS WEB SITE ISSUES:
1) you will not be able to Access the Videos and the Quiz from just about any Office or Work Computer such Computer is likely Protected by a Firewall, so you will have to do it from home from an Unprotected Computer (i have to have a Firewall since i have confidential stuff in it)
2) you will have to Surf the Web with Internet Explorer which has several known vulnerability issue leaving your computer completely vulnerable to Hackers and Viruses exposing you to potential costly damages;
3) You will have to have a fairly New Computer equipped with one of the Latest Versions of Windows up the the latest Service Pack (which in my case is not supported by my Computer)
4) You will be forced to Install the Latest version of Windows Media Player which may go in confict with other softwares you use, in my case, i can not install Windows Media 11 as it conflicts with other Video Imaging Software i use to simulate machine movements and for some reasons, it crashes if i install Media Player 11
THE END OF THE STORY
PROBLEM 9)
my Girlfriend had to ask her Employer to bring his Wife's Computer in the Office (yes, because he personally uses a MAC Book too), off course the Test could not be taken through the Office WiFi since it's Firewall Protected so she had to take such Computer at home and watch the Video through her home WiFi
The Office Owner has already decided that from next year he will not use this WebSite to renew the Licenses of his Officers to avoid another mess like the one my Girlfriend had to go through.
isn't this Crazy?
So just beware
BEFORE YOU BUY SERVICES FROM
www.insuranceeducators.com
make sure they make their paid services accessible to all the commonly used devices!!!
otherwise browse around, there are many other options ;-)
