• We're Changing Our Logo

    by
    howard
    Published on 04-01-2011 10:31 AM
    9 Comments Comments


    Look up, you may have noticed a small change to our logo.

    Since we launched our current logo I have been inundated with emails telling me how unrealistic it is. Usually it's: "Who get's full bars of signal all the time?" with the occasional "What is the clothes hanger on the left?"

    While I can't do anything to help the people who are asking about the clothes hanger I have updated the logo so that it's more realistic.
    1. Categories:
    2. HowardForums,
    3. Humor
    Tags: april fools
    Comments 9 Comments
    1. tmotk's Avatar
      tmotk - 04-01-2011, 01:40 PM
      The administrators of Howard Forums may have thought this logo to be an April Fools joke, but it reflects a serious reality here in the USA. It is symbolic of the poor state of our wireless markets...

      1) The impending death of T-Mobile at the hands of the Death Star (AT&T). T-Mobile's customer service is to treat customers like royalty. For long timers, They grandfather old rate plans years after the contract has ended. These customers may face particularly steep increases in their cell phone bills.
      2) A resulting future of less service for more money due to lack of competition, as AT&T gobbles up T-Mobile's spectrum and towers.
      3) Widespread low datacaps, carriers often being almost the same, as if there is collusion. Trend toward disappearance of unlimited data plans.
      4) Dishonesty by carriers. Clearwire is probably the winner here with their irregular (whatever they feel like) policies on throttling and overoptimistic claims of coverage
      5) A tolerance on the part of the FCC for spectrum hoarding by companies holding licenses they are not using. It needs to be Use-It-Or-Lose-It.
      6) We pay some of the highest wireless phone and data prices in the world.
    1. tmotk's Avatar
      tmotk - 04-01-2011, 01:44 PM
      One more thing...

      This is like flying the flag at half mast.

      T-Mobile deserves it....
    1. Joe12304's Avatar
      Joe12304 - 04-01-2011, 04:04 PM
      April Fools!
      Get Verizon, get full bars at ALL times BTW. True story.
    1. cheeseus's Avatar
      cheeseus - 04-02-2011, 07:24 AM
      I noticed the change in the "signal strength" and I personally dislike it. Even if poor signal is the reality for someone, why should the logo reflect this reality?

      I believe most of us come to Howardforums to get help, to offer help, or to simply chat about the phones we like and want. I'd say the first two reasons are quite optimistic, positive, idealistic, if you will. Because these forums are a place we visit trying to improve this "poor coverage" reality, I think the logo should reveal our desire to improve, which is by definition optimistic.

      Restore the previous positive-message logo, please!
    1. fragx3's Avatar
      fragx3 - 04-02-2011, 07:53 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by tmotk View Post
      6) We pay some of the highest wireless phone and data prices in the world.
      No, we don't. Canada does. The US isn't even in second place.
    1. DRNewcomb's Avatar
      DRNewcomb - 04-02-2011, 11:40 AM
      Actually, I think it would be kind of fun to randomly change the number of bars. Or maybe base it on the number of HoFo users in the last hour?
    1. frail's Avatar
      frail - 04-02-2011, 02:05 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by cheeseus View Post
      I noticed the change in the "signal strength" and I personally dislike it. Even if poor signal is the reality for someone, why should the logo reflect this reality?

      I believe most of us come to Howardforums to get help, to offer help, or to simply chat about the phones we like and want. I'd say the first two reasons are quite optimistic, positive, idealistic, if you will. Because these forums are a place we visit trying to improve this "poor coverage" reality, I think the logo should reveal our desire to improve, which is by definition optimistic.

      Restore the previous positive-message logo, please!
      The previous logo is back. It was an April Fools' joke.
    1. cheeseus's Avatar
      cheeseus - 04-04-2011, 01:06 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by frail View Post
      The previous logo is back. It was an April Fools' joke.
      Yeah, thought so, but... why is it still one bar? (It's April 4th today).

      @fragx3 - I don't think Canada can compete with rates in Bulgaria... I really don't know what average Canadian rates are (just found Canada Virgin offering prepaid at 10 cents/minute), but chances are we pay a lot more.

      Prepaid rates here are between 15 and 25 Euro cents per minute! I have a "special offer" contract for civil servants (I'm a university teacher) and I still pay 13 euro cents per minute.

      Mobile internet is a total rip off - the best "packaged" offer is 1GB data for 10 euros and after you've used this, you pay a flat rate of 5 euro cents per MB.
    1. howard's Avatar
      howard - 04-05-2011, 10:12 AM
      We changed the logo a few days ago. You're viewing a cached version of the logo.

      Quote Originally Posted by cheeseus View Post
      Yeah, thought so, but... why is it still one bar? (It's April 4th today).

      @fragx3 - I don't think Canada can compete with rates in Bulgaria... I really don't know what average Canadian rates are (just found Canada Virgin offering prepaid at 10 cents/minute), but chances are we pay a lot more.

      Prepaid rates here are between 15 and 25 Euro cents per minute! I have a "special offer" contract for civil servants (I'm a university teacher) and I still pay 13 euro cents per minute.

      Mobile internet is a total rip off - the best "packaged" offer is 1GB data for 10 euros and after you've used this, you pay a flat rate of 5 euro cents per MB.