Comments on: Scams, glorious scams http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/ the blog that is not dansdata.com Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:42:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Mr. Peepers http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4535 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:41:04 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4535 I work in Manhattan, and you can't walk far without seeing a locksmith sticker right underneath the locks on most buildings, or on a phone booth. Sometimes it's layers of stickers on the doors. It's odd. I work in Manhattan, and you can't walk far without seeing a locksmith sticker right underneath the locks on most buildings, or on a phone booth. Sometimes it's layers of stickers on the doors. It's odd.

]]> by: THS http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4534 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:21:47 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4534 Ahhh could this be why Drebin and Nordberg opened up a locksmith shop in the old Police Squad series? Drebin had to break the door window to get into the shop because he couldn't get the key to work :) Ahhh could this be why Drebin and Nordberg opened up a locksmith shop in the old Police Squad series?

Drebin had to break the door window to get into the shop because he couldn't get the key to work :)

]]> by: FuzzyPlushroom http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4533 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:09:02 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4533 I think it's a Billy Idol. I think it's a Billy Idol.

]]> by: peridot http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4532 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:16:04 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4532 @12: That's not an idol, that's a voodoo doll. Any sudden shooting pains recently, Dan? @12: That's not an idol, that's a voodoo doll. Any sudden shooting pains recently, Dan?

]]> by: jmbier http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4531 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:15:11 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4531 To be fair, I more meant scam devices such as "save xxx amount of fuel per year", or "puts out more energy than it puts in". Kinda the no-brainer false claims. Your idol is made of pieces of your hair, skin flakes, and held together by bodily fluid. I cannot afford the gold :( To be fair, I more meant scam devices such as "save xxx amount of fuel per year", or "puts out more energy than it puts in". Kinda the no-brainer false claims. Your idol is made of pieces of your hair, skin flakes, and held together by bodily fluid. I cannot afford the gold :(

]]> by: Daniel Rutter http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4530 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:26:42 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4530 For what it's worth, San Francisco seems to have a pretty good case of <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=%22san+francisco%22+locksmith&mrt=all&ie=UTF8&ll=37.729045,-122.44297&spn=0.176772,0.149002&t=h&z=13">locksmith measles</a> too. So I presume anybody who doesn't know to check Yelp, or gets fooled by fake Yelp reviews, is going to be just as screwed as a New Yorker. For what it's worth, San Francisco seems to have a pretty good case of locksmith measles too. So I presume anybody who doesn't know to check Yelp, or gets fooled by fake Yelp reviews, is going to be just as screwed as a New Yorker.

]]> by: j http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4528 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:03:28 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4528 "Who are you? How did you get in here?" "I'm a locksmith. And... I'm a locksmith." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083466/ "Who are you? How did you get in here?"
"I'm a locksmith. And... I'm a locksmith."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083466/

]]> by: dazzawul http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4527 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:02:54 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4527 locksmith, prolly 100+ dollars at 3 am half brick then a glass offcut (assuming you have those smaller windows near your door), 10 bucks max, you just have to worry about someone breaking in after you &gt;.&gt; locksmith, prolly 100+ dollars at 3 am

half brick then a glass offcut (assuming you have those smaller windows near your door), 10 bucks max, you just have to worry about someone breaking in after you >.>

]]> by: eofpi http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4524 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:16:14 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4524 Keeping track of the different numbers wouldn't be that hard; just stick labels on the cellphones. As an alternative to "if you're not here in $timeperiod...", you could call 2 or 3 locksmiths and tell them all that the first one there gets the job. Keeping track of the different numbers wouldn't be that hard; just stick labels on the cellphones.

As an alternative to "if you're not here in $timeperiod...", you could call 2 or 3 locksmiths and tell them all that the first one there gets the job.

]]> by: captin_nod http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4523 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:26:32 +0000 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2009/03/12/scams-glorious-scams/#comment-4523 Speaking to "until someone comes up with a way to filter the fakes out of services like Google Maps" - there are some community-driven websites like http://www.yelp.com which function as workable filters. They do have their <a href="http://sfist.com/2009/01/12/lawsuit_over_negative_yelp_review_s.php" rel="nofollow">problems</a> - <a href="http://blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco/2009/03/delfina_baiting_fake_bad_yelp.html" rel="nofollow">fake reviews</a>, <a href="http://www.eastbayexpress.com/gyrobase/yelp_and_the_business_of_extortion_2_0/Content?oid=927491&amp;showFullText=true" rel="nofollow">payment to bump up search rankings</a> etc. - but they still can be quite effective to weed out dodgy dealers. In San Francisco at least, Yelp seems to work because it seems everyone (well, for a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelp,_Inc.#Content" rel="nofollow">specific subset</a> of 'everyone' anyway) uses it, and <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/bacon-dog-cart-san-francisco" rel="nofollow">_everything_</a> seems to have a review. If something smells fishy, there will soon be a ton of bad reviews for it - and it's effective, because so many potential customers will come to check Yelp before they go out and use a service. Speaking to "until someone comes up with a way to filter the fakes out of services like Google Maps" - there are some community-driven websites like http://www.yelp.com which function as workable filters. They do have their problems - fake reviews, payment to bump up search rankings etc. - but they still can be quite effective to weed out dodgy dealers.

In San Francisco at least, Yelp seems to work because it seems everyone (well, for a specific subset of 'everyone' anyway) uses it, and _everything_ seems to have a review. If something smells fishy, there will soon be a ton of bad reviews for it - and it's effective, because so many potential customers will come to check Yelp before they go out and use a service.

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