Wexistence

Friends, please check out Ryan Sumo and Luis Buenaventura’s new game, Traffix. It’s free to play on PC and the top 5 high scores will receive a free promo code for the iPad version (and possibly more!) Also, you will receive warm and fuzzy feelings of appreciation from me. Win!

Ryan and Luis are college buddies who have decided to take their friendship to the next level and make games together. Luis is co-founder of Infinite.ly, a social marketing tool for small businesses. Ryan is a freelance games artist and former head of IGDA Manila. Oh, and he is also my husband.

My super unli plan has never been particularly super, and apparently it’s not even going to be unlimited anymore either.

According to Rappler.com, Globe Telecommunications Inc is considering a cap on its unlimited data offerings.

“Unli plans for data will have to be tempered because it is very difficult to keep investing in the network without getting paid for it. In All-You-Can-Eat plans there tends to be a high propensity for abuse.” — Ernest Cu, President and CEO

What is this nonsense about abuse? Isn’t the point of an unlimited data plan that it’s, y’know, UNLIMITED? What are you really saying, Globe? That:

1. You didn’t realize that people would maximize their unlimited data plans? It’s like you’ve never seen the way people behave at an eat-all-you can buffet. If you tell people to eat all they can, they will, and it’s will be your fault, not theirs, if you run out of food. Isn’t it a totally reasonable assumption that people would want to get the most out of a service, i.e. it’s unlimited so they will use it all the live long day?
2. You’re not making enough money? First of all, I find that hard to believe. Second, if that’s the case, why don’t you charge more for unlimited data plans? There are people like me who would gladly pay more for the service. Assuming it’s good. Which most of the time it really isn’t. You should do something about that.
3. Your network can’t handle all the usage? In which case you shouldn’t have offered unlimited data plans in the first place. Or you could make the needed improvements to your network.

Yes, this upsets me because I’m probably among the 5% percent who use up 80% of Globe’s bandwidth. As someone whose job involves a lot of fieldwork, I use my unlimited data plan to communicate with my coworkers and professional contacts through email and instant messaging when I’m not in the office. But I also use it just as much for fun. So what if I’m hogging the bandwidth to upload pseudo-artsy photos of my breakfast to Instagram? I pay to use this service. That’s not “abuse” or “irresponsible” use, that’s just getting what I pay for.

Update: A friend who works at Globe says, “It’s not true about discontinuing unlimited offers. Labo nga yun. Kakabalik lang ng Immortal.” She thinks there’s an official statement about it, but if there is, I can’t find it on Google. Regarding Mr. Cu’s statements about “abusers” and “irresponsible users” she says, “Not friends w/ the boss so I dunno exactly what he said.” I will continue to be huffy about these statements until I have reason not to be.

I can’t remember the last time my husband gave me something for Valentine’s Day. But I remember all the weekends he’s let me sleep through while he does all the chores because he knows I’ve had a rough week. I remember all the little things he’s changed about his lifestyle to accommodate my OCD and assorted quirks. I remember that he skipped boys’ night out to rescue my younger brothers when their car broke down. I remember all the hours of traffic he’s braved to bring me somewhere so I wouldn’t have to commute or drive. I remember how he’s never asked anything of me and is just happy to be with me. In the five years we’ve been together he’s never given me flowers or a traditionally romantic gift. And I still feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Photo from Engrish.com

Got a phone call from someone who claimed to be from the Department of Tourism. He said that they were sending me a card that would give me discounts on on airfare and hotels and various travel-related expenses. He just wanted to verify my mailing address.

Wait a minute, I said. Before you send me anything, how did I come to avail of such a card and how much is it going to cost me? I was referred by my credit card company, he said, and the one-time fee of Php 3,000.00 which would entitle me to life-time validity would automatically be charged to my credit card.

Well what if I choose not to avail of this card? He seemed surprised. I am the first person to express disinterest in the card, he said. Everyone else jumped at the opportunity. It’s not so much disinterest as it it skepticism, I said. I don’t even know anything about this card; I haven’t heard or read anything about it. You can’t just tell me “we’ll give you lots of discounts and stuff!” and expect me to take your word for it and fork over three grand. I want to find out more about this card, and if I decide that I do want it, I’ll let you know. But until then do not send me anything that I could possibly be charged for. Where can I get more information about this?

Sounding vaguely annoyed he said he would email me and then it sounded like he was going to hang up. Hold on, aren’t you going to get my email address? I asked. Oh, right he said. He took it down. We hung up.

That conversation sounded awfully shady to me. I searched the DOT website for any information on a discount card and found none. I Googled various permutations of “discount card DOT,” nothing came up. Hmmmm. Scam?