1. What might you have done differently if you were in the position of artist Ken Zeran, mentioned in this chapter?
Last year I wrote a paper regarding the Youtube/Google vs Viacom on ongoing battles. Viacom was claiming that Youtube, owned by Google, was breaching copyright law by allowing members to post video content from Viacom's various channels - like MTV.
In this case, the copyright law states that as long as the host ,Youtube, did not filter and turned a blind eye to what was being posted, its fair game. But, if Viacom tells YouTube that their stuff is being posted, then YuTube has t take it down. Youtube has been complying and often wins the court battles. The major problem with this, however, are the ads sold on over the videos. For instance, there is a music artist I really like named Ronald Jenkees -goofiest dude ever but he can make a sweet beat. He plays on a Yamaha Korg Triton Keyboard - very expensive. The ad over top of the video was for a the same keyboard. Viacom uses videos like this to prove that YouTube does in fact know what's being posted and that they are making a profit from it! This is still very grey and the decisions vary on the day.
If I were Zeran, I would use the defense that AOL was conscious of what was being posted, not inherently but once he pointed out them that is was being done that should have been evidence enough that AOL knew of the posting. If that didn't work, I might have called in and pretended that I did own the ad and decided that it wasn't generating enough business, so I'd like to swap it out with another.
Tylenol once was not the most trusted brand - a disgruntled employee sabotaged the company by poisoning thousands of bottles of product. People died. Tylenol took the blame and recovered their image. The disgruntled employee was never caught. Could Zeran not have attempted to sue the individual promising to take down the ad on the premise that they were perhaps disgruntled and enjoyed seeing him defamed?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
What might you do with access to UWB radio transmissions if you had a receiver in a car?
It's funny that this came up when it did. In another class we were talking about "Guerilla Radio." People would set up a radio transmission from their apartment and broadcast for really no wider than a couple of blocks. There would be almost a cult-like following on the block. This illegal practice would operate on used channels The major problem of course though is clogging up the band width and interfering with channels on their side.
But I think UWB is a radio wouldn't be practical in this situation. If I were a genius and it was 2030, maybe UWB could be used in every car to "feel" the positions of every car....like in Minority Report :). I suppose these days UWB may be what is used for car fobs that lock, unlock, pop the trunk.
One of my co-workers at Tradeshowdirect bought a remote control helicopter that can be controlled on an iPhone with a 200 foot range. I'm just waiting for the Aston Martin Driveing App inspired by James Bond.
It's funny that this came up when it did. In another class we were talking about "Guerilla Radio." People would set up a radio transmission from their apartment and broadcast for really no wider than a couple of blocks. There would be almost a cult-like following on the block. This illegal practice would operate on used channels The major problem of course though is clogging up the band width and interfering with channels on their side.
But I think UWB is a radio wouldn't be practical in this situation. If I were a genius and it was 2030, maybe UWB could be used in every car to "feel" the positions of every car....like in Minority Report :). I suppose these days UWB may be what is used for car fobs that lock, unlock, pop the trunk.
One of my co-workers at Tradeshowdirect bought a remote control helicopter that can be controlled on an iPhone with a 200 foot range. I'm just waiting for the Aston Martin Driveing App inspired by James Bond.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
What’s the value of a bit? It seems that going after folks who have traded songs or movies online is a huge expenditure of effort and money. Is DRM-protected content the way to go? If you don’t agree, propose another method for the distribution of digital multimedia so that content creators can still be compensated.
Totally disagree. "What is the value of a bit?" would be an unfair question. What is the value of a piece of paper? Almost nothing. But what's the value of the paper Shakespeare's words were first written on? A hell of a lot. So yeah, a bit is worth dick, but the information stored on them is more important.
Lets take the recording industry for instance. There is a false conception that the recording industry is doing "just fine" and that they have "plenty of money." False. Less than 3% of the recording industry is made up of Jay-Zs Beyonces, and Justin Timberlakes raking in the dollars. The other 97% barely breaks even. Ever heard of a guitarist named Eric Johnson (maybe you have, but most have not)? He is a platinum selling artist. But he's a regular guy. Not a rockstar - he doesn't own part of New York Knicks. It took him six years to reach platinum on his album Ah Via Musicam. More than likely his record label, Capitol Records, gave him the standard $1 million advance to make the album. Damn! A million bucks! Wrong. That million is split up amongst his band members, agent, manager, pays for music video production, travel, studio time etc.... After 1 year its all spent on expenditures. Royalties? He doesn't see a dime until that million is recouped. So if he made a dollar on each album and it took 6 years to reach platinum, then he went without a paycheck for 6 whole years! Now waht about the artists who never recoup? That's most of them.
In 2000, there were over 400 platinum albums in the US. In 2010, there were 70. The atmosphere is changing. People can buy songs individually now and get just what they want. And then "share" it with 100 million of their "friends."
The only way to combat this is through education. Teach kids at a young age that stealing bits is exactly the same as breaking into the bank or robbing a Quicky-Mart. Would you throw a brick through a record store window and copy a song then leave the disc...technically you didn't steal it. No. Mindset needs to change.
Totally disagree. "What is the value of a bit?" would be an unfair question. What is the value of a piece of paper? Almost nothing. But what's the value of the paper Shakespeare's words were first written on? A hell of a lot. So yeah, a bit is worth dick, but the information stored on them is more important.
Lets take the recording industry for instance. There is a false conception that the recording industry is doing "just fine" and that they have "plenty of money." False. Less than 3% of the recording industry is made up of Jay-Zs Beyonces, and Justin Timberlakes raking in the dollars. The other 97% barely breaks even. Ever heard of a guitarist named Eric Johnson (maybe you have, but most have not)? He is a platinum selling artist. But he's a regular guy. Not a rockstar - he doesn't own part of New York Knicks. It took him six years to reach platinum on his album Ah Via Musicam. More than likely his record label, Capitol Records, gave him the standard $1 million advance to make the album. Damn! A million bucks! Wrong. That million is split up amongst his band members, agent, manager, pays for music video production, travel, studio time etc.... After 1 year its all spent on expenditures. Royalties? He doesn't see a dime until that million is recouped. So if he made a dollar on each album and it took 6 years to reach platinum, then he went without a paycheck for 6 whole years! Now waht about the artists who never recoup? That's most of them.
In 2000, there were over 400 platinum albums in the US. In 2010, there were 70. The atmosphere is changing. People can buy songs individually now and get just what they want. And then "share" it with 100 million of their "friends."
The only way to combat this is through education. Teach kids at a young age that stealing bits is exactly the same as breaking into the bank or robbing a Quicky-Mart. Would you throw a brick through a record store window and copy a song then leave the disc...technically you didn't steal it. No. Mindset needs to change.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
cycling - info cascade
2. Look deeper into the concept of a “information cascade.” Can you cite an example of where following the actions of others was a sound idea? Where doing so ended up being a poor choice?
My immediate response to this question related to cycling - as mentioned a couple previous blogs, I recently signed a pro contract to race my bike. I've been racing since I was 12 and hoped the day would come.
Though its difficult sport to gain entrance into and even more difficult sport to understand, the basics are this:
1.) You have to be very fit. But the races are not like track meets - whos the fastest. The fat old guys still win.
2.) It is an extremely tactical sport. There are no dumb jocks who succeed. You have to be razor sharp.
The major type of racing in the United States is called "Criterium Racing." A city block - or set of blocks - is shut down and 1 mile loop is created. Tens of thousand of bewildered spectators watch as 150 pros zoom around and do laps around these 6-corner circuits with their eyes on the $20,000 purse. There are crashes, insane speed, quitters, unbelievable solo efforts and team tactics.
So, 1 mile loop, 50 miles, 50 laps downtown, crowds going nuts! The information cascade effect is apparent everly lap the race. If you are racing 50 miles are you going to go balls to the wall from the gun? No. But there are guys who do out of sheer stupidity or because they know that if they can win covetted "Crowd Primes" in which race organizers collected money from the crowd and put it up for grabs mid race. Its a gamble but I've seen crowd primes higher than $2500.
So rider A "attacks" to try and get clear of the main field. And riders B-Z file in and follow the guy in front of them. rider A never gets away. Conversely, Rider Y attacks and the whole main field lets him go thinking he's not a threat -maybe they don't recognize the new guy. Before they know it, Rider Y is gone and the rest are fighting for second. Meanwhile Rider M new all along that he needed to be with rider Y.
In another case, lets say Team A has a rider attack and he stays away. The other dominant team, Team B, lets him go because they know they let him roast for awhile and then line up and bring him back then delivering their own rider to victoy. Sometimes, Team B wins, Sometimes Team A wins. Teams C-Z are too complacent and pick a side. They are following Team A guy because they know he's the man, or they follow Team Bs leadout train because they are the best at what they do...
All are examples of how information cascade can be positive and negative. Hope it made sense. Cycling is a lot more in depth than my lame attempt at its explanation. It is nothing but a chess match.
My immediate response to this question related to cycling - as mentioned a couple previous blogs, I recently signed a pro contract to race my bike. I've been racing since I was 12 and hoped the day would come.
Though its difficult sport to gain entrance into and even more difficult sport to understand, the basics are this:
1.) You have to be very fit. But the races are not like track meets - whos the fastest. The fat old guys still win.
2.) It is an extremely tactical sport. There are no dumb jocks who succeed. You have to be razor sharp.
The major type of racing in the United States is called "Criterium Racing." A city block - or set of blocks - is shut down and 1 mile loop is created. Tens of thousand of bewildered spectators watch as 150 pros zoom around and do laps around these 6-corner circuits with their eyes on the $20,000 purse. There are crashes, insane speed, quitters, unbelievable solo efforts and team tactics.
So, 1 mile loop, 50 miles, 50 laps downtown, crowds going nuts! The information cascade effect is apparent everly lap the race. If you are racing 50 miles are you going to go balls to the wall from the gun? No. But there are guys who do out of sheer stupidity or because they know that if they can win covetted "Crowd Primes" in which race organizers collected money from the crowd and put it up for grabs mid race. Its a gamble but I've seen crowd primes higher than $2500.
So rider A "attacks" to try and get clear of the main field. And riders B-Z file in and follow the guy in front of them. rider A never gets away. Conversely, Rider Y attacks and the whole main field lets him go thinking he's not a threat -maybe they don't recognize the new guy. Before they know it, Rider Y is gone and the rest are fighting for second. Meanwhile Rider M new all along that he needed to be with rider Y.
In another case, lets say Team A has a rider attack and he stays away. The other dominant team, Team B, lets him go because they know they let him roast for awhile and then line up and bring him back then delivering their own rider to victoy. Sometimes, Team B wins, Sometimes Team A wins. Teams C-Z are too complacent and pick a side. They are following Team A guy because they know he's the man, or they follow Team Bs leadout train because they are the best at what they do...
All are examples of how information cascade can be positive and negative. Hope it made sense. Cycling is a lot more in depth than my lame attempt at its explanation. It is nothing but a chess match.
Nikola Tesla Should Have Changed the World Sooner
Based on the quote from this chapter, ““revolution doesn’t happen when society adopts new technologies--it happens when society adopts new behaviors,” do you agree or disagree? Cite examples to support your position.
I totally agree. Technology creates opportunity, but not behaviors. Behaviors change when people act.
I hate it when I read articles or see news programs that say "Video Game Made Him Act Out in School!" That's a load of BS. Mom and dad aren't connected enough with that child and aren't setting boundaries and aren't communicating with the simple reminder that its "just a game." Now of course I'm not ignorant enough to think that kids should be allowed to see porn at the theaters or play games willy nillly - I'm just suggesting that their behavior is not because of a video game - the responsibility lies with the parents.
And now more related to this question.... Lets take Google Docs for instance. Until about a year and half ago, I was totally unaware that they even existed. Once I was clued in, I still thought it was pointless. Now, for obvious reasons, I use them for everything - even class papers! I don;t have a printer, so I just open Google Docs at work or at school and print it off. Bam. Easy. I recently was signed on to a pro cycling team (!!!!!) and started doing some freelance design work for the sports management company that runs the team. The owner was passing around a 3-paged Excel sheet to 13 athletes to get information for sizing, specific needs etc... oh my god... 13 versions all named the same thing, its going to get lost, transferring all the info is a bitch etc etc... In the end, some one will get the wrong items. So I suggested Google Docs and Google Forms.
Here's an amazing historical example of technology not changing society. In Elementary School, we are taught that Thomas Edison was the greatest inventor who ever lived. This is false. He was brilliant, sure, but he was a businessman. The greatest inventor of all time, in my opinion, is a man named Nikola Tesla. His brain worked differently than ours. He saw problems 30 years before they happened and had an answer 40 years before anyone else could even dream about it. The alternating current powering your house -Tesla, the motor - tesla, radio - Tesla (Yup, not Merconi - that guy used 17 of Teslas pattons send a dinky "e" accross the Atlantic.)
In the Late 1880's Nikola Tesla presented to the world a radio controlled boat. He stood behind a booth pulling levers as wooden ship turned sailed in the pool in front of him. The viewers thought he was a crazy and a magician. This is the 1880s...... He proposed that war ships no longer need humans. They could save lives. Shortly there after he developed this technology to be able to detect other ships. 60 years later RADAR was finally being used as a standard. In the 1920s Tesla was hard a at work on a tower that he was convinced would be able to connect people across the world. Electricity, messages, pictures etc would be beamed from tower to tower and person to person instantly! He lost his funding however and the project was never completed. Today we have cell phones, wifi etc...
And lastly, Tesla in his old age had one last idea for a project. He believed he had all the knowledge he needed to invent a "Death Ray." Shoot beams of electricity into the sky and take out a fighter plane. After making this announcement In perfect helath, the US governement thought he was insane. Tesla was discouraged and threatened to tak his work to his home county (a soviet territory.) He was dead 3 days later. His lab, his hotel room (he lived in a hotel) and his papers were completely cleared away and only a few of the papers were returned to the public in the late 1950s -mostly blacked out in permanent ink. Electro Magnetic Pulse. Sound familiar? The guy was insane - he was a mad scientist but he introduced over 750 patented inventions and most were not adopted until decades later!
I totally agree. Technology creates opportunity, but not behaviors. Behaviors change when people act.
I hate it when I read articles or see news programs that say "Video Game Made Him Act Out in School!" That's a load of BS. Mom and dad aren't connected enough with that child and aren't setting boundaries and aren't communicating with the simple reminder that its "just a game." Now of course I'm not ignorant enough to think that kids should be allowed to see porn at the theaters or play games willy nillly - I'm just suggesting that their behavior is not because of a video game - the responsibility lies with the parents.
And now more related to this question.... Lets take Google Docs for instance. Until about a year and half ago, I was totally unaware that they even existed. Once I was clued in, I still thought it was pointless. Now, for obvious reasons, I use them for everything - even class papers! I don;t have a printer, so I just open Google Docs at work or at school and print it off. Bam. Easy. I recently was signed on to a pro cycling team (!!!!!) and started doing some freelance design work for the sports management company that runs the team. The owner was passing around a 3-paged Excel sheet to 13 athletes to get information for sizing, specific needs etc... oh my god... 13 versions all named the same thing, its going to get lost, transferring all the info is a bitch etc etc... In the end, some one will get the wrong items. So I suggested Google Docs and Google Forms.
Here's an amazing historical example of technology not changing society. In Elementary School, we are taught that Thomas Edison was the greatest inventor who ever lived. This is false. He was brilliant, sure, but he was a businessman. The greatest inventor of all time, in my opinion, is a man named Nikola Tesla. His brain worked differently than ours. He saw problems 30 years before they happened and had an answer 40 years before anyone else could even dream about it. The alternating current powering your house -Tesla, the motor - tesla, radio - Tesla (Yup, not Merconi - that guy used 17 of Teslas pattons send a dinky "e" accross the Atlantic.)
In the Late 1880's Nikola Tesla presented to the world a radio controlled boat. He stood behind a booth pulling levers as wooden ship turned sailed in the pool in front of him. The viewers thought he was a crazy and a magician. This is the 1880s...... He proposed that war ships no longer need humans. They could save lives. Shortly there after he developed this technology to be able to detect other ships. 60 years later RADAR was finally being used as a standard. In the 1920s Tesla was hard a at work on a tower that he was convinced would be able to connect people across the world. Electricity, messages, pictures etc would be beamed from tower to tower and person to person instantly! He lost his funding however and the project was never completed. Today we have cell phones, wifi etc...
And lastly, Tesla in his old age had one last idea for a project. He believed he had all the knowledge he needed to invent a "Death Ray." Shoot beams of electricity into the sky and take out a fighter plane. After making this announcement In perfect helath, the US governement thought he was insane. Tesla was discouraged and threatened to tak his work to his home county (a soviet territory.) He was dead 3 days later. His lab, his hotel room (he lived in a hotel) and his papers were completely cleared away and only a few of the papers were returned to the public in the late 1950s -mostly blacked out in permanent ink. Electro Magnetic Pulse. Sound familiar? The guy was insane - he was a mad scientist but he introduced over 750 patented inventions and most were not adopted until decades later!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Audio Book
Listening to an audio book has its advantages and disadvantages. While listening to this chapter I actually multi tasked cleaning my room and folding laundry. I was able to absorb the material while being productive in other areas. I did however catch myself checking emails and spacing out for a couple minutes here and there. Overall however, I enjoyed it and will look to this option for other classes. I cloud listen to the book while walking to classes or riding my bike (I just signed a professional contract to race and spend 20 hrs/ week in the saddle traversing the countryside.) Great time saver. Reading can be difficult to squeeze in to busy schedules or can be challenging sometimes - especially for me. It makes me tired and I always fall asleep even if its 1 pm!
Zero Fat (well...per serving)
Why is “zero” such a hot-button word?
Zero is often used to illustrate something "free" or minimal. Zero is supposed to make consumers jump for what ever the product is. Just about every car commercial I hear makes is sound like you could get a car for free.
"Zero money down! Get 0.0% financing for up to 72 months!"
or my personal favorite:
"Zero grams trans fat (the kind that kill you slowly and is nearly impossible to break down in your body and serves no positive purpose)....per serving."
This translates to: 0.4 grams trans fat per serving - just enough to be considered too minimal to count. If you have three servings, it adds up.
Everything is zero or free these days, and if its not, there are way to get it for free (not that I endorse nor approve of this.) I think Apple has done a great job combatting this. Not only do most of their products kick ass, but charging up the waa-zoo makes the products seem more valuable. I can get a "cheap" Dell with a fast processor and large graphics card for a 1/4th what I could get a comparable Mac for. But the Mac's quality - incorrectly perceived so or not - is higher than that of the cheap Dell.
Zero is often used to illustrate something "free" or minimal. Zero is supposed to make consumers jump for what ever the product is. Just about every car commercial I hear makes is sound like you could get a car for free.
"Zero money down! Get 0.0% financing for up to 72 months!"
or my personal favorite:
"Zero grams trans fat (the kind that kill you slowly and is nearly impossible to break down in your body and serves no positive purpose)....per serving."
This translates to: 0.4 grams trans fat per serving - just enough to be considered too minimal to count. If you have three servings, it adds up.
Everything is zero or free these days, and if its not, there are way to get it for free (not that I endorse nor approve of this.) I think Apple has done a great job combatting this. Not only do most of their products kick ass, but charging up the waa-zoo makes the products seem more valuable. I can get a "cheap" Dell with a fast processor and large graphics card for a 1/4th what I could get a comparable Mac for. But the Mac's quality - incorrectly perceived so or not - is higher than that of the cheap Dell.
Cha-Ching
Explain and give an example of a mental transaction cost.
Mental transaction cost refers to the thought that goes through all of our heads when we have to chose to purchase something when a price was strapped to it. IF there were a bowl of 5 cent Hershey Kisses and 15cent Lindor Truffles, you might decide that 10cents more isn't a big deal, so you'll go ahead and pay it for the "better" chocolate. But if the Kisses were free, we'd of course go for them. No thought process. We aren't asking our selves "is it worth it?" When its free, its worth it - you're not losing anything!
I am also taking a music indistry class and have recently learned that even platinum selling artists usually end up in the red after a million copies of their CDs are sold - a few hundred thousand in debt! Only 2 or 3% of the record industry's top musicians actually turn a profit from sales! So a lot of indy musicians have been giving away their music for free. Angels and Airwaves made their music downloadable from their website. The idea is to make up the potential losses in merchandise and touring sales. So free pays off!
Mental transaction cost refers to the thought that goes through all of our heads when we have to chose to purchase something when a price was strapped to it. IF there were a bowl of 5 cent Hershey Kisses and 15cent Lindor Truffles, you might decide that 10cents more isn't a big deal, so you'll go ahead and pay it for the "better" chocolate. But if the Kisses were free, we'd of course go for them. No thought process. We aren't asking our selves "is it worth it?" When its free, its worth it - you're not losing anything!
I am also taking a music indistry class and have recently learned that even platinum selling artists usually end up in the red after a million copies of their CDs are sold - a few hundred thousand in debt! Only 2 or 3% of the record industry's top musicians actually turn a profit from sales! So a lot of indy musicians have been giving away their music for free. Angels and Airwaves made their music downloadable from their website. The idea is to make up the potential losses in merchandise and touring sales. So free pays off!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Patriot Act
2. Some news reports have suggested that the Bush administration used the USA Patriot Act to look at the e-mails of American citizens without a warrant. What’s your position if this was indeed the case? Should citizens be willing to give up their privacy? Does it bother you to know that your online communications are very potentially semi-private instead of private?
The Patriot Act on so many levels is wrong an does not agree with the constitution. The night before it was to be voted on, over 60 pages were added to the already 400+ page document. Those pages, along with the other 400, did not originate in the Senate where they are supposed to, but from unknown sources in the executive branch. Ontop of that, the original sunset date for the patriot act was 2004, but once reinstated, a sunset date was eliminated meaning that there will never be a vote to shut it down. The powers granted to the President increased and can you imagine a President revoking his powers?
That said, how naive do you have to be to think that a.)this didn't already happen, b.) that they would tell us, and c.) that it isn't necessary (to an extent.)
Sure, everyone is entitled to their rights - that's what this country was founded on. But if you look closely at the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, our forefathers were clever enough to leave themselves a bit of wiggle room:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
What is "unreasonable?" Is unreasonable what I think it is or is what those reading my emails thinks it is?
So if we're going strictly by the book, its perfectly spelled out that Uncle Same may read my emails if they think its ok to.
What do I think? Not sure yet. I don't want be that jackass that says "The government should never read my emails because their MINE! and this is 'Murica not Russia!" On the flip side I don't want to be that guy who thinks everyone is honest and that the world is made of rainbows and butterflies.
I can understand the need for both. National security is extremely important, so is respecting our "rights." At the moment, I'm not necessarily bothered by it - I don't have anything to hide. At the same time however, where does it stop? As more and more powers are granted to to the executive, and more and more laws are written to suppress the inhabitants, it starts to sound like a monarchy. That's pretty extreme though. Do I think its gone that far? Absolutely not, but who knows.
What I'd prefer to see is better education to people about this touchy topic. Very few people can even site the bill of rights, even fewer know what the Patriot Act does. If people were better informed, they would more likely be comfortable with the issue or more engaged in changing it.
On a side note...Without picking red or blue, how stupid do you have to be to think that Obama would actually close Gitmo? That's not how it works. They are detained off shore so that they are out of the realm of US Constitution and granting them rights including a right to trial. That's how you get votes in November. He even went as far as signing a bill that would close it down within his first 100 days. Did it close down? Nope. Both sides are happy - Blue is happy he tried, Red is happy its still there. Besides, if it was closed down, the prisoners - rightfully or wrongfully there - would just be moved to another base somewhere else off shore. The morality of it is a different conversation.
The Patriot Act on so many levels is wrong an does not agree with the constitution. The night before it was to be voted on, over 60 pages were added to the already 400+ page document. Those pages, along with the other 400, did not originate in the Senate where they are supposed to, but from unknown sources in the executive branch. Ontop of that, the original sunset date for the patriot act was 2004, but once reinstated, a sunset date was eliminated meaning that there will never be a vote to shut it down. The powers granted to the President increased and can you imagine a President revoking his powers?
That said, how naive do you have to be to think that a.)this didn't already happen, b.) that they would tell us, and c.) that it isn't necessary (to an extent.)
Sure, everyone is entitled to their rights - that's what this country was founded on. But if you look closely at the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, our forefathers were clever enough to leave themselves a bit of wiggle room:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
What is "unreasonable?" Is unreasonable what I think it is or is what those reading my emails thinks it is?
So if we're going strictly by the book, its perfectly spelled out that Uncle Same may read my emails if they think its ok to.
What do I think? Not sure yet. I don't want be that jackass that says "The government should never read my emails because their MINE! and this is 'Murica not Russia!" On the flip side I don't want to be that guy who thinks everyone is honest and that the world is made of rainbows and butterflies.
I can understand the need for both. National security is extremely important, so is respecting our "rights." At the moment, I'm not necessarily bothered by it - I don't have anything to hide. At the same time however, where does it stop? As more and more powers are granted to to the executive, and more and more laws are written to suppress the inhabitants, it starts to sound like a monarchy. That's pretty extreme though. Do I think its gone that far? Absolutely not, but who knows.
What I'd prefer to see is better education to people about this touchy topic. Very few people can even site the bill of rights, even fewer know what the Patriot Act does. If people were better informed, they would more likely be comfortable with the issue or more engaged in changing it.
On a side note...Without picking red or blue, how stupid do you have to be to think that Obama would actually close Gitmo? That's not how it works. They are detained off shore so that they are out of the realm of US Constitution and granting them rights including a right to trial. That's how you get votes in November. He even went as far as signing a bill that would close it down within his first 100 days. Did it close down? Nope. Both sides are happy - Blue is happy he tried, Red is happy its still there. Besides, if it was closed down, the prisoners - rightfully or wrongfully there - would just be moved to another base somewhere else off shore. The morality of it is a different conversation.
Sniffers
1. If your mother uses wifi at home to send you e-mail, and your home network is not protected by WEP or WPA, what reasons would you suggest to her for enabling one of these two protocols at home if the liability of reading those e-mails still exists once her message leaves your home, on it’s way to school?
Luckily I don't have to worry about this. Everything at my house is pasword protected - even the front door (pretty cool actually. Don't need a physical key.) But if it were the case I would remind her that sending me messages via unprotected wifi would be like being naked with the drapes wide open.
If my mom was sending me important information or gossiping about the neighbors, "sniffers" could take that info right out of the sky and see it themselves. On top of that, most wifi devices have a 100 ft reach or more. If its isnt password protected, our nieghbors could be stealing our internet and slowing the rest of us down.
In Blown to Bits, they author talks about how it hasn't been proven yet that public-keys are uncrackable:
"No one has proved mathematically that the public-key encryption algorithms are unbreakable, in spite of determined efforts by top mathematicians and computer scientists to provide absolute proof of their security."
I think this quote is just plain silly. It's pretty difficult to prove anything. And even once, you have, its not certain. Disproving something gives you a definite answer. Example: All bicycles have wheels. So we find 10,000 bikes with wheels. Looks like we've proved it right? Wrong. It only take one bike without wheels to prove the opposite.
Luckily I don't have to worry about this. Everything at my house is pasword protected - even the front door (pretty cool actually. Don't need a physical key.) But if it were the case I would remind her that sending me messages via unprotected wifi would be like being naked with the drapes wide open.
If my mom was sending me important information or gossiping about the neighbors, "sniffers" could take that info right out of the sky and see it themselves. On top of that, most wifi devices have a 100 ft reach or more. If its isnt password protected, our nieghbors could be stealing our internet and slowing the rest of us down.
In Blown to Bits, they author talks about how it hasn't been proven yet that public-keys are uncrackable:
"No one has proved mathematically that the public-key encryption algorithms are unbreakable, in spite of determined efforts by top mathematicians and computer scientists to provide absolute proof of their security."
I think this quote is just plain silly. It's pretty difficult to prove anything. And even once, you have, its not certain. Disproving something gives you a definite answer. Example: All bicycles have wheels. So we find 10,000 bikes with wheels. Looks like we've proved it right? Wrong. It only take one bike without wheels to prove the opposite.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Side Effects of Depressions Medication May Include Depression or Suicide
The official website for the drug Olanzapine probably didn’t mention the fact it might cause diabetic symptoms in patients. Another website obviously did. Commercials on TV now are required to mention possible side effects. Should drug companies be required to come clean about situations like the one with Eli Lilly’s Olanzapine in their commercial websites? Why or why not?
I have mixed feelings here. My initial gut reply is - Yes, full disclosure. If depression medication is going to make you kill yourself or thalidomide is going to cause birth defects, I'd like to know! (And if I'm carrying children and need morning sickness medication, then I probably have another issue.)
I think it's a little deeper than just that however. Should a requirement to post potential known side effects be put into effect, it should be done only on the premise of public health interest. If this is done however, there may potentially be more requirements on other companies requiring them to site public health concerns as well. Did you know that most automobiles only have to pass a 5-mph bumper crash test to be considered to have safe bumpers?
I would think that it is common sense to wonder what the side effects are, but then again I see people get wasted off their ass every weekend, gain 40 pounds and all that mess with no regard to potential side effects. And even if we are curious, it can be difficult to track down.
I used to work in a bike shop in high school. People would come in not knowing what they are looking for with a wallet full plastic to spend. We carried bikes from 400 bucks to 12 grand. Yes, 12 zero zero zero. Now around Tour-time, people caught the bug big DC attorneys with very little free time wanted a nice bike. I often talked them out of buying the 8,000 dollar bike down to the 2500 dollar bike because I knew they wouldn't have time for it and it would be a waste. (Generally speaking, it is not possible to get a quality road bke for less than 2,000 - that is actually considered a really good price.) I wanted to make sure they knew what they were getting into. They weren't just buying a bike - they were buying shoes, helmet, glasses, jerseys, shorts, special socks even, gels, bars, oh and then there's winter stuff too!! Next comes touring, then racing, then trvelling, then more money an new stuff and another bike and so on... the main side effect however, was time. Cycling is a lifestyle, not a hobby. Its addictive and consumes your whole life and eats away your time. If I didn't tell him that, he would have found out the hard way and actually ended up disliking our store.
So in the best interest of the consumers, and for their own reputation, I think that the websites should post the common side effects. I don't think that it needs to be in bold red letter at 24 pt on the homepage, but maybe a page dedicated to it.
I have mixed feelings here. My initial gut reply is - Yes, full disclosure. If depression medication is going to make you kill yourself or thalidomide is going to cause birth defects, I'd like to know! (And if I'm carrying children and need morning sickness medication, then I probably have another issue.)
I think it's a little deeper than just that however. Should a requirement to post potential known side effects be put into effect, it should be done only on the premise of public health interest. If this is done however, there may potentially be more requirements on other companies requiring them to site public health concerns as well. Did you know that most automobiles only have to pass a 5-mph bumper crash test to be considered to have safe bumpers?
I would think that it is common sense to wonder what the side effects are, but then again I see people get wasted off their ass every weekend, gain 40 pounds and all that mess with no regard to potential side effects. And even if we are curious, it can be difficult to track down.
I used to work in a bike shop in high school. People would come in not knowing what they are looking for with a wallet full plastic to spend. We carried bikes from 400 bucks to 12 grand. Yes, 12 zero zero zero. Now around Tour-time, people caught the bug big DC attorneys with very little free time wanted a nice bike. I often talked them out of buying the 8,000 dollar bike down to the 2500 dollar bike because I knew they wouldn't have time for it and it would be a waste. (Generally speaking, it is not possible to get a quality road bke for less than 2,000 - that is actually considered a really good price.) I wanted to make sure they knew what they were getting into. They weren't just buying a bike - they were buying shoes, helmet, glasses, jerseys, shorts, special socks even, gels, bars, oh and then there's winter stuff too!! Next comes touring, then racing, then trvelling, then more money an new stuff and another bike and so on... the main side effect however, was time. Cycling is a lifestyle, not a hobby. Its addictive and consumes your whole life and eats away your time. If I didn't tell him that, he would have found out the hard way and actually ended up disliking our store.
So in the best interest of the consumers, and for their own reputation, I think that the websites should post the common side effects. I don't think that it needs to be in bold red letter at 24 pt on the homepage, but maybe a page dedicated to it.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Open Source vs Microsoft
Some states and some companies are turning to open source software for a variety of reasons, some mentioned in this chapter. Some companies (say Microsoft) have gone on the record against open source software. Explain some of the advantages of using proprietary software and cite your advantages with websites that take or mention these positions.
Based on personal experience only, I can find pros and cons of both OpenSource and proprietary software.
When I was in middle school, I pretty much figured out that I wanted to be in the cretive industry. I made christmas cards, posters, comic books etc with the Office Suite. At the time I thought it was the bee's knees to drop some colorful Word Art onto every paper wrote. I eventually learned that Office actually blows when it comes to design work - you really need professional design software like the entire Adobe Suite to produce unique works. But for the soccer moms and untrained designers, programs like Pages and Microsoft Word are great are great easy to use items to spruce up their handouts (even though form a designers perspective, I think they look horrible visually.) I could be wrong, but I have never come across these features in neither Open Office nor Google's word processor. That said, the basic, most heavily used functions are supported - word processing, spell check, formatting etc...
I am always broke so I actually rely heavily on a few OpenSource programs for lightweight stuff. I use open Office and usually back up important works via GoogleDocs. Also an FTP client like CyberDuck - great! Now as a designer and film editor, there is no way you'd catch me using the open source stuff out there for that! I've tried it, and it, frankly, stinks! A PhotoShop alternative called Gimp Shop has gained some popularity, and I find it cumbersome, disconnected and not easy to use. Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and the rest of Adobe's ever expanding packages are designed to work together and thus pays for itself 10 times over. Seamless compatibility.
I also race professionally (cycling) and use a tool called a Power Tap to track my training load. Over the course of a 20 hour training week, it is important to gauge how well you were performing. The tool measures your exerted power. You then upload the data form your 6-hr adventure into the mountains of west virginia and analyze the data. Hands down the best software to do so is called TrainingPeaks. In a nutshell, if you upload your data every day, the software will basically tell you on what day this season you will totally be fried, and for how long. It also tells you when you are goign to be the best etc..
There are a few OpenSource formats - one is called Golden Chetah. Its ok, gets the job done for beginner PowerTap users, but its not the best. Its got lots of bugs, crashes the computer a lot, often deletes files etc.
The Open Source v. Microsoft battle continues even in the realm of in-car entertainment and navigation systems. Microsoft has been working with Ford, Hyundai, and Fiat for the operating systems that control theses devices. According to cnet.com, software partners, The Genivi Group were asked to build another systems for GM, BMW, and others. Genivi is using Open Source stuff for their packages and Microsoft was not invited into the project. Genivi admits that their method is not as proven as Microsofts, who are at the mature stage of their product with version 4.0. "Microsoft has the advantage of a proven product, which many people have experienced in Ford and Fiat cars."
The same holds true elsewhere I think. Microsoft still has a proven track record - which sometimes bites them in the ass - and is thus still in business. There are many programs I would rather pay for and know they work - like the Adobe design, web design suites, and Final Cut Pro (Apple's film editing software) but I have no problem using a text open source for text editing, FTP, email clients, and other simple tasks.
Based on personal experience only, I can find pros and cons of both OpenSource and proprietary software.
When I was in middle school, I pretty much figured out that I wanted to be in the cretive industry. I made christmas cards, posters, comic books etc with the Office Suite. At the time I thought it was the bee's knees to drop some colorful Word Art onto every paper wrote. I eventually learned that Office actually blows when it comes to design work - you really need professional design software like the entire Adobe Suite to produce unique works. But for the soccer moms and untrained designers, programs like Pages and Microsoft Word are great are great easy to use items to spruce up their handouts (even though form a designers perspective, I think they look horrible visually.) I could be wrong, but I have never come across these features in neither Open Office nor Google's word processor. That said, the basic, most heavily used functions are supported - word processing, spell check, formatting etc...
I am always broke so I actually rely heavily on a few OpenSource programs for lightweight stuff. I use open Office and usually back up important works via GoogleDocs. Also an FTP client like CyberDuck - great! Now as a designer and film editor, there is no way you'd catch me using the open source stuff out there for that! I've tried it, and it, frankly, stinks! A PhotoShop alternative called Gimp Shop has gained some popularity, and I find it cumbersome, disconnected and not easy to use. Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and the rest of Adobe's ever expanding packages are designed to work together and thus pays for itself 10 times over. Seamless compatibility.
I also race professionally (cycling) and use a tool called a Power Tap to track my training load. Over the course of a 20 hour training week, it is important to gauge how well you were performing. The tool measures your exerted power. You then upload the data form your 6-hr adventure into the mountains of west virginia and analyze the data. Hands down the best software to do so is called TrainingPeaks. In a nutshell, if you upload your data every day, the software will basically tell you on what day this season you will totally be fried, and for how long. It also tells you when you are goign to be the best etc..
There are a few OpenSource formats - one is called Golden Chetah. Its ok, gets the job done for beginner PowerTap users, but its not the best. Its got lots of bugs, crashes the computer a lot, often deletes files etc.
The Open Source v. Microsoft battle continues even in the realm of in-car entertainment and navigation systems. Microsoft has been working with Ford, Hyundai, and Fiat for the operating systems that control theses devices. According to cnet.com, software partners, The Genivi Group were asked to build another systems for GM, BMW, and others. Genivi is using Open Source stuff for their packages and Microsoft was not invited into the project. Genivi admits that their method is not as proven as Microsofts, who are at the mature stage of their product with version 4.0. "Microsoft has the advantage of a proven product, which many people have experienced in Ford and Fiat cars."
The same holds true elsewhere I think. Microsoft still has a proven track record - which sometimes bites them in the ass - and is thus still in business. There are many programs I would rather pay for and know they work - like the Adobe design, web design suites, and Final Cut Pro (Apple's film editing software) but I have no problem using a text open source for text editing, FTP, email clients, and other simple tasks.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Community of Practice
Consider the concept of a “community of practice.” How can such a community offer opportunities for learning?
In an earlier post I mentioned how important I thought the principal off efficiency was. I explained that using an online database with a scholarly journal saved time over going to the library, hunting for the book and then finally reading it. I think the same thing can apply to "community of practice" as long as we dont turn off our own inquisitive brains.
In the past as Shirky mentioned, a photographer might have no idea how his photo actually looked. But now with flickr and other file sharing programs, people can comments "lame" or "great framing" etc.. But one service I find myself using ALOT is the Creative Cow Forum. In working with Final Cut Pro or and other design software, it is easy to get confused and not be up to snuff on everything. Soemtimes you need a little help. So a lot of times, I find help from other people with the same questions at the Creative Cow. In turn, they may ask a question that I know the answer to and I will answer it.
The only danger is that there are people who sit back and rely on others and perfectly content to turn off their own brain and search for the answer themselves before immediately turning to get help. If we remember to keep our brain turned on and pay it forward with the knowledge we do have to help others, then I think we can only benefit learning new things in little ways form everyone. We don't have to totally rely on top-down hierarchy of experts to give us the knowlege and slowly climb the latter to expert. If we use the knowledge given to us and share it when we can, then theoretically everyone should be able to prosper. (This is starting to sound like a political rant about taxes! Not going there!)
In an earlier post I mentioned how important I thought the principal off efficiency was. I explained that using an online database with a scholarly journal saved time over going to the library, hunting for the book and then finally reading it. I think the same thing can apply to "community of practice" as long as we dont turn off our own inquisitive brains.
In the past as Shirky mentioned, a photographer might have no idea how his photo actually looked. But now with flickr and other file sharing programs, people can comments "lame" or "great framing" etc.. But one service I find myself using ALOT is the Creative Cow Forum. In working with Final Cut Pro or and other design software, it is easy to get confused and not be up to snuff on everything. Soemtimes you need a little help. So a lot of times, I find help from other people with the same questions at the Creative Cow. In turn, they may ask a question that I know the answer to and I will answer it.
The only danger is that there are people who sit back and rely on others and perfectly content to turn off their own brain and search for the answer themselves before immediately turning to get help. If we remember to keep our brain turned on and pay it forward with the knowledge we do have to help others, then I think we can only benefit learning new things in little ways form everyone. We don't have to totally rely on top-down hierarchy of experts to give us the knowlege and slowly climb the latter to expert. If we use the knowledge given to us and share it when we can, then theoretically everyone should be able to prosper. (This is starting to sound like a political rant about taxes! Not going there!)
Invisible
1. If Shirky is right, and we’re headed to a period where social media tools like YouTube, Flickr, and social networks like Facebook become “invisible,” what’s the impact on things you spend money on as consumers? Books? Movies? Music?
I think to an extent Shirky is right. As technology develops and our reliance on the web increases and changes, the use of the social networks will dim a little. When Facebook began, no one would have considered putting a little "like" icon over every news article and product that a person might like. I often read VeloNews and cyclingNews - two online resources for well, cycling news. Every article has a button for the user to like it, disqus it, tweet it and open-id it. I think that the social networking world will continue to expand until some cross-platform thing is able to link all of them together, eliminating the uniqueness of one service over the other.
These days, most every business, including mom and pops, have a website. this was no the case 10 years ago. Now every business is on facebook. If they aren;t, they have to play catch up. Once everyone is on facebook and everyone has a website, and assuming there will be a cross platform social network - sales could go down particularly for advertisers.
I think at first if everything is together, sales will be booming but if there is one social marketing aggregator, what would be the need for people to go to facebook, twitter, myspace and what ever else? The fewer the hits on those sites, the less the advertisers will want to advertise there. They will move their money to the aggregator...then how do the other's stay alive?
That said, I don't think this natural rise and demise will eliminate business. I think its niave to assume that we have hit the ceiling of capability and creativity. When color TV hit the market I'm sure people thought that was it then too, but look where we are now.
I know this sounds rediculous, and absolutely absurd, but I think its also to naive to immediatly discount the possibility of teleportation. Yes, I know - you are thinking "what the hell is he talking about?"
In the Roman times - could they have ever conjured up the idea of wireless telephones, nuclear bombs, florescent lights, the internet etc... Probably not. If someone suggested it, it was absurd. So to think that there is possibility that in 100 years or 200 years someone will have figured out how to transport speakers from Best Buy directly to your house with a click of a button...isn't too rediculous.
So though I think yes, the social network clouds will eventually gray together and change the way things are sold and revenue, it doesnt mean thats it, throw in the towel. There will forever be a continuing atmosphere and change technologies that will continue to shape our day to day lives and what we consume.
I think to an extent Shirky is right. As technology develops and our reliance on the web increases and changes, the use of the social networks will dim a little. When Facebook began, no one would have considered putting a little "like" icon over every news article and product that a person might like. I often read VeloNews and cyclingNews - two online resources for well, cycling news. Every article has a button for the user to like it, disqus it, tweet it and open-id it. I think that the social networking world will continue to expand until some cross-platform thing is able to link all of them together, eliminating the uniqueness of one service over the other.
These days, most every business, including mom and pops, have a website. this was no the case 10 years ago. Now every business is on facebook. If they aren;t, they have to play catch up. Once everyone is on facebook and everyone has a website, and assuming there will be a cross platform social network - sales could go down particularly for advertisers.
I think at first if everything is together, sales will be booming but if there is one social marketing aggregator, what would be the need for people to go to facebook, twitter, myspace and what ever else? The fewer the hits on those sites, the less the advertisers will want to advertise there. They will move their money to the aggregator...then how do the other's stay alive?
That said, I don't think this natural rise and demise will eliminate business. I think its niave to assume that we have hit the ceiling of capability and creativity. When color TV hit the market I'm sure people thought that was it then too, but look where we are now.
I know this sounds rediculous, and absolutely absurd, but I think its also to naive to immediatly discount the possibility of teleportation. Yes, I know - you are thinking "what the hell is he talking about?"
In the Roman times - could they have ever conjured up the idea of wireless telephones, nuclear bombs, florescent lights, the internet etc... Probably not. If someone suggested it, it was absurd. So to think that there is possibility that in 100 years or 200 years someone will have figured out how to transport speakers from Best Buy directly to your house with a click of a button...isn't too rediculous.
So though I think yes, the social network clouds will eventually gray together and change the way things are sold and revenue, it doesnt mean thats it, throw in the towel. There will forever be a continuing atmosphere and change technologies that will continue to shape our day to day lives and what we consume.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
You Can Do It EEEEEEEEbay!
Have you used a website like Craigslist or EBay to buy or sell something? What was the experience like? Would you use such a service again? If you haven’t, detail how you have sold or bought something outside the environment of a retailer.
I have been both a buyer and a seller on both Ebay and Craigslist. Just like my previous post, I think both sites offer wonderful advantages but it doesn't mean you don't have to use your brain!
The film company I work for has an Ebay rating of 100%. We have to use Ebay to stay alive. In 2009 we traveled to France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Monoco, The Canary Islands and the UK to shoot film documenting the most wnning team in professional cycling - Team HTC Columbia. In order to accurately capture ever minute of the Tour de France, various interviews and B Roll shots, we employed the use of 14 cameras! A few of those camera cost well over 7 thousand dollars. You add all that up plus any other miscellaneous item and it's enough to cover the average JMU teachers salary for two years.
So when the project was done, we had to get rid of the inventory and recoup money lost. We do this with ever project infact - technology changes so quickly that we have cycle in newer toys every time anyhow. Ebay is the answer.
In order to avoid getting screwed, there are a few rules we follow -
1.) Never sell overseas
2.) Be honest, take LOTS of pictures and explain why are getting ride of the item.
We sold everything, no problems, no kinks no nothing.
When I was 12 years old I got into cycling - I was short and had no coordination so basketball wasn't really my thing. I found a pair of used Time pedals I wanted - (They allow you to lock your feet to the pedals for extra control over the bike. And yes they are very safe.) The pedals were 7 bucks. I got them right away and even if I hadn't, I still would have only been out 7 bucks.
Last year, during the epic winter storms, I was unable to train on my bike due to the 3 feet of snow. So I found some cross country skis on Craig's List. I wasn't about to have anyone mail me anything or send a check willy nilly. Luckily, I came across a woman who had multiple pairs who lived 10 minutes away. For safety reasons we me at the elementary school and exchanged goods. They were crap but I knew what I was paying for before I got them.
So thus far my experiences have been very good. I use both a lot more than I illustrated but those were just a few examples of my experience with the services. If you use your head, you won't get screwed (theoretically.)
I have been both a buyer and a seller on both Ebay and Craigslist. Just like my previous post, I think both sites offer wonderful advantages but it doesn't mean you don't have to use your brain!
The film company I work for has an Ebay rating of 100%. We have to use Ebay to stay alive. In 2009 we traveled to France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Monoco, The Canary Islands and the UK to shoot film documenting the most wnning team in professional cycling - Team HTC Columbia. In order to accurately capture ever minute of the Tour de France, various interviews and B Roll shots, we employed the use of 14 cameras! A few of those camera cost well over 7 thousand dollars. You add all that up plus any other miscellaneous item and it's enough to cover the average JMU teachers salary for two years.
So when the project was done, we had to get rid of the inventory and recoup money lost. We do this with ever project infact - technology changes so quickly that we have cycle in newer toys every time anyhow. Ebay is the answer.
In order to avoid getting screwed, there are a few rules we follow -
1.) Never sell overseas
2.) Be honest, take LOTS of pictures and explain why are getting ride of the item.
We sold everything, no problems, no kinks no nothing.
When I was 12 years old I got into cycling - I was short and had no coordination so basketball wasn't really my thing. I found a pair of used Time pedals I wanted - (They allow you to lock your feet to the pedals for extra control over the bike. And yes they are very safe.) The pedals were 7 bucks. I got them right away and even if I hadn't, I still would have only been out 7 bucks.
Last year, during the epic winter storms, I was unable to train on my bike due to the 3 feet of snow. So I found some cross country skis on Craig's List. I wasn't about to have anyone mail me anything or send a check willy nilly. Luckily, I came across a woman who had multiple pairs who lived 10 minutes away. For safety reasons we me at the elementary school and exchanged goods. They were crap but I knew what I was paying for before I got them.
So thus far my experiences have been very good. I use both a lot more than I illustrated but those were just a few examples of my experience with the services. If you use your head, you won't get screwed (theoretically.)
It Can't Be True If It's On the Internet!
1. You have an important personal question you’d like answered. Explain the procedure for getting your question answered and why this method appeals to you (you don’t need to get specific, but let’s assume the answer does not require specific expert knowledge, as from a doctor).
When I was growing up, through middle school and high school, teachers often required an extensive work cited page for any essay we wrote. Naturally -we were using others' words. But most teachers also required that we have five print sources to balance out our internet based finds. The reasoning was that we couldn't trust that the internet was right (as if the internet were all-knowing individual.) Books and respectable print dailies like the New York Times could be trusted without any question of a doubt. (Woops...Ever heard of Jayson Blair?)
When I was growing up, through middle school and high school, teachers often required an extensive work cited page for any essay we wrote. Naturally -we were using others' words. But most teachers also required that we have five print sources to balance out our internet based finds. The reasoning was that we couldn't trust that the internet was right (as if the internet were all-knowing individual.) Books and respectable print dailies like the New York Times could be trusted without any question of a doubt. (Woops...Ever heard of Jayson Blair?)
Over the years, maybe partly due to the development of the internet, I have come to believe that just because its printed its reliable, is a crock! There have been multiple occasions where I have used online databases and electronic journals as sources for me projects. Theses exact pieces can be found in print as well. Does that make the online version inherently less reliable? No.
Now let me clarify - I don't believe all internet resources to be reliable, of course not. We have to use our brains to decipher what is and what isn't. Let's take Wikipedia for example. Again teachers always told us to never use Wikipedia. I call bullshit on that! Go to Wikipedia and type in Coca Cola.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca_cola#cite_note-0
Now the teachers tell us not to believe a word of Wikipedia because anybody could edit this page. The first sentence states that Coca Cola is sold in over 200 countries. If I told the teacher that I found out this information from Wikipedia, she would flunk me. BUT if I click the "1" footnote following that sentence, I find a list of sources. I follow the corresponding link back to Coca Cola's Website and walla - there it also says that the delicious soda beverage is served in 200+ countries. If I turn that in, I'll get an A. Moral of the story - Wikipedia itself might not always have the correct answers but the list of sources each topic provides is a sure bet to efficient knowledge gathering.
Now having said all of that - when I need to figure out something for work, school, or jsut because I am curious as to why there are so many indoor football leagues, I turn to the internet. I used to ask Jeeves. But he wasn't very helpful so I turned to Google. Sometimes I'll type in the whole question and wind up on various forums where my exact question has been asked, and answered by other various users. Other times, I 'll just search keywords and sift for the answer myself. I usually back up my info gathering by checking multiple places to see if the answers are congruent.
Most recently, I was curious as to how to get my company's film, Chasing Legends, onto itunes. You can't just cll up Apple and expect someone to know. So I googled it. Turns out the process is a real pricey, expensive, and long process unless you are backed by one of the big guys - Universal, Warner, Sony etc... To be certain the process which I had pieced together from Apples vague description on their website to multiple forums, I called up a company that supposedly handles this request. They confirmed what I found. Good enough for me and it only took 30 minutes.
These days efficiency is everything. So whats wrong with using Google Mrs. Redding? (middle school teacher who despised the internet.)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Google, Yahoo and my MVP card
1. Both Google and Yahoo have been criticized for censoring their search results in China. What are your feelings about this? Why should Google, or why should Google not, produce different search results for different countries?
Of course living in the United States, we are given not only the privilege but the right to information free of censorship (well, at least outlined as so in the Constitution but not necessarily enforced or followed given various pressures from advertisers, and higher-up's political agendas etc but that's a whole different story.) Having never lived in, nor visited a country like China, it is difficult for me to understand their way of life. It is difficult for me to understand a more strict society and without any deep knowledge of their culture, commenting on this aspect of it would be ignorant and naive.
From Google's standpoint, however, initially I couldn't understand why it was their problem to begin with. I realize however that if Google does not cooperate with these requests, then they will be banned al together. If they are banned, their goes the cash. If they are banned altogether, there's no place to stick ads and therefore no way to collect on one of the largest populations in the world.
The Chinese government wants to stay in control and limit the amount that western culture influences their own. Preserving their history and way of life is important. Google and Yahoo do not have the responsibility to assist in this, but they do have the responsibility to ensure that their own businesses stays in business. Even though I would hate it if I couldn't look for episodes of Hard Knocks or watch streaming videos form the Tour de France, I can understand, from a financial standpoint why Google and Yahoo would limit searching.
2. Chapter 2 revealed the reason behind grocery loyalty cards. How do you feel about the use of these cards that offer us discounts at the cash register? Do you feel your purchasing privacy is worth a discount?
First off, the store cards are a joke. A responsible consumer would not trust a grocery store's own "discount." You can buy peaches from Food Lion for $1.99/lb, but with your MVP card -and oh man do I feel valuable with this card! - with your MVP card you can save 20 cents per pound. Wow...20 cents! That's terrific, right? Wrong. You can get the same deal on peaches form your local farmer on Saturday mornings under the awning downtown. Super Wal Mart is such a massive force and can force low low prices form their vendors (and because they pay their workers 4 dollars below the average retail mega center wage.) Peaches at Walmart cost $66/lb....more than half off.
Just like any business, the grocery store is out to make money - and there is nothing wrong with that - but consumers need to realize that just like retails outlets like Gap or a bike shop, grocery stores have to purchase their product from other vendors. Then they mark it up to pay back what they owe, their business costs, and net some profit. The "discount" is the marked up price, what they expect to be paid. The rest is just butter!
Having said that, every week I am forced to choose between the limited yet delicious selection at the farmers market, the fake discount, and my moral problem with shopping at a place that crushes family business by driving prices into the ground and never paying overtime to their employees who already earn minimum wage. And just like the business looking for ways to make more money and save more money, I the consumer, am looking for ways to save it and spend less. So when I am at places that offer the "discount" of course I use it. Type in my phone number, swipe my MVP card...yup I do it.
But the real solution: Sharp Shopper. Bulk and excess food that the grocery giants cant get rid of find a foster home in Sharp Shopper. Two 32 OZ tubs of peach Yoplait yogurt...50 cents each. And if you can stand Fruit O's from Iowa based grocery store Hy-Vee (Kurt Warner stocked shelves here before winning a superbowl) rather than Fruit Loops, you are in the right place. And there is no MVP card. Everyone is VIP there.(Just be careful, some things are close to expiration.)
Of course living in the United States, we are given not only the privilege but the right to information free of censorship (well, at least outlined as so in the Constitution but not necessarily enforced or followed given various pressures from advertisers, and higher-up's political agendas etc but that's a whole different story.) Having never lived in, nor visited a country like China, it is difficult for me to understand their way of life. It is difficult for me to understand a more strict society and without any deep knowledge of their culture, commenting on this aspect of it would be ignorant and naive.
From Google's standpoint, however, initially I couldn't understand why it was their problem to begin with. I realize however that if Google does not cooperate with these requests, then they will be banned al together. If they are banned, their goes the cash. If they are banned altogether, there's no place to stick ads and therefore no way to collect on one of the largest populations in the world.
The Chinese government wants to stay in control and limit the amount that western culture influences their own. Preserving their history and way of life is important. Google and Yahoo do not have the responsibility to assist in this, but they do have the responsibility to ensure that their own businesses stays in business. Even though I would hate it if I couldn't look for episodes of Hard Knocks or watch streaming videos form the Tour de France, I can understand, from a financial standpoint why Google and Yahoo would limit searching.
2. Chapter 2 revealed the reason behind grocery loyalty cards. How do you feel about the use of these cards that offer us discounts at the cash register? Do you feel your purchasing privacy is worth a discount?
First off, the store cards are a joke. A responsible consumer would not trust a grocery store's own "discount." You can buy peaches from Food Lion for $1.99/lb, but with your MVP card -and oh man do I feel valuable with this card! - with your MVP card you can save 20 cents per pound. Wow...20 cents! That's terrific, right? Wrong. You can get the same deal on peaches form your local farmer on Saturday mornings under the awning downtown. Super Wal Mart is such a massive force and can force low low prices form their vendors (and because they pay their workers 4 dollars below the average retail mega center wage.) Peaches at Walmart cost $66/lb....more than half off.
Just like any business, the grocery store is out to make money - and there is nothing wrong with that - but consumers need to realize that just like retails outlets like Gap or a bike shop, grocery stores have to purchase their product from other vendors. Then they mark it up to pay back what they owe, their business costs, and net some profit. The "discount" is the marked up price, what they expect to be paid. The rest is just butter!
Having said that, every week I am forced to choose between the limited yet delicious selection at the farmers market, the fake discount, and my moral problem with shopping at a place that crushes family business by driving prices into the ground and never paying overtime to their employees who already earn minimum wage. And just like the business looking for ways to make more money and save more money, I the consumer, am looking for ways to save it and spend less. So when I am at places that offer the "discount" of course I use it. Type in my phone number, swipe my MVP card...yup I do it.
But the real solution: Sharp Shopper. Bulk and excess food that the grocery giants cant get rid of find a foster home in Sharp Shopper. Two 32 OZ tubs of peach Yoplait yogurt...50 cents each. And if you can stand Fruit O's from Iowa based grocery store Hy-Vee (Kurt Warner stocked shelves here before winning a superbowl) rather than Fruit Loops, you are in the right place. And there is no MVP card. Everyone is VIP there.(Just be careful, some things are close to expiration.)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
About Me
My name is Curtis Winsor and I am a SMAD (Media Arts and Design) Major in my senior year.
In 2008 I joined a small, but well established and award winning, independent film group, Gripped Films. They produce, outdoor documentaries, corporate videos, and ad pieces. After signing on as not much more than a deck hand, I traveled to Alaska for a 15-day shoot in the Tongas National Rain Forrest boating and flying via sea plane from island to island capturing the beautiful and diverse wildlife of the region.
Embarking on a new project with Gripped Films in 2009 my duties were no longer, "Here's your coffee sir," but rather I was working side by side the producers. What started out as a dare between the two producers became one of the most well received documentaries in its genre. We spent two months abroad in France, Italy, Spain, Monaco, and Switzerland shooting Chasing Legends - a deep into the number 1 team in the world at the Tour de France, Team HTC-Columbia. We were stuffed into their back pockets filming every move.
After a year of strenuous work, the film was complete in time for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California and since the theatrical premiere, Chasing Legends has sold out nearly every theatre it has stopped at along its independent film tour.
With Gripped Films my duties included, shooting, editing multiple special features, designing, creating, and managing out online presence, design and scheduling of ads, all general promotional efforts, scheduling events, and keeping the producers form killing each other :-P.
When I am not working or in school, I am also a cyclist. I am a "Category 1" racer which means that I am at the highest level of competitive cycling you can do. I race professionally, but am not a pro yet (kind of like when practice squad players get brought up in week 6 to replace an injured player.)
When I graduate in May, I intend to continue with Gripped Films, further my personal freelance business, and pursue racing professionally for a few years.
This class looks like it will help me further understand how the internet is changing and how it can be used to benefit business, my own personal life and gather and distribute information more effectively and efficiently.
In 2008 I joined a small, but well established and award winning, independent film group, Gripped Films. They produce, outdoor documentaries, corporate videos, and ad pieces. After signing on as not much more than a deck hand, I traveled to Alaska for a 15-day shoot in the Tongas National Rain Forrest boating and flying via sea plane from island to island capturing the beautiful and diverse wildlife of the region.
Embarking on a new project with Gripped Films in 2009 my duties were no longer, "Here's your coffee sir," but rather I was working side by side the producers. What started out as a dare between the two producers became one of the most well received documentaries in its genre. We spent two months abroad in France, Italy, Spain, Monaco, and Switzerland shooting Chasing Legends - a deep into the number 1 team in the world at the Tour de France, Team HTC-Columbia. We were stuffed into their back pockets filming every move.
After a year of strenuous work, the film was complete in time for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California and since the theatrical premiere, Chasing Legends has sold out nearly every theatre it has stopped at along its independent film tour.
With Gripped Films my duties included, shooting, editing multiple special features, designing, creating, and managing out online presence, design and scheduling of ads, all general promotional efforts, scheduling events, and keeping the producers form killing each other :-P.
When I am not working or in school, I am also a cyclist. I am a "Category 1" racer which means that I am at the highest level of competitive cycling you can do. I race professionally, but am not a pro yet (kind of like when practice squad players get brought up in week 6 to replace an injured player.)
When I graduate in May, I intend to continue with Gripped Films, further my personal freelance business, and pursue racing professionally for a few years.
This class looks like it will help me further understand how the internet is changing and how it can be used to benefit business, my own personal life and gather and distribute information more effectively and efficiently.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)