Thursday, November 30, 2006
How to Conquer the Chinese Market
Reporters without Borders believe that Yahoo! and Google “should refrain from censoring their search tools” and avoid denying the Chinese Internet-users their freedom of expression. Yahoo!, unfortunately, has been censoring its Chinese-language search-engine for several years in their effort to conquer the Chinese market. However, Google has not yet decided to censor its search engine which led the Chinese authorities to filter Google’s search results by themselves. This was difficult for them to execute successfully by themselves.
It was because of their struggles to censor Google’s search engine that they decided to block Google’s web site instead. Access to Google’s search-engine “was blocked for a week in September 2002 by the Chinese authorities.” The Chinese Internet-users were redirected to baidu.com which is the Chinese version of Google, except it censors all information that criticizes the Chinese government.
Reporters without Borders supports Google as well as other Internet search engines that refuse to censor its information to its visitors. But Google now seems ready to follow Yahoo’s! lead and "mak[e] compromises [with Chinese authorities] that directly threaten[s] freedom of expression." Google’s decision to censor its search engine may be an attempt to conquer the Chinese market just like Yahoo! did.
Internet Terrorists
Aaron Weisburd is the creator of a organization that gears towards trying to stop terrorism on the internet. He prides himself in being able to stop the pro-terrorism websites that exist and/or that are being created on the internet, mainly by islamic radicals.
"Weisburd said he and his supporters are responsible for dismantling at
least 650 and as many as 1,000 sites he regards as threatening, especially
Islamic radical sites."
Weisburd does this daily. He wakes up at 5am and has dedicated his day trying to stop these internet terrorists. He has even sacraficed his own way of living to literally save others. He quit his steady job to allow himself more time with stoping internet terrorists;him & his wife are just getting by. And although most people admire the job that this man has chosen, there are still those who feel as if "he is making more trouble that he is doing good."
The government agencies believe that this is a job that should be left to them.
"Marshall Stone, a spokesman for the FBI, said that while the agency
encourages citizens to report alleged wrongdoing, it believes any attempt to
stop criminals should be left to the government. Without due process, evidence
could be tainted and become unusable in court cases or, worse, targets could be
condemned as guilty when they are really innocent, said Paul Kurtz, executive
director of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, a coalition of tech company
chief executives. "When we all become 'law enforcement officers' justice becomes
very blurry," he said."
Cheap Laptops for the Masses
For $150, Third-World Laptop Stirs a Big Debate - New York Times
The New York Times is reporting on the debate created a plan to put cheap laptops into the hands of poor children around the world. Is this a naive technological fix to the complex problem of educating the global poor? Or is this a necessary, but not sufficient attempt to bridge the global digital divide?
Google Takes On Copyright Laws
09:46 AM Sep. 18, 2005 PT
"With Google's book-scanning program set to resume in earnest this fall, copyright laws that long preceded the internet look to be headed for a digital-age test. The outcome could determine how easy it will be for people with internet access to benefit from knowledge that's now mostly locked up -- in books sitting on dusty library shelves, many of them out of print."
In the end, Google will control everything. If you lose your car keys: just Google it. If you put your socks in the dryer and a few were missing when it was done: they're probably on Google somewhere. It seems impossible that anyone can stop such a profittable company from progressing toward better search results with such high demand from the public. People want easy access with minimal effort. If you think anyone in my generation is going to spend countless hours searching multiple library card catalogs, you are damn wrong. We are e-generation. And soon, Google will be a part of us--like the cell phone--one day implanted into our brains so that we can finally complete the symbiotic connection that we have so long desired. The card catologue is dead along with searching for your wallet. Why try? Just Google it.
"Jonathan Zittrain, an internet legal scholar affiliated with Oxford and Harvard universities, says the book-scanning dispute comes down balancing commercial and social benefits.
'From the point of view of the publishers, you can't blame them for playing their role, which is to maximize sales," he said. "But if fair use wasn't found, (Google) would never be able to do the mass importation of books required to make a database that is socially useful.'"
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,68901,00.html
Google Roadblock up ahead
Google is taking an ultra-ambitious step toward cyber spacing libraries by scanning millions of texts and placing them on-line for viewing in a digital library. Legality issues aside, does anyone see anything wrong here….Does anyone enjoy reading print anymore. Books such as War and Peace or any of the Harry Potter’s even are meant to be read in a rocking chair, with a dim light, maybe some hot chocolate and a blanket to keep your warm….Well maybe not exactly that way but one can catch me drift….One’s library will soon turn into a cyber café. War and peace on the computer is like Filet Migion from the microwave with ketchup on it.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Search: The Next Frontier
John Battele, author of a book on Search, maintains a blog on the "intersection of search, media, technology" It is worth a look.
The Web Under Surveillance!
A report by media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders) has informed us about the internet being “seriously curtailed” under surveillance ever since 9/11 attack. The government has limited the web to make certain information public.
"One year after the tragic events in
Countries with traditionally poor records on human rights, such as
"Since the 11 September attacks, these 'enemies' of the internet have taken advantage of the international drive against terrorism to strengthen the police and legal machinery they have installed to put the internet under surveillance. They are also using it to step up pressure on cyber-dissidents," said Mr Coriou.
CIA's Internet War Exercise Wraps Up Today
Chinesse hackers hit offical Japan sites
"Dozens of Japanese official Web sites, including the Foreign Ministry, National Police Agency, Japan Coast Guard and Defense Agency, and some official Taiwan Web sites were shut down, the report says". This shows how they wanted to protect them selves and shut it off to protect themeselves to make sure nothing bad happened. Its scary to think about how your computer could get hacked and a person could lose a lot of their things on their computer thats pretty scary.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Anti-terrorist measures “threaten web freedom”-
“RSF argued the campaign against terrorism and the resulting tightening of security has caused governments to clamp down on the free flow of information on the web”
I definitely agree with what the RSF has argued. I feel that ever since September 11 there has been a numerous amount of things that have been taken off the internet and many things have been limited in what the public can see. People arent given as much freedom anymore all because of terrorists...
Armed with Right cellphone, anyone can be a journalist-
“it allows our audience to be true eyewitnesses,” said Kenny Plotnik, vice president and news director wabc., who said he was riveted by cellphone photos from the long subway bombings and from areas hit by hurricane dennis.”
Like I said a bove although it lets the audience be an eyewitness it can also be dangerous at the same time.
I agree with what WABC’s says. “ wabc’s requests for viewer submissions caution people not to endanger themselves to get a good shot “
Another good quote in the article is “eyewitnesses tend to see things differently from how they really occurred,” he said. “they are sometimes really inarticulate about describing it, and even if they are articulate and have good vision, the best they can do is translate it into words,”
Anti-terrorist 'threaten web freedom'
There have been many different countries trying to take advantage of the power of the internet.
Over the past few months the Chinese government has closed 14,000 internet cafes and imprisoned 30 people over their use of the internet,
That right there makes no sense to me. Why is the chinese government trying to deprive their people of better themselves and learning. I feel like they are trying to keep them at a level where they won't be able to revolt against their government.
Chinese Hackers Attack on Japans Major Sites
The Japan Times reported a rivalry against the Chinese and Japanese Hackers. It has reported that Chinese hackers have launched organized cyber-attacks on dozens of official Web sites in
“The paper said the sabotage was in retaliation for a Japan-based attack on the Web site of the
I declare cyber war
I never thought that the u.s. military would ever have any interest in today's video games. but technology proves itself once again. there's this 195,000 dollar program that enables people to play a simulated war game. its such a realistic enviroment that even though the graphics aren't up to par, the scenerio's leave some people addicted. Its crazy to see how some of these men are actually taking two weeks off at a time. They say that this simulator is helpful for the military because it allows to get a glimpse of what its like to use not only standard but new and improved weapons as well. but I dont with this statement...
"This is something that is good for the defense of this country," said Davis. "It allows us to optimize the way our military is used so we don't have to destroy our young men. We're saving young men's lives."
seriously, I dont think there saving lives but nonetheless, I think its good to see the convergance of video games and the military through technology. it also shows that video games are going to play key role in demonstrations and training courses for the years to come.
The Game of War.
"Developed by the U.S. Joint Forces Command, or JFCom, a division of the
Department of Defense, the $195,000 program is a combat simulation on a massive
scale. It pits two opposing teams of soldiers against one another in a fight for
control over a city under siege, and it's capable of modeling the behavior of
the nearly 1 million entities -- the soldiers, civilians, cars, tanks and so on
-- that might exist in such a conflict. "
With out playing, i can assume this game is simply amazing. The way it allows you to really feel like you are in the war and have control of how you will take down the opposing team in various ways. For instance, you have to think of any way that you can help your own team or bring down the other. It sounds like it makes you really think and thats more to say than most games.
"The graphics make it look like a video game from a previous generation,"
said Lucas. "But the scenarios are realistic enough that my blood pressure goes
up."
Created by a division of the department of defense, this game is as real as it gets. Moreover, developers and game testers really believe that this is a good way to save young men from dying unneccessarily in the war.
"This is something that is good for the defense of this country," said
Davis. "It allows us to optimize the way our military is used so we don't have
to destroy our young men. We're saving young men's lives."
The Internet: A New Tool for Terrorists
September 11, 2001.
“The campaign against terrorism and the resulting tightening of security has caused governments to [limit] the free flow of information on the web.” For example, countries like “china, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Vietnam…have taken advantage of the international drive against terrorism to strengthen the police and loyal machinery they have installed to put the Internet under surveillance.” Some countries retain email records which turn “Internet service providers and telephone companies into “a potential arm of the police.”
Restrictions on freedoms are exactly the kinds of measures governments are taking. It seems that they are using September 11th as an excuse to monitor and restrict people from accessing information.
"Hackers Attack Via Chinese Web Sites"
“Web sites in China are being used heavily to target computer in the Defense Department and other U.S. agencies, successfully breaching hundreds of unclassified networks, according to several U.S officials."
Some members of the Pentagon in the United States are very concerned about computer attack systems by the Chinese military. The Pentagon has no doubt that many Chinese officials has been involved in such an illegal matter. Some Chinese officials were interviewed but they avoided to giving any information concerning this serious problem that involved the United States authorities. The FBI stated that the case is under investigation and they declined to provide any further information. There was a Chinese official that was aware of the problem, but he said that there was no proof of these computer systems attacks. The same officer that represents the People’s Republic of China said, “Is this an orchestrated campaign by PRC or just a bunch of disconnected hackers? We just can’t say at this point.”
The Pentagon is working in taking action and to adopt new detection software programs. At the same time, the U.S. officials are implementing a better training of computer security professionals.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
CIA Internet War Exercise
The government's most recent intelligence assessment of future threats through the year 2020 said cyberattacks are expected, but terrorists ''will continue to primarily employ conventional weapons.'' Authorities have expressed concerns about terrorists combining physical attacks, such as bombings, with hacker attacks to disrupt communications or rescue efforts.
With terrorism is becoming more frequent in todyas world, covering all aspects of it may help the U.S in the long run. While the terrorist may not be focusing on the cyber attacks now, with our country becoming more advanced in the cyber world and turning to computer systems to run everything imaganable, attacking the cyber world may be the terrorist next idea. And it's better to be prepared now than to be sorry and unprepared when it happens.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
When War Games Meet Video Games
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65403,00.html
Friday, November 24, 2006
A Video Game That Could Save Lives
“The tests focus mainly on helping military leaders determine which types of sensors-CIA agents, spy planes, listening devices and so on- are best for tracking enemy forces that are hiding in a modern city. These future testing phases, scheduled for 2005 and 2006, will focus on confining the enemy forces in a part of the city, and on directly battling the enemy, respectively.”
Because of Urban Resolve, the military has become increasingly better at doing their jobs.” This tool could on day give the United States military the upper hand in urban conflicts akin to the ones currently taking place in Iraq.” Realism is not the only reason military leaders like the simulator. It also gives them a chance to peek into the future by introducing weapons and tools that do not yet exist into their battle scenarios.
Urban Resolve is versatile. “The soldiers and the buildings in the system could be replaced with almost any characters in any scene. This could help law enforcement agencies determine the best possible ways to deal with crowds. For the police in the
This reveals that Urban Resolve is a good tool that could benefit the defense of our country. It could one day give the
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
New Political tool;Text messaging
"In tech-savvy nations like South Korea, but more so in controlled societies like China and the Middle East, text messaging has been fomenting what some experts call a "mobile democracy." Because it is unmonitored and cheap, it provides an underground channel for succinct uncensored speech. Demonstrators use it to mobilize protests, dodge authorities, and fire off political spam. It has also enabled them to engineer collective action at unprecedented speed".
The article shows how in these countries these politcial tool of text messaging is very important and very helpful by getting information out to the world.
"In nations such as China, where the Internet is censored, cellphones may play an even more important role. They're one of the few means to get the word out without being monitored. China also happens to have the largest cellphone market, with approximately 350 million users. Last December, 12,000 Chinese workers went on strike against a supplier of Wal-Mart. Although they weren't part of a union, they mobilized through the use of SMS".
Its interesting to see how important cellphones are becuase that are not that expensive. "A fisherman in China might not have a computer, but he has a mobile phone which tells him which port to fish, the market prices, and so on". This once again shows how much a cellphone is needed and how they don't need a computer as much as they need a cell phone.
Cellphones have been a great tool with the use of being able to contact people and now with text messaging it allows people to get information about things. It is a great tool and is very helpful in our world today
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
www III
"A group of Chinese hackers has launched organized cyber-attacks on dozens of official Web sites in Japan and Taiwan in response to a Japanese attack on a Chinese site last month"
*ZOOM!* *BANG BANG BANG!* *WOOSH!*. so here i am on the scene. i'm deep inside a reinforced bunker. i have to prepare myself because World War III has just begun. I grab my water, some supplies, my book of ammo and my bag. i rush onto the field amongst all the chaos. the enemy is waiting for us to retaliate. i take a deep breath and pull out my trusty... computer? *BOOM!* *WOOSH* *HARDRIVE SPINS* *56k MODEM SOUNDS!*
the keys of a keyboard are clacking like amunition. it seems that the next war that is waiting to begin is the cyber war. sure "cyber war" is quite clique but it seems that it may be coming true. the peopel are not looking for the strongest, broadest, and best fit people that the country can offer. it seems the roles have changed. maybe the most useful fighter is now the nerdy IT guy telling you coordinates behind the computer.
i think it's interesting that people from one country are "retaliating" against those of another through the computer. the chinese decided to take out japanese "bases" of communication as their strategy. troops of chinese and japanese cyber-warriors have begun to form amist this devious act of trafficing. more and more, these cyber battles have been being fought all around the net. of course in this case it's really just flooding a site with traffic as their means of victory, but for those on the inside, it's just another battle won for their pride and their computer.
sounds epic doesn't it.
Citizens do media for themselves
"JD Lasica's Ourmedia is a place online where anyone can publish their own
digital home movie, music, photos, or even plain old blog for free."This "ourmedia" allows people to publish and upload anything they would like with the exception of pornography and copyrighted material through creative commons license which is a means where the publisher themselves can determine the terms and use of their material.
"Traditional media needs to transform and evolve and open the doors so they are not lecturing us, but having conversation with us," says JD and I agree.
Another [Fire]Wall is Falling
Is this necessarily a bad thing? In the past, we (the U.S.) went to war with communism and facism because of our belief in power of democracy to ensure global security. In nations that attempt to prevent the spead of liberating ideas to the public--such as China--it seems to be in our interest as a nation which symbolizes liberty, to promote the breaking down of walls that prohibit the spead of democracy across the globe. But will democracy in countries like China even work? Will we really trust nations that do not share the exact same values as our own even after such walls are broken. Knowledge is power, and firewalls prevent that knowledge from getting to the people. Once the door is open and just a bit of light comes through, the desire for more is overwhelming. It's only a matter of time before this occurs, and it's apparent that there are people (hackers) who want to provide access to such liberating ideas, foreign to the people who are blocked from these freedoms.
http://www.metamute.org/en/Another-Fire-Wall-is-Falling
Lobbyists Advertise Positions on the ‘Net.
The article entitled, “For Activist Constituents, Click Here,” revealed the power of the Internet as a useful tool that is used by lobbyists. "The Internet can be a very useful tool both to identify and to motivate people to express support to members of Congress." Lobbyists are using interactive advertisements that enable people to contact members of congress and include them in a congressional debate.
The Roundtable, a group of lobbyists were able to track how many people its ad had attracted. They were also able to identify what they were willing to do on the issue’s behalf and where they resided by Zip code and therefore, by congressional district. This information allows lobbyists to pursue the people who have participated in the congressional debate and ask for their opinion “on similar issues for years to come.” Lobbyists could see which ads were working by looking at how much traffic its Web site receives. Only the ads that attracted the most clicks continued to run. The other ads stop running because they received fewer visitors.
Despite the benefits of these interactive ads, there are some downfalls that prove that this new method of lobbying does not replace the traditional methods of lobbying methods. For example, “the Internet ads attracted constitutes primarily from the East and West coasts,” not many people from the middle states, which was where the Roundtable needed them the most. Lobbyists will continue to use these interactive advertisements to get people to participate in the congressional debate but lobbying will always be lobbying. The Internet makes interaction easy for people who live in different parts of the world but direct personal contacts are still needed.
Citizens, Get Ready to Aim, Click, and Send News Footage to WABC-TV
News organizations have always encouraged its viewers to provide information about stories they have witnessed. But new technological devices like cellphone cameras have made it easy for citizens to become journalists and assist reporters in the newsgathering process.
This new phenomenon of viewer participation is made easy with these portable, hand held devices. It all began when terrorist attacked the
This event sparked this new demand for viewers to take pictures or record any event that occurs. They are encouraged to report and send this information to television news broadcasting companies like WABC-TV. The news station’s anchors are requesting its viewers to send in any pictures or video clips but “caution people not to endanger themselves to get a good shot and warn that their cellphone carrier may charge them for sending data.”
Monday, November 20, 2006
If you can't beat 'em . . . Yahoo Coup
The New York Times reports that Yahoo has created a partnership with 176 newspapers to form an enormous network of information:
"A consortium of seven newspaper chains representing 176 daily papers acrossThe wave of mergers, acquisitions and partnerships continues as new media and old media are seeking alliances to confront the increasingly competitive media market.
the country is announcing a broad partnership with Yahoo
to share content, advertising and technology, another sign that the wary
newspaper business is increasingly willing to shake hands with the technology
companies they once saw as a threat. "
Friday, November 17, 2006
Citizen Journalism
Thursday, November 16, 2006
America's Un-Funniest Home Videos
ABC should read, Please Register your Cell-phone….With so many new gadgets out there today, news of all kinds are being caught digitally. The AVERAGE JOE is now a journalist on the street. But at what cost? Granted footage of many kinds have been taped and been used to great use, but also footage is also being filmed often in harms way and often at the expense of many individuals privacy… "Got a cell phone camera? You, too, can be a television journalist. The news staff of WABC-TV, the ABC affiliate in
Think You Can Handle It?
The news article that I have just read is about a group of teens who had started a simple site called "Your mom" that had the inspiration into a younger audience.
Cell Phone Journalists
"Got a cellphone camera? You, too, can be a television journalist. The news
staff of WABC-TV, the ABC affiliate in New York, started soliciting cellphone
pictures and amateur video last week from people who witness a news event.
"
It is pretty amazing how far we have come in technology. Take a look at all the gadgets we are surrounded by today and the capabilities they have, its quiet astonoshing to see that so much can be done with these tiny electronic devices. One of the most common feature these days is the camera, with the sudden larger importance and widespread interest that people have been putting on photography, cameras or photo devices are everywhere. The most popular : the camera cell phone.
WABC is giving people the ability to not only watch the news but to take part in the news. If you have a cell phone with the camera feature, you can be a journalist (so to say) for ABC. And not only do you get recognition but of course it helps them aswell.
"ABC hopes that broadcasting images contributed by the public will give it
an advantage over its competitors. It "is a way to have something nobody else
will have," Mr. Thompson said."
Lessons of Internet age
The time of old regular news broadcast is over. The new age is here. Most news networks are depending more on their audience to help them with certain news stories. By people now taking pictures of different things and sending it in to the networks, it makes the audience feel like they are apart of the news instead of the old fashioned way were the newscasters are just speaking to us.
"If a network does not find easy ways to incorporate viewer-contributed content into broadcasts, it can rest assured that another network will, which has pushed the evolution of citizen content forward more quickly."
Certain networks have already used citizen journalism like NBC. They used it for the 2004 elections. Soon ABC will open up a a website that will allow viewers to submit images and video. This will encourage people to go out their and film their own news. Is that a good idea or bad idea?
Lessons of an Internet age
--Joe Light, Globe Correspondent
The potential for the public to contribute content that would aid in the news would be extremely beneficial to the relationship between broadcast and audience. In addition, the images that would not normally be available to the public are available. These television shows on the SpikeTV network which provide the viewer with a collection of intense video that was capted by personal video cameras are appealing because we're able to see footage of events that we would otherwise not see.
"In the next couple of months, ABC plans to create a website that will allow viewers to submit images and video. Slavin expects that some of that material will make it on the air but worries that the network will also eventually start to receive fake material."
Well, they only tell us what they want us to know anyway...Some people believe that the moon landing in 1969 was a fraud. In an era such as this, news organizations can't possibly rely on sending the reporting team to the site of a developing story once word of the story arrives. Reporters need to be equipped with the technology that will enable them to report on a story if they were to accidentally stumble upon a developing event, or if they happened to just be down the block from an event unfolding. The video quality of compact cameras will certainly progress with innovation, and it's definately in the interest of reporters to have this mobile technology on hand at all times.
"If a network does not find easy ways to incorporate viewer-contributed content into broadcasts, it can rest assured that another network will, which has pushed the evolution of citizen content forward more quickly."
It's the footage that the individual on site posesses that will be the most intimate. We, the public, don't wanna see only the aftermath, we wanna see it happen to get a better sense of what it was to be there as the events unfolded. A reporter can get to the site of where a tornado had touched down and present the images, but the people wanna see the tornado touch down.
We wanna experience a day in Iraq from the street corner while sitting on the couch in the privacy of our homes. You hear about how many soldiers were killed in Iraq each day, but you don't hear how many Iraqis perished. You don't see the families destroyed with grief at the loss of a child. You don't see the men crying, after their wife--the woman they had loved since they were a child--is vaporized right in front of their eyes.
Not that we want to see gore. We don't want to see horror. But we do want to feel more intimate with the news, because it's important to have a better understanding of what it was like to have been there when it happened.
We wanna experience Hurricane Katrina and feel what these people are going through without actually being there ourselves. If we had seen footage of what went on in the Superdome, heads would have rolled for the lack of response to the hell these people went through.
The footage from the events of September 11th, 2001 were so breathtaking because we saw the events as they were happening. And while we all wish that we hadn't seen that happen, we will surely never forget what we saw that day. Those images will stay in our minds forever, and that's because it was almost as though we were there...
http://www.boston.com/business/personaltech/articles/2005/07/16/lessons_of_internet_age/
Paper Cuts
"Last month, seven major papers -- The New York Times, Boston Globe,
Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, San Jose Mercury News,
Newsday and The San Francisco Chronicle -- announced that they were
eliminating newsroom slots, some 450 in all."
There are other forms of media that will need to pick up the slack in order to serve our country to the extent we are accustomed to. But the media has become a business like everything else in this world and relies a lot on ads for their profit.
It will be a sad day when the only reason we are delivered a newspaper is for the advertisers to get into our homes."Worst, beyond its usefulness as a delivery vehicle for ads, content is
nothing but cost. As a media executive once told me, after inspecting a new
magazine I helped create: ''This is fine, but remember, it's only the envelope.'' His point: I was in the packaging business. In news and entertainment, ad support is now an issue. Advertisers themselves want to target messages with precision and measure effectiveness. Some are storming the fence between content and commercials; others are finding dedicated advertising channels -- from Craigslist to the Home Shopping Network -- cheaper and more effective than traditional media."
AOL's New Business Model: Free
The New York Times reports that AOL has given up on trying to be an ISP and will no longer seek out paying subscribers. The YAHOO/Google approach of free services in exchange for your attention appears to have won out.
The other issue raised in this article is the specter of another internet business bubble, leading the reader to ask: Is a crash on the horizon? Speculation is fueling this boom in start-ups like YouTube. Will the revenue from advertising alone be sufficient to meet these expectations for profit and growing revenue? Or is the business cycle of boom and bust a natural part of the this economic transformation? Long-term progress? Short-term Crash? Both?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
R.I.P Traditional Media
"It was a product of nervous energy back then," he said. "It came out of a city
room with noise and typewriters and thick smoke all through the joint. It was
horrible, terrible and unhealthy, and now they have computers that can do
wondrous things and everybody sits at them and bores the world. There used to be newspaper bars where everyone hung out and talked. Now they go to health clubs."
I dont think there will ever be a time without newspapers altogether. However, it is true that the "new media" is taking over the traditional media. People are addicted to computers and who wants to pick up a paper and read when you can get that same paper online.
"The only person who even touches the cabinets is the blind proprietor of
the lobby newsstand who guides himself along the cabinets to the press room
bathroom."
"Newspaper writing was better then than now, Mr. Breslin said, because "the
language has been hurt by the computer."
I guess it is unfortunate for those who actually still hold jobs in fields of traditional media , being that they are slowly being pushed away into this new media. Maybe the best move would be to pick up an interest in the new media and work with that if not many people are going to be left out of jobs if they don't give in.
the old way is GONE!
Back then, writing was more of a diary and you actual felt what the writer was saying. The story was real and told in a way or form that hasn't been completely carried out up to today.
Kilgannon says that newswriting was better then than it is now because of the computer. It't not the same and he's upset at the fact that evern though writers may have it way easier than they did back then, but the material is BORING.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Paper Cuts
I believe that we still need to print out newspapers because not everyone is privileaged to have a computer and the internet. I believe that we actually should have more journalists to cover all the topics of the world.
How Topix founders have raised the bar
"We might be lay people, but we can study the field," "That's what programmers do. This statment sums up what Rich skrenta and Chris Tolles do to excell in an unnatural feild, they learn everything they can about it and try to do it better than anyone else. What they really did was reinvent the box, and they did this in a few different ways. First and formost they intrusted mathamatical algorythmns to gather and agrogate local, national and world news from a variety of online sources. This descicion to intrust computers to do the job of what had up until this point been done by a human online editor was a quinntiessial decision and has proved to be the corner stone of the operation. First, if a computer gathers the info, no human can be held accountable for it's content. This creats a buffer between topix founders and anyone who would grip over the sites content. They can always hide behind the code. Second by constantly updating and refining the algorthymns topix founders have been able to keep the operation simple compaired to newsgroups who have to hire many more employees just to deal with and orginize the information gathered. In comparision these algorthymns are doing to internet editors what mass production did to factory workers in the earluy 1900's. It's an example of how programmers are creating competition between humans and technology. Topix founders have coded information gathering programs well enough to have the content relevent to the demographic that views it. This happends in a few ways.
The site operates with cookies, as most sites do. The difference with topix is that they use the info gathered by the cookies to its potential. Lets say you like music and the first few times you visited topix you found yopur way to music revelent content. Well the next time you visit the site you can expect music content to be featured on the topix site just for you where you sister who is more interested in the love and love lost in hollywood would find featured gossip colomns on her topix front page. Keeping it relevent and consistaint is what keeps people clicking back to topix. Another detail orentied improvment was in the advertising.
It is such a turn off to read an article only to have a loosly realated ad shoved in your face. At least make the ad more relevent. I think of a fine retailer whose montra is not the hard sell but rather to make people aware of what they might need. The topix founders shared a rather humerous examples of bad ad relevence. The one that sticks out in my mind was the story of a washed up suit case full of body parts on the hudson. The accompanying ad was for, you guessed it luggage! Man I had a good laugh at that one. what shut me up was the idea the topix guys used to raise ad revenue. If you have a review of a cd, then make the cd avalible for sale on that same page. It seems like a no brainer but so many sites don't go that extra mile the way the topix guys do.
What topix has done is found a good balance between human and technology based descisions. By finding this happy medium they have maximized the potetial which keeping their payroll surprisingly low. Hats off to these visionaries.
Yahoo Hybrid
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
CBS News Revamps Web Site, Adding Critical Blog and Videos
As part of an ambitious attempt to update there website they have had a broad array of free video news produced just for its website, according to CBS. CBS also stated that they would introduce a Web Log to comment on CBS's newscasts, both online and on air.
In the article it states that Vaughn Ververs, who had been the editor of Hotline, a website covering politics, the new blog, called Public Eye, will assemble questions from viewers, criticism from blogs and other sources, and immediately bring in reactions from the CBS newsroom.
Mr. Ververs will be able to interview CBS correspondents and executives and even bring cameras into the network's daily news meetings.
The move comes after the credibility of CBS News was called into question last fall when it broadcast a report that President Bush had inappropriately used political influence to escape National Guard duty. It later acknowledged that the report was based on documents it could not authenticate.
The announcement of wider online efforts for CBS News also provides it with what Larry Kramer, the president of CBS Digital Media, called a "cable news bypass." CBS does not have the broader outlet for its news gathering available to rivals like NBC and Fox, which also run cable news networks.
"It is clear to us that the public has moved to the Internet as the place they go when they want to get information because they can get the news whenever they want it and how they want it," Mr. Kramer said.
According to CBS, they have decided to treat its website much the way other networks treat their cable networks. Its correspondents and producers will create video news reports throughout the day that will be distrubuted only on its website. In addition, web users will be able to see most of the breaking news reports used on the networks daily broadcasts, though they will not be able to watch the entire programs.
CBS will NOT be hiring new reporters for this effort, but it is doubling the staff of its Internet news division to 60 people from 30 so it can edit and produce the new video segments. This will cost several million dollars a year.
For years, every television news organization has made some video news available over the Internet, but their approaches have varied. CBS and NBC have mainly offered free video with advertising. ABC and CNN have charged fees for their videos, but last month CNN reversed course to make most of its video free in an effort to tap into the growing market for Internet video advertising.
Technology improvements and the widespread adoption of high-speed connections have made the experience of watching video on computer screens far more satisfying. And as the audience for Internet video grows, advertisers have embraced the new online video services as new outlets for their television commercials.
So who wants to be a Pirate?
A recent estimate in the Chicago Tribune (March 25, p. VII: 4) indicated that computer manufacturers estimate the cost of computer piracy at over $4 billion annually
It may be illegal, although most states have laws providing a grey area between archiving (storing) and use. But, is it UNETHICAL? We think not. We challenge the claim that pirates cost software manufactures any lost revenue, and will argue that they spread the word for high quality products.
So what's a pirate? A pirate is somebody who believes that information belongs to the people. Just as a book can be zeroxed or placed in a library to be shared, pirates provide a type of library service. The experienced pirate even acts as a tutor in helping those who may have purchased warez. We don't bitch about serving as unpaid consultants to the computer industry, and we don't wouldn't think to request payment for our services. By providing a user-friendly network of information sharers, we increase computer literacy which is in everybody's mutual interests.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Tv nEWS!!!
Computer Piracy
According to the Chicago Tribute," A recent estimate indicated that computer manufactures estimate the cost of computer piracy at ove $4 billion annually."
computer piracy is not only unethical, but it is also illegal in many states in America and across the world. The pirate problem occurs because many people can not effort expensive computer programs. On the other hand, computer piracy can tremendously impact the economic industry. However, pirates do not believe that they are doing anything wrong; they think that this information belongs to them.
MEDIA & MARKETING
"In a contest between man and machine, traditional news Web sites are facing competition from online challengers that employ computers as editors -- Google Inc. being the prime example.
But challenging them all is the news site of Yahoo Inc., a hybrid that pairs human oversight with automation and serves up news from multiple sources. In six of the past 14 months, Yahoo's news site has drawn more unique visitors than any rival, displacing longtime news leader CNN.com, according to research firm Nielsen/NetRatings."
In an era when efficient is more important than tradition, links will likely continue to change the way that news is organized. Perhaps the distribution of news stories will be done through one organization or company--like Yahoo--and the collection of news will only be done by another source, instead of the two--reporting and presentation--being joined under one roof. But what news sources can we trust? Is there any difference between subjectively choosing news sources which we--the reader--feel are reliable based on our past experience, and having Yahoo's editiors do this for us? How much should we trust companies like Yahoo?
"By contrast with Yahoo News, which has no reporters, Time Warner Inc.'s CNN.com relies on hundreds of CNN correspondents and producers for articles, complemented by reports from the AP and Reuters. A CNN spokeswoman says its site ranks "consistently at the top" of online-news rankings and benefits from the growth in online news."
The New York Times can charge it's readers more than the competition for their news because of the quality that they provide. But free news is available online. Can we forfeit the best news for that which is free and easy to access? How will the journalists be paid? Does this mean that the journalist is only as credible as the blogger?
"The editors monitor stories arriving from news organizations, choose headlines for Yahoo's home page, and pull together links to stories on big topics."
I'm so glad I decided not to pursue a career in newspaper journalism!
CBS
Since CBS's obvious struggle since last year they have tried several ways
to stay afloat against Fox and NBC nightly news. The addition of Katie
Couric seemed to give the show new life and a younger audience, which they were
aiming for, but the people saw right threw it and CBS finds itslef dwindling
once again.
"As part of an ambitious attempt to revive CBSNews.com with a broad array of free video news produced just for its Web site, CBS said today that it would also introduce a Web log to comment on CBS's newscasts, both online and on air."
The introductin of the weblog may be the best move of CBS in order to grab
attention. They are realizing the importance of feedback and the use of the
internet to be more in depth and the ability to interact with their viewers. The weblog along with daily broadcasts that cannot be seen on t.v. may just be the idea that brings CBS up to par in the nightly news market. If you fail, try and try again."The announcement of wider online efforts for CBS News also provides it with
what Larry Kramer, the president of CBS Digital Media, called a "cable news
bypass." CBS does not have the broader outlet for its news gathering available
to rivals like NBC and Fox, which also run cable news networks."
Hanging on to an uncomfortable past
I found Mr. Bugeja's views on traditional vs. current methods of information gathering sad, the same way I would a twelve year old hanging on to his/her blanky is sad. Thats not to say that fundementals of journalism should be forsaken mind you. The fact of the matter is that the industry of news media is shifting in result of the the resources avalible. If Mr. Bugeja was teaching a math class would he stop after additon and subtraction for fear of the diluting and lazy effects of multiplication and division? I hope not. Mr. Bugeja is right that in institutions the fundementals should be taught. Good old fashioned information gathering should not be a lost art, but lets face some facts. Technology has shortened the distance from A to B and made breaking news and information more avalible to reporters who would have had to possably travel to get information. Rather than follow a story by foot they can do so by broadband connection, or connect to the source who is doing the footwork. Since technology has become such a big part of the process the speed in which news breaks is strides ahead of what it once was. The biggest problem in my eyes is the amount of jobs lost and drowned in the wake of technologies romance with news media. But, there is little or nothing to do but adjust and conform. How many number crunchers in the 80 lost careers to computers? How many factory workers and craftsmen lost jobs to machines throughout history?
Technology has always had the purpose to do a job better than the way it had been done before, reguardless if it was a human who had that job. Shop at Ikea or Waldbaums in long Beach and you can, if you want be rung by an automated cashier( if paying by credit card). It seems that the heavy hand of technology has reached journalism and grass roots like Mr. Bugeja are fighting it. Rather than fight it, or cautsion it an effort in the direction of chnage should be made. Institutions should try to develope new curriculum that applies to today's industry standards while retaining the grass roots methods as a foundation the way simple addition and subtractions are the basis of all things math. Swim with the trends and shifts because if not you'll have an upstream battle that will sure put you behind or drown you in its wake. And really, what is more comfortable than being prepared?
Monday, November 06, 2006
Where Scoops Go to Die
I don't see how this new age of computers would get rid of the great news articles that would be written. I just think now the great news articles are being written on the internet and because of that it isn't as prints and more forgotten than a real newspaper article.
Bangalore No More
"The city in southwest India, capital of Karnataka, will officially use the local Kannada language name Bengaluru from now on, chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the state's formation."
The article website is http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061102/wl_sthasia_afp/indiatechnologybangaloreoffbeat_061102063241.
Bill Gates of the 1970's was onto something...
So Bill Gates wants hobbyists to stop stealing software and pay their dues. The point that most of you were missing was that this was written by Bill Gates on February3, 1976. He wasn't rich yet, the date was in the top corner. you're welcome.
Haha! Let me tell you, the past comments on digrevo about this issue are very funny. It's easy for you to say, "Hey Bill, you're rich. Let us have it for free!" What does that first say about hobbyist and consumers in general? You're cheap. How does that reflect towards people who program with hundreds of man hours involved? It seems that this article really shows more than the issue but also comments on human nature.
I'll do a little question and answer monolouge to make some things clear.Why do people plagerize? Because we're lazy. Why do people cheat on tests? Because we don't want to do the work that's involved in getting a good grade. Why do we chose to wain in mediocrity rather than flurish as something of use in this world? Well, because we're young adults stuck in the world of status-quo. Well Dan, what is the status-quo of the average American person? LAZY.
I hope without directly talking about this article i've made clear why i agree with it and what Bill Gates was urging programmers of the time to do. It's simply not fair to the people who go through hours of programming your World of Warcraft and Photoshop CS2 to be payed nothing in the end. Next time i visit your bakery entrapenuership, i'll be sure to shoplift a cake or 2 and bring it to a back sale, because shouldn't everyone have the right to free cake and profit of your work?
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Telecommunications
In this Wall Street Journal Article by: Shawn Young: Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin spearheads a project to invest close to one billion to help build rental housing with high-speed Internet access for family with low incomes. While there is a five-year plan to accomplish these goals, time and the gap are growing. Children from these low income families “often have Internet access only at school or not at all. That puts them at an academic disadvantage and can lead to setbacks later, since many jobs are now posted only online.” This is a common occurrence scattered across much of the denser, less-populated, non-metropolitan areas of the
Thursday, November 02, 2006
CBS News Revamps Web Site
is about the new features that are offered on the CBS News Web site.
CBS has decided to take advantage of the new digital revolution. They redesigned its Web site by allowing its visitors to read the news stories that are posted, watch an excerpt of news stories and even post blogs that enable them to write their reactions to stories they have heard or read on their Web site.
Web users will be able to see most of the breaking-news reports online because CBS news producers have created video news reports that will be hosted by Bob Schieffer, one of the anchors on the "CBS Evening News."
These video news reports are a somewhat shorter version of television news reports because “television stations prohibit the network from relaying most of its broadcast programs over the Internet.”
In addition, the CBS News Web site also enables people to post blogs so that online viewers can comment on certain news stories that they have either read or viewed on the CBS News website.
It is clear that people are more likely to use the “Internet …when they want to get information because they can get the news whenever they want it and how they want it."
Now those there is a difference between the bootlergers who copy the miles of music and movies or what ever program they download and use it for their own profitable gain. "Pirates" are not after profit, the whole process works in a "you give a little to get a little"exchange of information. So why do people look at pirates in a negative way, is what their doing stealing? An excellent point is brought up in the article. What seems to be the difference from zeroxing a few pages from a library and downloading music.
The software industry is unlikely to acknowledge (or even recognize) the
contributions of pirates to their enterprise, and continue to view us as "the
enemy!"
Im tired of Bill gates
This was said by The CEO of Microsoft Bill gates. Bill gates to me is onw of the smartest sneakest people in the world. He is talking about how people are stealing software, and how that affects the market and all that. he also says that his people that are working on the software are getting cheated becuase they are doing all the work and the Hobbyist are just taking credit. I feel the hobbyist are hel[ping the public because they put it out there on the market so everybody can get it. If we get it from Bill Gates we will have to pay an arm and leg. Im tired of Bill Gates making so much money. Can he cut the little guys a break?
An Open Letter to Hobbyists
--Bill Gates
“What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free?”
Bill Gates—the richest man in the whole world—that’s who. Who is Bill Gates to be upset about the downloading of free software? I wonder if Gates would still feel this way 20 years after he had written this and has qauired tremendous wealth.
“I would appreciate letters from any one who wants to pay up, or has a suggestion or comment. Just write to me at 1180 Alvarado SE, #114, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87108. Nothing would please me more than being able to hire ten programmers and deluge the hobby market with good software.”
Wow. And now that you have hired ten programmers or more, you can fire them all because Windows sucks. Next computer I get is gonna be an Apple...
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Take my Privacy, Please!!!!
A
nnouncer The following is an OnStar conversation. (Ring)
OnStar OnStar emergency, this is Dwight.
Driver (crying) Yes, yes??!
OnStar Are there any injuries, ma'am?
Driver My leg hurts, my arm hurts.
OnStar O.K. I do understand. I will be contacting emergency services.
Announcer If your airbags deploy, OnStar receives a signal and calls to check on you.
(Ring)
Emergency Services Police.
OnStar This is Dwight with OnStar. I'd like to report a vehicle crash with airbag deployment on West 106th Street.
Emergency Services We'll send police and E.M.S. out there.
Driver (crying) I'm so scared!
OnStar O.K., I'm here with you, ma'am; you needn't be scared.
Many people think that O
Maroon 5 Makes Room on the IPod for Schoolwork
At the Brearley School, a private school for girls on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where Samantha is in the eighth grade, the IPod went from a "want" to a "must have" this year when its use was incorporated into foreign language and classics courses. For about 300 girls in grades 7 through 12, the IPod is now required to do homework and classroom assignments.
The 20-gigabyte iPod required by the school sells for $299 at stores but was made available to students for $269 through Brearley with Apple's education discount. Nonetheless, only 117 students purchased the device through the school, and 95 rented it from the school at a cost of $50 per year. The rest owned them already.
I cant believe how much things have changed since i was in grade school.. I remember getting the supply list for my classes and it only asking for us to buy a pen,pencil and notebook. Now schools are requiring parents to buy their children $269 iPods.
While Apple says Brearley's mandatory-iPod program is the first it has heard of at the secondary-school level, there have been comparable efforts at universities. This fall Duke issued an iPod to each of its 1,650 incoming freshmen and has tried to incorporate the device into several courses, including music, language and engineering. Last year, Georgia College & State University began lending the devices to students for use in several humanities courses.
I guess there is a positive side and a negative side to this story. First off the positive side of this story that they also stated in the article was that when a student records his or her voice while reading a textbook,etc they will better comprehend what they read when they go back to listen to it. Hearing it in there own voices will make then understand it better.
In my own opinion, although it can be very positive in some ways it can also be negative in other ways meaning that any student can go home and download music they like and could listen to it during class instead of listening to what the teacher has assigned you to listen to for class lectures and assignments
Telecommunications
Mr. Rubin is chairman of Local Initiatives Support Corp., a New York-based nonprofit group that helps provide capital and other resources to community groups. The nationwide project is aimed at helping people with low-incomes cross the digital divide by providing affordable housing with broadband, vouchers to buy computers, online training, and special community websites.
I think that what Mr.Rubin is doing is an extremely good idea and will definitely benefit for children from low income households.
I also think that it is definitely worth the investment and time to put all of this together.
Children from low income households often have Internet access only at school -- or not at all. That puts them at an academic disadvantage and can lead to setbacks later, since many jobs are now posted only online.
In the article it states that the project which is called Access@Home, will be funded by grants, low-interest loans and equity investments from the National Equity Fund, a Chicago based unit of Local Support Initiatives that seeks to steer investment in tax credits for building low income housing toward the local developments and community groups that need funding. The technology and training will be provided by One Economy Corp, a non profit company based in Washington DC that focuses on extending the benefits of technology to people on the lower economic rungs. Other contributors to the program include Cisco Systems Inc and Deutsche Bank.
The housing will be available to families earning no more then 60% of the median income for their area.
Who Wants To Be A Pirate
I personally believe that piracy is a double edged sword. What you might think is harmless in one case, might change when on a larger scale. I am sure everybody has made a copy of a cassette tape (for those older people) or a copy of a cd for a couple of friends but to us its just hooking up a friend. But when a person copies something and sells it for personal gain then we think its wrong. With the digital revolution I believe somebody will find a way to have sharing of products and software that will benefit the companies and the users.
Will we fight... or walk the plank?
The majority of people who buy computers have no idea how to use one. I mean how to really use them. How to configure them properly, and that sort of thing. So when things get rough they call on a technician. After all the work is done they realize that the work that was done cost so much money! So why not offer free online programs that might help them with there computer. why shouldnt we be able to share information. Isn't this the "information super highway"? but then again even though theres law to this, its not unethical. it simply a network of people who have something in common and they want to share with eachother.
So what's a pirate? A pirate is somebody who believes that information belongs to the people. Just as a book can be zeroxed or placed in a library to be shared, pirates provide a type of library service. The experienced pirate even acts as a tutor in helping those who may have purchased warez. We don't bitch about serving as unpaid consultants to the computer industry, and we don't wouldn't think to request payment for our services. By providing a user-friendly network of information sharers, we increase computer literacy which is in everybody's mutual interests.
Computer literacy is one of the biggest focuses of the new millenium. If its all about the digital revolution, then why not have these people inform without being critized. There doing this for free for crying out loud. These are people who are doing this out there heart. For the love of the new world. For that I say, "Keep Fighting... Keep Fighting...".
Paper Cuts
