Are We Digital Narcissists?

Posted on September 19, 2013 by The Author

Who influences us is important because they impact our choices and, hence, behaviors.

Blogging, which involves bypassing traditional publication outlets and making our ideas immediately available for public consumption, is, according to Andrew Keen, “digital narcissism.” 1

If Keen is right, then Tumbler.com has 101.7 million narcissists, WordPress has 63 million, Livejournal has 62.6 million bloggers who are “full of themselves,” Weebly, 12 million, and Blogster, 582,754 narcissists. 2

If you do the math, it adds up to a lot of narcissists.

What about company blogs?

If bloggers are show offs who want to “strut their stuff” and “fly in the face of convention,” so to speak, then how do we explain the fact that many of the biggest companies on earth have blogs?

JPMorgan Chase, GE and Johnson & Johnson, to name a few, have blogs. Does this mean that these corporate giants who encourage their qualified, and interested, employees to explain products and processes to us via blogs are narcissists?

I don’t agree with Mr. Keen’s assessment that people who blog, whether they be individuals or employees of large corporations, are “digital narcissists.” It’s obvious that blogs with quality content can do wonders for public relations that advertisement dollars simply cannot buy. If this were not the case, the largest companies on earth wouldn’t have blogs.

A new communications trend

I believe that bloggers are people who have understood the new trend in communications. Far from being “digital narcissists” or “digital mavericks,” they are individuals who are able to take advantage of the “new parlance,” the “new speak” of modern expression that is: well-crafted, instant, contains quality content, and offers relevant information.

Image Source: Progressive Buddhism: Narcissism

progressivebuddhism.blogspot.com/2011/01/narcissism.html

References

1 Strickland, Jonathan. “How Web 2.0 Works.” howstuffworks. 5. Accessed on September 19, 2013. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-204.htm

2 Pangburn, Eric. “How Many Blogs Are There?” Snitchim.com. Published on April 7, 2013. Accessed on September 19, 2013. http://snitchim.com/how-many-blogs-are-there/

The 5 Golden Rules to Success in Social Media

Posted on September 13, 2013 by The Author

Complete transparency When I interact with my Facebook friends, I keep in mind that whatever I post will be read by all. I do not, therefore, say anything that does not pass the test of complete transparency. Everything I post falls into the “public” category.
Focus on the task at hand There are many distractions in the world of social media. Although there’s nothing inherently wrong with playing games or chatting, these activities will take you off task. If you want to succeed in social media, avoid games and chat only when necessary.
Exercise discernment With so much going on in social media (i.e., ideas, images–moving and static–requests and advertisements), it’s important to exercise discernment before giving our approval. If something inside of you, let’s say your intuition, seems to stop you from clicking “like” or adding someone to your circle, pay attention.
Avoid controversy When dealing with thousands of people, it’s best to avoid controversy. You do so by remaining calm when someone says something you disagree with. Remember, freedom of expression is the order of the day in social media settings and this encompasses wide-ranging sets of opinions.
Be positive Facebook, for example, is a continuous stream of data (words and images). A person who visits your Page for the first time will see your most recent post first. It’s vital, therefore, to keep your data stream positive.

Image name: Social Media Logotype Background

Image source: wallscometumblingdown.wordpress.com/2013/04/…

What is the Cloud? (Part IV)

Posted on September 3, 2013 by The Author

In Part IV of my series, What is the Cloud?, I’d like to discuss the philosophy of cloud computing.

Cloud computing redefines our existing way of thought but only does so by erasing our previous definitions. Cloud computing is POST-modern…the next step in the philosophy of computing [and, by definition,] undefinable. 1

In spite of the fact that the cloud means different things to different people and that putting our finger on the sheer extent of its applications is difficult if not impossible, it is nonetheless imperative that we understand, more than anything else, that cloud computing is a philosophy.

Steps toward increased security and privacy

“Perhaps the biggest concerns about cloud computing are security and privacy.” 2

Authentication (user names and strong passwords) and authorization (only allowing users access to job-relevant data and applications) are steps toward increasing privacy and security. 3 This works concomitantly with the inherent, financially sound, legal and moral obligation of cloud hosting providers to offer clients security and data integrity.

Questions, questions

Questions currently being debated by law firms, companies and universities revolve around data and its ownership. Who owns the data? Is it owned by users or companies subscribing to cloud computing services? Can a cloud computing company (i.e., a cloud hosting provider) deny users access to their (i.e., the users’) data? 4 These questions literally open up a whole new field in law that will deal primarily with protecting ownership of data in fluid and elastic computing environments where it often “changes hands.” Moving from server to server, public to private cloud, and virtual environment to virtual environment makes for a maze of potential legal imbroglios.

Autonomic computing

The idea of a “self-managing” computing system could mean the elimination of “the need for many IT maintenance jobs.” 5 Cloud computing means that with the diminishing of front end needs (i.e., no longer needing hardware, software and IT specialists), responsibility for computing requirements will fall onto the back end, the shoulders of cloud, hosting providers. Simply put, many users transferring responsibility to fewer cloud hosting providers means less need for the unnecessary multiplication of private server rooms, hardware, purchased software and teams of in-house, IT engineers.

Big Data and Big Speed

Cloud computing ensures that our ability to analyze data and to extract business intelligence is not limited by capacity or computing power. The cloud gives us access to virtually limitless capacity, on-demand. In doing so, it lowers total cost, maximizes revenue and gets the work done faster at scale. 6

What once took ages and cost tons of money now takes seconds and costs infinitely less. This is because the processing power that once needed to be, or in fact was, in-house is now in the cloud.

“To process Big Data in the cloud, businesses can expand and contract their infrastructure resources [or, hosted instances] depending on how much they need at the present moment.” 7

(The end of Part IV)

Untitled, by Luba Rascheff

References

1 “The Philosophy of Cloud.” 2vcps and a Truck. Published on March 30, 2009. Accessed on September 3, 2013. http://www.2vcps.com/2009/03/30/the-philosophy-of-cloud/

2 Strickland, Jonathan. “How Cloud Computing Works.” howstuffworks. Accessed on September 3, 2013. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-computing3.htm

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Varia, Jinesh. “Big Data Cloud Trends–Data-First Philosophy and the Cloud: Part 2 of 3.” Perspectives and Cerebrations. Published on January 20, 2012. Accessed on September 3, 2013. jinesh.varia.in/2012/01/big-data-clouds-trends-data-first-philosophy-and-the-cloud-part-2-of-3/

7 Ibid.

What is the Cloud? (Part III)

Posted on August 29, 2013 by The Author

The first two parts of What is the Cloud? mostly cover technical aspects of cloud computing, including the matter of security. In Part III, I’d like to discuss more terms associated with the Cloud and their meanings.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS means that you don’t need to buy software, hardware needed to run it, or worry about managing software. “All you have to do is connect [to your cloud hosting provider] and use it.” 1 Your software is in the Cloud; you can use it from any geographical location; and you only pay for what you use. 2 “Google, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr are all examples of SaaS….” 3

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS “…is a service model of cloud computing. In this model, the consumer creates the software using tools and/or libraries from the [cloud service] provider. The consumer also controls software deployment and configuration settings. The provider provides the networks, servers, storage, and other services.” 4 This is another way to describe hosted instances. (See, What is the Cloud? Part II)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

“…IaaS is one of the three fundamental service models of cloud computing alongside Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS). As with all cloud computing services it provides access to computing resources in a virtualised environment, “the Cloud”, across a public connection, usually the internet.” 5 IaaS enables users to create “cost effective and easily scalable IT solutions where the complexities and expenses of managing the underlying hardware are outsourced to the cloud provider.” 6 [my emphasis] This is another way to describe hosted solutions. (See, What is the Cloud? Part II)

Hybrid cloud

A hybrid cloud combines public and private clouds. 7 “[It] is a cloud computing environment in which an organization provides and manages some resources in-house [i.e., privately] and has others provided externally [i.e., publically].” 8

(The end of Part III)

Untitled, by Luba Rascheff

References

1 Hurwitz, Judith; Bloor, Robin; Kaufman, Marcia; and Halper, Fern. “Cloud Computing Models. Part of the Cloud Computing Cheat Sheet.” For Dummies. Accessed on Tuesday, August 27, 2013. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/cloud-computing-models.html?cid=embedlink

2 “What is Saas?” Interoute, from the ground to the cloud. Accessed on Tuesday, August 27, 2013. http://www.interoute.com/what-saas

3 Ibid.

4 “Platform as a service.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Accessed on Tuesday, August 27, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_as_a_service

5 “What is IaaS?” Interoute, from the ground to the cloud. Accessed on Tuesday, August 27, 2013. http://www.interoute.com/what-iaas

6 Ibid.

7 Rouse, Margaret. “hybrid cloud.” TechTarget. Published on June 28, 2010. Accessed on Tuesday, August 27, 2013. http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/definition/hybrid-cloud

8 Ibid.

What is the Cloud? (Part II)

Posted on August 27, 2013 by The Author

In Part I of What is the Cloud?, I discussed the key concept of the separation of applications and operating systems from hardware. I explained how this separation permits elasticity, adaptability and ease of migration in the event of hardware failures in order to maintain a seamless user experience.

I also talked about redundancy, the replication of data; clustering, the multiplying of servers to balance web traffic load; virtualization; and web applications.

There are, however, more terms associated with cloud computing.

Hosted instances

Hosted instances are server images, applications, services and configurations that are already installed on a host. For example, you can create an instance of your operating system on Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) environment and only pay for what you use. You get space, transfer and RAM and can configure your server instance any way you like. 1

In hosted instances, network speed becomes an issue since your data is in the Cloud and needs to quickly move from there to you. To deal with this, Amazon, for example, has a main server and nine edge servers across the U.S. These edge servers (akin to “boosters”) are positioned in such a way as to provide users with the fastest access to their server images (i.e., server configurations of choice or, hosted instances). 2 You may already be using hosted instances without even realizing it. Google’s Gmail, for example, is in the Cloud. 3

Hosted solutions

“Hosted solutions are applications or services that are hosted by a company that provides you the service.” 4 There are many hosted solutions available on the Web. Instead of setting everything up by yourself (i.e., purchasing hardware, software, appropriate licenses and storage space), you can pay a small monthly fee to Vendhost, for example, and get a hosted, cloud solution.

Private vs. public cloud

Hosted instances are in the public cloud. If you’re interested, though, in combining the power of virtualization while retaining in-house control, you certainly can by way of private cloud. In private cloud, the hardware resides in your server room, not “somewhere out there” on the Internet. 5

What about security?

When it comes to the Cloud, security is a big question on everyone’s mind. You may be wondering, How secure is my data if it’s sitting somewhere out there in the Cloud? The first question you need to ask yourself, though, is How secure is my data right now? Most small businesses do not invest a large amount of money in order to have perfect firewall protection. They will, rather, pay an hourly fee to have viruses removed once stricken. 6 Furthermore, any time we interface with the Internet, we risk exposure to infection. Since it’s in the interest of cloud, hosting providers to provide excellent service, security, speed and data integrity (their very existence depends on it), it’s actually much safer to host your data in the Cloud as opposed to storing it locally. Furthermore, local, in-house servers are subject to destruction (e.g., from natural disasters) and/or theft. It makes much more sense (including economic sense) to have the minimal computing equipment in house necessary to interface with your cloud host. 7

(The end of Part II)

Cloud in nepali sky

Author: Krish Dulal

Source: Own work

References

1 elithecomputerguy. “Everyman IT, Introduction to Cloud Computing.” Everyman IT. Published on December 17, 2010 on Youtube. Accessed on August 21, 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYzJl0Zrc4M

2 Ibid.

3 Neal, Ryan W. “The Google Cloud Expands: Gmail, Drive and Google+ Now Unified with 15 GB Free Storage.” International Business Times. Published on May 14, 2013. Accessed on August 26, 2013. http://www.ibtimes.com/google-cloud-expands-gmail-drive-google-now-unified-15-gb-free-storage-1257917

4 elithecomputerguy. “Everyman IT, Introduction to Cloud Computing.” Everyman IT. Published on December 17, 2010 on Youtube. Accessed on August 21, 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYzJl0Zrc4M

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

7 Ibid.

What is the Cloud?

Posted on August 24, 2013 by The Author

In case you didn’t know, Forbes is running a series on cloud computing. In one of the articles, Apple founder Steve “the Woz” Wozniak partly defines cloud computing like this: “The cloud’s a vague term even to me. It can mean different things to different people.

“You don’t know where it is. Cloud computing is a specific hardware organization where resources can be assigned remotely and switched around easily and used more effectively. It saves a lot of physical labor, moving things around and lets people change their minds easily….” 1

Let’s get specific

In this article, I’d like to demystify the Cloud and let you see what’s inside this “vaporous mist.”

It’s like Legos

If you’ve ever played with Legos, you know that you build structures by “clicking” elements together. You also know that you can dismantle structures by “un-clicking” elements. In the case of cloud computing, it has to do with being able to separate operating systems and applications from physical pieces of hardware like servers in order to easily move the former around.

The reason for keeping hardware and software separate (via virtualization software, a component of cloud computing) is to be able to easily move operating systems and applications in the case of hardware failures. 2 Doing so enables systems to continue running and users to continue working, as if a crash hadn’t happened.

No longer dumb, but thin

In the old days, one mainframe used to be connected to several dumb terminals. The mainframe allocated a certain amount of computing power to each dumb terminal and users were happy as long as things worked. If the mainframe crashed, though, everything stopped. If a company had, for example, an internal e-mail service, a mainframe failure represented a stoppage of the e-mail service. 3

Today, in cloud computing, instead of individual mainframes and dumb terminals, we have Terminal Services Servers (TSSs) and thin clients (hardware or software). Virtual computing, which is a component of cloud computing, allows for the easy migration of operating systems and applications to different pieces of hardware. 4

Web applications

In cloud computing, using web applications means that you are using applications that reside on servers that don’t belong to you, that are outside of your computing environment. If you open a web application, it means that although a window will appear via your browser displaying the application you’re familiar with on a screen that resembles your desktop environment, the application, in fact, resides on a server external to your environment. You did not purchase the application and you don’t have to worry about repairing or replacing it if it fails; you’re simply using the application as if it were located on your laptop. This means that should your laptop crash, none of your work will be lost. You can just get up, move to a different laptop or computer, log in and continue where you left off. 5

Clustering, replication and load balancing

In the Cloud, you can (using virtualization software) group multiple servers with identical databases together in clusters. Data replication means that when Internet traffic increases to a server in a particular cluster, so much so that it risks breaking down said physical server, instead of crashing (with user services being interrupted), traffic will be redirected (i.e., the load will be balanced) to another server in the cluster.

If this, second, server comes close to being overloaded, traffic will be redirected to a third server in the cluster. This process is repeated allowing users to continue working seamlessly without interruption of services due to hardware crashes.

It’s not what you think or where you think

One of the key concepts to grasp regarding the Cloud is that what you’re using doesn’t reside where you think it does; nor is it what it looks like. This is because although what appears on your screen may look like your desktop, it isn’t your desktop; and the application that seems to be so close actually belongs to someone else and resides thousands of miles away! You never purchased the application nor did you install it on your machine. 6 This means that instead of taking twenty-four hours to recover from a hardware crash, it can take only one hour. This represents a great saving of time and effort.

Easy migration

In virtualization (client installed or using Hypervisor along with ESXI) the operating system “sits above the hardware” and, “using copy and paste,” you can move it to a new piece of hardware when needed.

(End of Part I)

Untitled, by Luba Rascheff

References

1 Orosco, Cesar. “Steve Wozniak: Apple, Cloud, Flash, Luck And Open Doors.” Forbes. Published on April 15, 2013. Accessed on August 21, 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2013/04/15/steve-wozniak-interview/

2 elithecomputerguy. “Everyman IT, Introduction to Cloud Computing.” Everyman IT. Published on December 17, 2010 on Youtube. Accessed on August 21, 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYzJl0Zrc4M

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

Grow Your Talent

Posted on August 16, 2013 by The Author

As I browsed the Internet, while researching a completely unrelated topic (.xml files), I chanced upon Sean Hyman’s The Biblical Money Code. 1

The advertisement for this video was well presented, peaked my interest, and I started watching. Soon enough, I was hooked, taking notes even as I absorbed the material.

Hyman, an investment expert and former pastor, posits that if we want to obtain, in his words, “a blessing of practical wealth that goes far beyond [our] own needs or wants,” we need to stop loving money.

What’s the love of money?

According to Hyman, the love of money means that you love it so much that you’ll risk all the money you have in an ill-advised manner in order to get more; or, alternatively, that you love it so much that you’ll hold onto it for fear of losing what you have. Hyman condemns both approaches.

The Parable of the Talents

The investor uses the Parable of the Talents 2 to make his point. In this old story, before going on a long trip, a master gives (according to their abilities) five talents to one servant, two to another and one to a third. Each talent represents twenty years of wages–a lot of money. The first two servants trade their talents and, when the master eventually returns, give him double what he entrusted to them. The third servant, though, justifies himself by saying, “I knew you were a tough guy, winning effortlessly and getting rewards painlessly. I was afraid of you, so I hid the talent you gave me. Here, take what’s yours.” 3

As happy and satisfied as the master is with the first two servants, he is furious and utterly dissatisfied with the third. He takes away this servant’s talent and gives it to the first servant (who turned five into ten) and condemns the third servant saying, “You lazy, no good servant, you could have at least put my money in the bank and given me interest.” 4

What’s a talent? Or, what is talent?

The word talent can mean “a unit of money equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver” or “general ability or intelligence.” 5 If we interpret the story allegorically, then we can say that by not trading (exchanging) our abilities with others, we are not growing and have squandered potential that was given us.

Hyman asks, and I’m paraphrasing, “What’s so bad about giving back the one talent the master gave him to begin with? Why such a harsh response?”

Lost opportunities

They say that opportunities only come once. If you don’t grab an opportunity, you risk losing it forever. If your talents (gold, silver, cash) are stashed away, though, or you’re keeping your natural abilities under wraps, you’ve definitely squandered your potential–as well as the potential of others.

Potential

According to Hyman, the problem with hiding talent is squandering potential. By hiding the talent, twenty years of wages couldn’t grow. There was no trading, no exchange and no possibility for increase. It was an expensive asset that lay idle for a very long time.

Money, according to the investment expert, needs to be invested and put to work. We mustn’t let fear or the love of money stop us from: stepping out (i.e., taking mitigated risks that will lead to stable and reliable returns); looking well into the matter of investment (like King Solomon, formerly the richest man on earth); and doing what’s needed to grow our talents.

Buck the trend

Sean Hyman cites two examples of very rich men who built their fortunes by doing the exact opposite of what others were doing.

Warren Buffett, one of the four richest people on earth, with an estimated net worth of fifty-three billion dollars said, “Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful.” 6

Sir John Templeton, founder of the Templeton Prize said, “The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy, and the time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell.” 7

Image: CludiusII(CNG).jpg

Author: Ssolbergj

References

1 Hyman, Sean. The Biblical Money Code. Accessed on Wednesday, August 14, 2013. http://w3.newsmax.com/newsletters/uwr/video_money_code_intl.cfm?promo_code=146F3-1

2 Matthew 25:14-30, KJV.

3 Ibid., verses 24-25, my interpretation.

4 Ibid., verses 26-27.

5 “Talent.” The Penguin Dictionary. Second edition. London: The Penguin Group, 2003.

6 See footnote 1.

7 Ibid.

ITECS: The Next-Generation Internet

Posted on August 10, 2013 by The Author

The only constant is change.

Someone said that there can’t be a Web 2.0 because there was never a Web 1.0. In like fashion, do you remember when George W. Bush said “Internets” and everyone laughed? It turns out, however, that he was right: there are, indeed, Internets (i.e., plural as in more than one). 1

My personal dissatisfaction with the term Internet

I think that the term “Internet” is a very poor way to describe the service that we use when we go online and what we actually do when we’re in virtual space. That’s because when we go online, we: upload, download, chat, read, write, talk, watch movies, listen to songs and learn. In fact, we perform what can be called the essence of communication.

The next-generation Internet

If the only constant is change then it stands to reason that the Internet, like everything else, is also subject to evolution. If it is subject to evolution then we needn’t split hairs about what we call it. It’s no longer a matter of appellation, but of functionality. It’s not what we call the thing (or, service), but what the thing (or, service) does for us that counts.

There’s much in a name

Having said that, names are, nevertheless, important. Imagine for a moment that the Internet were called ITECS. ITECS stands for Interactive Total Expression Communication Sphere. Interactive because the Internet implies movement and interactivity; Total because of the all-encompassing scope of material available online; Expression because, in toto, everything on the Internet is an expression of some kind; Communication because what we express is non-static and, via interactivity, reaches intended recipients; and Sphere because I think this sounds so much better than Internet or, Information Super Highway which implies a linear trajectory as opposed to something more holistic like ITECS.

ITECS

Today, we have Internet1 (See, footnote 1): a hodge-podge of information that is slow to access and may or may not be accurate. (See, Static and Closed versus Interactive and Open Internet Web pages, lubarascheff.com) with a division of functions (See, Get to the Point: Effective Communication in the Digital Age, lubarascheff.com).

But what will next-generation ITECS be like?

Falling into the realm of speculation

Let’s do a free fall into the realm of speculation. Let’s imagine a bit and make some smart guesses. Unlike Internet1 (and more like Internet2), ITECS will be fast; much faster than what we’re using today (whether Internet1 or Internet2). It will be entirely wireless and perhaps somehow connected to our bodies (See, Do As the Toltecs, lubarascheff.com, where I discuss screen incorporation) and resolution will be higher than anything extant. ITECS will be transparent. The case can be argued that in a speedy and transparent ITECS, users will be able to almost instantly do the following: obtain information they seek; express themselves; and share information they deem valuable with a close group of friends or the world. With speed, ease of access and a more evolved mindset that will necessarily accompany a more evolved ITECS, there will be less of a perceived need to dissimulate and/or deliberately upload incorrect information onto ITECS. (See, “Internet inaccuracies” in Static and Closed versus Interactive and Open Internet Web pages, lubarascheff.com). Users themselves will, together, act as a kind of counterbalancing “correction mechanism” if this happens.

In the same way that when we think it, our brains send signals to our fingers and toes that cause them to move, ITECS will enable us to, when we wish, holistically “merge” with its worldwide community of online users. It will be an open, transparent, fast, ultra-high resolution, self-regulating sphere of total, interactive, information exchange. ITECS will meet the needs of all users without being detrimental to people or the planet.

Evolution and credibility

Why should we wait for information? If Internet2 “moves data 100 to 1,000 times faster than the old-fashioned Internet [i.e., Internet1],” 2, ITECS will move data at nearly the speed of thought. I say nearly because, even though hyperly minimzed, as futurist Dr. Kaku posits (See, The Zero-Sum Game, lubarascheff.com), technical components (i.e., microchips) will still exist. ITECS will, therefore, be almost instant. Frustration gone. Almost instant access to what you need most at the moment you need it. Doesn’t this sound great?

When will this happen?

ITECS (or, something similar only called by a different name) will arrive sooner than we think. This is because it will come into existence based on needs defined by our evolving communication requirements. Our collective, evolving needs will compel innovators to create ITECS.

Orb: Recursive

References

1 Russo, Alexander. Slate. Internet2: It’s better, it’s faster. You can’t use it. Posted on Tuesday, June 7, 2005. Accessed on Saturday, August 10, 2013. http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/webhead/2005/06/internet2.html. And, Urban Dictionary, Definition of “Internets.” Accessed on Saturday, August 10, 2013. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=internets&r=related.

2 Russo, Alexander. Slate. Internet2: It’s better, it’s faster. You can’t use it. Posted on Tuesday, June 7, 2005. Accessed on Saturday, August 10, 2013. http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/webhead/2005/06/internet2.html.

Static and Closed versus Interactive and Open Internet Web pages

Posted on August 4, 2013 by The Author

In the beginning, web pages were static with readers merely passively reading them. Today, many are interactive with more and more possibilities for users to actively interact with the material they read. To what degree should Internet users be able to interact with (viz., modify) information presented to them? What are the benefits of increased openness and interactivity? What are the risks? Just how democratic should the Internet be?

Steps toward openness and the democratization of the Internet

There are disagreements regarding the definition and even existence of Web 2.0. 1 If we momentarily overlook this fact, Web 2.0 can be thought of as a kind of interactive, dynamic, non-static, next-generation Internet. Its philosophy “emphasizes the importance of people’s interactions with the Internet.” 2 Although the concept of everyone contributing to the Web sounds and may even be wonderful, it raises some fundamental questions.

Ward Cuningham, the founder of Wikipedia (the word “Wiki,” pronounced “Witi” is a Hawaiian word which means “fast” or “quick” 3) created an encyclopedia in which users can edit a page or create new ones. 4 “A single page in a wiki website is referred to as a “wiki page,” while the entire collection of pages, which are usually well interconnected by hyperlinks, is the ‘wiki.’ ” 5 As appealing as having a plethora of wikis at our fingertips is, it remains a mixed blessing. Tim O’Reilly (from O’Reilly Media) said, regarding interactive Internet, that because people can accidentally or intentionally provide incorrect information, there is no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the electronic information at our disposal. 6

Web syndication formats such as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) also contribute to the democratization of the Internet by allowing users to “subscribe to a Web page and receive updates whenever the administrator for that page [makes] any changes.” 7 The process of rendering web content equally discoverable to as many users as possible also includes tags and open source software 8 as well as blogs and permalinks (hypertext links) connected to specific blog entries that allow for heightened information exchange (i.e., blog-to-blog, viral marketing). 9 Podcasting (i.e., blog + RSS + video blogs or, vlogs) is yet another way to share information. 10

Internet inaccuracies

Although web democratization leads to increased dissemination and sharing of information and opportunities for new services (e.g., Red Hat Software came into existence to support Linus Torvalds’s open source operating system, Linux 11) we must be wary regarding the accuracy of and accountability for information found online.

Although democratization, openness, inclusiveness, and encouraged interactive co-participation in developing web content are appealing because of the vast amounts of information they provide and the ability to easily access said information, we need to seriously think about accuracy, accountability as well as the retention of individual authorship when applicable.

Unfortunately, there are numerous examples of inaccuracies that riddle the Internet. Even more troubling is when these inaccuracies pertain to misleading medical advice. Some kind of guiding compass must be relied upon to “follow up [on such] conflicting information with a solid, unambiguous message that communicates those lessons that [in this cited, educational study] the instructor deems most important.” 12

Regarding a study called Safe Infant Sleep recommendations on the Internet: Let’s Google It, researchers found that parents, instead of following American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations because they often contain hard-to-understand, medical jargon, type key phrases into a search engine and follow the advice given by high-ranking websites. 13 When researchers tested common key phrases, they found that in the top one hundred search results (out of 1,300 websites total) “only 43.5% of these … websites contained recommendations that were in line with the AAP recommendations, while 28.1% contained inaccurate information and 28.4% of the websites were not medically relevant.” 14 In this example, parents obtaining and applying incorrect information from data presented online could have devastating consequences.

Maintaining individuality while permitting specified, collective web interactivity

Whether closed or open, passive or active, web pages on the Internet deliver information to users.

It is important to recognize that an open and interactive Internet is desirable for the benefits it could bring. At present, however, we must expect that the advantages of openness and heightened interactivity and inter-connectivity are offset by lack of accountability coupled with inaccuracies that pose potential pitfalls.

Perhaps it’s best to recognize that there should be a balance between the two models presented in this article: niches (e.g., Wikipedia) where wikis are the norm and groups of Internet users collectively create material that has the potential of being inaccurate and lack accountability, with control mechanisms in place to correct such inaccuracies; and niches (e.g., bloggers or individual website creators) where accuracy and accountability can easily be verified and attributed.

References

1 Strickland, Jonathan. “Democratization of the Web.” Howstuffworks. How Web 2.0 works. Accessed on Saturday, August 3, 2013. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-202.htm, 3.

2 Ibid., 3.

3 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wiki. Accessed on Saturday, August 3, 2013. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Strickland, Jonathan. “Democratization of the Web.” Howstuffworks. How Web 2.0 works. Accessed on Saturday, August 3, 2013. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-202.htm, 3.

7 Ibid., 4.

8 Ibid., 3.

9 op. cit.

10. Ibid.

11 “What does open source mean?” Howstuffworks. Accessed on Saturday, August 3, 2013. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question435.htm

12 Philip Kortum, PhD, Christine Edwards, BS and Rebecca Richards-Kortum, PhD. “The Impact of Inaccurate Health Information in a Secondary School Learning Environment.” Journal of Medical Internet Research. Accessed on Saturday, August 3, 2013. http://www.jmir.org/2008/2/e17/

13 Rehman, Jalees. “Accuracy of Medical Information on the Internet.” Fragments of Truth. Posted on Thursday, January 17 2013. Accessed on Saturday, August 3, 2013. http://fragments-of-truth.blogspot.com/2013/01/accuracy-of-medical-information-on.html

14 Ibid.

Web 2.0 Here to Stay…. (paulmulindwa.wordpress.com)

Permanently Offline

Posted on August 1, 2013 by The Author

If the title of my article compelled you to read more, it’s probably because its antithesis holds true.1

We are so connected–on every level–that disconnecting both appeals to us yet seems entirely unattainable if not for allowable periods of time (e.g., sleeping). “Instead of using media simply to receive information and/or entertainment only at certain points of time and for a specific amount of time, many … have developed the habit of being online almost permanently.”2 (my emphasis)

A person may, for example, discretely read the news on their mobile phone while in the company of others saying “Uh, huh” at strategic moments of a conversation they are only in part following. This person is, in effect, “escaping” from reality by entering the online, virtual world. If, however, we define reality as the “ultimate online experience” (this idea is similar to what is presented in the movie the Matrix) then, by getting on the Internet, we are going online to go “offline.”

Whether we’re in a train, bus and “even when driving our [own] car,” we don’t stop communicating.3 We may choose not to communicate with the person seated next to us; we may, instead, be communicating with someone on the other side of the globe.

Vorderer and Kohring ask why we are spending so much time online, to the point that it’s almost permanent.4 According to these authors, we do this in order to feel included5 and, I might add, not to miss out on something. Stopping our permanent access to information and news would make us feel excluded and fear ostracism.6

With the heightened acceleration of modern life, we are also more and more online because “this sort of behavior is suitable to meet the communication requirements of our time.”7

Is it?

As I read the above, I thought, Who defines the communication requirements of our time? Are they necessarily defined by and attached to the myriad digital devices we use on a daily basis, or is there an alternative?

Although reading the news on one’s smartphone while seated at a cafe (in the company of others or not) poses no immediate threat other than possibly offending someone by not devoting one hundred percent of your attention to them, thousands have literally met death or incurred injury by inattention while trying to negotiate driving or walking while engrossed in their cell phones.8

Where are we placing our attention?

In many ways, where we choose to focus our attention (and what percentage of said attention) appears to dictate where we are. How much of us is at the cafe, listening to a conversation? What part of us is learning about the latest natural disaster or reading our e-mails?

There doesn’t seem to be a clear cut answer to these questions. Vorderer and Kohring say that even after rewarding periods of time offline, “eventually all go online again.”9

If we define going online as getting on the Internet, then perhaps, like any other favorite product we use, moderation is best.

Photographie personnelle, prise par Douz (Tunisie), Auteur: Asram

References

1 Vorderer, Peter and Kohring, Matthias. Permanently Online: A Challenge for Media and Communication Research. International Journal of Communication. Accessed on 30 July 2013. <http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/1963/848&gt>

2 Ibid., 189.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid., 191.

5 Ibid., 192.

6 Ibid.

7 Ibid..

8 “According to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, 2,600 people died in 2004 and 330,000 more were injured while using cell phones just before an accident.” DoItYourselfStaff. Driving Safety Tips-Statistics on Deaths By Cell Phones. Accessed on 31 July 2013. <http://www.doityourself.com/stry/driving-safety-tips-statistics-on-deaths-by-cell-phones#.UfpUx21uqSo>

9 Opcit., 190.

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