The End Of Privacy. The Beginning Of Transparency.

It is becoming abundantly clear that our personal privacy has come to an end. Not through the information we willingly share in social media,  but in the information that is gathered about us. From our Web history to the GPS in our cars, targeted advertising, or searches; the list of our digital footprints is vast.

Nor is there any way to avoid using digital technology or do anything about the information gathered without our knowledge or consent. Big companies are simply too powerful to engage in privacy lawsuits.  Applicable digital privacy laws are not in place and are unlikely to catch up to the development of digital technology,  which surpasses our understanding of it.

Many are not aware that digital information is transmitted at 1/3 of the speed of light or that the stock market for example,  is virtually out of the hands of humans; many trades occur through computer algorithms, also known as microtrading or high frequency trading.

Another significant problem is that much of our most sensitive information (medical, financial) entered about us is handled far beyond the comprehension and training of those put in charge to store and protect it. Especially problematic is when the information entered relies on verbal communication or is entered incorrectly,  whether through human error or for unethical personal gain.

The revelation about the NSA should not have come as a surprise to anyone.  Technology is only as good or evil as the intent of those who use it. As it develops and we become increasingly globally connected, the speed of new technology advances faster than anyone can keep up with.

I do not foresee a Borg-like totalitarian system of control that so many are frightened of, but a more transparent future in the digital age. Ideally,  NSA like watchdogs will develop that will actually benefit the majority and monitor verbal and digital communication to help prevent crimes against humanity.

Social Media, I Am Just Not That Into You

Wassily Kandinsky Several Circles

As a recreational blogger, who is using blogging as a creative outlet and to meet some interesting like and open minded people, I am constantly reminded of other social networking sites.

Obviously, how one uses social media is as individual as the people behind their blogs, whom I get to meet through their writing.  Prior to this blog, I did explore some of the social networks. Fb did not do anymore for me than provide status updates that I either already knew about or was not particularly interested in. "Having dinner. Chewing." "I'm seeing stars. Again." Twitter never interested me, which is not to say that it does not have its purpose or that there aren't authors who are hilarious, profane or profound in 140 characters or less.

Whenever I am invited to "follow or join me on fb, twitter, G+...", I am acutely aware of two things: time and internet clutter. Multiple social networking sites compete for our collective attention and time, set up to attract marketing, but are often distracting and time-consuming. It's difficult to resist the temptation of following links, which lead to other links....

Most recently, G+ was added to the fray and I had the opportunity to explore it.  I do think that controlling who sees what type of information is a good idea. Then again, what I share with my closest RL friends and family is not something that I would release into the (public) internet domain, especially when the laws regarding privacy and personal information have yet to be modernized.

While the introduction of circles does appeal to my organizational obsession, I would end up with several circles of one, for those friends who share one particular interest, but not the rest of them. In a 10 minute conversation, I can share and get the status update that would take me considerably longer online.

Social media is in its toddler stage and I am looking forward to future ideas and development that will allow us to individualize and aggregate everything into one network.

In the meantime, I have books and blogs to read, friends to meet and circles to draw.

 

Meh.

Hey, Wassily. That took 5 minutes. Time well spent.

Everyone Is A Critic

I came across a humorous piece written by Paul Simms for the New Yorker, which takes an amusing look at blogging.

In this brave new world of social media, where everyone can leave their thoughts and ruminations as quickly as they are thought of, delayed only by the processing time of signing in, the resulting comments can be quite entertaining in their variety.

In this case the premise is simple; what if the Creator had a blog and invited readers to leave their comments? Enjoy.

Shouts and Murmurs, The New Yorker

Google! What Are You Up To?

You have probably already heard that Google +, currently in beta version, is launching soon. Internet rumor has it that blogger will be renamed Googleblog. Try saying that in rapid succession. Googlebleck. Googooboo. George Bob. Huh? Why not.

It would have been nice for them to announce it on...let's see...blogger buzz, perhaps? At least preferable to experiencing blogger meltdown, chasing widgets that disappear and reappear or wasting time troubleshooting while wondering, what did I do now?

Information is sparse, all I am aware of is that private profiles will be deleted on July 31, 2011 or sooner. What does that actually mean for bloggers or readers? Will it affect us? Anyone know? In addition, as of August, Google will no longer support anything but the newest browser versions. If you have not done so already, now would be a good time to update your browsers.

Time, so elusive and hard to find, which is why I chose the allegedly "simple and stable" blogger platform, despite the fact that other platforms have better templates. Time...Wasted time...Remembering that time is infinite, while my time is not....Where was I? Oh, yes.

This will make it easier for targeted marketing to find us. I am well aware that 95% of revenue for our friendly "free" giant comes from advertising.  "Recommended for you" has never worked for me, undoubtedly the next time I stop to look at something that evokes: "Cool. Someone sculpted a detailed reproduction of the Serenity (Firefly)....Out of cake?!," I will be targeted with cupcake recipes and where to buy them.

I thought it would be a good use of my time to start working on my public profile:

Name:     Sigyisfor Kyiirneayrokull (Maybe something with Umlauts, make it sound more Icelandic? I will never remember how to sign in again).
Location: Planet Earth, orbiting a G-Class star. (Just in case extraterrestrials need to advertise as well)
Age:        12 going on 2000.
Household members: Trillions, I am including microscopic lifeforms. Gross underestimate.
Marital Status: Is this a census?
Interests: Swearing at blogger and inanimate objects that suddenly appear in my path.
Likes:       Privacy. I also enjoy breathing.
Dislikes:    Invasion of Privacy. Not breathing.
Occupation: Of space and time. Sometimes it feels territorial.
Goals:      Training cats to stop sleeping on the remote controls. (Spawn does not like to be moved). Getting blogger to align tabs. And world peace.

Giga Bites You

Internet consumption has increased exponentially in the last couple of years.  We flocked to the interweb seeking entertainment and found a sliding scale of addiction. With a healthy dose of concern and indifference, I have been watching the industry giants acquiring and attempting to acquire each other. I wonder....

Google + Facebook = Glazed Look

Google + Twitter + Facebook = Gt Fcd

Microsoft + Nokia = Mocking Ya'

Skype + Microsoft Kinect = Skyne(c)t. Ha! I knew it!

Microsoft + Google + Facebook = ?

                                                                                                      

Japan, The Internet and Humanity

The Great Wave Off  Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai

Natural disasters such as earthquakes are a matter of when, not if. I was aware of the fact that there is a subduction of the Pacific plate under the Eurasian plate.  A natural process of living on Earth's crust, disconnected tectonic plates, floating on magma.  Millions of years from now they will eventually join to form one super-continent again, like Pangaea.

We still don't have the technology to predict when these disasters will occur, but technology allows us to reduce the cost of human lives. The fear, at present, is always that if it happens off-shore, that tsunamis will be created.  While we can prepare for earthquakes, prevent the loss of life and damage through building earthquake-resistant buildings, we still don't have tsunami-resistant measures.  Tsunamis are far more devastating, a series of waves, known as the "tsunami wave train", with a current warning time of only 10 to 20 minutes in regions close to the epicenter. There is simply too little time.

High magnitude earthquakes occur every 200 years or so, scientists stated that we were "overdue" in certain regions.  Japan lies on the Pacific-Philippine-Eurasian triple plate junction and is therefore seismically very active. When it happened though, I could only think of putting up a quick post warning those living near the coastal regions of the pacific basin, who may read blogs before listening to the news.

Still, it is incomprehensible, horrific and I cannot begin to imagine how terrifying it was for those affected.  In real life as in the blogosphere we live in a global community where friends and family are spread around the world. To date, all have checked in and are thankfully safe, but shaken up.  To extend my deepest sympathies and condolences, while absolutely sincere, seems rehearsed, but words fail me.  There is a feeling of shock and helplessness; at times like these, I desperately want to reward a sniffer dog.

Over the next few days, the media will continue to show us an onslaught of devastating images, eye-witness reports and cycle through "breaking" news. A sensationalized show of devastation and suffering, with incorrect facts and tag words presented by, at times, inappropriately over-enthusiastic reporters. I will not be watching.

I turned to the internet, where I can choose the news I want to see and hear.  In a new age of being connected at an instant and global level, I found humanity at its best.  Within minutes twitter topics had gone up, Google People Finder had stepped in, seismologists gave quick and informative updates. Amazed, I scrolled as people from virtually Every.Single.Country extended their sympathies and support, countless voices as one: "We are with you, Japan!"  Geographical, economic and religious borders were irrelevant in this global display of support.  For those in Japan, who lost mobile service or the internet, they were still able to communicate.  Some of the most touching messages came from people in Christchurch, NZ, who are still dealing with the recovery from the devastation and damage they experienced. Proclamations of gratitude for Japan's aid and that now they would be there to help the Japanese.

It will take time to assess the damage and years to recover.  Aftershocks will continue for months as the tectonic plates adjust, but I cannot help but be impressed by the advanced technology of Japan.  So far, the death toll, while tragic has been mercifully low. The fact that Tokyo's buildings withstood an 8.9, minimizing the loss of human lives and injury, is a testimony to Japanese engineering and highly advanced earthquake preparedness and disaster proofing.  Technology and engineering which is already testing new tsunami-resistant homes. Homes that may be build one day with a sacrificial first floor, that water can just flow through.  When it comes to natural disasters there is no such thing as being over-prepared.

And then I heard an excited announcement: "MARU IS SAFE!"

Maru, Japan's most famous cat, has entertained many with his antics. A lovable, clumsy dork of a cat, who has devoted his life to fitting into boxes. Safe. A comfort amidst all the tragedy.

Why Blog? The Devolution of Ignorance.

1. Blogging is for losers.
Everyone has lost something. Now, where are my keys?
2. Blogging is for people who have lost their job and are blogging instead of looking for another one.
They are "networking" or making a movie.
3. Blogging is for seniors, who after retiring realize that they are still alive and now have decades to kill.
Some pursue their abandoned interests, start their next career and/or share their wisdom and experience. Ageism is so last century.
4. Blogging is dead.
According to unreliable web statistics, there are 100 million active blogs. Plus one.
5. Young dynamic professionals are on Facebook.
500 million of them. Who don't like their privacy. Minus one.
6. Blogs are for fame and fortune seekers, who need attention and believe that they will get a book and movie deal if they put their crap online.
Someone gorged her way through Julia Child, while someone else talked s&%t about his dad. (Wait, that was twitter, never mind).  In an era where vacuous celebs can hit the bestseller list, anything is possible.
7. Bloggers need to get a life and leave their house more.
Prank callers have blogs now and have been replaced by telemarketers. Nobody is perfect.
8. Bloggers are weird, creepy or strange.
There is a blog for everyone and anything.

Why blog?
It's a creative outlet. A way to share information, thoughts and opinions. A means to meet a global community of talented, intelligent and like-minded people. Inspire and be inspired. Read something funny, deep or exhausting. Experience something new. People showcase their talents, support and encourage each other. Self-published, no editing or editors involved. Proper grammar and spelling are optional and frequently phonetic. Blog awards do not require lengthy acceptance speeches that include long lists of people no one has ever heard of.

Why not?
It's free, but everything is subject to change...