Cory Doctorow has written an interesting blog-post about how social networks have their own 'red button' for self destruction. There comes a moment that you get too many friends, which is unavoidable when you accept all the friend requests a person receives. While in theory services like Facebook are great to keep track of contacts, in the end you'll have people on there who you're not really befrienden with. Which causes an exodus to the next network to start over again.
The main problem is that you have to mix too many people together and can't distinguish between those close to you and those you met once on a party. While it's not-done to remove someone from your friends list it's something that we should start with. People have to be aware that you can't be befriended with everyone you know. There is a gap between the strong and the weak ties that you have. And this is for everyone, every single one of us. We shouldn't be hurt if we're not part of a person's inner circle because, if it wasn't for Facebook and other social networks, we wouldn't know either.
Sources: InformationWeek
Wednesday, November 28
Where's the Money in the Blogoshere?
According to Alex Iskold there can a lot of money be made on the long tail in the blogosphere, but not when one is in it. A lot of the blogs online have a small amound of readers, and any way to capitalize on those readers just won't make enough revenue to create a living out of that. Possibilities like Google's Adsense depend on large amounts of traffic to be profitable.
He says it's a circle, companies depend on the long tail to exist, but if the long tail collapses .. what will happen then?
Sources: Read/WriteWeb
He says it's a circle, companies depend on the long tail to exist, but if the long tail collapses .. what will happen then?
Sources: Read/WriteWeb
The All-Seeing Eye ... of CSI
The wondercops of CSI know everything, and if they don't they just go to your twitter account to see what you Have been doing. Sometimes it's just that easy.
I wonder when pictures and/or videos of people killing others will be on Facebook, tagged and ready to incriminate the certain someone. Considering people are already getting fired over booze-filled pictures I guess that future isn't too far away.
Sources: Mashable
I wonder when pictures and/or videos of people killing others will be on Facebook, tagged and ready to incriminate the certain someone. Considering people are already getting fired over booze-filled pictures I guess that future isn't too far away.
Sources: Mashable
The Online Library
A couple of universities from all over the world (US, China, Egypt & India) are part of a joined venture to digitize books. Already 1.5 million books are available to anyone with a working internet connection.
Reddy says:
This can be said of almost anything. The rise of the internet as a world, not parrallel with ours, but embedded within it has made it a lot easier to spread information around our little globe.
I wonder what will happen with books as a medium. Myself, I still enjoy to flip the pages of a book, to touch the paper, the smell of an old book, the fact that you can immerse yourself in a stack of flattened woodpulp. Reading books on the computer doesn't come anywhere near that.
Source: Physorg
Reddy says:
The economic barriers to the distribution of knowledge are falling.
This can be said of almost anything. The rise of the internet as a world, not parrallel with ours, but embedded within it has made it a lot easier to spread information around our little globe.
I wonder what will happen with books as a medium. Myself, I still enjoy to flip the pages of a book, to touch the paper, the smell of an old book, the fact that you can immerse yourself in a stack of flattened woodpulp. Reading books on the computer doesn't come anywhere near that.
Source: Physorg
Robotic Legs & Cars
Monkey brain signals have been mapped by electrodes and are able to control robotic legs on the other side of the world.
While these legs don't control themselves like the cars did in "Darpa's Urban Challenge". This was a race where robotic cars had to finish a course and overcome traffic situations, the kind we deal with every day. The cars had to be completely autonomous, without outside interference/help.
We're not there yet, but robots do seem to become a lost smarter and it won't take that long anymore before they'll be playing an active party in our everyday lives.
Source: NewScientist, Darpa
While these legs don't control themselves like the cars did in "Darpa's Urban Challenge". This was a race where robotic cars had to finish a course and overcome traffic situations, the kind we deal with every day. The cars had to be completely autonomous, without outside interference/help.
We're not there yet, but robots do seem to become a lost smarter and it won't take that long anymore before they'll be playing an active party in our everyday lives.
Source: NewScientist, Darpa
The Mobile Web
According to Yahoo the mobile web will be here in about 10 years and in emerging markets the first contact people will have with the internet is through their phones.
The reason why internet on our phones hasn't been popular here 'yet' is because of the gatekeepers function and actions of the providers. The sim cards in our phones are each tied to only one operator. Now, if phones would be able to get on the internet, and use wireless networks to call (like Skype) then the mobile network operators will be outdated. There are already phones to call with Skype, just imagine them being even more mobile.
Sources: Last100
The reason why internet on our phones hasn't been popular here 'yet' is because of the gatekeepers function and actions of the providers. The sim cards in our phones are each tied to only one operator. Now, if phones would be able to get on the internet, and use wireless networks to call (like Skype) then the mobile network operators will be outdated. There are already phones to call with Skype, just imagine them being even more mobile.
Sources: Last100
Tuesday, November 27
Our demise: Global Warming, Oil ... and Ubiquitous Computing
According to William Gibson (writer of the famous novel Neuromancer) one of the biggest challenges that we humans face in the present is Ubiquitous Computing.
This is perfectly visible in the amount of possible ways we can get on the internet: through our home computers, laptops at the airport/train station/coffeeshop, smartphones, pda's ..
The virtual world doesn't run parrallel with ours, but is completely intertwined. It is ever-present and will only be playing a bigger part in the lives of each and every one of us in the coming years.
Source: RollingStone
One of the things our grandchildren will find quaintest about us is that we distinguish the digital from the real, the virtual from the real. In the future, that will become literally impossible. The distinction between cyberspace and that which isn't cyberspace is going to be unimaginable.
This is perfectly visible in the amount of possible ways we can get on the internet: through our home computers, laptops at the airport/train station/coffeeshop, smartphones, pda's ..
The virtual world doesn't run parrallel with ours, but is completely intertwined. It is ever-present and will only be playing a bigger part in the lives of each and every one of us in the coming years.
Source: RollingStone
The Long Tail in Facebook Applications
Tim O'Reilly published a report about the Long Tail that exists in Facebook user applications. While this reports dates from May 2007 it will no doubt still be true today. There are only a small number of applications that have the most users (Superwall and TopFriends for example).
He identifies that the application's goal is to get into the very small head where most activity takes places. Applications have to be able to exist for a longer amount of time. A way to demonstrate this is the low selling price of the application 'Advent', which is only usable 4 weeks out of every year. And thus as a very limited life.
Sources: O'Reilly Radar, Mashable
He identifies that the application's goal is to get into the very small head where most activity takes places. Applications have to be able to exist for a longer amount of time. A way to demonstrate this is the low selling price of the application 'Advent', which is only usable 4 weeks out of every year. And thus as a very limited life.
Sources: O'Reilly Radar, Mashable
On Demand Television
The big UK tv houses (BBC, ITV and Channel 4) will collaborate early next year to provide the viewer with an online on demand video service. Each of these houses currently has their own online service.
No doubt this content won't be available for everyone. The current BBC iplayer features DRM and doesn't work outside of the UK. Which is a shame for all us lovers of Brittish comedy who don't live there.
Sources: BBC News, Through Mashable
No doubt this content won't be available for everyone. The current BBC iplayer features DRM and doesn't work outside of the UK. Which is a shame for all us lovers of Brittish comedy who don't live there.
Sources: BBC News, Through Mashable
Sunday, November 25
Digital Property
A 17 year-old Dutch teen has been arrested after stealing about 4000 euros worth of digital property on the popular chatting service Habbo Hotel. After luring their victims in revealing their passwords the virtual burglars stole the furniture and moved them to their own places.
The crime is considered to be theft due to the fact that the furniture was paid for with real money.
It reminds me of the time that I played World of Warcraft on a regular basis. Occasionally people would sell their characters for multiple reasons. This was something that was not allowed by Blizzard .. saying that the characters were still their property. Those selling the characters would say that they were not selling the characters, but their time.
Additonally there are also the 'goldfarmers' who are farming money to sell later to players who won't want to take the time to collect it themselves.
A BBC report about this on YouTube: World of Warcraft - BBC News Coverage, Chinese Gold Farming
Sources: BBC News
The crime is considered to be theft due to the fact that the furniture was paid for with real money.
It reminds me of the time that I played World of Warcraft on a regular basis. Occasionally people would sell their characters for multiple reasons. This was something that was not allowed by Blizzard .. saying that the characters were still their property. Those selling the characters would say that they were not selling the characters, but their time.
Additonally there are also the 'goldfarmers' who are farming money to sell later to players who won't want to take the time to collect it themselves.
A BBC report about this on YouTube: World of Warcraft - BBC News Coverage, Chinese Gold Farming
Sources: BBC News
Virtual Worlds
If we would have to believe 'Mondo 2000: A User's Guide to the New Edge' we would run around virtual worlds already using headmounted displays to navigate through those worlds. AS we all know, that hasn't quite happened just yet. These heads up displays, or projected environments are still very much like science fiction for those of us who are not working in the military. For example the latest fighter pilot helmets that display all the information inside the helmet, allowing the pilot to look around while at the same time having those important numbers right in front of their nose. And at the same time effectively reducing the necessity of the tradition HUD (Heads Up Display).
While virtual worlds are steadily increasing in popularity, from the early MUDS to the now booming MMORPG's (massive multiplayer online role playing games) or any game feature a multiplayer part. Whether it's offline or online, ... there are plenty of possible worlds to choose from. We can be knights, thieves, elves, orcs (Ultima Online, Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, LotR online, Warhammer, Lineage, World of Warcraft), space pilots (EVE Online) .. or just explore the familiarity of a place that resembles our own reality (Second Life).
There are limits in how far we can be submerged in those worlds. Allthough there are a lot of stories about addiction to Online gaming we're not yet 'in' there. We are still limited by the 2d screen in front of our eyes.
Navigating online worlds is still very unefficient. We could be considered to be spoiled by the very basics of hyperlinks, clicks leading us directly to where we want to go. Having to walk around a virtual library to look for a book would seem rather pointless and a waste of time. Why else would the internet slowly be replacing libraries now? There are vast amounts of information available with a single mouseclick. Having to navigate a 3d world would be too cumbersome to be efficient, to be 'time-saving'. Having a totally immersive experience might not always be what we are looking for.
Sources: CNet
While virtual worlds are steadily increasing in popularity, from the early MUDS to the now booming MMORPG's (massive multiplayer online role playing games) or any game feature a multiplayer part. Whether it's offline or online, ... there are plenty of possible worlds to choose from. We can be knights, thieves, elves, orcs (Ultima Online, Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, LotR online, Warhammer, Lineage, World of Warcraft), space pilots (EVE Online) .. or just explore the familiarity of a place that resembles our own reality (Second Life).
There are limits in how far we can be submerged in those worlds. Allthough there are a lot of stories about addiction to Online gaming we're not yet 'in' there. We are still limited by the 2d screen in front of our eyes.
Navigating online worlds is still very unefficient. We could be considered to be spoiled by the very basics of hyperlinks, clicks leading us directly to where we want to go. Having to walk around a virtual library to look for a book would seem rather pointless and a waste of time. Why else would the internet slowly be replacing libraries now? There are vast amounts of information available with a single mouseclick. Having to navigate a 3d world would be too cumbersome to be efficient, to be 'time-saving'. Having a totally immersive experience might not always be what we are looking for.
Sources: CNet
Attitude poll about the internet (and cyborgs?)
463.com and Zogby internation released the results of a poll about the attitudes of about 20.000 people concerning the internet. The questions concerned a wide range of subjects ranging from implants to God and significant others.
Two interesting answers were:
So while we're hesistant about subjecting our own brains to implants it is ok for our kids so we can keep an eye on them?
Sources: 463, (Through Read/WriteWeb)
Two interesting answers were:
- Implant the Internet in Your Brain. Americans may love the Internet, but most
are not prepared to implant it into their brain, even if it was safe. Only 11% of respondents said they be willing to safely implant a device that enabled them to use their mind to access the Internet. Interestingly, men were much more willing than women. Seventeen percent of men said they were up for it while only 7% of women wanted to access the Internet using their mind.
- Kids Chips.
While most Americans don’t want the Internet implanted in their brain, they are more willing to insert a chip into a child 13 or younger to help track them if they are lost, abducted, or just tend not to be where they are supposed to be. Nearly one in five Americans said they would do so to track a child’s whereabouts. Interestingly, there was no difference in opinion among parents who had younger children and those who did not.
So while we're hesistant about subjecting our own brains to implants it is ok for our kids so we can keep an eye on them?
Sources: 463, (Through Read/WriteWeb)
The Citizen Journalist Toolkit
According to Reuthers this kit contains everything a Citizen Journalist would need to survive in the world of newsmaking: a phone (the N95) that's able to go online and has a built-in GPS, a tripod for video interviews, a microphone and a charger working on solar power. How much good that will do in our cloud-covered part of the world is beyond me. But for the citizen journalist operating in the sunnier regions of the world it might be more appropriate.
Sources: Reuters, Nokia
Sources: Reuters, Nokia
Wednesday, November 21
Web 2.0 too clean?
Who can argue that the web 2.0 hype caused websites to look 'too' clean, too shiny and a feeling of plastic all around.
Identity is important. Therefore style and content should go hand in hand to give the surfer the feeling that what you're offering or saying is more unique than the colour/plastic look.
So here some tips:
How to destroy the web 2.0 look.
Identity is important. Therefore style and content should go hand in hand to give the surfer the feeling that what you're offering or saying is more unique than the colour/plastic look.
So here some tips:
How to destroy the web 2.0 look.
Does 'Media' equal 'News'?
Is the expression 'The Media' simply another way of saying the News?
- I think not.
Media is the plural of medium, which is a means of conveying a message, a means of communication. A tool which we use many times a day. These media include anything from television, to newspapers, magazines, the internet protocol, billboards etc. There are many more messages being transmitted towards the viewer or the listener than just the news. This includes entertainment, advertising, to be short, any message sent by a sender to a receiver. These receivers can be be many in the case of a few to many model (traditional broadcasting like television or newspapers) or a many to many model (like the internet).
If we continue this line of thinking we are all part of what is commonly referred to as the 'media'. In this age of the internet and the endless possibilities to share our opinions, stories and rants through blogs (There are so many free services like Google Blogger, or Wordpress ...), social networking tools (MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, ...), instant messengers (MSN Messenger, AIM, ICQ ...), short message updaters (Twitter) and Wiki's (with for example wikipedia) ... We're all our own publishers, senders of information and sharers of thoughts.
Monday, November 12
Facebook Employees know what you are doing.
While Facebook doesn't allow the publishing of profiles. They themselves can look at any of them and see everything a user does or who's profile he or she visits.
We users can only see those people's profiles who are our friends. But we shouldn't forget that there's an allseeing eye watching over us. There's a lot of information in these profiles about every user and should we trust coorporations to keep our information safe?
A top US intelligence official says that citizens should change their notion of privacy to match that of their governement. Privacy should be regarded as a framework as a system of laws, rules and customs. Instead people should focus on how the information, that will be gathered anyway, will be safeguarded.
There are fragments of each person spread all over the world. Personal data in governement computers concerning every part of your life. Information about your financial status in banks and financial institutions. And now information about your personal status in the Facebook database.
While Facebook is obviously not the only party we should realise that everything we do can be watched. When will that time come that some people will be able to see everything at once ...
Sources: Valleywag, Ars Technica
We users can only see those people's profiles who are our friends. But we shouldn't forget that there's an allseeing eye watching over us. There's a lot of information in these profiles about every user and should we trust coorporations to keep our information safe?
A top US intelligence official says that citizens should change their notion of privacy to match that of their governement. Privacy should be regarded as a framework as a system of laws, rules and customs. Instead people should focus on how the information, that will be gathered anyway, will be safeguarded.
There are fragments of each person spread all over the world. Personal data in governement computers concerning every part of your life. Information about your financial status in banks and financial institutions. And now information about your personal status in the Facebook database.
While Facebook is obviously not the only party we should realise that everything we do can be watched. When will that time come that some people will be able to see everything at once ...
Sources: Valleywag, Ars Technica
Friday, November 9
Online identities
Rheingold:
and Mark Poster:
Both in "Cyberspace, Cyberbodies, Cyberpunk", p. 90
If we relate this to Facebook where we have all the information of the other persons if they are added to our friends list? In how far would we communicate in the same way as we did when we had an anonymous nickname and avator, not linked to our identities in Real Life. If everything can be linked to our person, will this decrease a sense of need for personal expression? Will opinions that don't agree with that of the general public be closed down in fear or repercussions?
There is something that could be said about the safety of anonimity. That you can say what's on your heart, without having to think about the future and outcomes that are impossible to be foreseen at this moment .. Here comes to mind the posting of pictures where you're drunk, partying, smoking pot or just anything that might conflict with future interests of companies or other entities.
The need for pseudonyms might be greater then we think.
"... are relationships and commitment as we know them even possible in a
place where identities are fluid? ... We reduce and encode our identities as
words on a screen, decode, an unpack the identities of others."
and Mark Poster:
"Without visual cues about gender, age, ethnicity and social status,
conversations open up in directions that otherwise might be avoided."
Both in "Cyberspace, Cyberbodies, Cyberpunk", p. 90
If we relate this to Facebook where we have all the information of the other persons if they are added to our friends list? In how far would we communicate in the same way as we did when we had an anonymous nickname and avator, not linked to our identities in Real Life. If everything can be linked to our person, will this decrease a sense of need for personal expression? Will opinions that don't agree with that of the general public be closed down in fear or repercussions?
There is something that could be said about the safety of anonimity. That you can say what's on your heart, without having to think about the future and outcomes that are impossible to be foreseen at this moment .. Here comes to mind the posting of pictures where you're drunk, partying, smoking pot or just anything that might conflict with future interests of companies or other entities.
The need for pseudonyms might be greater then we think.
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