The hopes and visions of a young lad named Terence Choo

Before I begin, I would like to remind you that this post is based on what I hope for the internet in the future. Silly or not my reasons, these are my visions and dreams for it. Pardon my naivety or eccentricity Mr. Choy for I am one who likes to envision something out of the ordinary!

These are my visions………

I want to see the web being surf on ANY device. I literally mean anything from my spectacle case to my cigarette lighter to the brick that surrounds the garden of my home. Adding this touch screen device will release us from the chains of a laptop, PC or even an IPhone. After watching the clip on six sense, I realize that this reality is not too far away from us. However, I hope to see it completely materialize soon!

Predator Wi-fi

Secondly, I hope that not only will we be able to access everything from everything but with also with personalized information. That means that if I were to access the web via my chopping board, it ought to provide information on various kitchen ware and appliances. If I were to access the web from my lighter, it should provide me with different updates on different lighter styles (possibly cool ones). On the flipside, I am expecting health care advocates to depict unpleasant photos of the effects of smoking.

accessing information on your chopping board!

Another far-fetched I have is a “personalized Internet” access account for each and every person. Here, all we need to do is to sign up for this application and it assigns up a “buddy”. This buddy appears whenever we allow it to, via a “accept” button. This friend acts as our secretary and keeps updated information for us but more importantly, converses with us. It’s as if we have a computerize friend. It effectively is our “partner” on the internet searching stuff for us and doing online transactions.

The internet buddy

It can talk to us like any human being can and it can make suggestions based on our past purchases or information searches. Even better, It may even help us access information for our research papers and save us the trouble of having to look through countless journal articles (Oh yes, I thought about this in relation to all the suffering I’ve experienced in school with research papers).


I have one more absurd wish for the internet. Considering the fact that we might not need laptops and PCs one day, I am assuming that we’re going to be able to access the web not only using everything but hopefully, using “nothing”, like that in the movie, the Last Action Hero starring Arnold Schwarzenegger When I say nothing, I mean simply the medium of space. Like that in the Minority Report where we see a matrix of information appearing in the middle of nowhere. Now, I do not know the functions for how this is going to materialize but I can envision it. With that, I hope that we can one day teleport ourselves from one place to the next via the internet.

Tom Cruise in Minority Report


Ok, this is NOT going to happen in our lifetime I can safely say that plus THINK ABOUT ALL THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES THAT MIGHT SURFACE with this new technology and capability! Criminals will be even more difficult or impossible to track, what about illegal immigrants? I feel that this should only be instilled, if say for instance, such technology do happen one day, by government bodies and officials and should only be reserved for very very special situations!

Teleporting

The Last Action Hero (Teleporting)

Before I go, I leave you with Vinton Cerf, an American computer scientist who is known as one of “the founding fathers of the internet”. He visited Singapore in 2008 and expressed his views about the future of internet then. Three of his man points are the ease of access to the internet which is already happening now with the usage of IPhones via 3G and wi-fi. He also highlights the speed of access and lastly the role that advertising play for the future. ENJOY!

The Art of presentation

Since this week’s post is a free one, I decided to do a little self-reflection. My group presented on Friday and in all honesty, I felt we entertained the class and more importantly, Mr. Abel Choy.

However, something still disturbs me. I have had severe presentation difficulties from as far back as I can remember. All those jitters and butterflies in my tummy standing in front of a crowd speaking just won’t go away.

I remembered the time when I was asked to stand-in for this girl who backed out on a class debate during my first semester at UB. Boy I had no idea what the hell was going on and I fumbled like a mess when speaking. I felt dumb; almost inadequate. Worst still for me, my lecturer sunk her head as I startled in front of the audience like a pussy cat. Not something I want to remember for as long as I live.

Anyway, I felt I did alright for the presentation on Friday. I had the usual hiccup when I forgot to present one of the points for my parts but on the whole, I thought I did ok. I actually have my group mates to thank because they made it so relax that I felt that even though I messed up slightly, it wouldn’t matter much.

The Ping Pong Piang Band

I guess a large part of my nervousness stems from my vanity. I always wonder whether I look good when presenting and talking to people. I wonder whether my shirt’s untidy or whether I look unkempt. Honestly, I haven’t found the solution to my problem yet but I’m working on it and I somehow feel I’m getting a wee bit better from before.

Therefore, I decided to look up on presentation/stage fight videos and I found this. ENJOY!

The Voices behind Journalism

Football has always been the most watched sport in the world and arguably brings nations together. It symbolizes an “international language” that surpasses all barriers and it some countries, it even represents a “religion. Take for example, Brazil; five time world cup winners and obviously the most feared nation in football.


The Religion of Football

The amount of news coverage for football is worldwide and sports journalist takes it in their stride to cover a game in most detail. From the atmosphere of the stadiums to the comments of the managers and players themselves, most football journalists would ink all the details down on paper.

However, with the rise of Twitter and the recent increase in football players using such social networking services, fans enter the personal realm of a player that even the hardest pressed and intuitive journalist cannot reach.

Even more so……. Twitter posts represent the emotional aspect of a player. Also, it allows fans the chance to be in touch with the lives of their idols. In my opinion, the usage of twitter by football players is an “extension” of sports journalism.
For instance, ex-Liverpool bamboozle boy Ryan Babel was fined 10,000 pounds after posting a Photoshop picture of referee Howard Webb wearing a Manchester United jersey on Twitter after Liverpool’s lost to their rivals.

Ryan Babel's photo tweet

Also, he wrote: "And they call him one of the best referees. That's a joke." Babel’s crude and sarcasm came after he felt that the referee had been on United’s side after The Reds lost at Old Trafford.

Babel or Bamboozle?

Do take some time to view the video below. It explains how Twitter can be used for the wrong reasons costing individuals their jobs and tarnishing their reputation. Despite using the platform for fast and updated news, we as journalists should also be aware that it leaves us vulnerable to “emotional” and rash remarks as Ryan Babel will attest.



More recently, Arsenal’s young starlet Jack Wilshere twitted after The Gunners lost to Barcelona in the European Cup. Despite the sarcasm directed at the referee, the Englishmen thank the fans for their support and apologize for the defeat. Arsenal’s captain Cese Fabregas also deeply apologized for Arsenal’s exit after his mistake led to one of Barca’s goals. The crucial element in these tweets is not what is said but the fact that it is said.

Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere

When sporting stars tweet, they give additional insight and a more personal feel to the fans. In a sense, superstars submerge themselves and allow themselves to come off as “friends” with their fans gaining even more support for their clubs and themselves. This somewhat represents a more personalize marketing tool for footballers as they update their “followers” on what’s going on in their lives.

Twitter is almost famous among Hollywood actors like Ian Somerhalder and James Franco. Due to my girlfriend’s infatuation with these Hollywood heart throbs, I have learnt that both are cat lovers and that both are extremely pro-environment. Besides acting, both of them live a very simple life and do not uphold the typical Hollywood image lifestyle. Something which fans might not be aware of if it wasn’t for Twitter. More importantly, how often do we even get a profile feature on any Hollywood star? Even if we do so, how much personal information will be revealed?





Ian Somerhalder














What do you think?

Poli-Apathy! HELP!!!! (WEEK 10 - COM 125)

This post is an opinionated entry largely based on my experience and from what I’ve seen around me. In general, I agree that youths are apathetic towards politics and I dare claim that very few youths and young adults, me included, will not be able to………………

(1) Name most of our cabinet ministers
(2) Discuss the current government policies
(3) Carry out an intellectual discussion on world affairs.



Additionally, a large number of youths do not……………

(1) Watch news programs
(2) Read the Straits Times
(3) Contemplate and debate about current affairs among one another

This may be due to……

Suspect No. 1: Wrong usage of Technology

I believe that technology is a HUGE distraction. Society is so caught up with the latest phones, gadgets and applications.

Question is, how and what are they using these for? I hardly see youths read an online report from Channel News Asia or CNN on their IPhone. What I do see is people on Cube, Rhinoball and Touch Hockey.



We have the means to access political campaigns and latest discussions among the government. However, the problem seems to be our misused of such advanced technologies. Instead of bette educating ourselves, we distant ourselves further from our surrounding and current affairs.


Suspect no. 2: Pop Culture

No prizes for guessing why this is probably another contributor to poli-apathy. Think about this, will youths enjoy watching a senate meeting or American Idol on TV more? Will more youths listen to a political campaign or a go to a Lady Gaga or Muse concert?



What I’m trying to say is that politics is not like pop culture; it consists of heavy subject matter and may be boring. We would have heard many of our fellow colleagues of friends engrossed in soccer or the latest trends in the market, but never interested in discussing politics.

Possibly, the only reason is because politics is a dry and boring. Additionally, most of us tend to seek entertainment after a hard day’s work.

Even he yarns, what more us?



Suspect no. 3: Framing education

Another issue I like to highlight is the way in which education is thought. Students, especially in Singapore are thought to focus on academic results and exams are based solely on endless arrays of notes and textbooks.

I do note that most textbooks to relate to political issues such as the latest developments and current affairs. However, we are not thought to relate to this and elaborate on such material. More importantly, we are not encouraged to find the reasons behind such issues.



We are tasks to REMEMBER (which I think is a BAD BAD way of learning) and RECALL (in the exams). Is this a good way of learning and understanding such issues in a deeper way; for example, its impact on other societies? Absolutely not. The education system is flawed.


Suspect no. 4: Modern day affluence

Many of us these days are reasonably well-off. This has disparaged youths from politics and made then materialistic. Girls are too distracted with what to wear. Boys seem to only be interested in their motorbikes and flashy cars.



We are ignorant to the more important issues that surround us. People do not seek knowledge; instead, they are too preoccupied with instant gratification based on material goods. In other words, we are distracted by our own wealth.

I have stated the several factors that may contribute to poli-apathy. However, these are very subjective accounts and I believe that there are many out there that may beg to differ.

However, I’ll end with a short clip explaining the likely cause/causes of poli-apathy in youths in contemporary society.

Enjoy!

The Multimedia in Movie Making (WEEK 9 - COM 125)

This post is going to get a wee bit personal simply because I am a movie buff. Special effects in movies create deep engagement within the audience. Additionally, as we learnt in class, it spurs knowledge connections.



Here, I would like to focus on movies in which the connection between the multimedia effects and the plot are evident. More clearly, I believe that the usage of multimedia should not only be used to offer a better 3D experience or simply just to make the image clearer.

Examples:
 Avatar
 King Kong
 Chronicles of Narnia

I call this”pure multimedia” with little substance.

AVATAR

KONG

However, What I do truly appreciate are directors who have the ability to mash these effects with the underlying meaning of the plot. I like to call this ‘intellectual multimedia’ and such forms of special effects allows movie critics to analyze a movie from the production’s point of view and understand the subtle messages of the director.

I’ll start with the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hichcock…..
• Hitchcock – movie (VERTIGO)

The infamous scene that illustrates the theme of the film

Arguably the finest of Hitch’s thrillers, the movie revolves around a retired detective suffering from acrophobia (fear of heights).

He is called upon by an old friend to investigate the strange and mysterious behavior of his wife. Throughout the movie, audience witness the detective’s condition affects his quest to unravel the mystery behind the woman’s behavior.

The scene below shows the protagonist John Ferguson played by Jimmy stewart chasing Madeleine Elster played by Hollywood beauty, Kim Novak.



Hitch used a dolly zoom technique for this shot to give the nauseating effect of acrophobia. This is accomplished by “zooming” the lens in and tracking the camera back simultaneously or vice versa to create the destabilizing effect. This is the camera technique that has been associated and credited as Hitchcock’s own and signature special effect.

This may not be a multimedia effect per se because it isn’t a computer-based interactive communication; however, it has stark similarities to using a video camera and engaging the audience. In other words, it provides meaning and structural solidarity to the film.

• Fincher – movie (FIGHT CLUB)

one of the greatest films of all time and director David Fincher’s cult classic has become a staple for all movie buffs and rebels worldwide. Needless to say, this film combines aesthetic flair with a plot twist that is unimaginably mind-boggling and second to none.

Edward Norton in Fight Club

However, what really caught my attention was the “dissolve” kinetics typography technique used in the title sequence that is not only pleasing to the eye but can also be related to the ending of the movie where audiences witness buildings collapsing due to explosives. Here, the words seem “explode” and vanish much like the bombings of the skyscrapers at the end. Please take a look at the video below.


Typography Kinesics





The typographic dissolving is also associated with the sudden disappearance of Tyler Durden (Brad pitt). Audiences later learn that Tyler Durden is a fiction of the narrator’s imagination (Edward Norton). Hence, the dissolving effect used on the introduction typography can be seen as a subtle message relating to the crux of the film.

Multimedia should be used with the purpose to enhance the movie in connection with the plot. It is a supplementary tool and should not be the tool that your movie revolves around.

Questions we should ask is “why and how is this multimedia effect going to help the audience understanding the movie better” and not “can I throw it a few effects just to make the image come alive”. Then you leave yourself exposed to the question “How is this related to the movie?”

These are simply my two cents worth…………….

VIRTUAL ROBBERY!!!!! (WEEK 8 - COM 125)

With the advent of the internet and the latest technologies, a new breed of thugs has emerged. The do not physically conceal themselves nor do they carry guns or knives. Instead, they carry an array of “ammunitions” that may crater a big gap in our pockets, impersonate us or even track our everyday movement in the virtual world.



Interestingly, recent studies have shown that 70% of Singaporeans fall victim to cyber crimes. Worst still, 71% do not expect these online outlaws to be brought to justice.

Instead of stealing massive amounts, these outlaws steal very little amounts from you on many different occasions, making it extremely difficult to track them down.


Cyber Crime activities in Singapore include
• Fraud
• Spamming
• Hacking
• Intellectual property theft
• Identity theft
• Harassment

As the chart shows, the most common form of cyber crime activity in Singapore is hacking. This includes writing of spreading computer viruses and worms and flooding websites with denial of service attacks.

Gender



It is not a big surprise that guys are more deviant than ladies when it comes to being a nuisance online. Your perpetrator is ten times more likely to be a male than female as statistics show. I am unsurprised by this fact as Albert Bandura has showed that boys are more predisposed to aggressive acts than females. If we think about it, cyber-crime may also be considered as an aggressive act supporting the Bandura model

Educational Level



Addtionally, it isn’t surprising that almost ¾ of the people that commit cyber-crimes either have a undergraduate degree or diploma. This may be because of the dynamic and more complex learning strategies acquired in the undergraduate programs as compared to the more rigid ITE and Secondary school learning styles where. Hence, more intuitive and deeper levels of thought may combined with the thirst for virtual “excitement” resulting into cyber misdeeds.

Why is Singapore a target for cyber criminals?

Sometimes, being an affluent nation doesn’t really help. You become the target of an increasing array of scams, tricks, lies and deception. Before this post, a friend told me about his experience with an online British scam. What was comical was that my friend knew right from the start about the ploy and started toying with the person just to taunt him. I thought that was quite hilarious.


Before you go, please take a look at this video. Its only 2 minutes long and shows the victim actually witnesses his computer being hacked into at that particular moment. Imagine seeing your mouth move and clicking on icons without anyone dealing with the keyboard! It served as an eye-opener for me. ENJOY!

One dreadful post (WEEK 7 - COM 125)

Doing this week's blog was a major hassle. Firstly, I'm a technological goon and creating a video isn't exactly the most fascinating thing.

Secondly, I have NO CLUE whatsoever on how moviemaker works. I'm absolutely alien to the application. Therefore, i decided to take a few photos of my younger days and upload it on a Macbook instead.

With that, i decided to do a voice over and combined it into a series of pictures. Then i decided to do a short video on myself which i had originally intended to be at the end of all the pictures. However, that didn't work out because the video pictures and the video on myself were of two separate formats. One MP4 and the other MOV.

Due to this, i uploaded to videos about myself. One about my youth and the other about the present.

Here they are.

Part 1 - Youth

Part 2 - present

The end :)

Be there while being ANYWHERE. (WEEK 6 - COM 125)

Imagine a form of education without:

• Pens and papers
• Tables and chairs
• Heavy and cumbersome textbooks and laptops
• Four walls or the ceiling
• Having to pay attention to the teacher throughout the lesson
• Having to think what to wear to school (Yes ladies, I’m referring to you)
• Being distracted by inconsiderate and chatty classmates

I bring to you the classroom of tomorrow………

The Digital Classroom

Instead of having to wake up early in the morning and having to squeeze for space on the bus for your 830am class, one will be able to “reach” his or her classroom within a form of “turning on”. Yes, I mean turning on the laptop. One will be able to sit in for a class without having to groom or brush his or her teeth. Think about this, you can even go to class NAKED.



This form of learning will replace teachers with education facilitators, altering the formulaic teach-and-learn method with a revolutionary facilitate-in-learning method. Virtual learning allows the student to take charge of his or her own learning journey thus allowing him an endless array of information on the internet while looking at lecture material or attending a lecture online.



While many may claim that virtual education hampers human interaction and the development of social relationships, these can still be strongly encouraged and supported via online discussions and even forums.

With that, I move on to a platform that is used by many colleges and universities to educate their student via the digital route; Second Life. One can create a representation of himself or herself in a form of an avatar. More interestingly, avatars can be customized by changing their clothes, gender and even physical proportion.

Subsequently, one controls his or her graphic representation (the avatar) by attending lectures and being physically present in the virtual classroom. Thinking about it, this actually allows people who are more introverted to facilitate discussions by speaking to the lecturer through the monitor or a chat window. Additionally, students will not be distracted by others in the classroom and will not have to worry about rushing to class to be on time.

A video about education in Second Life

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the virtual classroom is that it allows an individual to be at two separate places at the same time. Imagine how efficient and time savvy that is.

One can babysit, or even be on holiday and yet attend a lecture! The ill or handicapped student will not have to worry about the hassles of attending class either.

Take a look at the time used on an a average weekday for a full-time university or college students below. Note the amount of hours and spend on grooming, taking transport, sleeping and working. With the digital classroom, less time will be spent on the first two and more on the latter two.

Time spent by on average by a university student

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks of digital learning such as:

• Inability to develop concrete social relationships with classmates
• Isolates us from reality
• Difficult to clarify with the lecturer regarding abstract material
• The possibility of the couch-potato syndrome
• Lecturers have to make a separate curricula for their online students
• Examination dishonesty.
• Unable to access non-verbal cues

However, the world is developing and moving at an increasingly fast pace. In this rat-race society, individuals are on the constant move and information is available anywhere and everywhere.

The question is, are human beings becoming victim to technology? In other words, are we losing the simplistic nature of life such as human bonding and face to face interaction? I can’t help but agree.

Web pages that suck (WEEK 5 - COM 125)

Last week’s lesson highlighted some of the necessities on E-commerce websites. The lesson included a video which I thought was extremely educational. However, I would like to talk about the calamity of bad web pages. Interestingly, research has suggested that if your web page does not interest the visitor within the first 15 seconds, they will leave.

What the hell is going on!?

After doing some research and looking at a few bad websites, here are my 10 DON’TS of e-commerce websites. They are in no order of importance.

(1) Not updated regularly

• Not updating your e-commerce website regularly just goes to show how much you care about your business or want your customers to know what you’re up to. Thus, it fails to inform customers about the latest and newest happenings and services you provide.

• E .g – FOREWORD COMMUNICATIONS PR WEB PAGE.

 This page has not been updated for nearly three years. There are no updated testimonials (last was in 2000). Also, there are no updated event showcases since 2005!

(2) No Sale

• Things never go on sale on the web page. This is key because customers are always looking for a good deal considering the fact that they cannot feel the product when wanting to purchase it.

• E.g – French Label A.P.C jeans NEVER have any sale no matter the time of the year.


(3) Bad navigation

• Visitors to the web page get lost in the website. They do not know how to find a particular page and the design of the web site makes navigation extremely inefficient and confusing. This is also known as Mystery Meat Navigation.

• E. g – University of Calgary webpage.





(4) Music that loads automatically

• Visitors do not like the fact that music is played on almost every other page of your website. How do you know if viewers would appreciate your music? Moreover, it gets REALLY annoying if it does not enhance or is compatible with the products you’re selling.

• E.g. - Cherokee Rose Border Collies (Navigating the website only makes you want to yell at the designer)

(5) Pop ups everywhere

• Imagine having to close a pop up each time you try to navigate to another web page. Excessive Pop-ups make the website very distracting and difficult to navigate.

• E.g. – Toy Joy’s website

 Worthy winners of the 2008 worst website tag. Pop-up appears on every single different page. Worst still, the navigation buttons mean nothing to the visitors.




(6) No information about site owners

• This negligible act shouts “no credibility”. It does not tell the visitor who they are dealing with nor does it provide any security. This is an absolutely turn off for any visitor and a website without information about its users is destined for disaster.

Did Casper create this web page?!



(7) Difficulty locating the checkout button

• Interestingly, I haven’t come across such bamboozling in a web page. But just imagine the consequences that may follow when you can’t locate where to process your order. NO BUSINESS.


(8) No information on return policy

• Having no information on this is dodgy. Buying goods online is already difficult as customers may not be able to tell if the material or fit of the apparel is suited for them. Some websites even rush their customers to return within 3 days which is not the best way to draw interest in your site or goods.


(9) Links that do not work

• This problem shows that the owners do not check their web sites regularly and can disappoint the customers particularly if the link is crucial to the product or service description. No information on service provided = No business. Please see the video below




(10) Poor product/service delivery

• I used to order my clothes from Zara but stopped because of the fact that the goods didn’t arrive the last time I tried to purchase a shirt. This is a real turnoff especially when they give you the excuse that it is due to shipping mess up.

I have highlighted the 10 DON’TS of e-commerce websites in which I have experienced. Before you go, please enjoy the following video.

Why are you LINKED? (WEEK 4 - COM 125)

I am not a fan or member of Facebook, Twitter or even Myspace. I simply find it superficial and too troublesome to upkeep. Moreover, I think it is a waste of time updating people on every single thing that happens (twitter) or daily events (Facebook). This leads me to mention about the displacement hypothesis reaction whereby spending hours on Facebook “stalking” people or uploading pictures will take time off some other more productive or healthy activity. Sometimes, we add people who we don’t even know, which can lead to various unwanted consequences too.



Worst still, it might minimize your chances of getting a job or even cost you your rice bowl via pictures of even comments. Here are some facebook faux pas that we should be aware of. Also, I find it very childish updating your personal status. Do you really have to tell the world if things are really “complicated” in your life?

There is nothing more "complicated" than Facebook itself

More importantly, I agree that Facebook is a good way to keep in touch with friends from overseas but I do not think it is necessary for trivial use in Singapore. Having said that, I believe that the more important thing is how you use social networking cites. In a recent study at the Ohio State University, a positive correlation was discovered between Facebook usage and academic grades! However, the study suffered major criticism due to various methodological flaws.

This leads me to move on towards a more useful and professional social networking site which I might submit to in the future, LinkedIn. The video will help you understand how this simple social networking site functions.



The usefulness of LinkedIn is integral for businesses, in particular for the individual businessman. A registered user can maintain a list of contacts that they know and trust. More importantly, it is a way or marketing yourself to your various others via your immediate connections.

This is particularly helpful if you’re seeking a better job, offering freelance services or simply maintaining positive relationships with others to increase your business and social circle. Additionally, job seekers can look up the profiles of potential managers and get a brief overview of the company before deciding whether to apply for a job there or not. It provides information about whether the company’s culture or protocols are aligned with the job seekers personality. Indirectly, it places the job seeker in a “head-hunting” position.

LinkedIN application

More importantly, this site helps the user become more productive and acknowledge the correct “paths” to take to accomplish their goals. As highlighted in the video, it may not be the lack of connections we have but instead, it is our ignorance that prevents us from finding and locating the other contacts linked to our immediate connections.

Another interesting feature of LinkedIn is LinkedIn Groups. Users can search for various groups that share similar profession or interest about a certain industry. They can discuss about various topics and this provides an excellent way to further increase or enhance business relationships. Hence i believe that the value obtained from social networking sites is based on how one uses it. In other words, WHY are you linked? There are various pros and cons of these sites. What do you think Mr Choy?

The Heart of Free Speech (WEEK 2/CNY - COM 125)

With the recent focus on social media in class, I strongly believe that the gist of social interaction on the web is defined by the First Amendment; Freedom of speech. I am a firm believer of free speech, especially on the internet.



Think about this. A company creates a website with their very own ideas and statements for EVERYONE to see. Hence, I believe that if an organization seeks to spread their views, values or any promotions on the internet to society, they should also tolerate society’s views, good or bad.

After all, the public may even offer constructive or intellectual suggestions and proposals for improving and enhancing the clarity of the web page. More importantly, it is another form of getting customer feedback and reviews on products sold.

However, what complicates the matter is the fact that the public may slander or offer comments that are either false or misguiding. This is probably the reason why maintaining a browser that allows for the freedom of speech could be detrimental.



This discussion leads me to bring up a form of social media that was discussed in class two weeks back (I sincerely apologize for this delayed post, CNY was hectic and time-consuming). In 1999, two Singaporean college students launched a free browser plug-in called Third Voice that enabled users to leave comments on any site they visit.

The main reason why this plug in was created was to ensure that corporations remain honest and, also to promote the freedom of speech. It enabled users to post “sticky notes” such as suggestions or comments on any web page. At the height of its fame in 1999, it appeared on the cover of Fortune magazine as one of the publication’s coolest companies of the year.

Unfortunately, this freedom turned into “web graffiti” and after petitions from 400 independent web hosts through a campaign called “Say No to TV”, Third Voice never recovered and eventually the service stopped. Interestingly, its creator Tan Eng Siong also highlighted that the lack of consumer awareness made it impossible to raise its advertising revenue to upkeep the service.



More recently, another form of browser plug-in has manifested. Kraft Foods’ Miracle Whip Brand has started an application that allows users to post comments on web-based content through their social network such as Facebook. In conjunction with Facebook, Zingr enables its users to leave comments on numerous web pages which appear as dialog boxes that can be posted anywhere on the web page.

These postings called “Zings” will then appear on the user’s networks on Facebook and Twitter. Now, if one clicks on that user’s link, it shows the comments or postings accumulated by all the friends on that user’s network inclusive of all the user’s comments. This allows a congregation of people having a “forum” on a particular topic or organization of interest.



According to Miracle Whip, it is “the newest way to allow users to add their own flavor to the internet” Only time will tell if this newly invented application holds firm. Perhaps, the notion of the freedom of speech is returning on the internet, we can only hope that users of this application do not abuse or turn it into web graffiti……

Low advertising revenue or not, I strongly believe that the main reason it failed was due to the fact that the government and media wanted to curb the public from promoting the truth ; what really goes on in the company.



Think in terms of journalism and how the notion of the free press is nothing but bullshit considering the fact that large multi-national conglomerates own a large share of the market’s news agencies and channels. What do you think they would want to promote? More importantly, what would they not promote?

Initially, I had no idea what podcast and RSS is at all being quite technologically handicapped. However, I got interested in it after the last lecture and realize that podcasting is an extremely fast way to receive up to date information about anything via RSS feeds. A noteworthy fact is that the term “podcast” came along because the creators of podcasts, Adam Curry and co. used ipods to listen to their RSS feeds.

Adam Curry -"podfather"

The video highlights three very important facts about why podcasting is useful

•Anyone can provide their own show or news that is open to the public without a satellite, radio station or studios needed
•Enabling users to receive up to date shows or news from a website automatically
•Downloadable on a MP3 player or an iphone allowing access to news anywhere.



I would also like to emphasize on two important points in highlighted on some interesting facts (fact 6) on podcasting . Not only should one have an interesting subject matter or enough material to create weekly update on one’s podcast. One must also be truthful to the public providing genuine and accurate facts and not defamation of events.

We owe the responsibility to ourselves and the public to provide the hard facts regardless of its consequences. Contemporary society is filled with tremendous uncertainty and fluidity. Therefore, we ought to use the First Amendment rights to cope with such events and not enhance the complexity among the public. Agree?

The Rise of the Machines (WEEK 1 - COM 125)

The Beginning………

The 50s and 60s were arguably the golden ages for American in terms of economy and world power. Interestingly, as I’ve just found out, it is also hallmark of a vision that would result in one of man’s most needed and important discoveries, the internet.

Leading the historic development was J.C.R Lickliner aka Lick is considered by most as the founding father of the internet. He had an idea of an interactive “galatic network” in which communication and information sharing would be transmitted over a network via millions of computers like the world today.


J.C.R LICKLINDER


He began his ideas by helping DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) developed a system known as ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) in 1969 which provided a communication system for the military similar to that of the internet in terms of sharing information and communication. This development came about during the beginning of Sputnik 1 and the Cold war.

Before I forget, another important figure in the history of the internet is Vinton Gray Cerf. A graduate at Stanford University, he later became a professor at his alma mater and developed the TCP/IP protocols as you mentioned in class that formed the basis for the layers of different application and processes, something which I’m still a little confused about though.

Amidst the brilliance of The Net, there will at least be a clown who would claim to be part of this integral discovery in our lives. One such fool is Al Gore who in a 1999 CNN interview stated that he took the initiative in CREATING THE INTERNET; yes he meant that he INVENTED it. However, it is widely known now that his comical statement is flawed and he only actively promoted the usage of the Net.

The pride of America


For a start, Al Gore wasn’t even on the Congress when the APARNET and internet (1974) were formed. Gore was elected to Congress in 1976. Yes, Al Gore created the internet and I created Al Gore.

During the 1990s, the internet exploded in terms of popularity and development due to the web browser Mosaic (1993). However, two years before, the University of Minnesota became the first school to develop a simple system known as the Gopher to access files and information on campus, the equivalent of our own UB Learns. This started the trend for all universities to come equipped with an online system to serve the needs and benefits of their students.

The Gopher - mascot of the university of Minnesota

Another interesting fact is that as of 2004, only 13% (812 million) of the world's population are internet users and that Sweden is the country with the largest number of internet users (75%). Another noteworthy fact that surprised me is the fact that the internet is 35% English and 65% non-English. The graph below illustrates the growth of the internet and the percentage of English and non-English users.




Now and the Future…………

Before the first and second class, I had NO IDEA about Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 or even 4.0. I’ve never heard of it simply because I am an internet goof with poor knowledge on the technological aspects of this world. Indirectly, I am a technophobic.
Nevertheless, I’ve found out some interesting facts about Web 3.0 which is my concern now because you’ve mentioned that technology is somewhere in between Web 3.0 and 4.0.

In simple terms, Web 3.0 will be able to determine the meaning of the text and data and come up with connections that are related to the users. In this day and age, I would need to use the assistance of multiple searches before I can figure what movie to watch, where to watch it and where to have dinner after that. At least three different pages will be in use on my screen and let’s not forget the coordination between the movie and dinner timings that I would have to factor in. Tedious it is…..maybe.

In the near future, Web 3.0 will allow me to type, “I want to see a movie and then eat at a Spanish restaurant, what are my options?” Web 3.0 then locates the whereabouts of the various Spanish eateries and finds the most convenient location for a cinema thereafter. Additionally, if I choose to be more specific, by adding “thriller movie” into my search sentence, 3.0 would be able to sift out the desired genre of movies at the nearest cinema from the restaurant.

Even better, Web 3.0 acts like a personal assistant and it learns more about me and you after multiple search entries. It begins to be more personal providing increasingly accurate results tailored to the user based on past searches. The computer thus becomes an active participant in the search relying on conceptual meaning from us. I found an interesting and simple video that illustrates the purpose and benefits of the semantic web as shown below.



One day, you and I would simply have to key “Any suggestions for a romantic dinner?” to get options based on our previous dining choices. Shocking isn’t it? I won’t be surprised if computers begin conversing with us by Web 10.0. I hope I’ll be alive by then to be part of that era. What do you think?