Zuckerberg admits Facebook mistakes; NBA returns on Christmas Day

ICT stuff. Facebook and the Federal Trade Commission have reached a settlement over consumer deception charges dating back to 2009. The commission claimed that the social networking giant made public information it promised to keep private, thanks to changes in site terms. According to the terms of the deal, user feedback will be required before the site makes changes to policies for sharing data. Mark Zuckerberg addressed his company's on-going privacy issues, admitting to "a bunch of mistakes" and assured users that Facebook is making a "clear and formal long-term commitment" to privacy tools. (source: The New York Times)

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One-shot. Hoop fans couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present. The NBA lockout is finally over and the season opens on Christmas Day. As my buddy Earl puts it, “there is a Santa.” And if David Stern wants to mitigate the damage to his legacy caused by the protracted lockout, then he’ll keep the NBA’s original Christmas Day schedule and open the season where we left off last June: Mavs vs. Heat. 

Actually, I had always wanted a later start to the 2011-2012 season, being among those who think that a shortened season would help veterans like Tim Duncan (and, unfortunately, Kobe as well). While it’s highly unlikely, there's nothing more I'd rather see than the greatest power forward ever winning a 5^th title. Yet my initial excitement was quickly tempered when I learned that there would be no hard salary cap in the new CBA. And after reading this article by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the excitement turned into disappointment. See, I’m one of those old school guys who’d rather see superstars go head-to-head rather than play side-by-side. Needless to say, I was extremely turned off by LeBron’s decision and was among those who loathed the Miami Heat. Anyway, the basic premise behind a hard cap is to level the playing field between small and big market teams by placing a predetermined limit as to how much each team can spend for players' salaries. In other words, it’s all about parity. Having three superstars team up means you’ll have one elite team (Miami) at the expense of two mediocre ones (Cleveland and Toronto). Given the way things are going—with persistent rumors of Chris Paul wanting to join Melo and Amare in NY—it is not inconceivable that in 5 years’ time there will only be 6 competitive teams. Never a good thing for sports where the underlying principle should always be competition. I really thought the owners would take a tougher stand on this since I assumed that they would naturally want to protect their own interests. But at the end of the day, I guess it’s all about the money. The owners got their 50-50 split of the BRI and that’s all that mattered, disparity and the possibility of getting screwed a la Cleveland notwithstanding.

Francis Paolo Tiopianco, Entry #1

The "Informed" Cyberworld

We live in the age where the Internet is Big Brother –the all knowing and omnipresent. And it’s not just limited to Google. It's actually the social networking sites that feeds most of the netizens "information" at their clicking. In fact, according to Pew Research Center Facebook has become a driving force in the News arena - "Its role has evolved from a network for friends to share personal information to a way for people to share, recommend and link together all kinds of information, including news." The simple act of clicking "share" or "retweet" has made News into a social experience.

Image Source: http://www.journalism.org

However, with this clicking, re-tweeting, sharing (which has somehow become an auto-response programmed in the body of netizens worldwide) comes the issue of truth and authenticity of the things we read online. In today's fact paced world, most of us have been spoon-fed with too much information. We want things concise, brief and easy to digest. Just look at Twitter's 140-character limit! And with this compression comes misinformation. In her article, Lian Nami Buan, talked about the problem of spreading unverified news and points to some examples. She also points out that it is not difficult at all to verify online information and suggests that "the first step to achieving a properly-informed cyber world: Read More."

What does it mean to Read More? It's taking time to read the entire article rather than settling for more often than not hugely controversial headlines. It's learning the real issues and not getting caught up with hearsays of your social grapevine. It's being responsible in creating and sharing information on the web. 

Think before you click. Simple. Easy. Painless.

(You may read the complete article here:  Read More: Why you should really click this link )

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Entry No. 16

Soleil Flores

[READ ALL OTHER ENTRIES]

"You will not use Facebook if you are under 13."

Image Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Facts: A 12-year old girl from Northern Ireland posted suggestive pictures of herself on Facebook. The pictures portray the girl as heavily made-up doing provocative poses, making her appear much older than her actual age. Her father now sues Facebook for allowing his daughter to post the 'explicit photos'.

Issue: W/N Facebook can be made liable on the ground of negligence, for failing to verify the age of its users.

Discussion: Petitioner-father anchors his claim on the site's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, particularly on item 4.5 which bars membership to those below 13 years of age. By failing to verify the age of the girl, Facebook allegedly failed to uphold it's own policy thereby making it liable for negligence as well for exposing the child at risk for sexual and physical harm.

Held: Case has not been decided yet and Facebook has not yet responded/commented as of 09/06/2011.

Notes (a.k.a Reality Check):

Perhaps (and I am not so sure about this) the only way that Facebook actually verifies the age of its members is by ticking the "I agree to the Terms and Conditions" and "I am over 13 years of age" boxes. Realistically speaking, with a gazillion users growing each day, checking violations of the age policy might prove to be impossible. Even if the company decides to place verification procedures, kids these days will find a way to circumvent the age requirement. It is worth noting that even child protection experts admitted that children will lie.

A lot of the comments/reactions regarding this news goes in the line of "Why blame FB when it was the child who posted her own photos?" or "The father's a failure." More than finger pointing to who's at fault -the child at her own volition; Facebook for violating its own policy; the Father for being a "failure" parent, -this case raises the issue of responsibility of child safety in the world wide web. Not only limited to social networking sites but child online privacy and protection in general. Parents cannot expect websites to police their own children. Likewise, sites cannot assume that everyone is complying with the age restriction. Again, online child safety (much like every policy formulation) requires a balancing act. But it is a much more complex set of relationships because according to Jim Gamble "there is a duty of care for the company, a clear duty of care for parents and a clear duty of care for anyone in whose care a child is put."

Source:

(1) http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/facebook-sued-by-father-over-explicit-photos-of-12-year-old-daughter/
(2) http://ph.news.yahoo.com/facebook-sued-father-over-explicit-photos-12-old-185907158.html

(3) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14803664

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Entry No. 12

Soleil Flores

"Lift" me up.

Social networking sites have been an inescapable part of my life. From Friendster, Myspace, and Multiply, to Facebook and Twitter, and now Google +, there is no escaping the fact that these sites have changed the way people live their lives. I will go as far as saying that these sites, for better or for worst, has shaped humanity (instead of humanity shaping it) in ways that then seemed unimaginable. This is the influence that social networking sites have, and will continue to have in years to come.

But if I were made to choose between all these social networking sites, I'll choose Twitter, any day. I've stopped using Friendster, Myspace and Multiply for several years now, and I haven't jumped to the Google+ bandwagon. So it was toss between Facebook and Twitter. I've been a Facebook user since I was a college senior, and I see that you can reach most people through Facebook nowadays. You can post status updates, upload photos, then tag your friends on those photos. It has game applications. You can also share and upload articles, videos, and what have you. I also love how it now has the group feature similar to email groups but definitely more interactive. It's a one-stop shop. They might as well use ShoeMart's former tagline "We've got it all for you."

This aside, Twitter still gets my vote. Why? The flow of information in Twitter is just so much faster. 240 characters is all you got, hence it allows people to place bite-sized chunks of information online. You get immediate responses as well, which make tweeting live and instantaneous. Unlike Facebook, there is no difficulty in looking at your wall because you only see the tweets of people you want to follow. Since I'm inclined to live a fast-paced lifestyle with the way our world works, it's perfect for me. I want information to be available when I want it. It's like a convenience store. It doesn't have everything, but it has everything that I need. Not to mention the fact that I can follow Twitter accounts of celebrities, politicians, basketball players and the like. People you are really not related or connected to. But Twitter bridges that gap for you and provides a venue to personally interact with these people.

So when I heard that there is an upcoming social networking site created by the geniuses behind Twitter, I naturally got excited. The name of the site is Lift. So I went to the website and entered my email account. Then I got a message saying "What is Lift? We're interested in ways new technology can help unlock human potential, especially through the use reinforcement. That's all we can tell you right now." Talk about a tease. Unlock human potential? Interesting.

According to ReadWriteWeb, it looks like Twitter, only with "more structure." which traced Lift back to something called Mibbles just a few weeks ago (that project's site, GetMibbles.com, now automatically redirects viewers to lift.do). The plan with Mibbles was apparently to allow people to track their daily goals and accomplishments with friends and sort of collectively chart everyone's progress.

I wonder how a social networking site will help "unlock human potential." Talk about shaping humanity.

Can't wait to get "Lift"-ed.

Source: http://techland.time.com/2011/08/24/meet-lift-the-new-social-network-from-twitters-founders/#ixzz1Vy1z0Vst

Entry #10

Mark Garrido

To Kill the (Twitter)Bird

They say that for every market, a submarket grows.

Introducing the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine! According to the site:

"This machine lets you delete all your energy sucking social-networking profiles, kill your fake virtual friends, and completely do away with your Web2.0 alterego."

Termed by Mark Gibbs as "Social Suicide", this application will "kill for FREE" accounts on Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn and Twitter in a mere 52 minutes, as opposed to 9.5 hours of DIY.

The aim of the machine is NOT TO DELETE the account, but to remove private content and friend relationships. By doing this, they hope to remove the data being stored (forever) and cached out of the servers of these social networking sites, which cannot be entirely done with just account deactivation.

web 2.0 suicide machine - untwitter from moddr_ on Vimeo.

The developers premise this application on the right of everyone to disconnect as opposed to the seamless connectivity these sites offer. While Twitter or FB Suicide might sound morbid and anti-social, the underlying issue being addressed here is the right to privacy.

This rationale finds support in the case of Olmstead v. United States (1928) wherein Justice Brandeis elaborated that the right to privacy, the right to be let alone as "the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men." While the case was decided almost a century ago, this doctrine proves to be true in the current information age we live in. The development of technology has posed numerous issues and gray areas which the law did not foresee and central to this is our inherent right to privacy. While we may be enjoying our "friends only" updates and tags; every time we hit that post/tweet/like button, it becomes recorded and stored for God knows how long. "Forever" is just another word to describe the unknown.

"Privacy is one of the biggest problems in this new electronic age. At the heart of the Internet culture is a force that wants to find out everything about you. And once it has found out everything about you and two hundred million others, that's a very valuable asset, and people will be tempted to trade and do commerce with that asset. This wasn't the information that people were thinking of when they called this the information age."

--"What I've Learned: Andrew Grove", co-founder and former CEO of Intel Corporation, May 1, 2000

Soleil Flores
Entry No. 10

You know you went to U.P. Law if...

...you know that there is actually a meme in Facebook dedicated for this purpose. You can check it out here http://www.facebook.com/groups/160459717364781/

My phone has been ringing non-stop the past few days, causing my phone battery to drain faster than usual. Not from SMS messages, nor from emails, but from Facebook notifications. While browsing Facebook last week, I came across a meme called "Taga UP Diliman ka kung..." So I checked the page and was really entertained by all the members posts. The idea is that members will continue or add to the initial statement by sharing their experiences by in U.P. Diliman, from the ordinary to the mundane. I noticed however that most of the people who are contributing to this page are those who took their undergraduate studies in U.P. Diliman so I did not join the page (I took my undergrad degree from that "lesser school on the other side of Katipunan", as some of my professors in this college would refer to. I still beg to disagree). On the same day, I came across a meme "You know you're Atenean if..." which has the same proposition with the Diliman meme, only this time, for Ateneans. So I joined the page and participated in the discussions. I must admit though that this meme is noticeably less active than the Diliman meme. As of the date, the Ateneo page only has 1,069 members, while the Diliman page has a whopping number of 26,859 members. After a few days, I also bumped into a meme called "You know you went to UP Law if..." Now this make things exciting.

What makes this meme interesting is that since I am currently a student in the U.P. College of Law, my experiences inside the institution is as fresh as it can get. I am still creating, and living, my U.P. Law story. Hence, there is more to share. Well actually, I still end up just reading all the member posts, which ranges from unforgettable experiences during class recitation, quotable quotes by Professors and blockmates, to the day to day struggles and tribulations of the U.P. Law student. However, it can be noted that those who are most active in the page are not the current law students but our beloved alumni, who are more than eager to share their version of "Malcomisms" or anecdotes from their stay here in U.P. Law. Current members of Congress, partners from the biggest law firms in the country, top practitioners both from private and government institutions, a past Dean of the college, current and past professors, fresh graduates and current students like me, are just some of the 1,772 members (and counting) who are actively participating this page. Where else can you find a venue that brings all this people together. The best legal minds in the country sharing different experiences, but discussing only one thing: their stay in the U.P. College of Law, which is our common denominator of sorts. One would expect that the younger generation will be the more tech-savvy generation and the one that would be most likely participate in Facebook page discussions. But this page is an exception. That sense of nostalgia has brought our beloved alumni back to the college of law, re-living their experience through this page. The meme has become a virtual time machine, transporting all its members back to the good ol' days.

Lisa Araneta, one of the administrators of the "You know you went to U.P. Law if..." meme, sums the experience by commenting in one of the posts: "it's interesting to note that so little has changed. The professors are still pretty much... terrifying terrorists. And the students, all a little... mad. And some of the madmen and madwomen eventually turn into terrifying terrorists themselves." Tatak U.P. Law.

Since I started writing this blogpost, my phone already received 17 new Facebook notifications. It seems it will be that way for quite some time.

Entry # 9

Mark Garrido

Will the real x please stand up?

I just got home from an epic night out when I got a text message from a friend of mine, saying "random. theres a fake FB account - Mark Garrido bashing Chris (Lao) on the fanpage. He also posted your ICT blog on the wall." The first thing that came to my mind was... "are you freaking kidding me?" SMH. Well, a moment of disbelief, followed by a hearty smile.

Well, I don't own the name "Mark Garrido." A simple Google search or even a Facebook search would easily yield several Mark Garridos. It is a pretty common name. But the aforementioned facebook account specifically pointed out my ICT blog last week (http://lawandict.blogspot.com/2011/08/former-up-law-student-trending.html) So I guess its true, someone is trying to represent himself as me. So this person first liked one of the hate pages against Chris. Then, he posted a link of my ICT blog and stated "pinagtatanggol pa oh mark garrido pangalan... baka parehas sila hehe" Thereafter, using this account under my name, he started contributing to the insults and harassment towards Chris in one of the fan pages in Facebook. As we can see, social media, apparently, brings out the worst in people.

Well, what can I say? Nice work dude. First, thank you for actually reading my blog post last week. Apparently, we have a wide array of readers out here. And by the way, you are free to post the link to this article in one of those pages, if you get off with that.

Identity theft is a form of fraud or cheating of another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name. In this case, it is more of just to ridicule the person whose identity is assumed by the identity thief. Identity theft is an easy thing to execute. After just a few clicks in your computer, you can easily present yourself as another person, or create a new identity. The anonymity that the internet affords continuous to encourage, or shall I say tolerate, people to do such things. Indeed, anonymity is not without its benefits. It allows people to air their opinions about personal stuff more freely without the fear of judgment from other people. Anonymity also permits a more equal evaluation of people's messages because there is no status, race or gender to base from. However, the anonymity that the internet provides also allows offensive and disruptive behavior from people. Which is the case here. One can't help but wonder whether the same people would have the balls to continue such acts, if they would actually be held accountable for their actions. I guess the answer is a resounding "No".

So will the real Mark Garrido please stand up?

The fake "Mark Garrido": http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002735382563#!/profile.php?id=100002735382563&sk=wall

Entry # 8

The real Mark Garrido

The Google+ (Social Network) Project

In the age of social networking where Facebook and Twitter rule network relationships, multi-billion dollar conglomerate Google refuses to sit this one out.

Just last week I received an invite for Google+ project. My initial thought was, "It's like Facebook, only Google-fied!"

Photo from plus.google.com

While quite late it at, Google launched on June 28, the Google+ project --a social networking service aimed at "sharing the right stuff, with the right people" while integrating the wide range of Google products and services, such as GoogleBuzz (microblogging), Youtube (video hosting) and Picasa (photo sharing), just to name a few. Currently, the service is still in it's invite-only testing phase. It boasts of five features, generating mixed reactions from netizens all over:

• Circles -a place where you can sort out their contacts into respective groups via drag and drop method 
• Hangouts - a platform for Video Chats 
• Huddle - a communication tool for your circles (contacts); works like BBM groups or group IM chats 
• Instant Upload - for sharing pictures and videos directly from your mobile phone (Android only) 
• Sparks - a recommendation interface based on ones listed interests

It appears that this is just the beginning of grand plan to take over the social network business. It is reported that in the next six weeks, Google plans to rebrand Picasa and Blogger as "Google Photos" and "Google Blogs" respectively in order to tie it up with the major roll out of Google+.

Google+ indeed looks promising. However, it is highly unlikely that it would surpass Facebook's 11-year lead in the social networking game anytime soon. In terms of users and site use, Golden Sachs estimated that as of January 2011, Facebook has 600 million users. Furthermore, the features offered by Google+ is not new. In fact most of them are already contained in Facebook as well as other services albeit in a different setting.

Just looking at the odds, Google has a lot of convincing to do in order to lure users to switch sides. As Business Insider's Steve Kovach puts it, "A social network is no good unless your friends are on it too."

But then again, it's still early in the game. A lot of developments (and surprises!) can still take place considering that the site is still on beta testing and Facebook just might fight back. Let's just wait and see what happens when it finally gets mass released in the market.

For more information regarding the service, please visit the Google+ Homepage or watch the video below.

Sorry but I don't have invites. :)
3rd Entry
Soleil Flores

Man updated Facebook status - during a standoff.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, Jason Valdez held a woman hostage at a motel in a tense 16-hour, overnight standoff with SWAT teams. Valdez, 36, is no stranger to Utah police, having been convicted for aggravated assault and domestic violence in front of a child. His latest encounter with the law, which led to the incident, was for missing a preliminary hearing on a case for felony and misdemeanor drug possession charges. Police tried to serve him the warrant for the missed court appearance, however Valdez allegedly resisted and took a hostage with him inside Western Colony Inn. It would have been an ordinary standoff with the police that we read and see in the news everyday, save that Valdez found time to keep his family and friends updated - via Facebook.

“I’m currently on a standoff... kinda ugly, but ready for whatever”, Valdez first posted in his account at 11:23 p.m. with the popular social networking site. He then posted "I love u guyz and if I don't make it out of here alive that I'm in a better place and u were all great friends." However, his posts did not end there. He also updated his friends when police shut off the power that his "hostage" was fine - and with him willingly - and that police are jeopardizing her life by their actions. Valdez even uploaded 2 pictures of himself with the woman and quoted the photograph, saying “Got a cute ‘hostage’ huh?” Valdez’ friends and family also communicated back to him while the standoff was ongoing. One of his friends even tried to helped him by posting that police had a “gunner in the bushes stay low." Valdez replied "Thank you homie. Good looking out." The stand-off lasted until around 9 a.m. the next day, when the police finally decided to storm inside the room. However, before being arrested, Valdez shot himself in the chest with the handgun and is now in the hospital in critical condition.

During the duration off the standoff, police said that his friends responded to his account with over 100 comments. Some people offered words of support, and others pleaded for him to "do the right thing." Authorities are now discussing whether some of Valdez' friends should be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice for hampering a police investigation. "We're not sure yet how to deal with it," said one of the police officers.

This incident shows how social networking sites have been increasingly integrated to the lives of people, even to the point that they will use it during peculiar circumstances, or even dangerous situations. It also illustrates how communication is made easier through the use of these services. Valdez was able to communicate with his family and friends in the middle of a critical standoff with the police by simply updating his Facebook status. The relative convenience and ease of use of social networking sites take communication to a whole new level, connecting people in a more dynamic, interactive way.

With regard to the people who helped him evade the police arrest by posting information as to the actions and whereabouts of the police during the standoff, I personally believe that they should be made criminally liable, in one way or another. They shouldn’t be able to hide in the cloak of “privacy.” I am not sure if posting it in the criminal’s Facebook wall will have any difference as compared to messages being relayed through PM (private messaging). Furthermore, I’m not sure as to what offense will be applicable to them though. I am not familiar as to the elements of the crime “obstruction of justice” in the United States. Generally, it is defined as the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, prosecutors, regulatory agencies, or other (usually government) officials. But what would constitute sufficient “interference” that will make a person liable for such crime? Evidently, there is a wide gap between the advancements in information and communication technology and the laws that seek to regulate it.

Source:

http://techland.time.com/2011/06/22/utah-man-updated-facebook-status-during-standoff/#ixzz1QfmnUAWu

Image Source:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uN3tpNW0F5jYIQxTZRro1UhqWNA6rBmLAXN2FJJbztuv27FUxtCb_gPeAbDp9ZZy8PIFEbjhQjHa36RGaeq-RxfBKHBHhQEP0d1QvG-_fuE5qoGYFqfSPjWfzVWwkK3HyHT-xRrdYz12/s1600-h/facebook.jpg

Entry # 2

Shaquille O'Neal announces his retirement – via Twitter!

The past NBA Season was one for the books. Not only did we recently witness an epic rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals between the superstar-laden Miami Heat and the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks, but we also bid farewell to one of the most dominant forces that ever played the game – Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaq, who has been called a myriad of names like “Superman”, “Diesel”, “The Big Aristotle”, “The Big Cactus” and lastly “The Big Shamrock” has decided to retire after playing 19 stellar NBA seasons, leaving a big imprint in the game of basketball with an impressive resume of 4 NBA Championships (3 with the Los Angeles Lakers and 1 with the Miami Heat), 1 MVP, 8 All-NBA First Team selections and 15 All-Star appearances. His retirement did not really come as a surprise after seeing the evident decline in his game for the past several seasons due to several injuries plaguing him. What was surprising, or historical, depending on how you look at it, is the way he did it. Shaq announced his retirement via the popular social networking site Twitter. And as always, he did it with style.

Shaq tweeted,“Im retiring.” Then he followed that entry with a 15-second video linked with the microblogging site, where O’Neal said “We did it. 19 years baby. I want to thank you very much. That’s why I’m telling you first. I’m about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon.” Short but sweet.

This is the first time that an NBA player, or a professional athlete for that matter, has chosen to announce his retirement first through a social networking/ microblogging site. While the traditional way is to just set-up a press conference, Shaq chose to break out from that mold by announcing the news first via his Twitter account, to the surprise of a lot of his followers (including the author of this article). It is interesting to note that Shaq is one of the major celebrities that hopped into the service when it was introduced to mainstream consciousness back in 2008, and is one of the celebrities that is actually engaged in it. After Shaq’s tweet, the announcement went viral, with several of his followers retweeting or reposting his retirement message. And this information was not limited to Twitter. It eventually reached other social networking sites, most notably, Facebook. By the time it reached the evening news and the newspapers the next day, it’s not really “news” anymore.

Shaq’s decision to announce his retirement via Twitter is a testament to how much social networking has grown over the years, to the point that major announcements and monumental events are relayed to the public with the use of such services. More importantly, it shows how the flow of information is streamlined and fast-tracked with the use of these sites. Gone are the days where you have to rely on tri-media (TV, radio, print) for the latest news and information. If you want fast communication or immediate information dissemination, the use of social media via the emergence of social networking sites is the way to go.

In the end, I believe that it is but fitting for Shaq to retire on such a “personal” note, and of course, with Shaq-ness.

Will always be a fan.

Entry # 1

Salma likes the Social Network

Last night, I watched The Social Network. What particularly struck me while watching the movie was how Mark Zuckerberg's character was depicted as socially-unadjusted. Perhaps the movie would sell better if he were painted in such an interesting light. Either it's an irony that the founder of the giant social network is socially unadjusted, or seen in a different light, it is the reason he founded facebook. Maybe Zuckerberg was so engrossed in cyberspace that he didn't know how to interact in the real world. But he was aware of how popularity and social circles worked in the real world, and he just thought it would be great to bring the "entire college experience" into the virtual world. He's right, alright, and I won't fuss any more about how great facebook is.

Another thing that got me thinking about the movie is how conventional business thinking is just not enough to make it in the IT industry, let alone make it big. I think that's where Eduardo Saverin is lacking. As Zuckerberg's most trusted friend, his financial acumen just wasn't enough. Saverin was actually able to earn $300,000 from smart investments during his undergraduate studies at Harvard, headed an investment organization, and graduated magna cum laude! But not enough.

It's also not enough to just have an idea or even the cash. Without a radical and clear vision and the geeky capacity to actually get it done, you'll just end up like a kid whose triple-layered ice cream fell on the ground before you even got the chance to actually lick it. Tsk, tsk, tsk... That's the tragedy endured by the twin rowers and their weirdo friend.

The movie also shows how important it is to keep one's image clean. There's really no distinction between business image, social image, or online image. So it's important not to be an asshole or to try being one in an effort to be cool (Zuckerberg), not to torture animals or seem like torturing one in an effort to conform (Saverin), and not to engage in anything illegal, no matter how innovative (Sean Peters' napster) or just plain stupid (the heroin bust implicating Peters).




Salma F. Angkaya
Entry #16

Digital Response to Japanese Disaster

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that happened in Japan before last week ended was so strong it moved the Nippon country nearer to the United States and even tilted the earth’s axis and shortened the day. That is taking the scientific point of view. In terms of ICT, well, the disaster also takes the spotlight.

THE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES. A Sydney Morning Herald article sums it best: “Google Inc. has an online ‘person finder’ for people seeking information about a missing person. Microsoft Corp. is offering free technical support and temporary software licenses to companies affected by the earthquake. It has also pledged $250,000 in cash. Twitter is trying to help organize the flood of information flowing through its system. It is suggesting people use certain tags for general earthquake information, requests for rescue and other related topics. Amazon.com Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have links on their home pages encouraging people to donate to the relief efforts.” (Click here for article)

Of course, these companies have since also been offering digital ways to donate to Japan's efforts at recovery. “Apple has set up an option on its iTunes software to allow registered users to donate from $5 to $200 to the American Red Cross simply by clicking a button for the chosen amount. The Red Cross has also launched a campaign on Facebook through the social media giant's Causes function…” Also, “Twitter was updating by the second, continually refreshing information and advice as well as directing people to resources on the ground and offering ways to donate to help survivors.” (Click here for full article)

THE PEOPLE. But the response is not limited to the tech giants because ICT is also giving Japanese citizens and other people the chance to help and, well, speak out. Twitter users are sending infinite streams of messages of support to survivors of the quake-tsunami disaster. Messages commending (some criticizing) Japanese leaders also abound. Zynga gamers are asked to donate money through the purchase of virtual goods in CityVille, FrontierVille, FarmVille and its other games for its Save the Children's Japan Earthquake Tsunami Emergency Fund.

If all is to be named, this blog will go on non-stop. So let this be finished with a THANK YOU for the blessings of ICT. And of course, my prayers for Japan and its people.

- Phebean Belle A. Ramos, entry #17

Image Source: http://www.jokelibrary.net/xOtherNtoZ/plane-supp.html

Sources: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110314/ts_yblog_thelookout/japans-earthquake-shifted-balance-of-the-planet; http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/japanese-light-up-twitter-on-govt-quake-response-20110316-1bw5b.html; http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/tech-companies-pitch-in-on-earthquake-response-20110315-1but4.html; http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/digital-ways-to-donate-to-japan-disaster-relief-20110314-1bub2.html

Where in the Online World is the REAL Carmen Sandiego?: Cheap thrills, the virtual economy and the real culprit!

I miss the DOS version of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" It was a game my sisters and I used to enjoy playing, (along with Family Feud, Alley Cat and Prince of Persia, and it used to be such a thrill to finally pin down Carmen, after an exciting, nerdy hour of answering geography trivia questions. The graphics of the classic version was quite impressive, for the 80's/90's, that is. What I loved the most were the names of the criminals: Justin Case (a word play for "just in case",) Mrs. Sarah Nade ("serenade"), Anita Bath ("i need a bath"), and many more. I had been so inspired by the word play that I actually named one of my pet birds Cedie Mentary (a word play on "sedimentary" + Princess Cedie was quite a hit at the time too). :) It was such a hit then that there had been quite a number of variations. Off the top of my head, I can recall one: Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?

On the other hand, the Facebook version of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" is a cheap thrill. First, the graphics are quite disappointing for the current state of technology. And I know I'm not supposed to cheat, but darn it's just too easy to google the clues and find answers. :( There are no more interesting characters, and the Chief is boring. The worst part is how the game is built on the virtual economy of facebook. BOOO! Sure, it's a great business model. But man, don't take away the fun!

I don't know. I think the real culprit is Facebook. You killed MY Carmen. Hmmph.



Salma F. Angkaya
Entry #13

Gay-Friendly Facebook?

For the longest time, Facebook’s romantic-status options were limited to nine (9), namely: (1) single, (2) in a relationship, (3) engaged, (4) married, (5) it’s complicated, (6) in an open relationship, (7) widowed, (8) separated, and (9) divorced. And in fact, it is already a feat that items (5) and (6) are included, making it easier for Facebook users to choose an accurate description of their romantic relations.

Just Thursday last week, Facebook supposedly made the choices more accurate through the addition of "civil unions" and "domestic partnership" to the list. For the sake of satisfying curiosity, I immediately checked the availability of said romantic-status option in my profile. ‘Lo and behold, there was none.

So then I thought, maybe the new status option were intentionally made inapplicable to users in the Philippines. Given the advancements in ICT, I’m pretty sure Facebook can track whether a user is Philippine-based or not. True enough, I later learned that the new status options are made available only to the US, Canada, Britain, France and Australia.

But the question is, why exclude the Philippines especially when so many Filipinos are Facebook users?

Some gay rights are now slowly gaining acceptance, and Ang Ladlad is proof to this. However, the Philippine government is very far from sanctioning same-sex marriage. In fact, there are about three (3) anti-same sex marriage bills which have been introduced and are pending before the Senate and Congress. Of course, I’m sure Mark Zuckerberg is wise enough not to ‘accidentally earn’ the ire of Filipino officials, who in turn, are obviously and equally cautious not to displease church officials lest they lose endorsements next elections.

Enough said.

- Phebean Belle A. Ramos, entry #14
Read this: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20110220-321277/New-Facebook-status-options-applauded-by-gay-users
Image Source: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-more-realistic-facebook-relationship-status-options/

We the Facebook (Digging for Dirt and Ditching Jury Duty)

The American Bill of Rights was transplanted wholesale in our Islands, save two provisions: the right to bear arms and the right to trial by jury.

In Dorr v. United States, Justice Day ruled that the Philippines, the grand prize in the Treaty of Paris, was not incorporated into US territory by that same treaty. Thus any right vested by Philippine inhabitants would only arise by an act of Congress. Thus, the right to trial by jury guaranteed by the American Bill of Rights was not available in the Islands.

Justice Harlan's dissent stated that this interpretation constitutes judicial activism, and that the US Constitution is the supreme law "everywhere, at all times, and over all persons who are subject to the authority of the United States".

For whatever other legal or logistic purpose, the jury system is not one of our American heirlooms.

In jurisdictions where it is available, information on how to get out of jury duty is not lacking. The reasons range from inability to be impartial to you-just-don't-wanna-do-it.

Recently, there's this Wall Street Journal Article about the effect of Facebook on the US court system. Apparently, lawyers of both the prosecution and defense have been scouring the pages of Facebook and looking at potential jurors and the possibility of jurors being sympathetic to their cause. It looks like the information posted on Facebook (favorite TV shows, music, academic qualifications etc.) can be used to predict how a person will decide in a case. Oh, this is all legal by the way.

And those divorce attorneys? They've started using Facebook to get more alimony from the spouse at fault.

So for ditching jury duty, by all means, do post your drunken pictures online.

For the rest of us (and this is general advise): filter, filter, filter.

Why Facebook Founder is Man of the Year

Time Magazine’s latest issue has on its cover a close-up photo of a blue-eyed, freckled, common-looking American. It definitely didn’t grab my fleeting attention as I glanced over several other titles. But just as I was about to navigate away from the page…

MAN OF THE YEAR.

I just had to know. Why is a face not as famous as Lady Gaga’s in a Man of the Year cover? But then again, that would be leaning too much on the superficial, on face-value. True enough, I found out that the face is owned by THE Facebook founder and CEO Mark Elliot Zuckerberg. My fault for not being familiar with the face that launched 600 million social network accounts.

But what is ‘Man of the Year’ really? It is the person, group, couple, idea, place, machine or thing that “for better or for worse,…has done the most to influence the events of the year.” In other words, even a despised person could win the title if it is proven that he has most influenced the culture and the news during the past year. After all, George W. Bush was 2004 Man of the Year allegedly for reshaping the rules of politics to fit his style, albeit displeasing many.

So here comes the question. (Drum roll please) Is Zuckerberg named as 2010 Man of the Year because he has most influenced the world culture in good terms? An answer is readily provided by Time’s editors: “For connecting more than half a billion people and mapping the social relations among them; for creating a new system of exchanging information; and for changing how we all live our lives.” (Click here to see the short but complete article. My favorite is the part where Zuckerberg and Julian Assange are excellently juxtaposed as opposite sides of the same coin. Assange was a strong contender this year.)

Source: https://mnprager.wordpress.com/2007/12/20/times-man-of-the-year/

But together with these unparalleled feats of Zuckerberg is the perpetration of cybercrimes. Earlier this month, a Facebook subscriber named Robert Hull was arrested on pornography charges for brazenly sharing child pornography pictures and videos on Facebook. According to internet safety experts, Facebook has failed to curtail such practices. In fact, the man was arrested due to the efforts of a group of concerned netizens, which was frustrated at Facebook’s lack of action. (Click here for the full story)

With all the money Zuckerberg earns, why not get to the bottom of this issue? He has after all the means, in financial and influential terms alike, to successfully solve this concern. Hopefully in 2011 when Facebook would still be part of our day-to-day lives, he’d take his second Man of the Year title. And hopefully that time, it will be truly based on purely good terms.

- Phebean Belle A. Ramos, entry #5