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Are you slowing down the Internet?

Apr 082011

As my faithful Twitter reader knows, I have been having some issues with my computer attaching to the network at the office. It has been Outlook locking me out, Windows Domain Server locking me out, IT changing the network configuration, entire system going down… etc. Some of these issues were due to the configuration changes that IT is making, some were unforeseen, some were just plain dumb luck.

Something that surprises me though is that for how much we like to cast aspersion on IT; sometimes we are our own worst enemy. By we, I mean the users. Not just at my company but pretty much everywhere IT has a love hate relationship with the users, the users love to hate IT. I am not saying that IT is beyond reproach, but some of the decisions we make, often times it makes it worse for everyone.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

Audio, Technology 1 Response »

Apr 022011

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

Recently I tweeted I was playing Mario Kart online, I included a picture that contained my Wiimote Steering Wheel, my Bell’s Winter White Ale, and the bottom of four remote controls. The subject and intended humor was the steering wheel and beer combination. I was surprised by how many responses I got, not about drinking and gaming, or drinking and driving, but “why did I have so many remotes? Why not a universal remote?”

Understanding the Process

Photography, Technology No Responses »

Mar 272011

As things are becoming more and more automated, I feel that the understanding of the process is being lost. I believe that tools should make my life easier and allow me to spend my time doing other things. However there is a downside, does one always understand the automation that is being accomplished? While these can be great timesavers, what happens when it doesn’t work or you don’t like the results? Understanding the process that the automation process is simplifying is key.

The medium is as important as the message

Computers, Internet, Technology 1 Response »

Mar 182011

Last week I participated in a Twitter chat, an #AVChat hosted by @AVWriter (Linda Seid Frembes) and I was the guest “talker”. It was an interesting experience. I am by no means a digital media expert, but I think that the idea of a Twitter Chat or Tweet Chat or TwitChat is very interesting. The idea of allowing people to connect and share ideas experience and ideas in the virtual world is a good one. Very similar to guild meetings in previous times, it allowed for people in the same trade to share knowledge.

Just because it is on the Internet doesn’t mean it is free

Internet, Photography, Technology 1 Response »

Mar 122011

Recently I ran across this story http://thestolenscream.com/ about a picture that was taken from a photographer’s Flickr site and was being used around the world. He was not being compensated. It is both an amazing story of how something can go around the world from just being good and how at times people’s work is [more]

The airplane challenge for help, software, and interfaces

Computers, Internet, Technology, Travel 1 Response »

Mar 042011

Another blog post written at 32,000 feet as that is when the issue hit me. I have various electronic devices as my dedicated reader knows. I have previously talked about various data access connection challenges. This new challenge is not one of my own doing. It is a poor user experience or use case definition. This problem was illustrated by Amazon and their Kindle applications, but it does not apply to just them. This challenge happens to many applications beyond this example.

You can’t do that with your hardware. Do you think you own it?

Computers, Technology 1 Response »

Feb 152011

I recently read an article on Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/02/sony-lawsuit-factory/) that Sony is suing to stop people from posting instructions on how to modify a PlayStation 3 to be able to play additional games. By additional games I do not mean just pirated games, but also home brew games. I value intellectual property and keeping piracy down, but also think that stifling the ability to use hardware as you see fit is a bad thing.

Why Net Neutrality matters?

Internet, Technology 1 Response »

Feb 022011

Over the past few weeks there has been talk about Net Neutrality, including the FCC making rulings. I will be the first to admit that me writing about the issue is a little late, as the decisions have already been made. The decisions are not final and with Joe Lieberman now wanting to be able to turn off the Internet it is time for us to get more involved with the issues.

Watching a language change

Computers, Technology 1 Response »

Jan 182011

It has been interesting to see how language has changed in just the past ten years. To me it appears that the usage of the English language has changed to be much more phonetically driven than textually driven. This change would be much more transparent if society was more aural in communication than textual. I [more]

Digital Hoarding

Technology No Responses »

Dec 192010

I wonder if the price of storage has made people into digital hoarders? So that we have so much information stored just because we can. We don’t really feel the impact of storing all this data, every so often we just go buy more space to put stuff. Are we even aware of what we have the information? When I say information or data, I am not just meaning banking data, contact information, word processing documents, e-mails, but everything that is stored on a hard drive.

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