Web 2.0 Four Tips for Getting Good ROI from Web 2.0 Projects

As a IT project manager I read alot of professional periodicals. Today I came across this article that seems as if it were written for me. CIO magazine ( along with Information Weekly, is a good source of information for current or aspiring IT managers who may want to end at the C Level of management) published an article giving details about Four Tips for Getting Good ROI from Web 2.0 Projects.

The article discusses the fact that recent research performed by the Burton Group shows that there is still a bit of a struggle for business leaders to implement an effective strategy when trying to introduce Web 2.0 technologies and measuring some type of Return on Investment.

CIO magazine also interviewed Jeff Stafford the manager of capital investment and innovation strategy for Embarq, a high-speed internet and phone company which "had some early success making Web 2.0 part of its overall innovation strategy to improve idea generation and ultimately create new products. " During the interview Mr. Stafford detailed four keys to implementing Web 2.0 technologies and how to get some sort of measure.

1.Target Your Inefficient Communications:

Embarq has communicated both internally and externally using staple enterprise technologies: phone, teleconference, and, of course, e-mail. There's an inherent slowness to those interactions. What we needed was a place to collaborate in a central location, where all the information could be visible.

Stafford decided to implement the Jive Social Business Software, an application suite that includes blogs, wikis and discussion forums.

2. Pick a Software Delivery Model:

Many social software vendors run on a purely software-as-a-service (SaaS) based model, where the data is hosted offsite and users access applications using a web-browser.

Embarq, however, knew that its people wanted to talk about product development and other R&D related projects over a social software platform, so it wanted to own the servers housing the data.

Jive includes profiles for each user to upload his or her picture and list expertise. Each site you set up within Jive has the capability for blogs, wikis and discussion forums on certain topics.

3.Executive Buy-In Is a Must:

Social technologies in the consumer space thrive because end-users adopt them through "viral channels," enterprise social software needs some top-down encouragement in order to drive adoption. This doesn't mean you need to mandate that people use the technology, but if the boss mentions that the technology may help bolster a project, the chances for success improve

4.Measuring Your Web 2.0 Success: Time is Money:

It's often difficult to assign hard ROI numbers to social software projects, since it doesn't replace any existing infrastructure but compliments or improves it. As a result, Stafford says you should measure how much faster the platform allows you to accomplish tasks and collaborate on key projects.

Web 2.0....Those who are in the business world actively implementing new strategies

So the summer is almost here, and the weather is excellent, but I am going to be the diligent little MBA'er and continue to do my homework. Recently I had the pleasure of sitting in on a presentation about web 2.0 technologies. The presenter was Dwight Gibbs, who us currently the CTO of Input, an information provider of government contract information. Mr. Gibbs has an entertaining presentation style and insightful outlook on the direction Input should go with Web 2.0 technologies. Mr. Gibbs eluded to the fact that many opensource web 2.0 technologies can be used to implement problem solving solutions at a very low cost. Mr. Gibbs went on to give details about the differences in Web 1.0 and 2.0(how data is presented, how sites are and information is coveyed, the dangers of over collaboration, when new content is just a re-hashing of previously produced data, lack of original thinking) and how a company or individuals may capitalize on these differences, and what is yet to come from collaborative development and user generated content.

Like all the presenters from this Mr. Gibbs has a in depth background when dealing with technology. Serving as a technical leader in all the companies he has either started or been employed by, Mr. Gibbs has a unique view point on how Web 2.0 has transformed the way the static web has moved towards a more rich and interactive experience.

I believe the biggest thing I took from the presentation is the fact that someone how has a background similar to myself (implementing new technologies to increase efficiency and solve current issues) can actually learn how to find out the answers to the question WHY should we implement these technologies and HOW do they actually help benefit the business.

Oracle buys Sun Microsystems (Own Java Own the Web 2.0 World)

I'm sure every one saw the big news of the day, Oracle (famous for their very efficient business class Enterprise Relational Database Management System) and Sun Microsystems(the company that created the language that is given the most credit for ushering in the Internet era) have agree in principle for Oracle to buy Sun (Heck this is almost as big news as the Jay Cutler being traded to the Bears by my Denver Broncos).

Aside from the rumblings this will send thru the world of Microsoft, the sure to come complaints that opensource will either soon go away or garner more support than ever (especially since Oracle has their own "unbreakable" Linux operating system), I wonder what consequences this will have on Web 2.0 technology. Sun has a bevy of tools that are opensource; the NetBeans IDE (which I actually think is better than Eclipse), Project Kenai (which allows developers to freely post projects and have forums for discussion), JavaFX (allows you to bring expressive, feature-rich content to mobile devices), and many many more. You add that to the company that has made database RDBMS systems better than anyone else (yes I am biased. DAMN SQL Server for getting rid of Data Transformation Services (DTS)packages). Add to that Suns Hardware platforms, and it seems that the newly formed Sun-Oracle (or SOracle...Sunacle....S/O, O/S.....ahh they will figure it out) has the tools in place to make a end run at a lot of Microsofts .net platform and products. It has yet to be seen if this latest transaction caused by the poor economy will bera big fruit, but it is going to be fun to watch. I know where I work this is all the Geeks are talking about. That's about 4000 geeks!!!!!!

Web 2.0: Google ad words the webinar series

I may have mentioned the fact that I am currently trying to finish up my MBA (in break neck fashion.......I'm just tired of school, but I think I am learning alot). Well the Web 2.0 strategy class I am enrolled in has provided with the opportunity to learn more about why businesses and entrepreneurs should implement these technologies, not how I can as tech professional I can implement these technologies(In other words don't think about what tools I need to make these things work but how I should try to use these things to make my company more efficient or increase revenue). Well our Professor Bliss, has had a series of informative speakers come to class and talk about how they view and utilize, and where they see these technologies taking us into the future. One speaker mentioned the power of Google adwords and how this tool has been key in new marketing campaigns. So I decided to research AdWords a little more. I can across Google's AdWords Webinars series.

These series of webinars cover everything from "Getting Started & Tracking Conversions" to "Advanced B2B Advertising". These webinars are hosted by Google employees, many of which have had a major role in developing different aspects of Ad words and and Google Analytics (a web hosted tool set that allows customers to view multiple reports on how effective their websites are performing). I recommend anyone who has an e-commerce website who is trying to drive traffic to their purchase page to definitely check out this source of free information. Even if you don't choose to use Google's tools you can learn alot about how to drive more traffic to your site by using the correct keywords.

Web 2.0 databases....part deux

After performing somemore research on Greenphosphor, this is what I've found out:

Created by Green Phosphor is a gateway which can take a database query or a spreadsheet and place a 3D representation of it into a virtual world.
Allows users to take a database query or a spreadsheet and place a 3D representation of it into a virtual world.
Allows users to see data, and drill into it; re-sort it; explore it interactively.
People are represented in the virtual world as avatars and use the to interact with the data its self. (Personal Assistant)
Content Injection and Control Protocol allows applications to place interactive content into virtual worlds. By providing a standard, cross-platform way for external entities to interact with users inside a virtual 4d spacetime, CICP promotes software innovation. Here are some of the benefits:
proprietary, closed-source software can participate in open-source virtual worlds
the same version of an application can be used within multiple virtual world platforms
application intelligence resides outside the world; only temporary, spontaneously-generated content lives in the world
the complexities of in-world scripting and programming are handled by the protocol
leverages HTTP
takes advantage of virtual worlds with distributed architectures by transmitting data directly to the clients
supports fully interactive content which is essentially the "avatar" of some external program
automatically adjusts for lag when streaming content updates
Greenphosphur created CICP to function as HTTP for virtual worlds. Greenphosphur has implemented CICP for Sun Wonderland, and released it under the GPL. Greenphosphur has also implemented it in Second Life with the help of a Java servlet and released it under a BSD license. Greenphosphur is working on an OpenSimulator implementation, as well as implementations for the leading commercial virtual world platforms.
CICP was created so that data visualization gateway could work with multiple virtual world platforms.CICP will also be useful to developers of artificial intelligence services, architectural model gateways to virtual worlds, process modelling systems, and any other application which benefits from the rich collaborative environment that a virtual world offers.

I believe that this could be a useful collaborative tool that would be used to visulalize a database or spreadsheet in a 3-d environment, In my opinion, it would be difficult to come up with a situation where I would need to have a visualization where multiple folks need to analyze data of this magnitude in at the sametime. Greenphosphur first idea is to work with a drug company that is trying to model their drug discovery and development. I am sure that there is an educational opportunity where kids can interact looking at historical/mathamatical/ or scientific data. Maybe even solar system data and deepspace data telescope data.

Web 2.0 etiquette,,,,,,Yeah Thats Right.....Manners

So I haven't been on my soapbox for a while(too much work...so little time). So I thought I would pass along some advice that I read about in a recent Baltimore Sun Article "Had enough texting? Invoke Flesh Rule" I know I am supposed to be blogging about how Web 2.0 technology is changing the way the world works for the better.....well lets talk about how it's changing it for the worse. The article authored by Janet Gilbert details how we technologically advanced humans have forgotten about the "Flesh Rule"....and for those of you with fiendish grins....get your mind outta the gutter.

The Flesh Rule states that when engaging in any social, business or leisure activity, you should always give the person who is physically present your full attention. In other words, the person in the flesh rules - not the person on your cell phone, your BlackBerry or your iChat.

It seems these days that people are forgetting how to communicate face to face. They'd rather the only face they see is the little shiny panel of their Iphone or CrackBerry.

It can happen, especially in a world where there are so many ways to be in contact with geographically distant people, thanks to cell phones, PDAs, e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.

Janet seems to have the same opinion I have about going to far with new tech and social media technologies. She states that she sees violations of the Flesh Rule all the time. Here are a couple of examples that she has had experience with

•You enter a fast-food restaurant. On your way to the counter, you notice a parent talking on a cell phone while distributing meals to two children under age 5. Fifteen minutes later, the parent is still on the phone, while the children sit there like potted plants, only the human kind with little brains that can process the fact that they are being marginalized. Flesh Rule!

•You are at a party with a friend, Constance, who constantly sends text and photo messages to another friend, Missy, who had to miss the party. Flesh Rule!

•You are behind a person in the deli line who is talking on a cell phone about her mother's medical condition while ordering luncheon meats. You overhear, "Mom's gall bladder was about to - hold on, could I have that shaved? So, yeah, it was inflamed and - wait, could you slice from the rare end?" Flesh Rule!

•You are at a restaurant with a large group, and the person sitting next to you is text messaging between courses. In this case you may wish to add "Bon appetit" to your standard "Flesh Rule."

•You're speaking to someone in a work setting, and his "instant messenger" beeps. He apologetically excuses himself to attend to it, but becomes increasingly involved with the electronic interchange, holding up a finger to indicate "one minute." Flesh Rule!

Or how about when you are out at brunch and your friend whom you are with starts a fifteen minute text conversation about whether or not she should have worn her skirt because it is so nice outside. Flesh Rule!!!! Or if your at a tequila bar about to down $24 shots of Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Tequila(the good stuff) and one of your boys nearly spills all the shots your carrying because he has his face plastered in a phone screen trying to send some stupid video text of the bar we are in to some girl who is in the same bar with us.......ahh hell with the Flesh Rule thats a SLAP Rule!!!! (Sorry, but recent events have me a little hyper these days).

I agree with Janet when she says:

I think we can agree that it's high time we incorporated the "Flesh Rule" reminder into our daily lexicon. If it's not too much trouble, perhaps we can also resurrect "please" and "thank you." But remember: "Flesh Rule" is not an aggressive phrase. It should always be spoken as a gentle acknowledgment, not unlike "God bless you." Because it's definitely not about disconnecting.

But I also think that saying it a little aggressively sometimes can drive the point home as well. Well me and the box are done.

ADOBE AIR.....The next "cool" WEB 2.0 tool

CIO magazine posted an article about the Web 2.0 Expo Conference and what items were a big hit. The article goes on to detail about how

Adobe had its hand in a couple announcements concerning big consumer Internet brands at the conference this week. The first concerned Facebook and its ecosystem of developers who utilize Adobe Flash. Flash is a technology that enables applications and websites to become more animated, helping add features like online video. People who develop third-party applications for Facebook that users install on their Facebook pages make use of Flash (around 12 of the top 20 Facebook applications have Flash).

I did a little more digging into this ADOBE AIR product, turn out the runtme engine allows

developers use proven web technologies to build rich Internet applications that run outside the browser on multiple operating systems.

This means that application developers can create systems that can operate offline and then activate further functionality or upload data when an active Internet connection becomes available.

This is good news is for businesses. They can establish a more persistent connection with existing customers by

* Deliver fully branded experiences with desktop functionality
* Leverage existing personnel, processes, and infrastructure
* Develop and deliver RIAs efficiently using proven Adobe technology
* Increase the ROI of your web investments

In other word consumers can place orders for items, search company catalogs, and perform other task that usually require a constant internet connection without being connected.

This can save millions of dollars in overhead, reduce the need to allow employees to have connection to the internet or use an internet browser. This also reduces security overhead and the use of firewall software. The benefits can go on and on. In the end this could mean goodbye to Internet Explorer and Firefox on company desktops.

Web 2.0: Risk concerns is the reason why web 2.0 technologies haven't taken off in the workplace

A KPMG office in the United Kingdom published an article detailing reasons why many companies are not full speed ahead on implementing the wonderful world of Web 2.0 technologies. KPMG believes that the tools that makeup the Web 2.0 experience could be extremely beneficial, but security is an overwhelming concern of the senior management of most corporations.

Crispin O'Brien, Chairman of Technology, KPMG commented: "Web 2.0 is not just about novel consumer technology, there are real business benefits to be derived from enabling more effective knowledge sharing and collaboration among employees. The challenge for the technology industry is to communicate these benefits to customers effectively and address the concerns that remain around security and relevance to different industries.

Implementation of Web 2.0 governance structures varies by industry with some industries indicating they are "already there" and others planning to make significant changes in the next two years. Many respondents indicated that their organizations have not yet addressed the risks of Web 2.0 in any systematic way – fewer than half say they are currently putting in place governance programs that will guard data from unauthorized external access and only 28% have included Web 2.0 tools in their risk management processes."

This tells me that the majority of corporate America has a long way to go before the security measures necessary to ensure data integrity is maintained. There apparently are cultural issues when it comes to implementing web 2.0 technologies. More conservative companies have issues implementing Web 2.0 technologies "particularly in industries that are historically more conservative and where data protection is critical.

Web 2.0 Screw ups

In the tradition of the April fools day prank, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service mistakenly sent out 489 admission letters via email by mistake . Of course this occurred on April 1st. The first thing I thought of was "how stupid could one administrative assistant be????" But then it occurred to me that maybe this was a technological error. Someone or something went wrong with an automatic email system to send the wrong form letter to all these public service hopefuls. Well I know that this isn't a web 2.0 topic. But the comments left on alot of these news feeds that pumped this story out are quite funny. And that is where the web 2.0 portion of this article comes into play. A few not too happy students blogged and emailed the NYU school adminitstration about the not too funny mistake...... I hope Loyola did admit me.... but then again it probably was a mistake (or cruel joke) and they won't tell me till graduation!!!!

'Virtual reality' learning to debut in Baltimore County public schools

So I have to take sometime and give a well deserved shout out to Jim (a co-worker) who was in charge of designing a system that the Baltimore County School system will be using in a pilot program for middle and high school students. The pilot program uses computer simulation to teach problem-solving skills to students via virtual simulators developed at JHUAPL; using recent advances in technology and algorithms. Through these advances, high-fidelity, physics-based modeling and simulation (M&S) is becoming more powerful than ever. It is now possible to model system, and systems of systems, in their environments such that broad analyses of various system designs, component integrations, and various environmental factors are both feasible and credible. In other words we can make a video game out of any situation and allow kids have fun while learning in ways never explored.

The March 27, 2009 Baltimore Sun Article appearing on the landing page of the Sun this past friday, detailed the efforts that JHUAPL and other organizations are comminitng to the educational field.

School officials recently got a preview at the Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Laboratory. In a dark room illuminated by five 70-inch screens, they went on a ride - alternately in an ATV-like vehicle, a boat and an aircraft - through the sprawling simulated landscape of Mount St. Helens in Washington, as part of a rescue expedition.

Above is a picture of the JHUAPL ARENA, A multimedia room that consist of 15 high powered computers, ten 70 inch high resolution digital television screens on raised platforms forming a 360 closed "Arena" used to immerse an audience in a virtual reality setting. The environment is enhanced by a state of the art high fidelity surround sound system. All of which APL's fundamentally physics-based modeling and simulation framework utilizes to bring its intended audience the highest quality training, learing and even entertainment(only for us engineers) experience.

So once again congrats Jim and the rest of the team who help bring this all together, I have truly enjoyed being apart of the development team.

Medical Professionals using IPhone for evaluation and collaboration of medical diagnosis and treatment

I came across an article today about how the IPhone can help to revolutionize the ways Tech Savvy Doctors diagnose and treat their patients. The first thing doctors believe this will help by making the old-fashioned clipboard and X-ray light box a thing of the past.

"If you could use the gesture-based way of manipulating images on the IPhone and actually manipulate a stack of X-rays or CT scans, that would be a huge selling point," says Adam Flanders, director of informatics at Thomas Jefferson University and an expert in medical imaging.

While placing mobile computing power at useful tools in the hands of medical professionals could very beneficial to medical treatment and efficiency, there are huge concerns about the security of patient personal data. But some doctors and hospital executive staff believes the benefits far outweigh the concerns.

Then there are the security concerns: As Flanders notes, hospital CIOs are also understandably wary of beaming medical images all over the place via WiFi. But the iPhone's reasonably powerful Samsung ARM processor, 8 GB or 16 GB of flash memory and intuitive, visual interface seem well suited to medical imagery. And the iPhone's new business-friendly security features may ease privacy fears, physicians say, and could even turn the device into an indispensable medical tool if hospitals OK the device.

I don't know about you but its bad enough I have to place my personal information in the hands of people I don't know and hope they do the right thing, but to also expose that data to hackers makes me that much more uneasy. Technology is going to continue to roll forward but I hope these people place security as a high priority!!!!

Town Hall Meeting......2.0

So we all know the how President Obama used the internet to make history and reach out to the average American to fund his campaign and give a voice to those who really never had a voice before. Well it seems that our Commander in Chief is continuing his trend of using technology to stay in touch with all citizens. Today the President will hold the first online Town Hall Meeting ever. What is unique about this is the opportunity for citizens is the ability to submit questions for the President to address. People will also have the chance to vote on what questions will be the priority during the meeting. To me this is another step towards the open transparent government that President Obama was campaigning. Be sure to take a look at another history making event today at 11:00 am.

Banking in a Web 2.0 environment brings security headaches

I came across an article titled "U.S. Bank suffers Web 2.0 security headaches". Since this was a topic that was discussed in a class I am currently enrolled, I figured I would share it with the masses (besides the damn Terps messed up my bracket so I don't have anything better to do LOL). The articles give a 10,000 ft view of what banks have to consider when trying to implement new technologies to their consumers while trying to ensure the security of funds and the user information. New hand held and other mobile technologies are a key reason why banks have to implement new security and expand their infrastructure to accommodate new technology that their consumer wish to use.

"Web 2.0 has changed all that. We've had to expose the internal workings of the corporation. There's a whole rash of new devices coming out to enable people to compute when they want to, with the iPhones and smartphones."

This has made the banks have to expend funds on resources that may not foster a great ROI in a time where money is tight.

"We protect money. It's new for us to have to protect vast amounts of information," Hodge said. "We spend millions of dollars on security but it doesn't generate any new revenue. I haven't been able to show anybody a return on investment. It comes down to can we secure the organization at the right risk and the right cost. You can't spend all the money. You have to figure out what level of risk you're willing to tolerate."

In the end I believe the question should be, "Why in the hell would I want to bank from a damn phone????" Its just another item full of personal information that I have to safeguard. In this age of identity theft it is just too damn easy to steal a phone.

Web 2.0....Database Style

Sometimes finding something to get on the soapbox about can be difficult at times to find a interesting and suitable article. Then there are times when the topic just fall right onto your desk. When working in the research and development field you come across alot of newly created but hardly implemented technologies.Well my director came across an article while reading Slashdot(which is the news for geeks.....I guess I've become a techno geek as well). The technology that the article covered was about a new database gateway software called Glasshouse from Green Phosphor. Since I am the database SME in my group, he asked me to perform a little research and see if this system could be useful in any of the current or proposed projects we have.

Glasshouse is a gateway between data and virtual worlds.When you combine the collaboration tools virtual worlds provide with the knowledge and insight your data provides, you get a powerful new way to make intelligent decisions. Science meets business.

Green Phosphor plans to help others make these new powerful intelligent decisions by allowing users to have an avatar in a virtual environment and give them the capability to view and manipulate the data visually in a environments such as Second Life. The company believes that the advantage to this lies in the need for people who are not "Database Literate" to be able to view and write complex queries with out knowing the in, outs, and the beauty of Standard Query Language aka SQL or .NET'S bastardized development package known as LINQ or .NET Language-Integrated Query (Yeah Yeah I have some issues about making it easier for those who are not true software engineer having an easier way to query objects and databases.....)

I just began my research but so far I've found out there is a beta project of this technology in SL (Second Life) I will have an update in a week or so. Until then me and the box are going to check out those TERPS in the second round...oh and the Lady Terps too!!!!!

Web 2.0 .....Torrents...Is this just a more convoluted Napster

******Disclaimer******
The writer of this blog does not condone nor participate in the use of the following technology for the acquisition of known pirated material!!!!!

So we all thought the days of downloading music and other "pirated" software was over when the RIAA decided to sue everyone that had a Napster, Kazaa, Bearshare, and other peer to peer networking client on their computer. Well the lost art of sharing free pirated material is not completely dead yet. Yes torrents aren't new at all. Just the illegal way that people are using them. Torrents or (BitTorrents) is a file sharing technology that allows users to download contiguous files bit by bit from multiple users. This technique is different than the traditional peer to peer file sharing strategies. The old method was for a user to connect directly to another users machine and download the illegal content directly all via the client application. Torrents are different. They add a layer of abstraction to the process. Torrents clients require the user to find a .torrent file. To eliminate the technical jargon from this description, think of a .torrent file as a map that lets a user know what resources are available to download a complete file you are looking for. Users can search for these torrent files on search engines (The Pirate Bay)specifically designed to search out .torrent files. Once the .torrent file is acquired the users loads it into the bittorrent client (ex. utorrent) and let the client do the rest.

Now while I must admit I did follow the crowd with Kazaa, I have not ventured into the Torrent craze..... You have to know that the Federal Government is currently constructing policies to outlaw certain uses of Torrent Technology. I must admit if used in a productive legal manner, Torrents can be quite effective tool. What am I saying....used in an illegal manner Torrents are an effective tool as well.

Use at your own risk

Me and da soapbox have some important bracket research to perform..... I am a Terp but for the life of me I can't figure out how they got a 10 seed.

Web 2.0.........The job search

My classmates and I are all engaged in what seems to be the never ending battle called "When the hell will I ever finish this program". While many of us have multiple battle wounds from this was, it seems that we will.....eventually finish our studies and some of us will move on to the next great battle called "What the hell am I going to do with this piece of paper I just toiled 2 or more years to achieve!!!!!!" I feel fortunate that my plans seem to be stable and obtainable. But what about those of us who graduate with this holy grail....the MBA and have to face these tumultuous times where the economy is spiraling out of control, ponzi schemes come to light and people are losing their life savings, everyone and their mother is seeking a bailout...... including the porn industry (its a link to a clean website and new article.....I promise), and teenagers are have job fairs being crashed by unemployed adults. Well it seems a loving wife (Robin Stearns) of a recent MBA grad (Georgetown University class of 2008) decided that she had to take matters into her own hands. After months and months of watching her husband toil in job websites applying to everything posting, trying to network with anyone who knew how to pronounce the word "Job", she decided to create the website myhusbandneedsajob.com. She took her tax return and bought a Mac Book (what is the obsession with the damn Apple products) and created a website that introduces her husband Mike to employers. His resume, contact information, personality, and personal likes and dislikes are all out there for employers and the world to see. A lot of job recruiter claim that it is imperative in these days that a job seeker must stand out in someway to get the attention of potential employers. My concern is that while this may be an innovative way to introduce yourself to employers, it may be viewed as a sign of desperation.

Wait a minute I have to go back to one issue I brought up earlier in this blog. WTF is the porn industry doing looking for a government bail out. Are you serious, do you really think that your industry is going to get help in providing more of this stuff. What are you going to do with the money hire more people. Maybe create a porn actors retirement fund, or possibly do the responsible thing and perform some sort of higher regulation of your industry. Hell I want a bail out too.

Ok back to the web 2.0 job search. As I look at the website and see a picture of Mike holding a sign stating he needs a job with his goofy smile I really wonder if this scheme will payoff for him. Maybe his wife should start up her own company specializing in producing these "Resume Websites". Hell I might have to write that business plan.

Getting off my soapbox and going to see Watchmen.

Exploring Craigslist.......Is it really a good idea

While I was I watching a Rodney Dangerfield classic "Back to School" I was speaking with a Frat Brother about trying to find a not so used refrigerator to replace the one a tenant broke at a rental property I own. He told me I should check out Craigslist and see what I could find. He claims that he had hit or miss success with the site. So I took his advice and decided to check it out. Now I must state ahead of time that I've never really explored this site. I get to the landing page and it is a very basic design with just plain text nothing fancy. So the first thing I tried was the "search craigslist" feature. I typed in "fridge" and it brought back over 137 appliances placed by users for free. Once I found an item I was interested in I was able to place an anonymous email to the poster and ask questions interact with the seller. That is one quality of a Web 2.0 site. Interaction is important. Another thing I noticed was the lack of advertising and promotion of the site. Simple and basic but completely interactive.

In the middle of my search I was distracted a scene from 2 of my favorite comedians Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield. The topic is a college history class.


Back to the fridge search. After a 10 minute search I found a stainless steel Kenmore for sale in Bowie. So I placed an inquiry with the seller and waiting for a reply. So I decided to search other features of the site. I started out in the jobs section. Lets see if Craigslist can find someone a career. After searching several catagories (accounting+finance admin / office arch / engineering art / media / design biotech / science business / mgmt customer service education food / bev / hosp general labor government human resources internet engineers) I've come to the realization that these employment opportunities almost completely from self employed recruiters or small business owners.

I browsed the discussion forum, checked out the Linux discussion line. And there were actually some informative. You have to weed through the sexually explicit advertisement but you can get some feedback from some knowledgeable individuals.

I also took a look at the housing section. To see what kind of people would what try to rent or find a roommate. I also a housing swap chances. It can almost be addicting to see how amusing these ads can be. There was one ad in particular that was quite funny. This young lady was looking for a roommate. She had quite a long list of requirements. The ad started out somewhat normal. This person has a single family home that she would like to rent a room. She places some pictures of the house on the ad, then she gave her lengthy list of requirements. First she want to rent to a single straight female or gay male between the ages of 21 - 35. Professional, with a stable job history, she explicitly states no one in law enforcement or who works for the local government. She wanted someone who was 420 and pet friendly. Apparently she has 12 pets and enjoys smoking illegal substances while all the day long. She details that she doesn't have a job and doesn't intend on working at all. She details what areas of the house are completely off limits with out her permission...literally you can't go to the laundry room unless she knows about. Also there is a two car garage that you are to never enter or leave the house through. She goes onto explain that she stores several hazardous things in the garage and doesn't want to expose anyone to them. I'm staring to wonder if this place is a meth lab or something.......

There were several areas of Craigslist I would not explore. Just my own personal reasons. The dating area strictly platonic, women seek women, women seeking men, men seeking women, men seeking men, misc romance, casual encounters, missed connections, and rants and raves. I don't want anything to do with those. The services area I didn't want to bother with. I'm sure Craigslist can provide services for all types but I just don't think its for me.

Government 2.0

So I have to admit that I was at a loss for a Web 2.0 subject to blog about. So before I pulled out the soapbox I had some searching to do. While scanning Google queries I came across a website that the US Government has dedicated to Web 2.0 Tools and how the Government and USA.gov is trying to stay current and implement these technologies. The main page for this website has a limited listing of services that the federal government has exposed for the savvy Web 2.0 user to take advantage. Under the "USA.gov 2.0 Tools" heading I found a few interesting sites that I think would younger and older users alike.

Gov Gab Blog – "Gov Gab's six bloggers share tips and information from the federal government to help you make life a little simpler. Read along each weekday and comment and share your own experiences."

Government News –"Get the latest RSS feeds from across the federal government."

USA.gov on Twitter – "Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest official government news and information."

Web Chat – Web Chat – Live personal assistance now available weekdays from 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM Eastern Time

The twitter posting and web chat features stood out to me the most. If the federal government took true advantage of these features instead of a cursory attempt at making these a viable tool I truly believe that they could be very useful. The Twitter tool could be useful for constituents to keep track of what their government representative is thinking and how there are dealing with issues on the hill. In this new age of "open" government, this would go along way to earning the trust of your voters. It will also be a good tool for maintaining accountability.

The web chat feature is another tool that could help with open government. Being able to "speak" directly to a representative of a government service that you need help from would be a great service. It is a self documenting conversation that the user can maintain on their computer.

Under the "Government-Wide 2.0 Tools" header there were two other utilities that I found could be useful if implemented in the right way.

'Podcasts from the U.S. Government – Listen to podcasts from across the government."

Videos from the U.S. Government – "Links to public domain videos that may be used and reproduced without permission or fee."

These two could be powerful tools for voters to get information without the outside influence of the news media. Raw unedited footage from the hill would go along way to helping the voter wade through the opinionated garbage of commercial funding seeking show host such as Rush Limbaugh and overly liberal show host.

Well the soapbox didn't get too opinionated this time but I'm sure I will see someone updating their facebook status using their handheld device while driving home and eating a whooper and putting on makeup. Just give it time. Off to the gym......again!

Web 2.0 Professions....Ver 1.0

As I've mentioned before I am currently enrolled in a class whose main focus is Web 2.0 technologies and how businesses apply them. My instructor set up a series of in class guest lecturers. Last week was the first of the lecture sessions. The lecturers were experts in two very different fields. But both greatly affect Web 2.0 and the technologies that drive them. The experts were from the fields of Information Technology Security and Intellectual Property law.

The security engineer introduced the class to basics in the world of security, topics such as SQL injection attacks and other methods of attacking websites, how newer Web 2.0 technologies can introduce new ways to expose websites to attacks, and what methods could be used to protect your website. Other topics covered were the differences in protection schemes for Web 1.0 and 2.0 sites, how important it is to protect your information, and what various backgrounds security engineers have. There doesn't seem to be a traditional career path to become an information security engineer. All in all it was a very informative introduction to information security.

The Intellectual Property lawyer gave a very entertaining account of how the department she leads defends the credibility and reputation of the company she works for. When dealing with topics such as protecting your website by maintaining control of variations of the core url name, ensuring that consumers aren't unwittingly taken advantage of by scam artist who create websites that closely resemble the actual site, and protecting potential candidates for employment from individuals who claim they are hiring managers when they are really are lonely individuals looking for attention by portraying themselves as hiring managers so that they can attain personal information so they may contact them on a personal basis, as a lawyer you have to employ unique methods for engaging these issues. Once again it seems that when approaching issues of security and protection of data in an ever changing environment of Web 2.0 technologies, there doesn't seem to be a clear cut outline or approach. The internet has evolved and so must the technologist that protect it!

All Thing Web 2.0......The Site.....

So someone came up with a site called "Go2Web20.net". This website apparently is the complete Web 2.0 Directory of all Web 2.0 sites. The site home page has a the icons and listing of hundreds (actually 2821 icons)of websites. The sites "About" page states that it is "A directory of web 2.0 applications and services, Born around mid 2006, 2821 logos as of Monday, February 23, 2009, As a visitor, you are probably active in the web 2.0 community and you are one of those labeled as 'early adopters', Thousands of visitors every day, There's a higher chance that you've been here before than that this is your 1st visit here, and Converges both Flash and AJAX technologies"

I started to search the different sites. Of course there are the commonly known sites such as Google, and Twitter, but there are also some really interesting sites. First one that caught my eye was ProjectOffice.net. I am a project manager, the site is set up so people involved in projects have a common access point to project management tools, view the work breakdown structure, the critical path, and other items used in everyday project management.

The next site that I viewed was called "Shopnics". Its a concept on how to compare electronics of all types. It sets up an X, Y chart that plots the item class you are evaluating based on user reviews.

Lastly I found the ultimate in web 2.0 experiences. 3Di OpenSim is a "is virtual worlds server software developed especially for companies and educational institutions that want to host independent virtual worlds on their own servers." In other words fellow techies, this site will allow you to create your own "Second Life" experience, where you can be god. The product is currently on sale in Japan and will soon become available for use in the US.

All in all the creators of this site (Orli Yakuel and Eyal Shahar) have a pretty basic but effective idea about being a portal for web 2.0 technologies.

Web 2.0 is onething but even the Tax Man is getting into the mix

Well that popular time of the year is quickly approaching. We all know it and some have come to loath it..... TAX TIME. I hate having to drag out all those records from the closet and sitting with my accountant for what seems like forever, as she tries to make head or tails of my personal and business taxes. After many hours of questions and answer sessions we finally see eye to eye and she explains every year why some hair brained write off I want to use will have me in an auditors office or in Leavenworth Federal Prison. So you would think that after we all go through a similar process that we would embrace technology and submit our tax returns over the internet. Well the State of Maryland Comptroller's Office performed a study and the results stated that a surprisingly 42% of taxes last year were submitted through snail mail. Now why would anyone these days want to wait weeks for a manual process of taxes when you can get your return in days (or in my case be put in hand cuffs). Well the Comptroller of Maryland decided to take matters into his own hands and produce a viral video about tax payers of genius. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvbRj-XdhRc

Why would they have to go that far to entice people to use something so simple and convenient? Well the survey didn't go into reasons why citizens still prefer to use mail. But one of the biggest detractors is privacy. How can I be sure that this method of electronic submission is secure? We are constantly hearing about laptops being stolen with insurance information, or an employee somewhere losing archived data that has credit card numbers. We can't really be certain that these methods are foolproof. But can we really be all to sure that mailing our taxes is any more secure. Hell I say we just all stop paying that way there won't be any more stimulus packages given to companies that have incompetent upper management make stupid decisions then begging for help so they can continue their incompetent feudal attempts at becoming a profitable successful company.....Sorry lost my place. But to those of you who haven't tried electronic submission of taxes don't feel too bad. I mailed my 2007 taxes last year as well.

Gotta get a new soapbox. I think I gained some weight because it’s a little worn down in the middle.

Privacy in a Web 2.0 world

Soapbox time again.... So the topic of privacy and safety of an online identity was discussed in my Web 2.0 class. The discussion leaned on the FaceBook epidemic....I mean addiction.... ok, ok usage. I have to say that when you sign up to use a service such as CrackBook, it can be really surprising what they put in the fine print. An article I found on CIO.com "Managing Privacy in a Web 2.0 World" (http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;1453094165) discusses how FB and other "social networks can give away your info and there is nothing you can do or say to stop it".

An interesting case of this happened to "In Facebook's Beacon controversy, some advertisers were able to track the purchases of Facebook users on their site (generally when the individual was logged in to their profile simultaneously). If, for instance, a man was buying his fiancée a wedding ring on one of the Beacon advertisers' sites, the purchase might be broadcast to his bride-to-be's newsfeed before he had a chance to pop the question."

The main point of the article is to show how a group of 14 European partners are getting together at a conference in Zurich about a project called "Prime Life". According to an press release (http://www.zurich.ibm.com/news/08/primelife.html) Prime life is an IBM led initiative which "is a new three-year research project, funded by the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme with 10 million euros. Coordinated by IBM’s (NYSE: IBM) Zurich Research Laboratory and involving 14 other partners, its objective is to empower users to manage and control, throughout their entire lifetimes, their personal data and privacy whenever they participate in Web 2.0 technologies, such as social networks or virtual communities".

The whole idea of creating a tool suite that will help protect my private information from involuntarily being proliferated all over the web by these so called "social networking" site (whose prime purpose is to make us all addicts for their free services while they prey on our uninformed neighbors spreading their info to marketing agencies whose sole purpose is to inundate my email, mailbox, cell phone, and front door knocker with useless advertisement info about their products which I will never buy...whew all that in one breath...) sounds like a hell of an idea to me. Yes I may be just a bit bitter towards these sites.....not much. And I'll admit I have an account on two SN sites, but I refuse to become addicted!!!!

Anyway that is my rant for the week Check out the CIO.com article, IBM may be on to something.

Later

Web 2.0 is alright for somethings....Voting is not one of them

Its soapbox time again. So you use the internet to go shopping, update your facebook status (I still hate that), go into a "second life" and be something or someone you always wanted to be, or just to check the latest UM basketball score and find out if the Men’s team has sunk to a all time new low and posted a lost to the Mount Royal Elementary recreation league basketball team (the way they are going right now the lady Terps should get all the basketball funding....and they deserve it GO LADY TERPS). But what about that faithful day once every four years when you stand in what could be an endless line of folks going to vote for their inspirational leader (or the lady who can see Russia from her back yard... http://www.dailystab.com/sarah-palin-rap-video-on-snl/). Wouldn't you rather be home or at work, login into a secure website and place your vote. No fuss no muss, right????

Well as much as we would like to believe that voting in our underwear will become a reality in the not to distant future the "A group of computer scientists and technology professionals has issued a statement warning that Internet voting is an idea whose time has not come. Organized by David Dill, Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University and founder of VerifiedVoting.org" pretty much is saying that the internet is nowhere near secure enough to be completely trusted with your precious right to vote. The article that I found on verifiedvotingfoundation.org (http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6612) goes on to elaborate that even though a pilot study of online voting occurred in the 2008 primaries and the general elections this past November, the experts state that "computer scientists has concluded that safe internet voting is a very hard technical problem, but politicians assume it’s easy,” said Dill. "In this statement, we’re saying ‘This is going to be a disaster unless we think it through first.”

"Malicious software could change, fabricate, or delete votes cast over the Internet, as well as deceive or disenfranchise voters, the technologists warn."

Well if this is so true then why do I trust the unsafe internet to pay bills, disclose personal information to private vendors, and etc? Dill goes on to state that “Voting is a different problem from online commerce” said Dill. “If I use a credit card over the internet, my name is on the order and I’ll get a statement at the end of the month with a list of charges. But a secret ballot over the internet can’t have the voter’s name on it, by definition. Verifying that votes are cast and counted as intended over the internet, without compromising ballot secrecy, is an extremely tricky technical problem that e-commerce doesn’t face.”

So I guess I shouldn't be so concerned about my credit profile after all.....Yeah right.

It’s Friday I gotta take my soap box to happy hour!!!!!

Web 2.0 Validator .....Is your favorite website really 2.0

Back on the soapbox again.... I went searching for different Web 2.0 facts or others experiences and I came across an interesting site. The Web 2.0 Validator http://web2.0validator.com. The site is rather unassuming when you first arrive. At the top of the page it give a disclaimer to "Have some fun, but please validate responsibly". I found that somewhat amusing, when first looking at the page. I thought that the page was a real true "evaluator of how web 2.0 sites are supposed to be judged. But after futher evaluation I come to realize that the user input criteria wasn't exactly scientific in nature.

The user is prompted to enter the url of their selected site. The website seems to go out and perform some type of evaluation on the site provided and returns a set of results. So I typed in www.google.com.....you know the most obscure website I know. Turns out according to the all knowing WebValidator claims that Google only meets 3 of the 65 listed criteria. Below is a list of criteria as of 1/28/2009:

* Is in public beta? No
* Denies the existance of Rocky V ? No
* Uses python? No
* Uses inline AJAX ? No
* Rocks out to the dance noise sound of Chinese Forehead ? No
* Mentions Tag Clouds? No
* Uses the prefix "meta" or "micro"? No
* Is Shadows-aware ? No
* Apperars to use moo.fx ? No
* Mentions Neowin.net ? No
* Has a Blogline blogroll ? No
* Appears to be web 3.0 ? Yes!
* Mentions Less is More ? No
* Uses tags ? No
* Has favicon ? No
* Refers to mash-ups ? No
* Attempts to be XHTML Strict ? No
* Uses Google Maps API? No
* Mentions startup ? No
* Appears to be non-empty ? No
* Received a cease-and-desist from CMP Media or Tim O'Reilly ? No
* Refers to the Web 2.0 Validator's ruleset ? No
* Uses the word meme? No
* Appears to use AJAX ? No
* Mentions an "architecture of participation"? No
* Appears to have a Google Sitemap ? No
* Makes reference to Technorati ? No
* Appears to use RSS ? No
* Has that goofy 'My Blog is Worth' link ? No
* Refers to Flickr ? No
* Refers to VCs ? No
* Faviconized ? No
* JavaScript by Dreamweaver ? No
* Appears to use moo.fx ? No
* Links Slashdot and Digg ? No
* Mentions Ruby? No
* Mentions The Long Tail ? No
* Mentions Nitro ? No
* Appears to be built using Django ? No
* Mentions Ruby ? No
* Refers to podcasting ? No
* Appears to use MonoRail ? No
* Has prototype.js ? No
* Mentions Wisdom Of Crowds ? No
* Appears to use visual effects? No
* Creative Commons license ? No
* Mentions Neurogami and Web 2.0 ? No
* Links to validator? No
* Actually mentions Web 2.0 ? No
* Mentions RDF and the Semantic Web? No
* Refers to Rocketboom ? No
* Uses Semantic Markup? No
* Refers to web2.0validator ? No
* Use Catalyst ? No
* Refers to del.icio.us ? No
* Uses microformats ? No
* Validates as XHTML 1.1 ? No
* Does it use DWR Ajax Library? No
* References isometric.sixsided.org? No
* Appears to over-punctuate ? No
* References Firefox? No
* Mentions a blog ? Yes!
* Mentions Stickbob? No
* Uses the "blink" tag? Yes!
* Appears to have Adsense ? No

I believe some of the most telling signs that google is not Web 2.0 is that google does not have links Slashdot and Digg (we geeks all know slashdot is required!!!!), "Denies the existance of Rocky V", and it does not "Mentions RDF and the Semantic Web". All in my opinion are no no's if you are going to be a 2.0 site.

While these are not true criteria for Web 2.0 compliance. I did find another website that uses a more realistic and sensible criteria for Web 2.0. http://www.seomoz.org/web2.0 has 41 categories to judge websites by:

Award Categories

* Bookmarking
* Books
* Classifieds and Directories
* Collaborative Writing and Word Processing
* Content Aggregation and Management
* Digital Storage and Remote Access
* Education
* Employment and Jobs
* Events
* Food
* Fun Stuff
* Games and Entertainment
* Genealogy
* Guides and Reviews

* Health
* Hosted Wikis
* Mapping Applications
* Maps
* Mobile Technology
* Music
* News and Blog Guides
* Niche Social Networking
* Online Desktop / OS
* Organization
* Philanthropy
* Photos and Digital Images
* Professional Networking
* Questions and Advice

* Real Estate
* Retail
* Search
* Social Networking Mainstays
* Social News - Smaller and Niche Sites
* Social News - The Big Guys
* Sport
* Start Pages
* Travel
* Video
* Visual Arts
* Web Dev
* Widgets

From this set of criteria seomoz.org chooses the top 3 for each and provides reasons why these sites are deserving of these accolades.

Now I have to say that I don't completely agree with all the awards given, but I must admit that these categories are more realistic tham the Web2.0 Validator.

Taking my soapbox and going to de-ice it.

RSS feeds....Keeping us connected up to the minute

In keeping with the theme of Web 2.0 technologies and how they affect our lives. I am going to review a very important technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication). Is it really that simple??? These "web feeds" keep our new portals and favorite sports websites up to date with information "as it happens". News journalist can keep us all inundated with a wealth of information in real time or as close to real time as you can absorb it. Stock information, news highlights, or your favorite sports teams transactions (D*** Broncos Fired Shanahan!!!! Sorry) but all of these news items can be updated easily through RSS.

The idea of RSS was first established by Netscape (what ever happened to those guys). The idea was innovative but never fulfilled its promise under Netscape. By the time 2003 rolled around, two companies came in to fill the lack of success of Netscape; Winer and UserLand Software both came up with a RSS 2.0 specification.

The primary goal of RSS as stated on the all knowing Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)) is " to extend the basic XML schema established for more robust syndication of content. This inherently allows for more diverse, yet standardized, transactions without modifying the core RSS specification." In very simple terms, XML is a commonly known format and using the a simple "schema" (template) users can easily update information with out having to format their information for multiple sources.

So why should developers choose to use this XML variant???

Well www.webreference.com (http://www.webreference.com/authoring/languages/xml/rss/intro/) goes on to explain that "RSS solves myriad problems webmasters commonly face, such as increasing traffic, and gathering and distributing news. RSS can also be the basis for additional content distribution services."

Why should users who host their own web portal use RSS feeds????

www.whatisrss.com states that "RSS solves a problem for people who regularly use the web. It allows you to easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in. You save time by not needing to visit each site individually. You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each site's email newsletter. The number of sites offering RSS feeds is growing rapidly and includes big names like Yahoo News."

Well I've had enough of this soapbox today. Hope you learned something. Ohh and for the SuperBowl GO CARDINALS!!!!!

Even the President is into Web 2.0

I got my soapbox again, but this time I'm not complaining. This time it’s positive. Sticking with the Web 2.0 theme, I going to throw a political curve ball. I you remember back to last year during the primary and general elections one of the topics to make a lot noise was how our new PRESIDENT conducted his fund raising efforts during his campaign. He and his staff were wise to take it to the people in way that at that time was not truly exploited to the levels the Obama campaign has. Barack wanted to appeal to the youth, technical savvy and true middle class of America. By allowing himself to be accessible view internet for communication and contributions, he made it easier for his supporters who couldn't attend $1000.00 a plate dinner fund raiser to give what they could by submitting through a website. He definitely revolutionized the political game, and took it to another level. During his campaign YouTube.com became as important as Meet the Press when keeping informed with candidates campaigning events. Now you don't have to listen to some reporter's opinions and only get to see some abbreviated video clip. The public was able to see complete interviews and debates several times and make an very informed decision for who was getting their vote.

After the inauguration the White House website got a refreshing update (www.whitehouse.gov). You can send the president well wishes or give him your opinion through a webpage (who knows if he will ever get it)

Now we find out that President Obama is a CrackBerry addict. He has decided to keep a blackberry device for personal use (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/21/barack-obama-blackberry-national-security). Making him the first president in history to have an electronic form of messaging ever!!! This guy keeps up this rate of being the first this and that the Guinness Book will have a whole section dedicated to him. Of course there are questions about national security, compromising sensitive information, but I get the feeling that everything that will be transmitted or received on that device will be closely monitored. In any event I am glad to see that we have leadership that is determined to be up to date and current with the world’s technology. Time to put the box away again.

D’bo

The Digital Divide.........Why are we so behind

Alright I've got another issue. So I'm dragging out the soapbox again in an attempt to talk this topic out. I came across this article a few days ago, talking about the worlds most connected countries. Business Week magazine published their rankings of the countries with the best broadband capabilities. We as Americans (with our arrogant selves) more than likely expect to be in the top three or at least the top 5 on the list. Well we came in an incredulous 15th ranking. Come on 15, we created the damn internet and we are ranked 15, what happened. Well the article made the statement that "The U.S. fell further in the rankings. Experts say that's at least in part because high-speed connections are a lot more expensive in the U.S. than elsewhere. U.S. users pay more than 10 times the amount being paid by users in countries with the highest rates of broadband penetration." Why is it a technology that is so easy for other countries to provide for its citizens (AT A LOW COST) we can't make available for all its citizens. The say free markets and competition will drive down the cost the computers and broadband access. That is not happening here in the United States fast enough. For some reason Nordic countries have their act together, but here unless you are middle class and up or have access to a public library, you as a citizen will be with the capability to access the internet, develop experience needed to get the most basic of computer problem research and solving skills needed for most low paying entry level positions, or to keep in touch with relatives family and friends without a cell phone or stamp.

It all comes back to taking care of everyone, not just the privileged few who have the resources to subscribe to your overpriced internet service which has many features that the majority of its users don’t use, don’t need and don’t want. Some people say there is too much government, well when it comes to the digital divide and providing equal opportunity to all, I say there isn’t enough government. The city of brotherly love, Philadelphia has the right idea to provide free Wi-Fi service in to its citizens. The city currently has a pilot project that will provide Wi-Fi cloud coverage in limited neighborhoods at no cost. The experiment will be used to gauge the usefulness of Wi-Fi and the service to others it can provide. I think this is an excellent move in the right direction.

Make it accessible to all individuals. Offer lower cost products that low income families can afford, or hell…. just make it free to those who want it. We are bailing out all these screwed up companies, how about we give a helping hand to those who need it just to make the canyon of the digital divide smaller.

Why so connected!!!!

Well here I am again trying this soapbox thing again.

Today I want to talk about these mobile devices that seem to be taking over everyone's life. Adults with busy careers are addicted to their "Crackberries". I heard on the news about some 12 year old girl in San Fran and how her parents received some 400 page telephone bill. Turns out the kid is sending 500+ messages a day.....WTF. The kid has a cell phone....CALL SOMEBODY. The buttons will wear out before she grows out of her clothes. I see people "multitasking" everywhere. I'm sorry but I don't think trying to drive while talking on speaker phone and trying to text and drink coffee at the same time is multitasking.

If that not bad enough now this Web 2.0 stuff is only making it worse. Now the idjits can drive and update their facebook status at the same time. I mean really, do I have to know that at this very moment you are making a left hand turn going into the mall to get some more of that nasty a$$ coffee that everyone is addicted to.


What make these hand held marvels of technology so addicting. And is there any level off or limit people will reach with their usage. Well I searched my favorite business article site "BNET" and I came across a couple of archived articles. "BlackBerry devices grow in popularity" by Dickinson, Casey J states that these devices are "helping busy professionals take work wherever they go. The calculator-sized wireless device allow users to make phone calls, send and receive e-mail, and run a host of computer applications. The BlackBerry has a "QWERTY" keyboard and LCD display for surfing the Internet. Users can load software onto the BlackBerry via a computer connection to their desktop PC." Hell we already knew that to be the case but once again what is it about being so connected that we find so fascinating?????

So I did another search on "BlackBerry" addiction and came up with a whole host of articles. One very short article I found on dailymail.com a UK website (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-401646/Blackberry-addiction-similar-drugs.html) stated that
"Blackberry email devices can be so addictive that owners may need to be weaned off them with treatment similar to that given to drug users, experts warned today." Now I can admit to being addicted the PS2 and 3 Madden Football....playing football from 11pm till 6 pm the next day. But to be so addicted to a mobile device that you have to take technology methadone is scary. "One key sign of a user being addicted is if they focus on their Blackberry ignoring those around them." That seems to be everyone who has one of these damn things connected to his head. Oh well who knows maybe they are really multitasking..... YEAH RIGHT!!!!!


Well this is Debo again.....I am taking my soapbox to the bar and getting some tequila!!!!!

Web2.0 What is this stuff

So I was searching through the graduate business course catalog for the spring semester looking for what would be the next 3 classes I would torture myself with (Yes I am tired of school.......It seems like it will never end.) I have to fulfill my elective requirements, so I looked for what MIS courses were being offered. There were only two; Special Topic in Information Technology,Web 2.0 and Global Information Systems. I've decided to enroll in both.

I chose to take the Web 2.0 class because it's one of the current buzz words that's floating around technology departments in most companies and research firms. So I figured since I am a technology profession pursuing a management degree maybe I should try to learn something about this Web 2.0 stuff. So I went to the current bible of information, that's right Wikipedia to begin getting some background info on web 2.0. It turns out Mr. Open Source himself Tim O'Reilly is the guy who coined the term. He was quoted in 2006 stating that "Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform." Damn that guy is smart. According to Mr. O'Reilly "Web 2.0 as the way that business embraces the strengths of the web and uses it as a platform." To me that means businesses find more collaborative and effective ways to utilize the web to make business functions easier and more appealing to consumers and vendors.

After reading the Wikipedia gospel I have an understanding what the difference between Level 0 applications, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 applications are, why AJAX is such a hot topic in the Information Technology arena, how XML and RSS technologies have contributed to the information overload of the youth of the world.

It seems like every time a new catch phrase comes out that every fledgling startup or established front running company tends to try to push something they are developing and somehow attach it to the new rising star. I swear its like clockwork; business execs in their high priced suits are sitting around in boardroom "brainstorming" about technologies which they have no idea what the capabilities are, and how they can pump it up and make some profit off of it, instead of performing some research and figuring out how this unproven technology could help improve their business model or infrastructure.

For now I am going to keep an open mind about this new revolutionary movement and the technology, and opportunities that will come with it. And maybe just maybe this MBA will pay off.


This is Debo and I am taking my soapbox and going home.