Author: smartpeopleiknow

What’s wrong with the Australian Firewall

While the government of Australia may have the best intentions, their wanting to test a web filter to block banned content is flawed in a number of ways. (nytimes.com has a good article on it).

First, it is unlikely to achieve the effect it wants to achieve. Anyone intent on getting around the filter will be able to using P2P networks, as Mike While, the COO of one Australia’s largest ISPs point out.

Second, the government plans to keep the list secret. How will that work if someone wants to legally challenge being on the filter list? And who will keep the government in check in situations where some overzealous censor starts adding sites that are legal?

With the number of countries increasing censorship on the Web, it is only a matter of time before individuals come up with ways to bypass the censorship.

On the joy of owning a tree

I have always loved birch trees. This tree of mine is a Himalayan Birch. I love the name, the exotic nature of it. But more than that, I love how it marks time for me. It marks the seasons. It marks the time when I bought it, how old my kids were when I bought it. It grows old along with me. And perhaps when I am gone, it will still be here, marking time and keeping company for someone else.

When I was a child and my grandfather was in his sixties, I was surprised that he planted apple trees in his yard. Especially when he told me it would likely take five years before any fruit would grow. That was mind boggling for me at the time. Now, I understand why he would have done that.

Be it ever so humble, if you have a chance, I recommend you plant a tree. When you do, and as you watch it grow, you will know why.

What do you get when you combine YouTube, Web 2.0 and classical music? A chance to perform at a Carnegie Hall!

The old joke used to go: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?….Practice, practice, practice!”

Well, YouTube has added a new spin on this. Until the end of January, 2009, musicians can audition via YouTube for a collaborative virtual performance and the best performances will earn the artist the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall. This is social media and Web 2.0 at its best.

I would encourage anyone with the heart and the talent to perform this piece to give it their best and submit it to YouTube. Regardless of the outcome, it will be a great experience. And hey….you never know. Go to YouTube – symphony’s Channel for more information.

See you on stage!

Wells Fargo offers cloud computing / security

Interesting: Wells Fargo is offering a service called vSafe to Protect, Organize & Access Important Documents.

It looks low cost ($4.95/month for 1 GB of storage) and since it is Wells Fargo, they have a reputation to maintain. And it is a good reputation, particularly in the area of innovation.

They also have a free 30 month trial, with some restrictions (e.g. you need a U.S. mailing address).

Worth considering if you are interested in cloud computing but are concerned about who is controlling your data.

How to duplicate what Obama did during the 2008 Presidential Election Campaign

In talking to clients recently, a number of them have talked to us about how Obama’s team was able to capitalize on the Internet to be successful. This article, In Election’s Wake, Campaigns Offer a Peek at What Really Happened over at the  NYTimes.com provides a glimpse into both campaigns and talks about things that went well and not so well.

One thing that struck me was this quote, from Obama’s deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand:

“We’re not supposed to give these numbers out, but I’ll give them out,” Mr. Hildebrand said at another point… “We have 90 people on our Internet team. And they weren’t just doing the Internet. They were producing videos, they were slicing and dicing people who showed up on our Web site to figure who is more likely to give more money.

“We also spent a record amount of money on Internet advertising,” he said. “I want to say in the end $8 million on the Internet advertising alone. That really, really mattered.”

I am not surprised by these numbers: the ability to create and change information at the rate they did, and the ability to raise the type of money they did would required, would require alot of people and resources.

Anyone wanting to duplicate Obama’s success now has a better idea just what it took him to achieve that.

Thoughts on the architecture of the TTC

Is the TTC architecture bad? It’s something I have been thinking about after the critical comments from “A.R.” in which he pointed  out that: “Toronto has some interesting subway architecture, as well. you know. Maybe you should appreciate some of the creativity in the system” in response to my comment that “Toronto subway stations…look like washrooms without the necessary plumbing”.

I think alof of Toronto subway architecture is, if not bad, then boring. In this blog post I found, David Ahm from the TTC agreed, saying, “The Yonge-line stations are from the ’50s and ’60s and are functional but kind of boring.”

This blog post with Ahm’s comments were interesting, because you see the challenge of designing a subway station, budget being one serious consideration. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be interesting design work done on a subway, and in fact, lots of Toronto subway stations are well designed. And despite limited budgets, the TTC is looking to have better and better stations in the future, which is a good thing indeed.

Of my favourite stations, the ones I most like are Old Mill, Rosedale, Yorkdale and Dupont. I like the openness of Old Mill and Rosedale. They belong to the neighborhood, somehow. I feel like I am in a different city when I am waiting for a train (or a bus) at the Rosedale station. And I love the windows of Old Mill. Perhaps it is no coincidence that they are both above ground subway stations.

I also admire the design of Yorkdale and Dupont. Yorkdale makes the subway system itself seem dynamic, while Dupont is like an experiment in subway station design.

I like other stations too, like Queen’s Quay, Museum and St. Andrew and St Patrick. Of the latter two, I like the “tube” like design of the tunnels. It reminds me of a European subway station.

One thing I really like about the TTC is their choice of artwork. It is a collection of some of the best Canadian artists, from Charles Pachter to Joyce Wieland to Micah Lexier. And the scale of the work is striking, whether it is the 1.5 million one-inch tiles, used by Toronto artist Stacey Spiegel to create Immersion Land or 3000 handwritten samples that Lexier collected over 5 years to create “Ampersand”.  Anyone visiting Toronto should stop at various stations just to see it. (You can get a sample of it all by going to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_subway_and_RT)

It’s never a dull moment at La Scala

This is Guiseppe Filanoti. He will not be singing in the leading role of “Don Carlo” for La Scala’s season opening, after having difficulties in the dress rehearsal.

I can appreciate La Scala wanting to yank him: the last time that opera opened La Scala, it was 1982 with Pavarotti in the lead and he was booed. And last year the famed tenor Roberto Alagna was booed offstage during an infamous performance of Aida.

Never a dull moment! See La Scala swaps tenors for season opener at Yahoo! News for the details.

On Web 2.0 and the notion of happiness being contagious

There are a number of articles out, including one in GlobeAndMail.com, about this study that shows that Happiness is contagious. A key section of the Globe’s article said that the study,

“…(u)sing a standard measure of well-being, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale…found that when an individual becomes happy, a friend who lives nearby experiences a 25-per-cent increased chance of becoming happy. And the more centrally located you are in your social cluster of happy people, the more likely you are to become happy.”

You might think, “well, it might have been a small scale, rinky-dink study”. However,

“(t)he research, being published today in the British Medical Journal, is the latest analysis of data gleaned from the Framingham Heart Study, a longitudinal U.S. survey begun in 1948. The researchers, who have previously published similar findings on the spread of obesity and smoking from the data, focused on 4,739 individuals over 20 years, accounting for 50,000 social and family ties.”

Now what has this to do with Web 2.0? Well it could be that social networks supported by social platforms like Facebook, twitter, and flickr, can support the propagation of happiness (or other feelings). I know when I see pictures of family and friends happy, it makes me happy. And when I hear that they are having a difficult time, it adversely affects me. Perhaps not as strongly as it would if I were there in person, but what social networks lack in quality (i.e., directness) they can make up for in quantity (i.e., I am more aware of more of the feelings of family and friends potentially).

It remains to be seen if this is actually happening generally with people. But I am conscious of what I say when I use social platforms, knowing that people are reading what I write and many times responding to it. It affects how people think, not just about you, but how they think about life in generally. Not that you have to try and make people happy with what you say, but knowing that you might be able to is something to seriously consider.

As for me, I am happy you took the time to read this and think about it! I hope your day is a happy one.

(A most excellent photo of “Mel C” courtesy of *SMILING PUG*’s photostream on flickr)

Detroit: the future sadly

This photo essay in TIME, The Remains of Detroit, is haunting.  This photo is of the Michigan Central Station, designed by the same architects that did the still vibrant Grand Central Terminal in NYC. It is anything but vibrant, being vacant for 20 years.

In the film Blade Runner, much of “future” Los Angeles is like this: deserted, decrepit, waterlogged. Perhaps Detroit is the future, sadly.

How to find good value wine in the Vintages section of the LBCO

The old way I used to do it was to go into the store and ask the staff. That’s still a good way to do it, but there is a faster and easier and better way.

The better way to do it is to go here: http://www.vintages.com/frame_results.html?ITEM_NAME=value

By entering that into your browser, you will get a list of the wines at Vintages that are associated with value. Now, not all of them are cheap. For example, this wine, DOMAINE ALAIN JEANNIARD MOREY-ST-DENIS VIEILLES VIGNES 2005, goes for $50. On the other hand, it is….

“… sourced from 80-year-old vines, (and) only five half-barrels of this wine were made.(Furthermore….) From its garnet-hued mantle and openly fragrant nose (reminiscent of crushed red fruits) to its well-structured palate and silky tannins, this lovely wine will charm any Burgundy enthusiast, especially those hunting for superb value.”

I tried this and most of the wines I checked had such phrases as “excellent value” or “outstanding value” associated with them. And while there were some expensive Burgundies, there were a number of wines from the new world for under $15 (and one French dessert wine under $10!).

Times are tough, but life is good. Especially if you get one of these value wines.

Google problems: free speech

There is so much that is great about Google that it is easy to overlook the problems that they have and the problems that they might cause. A very good exploration of that, with regards to free speech and censorship, can be found in this NYTimes.com article: Google’s Gatekeepers.

The article explores how Google –the corporation and the people that work there — deal with the demands around the world to censor or block material provided by Google and YouTube. As for article shows, it is a very demanding job.

I think the article is fair in showing all the sides of the issue. If anything, it gives Google and it’s employees the benefit of the doubt. And that’s the part I have a problem with.

Things I would have liked to seen is an exploration of whether or not there should be an American law for free speech similar to the antiboycott laws in place since the 1970s. If it can be illegal for U.S. companies and citizen to particate in a boycott, a similar law could be put in place to uphold free speech.

Another thing that should be explored is whether or not the approach Google current has in untenable. I believe it is untenable for three reasons. First, I believe that their current piecemeal approach is eventually going to collapse or be unmaintainable as exceptions and contradictions are exposed. Second, I believe that Google as a corporation should not have that much control over what I can see and do.Third, Google as a corporation has a conflict of interest between supporting free speech and growing business is countries that want to restrict it.

Now Google is not the State. I still have freedom of association and the press. If I want to post videos or blog things or search for things, I don’t need to use Google. In fact, I don’t use Google for a number of those things. However, most people do. And that really is the root of the problem.

P.S. There is a semi-hagiographic quality to the article. I am not sure why. I think Google can stand for less of that, not more.

The world’s first digital camera

This, believe it or not, is the world’s first digital camera.

According to Oddee.com, it was invented by Steve Sasson from Kodak in 1975. And since it was 1975, the recording device for digital media was a cassette tape. What is surprising is that some of the technology used then is still used in digital cameras now (though thankfully not the tape). For more on this and other interesting firsts, see Oddee.

What is portable light?

In the wealthier parts of the world, we take light and illumination for granted. Imagine how much harder your life would be if you could not take it for granted. Light provides us safety and comfort, but it also allows people, especially people who work long hours, to read and educate themselves and improve their lives.

So I thought this project, Portable Light, was a great idea. Not only does it provide for low cost lighting for people who can least afford it and who most need it, but it does it in a very ingenious way. But rather than tell you, I’ll leave it at that and strongly encourage you to go to the site.

(Tip to afrigadget.com for this).

Want to be part of a project that involves Web 2.0, mobile technology and microfinancing?

Then go over to the blog AfriGadget and check out this post:  Support AfriGadget’s Young Mobile Reporters.

As for me, everything I believe that is going to matter in the 21st century is tied up in this project, so how could I not contribute? You can too. It’s sounds like a worthwhile initiative.

BTW, this blog was rated one of the 50 best web sites of 2008. A very good addition to your bookmarks or RSS feeds.

Want to listen to your iPod or get a gift for someone who does? See the Fatman

I am not an audiophile, but I love the look of this “dock” for the iPod. I am sure it sounds alot better than most iPod docking stations most of us are familiar with.

Like the name of the product too.

In Toronto, you can get this line at Bay Bloor Radio.

For more information on the product itself, surf on over to Fatman iTube Red-i with Speakers

Buying home electronics? Consider Amazon.com for advice

There are lots of sources of information on the Internet regarding home electronics. (For example, I am in the market for a wireless-N router like this one.) What I like about amazon.com is the clear yet thorough reviews that I came across. Perhaps some are not, but the ones I read were very informative. If you are shopping for gear (or, or course, books!) then consider going there.

The Madness of Black Friday in the U.S.

For folks outside the U.S., it is hard to appreciate the craziness that happens during the “Black Friday” weekend in the U.S. I am sure that even people who experience it must at least shake their head when reading the story about the Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death (in the NYTimes.com).

To get a sense of what it must be like, here is a snippet of the shopping frenzy here:

(No, I didn’t film or caption this…)

(Found on LolFed.com)

Everything but the Squeal – for pork lovers


There’s a great review of “Everything but the Squeal,”  by John Barlow Pursues in the NYTimes.com. The book tracks the author as he tries to eat every part of the pig. It’s not an easy thing to do. Fortunately, he lives in Galacia, where they know how to do this sort of thing and there are a splendid variety of pork dishes. (Ok, some are not so splendid…but there IS a wide variety.)

 Vegetarians might not warm to this book, but it promises to be funny in the Bill Bryson style of writing, which could make it a great holiday read.

So…enjoy! (The book or your pork chop..or both!)

A simple test to see if the email you are getting is a case of fraud/phishing

I got this email this morning. It looks very legitimate:

Dear Capital One Bank customer,

We recently reviewed your account, and suspect that your Capital One Online Banking account may have been accessed from an unauthorized computer. This may be due to changes in your IP address or location. Protecting the security of your account and of the Capital One Bank network is our primary concern.

We are asking you to immediately login and report any unnoticed password changes, unauthorized withdrawals or deposits, and check you account profile to make sure no changes have been made.

To protect your account please follow the instructions below:

* DO NOT SHARE YOUR PASSWORD WITH OTHER USERS

* LOG OFF AFTER USING YOUR ONLINE ACCOUNT

Please click the following link, to verify your account activity:

https://onlinebanking.capitalone.com/capitalone/login.aspx

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and appreciate your assistance in helping us maintaining the integrity of the entire Capital One Bank system. Please login as soon as possible.

Thank you,
Capital One Bank Security Advisor.

Unlike alot of obvious fraud, this one looked pretty legitimate. Still, I was suspicious. So I did a little test.

I ran my mouse over the hyperlink (the “https”) part and looked at the status area at the bottom left of my screen. What I see is that the hyperlink does not go to “https://onlinebanking….” but another hyperlink (http://70-46-123-20.wpb.fdn.com/CapitalOne/index.php”) which appears to have no connection to the Capital One web site. (Plus, it is a non-secure PHP page as opposed to a secure ASP page, making it even more suspicious).

So, I marked it as spam and notified Capital One.

If you were to try to login to this fake site, they would have your userid and password and they would rip you off.

So beware.

P.S. I missed this earlier, but there was also a typo: “you account profile”. Typos are a good sign of phishing too.

stopping companies from being “too big to fail”

A quote that often comes up in discussions during a financial crisis is “company X is too big to fail”. Companies that big are determined to be in need of assistance from the public.

Given this, I think companies should be banned from getting that big. All companies should be able to get as big as they want as long as they can fail. After that, they should divest.

They have to divest anyway, but at the worst possible time for them and the public.

An independent agency could determine what limit of companies that hit the limit and force them to sell. Failure to do so would result in jailtime for executive management.

Sharesholders could be reimbursed via dividends, who could then invest in other companies.

No one should be too big to fail.

Why I read nytimes.com (and not washingtonPost.com)

They are both great papers, but the former has an advantage over the latter: nytimes.com recognized that I am viewing it on a mobile device and switches the page to make it readable to me. So does WSJ.com and the GlobeAndMail.com. Not to mention talkingpointsmemo.com.

I think any major news or business magazine or newspaper needs to do this ASAP or lose readers in the process.

Get Busy with Sean Paul

Speaking of Sean Paul, this is my favourite version of “Get Busy”. I am not sure where this video was filmed, but this seems quintessentially Canadian to me, what with the parkas, the winter setting, the unfinished basement, the references to the furnace (!) and the split party going on (young people downstairs, older people upstairs). I love the little kid who sneaks down and gets down (before being whisked back upstairs), and I think the older man complaining about the banging on the “furnace” is priceless!

Sean Paul: Get Busy

Good Friday Night Music…

is anything by Estelle, it seems. Here she is with Sean Paul with “Come Over”

Estelle has a nice groove going here and a sweet soulful sound.

It is interesting to compare this to her American Boy video with Kanye West. There’s alot of similarities even though visually they are superficially different.

Estelle reminds me of Amy Winehouse in how she seems to be channeling much older styles of singing but making it fresh and contemporary.