Tag: internet

Introduction (via inDiginous)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

This is a call for “digital natives” to stand up and start changing the world.

Yes, my thoughts as well.

James Pilant

I'm a college student, and as I've learned from taking one too many classes on digital media, I'm apparently also part of this new breed called "Digital Natives." Rather than a silver spoons, we were raised with a silver mouse in our hands and access to millions of ideas and people online. Generally, before we even knew what that entailed. The Internet doesn't make our lives easier – it is an integral part of our daily activity. And while we take … Read More

via inDiginous

What is SEO and could you do SEO? Either way, avoid scammers. Part II (via Social Media Directors)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Not only are his views on blog success excellent, he is a fan of net neutrality. in my judgment, he is an ally.

Best paragraph – Well-written, original and researched material with relevant, high-quality content that is rich, but not over-saturated, with properly researched keywords and is linked to content-related sites – both yours and others – is the type of copy that works best. Though it requires more effort and time, it is the fastest, longest-lasting and certainly most profitable way to get ranked high on Google and stay there. Some people call it White Hat SEO. I call it honesty.

Good stuff.

James Pilant

What is SEO and could you do SEO? Either way, avoid scammers. Part II In the offline world starting small makes sense. You start small and try to grow. But this is the Internet. It is not yet completely governed by politics. There are computers involved, and computers work using logic. Simple, reason-based logic. Often, these SEO experts who are trying to sell you their strategy will convince you to not even try to go for the big keywords. They attempt to make, and often succeed in making us pay for not trying. It … Read More

via Social Media Directors

What’s the point? (via Spook Moor a rambling blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics2 Comments

I’m always pleased to see a blogger return to the struggle, in this case, a blogger’s most simple struggle, to be heard. Some of favorite bloggers have decided to hang it up and leave blogging to others. I know it’s hard to get an audience. You have to blog every day and I’m told you have to stay at it for at least  a year. I read one blogger who said his blog is like an octopus that never lets go. You blog on holidays, you blog on trips and you blog when you don’t feel like it. (The last one of those is hardest on me.)

Our blogger is 56.  I’m 54. This means we are both kinda’ scary looking and women have learned to ignore us. So, we are blogging compatriots.

Welcome back!

James Pilant

The more and more I look around, the more and more flummoxed I become. I’ve often wondered if there is any point in having a blog? I had one ages ago and two men and a dog visited it. Not even the dog stayed, which about sums it up. This after I had spent some time in snazzing it up so lost heart and stopped doing it. Just lately however, some people have talked me into it again, so here I am. But I still insist that unless you are famous, or pre … Read More

via Spook Moor a rambling blog

My Cable is Fixed – I’m Able to Work from Home

On By southwerkIn business ethics

My cable company hustled out to my home and fixed the cable. It was a lightning strike that killed the cable links and the cable box. That’s pretty minimal damage from that much voltage. It could have been much worse.

So, I’m back at full work load. I can teach my classes, grade papers, keep my blog up and just generally stay even.

Thank to everyone who kept on reading the blog, even when there was less than usual on it.

James Pilant

I am Flooded!

On By southwerkIn business ethics4 Comments

The flood has damaged my internet cable. Currently I have no service. I am blogging from the college where I teach but I can only be there so many hours a day. So, I will not be blogging as much or at length. I am very sorry.

I don’t know when my internet service will arrive back at full capacity but I will hope. I thank my kind readers for their forbearance and I hope many of you can maintain an interest even if my blogging become sporadic and brief.

Thank You!!

James Pilant

Net Neutrality alert: Verizon to throttle data speeds for heaviest users (via Between The Lines)

On By southwerkIn business ethics2 Comments

Is net neutrality important to you personally? How much data speed do you use? If you are like me and my family, you can only suspect that you might be a heavy user. That’s not good predictive power. If this policy is applied to you, it is probably going to be a surprise when your data speed is too slow for Netflix.

They are looking for their Internet Service.

Read the opening of the post –

The Net Neutrality whistles are blowing and flags are flying this morning over buzz that Verizon Wireless will be throttling data speeds for its heaviest data users. The change, effective immediately, is believed to be part of Verizon’s efforts to ensure that its network is ready for the flood of iPhone users who will start powering up those devices next week.

In a nutshell, if you’re a heavy user – and you really have no way of knowing if that’s you or not – then Verizon Wireless “may reduce your data throughput speeds periodically for the remainder of your then current and immediately following billing cycle to ensure high quality network performance for other users at locations and times of peak demand.”

I don’t think we should let private industry decide these policies. The FCC regulated television and radio for decades bringing order out of chaos. Why shouldn’t we have standard policies across the nation? We are at the mercy of a handful of suppliers due to consolidation allowed by the very same government that people believe shouldn’t be regulating this at all. If we received our Internet services whether wired or wireless from hundreds of sources, all this would have been solved by competition. But a limited number of suppliers have no reason to cut prices to compete when they simply own the lines alone.

More from the web site –

That’s like watching ESPN 24 hours a day and then having the programming cut in half for the last week of the month because other customers don’t watch it as much as I do. How is that right?

I think so too. Why should I be charged for something I can’t measure? And what can I do to fix it if I need that bandwidth? I teach online. This is not an academic exercise. This is my work, and I’m not the only one that uses their home computer for something besides World of Warcraft.

In a monopolistic system of suppliers, I have no say at all. At least with the FCC, I’ve got a chip on the table.

James Pilant

P.S. The web site, Between the Lines, was my source and I would like you to visit if this subject interesting.

Response to Rep. Marsha Blackburn: A True Conservative Tech Policy (via The Prelator)

On By southwerkIn Capitalism2 Comments

This article is concerned with net neutrality. A good part of the article focuses on this issue. But the article takes on some other critical issues. One is Congress’ bizarre lengthening of the copyright privilege to seventy years plus the life of the author. It’s tragic in literature but in the tech world it ties up technology is a disastrous fashion. He also discusses new laws under consideration that would make suppliers of net access vulnerable to legal action over the content of their various customers. This would provoke massive censorship of the web not because there is illegality but to avoid the slightest possibility of illegality.

It’s a good article and his conclusions are very close to my own. I wish the author well.

James Pilant

On January 18, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn gave a speech purporting to give a conservative view of technology policy. As a strong conservative myself, I was deeply saddened to read this speech, which not only displays a deep lack of understanding about important policy issues facing the tech world, but a misunderstanding of the true tenants of conservatism in favor of the very corporate cronyism which Republicans are all too often accused of. … Read More

via The Prelator

Ethical Spying…Google Me Baby! (via Shanti-Janae)

On By southwerkIn business ethics3 Comments

She’s absolutely right. Using Facebook to judge job applicants is wrong. And it is a foolish practice. The web is where we can be anything. A shy girl can be flamboyant. An unpopular guy can talk to dozens of people on the web and feel a confidence he doesn’t feel at school. Those images, those roles we play are just scenes in our lives. The significance is pretty variable.

I’m foolish enough to believe that good interviewing skills will pick up most problems in job applicants. I believe that these background checks: criminal, medical, credit and now social networking sites have gotten totally out of control. It is time for legal limits on these kinds of background checks.

And I believe that we should have some form of personal lives outside our work where our employer’s inquiring eye should not go.

I like what this web site had to say. I recommend you read it.

James Pilant

Topic of the Week #3 Social networking & the “ethical” spies!  I know my title and first sentence is off the meter, but I just hate this topic! Lately, college students have been warned that their Facebook and any other social media site profiles are being used as reason for them to not get hired. For one, I think that is very petty and unreliable. Not to mention shallow and a very easy way to cover-up discrimination. You might overlook the n … Read More

via Shanti-Janae

Is Access to Social Networking a Measure of a Society’s Freedom? (via The Philosopher’s Eye)

On By southwerkIn Government Failure

Access to social networking is becoming a measure of freedom, certainly not the main or the only one, but a measure of freedom. And it will become more critical as time goes by.

Everywhere and particularly in the United States, the Internet and social networking are the only remaining avenues of citizen democracy as the rest of the media and the government settle into a single pointless monolith.

My heart goes out to people everywhere on this earth – who suffer the terrible pain to live in countries with the kind of leadership we have now.

James Pilant

Is Access to Social Networking a Measure of a Society's Freedom? In responding to the political demonstrations, the Egyptian government has disrupted internet service and mobile phone services, in the obvious hopes of (a) reducing the volume of testimonies and videos being communicated outside of the country and (b) to disrupt the capacity of the protesters to remain organised and to communicate their progress to the greater population. The BBC reports that both Facebook and Twitter— relied upon by protest org … Read More

via The Philosopher’s Eye