Solution to NSA overreach – put people in charge of their own data

nielharper

“In recent years… the public has mostly yawned over the need for a privacy-data discussion. The zeitgeist has evolved to a point where most people know that their daily activities leave countless digital traces. Data collection is like the rain, it will be there, whether we like it or not. This seems especially true when it comes to fighting terrorism.

According to a June 6-9 survey by the Pew Research Center and The Washington Post, a majority of Americans (56 percent) don’t object to the National Security Agency’s (NSA) broad tracking of phone records to find terrorists, which was exposed earlier this month.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2013/0611/Solution-to-NSA-overreach-put-people-in-charge-of-their-own-data?nav=90-csm_category-topStories

SnapChat Allows You to Send Messages and Photos that Quickly Disappear

nielharper

A sore point for many as it pertains to the big data phenomenon is the fact that the notion of privacy is pretty much just that… a notion. We no longer have any control over our personal data that is aggregated and archived whenever we fill out online forms, post our pics on the web, chat with friends or tweet updates on our lives. Enter Snapchat; a mobile phone app that allows you to send messages and photos that disappear quickly into the ‘ether’. I wonder if there’s a sustainable business model for an application like this, especially given the present Internet culture?

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/513731/temporary-social-media/

The Social Media Wars: Game of Thrones Style!

nielharper

I think it is fair to say that social networks have become a lot less friendlier in recent times. It was inevitable that social media giants would abolish the open API’s (application program interfaces) that allowed their users to share content across network. This move is seen as necessary for these companies to increasingly monetize their ads and promoted tweets and posts. But while the walled garden approach by Facebook, Twitter and other networks makes perfect business sense, it largely removes the social aspect of their platforms.

The outcome is a splintered ecosystem; one where the ability to communicate with the entire social media landscape at once has been nullified. One where the bridging of gaps between users and companies, and the creation of dynamic and diverse interactions, no longer exists.

However, as the tensions between social media networks have flared up, a parallel industry has emerged. Disgruntled users and organizations are turning to social media management systems, software tools that provide unfettered access to all the large social networks from a single interface (one such company is HootSuite). At the linked URL, HootSuite illustrates the social media wars by transforming Facebook, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Tumblr in Game of Thrones houses. Quite entertaining!

http://mashable.com/2013/06/02/social-media-game-of-thrones/#:eyJzIjoiZyIsImkiOiIxMTI1NTg4MzA2NTAzOTg2MzU4NTUifQ

Those Billionaires Were Pretty Slick With Their Crude LIE, And We’re Too Thick To Notice

nielharper

R-A-P-E is illegal, but P-R-O-F-I-T is simply a five letter word. It’s always interesting to see how many lies will be perpetuated, and how many lives will be destroyed in the name of profit. Big oil has been working its media magic on us for years; allowing us to feel secure about our hyper-consumerism with little afterthought to the far-reaching impacts. This short video concisely touches on the mistruths being peddled around fossil fuels and the energy ‘revolution’ that is hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

http://tinyurl.com/k89adqa

Escape Your Search Engine: An Illustrative Definition of the Filter Bubble

nielharper

Basically our conundrum is this: As larger numbers of individuals get their news and information from personalized feeds similar to Facebook and Google, the more important content becomes obscured. In this environment of information blitzkrieg that we live in, content about issues like economic crash, energy crises, food security or human rights will be overrun by stupid celebrity news reels, non-sensical viral videos, and other techno-garbage. Breaking out of the filter bubble is key to staying in touch with our common problems and defining applicable solutions. See the the hyperlink below for a more illustrative definition of the filter bubble. Hopefully you’ll recognize the negative impacts of it, and decide to consciously break out!

http://dontbubble.us/

Class of 2013: Your Degree Doesn’t Mean Squat

nielharper

There’s a compelling sense of entitlement among college graduates as it relates to job seeking. Whether it’s the belief that an Ivy League education guarantees a top tier job in a Fortune 500 firm, or that a 4.0 GPA equates to recruiters overwhelming their Inbox and voicemail with job offers, the “class of 2013” appears to be disconnected from the realities of the 21st century workforce. There appears to be little consideration of developing high-level skills. Somewhere along the line, the need for experience seems to have escaped their lopsided reasoning. In this article, Ilya Pozin (Founder of Ciplex. Columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn. 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur) provides some advice to workforce neophytes on landing that first gig.

http://tinyurl.com/p4oq935

Cross cultural communication

nielharper

Different cultural contexts bring new communication obstacles to human interactions. Understanding and appreciating cultural diversity is key to effective communication. Developing awareness of different cultures and tolerance are also important in bridging the cultural divide. Thunderbird University has developed the Cultural Orientation Indicator (COI), a self-assessment tool that helps its students and corporate clients understand their own cultural preferences and the preferences of others. This podcast presents some expert perspectives on cross-cultural communication and the COI. Check it out!

http://knowledgenetwork.thunderbird.edu/podcasts/2009/08/05/coi/