Week 3

Google's Search Under Scrutiny

     Google's competitors have been complaining about how  Google does business to whoever will listen.

Their latest gripe is about how Google influences it's search engine.

     Andrew Odlyzk, a University of Minnesota law professor, says that, "Google's core search relies on a pay for priority scheme...which can highlight, favor and omit sites based on who has paid Google the most money".

     James Grimmelman, a law professor at the New York Law School, has the opinion that, "...search is an inherently subjective enterprise that makes mockery of attempts to legislate it".

     Either way, regulation through legislation is coming to the internet as it has to every other facet of our modern lives. 

Original Article

Second Life

Second Life is a cartoonish, but otherwise realistic virtual reality game featuring avatars that interact with each other in a variety of virtual environments.
Launched by Phillip Rosedale and Linden Labs in 2003, it is an internet accessed application that requires a substantial download to use. It has had as many as 88,200 avatars in residence at any one time.
While it is obviously a very popular site, I don't have any interest in it except as a cultural phenomena. I feel that once I have applied my available energies to my own life, that I have little time for such games.

Week 2

 

Wikipedia's 10th Anniversary

Saturday, January 15th

   

  Ten years for Wikipedia. In honor of this occasion I have included a link below to an article covering all the hoaxes, growing problems and  "open edit" problems that the site has experienced in it's rapid growth.

   I actually use Wikipedia a lot (although I know better than to cite it or admit it in class), finding it's straightforward format, very inclusive nature and the links provided to most of the information presented, makes it very valuable in early research on most topics.

   Although this article lists some limitations and problems with an open edit encyclopedia, I think the most telling fact in this article is that every one of these embarrassments, that o lot of organizations might try to obscure, have their own Wikipedia pages.

Original article

Giant Computer Starts Bid for World Domination

    At a rehearsal taping for the upcoming Jeopardy showdown between a big-ass IBM computer and some puny humans, "Watson" slapped some nerds....HARD. I'd like to see how he would do on Survivor, though.

Original article

Week 1

The Apple iPhone 4 will be available through Verizon February 10, 2011

      It seems the major significance of this event is an increase in competition between; AT&T, which has had a near monopoly on providing service to the popular iPhone, and is consistently one of the lowest rated mobile phone providers in the industry, and Verizon, which is usually one of the top performers in customer ratings. Also, total bandwidth for the iPhone will be greatly increased, at least temporarily minimizing problems supporting the many functions and applications of the iPhone that AT&T has experienced.

     While projected price and function will be similar, the Verizon iPhone will create a mobile wifi "hotspot" capable of serving up to five devices versus AT&T's one device per phone. As is usual though, you cannot get something for nothing; the CDMA chip that the Verizon phone uses separates voice from data and cannot run both at once as the AT&T served phones can. Also, as usual, there will be a substantial monthly charge for the hotspot capability.

     If Verizon is not very clear about these limitations, or is not able to supply enough bandwidth to avoid "swamping" of their network, then their customer ratings are likely to quickly plummet to, or even below, the level of AT&T's. 

Original Article

Introduction

I have enrolled in CIS 120 to directly address my dysfunctional relationship with computer technology and culture. I hope to learn, not only the specific tasks and functions involved in working with a computer, but also the systems, relationships and developmental context at work in order to come to a better understanding of the modern digital age and where I might be able to fit into it.