Zombies live and 78% of them report having a social networking profile

"It won't make you dinner or rub your feet, but nearly one in four Americans say that the Internet can serve as a substitute for a significant other for some period of time, according to a new poll released today by 463 Communications and Zogby International. The poll examined views of what role the Internet plays in people's lives and whether government should play a greater role in regulating it. The online survey was conducted Oct. 4-8, 2007, included 9,743 adult respondents nationwide, and carries a margin of error of +/- 1.0 percentage point. From the results blog post: 'More than half of Americans believe that Internet content such as video should be controlled in some way by the government. Only 33% of 18 to 24 year-olds supported government stepping in on content, while 72% of those over 70 years of age support government regulation and ratings. More than one in four Americans has a social networking profile such as MySpace or Facebook. Among 18-24 year-olds, it's almost mandatory - 78% of them report having a social networking profile. Americans may love the Internet, but most are not prepared to implant it into their brain, even if it was safe. Only 11% of respondents said they be willing to safely implant a device that enabled them to use their mind to access the Internet.'"

The 40:60 Rule ;-)

Is creativecommunication.com interested in Dave Wacker?

According to a recent google cached search... they are.
 
 
On Mon, 15 Oct 2007  (11:38:57)
 

Using Client:Mac OS X  / Safari 4.19
 
What's the connection? and why are they using Safari?
Creative Communication & Design of Wausau, WI is a solid NET company that has been around for nearly a decade.
I think Dave would do well working with them.
 
 
Good luck gentlemen.
Lesson: use www.mozilla.org and proxy browser with firewall.

Three Degrees Of IT's Environmental Impact

Businesses need to focus less on how IT contributes to their environmental impact and more on how IT can help lessen the environmental impact of business operations and the supply chain or that of enterprise products and services, according to Gartner Inc.

Analysts warned that although making IT more green must remain a concern, there are areas where deploying more IT can significantly contribute to making an organization more environmentally sustainable.

Chief information officers need to be aware of what constitutes the environmental impact of the whole organization and to what extent IT can be a liability or an asset in this respect. In order to do so they should consider the three degrees of IT's environmental impact.

First Degree Impact - Gartner defines this as the impact of IT itself which includes electronic waste and asset disposition; consumption of non-renewable resources such as energy in the data centre for desktop computers, printers and networking gear; the energy embodied in the full life cycle of each asset; and user behavior.

Second Degree Impact - This is the impact of IT on business operations and the supply chain, regardless of whether the end result is a product, service or combination of the two. This includes the environmental effects of material and energy consumption; emissions or waste from manufacturing and all operational processes; paper consumption for
administrative purposes; lighting, heating, and cooling for buildings; workforce commuting and mobility; vehicle fleets; supply chain impact; waste disposal and so forth. The energy component of this becomes part of the 'embodied energy' in a product or service - that is the total energy used in its manufacture and distribution.

Third Degree Impact - This is the environmental impact in the 'in use' phase or delivery phase of the enterprise's products and services - that is, the direct impacts of procurement and use of products and services.

Different industries will experience the degrees of impact in different ways and this will impact how an organization defines the environmental value of IT. For a car manufacturer, the energy that goes into assembling cars, manufacturing components by its supply chain and having them shipped, performing R&D and testing is all part of the second degree of impact. The fuel used for the cars and their carbon dioxide emissions are part of the third degree of impact and the IT that runs the factory, as well as all other processes constitutes the first degree of impact.

MAC - PC Quote of the week

The key to staying productive

 
Ironic that I learn this while I should be doing some work ;-)

IT directors losing influence

Fears that IT is no longer being taken seriously are spawning high levels of churn among chief information officers. A survey of over 650 UK CIOs has shown a 15 per cent drop in the number who believe that their boards see IT as a key strategic function, and 58 per cent are planning to move jobs in the next two years. John Whiting, managing director of IT recruitment consultant firm Harvey Nash, said: "It is a concern that the strategic influence of CIOs has eroded in recent years, but even more worrying is the restlessness this creates in the sector. "The most effective and satisfied CIOs are those who are embraced by main boards, and in environments which fully comprehend the critical influence of IT on a company's success. "In return, senior IT professionals clearly have to continue to prove that their contribution is intrinsic to success and growth." Fewer than half of chief financial officers see the CIO role as more than a support function and not worthy of a seat on the board. Over a quarter of the CIOs surveyed would leave to find a role with more involvement in the strategic side of the business, and 27 per cent are actively looking for such a job.   > Read the full article

Anonymous web service that provides you with a temporary email address

GuerrillaMail is an anonymous web service that provides you with a temporary email address—perfect for web sites that you don't want to communicate with you but require email registration. Generate an email address and reload the home page to view any incoming messages. The 15-minute timer displays the amount of time you have remaining until your email address expires, but you can extend your time if necessary.  Whatever service you choose, temporary email addresses can really keep your regular inbox spam-free. Read more at GuerrillaMail

How to downgrade Vista Business/Ultimate to XP Pro? Follow the step by step guide below.

1. Install the Machine with XP PRO Media and get any valid XP Product Key.
2. After finishing the installation, there will be 2 options for you to pick for the Windows Activation. Activate online or activate through Phone Call. Pick activate through Phone Call.
3. The system will show a series of Installation ID for activation.
4. Send an email to SEAPART@microsoft.com, and include all the information below: 1. XP PRO Product Key and COA installed to the machine 2. Vista Business/Ultimate Product Key and COA if possible 3. XP Installation ID that shown in the system 4. Customer information
5. Microsoft will verify the information and respond within 24 hours. (Common case is about 5-6 hours) 6. You will received an email from SEAPA, with the activation key. Key in the activation key.

IT'S THE PARENTS, NOT THEIR CHILDREN, WHO ARE OUT OF CONTROL

MIKE MALES IN NY TIMES - A spate of news reports have breathlessly announced that science can explain why adults have such trouble dealing with teenagers: adolescents possess "immature," "undeveloped" brains that drive them to risky, obnoxious, parent-vexing behaviors. The latest example is a study out of Temple University that found that the "temporal gap between puberty, which impels adolescents toward thrill seeking, and the slow maturation of the cognitive-control system, which regulates these impulses, makes adolescence a time of heightened vulnerability for risky behavior."

We know the rest of the script: Commentators brand teenagers as stupid, crazy, reckless, immature, irrational and even alien, then advocate tough curbs on youthful freedoms. . .

Why do many pundits and policy makers rush to denigrate adolescents as brainless? One troubling possibility: youths are being maligned to draw attention from the reality that it's actually middle-aged adults - the parents -whose behavior has worsened.

Our most reliable measures show Americans ages 35 to 54 are suffering ballooning crises:

- 18,249 deaths from overdoses of illicit drugs in 2004, up 550 percent per capita since 1975, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

- 46,925 fatal accidents and suicides in 2004, leaving today's middle-agers 30 percent more at risk for such deaths than people aged 15 to 19, according to the national center.

- More than four million arrests in 2005, including one million for violent crimes, 500,000 for drugs and 650,000 for drinking-related offenses, according to the F.B.I. All told, this represented a 200 percent leap per capita in major index felonies since 1975.

- 630,000 middle-agers in prison in 2005, up 600 percent since 1977, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

- 21 million binge drinkers (those downing five or more drinks on one occasion in the previous month), double the number among teenagers and college students combined, according to the government's National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health.

- 370,000 people treated in hospital emergency rooms for abusing illegal drugs in 2005, with overdose rates for heroin, cocaine, pharmaceuticals and drugs mixed with alcohol far higher than among teenagers.

- More than half of all new H.I.V./AIDS diagnoses in 2005 were given to middle-aged Americans, up from less than one-third a decade ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control. . .

It's true that 30 years ago, the riskiest age group for violent death was 15 to 24. But those same boomers continue to suffer high rates of addiction and other ills throughout middle age, while later generations of teenagers are better behaved. Today, the age group most at risk for violent death is 40 to 49, including illegal-drug death rates five times higher than for teenagers.

Social networks... more Harm or hurtful than helpful?

What is your take on social counter cultures?

The Cult of Us - What MySpace living is doing to our minds (from http://www.newscientisttech.com)

For millions of people, especially among the under-25s, online culture is becoming the only culture that matters. Take the plunge, and the world becomes one massive network in which users band together to share just about everything. Chatrooms and newsgroups have evolved into social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook. Whatever your interest, from biology to extreme sports, there's a website where you can share your thoughts with the like-minded.

But what is the culture really about? Where will it end up? Too early to say, perhaps,

I'll have to ask my friends – Instant messaging, Wi-Fi and cellphones allow us to be constantly plugged into our social networks. Sociologist Sherry Turkle worries this is transforming human psychology

The end of privacy? – You wouldn't tell a stranger on the bus about your sexual habits, so why do people reveal this stuff on websites available to everyone? Will their openness return to haunt them?

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by Google – A short story by Bruce Sterling

The internet could be so much better – Social networking websites like MySpace or YouTube owe everything to the genius of Ted Nelson, who invented hypertext in the 1960s

Chris (WI)  comments:

Social update: While I think the web is a great place for media, data & connecting... it is by design a "anit-social" network. Only on the web will someone have a two hour talk on myspace to a "fictional" person... these social networks will be the erosion of our youth communication & social skills.   Furthermore the web has "dissolved" the need for general knowledge... if someone is not sure or doesn't know... they "google" it with no learning or cognitive thought involved. In the 90's most if the net was "solid" information... now social networks & (unqualified) mass media have fluffed and dumbdown the web to the point of less than 5% is new or relevant information.    I often get "cut n paste" ideas, answers, resume, replies and comments with no thought or creative conscience involved.   As you do in the "online game arena", I meet real people with real names on the science networks, that makes it still a good place to connect with people in a semi social way.    While I grew up on the internet & TV... but, was raised to turn them off and learn. Computers are tools created to enrich life not erode it.

Chris (ATL)  comments:

Personally, I think that social networks are helpful.  But, there should be limits.  I have joined several groups both for business and pleasure, and they are really only worth what you are willing to put into them.  Age is a factor that scares me about things like MySpace where kids of any age can interact with anyone.  I have a son... , so the internet makes me nervous.  Just knowing that he could possibly hop onto one of the sites while I have my back turned is scary.  One of my co-workers has 2 teenage daughters, and she got a program that records EVERYTHING that happens on her daughter's computers.  She can then see what is happening and talk to her kids.  I think that any parent out there that doesn't have such an animal is just asking for trouble.

 

Be the part of something bigger than ego's or economics.

"Tap The Glass" The real deal from industry leading scientists & professionals.

 

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."   Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

Yahoo! HackDay

AMERICA IS THE 'NO VACATION NATION'

REUTERS - As Europe's workers take a few weeks of holiday this summer, their American colleagues will be lucky to get a few days off work, says a report published by the European Trade Union Institute. Finland, followed by France, offers working people the most statutory vacation, at more than six weeks per year, the report, an international snapshot of how much paid leave people get by law and in practice in 21 countries, says. The United States is the only country where employees have no statutory leave, and they get about half as much time off in reality as Europeans get, according to the report, compiled by the Washington-based Centre for Economic Policy Research. "The United States is in a class of its own," the report says. "It is the no-vacation nation."

"In other words, they combined a lousy performance with a high sense of self-esteem,"

A quarter of a century later, a comprehensive new study released last February from San Diego State University maintains that too much self-regard has resulted in college campuses full of narcissists. In 2006, researchers said, two-thirds of the students had above-average scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory evaluation, 30 percent more than when the test was first administered in 1982.
 
...a yawning gap in self-perception between East and West. Asian students outperformed their American counterparts, but when they were asked to evaluate their performances, American students evaluated themselves significantly higher than those from Asia. What's Happening in the States", in an essay called "The Self Esteem Fraud."
 
Since the 80s, self-esteem has become a movement widely practiced in public schools, based on the belief that academic achievements come with higher self-confidence. Shokraii disputes that self-esteem is necessary for academic success. "For all of its current popularity, however, self-esteem theory threatens to deny children the tools they will need in order to experience true success in school and as adults," writes Shokraii.

Why Your Top Performaning Employees Quit

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Why Top Employees Quit

In a large company this is a problem that we have with our IT groups in particular. I reached out a to a few peers with other companies (one is an IT exec and one is actually a Group President) and as an exercise, we took a bunch of historical data and started identifying the factors that led to the annual exodus. We focused only the top 20% of the employees from a performance standpoint. It's not that the remaining 80% is unimportant, however, from a productivity, growth, and brainpower perspective, the top 20% of any group is critical. Moreover, these are the employees that are very difficult to replace.
To do this, we reviewed notes from exit interviews, cross referenced annual reviews and ultimately came up with 178 voluntary terminations from people that would have been considered in the top 20%.

To try and keep focused on macro issues, we consolidated the responses and placed them into categories:
  • Money
  • Unchallenged
  • Too Challenged
  • Dead Company
  • Watch your Levels (and the BS)


Here is the breakdown of the categories. I know someone is bound to ask why it doesn't add up so... Please keep in mind that this will not add up to 178 because several people insisted on listing 2-3 reasons when the question only asked for 1 reason.

Read on: http://www.dumblittleman.com/2006/09/why-top-employees-quit.html

There is hope for the world

Best news I read this week: Whoohoo!
 

 
 

"Metacrap" is a very strong, coherent, pointed critique of the dream of metadata.

Cory Doctorow - People are lazy, so they misclassify because they can't be bothered to properly classify.  We can't all agree; everything is miscellaneous, as you say, so we can't all agree on the best way to classify information, and so on.  So, that's a kind of sampler of the reasons that the idea that we'll all make it all work is so flawed.

They are just a lot of categories of information that we can't draw lines between. . .
 

The Web destroys categories, disciplines and hierarchies

"IT" Has Made Everything Miscellaneous 
 

Higher education industry is becoming a racket...

Buy our product or be condemned to life of penury, and our product can easily cost well over $100,000.

Higher Education Conformity - Is a college degree really a sign of competence? Or is it chiefly a signal to employers that you've mastered the ability to obey and conform? College degree chiefly as mark of one's ability to obey and conform. Whatever else you learn in college, you learn to sit still for long periods while appearing to be awake. And whatever else you do in a white collar job, most of the time you'll be sitting and feigning attention. Sitting still for hours on end -- whether in library carrels or office cubicles -- does not come naturally to humans. It must be learned -- although no college has yet been honest enough to offer a degree in seat-warming.

Or maybe what attracts employers to college grads is the scent of desperation. Unless your parents are rich and doting, you will walk away from commencement with a debt averaging $20,000 and no health insurance. Employers can safely bet that you will not be a trouble-maker, a whistle-blower or any other form of non-"team-player." You will do anything. You will grovel.

College can be the most amazingly enlightening experience of a lifetime. I loved almost every minute of it...
 
Read more from:
 

Employees waste two days per month surfing the Internet at work.

 
 
 
 
 

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