My Life: Wired

Googleless Life?

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:17:10 PST

If any of you have been keeping up with the whole craziness of Google and their changes in their privacy policy, you might see a reason to look for something else.

Really, Google's policy changes do make sense, as their whole purpose is to use your data for marketing research to provide you with better ads for you to buy stuff. But a lot of people are freaked out because here you have Google merging all the data from all their services to build a profile which will probably be more accurate than any government agency. Scary shit if you ask me.

But while I don't see myself dropping off of Google any time soon, I began to notice just how intertwined I am with this company. I will admit that I am a huge fan of Google. Hell, I might as well say it, I am a fanboy. The services and abilities that Google offer are just amazing. But what if I want to change? What if something happened to my account or we found out that Google employees eat puppies and kittens for lunch? Then what?

This has been a common tactic for companies, to bundle up their services and make it harder for people to migrate to a competitor. Example being Banks and the inclusion of their Billpay, or Cable networks and their 'telephone, cable, internet' packages.

Truth is, I am completely lost on what to migrate too if that ever came about. I mean when it comes to email. Sure I could move to AOL, Microsoft, or Yahoo, but it's all just the same, and I doubt they would offer as much robust features as Google apps. But if anything, I probably would move back to yahoo since I only left them because I found out gmail had free pop3. As for others;

Google Reader - Plenty of other software I could use, including Windows Live Mail.

Google+ - Delete, I couldn't care less

Google Docs - I would be just fine using it on my desktop, and maybe sync with Live Mesh

Google Calendar - Again, probably switch to Yahoo or Live Mail (or sunbird? :)

Google voice - Go back to using my cell #, but i sure would miss all the features.

Web search - Plenty to choose from...

Google Maps - Mapquest/Yahoo maps

Google Talk - Skype

Feedburner - None, just use standard RSS

So really it does require moving a lot to a competing service that probably already does the same. But truth is, I would have no problem moving to offline for a lot of features as I rarely use them on the go (eg calendar) and with the plan to dumb down my phone, it would be useless anyway.

Who knows what the future will hold, but it's always interesting to think about...

True Story...

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 17:29:19 PST

GoDaddy, SOPA, and my stance

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:15:55 PST

There is something to be said with what is going on in this world today, or even in this country. A lot of our freedoms have been taken away or are threatened currently and it is disgusting. What do you expect though, with our government bought and sold, the news media, bought and sold. Really the only thing that is real is the internet, where people can create and develop, but that is under threat right now because of legislation. SOPA and PROTECT-IP are two laws that are trying to get passed that would end our "free internet" without reasonable reasons why. It is the typical play of copyright infringement and to 'protect the citizens'.

I was surprised when I found that GoDaddy supported and even helped drafting the bill. A lot of other people were pissed too, thus today being boycott GoDaddy day because of their support. This includes transferring your domains, hosting, and all business from them. As being their customer, of course I joined in transferring. Sure it was a hassle, but worth it to me.

GoDaddy did submit a press release after they became under fire, about how they retracted their support for it. But this is your typical damage control, and it doesn't mean they truly oppose it. They didn't mention anything regarding PROTECT-IP either.

Regardless, So long GoDaddy. I will never do business with your company again.

P.S. I have to admit it is weird now being able to access my domains and hosting without being bombarded with ads :)

P.S.S. My domains are now with NameCheap, which publicly opposed SOPA, and have better prices than GoDaddy. My hosting is now with 1&1, that has much better prices than GoDaddy.

Transfering domain/Hosting off of Godaddy

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:43:04 PST

Since they initially drafted and supported SOPA (thought withdrew, but no word on PIP). So there might be down time.

smokey...

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:12:02 PST

Did smokey the bear just tell me to start smoking? o.O

And It Begins Again...

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 23:24:01 PST

Only this time i'm on the ps2 :) and get to use my pocketstation.

Advertising

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:03:56 PST

Sometimes I have to wonder what all of this advertising does to everyone, as we are bombarded with different ads telling us to go buy this and do that.

Our childhood toys are really nothing more that cheap pieces of material made to be purchased after television and word of mouth bombarded us with messages to bug our parents for them. Much like the 1986 film Transformers where they purposely killed off majority of the main characters only to introduce the new line up of toys. It is really disgusting if you think about it, exploiting children and parents for capital gains (though look at Black Friday).

Remember this commercial? That damn melody with the phrase "best part of waking up, is Folgers in your cup" was hammered into my head as a kid, and continued so. Come years later when I got my own place and began drinking ground coffee that I was excited because I could finally buy my own coffee maker, and buy some Folgers! you know, because the commercial told me how good it is.

The coffee tastes like shit. I was disappointed. But that damn song is stuck in my head and comes out of no where every now and then. This is just one advertising that is embedded forever into my head, I could only imagine how many others there are.

This day an age is pretty disgusting at how saturated we have become with advertisements and marketing. Just look at the shit on the TV. I gave up watching television a long time ago, and watching an episode of the Twilight Zone over at my moms it seems like there was less show and more commercials than I remember before (don't forget about those damn pop up advertisements).

Makes me fuckin disgusted...

Ugh...

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:12:32 PST

I'm waiting for my sites to implode :/

trim

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:37:38 PST

Now then... let's see if I can trim down this code :p

Ambient Lighting

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:10:07 PST

I might have to do it throughout my place...

Drinking...

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:42:35 PST

This is probably the main reason why I gave up drinking...
via Cyanide & Happiness

New AIM released: Version 1.0.0.3?

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:48:04 PST

As being an AOL instant messenger user since it was released so many years ago I have always been interested in the new versions that come out. Sure most of my friends have moved on into other things like Facebook chat, but I still kept using AIM for the mere nostalgic value and curiosity of the newer versions of the programs.

I actually recently dropped my AIM client because my internet kept dropping out (the one time I buy a bloody Netgear router). I realized that Google Voice was a fine "client" for when I am at my computer, and just made my screen names mobile. Well, the ones that I didn't delete (did you know you can actually delete AIM screen names now?)

When I heard about the new version of AIM, I had to install it. IT was apparently a whole new redesign, and from what I read, a minimalist design. Upon installing it asked "Do you want to install AIM 1.0.0.3? The Fuck? Last I checked it was at 7.5.x

Yes, it's true, this are trying their second attempt at refreshing the client (first attempt was AIM Triton 1.0). But this time around, something is missing, something that has been with AIM since AOL the beginning, and a part of AOL since 4.0 was in beta. The Running man.

DEAR GOD WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?! It's like they took this simple familiar icon and turned it into some shitty ass kid drawing of an alien running.

Besides that, the new AIM design is very minimal, and when I say minimal, I mean mnml, because there are no ads and all chat conversations are enclosed in the app instead of a separate 'IM' window.

Apparently, chat conversations are sync all on the AIM servers, so you don't have to worry about leaving your AIM client on at home. I seriously hope this means the death of the dreaded 'AOLSystemMsg'.

Even the preferences are greatly reduced. You don't have much functionality in their, BUT you can add your twitter account to get notified of messages and reviews, I just wish you could watch your twitter stream in there.

I am still in question on how this new client will workout, as this is the most drastic change to have happen to AIM... well... ever... Just have to see what happens in the future, because I know I will be watching.

Wikipedia as a source

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:31:31 PST

Yup, pretty much.

Via xkcd

LinkedIn: Use or Lose?

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:47:43 PST

As I have been continuing this journey of cutting out the excess e-fat that I have accumulated over the years, one of the most standard fights is social networking. Facebook made a lot of sense to cut first because it was nothing more than useless spam that added no value in my life. Google+ was to be the next social network I cut, even though I am so new to it (and it is still in its infancy), merely because it is nothing more than another Facebook. Yet, I began following the Occupy movement on it. Twitter, I figured, would be the social network I would never lose because of how easy it is to stream news, and isn't like my Google Reader where I have over 1,000 unread items (that I feel compelled to read!)

Then comes LinkedIn, the "professional" social network. I always defined LinkedIn as a different social network, much like how twitter is a different one compared to Facebook. It was more... professional? The idea makes sense, as it gives people someplace to post their 'résumé' and make connections. But how efficient is LinkedIn in building your résumé, finding new opportunities, and advancing your career?

Honesty, I have no idea...

I have never heard of anyone speak how LinkedIn has helped their career, nor have I heard of anyone finding a job through the site. I tend to hear more about Craigslist, and I can personally vouch for (real) job posting sites because the company I have worked at for the last 18 months found me on Monster. I have also read that Facebook is becoming more popular with finding a job, although I don't have the link to that article.

So why LinkedIn? because it makes sense to a lot of people. They can have a professional identity on one social network meant for professionals, and a personal identity on the other network(s) if chosen. You can connect with you bosses and not worry about them seeing the status update about how plastered you got the night before. I believe LinkedIn's is a good safe haven for people's identity, although I am not sure how safe it is.

But that brings up the whole point of question at hand. LinkedIn now appears no more than another social network that doesn't add much value to your résumé. If a potential employer is reviewing you online, do you think he/she will go to your LinkedIn account to see the same information as what you gave them on your résumé? No. If they were searching for you online, they would look for a twitter account or Facebook account to find out more of who you are, as an individual.

It makes it hard to really see any benefit to having a LinkedIn account. Especially in knowing the main focus of all social networks is data mining, you have to ask if the site you rarely visit is really worth it. Does is add anything to real networking, résumés, job posting sites, and job hunting? I highly doubt it.

I will sleep on it, but most likely will drop my profile.

Update 11/19: Officially Deleted. I might set one up later, but it would strictly be after I set up a good profile website.

Nyan nyan nyan nyan!

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:21:14 PST

yup...

Can't stop watching this...

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:47:28 PST

Fight For Your Right (Revisited)

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:47:54 PST

huh....

Chris Poole on Indentity

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:42:17 PST

Facebook

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:22:39 PST

I love it!

http://www.fecesbook.com.nu/
via Your Anon News

Internet Privacy

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:55:07 PST