Estoy Usando El Internet

Are Writers the new Film Industry?

2005-10-01T23:29:00.000-04:00

Now writers are jumping on the sue train with their sights set on Google Print. This new service allows the search of books and printed materials that are still under protection from copyright laws and also public domain materials. It really does not make much since it is protected to having only Google members look at the pages, and also, it is just as easy for anybody to walk into a library to look in the exact same books. Also, the access to the books is limited by a registration to Google. To circumvent these lawsuits, Google could require a fee to be paid by those who want to look at the books which could be used to compensate the copyright holders so there would be no problem of lost profits. Using Google to look at books is also very cumbersome compared to using a real one, so I am not sure how popular it will be with those who want to read entire books online. The service will probably be used to search texts for use in research or just small projects looking for quotes that can be found many other places online. I doubt the printing industry will lose much money from this project.

So-Called “Weblog Ethics”

2005-09-29T13:15:00.000-04:00

The blog about weblog ethics from Rebecca’s Pocket really does not make much sense to me. She indicates that bloggers are all “mavericks” who claim to not need fact checkers etc. This inherently undercuts her own argument, though, if these people are self-proclaimed amateurs, why should anybody take what they say with more than a grain of salt anyway. The amateur standard means that all blogs should be approached as if they are unprofessional or even false, which many may be. This means that the reader should consider the facts such as “checking facts” and “questioning interests” instead of leaving it up to the blogger. The blogger is simply writing his or her ideas, and if they believe it true, they may feel they do not need to back it up at all. Readers should always be aware that the Internet is not a gathering place of professionals and enlightened users; it is a place that is really 5% useful and 95% frivolous content. When the reader realizes this, there will be no problem with confusing fact and fiction in the first place, which should be the situation blogging is in now.

Busting "Diploma Mills"

2005-09-28T21:05:00.000-04:00

As the article from Wired "Database Fights Diploma Mills" states, since the Internet has taken off, so have fake higher learning institutions that offer easily procured diplomas. The new database that is supposed to combat these mills by posting a public list of officially accredited schools, but one bad thing is it gives a false sense of security to some people who may be looking for online education. They may even be getting an education from a school with a similar name, but it is not the same one. The key to this situation is "buyer beware". It is well and good to make a database of "official schools" that can be trusted, but it should really be up to the individual who is looking for it. How can anyone really have faith in an online institution that gives out diplomas simply based on "life experience"? It is up to the individual to investigate and dig a little deeper into the websites to see if they are indeed legitimate.
The whole situation really goes back to earlier arguments of legitimacy on the internet. Just because something is available on the web does not make it true. It is just as important in this situation as in others to search several places for information on what you are investigating. For this situation it may include searching the new database, then reading the fine print of the website in question, and then finally finding reviews from people that have used the institution. Just don't take the entire situation at face value.

Radio Tracklisting for 9/26/05

2005-09-26T22:17:00.000-04:00

The broadcasting is working in the on campus television network for the radio show again, so tune in and support. It is on channel 26. My show is BPM, every Monday from 8-10. Good electronic music. Next week I'll be playing some light IDM, but this week was heavy Drum and Bass. Here is the tracklisting:

Pendulum - Out There (Breakbeat Kaos)
Pendulum - Fasten Your Seatbelts (Breakbeat Kaos)
Pendulum - Slam (Breakbeat Kaos)
Ed Rush & Optical - Compound (Virus)
Tech Itch - Soldiers (D-Bridge Rmx) (Penetration)
Subfocus - Scarecrow (Ram)
Fresh - Living Daylights (Breakbeat Kaos)
Moving Fusion - Guy Fawkes (Ram)
Dom & Roland - Dance all Night (Moving Shadow)
Future Prophecies - Dreadlock (Breakbeat Kaos)
Moving fusion & Shimon - Mysterons (Ram)
Subfocus - X-Ray (Ram)
Baron and Pendulum - Guns at Dawn (Breakbeat Kaos)
Ed rush & Optical - Splinter (Virus)
Ram Trilogy - Evolution (Ram)
Pendulum - Girl in the Fire (Breakbeat Kaos)
Marcus Intalex - Zumbar (Soul;R)
Sparfunk & Joe Solo - Rapture (Ram)

He Was Only Trying to Express Myself

2005-09-19T10:26:00.000-04:00

Searching for ones own identity on the internet can be quite frightening, but it can also be very interesting. In order to search for me, I used an internet handle that I use for many other things, including when I DJ. I searched for the name "synertia" in Google to see what instances I could find dealing with my online identity, and I found some very interesting things. I first found links to an interview I gave to a website called "Midwest Drum and Bass", but unfortunately the website is defunct and the interview was gone. I also found links to several forums I would distribute my DJ mixes on, such as DnB Forum where I found this shameless plug for a mix I made a few years ago.

In addition to my miniscule musical presence on the internet, I found references to me from the gaming world where I used to play a game called Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory semi-competitively. I was on a few teams, but nothing that was a big deal. After I played for a few months I got tired of it and just play games now and again these days. But I did find out by my profile on the TWL webpage for me that I am actually still registered on a team that is 4 and 0, which is good considering I have not played the game in 4 months.

Aside from my lackluster online gaming career, I also found one final interesting piece about me. I had put up a photo journal of my pictures I took in Hong Kong, but it had been deleted. Apparently, however, my host has reuploaded some of the pictures which are located here.

I felt this information was more interesting from the normal addresses and phone numbers people can find all over the internet. Plus this information is not as personal, so I think it is more interesting to tell other people about this for such a blog so they can know more about me and not just my statistics.

The Internet is a Minefield

2005-09-18T18:42:00.000-04:00

As is mentioned about Internet Content in Learning to Use the Internet and the World Wide Web, the internet can be a very dangerous place for people who are not on the look out. Simply searching for an innocent subject can yield some results that may be considered offensive or lewd. The attempt to have this content banned from the internet, however, is not the correct way to control it. The Supreme Court shot down the Communications Decency Act of 1996 because it violated people's First Amendment Right to free speach. It also attempted to tell people what they can and cannot look for on the internet. Granted, there may be some content that nobody would like young viewers to see, but I believe that responsibility falls more on the parents instead of the governing body. It should be up to parents to determine if they want to install filtering software like Net Nanny on their computer, but it is also up to them to keep a close watch on their computer to see what their child, or whoever else may be using the computer, is doing. It is important to keep the internet free so that a real pool of new ideas and markets can develop in it, restricting these does more harm than good. Even though it would be better for children to not have such easy access to such offensive material, is it not better that they be able to freely express their opinions and anything else they may wish in the future? Responsible use and self control is the way to keep the Internet under control, not enforced walls put into action by governments.

Overconfidence in Searching

2005-09-18T17:06:00.000-04:00

The main point that is expressed in the article entitled "Survey: Searchers are Confident, Satisfied, and Clueless" is that many people are very confident about their internet search habits, despite the fact that they actually may not have a very good idea of what they are actually doing. In many cases, people cannot determine which links returned by the search engine are actually sites found from the internet that contain pertinent information, and those which are "sponsored links" which companies pay to have at the top of the list for certain searched keywords. Not taking the time to double, or even triple check the information found on the internet can be risky business, especially when working on an official project or research paper. Even though search engines are great tools that can be used to find all the information on the web, they are also very sensitive. It is not useful to find information if it is not true. The article expresses this by talking about how even though people may think they are getting satisfactory results, they are in fact not. It is up to the user to be cautious about seeing whether the findings are indeed hard facts that can be used, or if they are sponsored and biased opinions.

Good Chinese Food

2005-09-14T10:47:00.000-04:00

Many of the Chinese restaurants in Fredericksburg are not very good, let's be honest. It's greasy and not very authentic. My friend has shown me the light, however, and that light is China Express. Located on scenic Route 1 next to the former bus station, the restaurant can be easily overlooked. And even if it is not, it is still a place you may not look to eat. I find, however, that the "rustic" look of the outside adds to its charm. Inside is a nice restaurant that you do not need to dress up for, but it is also not just common eats. The staff is very friendly and actually Chinese, so they know what they are doing. After eating the dumplings there, I can attest to the fact they are just as good as what I had in Hong Kong, and the food is not greasy. I suggest getting steamed dumplings, a serving of tea, and the tofu bean cakes are excellent. Just a little tip for people who like Chinese food but are sick of the bad stuff.

School Radio

2005-09-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

Well, the radio station has started up again and I have a show again with my co-host Matt playing Monday 8-10 PM. Even though we have this time, nobody can even really listen. Our radio station has been without broadcasting capability since I have been at this school, and now it only broadcasts through the television. Who is going to listen to bad television speakers to hear music. It's senseless. Anyway, I encourage you to support the radio by listening to it even if it is bad because we are pusing for upgrading the system, but it's not working too well. The radio can be heard on television channel 26 I believe, but it's one of the channels between 26 and 29... so just flip around until you hear music. We are still using a mixing board that looks like it's straight out of the 70s. Anyway, don't think anybody is interested, but here is my tracklisting from last night's show.

Pendulum feat. Freestylers - Tarantula (DOA)
Ed Rush & Optical - Gas Mask (Remix) (Virus)
Technical Itch - Soldiers (D-Bridge Rmx) (Penetration)
Subfocus - Scarecrow (Ram)
Baron & Pendulum - Guns at Dawn (Breakbeat Kaos)
Sparfunk feat. Joe Solo - Blazin' Jazz (Ram)
Roni Size - Brown Paper Bag (Talkin Loud)
Bad Company - The Nine (BC Records)
Dillinja - All Aboard (Valve)
DJ Ink - Murder Inc. (Twisted Anger Rmx) (Rennegade Hardware)
Matrix & Fierce - Tightrope (Metro)
DJ Zinc - Casino Royale (True Playaz)
DJ Swift - Play Me VIP (Charge)
Subfocus - X-Ray (Ram)
Pendulum - Girl in the Fire (Breakbeat Kaos)
Lenny Fontana feat Black Sun - Spread Love (Hospital)
Marcus Intalex - Temperance (Soul;R)
Sparfunk feat. Joe Solo - Rapture (Ram)

Movie Pirating

2005-09-07T19:03:00.000-04:00

I found an article on Google entitled "To Hollywood's Dismay, Digital Piracy is the Big Ape in Film" from the International Herald Tribune. The article talks about current movie piracy problems related to the upcoming release of King Kong. Combined with falling movie attendance because of recent advances in home technology such as surround sound, DVD players, and flat screen TVs, and digital piracy, the movie industry is going downhill. The way the movies are pirated is somebody sneaks into a theatre and just simply records the movie using a small handheld camera. After the movie is recorded, it is uploaded onto the internet on what are called "Top Sites". These are mostly unknown, however, and an everyday computer user probably could not find. After these releases are made, the movies are transferred to more readily available sources such as BitTorrent. BitTorrent is a file sharing network that connects users directly together instead of using a central server. This ease of piracy has brought the tickets sold at the cinema down by an estimated $3 Billion. Another question the industry should be asking itself, though, is "are they not seeing our movies because they are taking them? Or are our movies not fulfilling people's expectations to encourage them to buy tickets?"

Computer Security Issues

2005-09-07T16:24:00.000-04:00

I usually do not have any trouble with my computer because I try to maintain good security with Anti-Virus software and keeping Windows up to date. My parents, on the other hand, are unfortunately not as computer literate as I am and they tend to have a lot more trouble with their computer. One of the biggest problems was when my mother opened an attachment to an E-mail that she did not know was a Virus. Afterwards the computer started running very slowly and also sent out a mountain of e-mails to everybody on her contact list. I was able to fix the problem but it was still a shock for my parents because the computer was essentially useless for two or three days.
It is a shame that we live in a world where people will take advantage of others just for nothing but fun it seems. In this case, it was most likely notoriety because of the signatures and messages sent in all of the E-mails sent from my parents' computer. The most important thing is to keep your computer very secure using Anti-Virus, Firewall, and keeping Windows updated. By keeping these safeguards and remaining wary of suspicious e-mails and files, having security issues should never be too big of a concern.

The Conundrum of Copyrights

2005-09-07T15:25:00.000-04:00

The point that is presented in the article The Tyranny of Copyright by Robert S. Boynton indicates that many industries such as the Music Recording Industry and the Motion Picture Industry by extending the scope of copyrights beyond their original intent. The article focuses on a more extreme group called "Copy Left" which is lobbying for less stringent copyright laws. The group feels that the length of copyrights are too long and the products of innovation should go into the public domain much faster. By doing this, the strangle hold that industries have on distrobution of media, almost no matter how old it is, will be loosened quite a bit.
For the most part, I think the group has a good idea to prevent companies from attempting to cash in on products that in some cases it does not even produce or endorse anymore. A good example of this is old software which is frequently referred to as "Abandonware". Many of the games listed on the site are still not available to the public because of strictly held copyright laws, even though the manufacturers do not produce the products anymore and probably would not even find the master disk or file if somebody actually tried to purchase it. Even though copyright laws have their places to protect new inventions and products, using them to milk a final few dollars from old products that have no real economic benefit anymore is simply ludicrous.
Another topic, though, is the file sharing that frequently occurs with Music put into MP3 format. I believe that completely outlawing this is bad, but I also believe that online stores such as I-Tunes and Bleep have the right idea for having people compensate artists and not have to buy an entire album if only one song is good. In fact, this requires musicians to re-evaluate themselves and actually produce good music. By persuing less forceful methods, the copyright problem would not be such a mess, but moving toward this process of distrobution is a good idea to be more fair to the customer.

My Blog Really is so Popular

2005-09-01T21:50:00.000-04:00

I am glad I am getting such great feedback from the blogspot.com community! I want to pass along the advertisement of my new Internet Buddy "tweedledeetweedledum" about his great offers in Discount Cat Furniture! Even though his site does not work and I am not sure I would deign to look at it anyway, I'm sure it would include content such as this...

These Blog Comments

2005-09-01T20:40:00.000-04:00

Hey guys I really appreciate all the awesome comments about my Text Book buying experience. I would like to extend a personal thanks to Manuu who felt that my comment really rang of a person who was interested in some killer supply chain management software. Wait... I don't think you said anything about what I said, but that's ok, we're all Internet buddies now! I would also like to thank "Jon" for giving me the link to his awesome Acne Cures!!! He said he added me to his favorites so I will do the same and I encourage all of you reading to also follow suit and comment on his blogs with completely unrelated and shameless plugs for your own products! I think it is pretty neat that we can all get along so well that we can post as many spam messages as we can within only 45 minutes!! This rant really gets me to what I want to talk about: Spam.
It is amazing that even though my blog has only been set up for a matter of hours I am already receiving spam from people pedling their wares that have nothing to even do with what I am talking about. One of the biggest lessons of the internet is the constant bombardment of products that unfortunately comes with the territory. I am not upset about the comments on my blog, but they gave me the idea for this rant and I felt it would be humorous and I actually do encourage you to go leave nonsensical messages on these slobbergoats' blogs. There is really nothing to do about the incessant nagging of spam except ignore it, even though it can be tough. My suggestion to you is to stick it back to the man that is trying to sell you his Acne Creams or Enhancement Pills. Try to peddle your own products maybe such as an awesome miracle cure for cancer that will work in 3 days and is only $20358250938 a day! If he thinks he can sell you some management software, then maybe there are people that will pay you that much for M&Ms that you say can cure diseases.

Buying Textbooks for Classes

2005-09-01T19:24:00.000-04:00

Once again it is back to school time at Mary Washington and also time to get used to going to classes and studying every day. The dent is not only in the amount of free time, however, but mostly in the pocket book when we return to the bookstore to break the bank on our textbooks. Even though this is my last year, it did not stop me from dropping quite a load on my bound bundles of papers that are also destined to be my ball and chain all semester. The worst I experienced was purchasing two books that were each a cool $120. I ended up spending about 500 dollars total on all my text books. The buyback at the end of the year does not sweeten the deal either, especially when the possiblity of an edition change. The only reason I can see that these textbooks are more expensive than other high quality books sold at stores such as Barnes and Noble or Borders is that students are forced to buy these books so they are price gouged. This is not the fault of the professors because they have no idea of the price, but rather that of the bookstore that feels it is necessary to inflate these books to an overvalued state that forces all students to pay even more money on top of what it took to just be able to attend.
Not only are the prices bad, but the lines are completely unbelievable. It really is my pleasure to wait in a line that extends all the way to the back of the bookstore through the shelves of books. I would like to just go to Half.com and purchase the same books much cheaper but then I would run the risk of having a wrong edition, and if I need the book the next day it is not much help. So it seems my only choice is to pay a fortune and wait an hour. What am I doing there anyway, buying a parking tag? At least I know that I will have the books, who knows about the availability of parking spaces... that is a whole other story.

False Information on the Internet

2005-09-01T18:32:00.000-04:00

A major problem which is suggested by the "Critical Thinking in the Internet Era" article is that students who have a research assignment will simply go to the internet first without checking to see if the sources they get from it are actually credible. The students may just go to Google or Altavista and simply grab the first site on the list and use it as a source. The curse and blessing of the internet, however, is that any fool can set up a website. Even if it is completely false and un-academic, it can still be thrown into the middle of the world wide web. Another unfortunately problem is that it is not hard to put up a very snappy and polished looking website and fill it with information that can be misleading or even completely wrong. What students must do is look beyond the cover of any website and also go beyond the bare minimum and cross check all facts and information they find on the internet. Otherwise, they can be easily duped into using false information and looking very foolish in their research paper.

my name is will

2005-09-01T14:45:00.000-04:00

Hello, I'm Will Owens and have returned for my final year at University of Mary Washington. I'm an economics major and am working hard to cram all the courses I need into one year so I can graduate on time, it's fun. The one exciting thing I did recently is study abroad in Hong Kong for the second semester of my Junior year last year. This experience was very fun and I had a great time. In fact, I am attempting to get a visiting tutor job that is available at the school where I studied ( http://www.ln.edu.hk ). The experience was really great and I want to do it again. I'll attempt to post a picture from my trip.