Musings of Old Man Joe

Irish guy heading back to Ireland from Los Angeles

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When I die, who will I leave my cloud content to?

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cloud computing

Like many people these days I have purchased movies and shows through the cloud and I have content on a server in many places I have never visited nor am I likely too.

I like the convenience of having stuff I can access on my devices anywhere I like, it’s cool. I was very reluctant to just go all cloud as I am still the fan of having a hard copy of my media. It’s a trust issue and although I have committed quite a bit of money to cloud only purchases not being able to just download a copy to a hard drive does still perplex me.

Obviously I am not the first person to ask this question, and although I have all my images and the important stuff backed up. I get the impression many people tend to have allot of stuff in the cloud and not too much backed up. And my thinking on this is really in the future when society has moved to a much more integrated online connected society. As easy it seems to be these days to get your account hacked and more often I hear about credit cards and pins have been hacked. Purely because the banks in the USA don’t want to spend the money on a more modern system that could protect the consumer much more. Yes I mean smart chips that have saved banks in Europe millions of dollars.

In the world of Google, Facebook, Amazon, and many others, are the pictures I upload still mine? Are the movies/TV shows I cannot download to my computer just a rent? Or because I clicked yes on a new privacy agreement because I wanted to get to lunch; have I signed my stuff away? And when I die can I leave my movies/TV shows in my cloud to who I wish, or when I die so do my purchases. I don’t remember clicking on that!

Why are phones getting smarter and people dumber?

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phone etiquette
phone etiquette

If I post a video to YouTube, and it ends up on some Facebook page, is it right for me to blame anybody but myself? Or maybe I just don’t know the implications of using the technology in front of me.

There have been so many changes in tech in the last few years it’s really hard to keep up with the change. The only thing that seems easy is the latest great phone, computers have to some extent moved into the back room. I am writing this on my computer, but I can as easily do it on my phone, pay bills make dinner reservations, update and even video chat with family anywhere with a web connection. One of the bigger questions for me in this tech world has always been.

How do we use technology wisely?

I have recently been very displeased when I hear someone, co worker or just a person on public transportation talking very loud on the phone or listening to music. I just don’t understand why using a headset or text wouldn’t be considered a polite alternative. And if this is the future why aren’t we teaching the future tech users how to coexist in the world without pissing off the person next to you? Or is this something that we will have to program into the devices as people are too dumb to know the difference?

Not too long ago I remember this thing called phone etiquette, giving your name when you called before asking for whom you are trying to reach.

If you called the wrong number you would say sorry wrong number before hanging up.

Talk clearly and don’t shout as it’s rude, and never slam the receiver down as the person on the other end may still have their receiver next to their ear.

Do we ever see a person leaving the table if they must take a call, not much these days; even if they did let the company know they may have to take a call.

And as far as I am concerned the only thing allowed on trains, planes, taxi’s is texting.

I don’t want to seem like a grouch, and I truly love the tech world and look forward to new innovations. But why do the phones get smarter and the people dumber?

Security in the cloud, and the impact of Social Media on us!

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In this new mobile social electronic instant update world we are getting used to seeing and reading about all the things our friends are doing almost at the same time it’s being done. This is great for the people who are always out doing stuff and have lots of things to share. Of course there will always be the competitive side of things and not everybody goes on safari or cave diving. Some may enjoy reading and listening to music, personally I prefer the more tranquil pursuits!

Recently the ever pressing how does social media make money with us as the commodity came back! This time it was Instagram  and the backlash was substantial. I myself cancelled my account and I won’t be opening a new one. There are many ways to do the same thing today, no one app or site has the monopoly and should remember that!

How are the social media sites supposed to make money while providing the free service? This is the quandary that may bring about the demise of many of the companies that dominate the social media scene today. Just providing social media doesn’t make money, however popular it becomes. Facebook has been struggling with this issue, compounded by the fact most of the users are using the mobile version, which is the future of all social media traffic.

I will pause here to make a prediction! In the not too distant future I believe we won’t need the sites like Facebook or Instagram, as our devices and technology adapt we will be able to share with our contacts directly from our devices; no middle man needed! Could probably almost do it today, but were waiting for the world to catch up and for systems to be compatible as always!

This whole social media and cloud computing brings me to my question regarding cloud computing in general. I am in favor in principle of the cloud as it does bring our digital content to our fingertips with what ever device we use to access the network, and it is an excellent back up of our data. The internet should be considered a public forum so don’t post anything you wouldn’t want to be public, even if you post it on a private site. Never rely on one service to back up your life as it is too hard to replace once the inconceivable occurs and your data gets hacked. Cloud computing forces us to upload personal data just so we can function in the new cloud world. Is this data being stored reliably?

While in many cases I feel this is reasonable I am concerned that with all the different services all using the data we use to identify ourselves in this new digital world. The idea that our online persona is being looked after securely leaves me feeling nervous! As with any new technology there is a time before the bugs have been fixed, and because the bug in this case are stored on a server in another state or country. How can we expect there not to be some sort of accident some time in the future. And as anyone knows who has their identity stolen, coming back from that is difficult, as society looks to your online persona to identify who you are!

I keep a back-up of all my important data on a external drive set up as a raid system, this makes sure I lose nothing and it’s not networked so it can’t be hacked. I would highly recommend this sort of personal back up even in the new cloud world. I am also concerned that considering how important our personal data is in this new mobile social networked society. That there isn’t more emphasis on educating the youth on what to upload and protecting their online persona from data theft. Just because you grew up with it and know how to use it doesn’t mean you understand the dangers if you don’t look after yourself.

I like the modern mobile society, it brings one kind of interaction that I love and that is with distant family. On the flip side I think it has driven people who in the past may have gone out to become more distant and lonely. Texting should enhance conversation not replace it! And there is a lack of etiquette in the USA regarding mobile devices that should be addressed with education soon I hope. Japan would be a good place to look as they have always been a few years ahead of us in this regard.

Have a great day and stay safe!

Digital Privacy in a Mobile World.

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There are changes going on in our society. In the news we are focused on the religious political battle. But there are other changes going on, just a bit more subtle.
The tech revolution started more than a decade ago. It moves in slow steady increments for a few years, then something happens & we have a leap forward.
Windows 95 was a leap, as was windows NT for the tech administrator. Mac OS X was a leap, as was the iMac.
In recent years the leap was created by the iPhone.
In 2007 the phone industry in the US was given CPR and we moved forward about four years. Up until then I would look in awe at Japan and the wonderful phones that we would never see in north America.
So here came the iPhone. Whether you are Apple, Android, the iPhone was the start of the biggest change in how we use tech in the last fifteen years.
Now tech is much more mobile, the network providers have been led by necessity, kicking & screaming to spend vast sums of money improving their networks.
With improved web access we have Facebook, Google + and other social networks at our fingertips. These social networks have in the past, been questioned & accused of not looking after our personal information properly. Over years systems have been developed to protect our data.
The weird thing is although I see people worry about their personal data, very personal things are uploaded to these social networks. It makes me wonder what a person who grew up with these networks considers personal data. Is it just account settings.
Personally I have always felt that anything posted on the web should be considered public. Because if you feel that strongly you should probably not post it in the first place.
As more of our info becomes fodder for advertising & targeted selling. Where is the line now? I know it’s moved recently. Every time I accept a new user agreement I’m sure it’s to facilitate the control & use of my data. As a modern connected people, are many even aware of the lack of privacy. Or even the fact that to enjoy the new social technological world, it is necessary to give up so much privacy. Don’t get me wrong, I love tech & I hope the social networks continue to keep us connected to friends & family. But we need to be more responsible for our web presence. It can’t just be left to the networks.
The latest trend is cloud computing. Which does seem to be a natural next step in mobile computing. There are many advantages. Smaller networked devices that don’t need large storage capabilities with access to large amounts of data.
But as we have seen, what happens when the network has a problem. I am a big believer in backing up. Learned the hard way many years ago. And today with reasonably priced external drives it’s very easy. Technology is always in a state of transition. Only when something becomes so normal that we no longer think about it is the transformation complete.
Have a nice day!

Social Networks, how social are they? Does it add to my life, or become my life?

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There are enough ways to keep in touch today, if you are not one to avail you are really missing out. The question that comes to mind is who do we want to keep in touch with. Social networks like anything else in the real world, can be great; or can be misused.

Human nature means we, (humans), like to be liked, wanted, part of the group; social, this is a good thing! Takes us back to the small family group that was our tribe when we were just down from the trees. I have a facebook page, I keep in touch mostly with family in Europe, because they never returned e-mail, and it’s great that it’s all in one program. Mind you my friends are people I actually know and not people who just friended me, this is where I wonder what the social in social network means!

I find I am friending people I know or work with, but in the real world I may pass them and it will be “hi” or “hello”. No conversation about how we are doing or how the family is. You see I really don’t know these people! So should I just say no on the social network, or say yes thinking that by doing so we have become closer in some way?

It does no harm to become social network friends, as there may be a better chance for interaction in the future. But I must understand that being a social network friend doesn’t make you my real friend. I am not going to tell you intimate details of my life, I will not confide in you or expect anything from you. You see I have real friends and I don’t need or want too many real friends, as it dilutes the intensity of the friendship I have with my real friends. Now this could be a generational thing, (I am not young); but I see confusion in some when it comes to net-friend, and real friend. Today to break up in a relationship just change your status to single, or complicated. Or why didn’t such & such friend me, but did my other friends? It seems that some take this social network thing a little too seriously; it’s just for fun you see!

Let me say I am for social networks, I am for keeping in touch, Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, are all great things. Social interaction is a way for an exchange of views, a way to communicate with a diverse group of people; to educate and learn. There will always be the usual stupidity, hate and prejudice, that makes up society; and of course it will creep in every so often. Free Speech is a great thing, not to be confused with Hate Speech which is not the same thing and should be stamped out when ever, and where ever it shows it’s ignorant face.

Social networks and electronic interaction is such a part of society, that do’s and do not’s should be a school subject at this point. When to text rather than voice, (confined places, trains, planes, waiting rooms)! Only use hands free when driving, I still see idiots on the phone and even texting while driving. The fools can kill themselves, they have a choice; just try not to kill any innocents in the process! I still feel we are at a transition, a developmental state when it come to technology. In the future some things will pass, fade as we grow up as a society, things that seem so important today show themselves as just a fad, and the true tech path becomes evident. As Tim Hunkin said in the 80’s show, The Secret Life of Machines, when a technology becomes truly part of society; it becomes invisible.

One of my favorite movies is iRobot, and I do think that the way society looks in that movie tech wise, is a fair representation of the way it will be in the future. I cannot say how quickly as American society struggles, with the idea of spending on infrastructure & energy production. It’s a bigger problem than most realize, but it must be solved if we are to maintain the tech we know and love. Maybe social networks will just divide us into groups, like right & left wing web sites do today. Will we be defined by out social group, should employers check our Facebook as part of the job interview? REMEMBER PEOPLE, If it’s on the web it’s not private, be careful what you post!