Blog @ MoreWhat.com

What is commonly referred to as information technology is a topic worthy of much discussion. There is no shortage of resources dedicated to this very theme. And there is no shortage of content lauding the benefit of all things techie including the bells and whistles offered by most vendors. But what is the state of IT in all its manifestations most notably the products and services offered?

The most frequent target of this blog when criticizing popular technology has been Microsoft. There are few who would defend the Darth Vader of information technology but the software giant is not alone with its failures. Just one passing shot on MS seems timely here. Even if Windows 7 becomes known as a reasonable operating system (no believers here) it does not reconcile the many years of marketing ripoffs that the vast majority of the consuming public willingly accepted. The view here is that even if Windows 7 is viewed favorably and for valid reasons it is a typical product life cycle strategy from Microsoft. Rip them off as long as you can and when that doesn’t work anymore give them something less annoying that may actually work.

The wireless industry is ripe for criticism but that will have to wait for a subsequent post. An accidental find in the news provides the perfect introduction to slam the so-called ’social networking’ phenomenon. The author of this post does not myspace, facebook or twitter or anything else social networking. Because social networking is not social networking. And who better to make the case in point than a co-founder of Twitter?

Twitter co-founder Stone, meanwhile, was called upon to defend his company against the charge that tweets are pointless musing while social networking sites are making people more isolated as they turn to their computer screens rather than meeting people in real life.

“I may send out a tweet that is seemingly of little value to most people like, ‘I am enjoying a beer at Logan International Airport in Boston’ and someone may say, ‘who cares?’,” Stone said. “But someone else who is walking through the airport and receives that tweet on their mobile in real time could join me for a beer, and we could come up with an idea for a company that is wildly successful and we will have turned that lead into gold.

“That is happening a million times a second because people are communicating publicly. It is untrue that we are becoming more isolated because of these tools, I think we are connecting more and we are finding new ways to do good.

What do you expect? When confronted with such a question a person in Stone’s position should be prepared to give an answer to support the marketing hype. So let’s analyze that statement from a practical point of view. How many ideas for ‘a company that is wildly successful’ occur every day? Given a ‘twit’ frequency of one million times a second you have a better chance of hitting the lottery than spawning ‘a wildly successful company’ by Stones own words. And the lottery is a losing proposition based on typical chances of winning.

Stone continues….

“A friend of mine asked me, ‘what do you hope people will say about Twitter in five or 10 years?’ and my answer to him, which I was surprised to hear myself say, was that I hope people will not consider Twitter a triumph of technology, instead that they will consider it a triumph of humanity.”

Does this marketing hogwash really require a response? Okay, here’s one.

Hey Stone, you and some others came up with yet one more way to attract enough traffic to a website for it to be successful. That’s it, nothing more. There is no redeeming quality to characterize this effort as anything else. In defense of this conclusion consider MySpace. Who did this enterprise benefit more, the general public or pedophiles? Yes, that appraisal may be extreme but the same can be said of Facebook or Twitter. They claim to be one thing and end up largely serving the benefit of those with less than altruistic intentions.

Most things IT simply carry an old philosophy in business. If they will buy it and you can sell it, go nuts. It has little to do with improving life through technology.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

In just an hour or two the Google News search for has expanded from 18 listed stories to 31. At the time there were 18 indicated a visit to that link at Google displayed a count of 22. So what? C’mon, let’s be precise oh great purveyor of search. The story may be growing legs and may account for the nearly meaningless lack of count precision. A topic that was dominated by ‘techie’ sources has been gathering mention in the MSM from the likes of The Chicago Tribune, CNN, the Telegraph - UK and The Washington Post.

This blog has featured comments in the past on the relative merits or lack of same on all things referred to as ’social networking’. This story features Twitter as the black hat in the no saga, saga of tr.im. Some reports measure the quantity of ‘URL shortening services’ at a dozen and a half while others describe the count at ‘umpteen’. In this blog’s characterization of such things as ‘who cares’ or why does it matter one small concern may be noteworthy.

While Tr.im didn’t have anywhere near the traffic that Bit.ly and TinyURL had, it still had a significant userbase, as you can find millions of Tr.im URLs spread across Twitter. If Tr.im shuts down its servers, millions of links will simply die. Poof, just like that. Someone could even buy Tr.im and redirect all the links to spam, porn, or malware. Our bet however is that someone reputable buys Tr.im before December 31st. There is just too much value in those links for there to be no bidders.

Tr.im’s demise renews the debate over URL shorteners. What happens if Bit.ly or TinyURL were to be hacked or lost their URL data? An entire ecosystem of links would suddenly be swept away. Millions upon millions of links could suddenly vanish, leaving users confused and a possibly uncleanable mess.

The excerpt and link above suggest a component of all this social networking nonsense. Misguided attraction to less than worthwhile endeavors have a real cost. Proponents suggest a meaningful value of social networking on the internet or the electronic substitute for basic human interaction. That may simply be the marketing strategy of one more useless E enterprise duping the masses only for financial gain of the ‘players’. Not unlike snake oil peddlers of the past this new breed found the human vulnerability which allows otherwise ordinary people to rationalize this behavior as something it is not.

How about accepting this for a theory? Electronic social networking is the manifestation of narcissism on a massive scale. One can elevate their self-image and importance with the use of a fad activity. Furthermore it enables those unable or unwilling to pursue social interaction in traditional ways an avenue with low or no risk. That means you have nothing ventured therefore nothing (worthwhile) gained. There is no need to be genuine or honest and the whole matter is rendered useless other than to satiate narcissistic tendencies of all. You can define how wonderful you are by your participation and deluded measurement of your self-worth.

It’s not like MySpace or Facebook didn’t demonstrate how this sort of thing will evolve. So now, one has to be a twit to be fashionable. Funny how the promotion of these fads rarely include the downside until something happens to boost interest in the tabloid press. Even then it only serves to boost ad sales from the demographic that feeds on sensationalism.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Twitter Hammers Nail in Coffin for Tr.im

Tr.im Shuts Down; Is There A Business In URL Shortening?

Nambu shuts down its URL shortening service Tr.im

What is it about that which can be characterized ‘popular culture’ or some sort of phenomena of civilization at any given time and its attraction for the masses? On the internet it may be MySpace or Facebook or Twitter. On TV it may be so-called reality shows like Survivor or Dancing with the Stars or American Idol.

Is it simply that those whose job it is to dream up money making ideas for television find a way to get millions of people to pay attention long enough to sell a great deal of advertising time? The same could be asked of internet geniuses who assemble online infrastructure to handle millions of users for who knows what valid purpose if one exists.

It may be fair to state that sporting or athletic competition in its well known forms of baseball, football, basketball, golf, tennis, racing, the Olympics and many others have helped strengthen the sense of community shared by those in participating locales. Aside from the periodic falls from grace of various sports stars as with any other celebrity group, role models and the positive outcomes from ordinary folks engaging in athletic training and competition as well as being spectators can encourage personal achievement and the development of enviable human qualities.

So what do these other popular culture phenomena have to offer? Where does MySpace, Facebook or Twitter offer some redeeming social value that trumps its obvious monetary benefit for those who control it? Certainly it is fair to say a handful of people have gained by competing on American Idol each year. And it is also fair to say that aside from the lure of a chance at great wealth they may be pursuing an honest dream to achieve a goal in the performing arts in some way. But where is that avenue for personal development with the others? Sure, you can network on social networking sites and it may possibly lead to assistance in reaching some reasonable goal like landing a job or something similar. But is that why so many are attracted to these current popular culture icons?

One Wiki definition offered for popular culture may expect too much from these ‘human activities’. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance …

Another definition from artconnected DOT org may be viewed as too critical of pop culture. The opposite of high cultural art forms, such as the opera, historic art, classical music, traditional theater or literature; popular culture …

But one from edublogs DOT org may be close. Cultural experiences widely enjoyed by members of various groups within the community.

Those definitions were simply found by using the define search on Google. But none of this answers the question of why some forms of popular culture do not appear to have any really useful value other than generating revenue. The only reason this point is raised on this blog is that it seems all the hype and talk about these current pop culture forms rests solely with the fact they are popular by virtue of the quantity of people attracted to them. How is that a measure of anything other than commercial success? How does it advance the species? How does this make us better? Is there anything about it which indicates a higher goal? Or is it just about money or being cool?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Sometimes the reality that nearly every aspect of daily life is a commercial target in the land of the free enterprise and home of the brave new world becomes very tiring. The purity of sports lost its virginity many years ago but that hasn’t stopped the NFL or college sports from taking it to a lower level. With Barry Bonds impending trial baseball has a share in it too. And the other ‘professional’ sports are infected as well.

Not that the tech world or information highway should be expected to be immune to the wicked ways of some business models but it would have been nice if the longevity of purity in sport could have been duplicated in something like social networking. Since MySpace and Facebook, et al, have been defined as havens for sexual predators among other things the fact that Facebook would intrude on users by sending transaction details to others on their friends list is not a shocker. The apology from one of the apparent top dogs and claimed implementation of an opt-out arrangement is far too little an atonement that provides no more sincerity than a perp raising their hands when busted and ordered to do so. The only conclusion to draw or question to ask is what else are you doing, Mr Zuckerberg, besides the beacon program?

Wake-Up Call in Facebook-Beacon Controversy
C.G. Lynch, CIO.com
Thursday, December 06, 2007 3:45 PM PST

In the wake of Facebook’s disastrous Beacon advertising program, privacy experts wonder if the company’s overzealous use of customer information will force corporate IT departments to analyze how their corporate data intersects with the social networking trend.

On Dec. 5, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized in his blog for the Beacon program, which tracked the purchases of Facebook users on third-party websites such as Overstock.com and Fandango.com. The information about those purchases was then pushed to friends of that user on their respective Facebook homepages. As an example, if one person booked a movie ticket on Fandango, his or her friends might get a notification that showed his purchase.

The program was criticized by progressive advocacy group Moveon.org, which quickly garnered nearly 70,000 signatures in opposition to the Beacon service for not having an adequate opt-out function. Zuckerberg announced in his apology that an opt-out is now possible.

The drive to transform every activity into revenue is becoming a sickness. It appears as if the the more ethics and governance issues are addressed by mission statements and departments charged with oversight the more instances of flagrant abusive practices are discovered. When every customer is reduced to a dollar sign it may simply be inevitable that the loss of ethical behavior follows.

As painful as this next item is it must be mentioned and then clarified. MoveOn dot org gathered 70000 signatures to pressure Facebook to ‘knock it off’ and while that is admirable, the article referenced in this post refers to MoveOn dot org as a progressive advocacy group. Let’s just say that may be giving MoveOn a little more credit than they deserve.

Some of the other items covered in the linked article are absurd. Number one, the average user is not likely to do much about the actions of others while engaging the internet. And without considerable skill and tools foiling the schemes of when using electronic technology is a lottery-sized probability at best. Most of what occurs is invisible to most users.

And comparing data about your online activity being presented to authorities via a third party as being more exposed than being able to challenge a direct subpoena with legal representation omits the very real possibility of a search warrant being executed and having no recourse to prevent your hard drive, etc., from being confiscated.

The bottom line is your activity on the net and everything associated with it is fair game for hackers and the long arm of the law not to mention any website you visit. It is too bad that little of what goes on these days is pure in form or free from misuse by others. It is more about who we are or what we are becoming rather than the battle between good and evil. But it feels better to consider yourself above all that and merely the target or victim of the guilty.

You might not think it would not be much trouble to get a discussion going on the net.  With easily millions of sites featuring every topic imaginable one should only need to offer a place for conversation and the void will be filled.  With social networking sites like myspace or facebook and their popularity as evidence, there is no apathy toward self-expression in cyberspace.  The time is overdue for a little self-promotion on behalf of MoreWhat.com and an invitation to anyone who reads this blog or sees this post.  The Forum @ MoreWhat.com has had the cobwebs removed, a few mods installed and is awaiting the wisdom of your thoughts.  Feel free to express them.

While MoreWhat.com has been around for a while, the board has suffered from abuse by spammers and lack of attention from Admin.  While the minimalist attitude at this site keeps the board simple in nature, it is now set for anonymous posts in the Open Topic and User Feedback forums.  The others are limited to registered users but the two open forums should provide adequate space for freedom of expression without excessive demands on the human intervention of Admin.  As time goes on and experience dictates other changes will take place to improve the ‘user experience’.

So there you have it.  An invitation to kick the tires on Forum @ MoreWhat.com and a big link below for you to click.

Forum @ MoreWhat.com

A place to share the value of wisdom……..or not.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, The Virtuous Republic, , Adam’s Blog, Right Truth, The Populist, The Pet Haven Blog, Shadowscope, Stuck On Stupid, Webloggin, The Bullwinkle Blog, The Amboy Times, Leaning Straight Up, Cao’s Blog, Conservative Cat, Adeline and Hazel, Pursuing Holiness, Conservative Thoughts, Nuke’s, Pet’s Garden Blog, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, third world county, DragonLady’s World, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, High Desert Wanderer, Right Voices, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

crossposted at:
Conservative Thoughts

What attracts the public interest in the news or other forms of communication is sometimes described as a window on who we are. More than once an article or report has appeared criticizing the popularity of various stories, television programs or trendy phenomena or fads that define the state of mind of the public at large. More than one social observer has offered results of studies done examining our attraction to various media or activities. Quite often those results are a less than flattering appraisal of our suggested priorities. Yet we sometimes wonder why the world is in the state it is. Today might not be one of those times. Not if the most popular news tallies are an indicator. While there are still the attractions to celebs and gossip, etc., the top news items viewed today from several sources renew hope we may actually be paying attention to worthwhile news and events.At one source the top five news stories are as follows: the number one was another item on the Columbia University story about inviting the Iranian President to speak at the campus. This follow up is about Bollinger inviting students to the mansion for a discussion about his remarks at the time. Regardless of your opinion on the episode, it is better that there is interest in this story than the number two. Even though one can make the case that some eeleb stories have some value as they pertain to social behavior in general and what is acceptable and what is not.

The number two story is, go figure, about Britney Spears. A topic that many people avoid like the plague. But then there are an easily equal or greater number who monitor Hollywood sagas as if it were a life and death situation. In the unavoidable receipt of more than we really needed to know, at least this installment deals with a judge’s patience wearing thin as he is faced with a rebellious defendant again and a recent development where the ’singer’ may lose custody of her children do to her continuous missteps. Conan O’Brien made a joke about giving custody to BS or Kfed and that the judge had searched unsuccessfully for a third option. Let’s just say the whole thing only proves some people should not have children. Unfortunately, the population of wealthy, dysfunctional humans may have just risen a bit.

Third, fourth and fifth place based on popularity at the first news source are, in order, a story on the battle in Washington over the SCHIP legislation, the ‘phony soldier’ story and who said what or not, followed by another iPhone offering where Verizon claims their entrance into the fray will outdo Apple. To that one can say, ya, whatever.

Honorable mentions may have been more impressive as they dealt with Senator Craig, copyright law, the state of food safety, trapped miners that survived, Justice Clarence Thomas, history, sports and weather phenomena. It is a sizable improvement from recent observations of domination by stories on gaming, electronics, sex, death, accidents, felonies and other less admirable features of society in general. Maybe there is hope for us yet. That is if what is found popular among a few unscientific tallies provides any valuable insight.

The other sources offered most popular counts on world affairs like Burma and the war in Iraq as well as getting tough on illegal drugs and some off the wall humor (something about viagra and mice). The place where the discussions seem to get a little more specialized and perhaps polarized are in the blogosphere.

With Technorati displaying an estimate of more than 50 million blogs in the sphere it is no surprise that the number of topics offered and addressed is quite large also. The top tier of sites seem to reflect the popularity and trends present in data available elsewhere. There is no denying the success of YouTube, MySpace, Facebook and other ‘community’ or social networking venues. Other sites focusing on the internet, tech, electronics or those built to be all-in-one portals rank high based on their relative success. While there are many blogs and issue-based sites on the internet, a couple of questions remain. Will those who manage public affairs, political or issue-based sites, as well as their audience, reach a level of influence equal to organized lobbies? Can the power of the internet transform public opinion into real solutions?

While the popular news tallies and other internet rankings suggest the public is seldom focused on critical issues of the day, some recent events suggest there is power for public issues through the internet. An example would be widespread urging from the blogosphere to contact Congress when amnesty was proposed for illegal immigrants earlier this year. How much of the effect can be attributed to the blogosphere is unknown. But what is known is that the phone system for Congress was effectively crippled by the sheer quantity of the incoming calls. Both sides of the issue were displeased by the proposal. The legislation ultimately failed.

With a little more organization and concentration of effort there is the real possibility the internet can prove to be the force some claim it is. If that force can be focused on truly critical matters on a regular basis the real value of the technology may realize its most honorable feature. That being the pursuit of solutions in the public interest.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, third world county, AZAMATTEROFACT, Faultline USA, DeMediacratic Nation, The Populist, Shadowscope, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao’s Blog, CommonSenseAmerica, Conservative Cat, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Users can ask questions of would-be presidents in real time during broadcasts this fall

August 23, 2007 (Computerworld) — MySpace and MTV Thursday announced plans for a new series of events that will allow MySpace and MTV.com users to submit questions to presidential candidates in real time during Web and television broadcasts.

The two companies described the events as “dialogues” between major Republican and Democratic candidates and MySpace and MTV devotees. Users can participate via MySpace instant messaging, mobile devices and e-mail. The dialogues will take place on college campuses nationwide and air on the MTV and mtvU cable stations, and will be webcast live on MTV.com and MySpaceTV.

There’s gold in them thar hills!! Part of the justification for the CNN/YouTube debates was expressed as acknowledging the importance of the electronic age, specifically the internet audience and efforts of candidates to tap the voter potential within its demographic. According to some opinions, the success of the 2004 Howard Dean campaign’s focus on internet fund raising created the interest. What is missing from any argument about these trends is the pathetic turnout in most elections in the US. While it may be promoted as good for the process, the entrance of MySpace and MTV into the fray more likely suggests the money angle. Candidates first sought the net for fund raising and it is just as likely the primary incentive for CNN, YouTube, MySpace and MTV is purely profit.

Another point missed by this most recent development in political debates is the lack of meaningful information provided by either arrangement. The traditional debate format is vetted by the political parties, often restricts who is invited and is scripted from beginning to end. The newer format may be intended to engage the under 25 age group yet reports of other efforts to increase the younger vote have failed miserably. If the players in American politics could move past the staged nature of campaigns and elections the public interest in them has a chance of improving. But that is exactly what politicians do not want. Anymore than they want to abandon lobbyists or special interest money. They like things the way they are even though they bemoan the lackluster turnouts and participation by the voting public. And the companies profiting by this new age debate marketing could care less about the process either. They are doing what they do best……making money.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Trackposted to Right Celebrity, Jeanette’s Celebrity Corner, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the social networking site more problems are presented. It this continues maybe Microsoft will benefit since the details and trends represented in stories about MySpace share an uncanny resemblance to MS. Big company, big site, surprisingly popular with massive problems and much criticism for failure to take corrective measures or taking too much time to do so.

The two well known hacker conventions opened this week and vulnerabilities at social networking sites are being circulated again. The article linked in this post also offers some humor about a reported NBC ‘oops’ at the convention as well as a summary of the conventions. But the SN sites are subject to the same risk as the rest of cyber space.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Hackers: Social Networking Sites Flawed
Friday, August 03, 2007
By JORDAN ROBERTSON, AP

LAS VEGAS —
Social networking Web sites such as MySpace.com are increasingly juicy targets for computer hackers, who are demonstrating a pair of vulnerabilities they claim expose sensitive personal information and could be exploited by online criminals.

The flaws are being demonstrated this week at the Black Hat and Defcon hacker conferences, which draw thousands of people to Las Vegas each year for five days of training and demonstrations of the latest exploits.

It is reasonable to suspect that Rupert Murdoch is successful enough that News Corp would not buy MySpace unless the expectations and research concluded the enterprise would be an obscene money maker. But the complaints alleging that the internet darling is a harbor for sexual predators went relatively quiet for a while with a few late night attempts at humor. Suggesting the fight against internet sexual predators resulted in the development of a predator database in which the punchline was, it is called MySpace.

The controversy later gained more coverage as MySpace was criticized for ignoring the problem and neglecting its responsibility to deny access to registered sex offenders. Recent reports suggest something of a chronology not necessarily leading to conclusions that events are changing due to MySpace efforts or the preferences of target audiences.

Starting with the considerations that drive business in general is a revenue estimate available for MySpace.

MySpace to Generate $1B of Revenue in 2007

Posted on Jul 25th, 2007 with stocks: NWS
Now, people have been sticking their fingers in the wind on MySpace revenue since the day Murdoch bought it,

This may account for the slow response from MySpace on the predator issue and the lack of press release mention of recent developments and news items at the News Corp’s website.

Could it be that MySpace started paying attention to the predator complaints more seriously after noticing a shift in their user base indicated below.

Class War: MySpace Vs. Facebook

Claire Cain Miller 07.23.07, 6:00 AM ET
A flurry of recent articles have observed that young people are leaving MySpace for Facebook in droves, setting off speculation that MySpace is becoming the latest victim of fickle teens following the hot new thing.

Facebook opened its service to a wider audience and there is a suggestion that affluent kids favor Facebook while blue collar kids favor MySpace. One can only hope the real reason is dissatisfaction with MySpace neglect on serious issues initiating moves by concerned parents or discerning youth.

When law enforcement and popular IT publications focus on headlines the one below, corporate boardrooms may take notice and action. Or you could chalk it up to coincidence but what are the odds on that?

MySpace Hosting 29,000 Sex Offenders

MySpace hosted Web pages for at least 29,000 known sex offenders as of July 2007.
Steven Schwankert, IDG News Service
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 6:00 AM PDT
News Corp.’s popular MySpace.com social networking site hosted Web pages for at least 29,000 known sex offenders as of July 2007, North Carolina’s Attorney General said Tuesday.

For MySpace to finally do something noticeable on the predator issue it is reasonable to conclude that like many high profile, popular businesses generating large revenues, responding to damage control is done on a time line not synchronized with public opinion.

MySpace Kicks Out Convicted Sex Offenders

Written by Cornell Barnard, Reporter
The popular Internet social network MySpace announced Tuesday it’s detected and deleted 29,000 convicted sex offenders from its site.

The international presence of this top tier web business is not something new but the recent addition of the Mexican version of MySpace may be to replace losses in this last fiasco and from competition. Maybe it is a trend to favor marketing outside the US for users that will not object to objectionable situations as quickly or effectively.

Big money businesses not responding in a timely fashion may do so because they have the resources to take their time. Perhaps they exhaust every other option before doing what they should have done initially. And the driver is more likely the threat of litigation, government action or other forces causing the fatal loss of too much revenue rather than a belief in corporate responsibility. The token nature of the MySpace response may at least serve to overcome future arguments that there is nothing they can do. The same technology that generates the revenue for social networking can provide solutions for policing the enterprise. Yet profit will likely remain the primary consideration for corporations responding to damage control.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

While the initial popularity of YouTube videos can fade just like any other pop culture attraction, it may be worthwhile to contribute to the longevity of creative media that not only serve to entertain but enlighten. While serious Clinton junkies may obsess at the durogatory implications, the rest of us may ponder the realistic possibility that another Clinton White House may not be nearly as funny as this video.

Perhaps these YouTube offerings are the conservative antidote to the liberal kool aid offered by Michael Moore.

Whether you have watched HRC’s 1984 video or not, click the pic and consider your options.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

YouTube Hillary 1984

Answering to YouTube
Los Angeles Times, CA - Jun 21, 2007
… Apple’s famous “1984″ commercial into an attack on Hillary Rodham Clinton — they’ve never taken part in an honest-to-goodness presidential debate. …

Presidential runners tap into YouTube
Personal Computer World, UK - Jun 15, 2007
A YouTube video that linked Democrat Hillary Clinton to Apple’s famous 1984 television advertisement has also been widely discussed.

Hillary’s personality problem is no laughing matter
New York Daily News, NY - Jun 10, 2007
And when millions of people were watching a YouTube video portraying Clinton as a programmed digital dictator from the famous “1984″ Apple commercial,

1984 copyright owner rattles legal saber over Hillary …
The copyright holder of George Orwell’s 1984 may file suit over a video — widely viewed on YouTube — that used Apple’s 23-year-old Macintosh ad to jab at …

The 1984 Hillary YouTube Video - Updated at Emergence Media
With the 2008 Presidential Elections just getting a start, the “Vote Different”/1984 Hillary video is just one example of how social media will impact the ..

I embrace Google’s latest, ’smile, you’re on candid camera’ efforts as much as I did the cell phone camera. Although the argument can be made that wireless phone cameras may assist the public interest in certain situations, there is a lot of room for abuse. And it is not like questionable choices aren’t pervasive in the land of plenty.

Could it be that Google is showing us the future or influencing its development? Or will Google’s antics find it as controversial in the buiness world as a Wal-Mart or Halliburton. Sentenced to live out a corporate existence defending its behavior while flourishing in profits without contributing meaningful advances in their chosen landscape?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Google hits the streets, raises concerns

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP BUSINESS WRITER
SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. bills the latest twist on its online maps as “Street View,” but it looks a bit like “Candid Camera” as you cruise through the panorama of pictures that captured fleeting moments in neighborhoods scattered across the country.
Potentially embarrassing or compromising scenes like these are raising questions about whether the Internet’s leading search engine has gone too far in its latest attempt to make the world a more accessible - and transparent - place.

Howard Dean should get credit for being the first to use the internet to a political advantage. Or more correctly, the person on his campaign staff who orchestrated it should be given credit. Certainly more credit than the old joke that Al Gore invented the internet. But the real power of the internet for political purposes has still been overlooked. Just because the candidates play ‘me too’ and hop on social networking sites to push their campaigns does not allow one to conclude they have harnessed the power of the net.

It would be helpful to have some metrics to digest in drawing any conclusions on the net’s benefit to candidates. From simple traffic reports on their net presence to demographic and response data for their efforts. A guess would be they are merely trying to tap into younger voters. Some however may be under voting age except it seems unlikely they would be interested although they may be the larger portion of the population at these sites.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

MySpace race — who’s the coolest candidate?

Neva Chonin, Chronicle Critic at Large
Thursday, May 31, 2007

The kids are doing it. Rock bands and rappers are doing it. Even the birds and bees are doing it. And now, bringing up the rear, the politicians are doing it. The 2008 presidential election has, inevitably, infested MySpace.

Took them long enough. Consider: If Al Gore had figured out how to make the information superhighway work for him in 2000, and if the superhighway had half the clout it does today, that presidential election might have turned out differently. If Howard Dean hadn’t cut loose with an ill-timed war whoop in 2004, and if the Net had reached the mainstream audience it has now, he might have ridden his unprecedented online success to the White House.

crossposted at:
Maggie’s Notebook | Conservative Blog
FaultlineUSA

Hillary Rodham Clinton wants a lot. She wants to be seen as tough as her male colleagues. She wants to be known as a mommy. She wants to be known only as Hillary. She wants you to forget about the word impeachment. And she want s you to elect her and her husband President. This week she wants Now Orleans voters to elect her President so she can fix all their problems. New Orleans should ask Hillary why they have to do anything for her to help. Hasn’t she been a senator long enough to do something?

Earlier this week a report indicated Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton wants the internet to pick her campaign song. While it is also reported she limited the choices to nine songs, in the interest of fair play, more choices should be available. Here are a few suggestions, but readers are encouraged to offer more.

Blackhearted Woman by the Allman Bros
You’re No Good by Linda Ronstadt
Evil Ways by Santana
Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones

(Bill Clinton should suggest Machine Gun Kelly by James Taylor.)

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Senator Clinton Asks Internet To Pick Her Campaign Song

May 16, 2007 8:04 p.m. EST

Matthew Borghese - AHN Staff WriterWashington, D.C. (AHN) - In an era where politicians are beginning to use the Internet to bring in votes and stir up buzz, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is asking users to help her pick the theme song to her 2008 presidential campaign.