The End of Power: From Boardrooms To Battlefields and Churches To States, Why Being in Charge Isn't What It Used To Be - Moisés Naím

Is the Internet the reason the role of power is changing?

After hearing The Guardian's February 4th podcast titled "The Internet is not the Answer"  I requested  two books from the library, one being Keen's book titled "The Internet is not the Answer" and Moisés Naím's  "The End of Power: "From Boardrooms To Battlefields and Churches To States, Why Being in Charge Isn't What It Used To Be."

Andrew Keen had mentioned certain premises Moisés Naím had put forth in "The End of Power" during that February 4th podcast. 

Yesterday I went to the library to pick up my requested books and found I would have to wait for "The Internet is not the Answer" as there was one person ahead of me who would be reading it first.  Thankfully "The End of Power" was available.

And the book is as good as Keen said it would be.  Even the preface to the book is fascinating.  In it Naím states he first became aware of the limits of power when he was named Minister of Development in his then-democratic home country, Venezuela.  Since then he has asked and observed "business, government, political, media, science and religious" leaders about their power and heard each person is experiencing less and less power.  Naím goes on to say he explores the "process of decay - its causes, manifestations, and consequences - in terms of the ways it affects not just the 1 percent at the top but, more importantly, the vast and growing middle class as well as those who seek merely to make it through another day." (Moises Naim, March 2013)

In Chapter One Naím discusses the decay of power, chess and the Digital Revolution.  And, in this case, the internet has changed the role of the elite in the chess world.
The once exclusive circle of chess players has expanded.  Challengers use their access to the internet to watch videos of champions and practice playing chess through computer chess games.  As a result more and more people play chess and win.  The circle of chess masters is larger and more diverse than ever.  

In a review by Lili Loofbourow, The Guardian - January 15, 2015, the book is portrayed "as an intelligent and engaging — if limited — study that (unlike its title) resists overstatement in favor of nuance."  

Since I have just started the book and find the observations of Naím tantalizing I am not forming any opinion on the matter.  I am just going to enjoy the reading.

Resources:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/feb/04/internet-andrew-keen-tech-weekly-podcast
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/15/the-end-of-power-moses-naim-review

More on Net Neutrality

Battles Loom?

According to USA Today the Federal Communication Commission's decision to classify broadband as a utility has been met with opposition by internet service providers.

AT&T's senior executive vice president external and legislative affairs was quoted as saying,  "We once again face the uncertainty of litigation, and the very real potential of having to start over — again — in the future."   

Verizon also treated the ruling with derision.  They mocked the ruling as outdated and then sent out statements via social media "written with a typewritter in Morse code."(Roger Yu, Mike Snider, February 27, 2015)

USA Today also noted that a federal court threw out FCC's previous net neutrality rulings.

One can only wonder if court cases will be the next step or if Congress will enact legislation that will override any rulings by the FCC.


Resources:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/02/26/industry-reacts-to-net-neutrality-rules/24081189/

FCC passes Net Neutrality Regulation

What does Net Neutrality Mean?

The Federal Communications Commission today voted in favor (3-2 vote) of regulating the Internet.
They will be able to do this by reclassifing "broadband as a utility" which would then give the 
commission more regulatory power over Internet providers". (Eyder Peralta, 2015).

Interent providers have been charging what they need or want to customers, depending on your viewpoint.  I have switched from provider to provider looking for the fastest service.  Finally I have settled on VTEL who now has a fiber - optics system which they have been working on completing throughout their service area. At this time VTEL has a very competitive price point.

The internet service I had previously charged according to speed.  VTEL does not.  They far surpass the previous service and give a better deal. How this will all tie in with broadband's new status as a utility is still up in the air as far as I am concerned.

Jane Wakefield, Technology Reporter for BBC, listed the changes that Internet providers will be experiencing with the new classification as a utility in an article posted today, February 26.  The list Wakefield posted is as follows:

- Broadband access is being reclassified as a telecommunications service, meaning it will be subject      to much heavier regulation
- Broadband providers cannot block or speed up connections for a fee
- Internet providers cannot strike deals with content firms, known as paid prioritisation, for smoother    delivery of traffic to consumers
- Interconnection deals, where content companies pay broadband providers to connect to their
   networks, will also be regulated
- Firms which feel that unjust fees have been levied can complain to the FCC. Each one will be dealt
   with on a case by case basis
- All of the rules will also apply to mobile providers as well as fixed line providers
- The FCC won't apply some sections of the new rules, including price controls

As I read through a number of articles and posts discussing or explaining net neutrality it became apparent there were pros and cons for each side of the issue.  And, today, the FCC decided in favor of Net Neutrality or regulation of broadband as a utility.

Resources:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/26/389259382/net-neutrality-up-for-vote-today-by-fcc-board
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31638528
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/26/389089145/the-fccs-net-neutrality-vote-heres-what-you-need-to-know

Bond

A Robot

Joseph Flaherty writes about Bond, the robot with a Montblanc pen, in Wired.  

Indeed, Bond writes handwritten notes for you.The science behind it is a 3-D printer and a pen.  And Bond has an app that can be used to send a sample of your handwritting and then order a handwritten note both waxed shut and mailed.

At first Sonny Caberwal, founder of Bond, specialized in gifts with a handwritten note - the note written by a robot, of course. The first three months in business saw 10,000 notes and gifts sold according to The Courier-Tribune.  With interest in the handwritten notes increasing Caberwal changed direction and now offers just the handwritten notes.

Originally Bond used Autopen.  That also was quickly changed in order to keep up with the requests. And a 3-D printer with a pen attached was brought into play. 

Another use for the incredibly versitile 3 - D printer.

Resources:

http://www.wired.com/2015/02/meet-bond-robot-creates-handwritten-notes/

http://courier-tribune.com/living/features/asheboro-native-sonny-caberwal-blends-technology-tradition-online

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopen

Using Weebly

Drop and Drag Website Design

Weebly is a wonderful option for those who do not know coding and need a website.  There is a free option for a general website design, a commerce choice and an education version.  They have an affliate program as well as an "enterprise platform."

I use Weebly for a school library website and have found it relatively easy to use if a bit frustrating at times.  Today I did a bit more work on the site - changed the design and added a few resources.  The frustration is fading quickly as I learn to work with the tools Weebly has.  At first I would drag and drop an image box onto the web page and find it took a horizontal space that could not be divided in half.  I could put other icons under and form a vertical row but nothing to the left or right side.
After playing with the text and image boxes on the page I found you could put an image box in a text box and that would divide the horizontal space in half and two icons could fit in that area.

What suprised me about Weebly is how extensive their offerings are.  Weebly labels their business solutions as Partner Programs which includes the affliate program.  The commission for sales from their affliate program is 30%.  The enterprise platform is for larger companies which either sell websites or offer sites to their various branches or staff.

The newest offer from Weebly is still in progress.  They will be working with hosting companies and domain registrars a program.

Thank you Weebly!

Resources:
http://www.websitetooltester.com/en/reviews/weebly-review/
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2461594,00.asp

You Tube Kids - A New App

Today, February 23rd, YouTube has released a new app designed specifically for kids titled YouTube Kids.  The app will only be available to Android devices that run Google's operating system.

According to a brief report published by CNN Money, family viewing at YouTube has increased 200 percent.  And, let's face it, there is material on YouTube that is inappropriate for kids and that is putting it mildly.  

YouTube Kids is only for viewing and there are four sections to the video viewing app.  They are shows, music, learning and explore. There is no other function available such as uploading, sharing or commenting.

 USA Today gives the best description of the YouTube Kids - "A demo of the new app reveals a home screen dominated by eight large tiles showcasing images from popular kids shows. Above them hover five simple icons, a TV set for programs such as Thomas the Tank Engine and Yo Gabba Gabba; a radio for video renditions of popular songs; a light bulb for educational programming such as Khan Academy; and binoculars to explore a range of top videos."

Resources:
://www.cnet.com/news/youtube-to-release-kids-friendlhttpy-app-next-week/
http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/20/technology/mobile/youtube-for-kids/index.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/02/19/youtube-for-kids-new-android-app-out-feb-23/23707819/

A View of the Internet

The Guardian's Interview with Andrew Keen, author of "The Internet is Not the Answer"

After listening to the The Guardian's February 4th podcast titled The Internet is not the answer - Tech Weekly podcast I realized I was in disagreement with Andrew Keen's perspective of technology and the internet in general.  Of course time and more information may change my viewpoint but, at this point, I retain my positive thoughts about the internet and digital age.  As a result of that podcast, I have requested the latest of Keen's books, "The Internet Is Not the Answer", through an inter-library loan.  I did this through the library website.  

In the podcast Alexs Krotoski interviews Keen about  "The Internet Is Not the Answer."  It is a lively discussion and I find myself thinking Keen's puts too much emphasis on what he considers to be a negative role that technology and the internet are playing in our society.  In a review of Keen's book by John Naughton at The Guardian, Naughton sums up Keen's point of view, "Far from being the “answer” to society’s problems, Keen argues, the internet is at the root of many of them. As a result, it poses an existential question for democracies everywhere: can elected governments control the waves of creative destruction now sweeping through our societies as the digital revolution gathers momentum?"

Where is the digital revolution taking us?  Is it necessarily destructive?  Is the standing of experts declining as the result of technology?  These are a few of the questions that were not discussed in any depth by Keen in the podcast.

Keen kept his discussion to business, monopolies, the personalities involved in the digital world and the negatives in the advance of technology.  Two examples of negatives  that Krotoski gives as a quote from Keen in the beginning of the podcast are "media is really anti-social" and "the sharing economy is really the selfish economy."  

Certainly the internet is changing the landscape of business and education. Look at company websites, online advertisements, online shopping opportunities, museum websites chock full of information, individual online courses, online degree programs, and apps such asYouTube.

At YouTube you can find information on any subject. Let's take Amira Willinghagen as an example of how YouTube can help make dreams come true.  Amira is a young girl who wanted to sing.  She went to YouTube to find out how to sing and is now singing.  In fact, there is a YouTube video of her singing! She performs and, indeed, has an album for sale.  Half of all the proceeds from her performances and sales go to a charity she formed.  Wikipedia has a wonderful article about her.

As the podcast interview progressed Keen admitted the positive aspects of the internet and began to frame his book as more of a documentation of technology.  In fact, Keen's conclusion at the end of inteview was clear - technology is not the scapegoat and the point of his book is more about explaining the breath and depth of the changes technology is creating in this world.

This certainly was an excellent podcast and another excellent example of technology and the internet.

Resources:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2015/feb/04/internet-andrew-keen-tech-weekly-podcast
http://techcrunch.com/author/andrew-keen/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Keen
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/book-review-the-internet-is-not-the-answer-by-andrew-keen/2015/01/02/8627999a-7973-11e4-9a27-6fdbc612bff8_story.html
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/01/internet-is-not-the-answer-review-andrew-keen
https://www.youtube.com/qDqTBlKU4CEwatch?v=
http://www.amazon.com/Amira-Willighagen/e/B00JOMTIUS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amira_Willighagen