Tag Archives: net neutrality

Body Image, Movies on the Horizon, Brain Science, Gut Science, Net Neutrality, Photo Etiquette, and Paranoia

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This entry is part 29 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but even I agree that things are getting a little out of hand.

Once upon a time, you had to either already be looking for them or meet someone who was a little “off” in order to really get a line on a conspiracy theory. Then they really started getting used on TV shows (like The X-Files) a lot more. Then along came the Internet and, suddenly, even the most outlandish, poorly conceptualized conspiracy theory had a place where it could find a vehement audience.

It’s only grown from there.

Right now, we have thousands of people who genuinely buy into the most unsubstantiated claims of conspiracy (usually against their personal interests) by either the government, corporations, or some mysterious foreign power. And these people are loud and proud about it. They slow down, if not completely derail a number of legitimate discussions when they get involved by refusing to adhere to even the most basic rules of logic. The only good news is, it’s easy to spot them so you can dismiss them.

One step down from them are the really dangerous group, though. The wingnuts who have just enough actual information in their theories to sway the opinion of people who are on the fence. In small doses, they don’t sound crazy… but after prolonged exposure to them and their arguments, the holes in their logic (usually at the basic premise level) become evident. By that point, though, there’s a high chance a number of people have already bought into and acted on the ideas. This is how we see measles make a comeback after being virtually wiped out in the U.S.–through people buying into the idea that vaccines are somehow worse than the diseases they prevent.

Down in the stream report, there’s an article that goes into a whole lot more detail. I highly recommend it. I’m left wondering how much further it will all go. We’re already seeing public discourse that’s more polarized than we’ve seen in generations… and it already swings with a heavy set of conspiracy theories. How much more can the argument for sensible discussion take before it’s rendered completely non-viable?

Food, Flood, Flash, Multicolored Things, Zodiac, Twin Peaks, and the Future of the Internet

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This entry is part 28 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

Well, it seems like the FCC has decided it’s just going to go ahead and ignore what more knowledgeable people seem to be crying out for. Their decision today seems to lean in favor of letting companies like Comcast charge whatever they want to whoever they want on both sides of the bandwidth transaction.

Net Neutrality, at least in any meaningful way, seems to be on its last legs, if not already dead.

If the Commission had decided to at least postpone their ruling, there would’ve been more hope.

This makes me think that there’s no way they’ll bother to stand in the way of the proposed Comcast/Time Warner merger (which will give Comcast near full, unfettered control of far more than 1/3 of U.S. Internet users).

I expect there will be much analysis of this in tomorrow’s feed. So, more then.

Legal Footwork, Hidden History, Tasty Science, and Some Really Good Ideas

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This entry is part 24 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

It never ceases to amaze (and impress… and confuse) me what people get passionate about.

The big story in the feed today was about the Vibram Five Finger toe shoes class action settlement. Vibram is paying out a pretty penny to a lot of people due to some unsubstantiated claims they made in their advertisements for their “shoeless shoes”… and seem to have done so in order to help quell some noise being made about their footware doing exactly the opposite of what they were saying it can do.

Needless to say, there are a lot of articles out there that lead with the sensation, snarky headlines. (Because, let’s face it the shoes look odd and the people who wear them most are not the most mainstream most of the time… plus, no better way to get traffic than to get people pissed at you, right?) But, almost amazingly, most of the discussion I’ve seen in the FB comments where those articles are shared is both impassioned and calm. A rare combination if there ever was one on the Internet.

There are a lot of examples on both sides–a lot of them personal anecdotes–that people feel strongly about. For every person who had a bad experience, there’s one that had a great experience. And they’re actually discussing their differences instead of just outright shouting one another down.

The bottom line seems to be that, no matter what, nothing is going to work for everyone. But, Vibrum is changing its course a little and doing what it can to keep those bad stories from coming out and ruining it for those who do use and enjoy their product. They’re handling it sensibly (from everything I’ve seen, at least) and the public seems to be responding in kind (some online gossip/clickbait articles aside).

That’s good to see.

A Bit of Science, Some Literature, A Tune or Two, and Some Crazy News

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This entry is part 23 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

I spent most of my day today, neck deep in code, tweaking Drupal API bits on a data entry form to bend it to the will of my client.

I am not exactly a programmer, so this isn’t my idea of a good time.

But, it needs to be done, and so it gets done. And there’s still a lot more to do, and a ticking clock hanging over every keystroke.

That’s how a lot of our life is–full of things that need to be done that we aren’t all that thrilled about doing. It’s a shame, really. I know people who love the bulk of what they do, but the bulk of people I know slog through the day, pulled forward only by the sweet promise of release from the drudgery of the day and the solace of a cold beverage or a few fleeting hours with their significant other/family/friends before they have to bed down and do the whole thing again tomorrow.

Time is, indeed, the most limited resource we have. (And according to one of the links below, it may literally be running out… that’s kind of trippy to think about… if you have a minute to spare.) Because of that, we should all be well aware of what we do with those precious moments we have where we are in control and can do what we want.

…and that’s about as deep as I have the time to go, since I need to get off to sleep as that code won’t write itself.

https://www.facebook.com/kierduros/activity/10152031641295981

Bad Business, Intergalactic Bad Guys, Some Good Evil, Celebrity How To, and Other Stuff That Makes Me Feel Old

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This entry is part 22 of 100 in the series Today's Tidbits

There was a semi-lengthy back-and-forth in a comment stream today about how celebrities interact with their fans.

Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of different methods of interaction. Some of them much more personable than others. I’ve seen celebs content to sit behind their tables, offering nothing more than a well-acted smile and nod as their assistant takes the fans’ money and they sign a picture. I’ve seen others end up late to panels or other appointments because they stopped to have an actual conversation/shake hands/pose with a random fan (or five) who crossed their path. There are genuinely introverted people (like Johnny Depp) that fight to overcome their own preferences because they know how important their fans are and there are people (like Jack Nicholson) who are really known for being right bastards (and yet, on their raw talent alone, still manage to maintain some sort of fan base).

The ones who happily and willingly interact with their fans–something that modern technology has made a lot easier to do–seem to have not just a more loyal and active fan base, but one which is willing to follow the star to any new project and (perhaps more importantly) toss money at projects and causes that the celeb is part of or supports. (Alyssa Milano, a few years back, pulled in hundreds of thousands of dollars for a clean water charity simply by asking her fans, via Twitter, to donate for her birthday.)

If you are (or become) a celebrity and you don’t like dealing with your fans face to face… do whatever you can to avoid having to do so. Don’t let your management or promoters force your fans to pay good money for a half-assed experience that you’re going to hate (and they may walk away from liking you less). More importantly, perhaps, tell your fans honestly why you don’t do photo ops or meet and greets. Fans–real fans–will understand and appreciate the insight into you… and, as an extra added bonus, you may just make a real difference in their life by making them feel less alone in their own quirks and anxieties.