It is suggested by many that the use of sites like facebook, myspace and youtube all harm the productivity of firms. One article from the BBC suggests that it could be costing firms as much as £130 (approx. US$192.5) million per day and 223 million hours. This has led to many firms and other organisations such as schools blocking access to such sites preventing employees and students wasting valuable time.

However there are challenges to this belief, one book that put forward a challenge to the conventional wisdom is Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott. The Economist suggests that preventing ‘net generation’ for accessing Facebook at work is ‘the equivalent of forbidding older staff to use their rolodexes’.

Following the study by Tapscott of 8000 people in 12 countries he presents a different picture to that normally associated with those who spend much of their time using computers and playing video games. The issue, it is suggested, is not with the current generation but with the baby boomer generation before them. The two generations are so far removed from each other that they are unable to understand each other.

Contrary to the baby boomers beleif that video games and other activities of the net generation have ‘robbed today’s young of the ability to think’ research would seem to suggest otherwise. Instead video gomes are increacing visual processing abilities of the new generation and the internet in enabling the mass mobilisation of the young.

The recent campaign of Barack Obama has demonstrated this ability with Obama having 3,187,755 supporters on Facebook alone and millions more emails on the campaigns email list. This led to 66% of voters aged 18-29 voting Obama (according to an exit poll reported in The Guardian see the picture here). Further the same statistic would seem to suggest that the Obama campaign has used this mass of esupporters not only to gain existing voters but encourage new registrations aswell with 68% of first time voter choosing Obama.

The Economist quotes Taoscott’s eight characteristics which define the ‘net generation’. These suggest that this new generation values freedom and choice in what they do as well as entertainment in all parts of their life (including work). This would suggest that it is those firms which choose to allow facebook and other sites in the work place are not providing a carte blanche to staff to waste time but instead are making use of one of the internets newest communication tools.

Tapscott does have worries. The first not a new one, being the failings of the worlds education systems. Although many are doing well out of these systems those who aren’t are further behind than before. Secondly is a lack of regard for privacy.

Lack of privacy is something that could be seen as one of the drawbacks of the internet with many sites requiring personal details (sometimes without justification) and a willingness from all to give out such information without any regard for where it might go and what might be done with that information. Further this lack of privacy on the internet is something that almost all employer have made use of. Employer now check the online footprint of prospective employees and the pictures of your drunken antics is unlikely to be the first impression with which you wish your prospective employer to be presented.

Tapscott suggests that the education of children on the dangers of the internet is very much the job of parents using the very low tech means of family discussion. However it is also the current internet users who unthinkingly spread the contents of their lives liberally across the internet who really need education as to the hidden dangers as well the many wonders of the internet. Isn’t it?

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Theres loads of data avaliable about who is going to win the US election will it be Obama or McCain. Well here’s an interesting idea.

This site uses data from pole to try and estimate which candidate is likely to win each state and offers datails for each individual state. More on they do it can be found here. Plus if you don’t like it you can enter your own number.

Although this is only one of many sites that claim to be able to be able to predict the outcome of the election this site would seem to be trying to create something resembling a fair estimate. However it is easy to ask if this can ever be done, the simple answer being no. So everyone is left to wait for the outcome of the election.

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This is just one of many articles I’ve come across on the internet condemning Sarah Palin as a bad choice as McCain’s running mate and some even portraying her as a bad person?

What surprises me is the lack of pro-Palin literature I have come across. Whilst I’m sure it’s out there and is equally as well written it’s not the information getting most exposure.

Now I have to mention my limitations on the subject, while I may have access to international new sources and both on the internet and in print the coverage of the US election in the UK is minimal in comparison to the massive coverage received in the US itself. Further with the massive cutting back of the republican convention means they are not giving themselves the same opportunity to get their side out there as the democrats had. Although I should also mention that I have not gone looking for these anti-Plain articles and that I have not seen as many negative pieces about any of the other candidates (including McCain) so it would seem that Palin is genuinely unpopular?

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I heard this news on the BBC today (I can’t find the actual storuy on the BBC site. Sorry.) You can read the story now although I will rekay most of the facts below.

The story states how the US has release figure stating that this year it has released 11,000 Iraqi ‘detainees’.
Most were held without charge (the BBC World Service stated this morning that many had been held for more than 1 year without charge) and were considered security risks but could now lead more productive lives.
They were offered vocational training and the chance to:

‘obtain what is described as a better understanding of Islam during their detention’

A spokesman aso stated that the reoffending rate is less than 1% for these ‘detainees’.

I see several problems with this:

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Recently I found out about something called T.E.D. (Technology, Entertainment Design)

TED describes itself as a “group of remarkable people that gather to exchange ideas of incalculable value”. Its lectures cover a broad set of topics including science, arts, politics, global issues, architecture, music and more.

Source: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TED_%28conference%29

They podcast bits from their conferences (you can get them through: the TED website, YouTube and iTunes ) which is great because they have all sorts of great speakers.

The bit I’m really interested is part that was brought to my attention which is the video by Sir Ken Robinson

 

 

 

Source: TED

He talks about educating the creativity out of children and how the education system is really only there to fulfil the needs of one specific set of people, which was originally the industrialists. This is of course true of most things, that is that they are only there to serve the purpose of one set of people usually to the detriment of another group. For example the fact that

History is always written by the victor

This is demonstrated by the view held by the majority of people that the USSR was wholly to blame for the Cold War. This is of course is not true and there are equally as many points that can be made on the subject of how the USA was responsible.
(OK so this example is a bit abstract and off subject, but it is supposed to demonstrate the fact that things are often one sided and ignore the other possibilities)

Many would argue that this is a necessary evil and that there will always be those things that will suffer and those which are advanced on the back of this. For example if we did encourage dance in the curriculum would the academic subjects suffer, and if they did (as is likely to happen as there are only so many teaching hours available, something has to give) is this not just unfair on those who are academically gifted.

However this is not the point of Robinson’s argument. His point is that we in fact are not giving any of the children a chance as we, as a race, are stifling the natural creative urge present in everyone. It is not about whether or not people are good dancers but that they are not willing to find out as they are too scared of being judged or because dancing is unimportant.

So the problem is not at all fixed by making everyone dance instead of focusing on academic subjects however. The only way to fix the problem is to allow students to do everything available and encourage them in all of these until they naturally make their own decisions.

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Well this is the first post. It’s taken a while, it’s not my fault (well it is), the first time that I installed WordPress there were some technical problems and this is the first chance I’ve had to find a fix for the problem.

Anyway on to some actual content…

Earlier (whilst fixing the problem with wordpress) I was listening to some old episodes of one of my podcast (Anarchy X – 120) and I finally got my act together and had a look at some of the things that they regularly talk about I had a look at Who Killed The Electric Car ? (Wikipedia) (Official site).

This happens to be one of their favorite subjects, supression of new specifically electric car related technology by the oil industry, and something that when you think about it seems quite plausible, but not only that it seems likely. I still need to get a copy of the film and watch it (hopefully providing more verifiable facts) and so I’ll be able to talk more (and get angry) this with the addition of more facts and figures.

The site however lead me on to something more interesting (and something that Anarchy X have talked about before) which is plug-in hybrids. Now here I have to educate (for those of you who don’t know), a plug-in is different from a normal hybrid, the difference being that a plug-in hybrid can be charged from a normal power outlet (plug), where as a normal hybrid can only be charged by the engine and brakes of the car whilst it is running. This means that a plug-in hybrid has the capacity to drive many more miles of your journey than a normal hybrid especially if you for example are travelling to work where you could plug in your car.

Now for those of you that want to know more I have various places for you to go and look:

As always wikipedia

Now there are those out there I hear crying “but anyone could have written it”. Normally I would agree with you and suggest caution when looking at any straight facts that it presents without proof. However this particular article seems very well referenced giving you a third party to verify the data.

My favorite part of the article is right at the end and presents an interesting look into the under hand ways in which the oil industry (and the closely allied car industry in the US) work.

“Patent encumbrance of NiMH batteries

 

In 1994, General Motors acquired a controlling interest in Ovonics’s battery development and manufacturing, including patents and trade secrets controlling the manufacturing of large nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. In 2001, TexacoCobasys, a 50/50 joint venture between Chevron and Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) Ovonics.^[64] purchased GM’s share in GM Ovonics. A few months later, Chevron acquired Texaco. In 2003, Texaco Ovonics Battery Systems was changed to According to author and San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association president Sherry Boschert, large-format NiMH batteries had been commercially viable but Cobasys refused to sell or license them to small companies and individuals. For years, Cobasys had only accommodated very large orders, and at that time the major auto makers capable of placing such orders showed little interest in NiMH batteries.”

Source: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_hybrid#Patent_encumbrance_of_NiMH_batteries

 

Next Plug-In America

This site contains a wealth of information, even if your not in the US it is well worth a look.There are two things that I’d like to pull out from the site:

Firstly, that Toyota (who have been producing normal hybrids for a while) are now testing a plug-in Prius in California and Japan. Seeing this main stream is good news and a step in the right direction.
Toyota Press Release L.A. Times Article (PDF)
(This article is also at the top of the Plug-in America homepage at the time of writing)

Secondly, a graph

Source: Plug-In America

http://www.pluginamerica.com/images/driving_habits_graph.jpg

This graph clearly shows that most people don’t drive far in a day meaning that many of these people would be able to completely run their cars on battery almost every day. This means that it would make a significant difference to greenhouse gas emissions.

Lastly, Google.org / RechargeIT.org

This is part of a charitable organization setup by Google (I wont go into what for, find that out for yourself). This contains the answers to some interesting questions.

The site states:

 

 

“Did you know…

Electric miles emit about half as much CO2 as gasoline miles on the national power grid.”

Source: RechargeIT

http://www.google.org/recharge/index.html

This is an interesting statement and is then followed up by this in the FAQ section (which is worth a read if you have any questions):

“4. Will plug-in hybrids require the construction of new power plants?
Actually, studies have shown that our current electricity grid could power three quarters of the nation’s 217 million passenger vehicles. ”

Source: RechargeIT

http://www.google.org/recharge/faq.html

The other great page is this one not only does it give a comparison between the two types of car they are testing you can also select each car individually and see the raw data by date. Not only does this offer proof of the worthiness of plug-in hybrids but also offers verifiable data and also the raw data so that it may be interpreted by the reader.

There is much more on all of these sites and many more sites out there these are just the few that I have had the opportunity to look at and write about so if you think there is more that is worthy of inclusion or you disagree with me and have bothered to write an opposing argument then email me: thesender@thesender .co.uk.

By the way if you disagree and you can be bothered to write a coherent argument of any kind (i.e. you want to hurl abuse) don’t email me, I don’t care.

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