Obama's Net Roots Network

It was very fortuitous that I logged on to Google Reader this afternoon and found an article from NPR entitled, The Fate of Obama’s Net Roots Network. The article had only appeared several minutes earlier so I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to highlight some key points in the article which have not been previously discussed. The article is perfectly in line with recent class discussions and blogs on Obama’s use of Web 2.0 technology as well as the future of the information and network that he collected and built during his campaign.

Last week Obama campaign officials sent an e-mail to roughly 10 million Obama supporters and volunteers who had registered with the campaign online. The e-mail asked the supporters what issues the president-elect should prioritize in the coming months. The “supporters survey” collected personal information in addition to soliciting feedback from the supporters. The survey also resulted in supporters believing that they are being listened to and that they have a say in government.

There are two central components to the Net Roots Network that the article refers to. The first is a database with 13 million e-mail addresses. The other component is the “net roots” style network that increased voter participation for Obama during the primaries and also helped him to carry traditionally Republican states in November. The question is what will be done with these “crown jewels” once Obama takes office?

The article outlines 4 possible courses of action for the Obama administration and how they may leverage their existing network and e-mail lists. What I thought distinguished this article, however, was the mention of the governments computers and “The Paperwork Reduction Act.” According to the article, “The Paperwork Reduction Act forbids this sort of quick, informal idea-gathering.” The act was created in 1995. The article goes on to say, “So it’s a lifetime behind what’s possible with modern communication technologies – as are many other things that Obama will find in Washington.”

I thought article was extremely well written and “All Things Considered” is one of my NPR favorites! Alex Wong gets credit for consolidating the possible courses of action for Obama’s campaign organization in the article. If anyone can elaborate on “The Paperwork Reduction Act” please leave a comment. Specifically, I am curious to see what other laws exist that would restrict Obama in his use of technology. The Blackberry limits have been discussed but can he really not communicate and gather ideas from supporters and citizens through e-mail and other Web 2.0 technologies?

Regardless of what happens in the future I think Micah Sifry’s comment about the e-mail lists was brilliant. He states, “Anyone who imagines that all power is in who controls the lists misunderstands that we are no longer in the age of lists, we are in the age of networks.”

Video Games Suck Up Energy Like Vampires

In the context of our class discussion on how Google is trying to save energy and be creative on how to cool their servers I found the article: Video Games Suck Up Energy Like Vampires very interesting. The article itself is brief but the attached sound byte from NPR is extremely informative.

Video game machines like X-Box can consume as much energy as 2 refrigerators. I thought one comment on the article was extremely well written so I will not attempt to reword or improve upon the author's content. Ramin Honary wrote, "All across the microelectronics industry, companies are trying to find ways to make chips that consume less power without actually slowing down their computing capacity. But the more raw-numbers you are required to crunch, the more electricity you need; there is no way around it. High-quality computer graphics that run in real-time take a tremendous amount of computing power, and it takes even more power to cool the machine to prevent it from burning up. It's a tough engineering problem that will only get tougher as societies computing demands continue increase."

The energy required for future technology will far surpass what we understand as "neccessary" for today's computing and graphics. I think Google is wise to look at alternatives but in truth they are the only company I can recall that are addressing energy concerns in the technology sector. Undoubtedly there are more, but I think the primary focus is on oil and other fossil fuels.

If you have time listen to the NPR sound byte. You will not be disappointed. And while you are at it, turn off all electronic equipment that you are not using! A concerted effort to shut down your lap top or other electronic equipment will save the environment and save you money.

A Truly World-Wide Web

I logged on to Google Reader recently and found the article: Is Your Web Truly World-Wide very interesting. The "Google Translate Team" has been hard at work creating technology that translates internet content into various languages.

The premise behind the Goggle Translator is that when you log in to Google Reader and you find an interesting feed in another language you can check off "translate into my language" and the feed will automatically be translated and sent to you. The setting would also be saved so if you found one particular blog or information source that you would like to read frequently. You would always receive the feed in your language. The potential for increased internet access and exploration of foreign internet content is now limitless!

The article does not say how many languages the translator will work for. One of my first friends here at BC was a second year student who described a similar project that he was working on for his MP class. In his project, the "translator" translated Arabic to English and vice versa. I thought the concept sounded cutting edge but apparently Google has already thought of it! I hope for my friends sake they are able to sell a piece of the business to Google. Regardless, I think the idea is brilliant.

My final thought about the language translating feature that Google is promoting is how revolutionary it will be for traveling! I fly for free working for United Airlines and grew up abroad so needless to say I love to travel. I am intersted to see where they take this technology. It would impressive if you could set your entire internet to automatic translator so you could see translated articles regardless of whether or not you are using Google Reader. There would certainly be a lot more articles that populate for a search but wouldn't it be great to "Google" something while traveling in Japan and have Japanese reviews or articles populate about what you are searching. Maybe there could be an on and off funtion?

This is what I perceive to be a huge advancement in Web 2.0 technology. The world will only be that much flatter with the Google Translate team on the job! And yet, what will be the implications for future generations need to learn another language? And will something be lost in the translation? I'll be interested to see where Google takes the technology and how they apply it to other applications. I'll also be routing for my first business school friend in hopes that he can sell his translator to Google and retire early!

Not for Your Entertainment (Really)

After reading Joy's blog post: Netflilx and TiVo to Partner on Movies I was intrigued to read this article from Business Week: AT&T to try limits on monthly Internet traffic . The article outlines AT&T's efforts to reduce some customer's bandwidth and the amount of data customers can use. This would greatly effect those AT&T customers who are have streaming video service like Netflix offers.

Approximately 5 percent of AT&T subscribers take up around 50% of the networks capacity. To me, that seems like an awfully small group of customers to limit all of their customers connectivity. The article states, "to exceed the limits, subscribers would need to download constantly at maximum speeds for more than 42 hours, depending on the tier." Obviously, this sort of downloading is beyond the realm of your average internet user who browses the web and uses e-mail. The question is, however, as more products become available such as Netflix streaming video will more people require higher bandwidth as a result? Will streaming video on the internet become a way of life and will be people require more bandwidth on a day to day basis for new internet tools and functions?

The article unfortunately does not address "why" AT&T is putting the restriction in place. From our discussions in class the Fiber Optic cable that was layed had seemingly limitless capabilities. Two other internet service providers (ISP) are addressed in the article; Time Warner Cable and FairPoint Communications. Both of these companies are planning on or testing limits similar reductions to AT&T. Fair Point and Time Warner Cable hover, are looking at even lower limits around 5 gigabytes. These low limits would easily be exceeded by internet users watching streaming video.

I personally see the Internet Service Providers adding additional costs for those who require more downloading capability. If you want to watch streaming video there will be additional charge! It could help to protect the loss in revenue by the movie companies or retailers (if shared by ISP) or simply boost ISP's revenue. Regardless, it is interesting article given our class discussions and classmate's recent blog posts.

You are a Troll

I have been fascinated by the media attention surrounding the unfortunate death of an 8 year old recently while firing an Uzi machine gun. The majority of the articles are well written with several of the articles voicing some fairly strong view points in regards to gun control and parental accountability. The subsequent blogs and comments sections have been even more intriguing as people reflect and voice their opinions about the child’s death.

I am an expert with weapons and I have received some of the best quality training for handling and discharging those weapons. I am a member of the “Oldest Skeet Club in America” the Exeter Sportsman's Club and I fired an automatic machine gun (Russian made AK-47) as recently as last week. With that said, I do not believe that any “sportsman” or civilian actually needs access to automatic weapons. And they certainly do not belong in the hands of a child! I am voicing my own opinion, but it is not meant to generate controversy or be disruptive. Some of the comments and blogs I have read about the tragedy have been exactly that though; controversial and disruptive.

I was on Google Reader and I found an article How Trolls Work. The article talks about how the internet can be a double edged sword. The connection allows us to “interact with people you like and respect, but you can also meet people who take pleasure in disrupting the conversations and activities of others.” The name for this kind of person is a troll.

I am left to wonder if the people posting ludicrous comments under articles such as the “child deserves to be dead if his parents let him shoot an Uzi” are trolls or simply idiots. Murderers, child molesters and rapist are the only people who deserve to die and not an innocent child (and I’m not being a troll)! I would hope that the people posting these comments are simply making rude statements to enrage others and are not contributing to the gene pool. At any rate, I hope the child did not die in vein and that gun control is made stricter in the near future so that tragedies like this are avoided.

I continue to post my opinion and viewpoint on my blog. I fear, however, some people may feel like I am troll by my digression on capital punishment above and the like. It was not meant to enrage anyone or cause anyone to have a melt down. And no, I don’t believe that mentally retarded people or children should be subject to capital punishment. I am simply illustrating the point that I myself may be a troll. I can be “rude and aggressive” as the article describes and my viewpoints are not always mainstream.

So keep the “trolls” in mind next time you read an infuriating comment or blog on the internet. It may be someone intentionally trying to infuriate you by making a rude statement or asking an ignorant question. Or it may simply be someone expressing their opinions much like myself. At any rate, stay calm, cool and collected an express your viewpoints and opinions as Friedman would want you to do.

Once a Wal-Mart........

I enjoy spending a lot of time in northern New Hampshire and Maine. I make the drive up Route 16 North every other week if not weekly to participate in my favorite outdoor activities depending on the season.

Over the past several years I have noticed a Lowe's being constructed and opened on Rt. 16. It always struck me as odd that a store of that size could be supported by a local and very rural economy. Further, I am continually amazed about how the road was restructured and traffic patterns changed to support the store. The subsequent traffic the new Lowe's created was unbearable and I cursed the store for years. For those of you who don't drive Rt. 16 to the White Mountains, it is a 2 lane road for the entire drive with only a handful of passing sections. When Lowe's was constructed a new overpass, bridge and intersection were also constructed. I found the following article: Once A Wal-Mart: The New Lives Of Big Boxes very interesting as it speaks about the "after life" of Big Box stores after the stores have closed.

Some Big Box stores are having a difficult time surviving this economy regardless of how efficient their supply chain may be. The root cause of a Wal-Mart and/or Lowe's shutting down can range from over ambitious corporate growth plans to the inability of the local economies to support such massive stores. Regardless of what the cause may be, what is to be done with the existing buildings and infrastructure once the Big Box store has closed?

In class we have focused on Wal-Mart's supply chaining expertise and the profound impact the corporation has had on private business and consumers in America. The stores can also revitalize towns and suburban areas by providing jobs in the stores themselves as well as the corresponding construction jobs/contracts for the buildings and infrastructure. The NPR article referenced above addresses some of the attempts at reusing the buildings after the Big Box stores have left. The uses range from public facilities such as libraries to indoor race tracks. Some of these ideas have worked while other businesses have not been able to keep up with the high overhead of the buildings themselves.

What is the future of Big Box business in America and exactly how many Big Box stores does small town America need? Does a town of 5,000 people need both a Lowe's and Wal-mart? Will the new government administration give tax credits to smaller stores and install new trade tariffs on the Big Box stores? Can these Big Box stores sustain their growth? I am not doubting the viability of these supply chaining masters but merely playing devils advocate in trying to forecast the number of Big Box stores that may be here today but gone tomorrow.

It is no secret that the majority of the goods sold in Big Box stores are imported from overseas; at a time when supporting our local economy is more important than ever. Furthermore, the Big Box stores are putting smaller stores and businesses out of business. I try not shop at Big Box stores because I want to support our local economy, and I end up buying things I don't truly need simply because "they are a good deal." What I propose is that the government use these abandoned big box stores for social service organizations. The US Government is now buying mortgage backed securities so why not invest in Big Box real estate? Imagine a new VA hospital off Rte. 16 where Veterans could gains access to health care rather then make the 3 and 1/2 hour drive south to be seen by a physician. The infrastructure of roads is already there and construction is completed! In short, I believe the government should seriously consider using these abandoned stores. Imagine the savings for the tax payers if new construction for offices, hospitals or any other infrastructure was stopped and the existing Big Box stores used. There seems to be enough empty big box stores out there to make this viable option. The idea is about as creative as those cited in the article but at least it would help the American people while maintaining the local economy that the Big Box stores had promised to do.

And for the record, pursuant to our class conversation I thought the stores were called "Big Box" stores because their inventory was shipped in containers (big boxes) on cargo ships from China.

Mobile Broadband and Our PDAs

I am admittedly not a “tech” person. I am, however, continually amazed and intrigued by new high tech gadgets. My girlfriend recently got an iPhone and I have watched as she has learned to use the phone. This past weekend on a road trip to New Hampshire the iPhone actually become invaluable as we used it to navigate back country roads and locate shops that we were interesting in going to. The funny thing is though we have a Garmin navigator which was useless for most of the trip. With the iPhone we could actually look up the stores and then track ourselves on the map of the area on her phone using the 3G network. It became a case of which mobile device was faster, easier to use and gave us the most accurate information. The iPhone won out most of the time with the 3G network platform. With that said, I have entered in to a whole new world of network understanding thanks to the Computer Information Systems class and purchase of the iPhone.

The article following article from Business Week highlights some changes that are coming to the lap top world in regards to the 3G network:

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/sep2008/gb20080929_697977.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily.

I firmly believe that 3G network is the new or reinforced foundation of Web 2.0. It makes sense that with people being able to access the Web on their PDAs they should be able to do the same on their lap tops (without having to have a wireless network carrier). The 3G network can be used on laptops today, however, you need a special adapter. I personally have not used the 3G network because I have no need for the network. I do not use a black berry as I spend the majority of my day on e-mail and don’t really need that capability from my phone. I do not have an iPhone because my carrier is Verizon. I would get an iPhone if it was available from Verizon but until then I will have to wait for the iPhone agreement to end. I am captive to Verizon due to my in-calling network of friends and family.

I am really impressed by the ability to surf the internet on the iPhone using the 3G network. It is slow but you can go anywhere on the web from anywhere. No WiFi hot spot is required (they aren’t too many in the woods of NH). The article I posted states that companies are going to start installing cards where laptops can access the broad brand network similar to the way the intel cards allowed people to access WiFi networks from their laptop. Again, I am no technical expert and I may be pointing out the obvious to some but for your average consumer it all comes as some exciting technology.

I don’t think Lap Tops will be replaced soon and a new network for them is neccessary. I still use my lap top at work and at home while connected to a wireless network. What would be incredible is to have my lap top in the car while we are driving in the woods of NH and to be able to access a broad band network. Yes, I could buy additional hardware to make this possible today but I’m talking about those laptops coming out of the factory and broadband becoming a way of life.

There is still data speed and cost issues that make WiFi more attractive for lap tops but the way technology is moving I’m sure it won’t be long before the broadband 3G system is improved. And it won’t be long after that the lap tops start being produced with the broadband capability installed!