04 Aug 10 Consume, Be Silent and Die: A Valediction Against Lurking

Image via Wikipedia

The vast majority of internet users are lurkers; passive users who never generate any content, never participate in discussions, never post comments. This to some degree explains the extraordinary success of Facebook. The ubiquitous Facebook ‘like button’ allows passive users to interact with online content with a simple click; you don’t need to comment, you don’t need to exercise your brain at all. Perhaps it also why social media platforms such as MySpace have been less successful. You can customise MySpace profiles a great deal more than you can with a Facebook profile, especially if you’re comfortable using a little html, but you really need to post some content to get anything out of it. The simple fact is, most people just aren’t interested in how their profile pages appear. Posting the odd trivial message, clicking ‘likes’ and playing games like ‘Farmville‘ is a rewarding social media experience for many. Just what is wrong with that?! I hear you ask with a rising tone of indignation and outrage.

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Tags: Advertising, Facebook, FarmVille, lurker, MySpace, Online Communities, passive, Sheep, Social media, Social network

Filed in internet, social media with 0 Comments

24 Jul 10 Letter from America: a few tips on health care

: Image via Wikipedia

While having breakfast recently in a diner in a small town in the USA , we chatted with our server about her working conditions. (I’m not going to say who or where because she’d probably lose her job if her employer were to reads this). She is a relative and in the past has been able to get us a family discount at the local motel. She explained that the discount had been withdrawn. “You know how it is in a recession; we’ve lost our benefits, we don’t get extra time for weekends or paid holidays any more. All the tips are collected and shared out between all the employees of the entire chain, so tips are pretty sparse too.” I asked her what she thought about Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Tom Emmer’s proposal to count employees’ tips towards minimum wages. Emmer has said the state could gain jobs if employers could a pay a lower hourly wage to employees who earn a lot of money from tips.(source: MPR News). Understandably our server was against this move. Emmers’ proposal has caused considerable controversy and sparked outraged protests.

Our server asked what the situation is for employees back in Australia. I explained that we have unions, award wages and working conditions that can’t withdrawn by employers at the drop of a hat. This might of course all change if Tony Abbott manages to bring back Work Choices. Australians would do well to find out a little about working conditions in the USA before voting for a party associated with such policies.

Our server went on to ask: “Have you heard about Obama’s health care policy? He’s going to make it compulsory to pay insurance and if you don’t you’ll be sent to jail.” I’m not an authority on the topic, so I left the discussion there. I decided it was probably preferable to finish my breakfast in peace than to be lynched by an angry mob of GOP supporters. Still I was astounded; people who earn very little money, conditions and pay being eroded and more cuts in the offing still support the very party which advocates such changes?

The assertion that those who refuse to pay insurance will be sent to jail is not actually true.

During an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Jake Tapper , President Obama said that penalties are appropriate for people who try to “free ride” the health care system but stopped short of endorsing the threat of jail time for those who refuse to pay a fine for not having insurance.
(Source: Sunlen Miller ABC News Interview with the President: Jail Time for Those without Health Care Insurance?)

The influence of right wing TV and radio shock jocks is so great that they have succeeded in getting large numbers of economically underprivileged Americans to vote directly against their own interests. It is a shame that many people accept such misinformation without question when a quick search online or watching a little political commentary on TV would shed a great deal of light on these questions. This article on Wikipedia outlines the Obama Government’s Health Care Reforms. (Articles on Wikipedia are carefully vetted by editors and can not contain bias or POV; it’s factual). If our server were to read this article, she would see that she and her family would be substantially better off under Obama’s reforms.

Despite the right’s many assaults on Medicare in Australia, we’ve managed to hang on to it, mostly because most of us realise we would be in a mess without it. Of course doctors and health care corporations would find it easier to turn massive profits under an unregulated, private system, but that doesn’t really help when families need health care. Conservatives will argue that large profits stimulate the economy and benefit everyone but don’t hold your breath waiting for the trickle down effect. The rich get rich and the poor have children, but at least we can still take them to the doctor without going into debt.

Perhaps people need to consider that the right wing media; Fox News and dubious figures such as Sean Hannity are very high income earners. They stand to personally benefit from policies such as George W Bush‘s tax cuts for the top 2%. They have been infuriated by Obama’s election and seem to be going to any lengths to get rid of him.

IMO Obama’s policies are not just about social justice; they are an economic imperative. With an aging population, a country that does not have a rational health care system may well face economic disaster in the future. Are the wealthy motivated by the desire to hang on to what they at any cost? Are they outraged by the idea of a single cent of their taxes going to help someone less privileged? In an information age it is a shame that a surprising number of people allow others to think for them.

Had I known that my tips did not go directly to employees, I would have been putting them directly into their pockets, even if I had to do it under the table.

As Speaker, What Would Boehner Do? (swampland.blogs.time.com)
Health overhaul to force changes in employer plans (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Healthcare Reform: a victory for the American dream? (liamalexander.com)
Emmer might need a few tips (washingtonmonthly.com)
Come Saturday Morning: Waitergate – Was Emmer Lying Then, or Is He Lying Now? (firedoglake.com)
GOP candidate for Minn. governor: Don’t tax tips (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
New Rules Thursday On Appealing Insurance Claims, States Take Lead In Health Reform Implementation (medicalnewstoday.com)
Insurers’ lobbying threatens spending rules-report (reuters.com)

Tags: Australia, Barack Obama, George W Bush, Health Care Reform, Health care system, Sean Hannity, United States

Filed in American Politics, Barack Obama, Politics with 0 Comments

23 Jul 10 Chasing Mummies: Archeology as Reality TV

: Image by vintagedept via Flickr

Dr Zahi Hawass the Egyptian archaeologist is well known to those who enjoy historical documentaries. He is highly respected in his field and is the current Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. I have always found his manner rather abrasive and have tended to avoid his offerings. However, his new TV show program on the History Channel: ‘Chasing Mummies‘ is quite a different affair; this is actually riveting and addictive television. The producers of ‘Chasing Mummies’ seem to have recognised the potential of Dr Hawass’ explosive temper and have harnessed it to great effect.

In one incident, Dr Hawass’ assistant Casey Fitchner gets completely blasted by the good doctor for being late to work. Later, while exploring inside the Stepped Pyramid, Fitchner asks if there is somewhere she can go to the bathroom. Dr Hawass informs her in no uncertain terms that the pyramid is a holy place and of course she can’t go. Later, she can no longer resist the call of nature and wets herself on camera. Dr Hawass’ outbursts make Gordon Ramsey look kindly and avuncular.

The History Channel has kindly provided a preview of Dr Hawass’ temper tantrums in this promo:

The tantrums, the discoveries, the on camera urination are of course all staged. The acting is not particularly convincing and the situations are not completely plausible. Would a respected Egyptologist, aware that he is on camera risk his reputation by going berserk? Would an assistant risk ruining her career by allowing herself to be filmed showing up late for work or wetting herself inside a famous historic life. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) real life just isn’t quite as dramatic as that, and when it is a camera is seldom conveniently running. This is not to say that the scripted nature of the program make it any less enjoyable. I found it hysterical and by far the most interesting presentation by Dr Zahi Hawass that I’ve seen.

Still, the question must be asked; why is a figure recognised as a leading authority in this field involving himself in a blatantly sensational reality TV show? The Pharaohs must be turning in their tombs.

Television Review | ‘Chasing Mummies’: Pharaoh of Egyptian Antiquities, on History (nytimes.com)
Chasing Mummies: A Cleopatra Update? (rogueclassicism.com)
Ptolemaic statue and temple gate discovered at Taposiris Magna (independent.co.uk)
Okay, who stole King Tut’s penis? [Wtf] (io9.com)
Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s Avenger of the Pharaohs (abcnews.go.com)
You: Egyptian official chides museums over antiquities (latimes.com)

Tags: Archaeology, History Channel, outburst, reality TV, Supreme Council of Antiquities, tantrum, Zahi Hawass

Filed in Arts and Humanities, entertainment, television with 0 Comments

22 Jul 10 Female Leaders: feminist standard bearers or conservative ball breakers?

Before rushing to the conclusion that the election of Julia Gillard as Labor Leader and Prime Minister of Australia is the dawn of a new age of enlightenment and gender equity, it might be as well to consider the legacy of a few other female leaders.

Indira Ghandi: Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. During the state of emergency she imposed (1975-77) Ghandi attempted to restore order by ordering the arrest of most of the opposition including the leader. She was later found guilty of electoral corruption and jailed. Ghandi also implemented a family planning program which forcibly imposed vasectomy on thousands of men. This policy was (understandably) particularly unpopular. Being the first woman Prime Minister of India, and an influential leader, in a prevalently male-dominated society, Indira Gandhi is considered by some a symbol of feminism in India but for reasons among those mentioned, she is not remembered kindly by many.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. Thatcher carried out a draconian ‘divide and conquer’ approach to to her opponents and unions. Critics have regretted her influence in the abandonment of full employment, poverty reduction and a consensual civility as bedrock policy objectives. Many recent biographers have been critical of many aspects of the Thatcher years and Michael White writing in New Statesman in February 2009 wondered if the ‘ hubristic collapse of the free-market model of capitalism that she promoted [had] dealt her another blow. Who was it who first removed the seat belts and airbags from the safe-but-boring Volvo that the West built after 1945? ‘Her freer, more promiscuous version of capitalism’ in Hugo Young‘s phrase is reaping a darker harvest. Thatcher’s introduction of the hated poll tax, privatisation of water, electricity, and British Rail made her one of the most unpopular leaders of her generation. A reactionary conservative, Thatcher was anything but a feminist

Sarah Palin faced criminal charges for embezzlement during her term as mayor of Wasilla. Her her husband, Todd, was also indicted for misappropriating construction materials meant for the town sports complex to build the Palin’s home. source An independent investigator for the state Alaska Personnel Board found that there may have been evidence suggesting that a trust fund created to pay Palin’s legal expenses is in violation of state ethics law. source It was also alleged that Sarah Palin abused her power by letting her husband press for the firing of a State Trooper Michael Wooten, who was involved in a divorce and custody battle with Palin’s sister, a legislative probe found, while adding that she acted within her authority when she dismissed the state’s public safety commissioner. source

Palin has also become well known for her many assaults on the English language, her most recent being: “Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn’t it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate.” -a Tweet by Sarah Palin, which she quickly removed after being ridiculed for inventing the word “refudiate,” (July 18, 2010) Read more Sarah Palin quotes here: Dumb Sarah Palin Quotes, Gaffes and Lies

Is it unfair to ridicule Sarah Palin? It is perhaps a little too easy. As a public figure and possible contender for US President in 2012, Palin must accept all the scrutiny she is subjected to. Palin may not be a national leader yet but is being touted by many as a strong possibility. She remains highly popular; perhaps her supporters do not think that a firm grasp of the English language and a strong grasp of national affairs and foreign policy are necessary qualities in a world leader. Again, Sarah Palin is a committed conservative and anything but a feminist.

Of course, not all female leaders have been right wing conservatives. Notable exceptions are Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988–1990; 1993–1996) and first woman to lead a Muslim state and Corazon Aquino, 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office. Nevertheless, a great many female politicians seem to gravitate to the conservative side of politics. Why is this?

Could it be that the perception of politics as a male field and women’s lower status in society in general makes it easier for female politicians on the conservative side to be successful? Credibility is perhaps easier to come by when you are a supporter of the status quo rather than as a radical agitator. This is perhaps the same reason why the few indigenous politicians who have been elected to office, such as Neville Bonner also chose to represent the conservative side. Political parties have been accused of tokenism for promoting women and minorities to office. It would seem that as long as you don’t rock the boat, it doesn’t really matter what gender or colour you are. If those who are committed to reform are consistently denied, the current dearth of female politicians (in Australia at least) is nothing more than tokenism. The glass ceiling it would seem, remains firmly in place.

Julia Gillard, so far at least, is no exception to this rule. She may be Labor leader but Labor has been anything but left wing for a number of years. She has made her ‘tough’ position on border protection and asylum seekers clear by appealing to the more xenophobic sections of the community. She has given multinational mining a feeble compromise which has allowed them to walk away with most of what they wanted. She has also come out against gay marriage. Perhaps the Herald’s Peter Hatcher summed up Gillard’s leadership to date best in his article: No numbers, no substance, no solutions – just populist platitudes So far, Gillard’s main M.O. seems to be: make my leadership look like a grand vision while actually doing as little as possible. Until leaders like Gillard risk losing a few votes by implementing a few possibly unpopular reforms, nothing is likely to change.

Patt Morrison: Thatcher and Palin — Out of Frame, Out of Bounds (huffingtonpost.com)
Sarah Palin Unapologetic Over Using Non-Word “Refudiate” (shoppingblog.com)
Refudiate (75.101.183.223)
Kimmel: Palin’s “Like The Eskimo Don King” (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
Female Hegemony in Australian Politics? (liamalexander.com)
Kevin 07 – Jonah 2010 (sliced.liamalexander.com)
Social Media and Politics: Poor Bedfellows? (liamalexander.com)
Sarah Palin Brings The LOLz (perezhilton.com)

Tags: female leaders, female prime minister, forcible vasectomy, Indira Gandhi, Julia Gillard, Margaret Thatcher, Sarah Palin

Filed in Australian Politics, Politics, Sarah Palin with 0 Comments

20 Jul 10 Social Media and Politics: Poor Bedfellows?

: Do I look worried? She’s right behind me…

After a period of reluctance and hesitation, Julia Gillard has finally joined Twitter. Her profile can be found here: @juliagillard (this is the PM’s verified account, not that of the infamous fake Julia Gillard: @PM_JuliaGillard ) The PM’s first tweet seems to have set the tone for those that have succeeded it:

Really important speech today on border security – have a look at http://bit.ly/bL4rMf JG 4:48 PM Jul 6th via web

The PM seems to have adopted the habit of signing tweets she has actually added herself “JG”, or at least this seems to be the impression her press secretaries want to give us. Other tweets, such as:

The PM speaking on A Stronger and Fairer Economy at the #NPC, You can stream it here http://bit.ly/watchABCnow 12:35 PM Jul 15th via web

are written in third person. This creates a rather anomalous social media presence, to say the least. Ms Gillard seems to have a rather tenuous grasp of the nature of social media, if her first two weeks of twittering are anything to go by.

The use of ‘new media’ was an interesting feature of the 2007 election campaign. The Rudd camp used Facebook quite effectively; an effort was made to respond to user comments and the response was overwhelmingly positive. John Howard on the other hand made little or no attempt to adapt his message or presentation for YouTube and opened his maiden appearance with ‘Good Morning!’. The video looked just like a traditional TV party political broadcast. Howard’s campaign chose to use MySpace and ran into trouble when negative comments were removed. It is interesting to note that MySpace is now recognised as a loser in the social media stakes while Facebook goes from strength to strength. Howard’s failure to use new media effectively added to the impression that he was out of touch. Rudd’s savvy-ness helped him appear new, progressive and with it. It would seem Ms Gillard has learned little from the heady days of the Kevin ’07 campaign.

No one could have reasonably expected Julia Gillard’s (or whoever writes them) tweets to be that of a scintillating conversationalist. However, the PM’s initial series of tweets make John Howard look social media savvy. These statements are as dry as any official press release. There is not the slightest hint of humour, personality or indeed humanity in any of them. It is called SOCIAL media for a reason; while it would not be politically astute to engage in potentially compromising exchanges with others, it might be an idea to try responding to someone in some fashion. Furthermore, the obvious emphasis on border security is unlikely to reach its intended audience. I doubt the average twitterer is likely to be influenced by such transparent overtures.

Tony Abbott‘s twitter profile (@TonyAbbottMHR) is similarly one sided; he has made no attempt to respond to anyone. Reading his tweets makes one wonder exactly who they are addressed to. To be fair, Tony Abbott does at least make some attempt at humour, which is more than can be said for the PM.

Social media is a rapidly growing phenomenon which has the potential for mobilising support. When used with so little respect and understanding it has the potential to create quite the opposite effect. In politics, it cannot be said that any publicity is good publicity.

Female Hegemony in Australian Politics? (liamalexander.com)
The End of Twitter? (sliced.liamalexander.com)
#qanda & Twitter | The Future Of TV? (sliced.liamalexander.com)
Gillard joins Twitter (news.theage.com.au)
Social networking #spills the beans (theage.com.au)
Tweeting not high on Julia’s list (news.theage.com.au)
Blogs, vlogs and tweets the order of the day as campaign hits the net (theage.com.au)
How to dominate an electorate, one viral tweet at a time (theage.com.au)
When it comes to asylum seekers, what would Jesus do? (liamalexander.com)

Tags: Facebook, John Howard, Julia Gillard, Politics, Social media, Tony Abbott, twitter, YouTube

Filed in Australian Politics, Politics, internet, technology, twitter with 1 Comment

08 Jul 10 Female Hegemony in Australian Politics?

NSW would now appear to be a female dominated state in a female dominated country. It boasts a female Governor (Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO), a female Premiere (The Hon. Kristina Keneally MLA), a female Deputy Premiere (Carmel Tebbutt MLA) a female Governor General (Her Excellency Quentin Bryce), recently a female Prime Minister (The Hon. Julia Gillard) and of course a female head of state (Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II). The number of women in leadership positions would seem to attest to the fact that the Women’s Movement has come of age. These figureheads surely herald a brave new world where women really can do anything. While these brilliant careers do signify some progress in the cause of gender equity, these women remain largely nothing more than figureheads; a concession on behalf of the real powerbrokers lurking behind the scenes.

How so? Everyone is aware that The Queen holds no political power. No monarch since Queen Victoria has seriously been involved with affairs of state and even she did little more than carry out the wishes of the male establishment. Likewise, the Governor General is nothing more than the Queen’s representative in Australia. Apart from a slight constitutional hiccup in 1975 the Governor General is just another rubber stamp, as are the state Governors. Furthermore, despite being Head of State, the Queen has always represented a very conservative view of the place of women in society. The same might be said of other female leaders such as Margaret Thatcher; hardly a feminist by any stretch of the imagination.

Kristina Keneally has been unable to rescue the floundering NSW Labor Government despite her best efforts. NSW Labor has been on the nose for too long and too many are aware that Keneally was installed by the even more unpopular right faction. Despite the fact that she is Premiere and Labor leader, she retains those titles only as long as the powerbrokers allow her to. She is in other words, just another figure head and is now likely to preside over the greatest electoral debacle in NSW history.

Julia Gillard also largely owes her leadership to the machinations of the behind-the-scenes numbers men. She may be talented, driven and sharp. Her oratory gives every impression of a strong will with strong convictions. Gillard now has a wonderful opportunity to put her convictions into practice, but we are becoming increasingly unsure of just what her convictions are. Since assuming the leadership, Gillard has continued to espouse the populist policies of her mealy mouthed predecessor. The back pedal on the mining super profits tax might have been politically astute but little more. Work Choices was never truly dismantled but watered down. Why; supporting unions too closely might lose votes. Climate change remains ”the great moral and economic challenge of our time” as long as it doesn’t mean doing anything that might lose votes. She continues to pander to xenophobic sections of the electorate with tough policies on border protection and asylum seekers. Julia Gillard might have been an agent for change, she might have heralded a return to traditional Labor values. It seems modern Labor values are concerned only with getting re-elected at any cost. Getting re-elected is of course a desirable outcome for any government, but what’s the point of winning government if you no longer stand for anything?

Well may we applaud the current generation of female leaders as harbingers of a new age of equality. This is after all what the suffragettes threw themselves under race horses for, isn’t it? Perhaps we shouldn’t be too hasty to accept these appearances for what they seem. The real power remains in the corporate board rooms and political factions. Puppet leaders are only useful as long as they serve a purpose. In actual fact, they may actually conceal a step backwards in the cause of gender equity rather than any real progress.

Why Julia Gillard is no Kristina Keneally (thepunch.com.au)
The Margaret Thatcher effect (newstatesman.com)
What You Need To Know About Julia Gillard [Fresh Faces] (jezebel.com)
Greer to Gillard (news.bbc.co.uk)
Julia Gillard becomes Australia’s first female PM (reuters.com)
New Australian PM Julia Gillard is no fan of same-sex marriage (pinkbananaworld.com)
Gillard Mulls Climate, Tax Policies That Doomed Rudd (businessweek.com)
Gillard urged to be honest on aslyum seekers (theage.com.au)
Never one of the boys (theage.com.au)

Tags: gender equity, Julia Gillard, Kristina Keneally, Margaret Thatcher, Quentin Bryce

Filed in Australian Politics, Politics with 2 Comments

05 Jul 10 Referees Clowns but FIFA Remains Ring Master #worldcup

Image via Wikipedia

In the aftermath of a succession of what must have been some of the most awful refereeing decisions in football history, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has issued a statement saying that FIFA will re-open the debate on the use of video technology later this year. Well, he had to respond in some way; the poor decisions have been highly embarrassing and have surely compromised what has otherwise been a very entertaining World Cup. In actual fact, FIFA remains resolutely opposed to introducing any kind of technology. FIFA has said it wants to maintain ‘the traditions of the game’. If the current mess is the outcome of staying with tradition, perhaps the tradition of the referee as absolute judge isn’t all it might be.

FIFA’s stubborn stance harks back to a time when people mostly accepted authority almost without exception. Once a decision has been made, referees obviously feel they have to stick to it whether right or wrong or risk having their authority undermined. This might have been easy to get around in the past, but with half the world watching on high definition TV, persisting with this position has become untenable and really, completely farcical.

At least FIFA has sent home some of the worst blunderers.

Italian Roberto Rosetti who sent off Harry Kewell in the Socceroos‘ match also the referee who allowed a goal by Argentina’s Carlos Tevez against Mexico, when he was clearly offside.
Uruguay’s Jorge Larrionda somehow didn’t notice that Frank Lampard‘s “goal” had crossed the goal line by at least a metre in England’s 4-1 defeat to Germany.
France’s Stephane Lannoy missed the double handball of Brazil striker Luis Fabiano in the build-up to his goal against Ivory Coast
Koman Coulibaly of Mali disallowed Maurice Edu’s late strike which would have given the USA a 3-2 win over Slovenia. No one knew why and we still don’t; he could offer no explanation for his decision.

Anyone who watched any of these games could clearly see a monumental error had been made. If players have the temerity to complain about a decision they run the risk of being sent off for dissent. FIFA clings to the futile notion that referees are infallible and the ultimate authority on the field. While we might call these referees blunderers with incredulity, FIFA must bear at least as much responsibility.

Referees, selected by FIFA have been under pressure to crack down on fouls. The flood of yellow and red cards attests to this. The stakes are incredibly high and diving and cynical professional fouls are a problem that do need to be dealt with, but handing out cards at the drop of a hat is hardly a solution. The natural course of the game is compromised and results are effected. FIFA is not following this policy out of any respect for the traditions of the game; it is motivated by the huge amounts of money involved in TV distribution rights and they want a product that looks as good as possible. Unfortunately for FIFA, this policy has had exactly the opposite effect. The rules should be applied consistently; decisions should be no more harsh than they are at division level.

Any of the teams knocked out by bad decisions might well have gone on to the final. The outcome of the tournament has been compromised and we can now only wonder what might have been. It’s true, FIFA don’t need a high tech solution to this problem. Any fool with an old black and white TV and a video recorder could have easily reached the right decision. Surely the benefits of some kind of video 3rd referee would massively outweigh any loss of tradition.

Perhaps the only technology required are new glasses for the referees in question.

FIFA sends home a fresh crop of awful referees (g.sports.yahoo.com)
Blundering Refs Cut From World Cup List (nytimes.com)
Blundering refs cut from World Cup list (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Blundering Refs Cut From World Cup List (abcnews.go.com)
FIFA stays silent on World Cup referees’ errors (usatoday.com)
FIFA stays silent on World Cup referee errors (cbssports.com)
FIFA declines comment on non-England goal at WCup (usatoday.com)
FIFA silent on World Cup ref errors despite furor (ctv.ca)
FIFA stays silent on World Cup ref errors (theglobeandmail.com)
World Cup 2010: Fifa refuses to comment on mistakes by World Cup officials (telegraph.co.uk)
Upon further review, FIFA will study replay (usatoday.com)
Soccer: Donovan takes his beef to Letterman (denverpost.com)
FIFA President Sepp Blatter To Consider Replay at Meeting Next Month (bleacherreport.com)
Fifa refuses to enter video debate (guardian.co.uk)
FIFA sets deadline for Nigeria to overturn ban (cnn.com)
FIFA apology and statement on refereeing questions (ballhype.com)
FIFA President apologizes for refereeing errors (ballhype.com)
Players speak out against discrimination (reuters.com)
Finally, Nigeria bans FIFA (vanguardngr.com)
Is Blatter’s U-Turn for Real? (nytimes.com)
Is Blatter’s U-turn for real? (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Is Blatter’s U-turn for real? (sfgate.com)
Sepp Blatter: FIFA will ‘reopen the file’ on replay (soccernet.espn.go.com)
FIFA World Cup Apology: Sepp Blatter Apologizes To England And Mexico For Referee Errors, Considering Goal-Line Video Technology (huffingtonpost.com)
Blatter to reopen video talk, sorry to England, Mexico (cbssports.com)
Blatter Says FIFA to Reopen Debate on Technology (abcnews.go.com)
Blatter says FIFA to reopen debate on technology (ctv.ca)

Tags: FIFA, Frank Lampard, Jorge Larrionda, Roberto Rosetti, Sepp Blatter, Soccer, sport, World Cup

Filed in Football, Sport, Uncategorized, technology with 2 Comments

09 May 10 The Golden Age of (Digital) Piracy?

The period known as ‘Golden Age of Piracy‘ lasted from the 1650s until the 1720s. Colourful characters such as Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, Sam Bellamy, Calico Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny (yes, there were even female pirates!) perpetrated outrageous deeds on the high seas with near impunity until the authorities finally cracked down using a divide and conquer approach. During the Golden Age, pirates posed a serious threat to shipping and even held whole towns to ransom. An increased Royal Navy presence in the Caribbean and the the offer of pardons for pirates seriously reduced their numbers and by 1725 pirates no longer posed a serious threat.

The early 21st century may well have seen the Golden Age of Computer Piracy come and go. Those that argue for a free internet have many supporters. Wasn’t the internet originally set up to allow a free exchange of ideas and information between individuals? Surely Tim Berners-Lee never envisioned the commercial juggernaut it has become.

Colourful organisations like The Pirate Bay and other file sharing sites have come and gone (remember Napster?). It’s interesting to note that even The Pirate Bay’s logo is not covered by copyright. Under ‘permission’ on Wikipedia Commons, the following is listed:

This work is labeled as Kopimi, meaning that the copyright holder of this work does not only release it, but specifically requests that this work be used and copied for any purpose, including unlimited commercial use and redistribution. It is believed in good faith that a work classified as Kopimi is free to use in any way, including modification and the creation of derivative works.

Given The Pirate Bay’s free internet position, they could hardly copyright their logo. Specifically requesting that the content be copied for any purpose might well be a novel and successful promotional strategy. Making your brand as visible as possible might well be enough of a benefit to offset all that illegal file sharing but this, of course, is never likely to happen.

The game is up for The Pirate Bay and their brethren, just as it was for Blackbeard and co. back in the 1720s. The stakes are simply just too high. The large content corporations are circling and pumping an ever increasing stream of financial and legal resources into crushing digital piracy. NEC has created a pirated film detection algorithm with a 96% success rate. More and more control will be taken from the user until any use of digital media will be strictly monitored and restricted. Using the internet will be subject to just the same level of control. If the odd 13 year old girl is dragged through the courts for downloading a few Justin Bebier tracks so be it; just collateral damage.

It has never been reasonable for corporations to target little people like this but it has happened often enough. Many have argued that corporations that make their content accessible via the internet for profit bear the responsibility for safe guarding their products. If products are not copy protected, should individuals be prosecuted for copying them? Before very long, copy protection technology will develop to the level that will only allow us to use digital media in the precise manner intended by the providers and will render all these arguments obsolete.

Brave idealists might try to oppose the corporations but it is a battle they can never win. Soon the golden age of the internet might well be nothing more than a dim memory.