Communications through the ages

Posted on April 28, 2012 by marshallstanton

The richness and sophistication of human communications is often what separates us from the other inhabitants of planet Earth. While we can’t say for certain what the various clicks, hoots, howls, and moans of our terrestrial brethren mean exactly, it is fair to say that we’re the only group on the third planet from the Sun using YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Continue reading →

Facebook puts Google+ and Twitter in its sights

Posted on September 14, 2011 by marshallstanton

Today Facebook announced a new feature they’re simply calling the Subscribe Button. This option will allow users to “subscribe” to other users’ public posts in what can only be called a shot over both Google+ and Twitter‘s collective bows. The truly interesting aspect of this feature is that it will allow all of Facebook’s 750 million users to connect in this manner – even if they aren’t friends. Continue reading →

The positive role of technology in the UK riots

Posted on August 11, 2011 by marshallstanton

The positive role of technology in the UK riots || “U.K. Prime Minister Suggests ‘Pre-Crime’ Blocking of Social Media” http://ow.ly/61j0R

In addition to investigating how technology aimed at preemptively disrupting criminal activities organized via Twitter and Blackberry Messenger, the authorities in the UK have also married their extensive CCTV network with Flickr to help enlist the public to identify suspected looters. A complete Internet shutdown has proven to be ineffective in countries throughout the Middle East during the recent periods of unrest, so a targeted solution that was able to determine if a person was in the midst of planning criminal activity and then shut down that person’s access might do the trick. Alas the execution of such a thing is fraught with technical and logistical challenges (not to be confused with impossible). That said the UK is not ruled by an autocratic despot was the case in more than one of the aforementioned Middle Eastern nations, so the notions of privacy and civil liberties are much more of a significant issue that needs to be balanced with the sovereign responsibility to protect the health and welfare of one’s citizens. I do not envy the decisions that have to be made by Mr. Cameron.