gdp's Comments

Profy : How Wise Is The Crowd (Even If It Is Social Media Crowd)?

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 23:50:45 +0000

RE: FriendFeed I like how FriendFeed is predictable. I have found a handful of users who adeptly stream their posts from various sources (Twitter, Facebook, et al.) I even follow a few that seem to proliferate (unwittingly, I presume) duplicate entries. Between my subscriptions, there's a nice balance of incoming photos, links and commentary. RE: Facebook I like checking out the 'mutual friends' of friend requests/suggestions, too. Seems that Facebook puts me in contact with people I have met in person. In contrast, my FriendFeed subscriptions seem to point to other people who I may never actually meet, but with whom I share similar interests. RE: The Wisdom of the Crowd I was in a crowd yesterday evening to view July 4th fireworks. Could have seen a similar spectacle streamed live, the next city over, from the air-conditioned comfort of my computer room ... but was glad I went to the live-live event. As for the wisdom of 'crowds' virtual or otherwise: I think wisdom is something that develops from within individuals. If there is any 'wisdom' in a crowd, it can only be found by looking at its perimeter and upwards.

Profy : Offline Word of Mouth Still More Powerful Than Online Analogue

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:10:40 +0000

I have a friend who once told me to "trust no one". Surprisingly enough, I believed him.

Profy : What Will Antivirus Vendors Do When Microsoft Offers Their Antivirus for Free?

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:20:30 +0000

Malware will not be nearly as widespread and problematic at the workstation level. Unfortunately, the virus coders will turn their attention to servers and hosted web applications. In the meantime, we should remain vigilant to our ideals of freedom through education and openness. Also, we must never stop asking ourselves: Why is this happening?

Profy : Half of All UK Parents Have No Clue of What Their Kids Do Online. And They Don’t Seem To Care

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:53:04 +0000

I agree. If parents knew about how OpenDNS can be used to block unwanted content without the need to install Trend Micro software on each machine at around $70 per license they might be more inclined to act. Or, maybe there is more off-line (face-to-face vs. fist-to-Facebook) communication going on between parents and their children with regard to Internet security/safety than the study suggests.

Profy : Imagine That Wave Does Not Come From Google...

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 09:37:24 +0000

Marko Saric wrote: "[Google Wave] will revolutionize the way people connect, communicate, collaborate and share information with other people online." [Source: http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/blogging/how-googl... I agree with his viewpoint to the extent that the QWERTY buttons on my new phone increase the likelihood of me considering text messaging as a communications option in lieu of calling and/or emailing. However, sometimes it's just easier to call and/or email. With regard to Google Wave as an all-encompassing application, it could prove to be a superior organizing tool--if not a widely adopted, social networking one.

Profy : Twitter Is Everything, It Could Even Be A Source Of Extra Income For Spammers

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 07:39:49 +0000

I'm surprised I have not seen the Twitter-related emails you mentioned. The marketing seems flawed. Humph! With just under 10 followers, I could have really used the false sense of hope. Oh, well ... back to the endless stream of 'How well do you know' quiz results on my Facebook.