Saturday, April 30, 2005

Hugh has a siv theory. Based on the writings and of Seth Godin, I coined a wee phrase today, "The Siv". Short for "The Story-Idea Virus". The Siv needs three things: 1. The Story. It's got to tell a story. 2. The Idea. It's got to have an idea. 3. The Virus. People have got to want to tell it/spread it. It needs to be inherently viral. The Story is the lie. The Idea is the truth. Both need The Virus to survive. All three need each other. I'm working on "Siv Theory" as we speak, with one of my clients- a wine company. Turning wine bottles into Sivs. Creating brands cheaper, faster and better than the next guy. It's a living. [gapingvoid] 10:24:29 PM    comment []

Combating Gadget Theft. As gadgets shrink in size and grow in popularity, theft has grown, too. How do you deter theft of laptops, phones and other portable devices? By JOHANNA JAINCHILL. [NYT > Technology] 12:22:16 PM    comment []

Here at the meeting of the Central Division of the American Philosophical Association, in Chicago, Deborah Johnson was awarded the APA's Barwise Prize yesterday. She gave a very rich paper, which was followed by great conversation about her ideas. I'll post notes early next week, after I've had a chance to clean them up a bit. 11:22:14 AM    comment []

Two from BNA News: MICROSOFT MEETING WITH EU FAILS TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES A meeting between Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the European Union's antitrust chief failed to settle the main outstanding differences over the EU's landmark case against the software giant. The case could involve heavy fines for Microsoft. EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told Ballmer that Microsoft must comply immediately with the year-old order or face action. http://news.com.com/2100-1014_3-5686448.html http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/28/technology/28soft.html GROUP WANTS COUNTRIES TO LIFT ENCRYPTION BANS An international security consortium plans to push governments around the world to withdraw restrictions on the use of encryption. Countries including China, Israel, Russia, and Saudi Arabia have strict rules governing the use of encryption tools, and in some cases they have banned these tools. 11:22:11 AM    comment []

'Exporting the American Dream:'. Five members of the faculty deconstructed the notion of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness April 21 in the UC Sunnen Lounge. Leonard Suransky, the Des Lee Visiting International Scholar on Global Awareness, organized the panel discussion titled "Exporting the American Dream" and was joined by English Professor Karla Armbruster, International Relations Lecturer Tamineh Entessar, Management Professor Jim Evans and Associate Professor Alan Mac Neill, History, Politics and Law. [The Journal] 11:22:07 AM    comment []

The Dark Tangent sends news: DEF CON is proud to announce that the new hosts for Capture the Flag this year will be Kenshoto! COMPETE! Capture the Flag has been reborn. A brave new group has stepped up to the plate and is continuing the tradition of savage virtual warfare. "KENSHOTO" are the new hosts of CTF. They consist of names that you're familiar with and whose members belong to organizations you've heard of. The Kenshoto includes high-placing CTF participants, as well as past CTF organizers. There are several changes to the contest this year. Individuals will now compete as well as teams. While team size will not be limited, only eight players per team can play at any given time. Specifics of game rules will be available to those that enter the preliminary qualifying rounds. To sign up, qualify, and get more information visit http://www.kenshoto.com/ COMPETE [unofficially]! The "unofficial" Capture the Flag, Amateur Edition has been born. Over the years CTF has evolved and matured, raising the bar on participant's skill levels and increasing the difficulty to enter the game. While this has resulted in impressive players and teams, it has been increasingly difficult for the "average Joe hacker" to have some fun and test their skills. Amateur CTF will be open to all participants in a format that closer resembles early DEFCON CTF games. There will be no official teams, so make sure that you bring extra caffeine ­ the only thing keeping you from winning is sleep and skill. Virus-X will be your host. 10:22:02 AM    comment []

Psst! Want Internet Phone Service?. The next generation of selling Tupperware and Avon products door to door is here, as people sell Internet-based phone service to their friends and neighbors. By KEN BELSON. [NYT > Technology] 10:21:58 AM    comment []

How Much for a Dozen Human Eggs?. New guidelines for embryonic stem-cell research say women should not be paid for giving up their eggs. But doesn't that hard work deserve compensation? By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] 9:21:48 AM    comment []

Teaching as performance in the electronic classroom, by Doug Brent, in First Monday. New developments in online educational technology have a profound effect on notions of intellectual property. Theories of the social construction of technology explain the extremely unstable nature of new technologies. Walter Ong’s theory of the alphabet effect provides insight into the ways in which knowledge changes as media of communication change. Shoshana Zuboff’s ideas on how managerial knowledge is transformed by technology help us understand how certain kinds of knowledge resist being textualized. These ideas help us understand the effects of new teaching technologies in terms of a long–standing struggle between two views of knowledge: knowledge as performance and knowledge as thing. 12:32:07 AM    comment []