Politics - Semi Wise

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The day has descended upon us, Americans... it's time to vote! I'm not here to promote my own views of each Presidential candidate's agendas or even agendas of the Republican and Democratic parties. I'm just here to say that it is time to vote!

Today I, as well as many others, have seen an overflow of eager, registered voters flood the polling stations. It's amazing that more people than ever have showed up to demonstrate that they care about the country and its future... or maybe their own not-so-obvious agendas? Nevertheless, I was shocked to venture out at 6am this morning and witness a long line wrapping around my designated polling station.

If you read the news lately, you would see that America is not prepared for the upsurge of interest in the Presidential polls. Read a clip here from Fox News (Broken Machines, Shortages Plague Voters).

But, what is it that drives all these voters to action, when action was already needed years ago? Is it truly "change"? Is it merely the impressive rhetoric spouting out of one charismatic candidate's pie-hole? Is it fear of the "same" 8 years that we've lived under the shadow of a Bush? Is it the ridicule showered upon a certain Vice Presidential candidate's reputation, made popular by a consistently leftist, Saturday night skit-show? Is it racial tension?

Who knows fore sure? All I can say is, "Good for you, America!" Interest has finally peaked for your welfare. Whether the reasons are right or wrong, at least Americans are out to do something about the way things currently are. This is what the United States and every other free country is all about... freedom to choose.

Now, let's just hope that the broken polls, missing ballots, and "mistakes", don't lead to another "recount"!

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Posted By: Vincent Aceling - Category: Politics

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Facebook - Great Medium or Great Waste of Time?

August 16th 2008 20:23

Facebook is just another social experiment to add to the likes of Friendster, MySpace, YouTube, etc. Many of my friends, colleagues, and family members urged me to get on... "It's the medium of the future, man!" I wouldn't disagree with this statement, as there has been an explosion of social networking sites to prove the importance of this medium; but Facebook really led me to ponder its real purpose.

Facebook, computer, web, network, social, internet

Facebook you dummy!

I've had an account on Facebook for about 6 months now and let me tell you that the initial fascination I felt with it faded away fast. It's not that the website is unimpressive or a total waste of time, it's just that it is super-saturated with all these so-called 'social applications' that suck the life out of your productive, even leisure time.

Lame applications:
You get poked, super-poked, a hug, a bumper sticker, a request to see how much you're worth (or your photo at least), etc. When you're "found" by a bunch of your friends/family/colleagues/old school mates, these applications are inevitable! I remember the first time I logged on, I already had 20 friend requests and a bunch of sent gifts from various people in my life... I was shocked.

Yes, I was also flattered at first. I also enjoyed re-connecting with people from my past and catching up through an online game of scrabble, or sharing photos and stories. I was also flattered that many of my buddies labeled me as 'most successful', 'hottest', or valued my photo's initial net worth over $100K.

Then, I was sucked into those competitive applications... applications that heckled you to join and provide them with access to your contact information. I would get messages like, "Stevie just exceeded his personal best at Scramble... think you can beat him", or, "Julie got voted Most Popluar by her Top Friends... see how you rank." Just then, I was transported back into time to the halls of my Freshman year in highschool - a time when I really did give a damn of what people thought of me; a time when I was too self-conscious to even speak out loud... and a time when petty little things such as not being invited to some 'cool' kid's party labeled you an outcast or nerd.

I disliked and forgot those times... I reinvented myself in college and became such a success, that I don't need or want to remember anything of the sort. So why spend time on a social platform that does just that?

Useful applications:
Sure, there are a good number of resources connected to Facebook as well, such as groups for new parents, groups for food and wine enthusiasts, car enthusiasts, and networking groups. These resources could provide you with exposure and a good network of people, if you are starting up your own business or merely looking to stay on top of the latest trends.

There are also a few cool applications like, "Places I've visited", sponsored by TripAdvisor, where I can visually keep track of where I have been or where my friends have been. And, Yelp, where I can upload my latest restaurant reviews and extend those reviews to my Facebook network.

So there can be a useful and somewhat novel side to Facebook.

On Socializing:
Facebook however, is not an ideal substitute for the telephone and moreso face-to-face interaction. In fact, because you get the surreal feeling that you know where your friends are and what they are doing, you may treat a FB notification (e.g. poke, post, tag, etc.) as a false sense of personal interaction. This is unhealthy and detrimental to any relationships that you worked hard to establish.

Also remember, that Facebook makes it difficult to interact with just those people with whom you actually care to spend time with. Other people WILL find you. Yes, this includes those people who you may not want to find you; in which case FB becomes a great way to invite stalkers into your life. You know that weird trench-coat wearing kid always sitting in the back of the classroom or hanging out under the bleachers in the gym, or that freaky co-worker from your previous job that used to hang around you like a parasite? They WILL find you... unless of course you choose not to publish your school, real name, places of employment, associations, etc. In which case... noone will find you.

Guilt will keep you from declining that 'friend request' from a person in your past life that you did not really know and/or who didn't really know you. Why anyone other than a true friend would want to be on your friends list still puzzles me, but it happens. Some people seem anxious when their Friends list is hovering below 20 or so, thus compensating by adding and requesting friendships from you to the newspaper delivery guy.

Don't get me wrong though... there are many people from the past, with whom I was pleasantly surprised to receive a friend request from. And it's okay to just send along a casual, "What's going on with you... where have you been," message and periodically share updates. But what really annoys me is when people request you as their friend, and then never respond to your messages... I mean, what's the point??? Did you just want to peek into my life for gossip's sake? Were you just hoping to see that I wasn't more successful than you so you could brag about your accomplishments? Those people... I quickly removed from my Friend's list... two tears in a bucket (as one of my good buddies always says).

Employers on Facebook?

Overall the appeal of Facebook is dependent on your preference of use, but here are the pros and cons as I see them:

Pros:
Social Networking for start-up business owners and bloggers has high potential
Re-connecting with old friends and keeping in touch even if marginally, is nice
The knowledge base shared on Facebook is valuable if you can find it
If you're an old fart, you're hip factor may be increased by a few points, since you can say that you are on Facebook

Cons:
-Stupid applications are abundant and make you feel obliged to honor a friend's challenge or invitation
-Friends may embarass you... if you're not careful and diligent to check on your daily notifications, your 'friends' may post unappealing or inappropriate pictures that include you, or may make some idiotic comment that may incriminate you or air out your dirty laundry.
-Employers who have a presence on Facebook make it less fun for those employed... Big Brother is watching!
-You may attract stalkers if you're not careful.
-And finally, your time will be ultimately wasted if you're sucked into the hype.

So is Facebook overhyped? Personally, I think it is... until more discipline goes around which applications to include in Facebook, it seems like just another venue for procrastination and hyperreality.

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Posted By: Vincent Aceling - Category: Technology

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Frustrated with your job and need to vent? Here's a good place...

August 12th 2008 18:20

Hulk SMASH!

I knew the title of this post would intrigue the lot of you… so let me just get to it and say that www.jobvent.com is one of the best sites out there that allows you to peek into the closets of many well-known, as well as not-so-well-known organizations. Let me know if you find any skeletons.

What makes the website so refreshing is the bluntness of so many employees or ex-employees, who want to tell the reader how it really is. No doubt, there are many ‘disgruntled’ comments that should be taken with a grain of salt, but the perceptions still provide the reader with deeper insight into an organization, other than the colorful, hoorah, pamphlets and propaganda regularly dished out by human resources or a company’s marketing team.

The website itself is easy to navigate and allows you to search for a company’s name, or search by letter. What I find more satisfying than the negative commentary is also a positive side – the website’s splash page displays a 2-column table, appropriately labeled: “I Love My Company”, and “I Hate My Company”. So… the website gives readers a chance to cite the good and bad of a company, thus making it a bit more objective.

In its disclaimer, the webmaster mentions that his impetus for creating the website was his frustration at the lack of ‘venting’ forums out there on the Internet – especially since he too had a lot to say about a former employer. More power to him… I say! There are also certain posting rules that the webmaster includes in his FAQ section. They are as follows:

1) You must enter enough comments to adequately justify your ratings.
2) Don't use profanity.
3) DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPS.
4) Specify the real location where you work, in "City, State" format. Responses such as "anywhere" or "every office" will be removed
5) Do not personally attack anyone, or mention anyone by name or initials.
6) Do not rate a company more than once (if we see a trend across reviews they will be removed)

7) And finally…”You DO NOT talk about Fight Club”. (Okay, so this one was added by me in jest.)

And, while many of you are thinking, ‘Can’t someone get sued for libel upon posting a negative review,” the webmaster adds this little note:

“We don't think so. What is important to remember is the things posted on this site are the opinions of those people who posted them. No employer reviews or comments are written by anyone associated with JobVent.com or Arlington Development, LLC. The only editorial function utilized by JobVent.com administrators is "DELETE" when someone points out a review that is inappropriate or a review that violates our rules.

JobVent.com supports the Electronic Frontier Fondation, an organization who's purpose is to protect your rights in an increasingly digital world.”

Now… you can decide for yourself if that statement holds enough water or not… but if you must post, I advise you to follow the posting rules stated above, remain objective and try not to bring too much emotion into your review (otherwise, most readers may dismiss you as just another disgruntled, laid-off, ex-employee), and make sure not to divulge any sensitive information… no matter how much you have been wronged!

For those of you who enjoy the freedom of Internet voyeurism… feast your eyes! There are plenty of reviews being added every day. After all, venting is a form of cheap therapy… and cheap therapy is available to anyone with a computer.

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