Two handycams do not equal one full camera.

I don’t know how I made it through the day before failblog, texts from last night, and fml.

But what’s more interesting is the effect these sites have had on my life. Not only do I blog about them, kick off meetings (long meetings with the right people) with a hilarious new video or photo, but now I’m starting to find them in real life (not just on the internetz).

Take for example a recent trip to San Antonio. While at a high school football game (I know) I turn around to see a double decker handycam camera operation.

Not one, but two. Two handycams do not equal one professional camera (sorry) but I did get a good laugh out of this operation.

While laughing (the non techies around me did not understand my fail reference and had not heard of fail blog!!!) a the situation, it made me realize a few things:

1) I need a new cell phone, ASAP so I can automatically send these sort of moments to the correct parties. Droid or iPhone? I may set up a poll on the blog and let you decide…

2) I really need to get out more, since so many of my jokes are based on youtube videos, failblog posts and stuff from my friends over at collegehumor.Not everyone spends as much time on their computer as I do, and I should really hide this information from strangers so I don’t get judged.

More fail to come. as soon as i sign offline…

While searching for the outfits found on the CW’s GossipGirl series (and also researching my new pair of lafont glasses), I found myself on a fashion blog called the Periodic Elements of Style (what a great name!).

Anyway, I stumbled upon Blogher-

Founded in February 2005 as a labor of love by three bloggers, BlogHer’s mission is to create opportunities for women who blog to pursue exposure, education, community and economic empowerment. Today BlogHer provides the number-one community for and guide to blogs by women, via annual conferences, a Web network (http://blogher.com), and an advertising network of more than 1,100 qualified, contextually targeted blog affiliates (http://blogherads.com). BlogHer Inc. is majority-owned by three co-founders and has backing from Venrock (http://venrock.com).

Needless to say, I was hooked. Even though I should have been in sleeping (3 AM here in Ohio), I had to sign up and get my blog on the site. I also want to attend one of the conferences (one is in NYC and the other is in San Francisco). So cool. You can even get a bloghership and they will waive the registration fee (believe it or not, you blog about the blogging conference and you get to attend for free.)

Sorry boys.

My cynical side sometimes takes over on New Year’s, when everyone is working on their resolutions. Sure, marketers, retailers, and businesspeople alike love this time where they can segment the market based on overused expressions of next year’s outlook instead of a more traditional method of segmentation (sounds a little harsh but you know it’s probably true).

Anyway, in the spirit of resolutions for the new year, I wanted to list the top resolutions as provided by USA.gov (and backed up by this article)

• Lose Weight
• Pay Off Debt
• Save Money
• Get a Better Job
• Get Fit
• Eat Right
• Get a Better Education
• Drink Less Alcohol
• Quit Smoking Now
• Reduce Stress Overall
• Reduce Stress at Work
• Volunteer to Help Others

Listing these reminds me of a bumper sticker on facebook (a new 3rd party application I recently added to my profile), where a mother is stating the statistical improbability of keeping a new year’s resolution. These are hilarious- almost remind me of the demotivators.

So I think what I’m trying to say is that a resolution should be to find a new resolution- something with a measurable metric, something specific to you that also combines some sort of solution into the problem at hand. Because when you think about it, if you don’t give yourself some sort of guideline for your goal, it’s nearly impossible to determine how successful you’ve been.

For example, my modified list is…

• Lose Weight by signing up for a fitness class I’m interested in twice a week. And attending.
• Pay Off Debt by paying more than the minimum payment on my credit cards each month. Oh and I will not sign up for any more credit cards
• Get a Better Job by networking with friends, attending conferences, improving my resume and interview skills.
• Eat Right by speaking with a nutritionist and determining a healthy eating plan (long term), and taking vitamins.
• Get a Better Education by looking into tuition reimbursement from my employer and researching night/weekend/online classes.
• Drink Less Alcohol by not carrying credit cards to the bar, and placing post-it notes on alcohol bottles reminding me of my goal.
• Quit Smoking Now by researching government funded programs (like New York state)
• Reduce Stress Overall >by learning to self-meditate.
• Reduce Stress at Work by cleaning up my work space, setting up meetings with boss/supervisor/manager to make a career improvement plan- what you can do to better yourself in your current job/position.
• Volunteer to Help Others by finding a friend with similar interests and signing up together.

Happy New Year! Best of luck with your goals, and never become “just a statistic.”

Although a few quotes were edited out because it came from someone who writes for the D.O. (oops)… I’m hoping that students will get something out of this article.

Check out the Article

As the fall semester ends, Syracuse University seniors are weighing possible post-graduation plans. Options are endless – anything from full-time employment, graduate school or even a year off.

Since time isn’t so open-ended, some knowledge in networking typically goes a long way. Debi Walker, assistant director at Center for Career Services, stresses the importance of taking advantage of the tech-savvy resources SU has to offer.

Walker explained new developments to Orangelink, SU’s online recruiting software, including switching to a new vendor and a partnership with CareerBuilder.com and how it will be easier for students to use this online tool.

If they don’t use additional resources, students “might be missing out on something really great,” she said.

“Networking is the still the best way to find employment opportunities,” said Tim Kalucki, Information Technology and Services vice president. The firm specializes in consulting and direct staffing with offices throughout the Midwest. He warns students that they need to differentiate themselves in today’s job market.

“If you’re not competitive and out there, you will get passed over,” he said. “It may not be your dream job, but look for a well-respected company. (Recent graduates) need experience and prove that they know how to work in a professional environment.”

Another way to network online is through blogs, which can provide a new perspective to job hunters. Blogs connect to one another by linking to thoughts of other bloggers, instantly creating a knowledge network accessible no matter where the user is located.

The business networking site LinkedIn can be used for online networking by anyone, and joining is free. The site is made up of more than 16 million people representing 150 industries. The Web site boasts that “more people have joined LinkedIn than live in Sweden.”

But it’s no Facebook. The New York Times’ blog Bits quoted LinkedIn Chief Executive Dan Nye explaining that the site is a “productivity tool to make professional people more effective,” unlike other sites, where “there is a lot of noise and interference.”

To find a blog that fits a specific topic, check out Technorati, a search engine devoted to blogs and social media. According to Technorati, which searches a database of more than 112.8 million blogs, there are 175,000 new blogs created every day.

Or, if generating your own content is more your style, create your own blog by signing up for free with Blogger, WordPress or Blogster, among others.

Kalucki, who works closely with college students and professionals to find life after graduation, stresses the need to publish one’s resume in cyberspace.”Put your resume out in as many areas as possible because you don’t know how it’s going to get picked up,” he said.

His company and many other third party recruiters utilize software that scans the Internet for key words.”Since on-campus exposure is limited, get your resume out there – on your home page, Monster.com and Craig’s list,” he said. “You want as many people to see it as possible.”

“Employers say that a lack of research is why students don’t get selected or interviewed,” Walker said. “You need to be prepared before talking to employers or you are cutting yourself short. The technology is there. You can even (research) at 3 a.m.”

Check out my blog at: http://techyness.com

It was the morning of September 19th, and I was on my way to meet and have a private Q&A with the Chief Justice of the United States of America. As I was walking across campus, i couldn’t help thinking how the chief justice would answer my question, which, i had a feeling, was going to be different than most he would receive that day. As one of the two chosen representatives from my home college, the iSchool at Syracuse, I wanted to ask something both cross-disciplinary but technology driven.

The basis for my question was from my recent work as an undergraduate research associate. I’ve been reading articles and playing on Second Life, and my questions just began to pile up. I knew that this September morning was my opportune moment to find out from the head of the legislative branch of the United States of America what his thoughts were on the subject.

My question went something like this: “My question relates to the CyberLaw and CyberEthics. Massive Multi Player (MMP) online games such as Linden Lab’s Second Life have been growing and gaining popularity around the world. These virtual worlds allow for the ownership of property as well as running virtual economies that trade real money based on an exchange rate. In your opinion, do you believe that laws from the physical world can be applied in these virtual worlds?”

In response, he said that a bill will probably be passed sometime in the future which would rule on what the guidelines for acceptable behavior. But he did reference the cases on virtual child pornography.

He was referring to the “2002 case that was later affirmed in 2004, deciding that previous prohibition of simulated child pornography under the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996 was unconstitutional.^[32] The majority ruling stated that “the CPPA prohibits speech that records no crime and creates no victims by its production. Virtual child pornography is not ‘intrinsically related’ to the sexual abuse of children.” (source: wikipedia).

This led me to do some independent research on the topic:

From a 2007 article found in the Columbus Dispatch:

“In attempting to put their arms around a quickly evolving area of technology and law, justices said the state’s ban on child pornography should stand even though it’s getting more difficult to distinguish real images from digital forgeries.

Images that are wholly faked, no matter how realistic, still are legal, justices said.

The unanimous decision appears to seek a middle ground in an area where technology, morals and the First Amendment collide.

Prosecutors still can bring charges against people who create or possess images that appear to depict children in sexual situations, and they must show beyond a reasonable doubt that an actual child is involved. But prosecutors do not need to produce the actual child or produce expert scientific testimony that the image is real.

Pictures that appear to be child pornography but actually are the handiwork of digital artists are not against the law. In coming to that conclusion, Ohio justices relied on a 2002 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that found that no children are harmed in making “virtual” child porn.” (end cited source).

Overall, in doing some research on the topic, I have come to realize that this is just the beginning. The future will lead us to other cases that will ask a similar question: if i can’t do it in the physical world, can it be done online? What are the loopholes- are images that look like children, and modeled after children not considered pornographic in nature?

I believe that cases that set a precedent on virtual behaviors will greatly impact the evolution of today’s digital societies and economies.

We’ve all watched “To Catch a Predator.”

Check out my blog at: http://techyness.com