Technical Tidbits™

Posts Tagged ‘barack obama’

In the U.S. today, we are celebrating a holiday called President’s Day.

According to Wikipedia, it’s a National holiday to honor George Washington’s birthday and over time has become a method of honoring all U.S. Presidents.

Aside from the fact that schools and government offices are closed, it’s a day that reminds us of our past and the founding of our great – albeit economically challenged – nation.

Ever since the race for the presidency and the historic election of Barack Obama as our new leader, we’ve seen a resurgence of patriotism. Many websites have cropped up asking citizens to rededicate themselves to their country and other citizens.

Well, this is my contribution to patriotism. I’ve developed a new category here called: Boycott. In this category I’m going to post articles dealing with companies that were founded in the United States or do business with U.S. consumers yet have un-American policies.

I don’t know about any of you, but I am sick and tired of companies that take money from the American consumer and send it elsewhere! I’m sick of being marketed to by liars and unethical businesses. I will no longer support businesses that do not support the American worker and English-speaking citizens.

There’s an old saying, “Money talks, Bulls#*t walks.”  Are you ready to take a stand with me and our other readers and put our money were our home is?

If so, then you will want to stay tuned to this category!

I’m also putting a permanent page of those companies on the boycott list and the links to our posts and others that support the reason we should boycott.

Thus far, I’ve mentioned Dell as a boycott since their decision to charge American’s for American support.

See: Is It Time to Boycott Dell?

And: Is It Time to Boycott Dell Part 2

I’ll be moving those posts into this category today.

And I’m adding a new company to the boycott list!

Good old born in the U.S.A. IBM! Yes, my friends, IBM!

In an article forwarded to me by a friend, John Murrell of blogs.siliconvalley.com has posted the following: Think of this layoff as your gateway to an exotic cross-cultural adventure

According to a document…..Big Blue has a program called Project Match that helps U.S. and Canadian workers whose jobs have been cut relocate to places where the company still has openings — specifically, developing markets like India, China and Brazil. “Should you accept a position in one of these countries,” the notice explains, “IBM offers financial assistance to offset moving costs, provides immigration support, such as visa assistance, and other support to help ease the transition of an international move.” The tradeoff? You have to be “willing to work on local terms and conditions,” living on the low wages that helped undercut the domestic job you just lost.

Excuse me? I could go on with yet another one of my rants, but the employees actually say it quite well in the article.

The employee advocacy group Alliance@IBM sees the program as a slap in the face to go with the push out the door, saying, “IBM is not only offshoring IBM U.S. jobs but they want employees to offshore themselves through Project Match.” The company, naturally, puts it in more positive terms. “It’s more of a vehicle for people who want to expand their life experience by working somewhere else,” said a spokesman. “A lot of people want to work in India.”

Maybe that’s not such a bad idea. Considering our economy is the toilet let’s just all move to India! And I’m not talking about just working there, let’s bail out on our citizenship here!  Then let’s see where the tax payer dollars come from to support the bailout! What do you think Pelosi? President Obama, what do you think? Does that sound like a good plan to you?

Yes, I’m being sarcastic but I cannot believe the audacity of some of these companies!

That all being said, Happy President’s day! Yea, right!

Someone on twitter the other day was really coming down hard on President-elect Barack Obama about his change of stance regarding the subject of net neutrality.

Before I address this issue fully, let’s take a step back and find out exactly what net neutrality truly is.

According to Google’s Guide to Net Neutrality page:

Network neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. The Internet has operated according to this neutrality principle since its earliest days. Indeed, it is this neutrality that has allowed many companies, including Google, to launch, grow, and innovate. Fundamentally, net neutrality is about equal access to the Internet. In our view, the broadband carriers should not be permitted to use their market power to discriminate against competing applications or content. Just as telephone companies are not permitted to tell consumers who they can call or what they can say, broadband carriers should not be allowed to use their market power to control activity online. Today, the neutrality of the Internet is at stake as the broadband carriers want Congress’s permission to determine what content gets to you first and fastest. Put simply, this would fundamentally alter the openness of the Internet.
(source: http://www.google.com/help/netneutrality.html)

As you can see, these are some serious issues. It really borders the free speech, first amendment rights in the U.S. and corporate control of content.

In the recent election, it became very evident which networks were pro Republican, pro Democrat, and the minority of Independent networks. But, even with their pro Republican or pro Democratic slant, we all have the option to turn off the station or the television. We still have the right to choose.

You also may have heard the recent news that Comcast was told by the FCC that they could not block users from torrent networks and downloads. Comcast’s solution was to cap bandwidth, albeit a generous one. But this kind of behavior undermines the net neutrality fundamentals by restricting access.

There’s also the counter argument that you need to monitor Internet access to protect people. Many in the Internet community consider this a lame attempt at control.

We’ve been teaching online users how to protect themselves for many years, and still feel that education is the greatest protection against Internet threats including identity theft, malware, and security breaches. So we do not condone, nor support any attempt to control the content or access to the Internet.

That being said, let’s get back to the Obama Administration and their stance on this issue.

The person that was ranting on Twitter about the Obama position referred me to an article dated September 23, 2008 where they cited the removal of an entire section on net neutrality from the Obama postion statement. (See: http://lirneasia.net/2008/09/barack-obama-gives-up-his-plans-for-%E2%80%98net-neutrality%E2%80%99/)

However, comments from other readers – and I have seen it – state that the entire paragraph is still contained in the downloadable Fact Sheet PDF available here: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/technology/Fact_Sheet_Innovation_and_Technology.pdf

Further, the brief statements made on the new website does not read like President-elect Obama will be against net neutrality. In fact, I think his revolutionary use of technology with the campaign and his upcoming Administration shows just the opposite!

Why would a President wanting to promote transparency in government and publish a website like change.gov only to restrict our freedom and rights? It just doesn’t hold water with me.

I’m not one to drink the koolaid of any particular conspiracy theory or belief system. I research and try to determine the facts and right now, the way I’m seeing it, the facts aren’t adding up to Obama being against net neutrality.

Further, if you read the entire Google page referenced above and read the Open Letter from Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, he is clearly for net neutrality.

Add to that the fact that Schmidt is part of Obama’s transition economic advisory board, I don’t understand how this could be translated into Obama being against net neutrality.

Only time will tell, but right now, I can’t be convinced that President-elect Barack Obama is a wolf in sheeps clothing on this subject. The proof just doesn’t add up.

One of my favorite television shows used to be the X Files and Mulder always would always say, “The truth is out there.” Many people want to believe – for whatever reason – that every thing is a huge conspiracy. Maybe I’m delusional in giving the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I’m totally wrong and Schmidt and our future president are really aliens who came here from UFO’s. I mean it is possible. I don’t dismiss anything really.

But I am a very rational person. Facts have to add up. And on this subject, they add up to the fact that our future president supports net neutrality. And I don’t believe in “poo-pooing” Eric Schmidt’s involvement with the transition. If I wanted to build an open, neutral, transparent government online, I’d certainly want Schmidt in my corner!

What do you think he’s going to do? I mean really? Maybe he’ll sell your saved web search data to the FBI or CIA? Okay, maybe that is possible! But hey, you’ve been warned buddy. I’ve tried to tell you over and over again about big brother. So if the Feds end up with your data, you can’t say I didn’t warn you! You gave it to them freely. You have no one to blame but yourself.

And yes, I include myself in that because I’m a heavy user of Google for searches, webmaster tools, gmail, and the like. I will not download their software or share any of my documents with them online, but I do use a lot of their other services. So, I’m up the creek with you.

Roald Dahl’s, Tales of the Unexpected (SYN/1979-81) would begin with a narration that said,

“A wise man believes only in lies, trusts only in the absurd, and learns to expect the unexpected.”

I’ve held onto that belief since I was a young adult watching that series. (And a special thanks to http://www.tvacres.com/begin_occult_MZ.htm for publishing that quote! I’ve been looking for the exact quote for years!)

What would surprise me in the new Administration is if our new president would finally tell us the truth about whether or not we have proof of alien visits! Now that’s what I’d call an open, transparent government! And I may find my real father since my mother said I was the product from outer space! (Yes, she really said that!)

So, go visit change.gov and see the statement on net neutrality and decide for yourself.

If you gain anything from our new President, let it be the tools to think for yourself! Now there’s a concept for America!

http://change.gov/agenda/technology/

Transparent Government! YES!

Finally! A President who embraces technology!

Yes, I knew President-Elect Obama used technology and the Internet in his campaign. But I didn’t think much further than that. You know what I mean?

I know. I joked repeatedly about Goolgizing the Federal Budget and getting tweets from the President, but I really didn’t think about it seriously. I never went that one step further now that he’s elected. I guess I was just relaxing in the knowledge that I wouldn’t have to suffer through any more sound bites about terrorists and Mavericks. AMEN!

But why did I underestimate this man! How could I underestimate this intelligent, inspiring, 21st century man who used the Internet to gather his forces and communicate! Why would I think that he would not be prepared for the win?

Shame on me!

Yesterday evening on Twitter, I received an awe inspiring link. A link that will forever change the course of our history. It will change the way we view and communicate with our government. He promised change and by God he’s delivering it!

The link? Here it is and go behold your new 21st Century Government!

http://change.gov

I know! I’m a sappy kind of gal but I’m in love! Enamoured! Feeling so positive that there is finally a Presidential Candidate who really delivers!

Hoover promised a “Chicken in every pot” and President-elect Obama is giving us “Internet in every corner of government!”

The link between Hoover and the phrase “a chicken in every pot” can be traced to a paid advertisement which apparently originated with the Republican National Committee, who inserted it into a number of newspapers during the 1928 campaign.
(Source: http://hoover.archives.gov/info/faq.html#chicken)

Words cannot adequately express the joy I’m feeling right now. I’m serious! This isn’t meant to be satirical by any stretch of the imagination!

I read the book and what I was hearing in the campaign was not what I had read. But now, now I’m seeing the real Barack Obama! The one I had hoped would win. The one from his book!

This book: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage)

Yes, I can see it coming. I can see the change already! And I wonder at what is yet to come for this is only the beginning!

Yes we can!

UPDATE! This just in from CNN as I write this! “Obama, McCain campaigns’ computers hacked for policy data” (Source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/06/campaign.computers.hacked/index.html?eref=rss_topstories)

President-elect Obama, if you need someone to secure the White House, MICE Training & Technology is ready, willing, and able to serve! How cool would that be? Anthony, are you ready?