step back in time

What were you doing with computers in 1981? Check out this TV spot on how the computers would change the newspaper industry.





Thanks to Mitch Joel for the link

Enjoy!

Five for Friday

Image via CrunchBase

Five for Friday:

1 - First up, a look back on 2008 and an outlook on spam for 2009.

... the only thing we can really say with certainty about 2009 is that spam and viruses will continue to be unpredictable. And given that uncertainty, virus detection and blocking technologies become even more important.

Read the full article with the behind the scenes look from Google's perspective here

2 - So you want to take your picture each day for some period of time. Wouldn't it be nice to have a web site to save those to? Wouldn't it be nice to get a reminder to take your picture if you hadn't already? Have no fear, that web site is already here: Daily Mug Shot

3 - Twitter has been all the rage recently but Facebook should not be forgotten.

You're looking at my first grade class, circa 1964. (Can you guess which one is me?) I haven't kept in touch with most of my first grade classmates, although I remember all their names. I hadn't thought about my first grade teacher, Mrs. Segal, in over 40 years until this weekend when she friended me on Facebook!

Okay, you can click through to see the picture Beth Kanter refers to and read the remainder of her story here

4 - Fund raising via Twitter and other social media outlets is a worthy news item.

Look out, the next reiteration of micro fundraising on Twitter is coming on February 12, 2009 and will combine online twitter fundraising with a groundswell of offline self organizing events. Called Twestival, Twitter users will meet up in over 100 plus cities to socialize offline, meet other Twitter users, enjoy some fun, have a few drinks, and raise money for charity: water.

You can click through to read the remainder of the posting that Beth Kanter put together here.

5 - And finally a graphical depiction of President Obama's inaugural address and the explanation on how it was completed. Well worth reading!

Her reflection about capturing Obama’s exact words brought to mind one of the challenges/questions I face when doing either text or visual summaries of group conversations. How important is individual recognition and ownership of the words? When are quotes essential and when does distillation add more. Clearly in this case there was a sole focus on Obama. But Brandy’s articulation of the point gave me food for thought.

Nancy White's posting is here

Brandy Agerbeck's original posting

What questions do you have?

If you wanted to know about social media, or Twitter, or blogging, what question would you ask?

I am looking to solicit some input to tune up my presentation on Blogging 101 for the NewBCamp 2009.

Add a comment or send me an email (shersteve at gmail dot com).

Thanks!


BTW - Info about NewBCamp 2009 can be found here.

Plowed recycle bins

Plowed recycle bins, originally uploaded by shersteve.

oops, the plow caught more than it was supposed to when it went by today

Leftovers - desired or ?

I added a posting to the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog today to help close out our month's theme on food and learning asking for what leftovers you look forward to, or despise?

You have my permission to click on over to read and join the discussion!

Clif Bar - 2 Mile Challenge

Clif Bar, a national leader in corporate sustainability, joins the National Teach-in as a partner. Forty Percent of Car Trips are within two miles of your home: Take Clif Bar´s Two-Mile Challenge and ride or walk instead! Check it out.

Clever commute will put you "in the know"

Clever commute will put you "in the know" no matter what amount of "snow" there is!

While the weather folks can't come to a consensus on how much we will get and when, it appears certain that a winter storm is coming to our area late Tuesday night through Wednesday.

If you are commuting into Boston, you should consider joining Clever Commute. In my experience commuting via the Franklin Line, Clever Commute beat the MBTA alerts most of the time.

How do you sign up?

Go to www.clevercommute.com => "Find your line" => Sign up

Be sure to respond to the confirmation mail to activate your account.

"great change is communal"

“We live in such an individualist culture today,” she said, “but great change is communal. The power of song is a vast instrument to draw people together and deliver a message. I think we need to take out our iPod earphones and begin to sing together again.”

Click trough to read the full essay at Patti Digh's 37Days here

NewBCamp - find out about blogging, podcasting, Twitter, etc.

It's been almost one year since the inaugural NewBCamp took place and there's another one coming up in Providence.

What is NewBCamp?
It is a gathering of people interesting in learning and sharing about the new social media tools; blogs, podcasts, video blogs, Twitter, etc.

What is in it for me?
If you are interested in learning about these tools, then this is the place for you. The focus is on the new user (i.e. newbie or NewB). You won't feel lost, you will be amongst those who are learning from those who are willing to share.

What does it cost?
It is very reasonably priced at only $10. Less than a movie!

What are the details?

When:

February 8, 2009 - 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Where:

Johnson & Wales

Pepsi Forum
8 Abbott Park Place
Providence, RI 02903

There's also a brand new website http://www.newbcamp.com . Explore the site, add comments and pages to the wiki, and sign up to give presentations!

NewBCamp is brought to you by two organizations - Free Geek Providence and SofT ICE at Johnson & Wales.

If you would like additional information, please feel free to contact me. I will be there at the Welcome/Registration Desk.

"but you can't eat it as it is!"

In the film, King Corn:

Ian and Curt start the spring by injecting ammonia fertilizer. The chemical promises to increase yields fourfold, fueling the mission of abundance laid out for them. Then it’s planting time, and with a rented tractor, Ian and Curt set 31,000 seeds in the ground in 18 minutes. Their seed has been genetically modified for high yields and herbicide tolerance, and when the seedlings sprout, Ian and Curt apply a powerful spray to ensure that only their corn will thrive on their acre.

The crop that thrives on the single acre will yield 5 tons of corn. Unfortunately, the corn that is grown is not something humans can eat without further processing. The corn is "feed corn" used to fatten cattle and to make high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The prevalence of HFCS in the food we eat is astounding.

The PBS website for King Corn provides a wealth of links for further reading. Michael Pollen's site is there as is the "The truth about HFCS" which is prepared by the Corn Refiners Association.

Spend the next couple of days looking at the labels of the foods you eat at home.

Find out what does not contain HFCS.

If something contains HFCS and that surprises you, please let me know.

Thanks!

Twitter follower mosaic

A little link love to thank all the followers!

If you find one (or more interesting here), click through to follow.




Kudos to Walter Higgins for the mosaic code!