Steven Mandzik

Do you know what commercial spam is?

No guessing needed, this term is pretty simple. It is the 30+ commercials you get for every 30 minutes of tv viewed. Of course, those 30 commercials are not new and unique they are the same ones, over and over again. If you watch an hour of tv then it is doubled.

Next, throw in the commercials that are local and usually lower quality. Add-in the unspoken agreement to run commercials all at the same time, so you can’t avoid them. Finally, to top it off, the increased volume of the commercials (sorry, doesn’t relate to spamming, but it still annoys!).

To me that rings of the word spam, but let’s do some research to determine this:

• Spamming is the abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages. [1] (wikipedia)
• Spam: To send (a message) indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups. [2] (answers.com)
• Spam: Unsolicited usually commercial e-mail sent to a large number of addresse. [3] (miriam-websters)

Yep, it fits. A few exceptions could be made because it is not sent through email and somebody could argue that commercials are solicited.But, really, tv sends out commercial spam.

I’m serious, here is the weekend update explaining all:

Listening to the Buzz out Loud podcast I heard a news snippet about the newest Air Force command called Cyber Command. This thing has been in the works for a while but is now official after the ceremony on Nov 2, 2007:

“During a media conference here…Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne said the 8th Air Force would become the new Air Force Cyberspace Command. “ [1]

The new command will be made up of “appropriate” folks from across the Air Force (read:brush up your web skills and resumes).  Thy also announced plans to develop educational plans for cyber work, which I would love to see. And, it looks like the location of the command is still up in the air, with Barksdale, AZ and Shreveport, LA competing for the big bucks.

I also took a look at the speech made by Security Wynne on that day, here are some interesting points:

• “I want to discuss with you today a subject I regard as extremely critical: the Freedom of Cyberspace.”
• This one kinda made me laugh, citing another official: “attempts of hackers, “Cyber-vigilantes”, terrorists, and even hostile nation-states to degrade our Fighting Networks” (on the internet?)
  
• “The Mission of the Air Force is to … fly and fight in Air, Space and Cyberspace”
• “Persistent, lethal, overwhelming Air, Space and Cyberspace power massed and brought to bear anywhere, anytime.” (whoa, scary!)
• “The capital cost of entry into the Cyberspace Domain is low”
• “the “Information Mosaic” — the whole data net, analog and digital; pixels and composites images; from all sensors that can be collected and downloaded and crossloaded for use by all in the Fight.”

There is much more but I dont have time to read and summarize the whole speech. I would recommend reading it as it is very interesting and contains a pretty cool video and some serious discussions about fighting the cyber threat.

P.S. And, yes I would want to work at this place…if it is built right.

Finally got invited into hulu.com and I love it! Check out this video:

A shameless reposting 🙂

“Wales believes simplicity is key to building an intuitive social network website. Which is why sites like Wikipedia and Facebook work so well in the social community. With a recent Wikia-Facebook like screenshot making its way through the web, will Wikia become like Facebook? No. Wales explains that they are working on an open source free license search engine that could launch in December.”

Watch the Video from the Giga Om Show

“I want to thank you people because you had given us the laptop and I love it so much.” – note from a child in third world

 

It is an exciting time right now for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program. The momentum is beginning to reappear and personally I feel excited to be a part of this. For those of you keeping tabs on this, new to the program, or just looking to learn I have culled together some great new pieces. Continue reading “One Laptop Per Child: news, wiki, and “first day” donors”

Citibank is one of the largest, most well respected banks in the world. All across the internet, experts would recommend their services. They have plenty of great offers, the most atm locations of any major bank, and online banking. Too bad, they couldn’t figure out the internet…

Let me air some dirty laundry. Specifically, three very annoying features (one kinda humorous one) that have turned me off to Citibank.

First, Citibank, why do you send me a letter, every month in snail-mail to notify me that my paperless bill is ready. So, lets get this straight. I sign-up for paperless statements and then you send me a paper statement to let me know I have a paperless statement. They do this every month, I am not kidding. I get this letter every month, I even took a picture of it (on right). Here is the wording in the letter: “This notification is part of the All-Electronic Program you enrolled in to receive your statements online only instead of in the mail”.

(laughing now)

So, as part of my “all-Electronic” statements that are “online only” they still send me a letter. Stupid, Citibank mean what you say!

Second issue with Citibank, their site stinks. No other way to put it. I mean, on the positive side, it does most of what I need it to do. Beyond that it is horrible. No clear organization of where the necessary tools are. Intuitiveness, readability, and sophistication are just completely thrown out of the window. Seriously, the entire thing looks like a crappy piece of white paper. I am not kidding, it even has this old school ledger for your statement that is all black & white. It looks like something that elementary school students would use to do online banking. Citibank is that what you think your customers are, 7 years old?

Third and final issue. They are considered one of the best online banks and they stink! Yes, their are some nice services, like a cash incentive for signing up and a good savings rate. Great, so how hard is it to get online banking right? Is it possible that the cash incentive comes from the fact that they have no staff for the website, only a pet monkey throwing html on a page? I have been doing online banking for almost a decade now and this is sad. I feel like I am regressing. The best banking site I ever had was with a small credit union in California. I hope that Citibank, and the many other guilty parties (you know who you are!), start investing a little time and money in site design, usability, and improving their online services. Seriously, the web is the future of your business and how are handling your future?

Another frustrated customer, with a paperless, paper statement, who will be switching banks soon. E-trade I hope you pass the test…

So here I am sitting inside, its cold and rainy outside. There are fires blazing all over my hometown (1). The condo is quiet and the puppy is happy.

I am having flashbacks to Edward Norton in fight club, you know the scene where he has the perfect little apartment but he hates it. That’s how I feel. The normal life seems to be getting to me. I need a vacation, or rather, I need a life change. It feels like life is just becoming a blur of work, school, and fun. How could that be bad?

I love my job, I like my school, I have great friends, a good family, and I even have a new love interest. She is so great. Karen you have provided me with feelings and comfort that I have never felt before. Still….

Nothing seems to help. I tried all of the old tricks: something warm, something sweet, something wet, something cute, writings, poems, puppies, movies, sleep, laughter. Normally, one or two of those and I am good to go. This one is different though. It’s not like the others in that I don’t normally feel this lost. I actually enjoy my depressions, they are a recalibration, a slow down, and a casual refresh on life.

Weird thing is though…I am enjoying this one too. It just feels lower or stronger or strongly different than most. I am resisting the urge to “figure it out” though. I have found that there is nothing worse I can do to myself than force a resolution. My body and soul are pushing something out here and I want to be in touch with it. The natural course is best.

Well, thanks blog you are my memory, my thoughts, my life. It feels good to write to you. Here is one more for the ghost in the machine.

Its Halloween! Yes.

I <3 Halloween.

Of course, I waited until the last week to figure out my costume. But, many intertronic hours later I found my niche. I am a nerd and so I want to dress up like one. Revenge of the nerds style…remember these guys?

Louis Skolnick, Gilbert, Booger, & Poindexter, Harold, Lamar, Toshiro. They are Rad!

I am going to rock some nerd outfit. I am thinking a skinny black emo suit with a bow tie, large dorky glasses, suspenders, and some rad hair-doo.

What do you all think? Anyone wanna be a wingman Gilbert, Booger, or Poindexter?

I know that the lady friend is going to be a Bumble-Bee and my brother’s friend is going to be Burt Reynolds…haha

What you gonna be?

Nerd Dancing

the cutest nerd row

Did you realize that? I didn’t…

I decided to do some research on this topic after being inspired from a few interesting comments. I was watching a video from Google Talks, their author series. This one was by Cory Doctorow and the comments were that (1) we are living in the Information Age (2) and we are handicapping technology users in America.

I guess I never really thought about what “age” I am living in, who does?

Continue reading “We are living in the Information Age?”