My dearest Furious,

My recent release from employment has allowed me ample opportunity to
ponder life's little puzzles. I turn my fury to one such problem this
morning: crowdsourcing.

Last I heard, Crowdsourcing was a cool "2.0"-style name for a work
pattern with which we're all familiar, namely cooperation. I think the
pundits would be quick to quip that the novelty lies in _where_ the
work is done: at the core of a business's or individuals's product. In
other words, Crowsourcing allows one to amass volumes of input with
variable value and focus that firehose of product on the fire du jour.
This is innovative. This is new. And this is a fad.

Those who espouse the 'new economy' graduated along with those who
proffered Credit Default Swaps, DotCom 1.0, and Social Networking.
Good things are born in the worst of situations, to be sure, but I am
not sure that anyone should outsource the design of a core product or
process. Those who believe in design by committee should take another
look at the sprawling planned communities in the south and mid-west;
the samey, bland tracts of shoddy abodes the stretch from shore-to-
shore embody the spirit of 2-3 architects, 10-20 HOA members, 1-2
developers, countless City and County interests, and no single,
unifying philosophy. Unless you think that better, faster, cheaper is
the only innovation that will matter in the _next_ 200 years.

Be well. Be strong.
Be Furious.

Sent from my iPhone

Microsoft's Blue Period: Codename "Azure"

I read a handful of blogs on a daily basis - my "Daily News" is not an amalgam of CNN, BBC, NYTimes, or similar; my daily reading is chosen based on my daily hunger for inspiration, design, creativity, and excellence in the field of technology.

And so I was IM'ing with a friend who was at PDC. We talked a bit about Microsoft's cloud strategy (link to ProgrammableWeb - a fantastic all-around dev/MashUp/API resource). Or rather _he_ talked about it and I listened in the kind of silence that belies my unusually tenacious skepticism in all things "new" or "innovative". This is an EVOlution, not a REVOlution. Which brings me to the point of this entry:

Microsoft is innovating in areas most people are ignoring. The XBox is an incredible media center with few security issues, a (relatively) reliable hardware and software platform (their responsive support went a long way toward addressing the RRoD issues). Where is that kind of innovation with Cloud Services?

Where is the layman's ability to join data streams, or create small applications?

Where is Hal?

My Furious Faithful Fashionistas

Remember,

When Online Bullying of Bureaucrats Becomes A Constitution-Bashing Bonanza

Check this out:
Kentucky Lawmaker Wants to Make Anonymous Internet Posting Illegal - Video - WTVQ 36 - Lexington, Kentucky

Okay, I know...I can't ask you to read this post and proceed to push another publication down your throat.  Here's the skinny: some thin-skinned politician (a playfully ironic paradox in itself), Kentucky Representative Tim Couch, decided that anonymous comments should be made illegal.  Because, apparently, some people didn't like him.  And posted just that.  And it hurt his "feelings."  Now, while I'd like to lounge in my Lair of Fury and laugh at the reckless wielding of legislative leverage, I must be honest:

There is an increasingly-disturbing, ever-widening circle of circumspect principalities controlling the dissemination and cultivation of information.

Be vigilant, my Furious followers.  Like many before you, the foothold of your freedom is infirm; fight the forces of  fearful affect on the digital domain we call the Internets.

Be Well.  Be Strong.

Be Furious.

Exchanging Privacy for a Purpose-Driven Page of Providers

According to PageOnce, you can have "your internet, your way"
PageOnce to Put All Your Online Accounts in One Place

Image derived from: http://www.illuminati-news.com/2007/0814a.htm

The last time I looked, "my internet" was a loosely-knitted myriad of mangled, multilateral matrices masquerading under the misleading moniker of "Social Networking". Promising a productivity pick-me-up in the mold of a "mash-up" in these latter-Web-2-Point-Oh days of merriment and DOT-COM-esque mismanagement of venture capital is bound to capture the rapt attention of someone willing to trade privacy of one's personal profile and financial information for a few extra minutes' porn-surfing.

So, what is the service like? I refuse to sign up. "But you are The Fury!" you say. Well, let's take a look at PageOnce's privacy policy-for-dummies.

Information below is copied directly from PageOnce's public policy. Copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

"PageOnce keeps you secure

PageOnce adheres to the highest standards in security in order to keep your data private and secure. We work to bring you a great service, with the peace of mind that your information will be protected.

We recognize that security is an important issue for you.

• We never require information that connects you to your accounts. All PageOnce needs is your e-mail. You can be as anonymous as you want.
• We adhere to industry standards and are certified by TRUSTe, HackerSafe and VeriSign
• Your data is yours. We never share it with anyone"

First thing's first: the Furious must forego the falacy of willful, recalcitrant ignorance of current US wiretapping policies. Your e-mail address, your website registration, your IP address, all internet traffic, and your Social Security Number are all tied together. In fact, Comcast is happy to charge your US Goverment to wiretapp all Internet activity for which you are paying monthly. Call it an additional revenue opportunity.

Second: TRUSTe, HackerSafe, and VeriSign have been granted unlimited freedom from liability in their ratings. VeriSign is the ONLY recognized root security certificate provider...in perpetuity. Globally. HackerSafe sells security services while it decides how, when, and to what extent vulnerabilities are assessed and disseminated. Oh, and they partner with Microsoft. Microsoft, as we all know, protects the public's privacy from our Government...and then gives in. Google does not. But I digress.

Regardless of where you stand, screw your Fury to the sticking place. Think again - is convenience the new Con when it comes to corporate collusion with Congress?

Be Well. Be Strong.

Be Furious.

Hunting and Gathering 2.0 - Fear and Social Networking

To the Furious:

After spending a fair few hours foraging on the World Wide Interwebs, I have found a fearful fad, a treacherous trend intent on threatening the thoughtful interactions that have helped our "2.0" of the Web - something I'm going to call "Hunting and Gathering 2.0."  The rest of the technorati gabble-on with great gusto about "Social Aggregation," so let's dive deep into the disturbing topic:


According to a January 2008 article in Complete, social networking users are members of more than one meaningless mangle of social sites with painfully punctilious and precise purposes:
"The Compete article provides some interesting data points (January 2008):
-64% of Facebook members also belong to MySpace (MySpace has nearly three times the unique visitors of -Facebook and a few years head start);
-Bebo, Hi5 and Friendster all share more than 49% of their members with MySpace;
-LinkedIn shares 42% of its members with Facebook and 32% with MySpace."

So let's take a tired moment to tarry in the tenement of the most magnanimous movements; let's list the largest social networking sites (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites).  But first, consider the far-reaching ramifications that regular use of these insidious sites might have on this fleeting, fast-paced fantasy we call "Life."

I am going to go out on a limb and say: "Monetization of private, personal information has been limited to various Viagra-related advertisement.  The real value of social networking to trends among the "hoi polloi" is obvious to the Cool Hunters and trend-setters - find the bell curve of cool and move toward the edges that show a growing, organic gathering with an exponential regression and exploit it."

Add to the list below "Lifestrea.ms", "Jaiku", and social browsers such as "Flock", and you can see Web 3.0's infancy - the emergence of social intelligence through a careless caterwal of contagious behaviours known as LifeStreams, Social Aggregation, and social sharing.

Does anyone want to explore adding oneself to ALL of the below sites?  What would happen to your personal privacy and pervasive persona, its public visibility all but a thing of the past?  Who's with me?

As always, my Furious:
Be well.  Be Strong.

Be Furious.

List of Social Networking Sites

Name	Description/Focus	Registered users	Registration
Advogato	Free and open source software developers	&&&&&&&&&&011000.&&&&&011,000	Open
ANobii	Books	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
aSmallWorld	European jet set and social elite	&&&&&&&&&0150000.&&&&&0150,000	Invite-only
Badoo	General, Popular in Europe	&&&&&&&012500000.&&&&&012,500,000	Open to people 18 and over
Bebo	General, Popular in UK, Ireland, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands	&&&&&&&040000000.&&&&&040,000,000	Open to people 13 and over
BlackPlanet	African-Americans	&&&&&&&016000000.&&&&&016,000,000	Open
Broadcaster.com	Video sharing and webcam chat	&&&&&&&026000000.&&&&&026,000,000	Open
Buzznet	Music and pop-culture	&&&&&&&&&0550000.&&&&&0550,000	Open
Cake Financial	Investing	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Capazoo	General (blogs, photos, music, videos)	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
CarDomain	Car enthusiasts	&&&&&&&&01600000.&&&&&01,600,000	Open
Care2	Green living and social activism	&&&&&&&&08123058.&&&&&08,123,058	Open
Classmates.com	School, college, work and the military	&&&&&&&040000000.&&&&&040,000,000	Open
Consumating	"Consumeetings"	&&&&&&&&&&021000.&&&&&021,000	Open
CouchSurfing	Hospitality	&&&&&&&&&0402000.&&&&&0402,000	Open
Cyworld	Young South Koreans	&&&&&&&021200000.&&&&&021,200,000	Open
Dandelife	Collective narratives or "shared biographies"	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Dodgeball	Mobile location-based service. Owned by Google.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
DontStayIn	Clubbing (primarily UK)	&&&&&&&&&0333000.&&&&&0333,000	Open
Experience Project	Life experiences	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Facebook	General. Popular in Canada, UK, USA and New Zealand.	&&&&&&&062000000.&&&&&062,000,000	Open to people 13 and older.
Faceparty	General. Popular UK.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open to people 16 and older.
Flickr	Photo sharing	&&&&&&&&04000000.&&&&&04,000,000	Open (Yahoo! login)
Flixster	Movies	&&&&&&&036000000.&&&&&036,000,000	Open
Fotolog	Photoblogging	&&&&&&&012695007.&&&&&012,695,007	Open
Friends Reunited	School, college, work, sport and streets	&&&&&&&019000000.&&&&&019,000,000	Open
Friendster	General	&&&&&&&050000000.&&&&&050,000,000	Open
Frühstückstreff	General	&&&&&&&&&&011600.&&&&&011,600	Open
Gaia Online	Anime and games	&&&&&&&&09300000.&&&&&09,300,000	Open
Gather	Article, picture, and video sharing, as well as group discussions	&&&&&&&&&0450000.&&&&&0450,000	Open
Geni.com	Families, genealogy	&&&&&&&&&0750000.&&&&&0750,000	Open
Grono.net	Poland	&&&&&&&&01350000.&&&&&01,350,000	Invite-only
GuildCafe	Online games	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
hi5	General. Latin American and Asian teens.	&&&&&&&098000000.&&&&&098,000,000	Open
Habbo	General. Over 31 communities worldwide. Chat Room and user profiles.	&&&&&&&086000000.&&&&&086,000,000	Open to people 13 and older
Hospitality Club	Hospitality	&&&&&&&&&0328629.&&&&&0328,629	Open
Hyves	Most popular Dutch social network, especially for students	&&&&&&&&05000000.&&&&&05,000,000	Open
imeem	Music, Video, Photos, Blogs	&&&&&&&016000000.&&&&&016,000,000	Open
IRC-Galleria	Finland	&&&&&&&&&0465000.&&&&&0465,000	Open
iWiW	Hungary	&&&&&&&&03100000.&&&&&03,100,000	Invite-only
Jaiku	General. Owned by Google.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Joga Bonito	Football (soccer). Owned by Google.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
LibraryThing	Book lovers	&&&&&&&&&0214425.&&&&&0214,425	Open
LinkedIn	Business	&&&&&&&017000000.&&&&&017,000,000	Open
LiveJournal	Blogging	&&&&&&&012900000.&&&&&012,900,000	Open (OpenID)
LunarStorm	Sweden	&&&&&&&&01200000.&&&&&01,200,000	Open
MEETin	General	&&&&&&&&&&072000.&&&&&072,000	Open
Meetup.com	General	&&&&&&&&02000000.&&&&&02,000,000	Open
MiGente.com	Latinos	&&&&&&&&03600000.&&&&&03,600,000	Open
Mixi	Japan	&&&&&&&&09830000.&&&&&09,830,000	Invite-only
MOG	Music	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Multiply	"Real world" relationships	&&&&&&&&07500000.&&&&&07,500,000	Open
MyChurch	Christian Churches	&&&&&&&&&&070306.&&&&&070,306	Open
MyHeritage	family-oriented social network service	&&&&&&&020000000.&&&&&020,000,000	Open
My Opera Community	General (blogs, photo albums, forums, groups, etc.)	&&&&&&&&01001798.&&&&&01,001,798	Open
myYearbook	General	&&&&&&&&&0950000.&&&&&0950,000	Open
MySpace	General. Popular in the USA, UK and Australia.	&&&&&&0217000000.&&&&&0217,000,000	Open
Netlog	Formerly known as Facebox.	&&&&&&&028000000.&&&&&028,000,000	Open
Nexopia	Canada	&&&&&&&&01158531.&&&&&01,158,531	Open
Odnoklassniki.ru	General. Popular in Russia	&&&&&&&&08000000.&&&&&08,000,000	Open
OkCupid	Social networking and dating	&&&&&&&&&0800000.&&&&&0800,000	Open
orkut	Owned by Google. Popular in Brazil and India.	&&&&&&&067000000.&&&&&067,000,000	Open (Google login)
OUTeverywhere	Gay	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Passado	General	&&&&&&&&04700000.&&&&&04,700,000	Open
Passportstamp	Travel	&&&&&&&&&&012000.&&&&&012,000	Open
Phanfare	Family photo and video sharing	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Plaxo	Business	&&&&&&&015000000.&&&&&015,000,000	Open
Playahead	Swedish teenagers	&&&&&&&&&0530000.&&&&&0530,000	Open
Pownce	Websites, files, and short updates	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
ProfileHeaven	British teens	&&&&&&&&&0100000.&&&&&0100,000	Open
RateItAll	General (consumer ratings)	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Reunion.com	Locating friends and family, keeping in touch	&&&&&&&028000000.&&&&&028,000,000	Open
Ryze	Business	&&&&&&&&&0250000.&&&&&0250,000	Open
Searchles	Social search and networking	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Sconex	American high schools	&&&&&&&&&0500000.&&&&&0500,000	Open
Sermo	Physicians	&&&&&&&&&&040000.&&&&&040,000	Open only to registered D.O.s and M.D.s in the U.S.A.
Shelfari	Books	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Soundpedia	Music	&&&&&&&&03500000.&&&&&03,500,000	Open
Sportsvite	Recreational sports	&&&&&&&&&&018000.&&&&&018,000	Open
Stickam	Live video streaming and chat.	&&&&&&&&01305051.&&&&&01,305,051	Open
Student.com	International teens and colleges	&&&&&&&&&0850000.&&&&&0850,000	Open
StudiVZ	University students, mostly in the German-speaking countries	&&&&&&&&04000000.&&&&&04,000,000	Open
Tagged.com	General	&&&&&&&030000000.&&&&&030,000,000	Open
TakingITGlobal	Social action	&&&&&&&&&0145000.&&&&&0145,000	Open
TravBuddy.com	Travel	&&&&&&&&&0760000.&&&&&0760,000	Open
Travellerspoint	Travel	&&&&&&&&&0105000.&&&&&0105,000	Open
tribe.net	General	&&&&&&&&&0602876.&&&&&0602,876	Open
Twitter	Micro-blogging, RSS, updates	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Utterz	Micro-blogging, RSS, Audio updates via mobile device. Reads text messages over the phone.	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Vox	Blogging	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
WAYN	Travel and lifestyle	&&&&&&&&08000000.&&&&&08,000,000	Open to people 18 and older
WebBiographies	Genealogy and biography	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open
Windows Live Spaces	Blogging (formerly MSN Spaces)	&&&&&&&040000000.&&&&&040,000,000	Open
Wis.dm	Questions and answers about anything and everything	&&&&&&&&&&020000.&&&&&020,000	Open
Woophy	travel & photography, photo sharing website	&&&&&&&&&&023000.&&&&&023,000	Open
Xanga	Blogs and "metro" areas	&&&&&&&040000000.&&&&&040,000,000	Open
XING	Business	&&&&&&&&04000000.&&&&&04,000,000	Open
Yahoo! 360°	Linked to Yahoo! IDs	&&&&&&&&04700000.&&&&&04,700,000	Open to people 18 and older, (Yahoo! login)
Yahoo! Mash	Yahoo's new SNS - Still in beta	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Invite-only while in beta
Zooomr	Universal photo sharing	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-1.1000000 Unknown	Open (OpenID)

Looking for Legba - A dangerous crosswalk

To the Furious:

Be cautious out there; these, our crowded, crazy corridors of Ye Olde Neue York contain a great, godless gaggle of fattened geese - our neighbors in spirit and in fact - ready for an untimely demise at the death-dealing end of a darting, dodging taxicab.  I serendipitously stumbled upon this striking sapphire-and-silver siren for the sighted.  Behold, Legba has betrayed his beloved and given this crosswalk over to obfuscating oblivion.

If you find yourself fated to forge across this duplicitous and deceitful dead-end, take heed!

Be well.  Be strong.

Be Furious.  

I am The Fury...

...who the hell are you?

My friend gave me a new nickname, a new mission, and a new blog idea - The Fury.  I am tech support and IT guidance.  I unleash my knowledge in carefully-coordinated cacophonies of creative commitment to my corporation's cooperative conquest.  I'm a pro-am photographer and part-time musician.  And full-time lover.

This is the beginning, not the end.  To all of my Furious Fans: Be well.  Be Strong.

Be Furious.