Web 2.0

You have probably heard the phrase "Web 2.0" thrown around a lot.  Its used frequently by the tech-savvy to describe a trend in technology that has grown ever more prominent since the rise of the internet - particularly in the last five years or so.


Wikipedia defines Web 2.0 as:

A term associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumers) of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. 

Web 1.0, therefore, represents a time when websites were generally used to throw information out there, to be retrieved by anyone who wanted it.  Today, users and creators are one and the same.  It no longer takes a tech or an IT department to create a website, build a blog, or publish a video.  As users became creators, the line between the two has blurred such that most current websites are interactive.  Sites have surveys, forms, games, etc. that allow users to both receive and send information, interacting with a dynamic webpage.  At the very least, a good many of the companies with a grounded web presence offer links to social networking sites like Facebook or LinkedIn in an effort to engage users.  Engaged users are not only more likely to keep coming back, but they can help you to continually adapt the site to bring in more users.


This give and take of information and ideas is key in the world of online business, building a web presence, and even politics.  Social media and Web 2.0 have molded our world in ways subtle and obvious.  It was not terribly long ago that Twitter helped civilians coordinate a revolution in Egypt, after all, and though some claim Web 2.0 is a fad, this seems to me to be more of an evolution.

Thunderbolt!

Thunderbolt (originally codenamed Light Peak) is an interface for connecting peripheral devices to a computer via an expansion bus.  (Wikipedia)

Thunderbolt was explained to me as being the replacement for the USB.  It is a technology that allows super high speed transfer of data, which can also be daisy-chained between multiple devices.

With the 10 Gbps performance of Thunderbolt products you can (Per Intel)

• Transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds
• Backup 1 year of continuous MP3 playback in just over 10 minutes

This technology was developed by Intel, and brought to market through collaboration with Apple.  This technology allows transfer of nearly all types of data.  You can daisy chain up to six devices by connecting them one to the other, and connecting to devices of various levels of performance will not slow the performance of any of the faster devices.

Check out the following links for more info:

Downsides to Thunderbolt

Make Tech Easier

Why we love the internet

The internet.   The tubes.  The interblag.  The bloggosphere.  The webnet.  The intertubes.  The webberblog.  The blagonet.

From Wikipedia:

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking technologies. The Internet can also be defined as a worldwide interconnection of computers and computer networks that facilitate the sharing or exchange of information among users. The Internet carries a vast range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to support electronic mail.

It goes by many names, but what is the internet to you?

A way to connect

• Sharing pictures with your family, see your grandkids decorating the Christmas tree that day.
• Getting recipes or tips from message boards, any time night or day.
• Ordering prescriptions for pick up from the comfort of your couch and getting a notification on your phone when they're ready.
• Paying bank statements online
• Shopping online
• Playing games from World of Warcraft to Cribbage.
• Catching up on reading - ebooks are cheap and accessible almost anywhere
• Chat with friends on the other side of the country (My pen pal is in Washington state)
• Learn!  There's so much information out there!

What do you use the internet for?

The Case for Homeschool

Pros:

• (relative) Freedom from regulation
• A curriculum adapted to suit each child's needs
• The ability to focus on a child's passions, keeping them focused
• Focus improved by lack of distractions
• The ability to impart knowledge outside of "school" - ethics, values, etiquette, etc... that often is left out at public schools
• Religion to be incorporated - or not - at the discretion of the parent
• Improved test scores in many cases
• Sheer flexibility of program and scheduling
• Studies show that homeschoolers grow up to be more self-confident and less peer-dependent (and therefore less likely to give in to peer pressures)

Cons:

• Increased cost, still less than private school - Homeschooling is not generally government funded
• Loss of income - one parent is home at all times, and therefore not generally working (or working much less)
• The loss of "grown up time" for a parent that is at home with children at all times
• Lack of regulated standards (a societal concern)
• Possibility of unmonitored child abuse (societal concern) - there is no evidence of a higher risk than in public institutions

Sources: Wikipedia, Homeschool.com

Chin up - look for ergonomic technology

Are you reading this on a computer, smartphone, or tablet?  If it is a computer, is it a desktop, laptop, or netbook?

Studies consistently show that chronic back and shoulder pain is on the increase.  The culprit is likely the increased use of technology.  Specifically, it is the increasingly mobile technology that is causing the problem.  Poor posture pulls your body out of its correct alignment.  Even five, ten years ago, posture was better and related chronic pain was less common.  This is because as America tranwsitions to more mobile solutions like laptops, netbooks, and tablets, we crane our necks further and further.  Desktops, while not perfect, at least put the screen closer to eye-level, reducing neck strain.

This is not to say that one shouldn't use these technologies;  the trick is to use the with awareness.  Pay attention to your posture.  Make a point of getting up and walking around every hour or so.  Physical activities and stretching can also help.

If all else fails, try a more ergonomically correct office arrangement - a better chair, better keyboard, a mouse that fits better, or maybe a monitor stand/riser to bring the screen up to eye level.

Where Tablets Fall Flat

Today I stumbled across an interesting article about iPads, which I rather agreed with. These are fun little toys, and work great for casual surfing on the go. You can even check your email, if you use a compatible account.

There are downsides aplenty, of course. The most discussed short-fallings are things like lack of Flash support, or sheer adaptability. Flash is necessary to many web applications like video. iPads come with iOS and are strictly regulated, as far as things like compatibility with third-party applications, programs, and software. To make an iPad (or even iPhone) do many of the things Android tablets do, users must "jailbreak" them.

Leaving all the software short-comings aside, the obvious failing of an iPad -- or any tablet, for that matter -- is the lack of physical controls.

Like many users, I have been impressed with the predictive text software on an iPad. This makes it significantly easier to use. However, sometimes an otherwise innocuous typo, caused by the smoothness of the screen and less-than-Olympic level accuracy, is auto-corrected into something completely ridiculous. Oft-times, it is also difficult to navigate on a tablet due to some combination of the webpage or app you are looking at and the way the gestures are intended to work.

Although I am easily classified into the "digital generation" and grew up with technology, I also have to put myself in the "old-fashioned" camp that longs for a tactile keyboard for anything other than "casual" surfing.

Temper Tantrums

Today I was talking to some people about education and the topic of temper tantrums came up. With younger children, especially, this can be a trial for both parents and teachers. This can be an even tougher challenge when it involves children with special needs.

I found an interesting article about tantrums that suggested that by merely helping children to identify emotions, we can help them stay calm. When someone can not only recognize that they are getting upset, but also why, it becomes much easier to take a moment to put that feeling away and focus on something soothing.

In the same vein, but for a different reason, it helps if the people around, adults especially, make a point of noticing how a child is feeling.  The expression of empathy alone can make the difference.  Children who feel ignored are much more likely to act out.  That may seem like common sense, but so often its tempting to try to ignore something and make it go away.

Some other strategies for calming a child before the tantrum erupts include giving them space, avoiding stressful situations like hurrying, encouraging the to distract themselves with a physical activity or something they are very interested in, and suggesting deep breathing.