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Technology log

April 6 - I'm not sure what a typical technology log should look like, but for the most part, mine is pretty dull. If you take out the amount of time I spent on the computer, the only other electronic devices included the following: cell phone, toaster oven, TV, dishwasher, and microwave oven. I also used my car and a conventional oven, which seem as if they could be included on the technology list as well. There are a handful of items that I would consider technologies, but they don't completely fit the description listed (shower, faucets, toilet, i.e.

Online unreality

The distinction between reality and not reality has intrigued society for thousands of years. When I say society, though, I suppose I'm discussing only those individuals who actually want to discern the difference between the two, since it is readily apparent that a great deal of people rather enjoy the blur between the two worlds. In the past, "unreality" could be considered anything from a dream sequence to joining a secret cult to playing/cheering for your favorite sports team. However, with technology at the helm, we have another life available: one that is virtual.

The humanity (or inhumanity) of data

A few glaring items came to mind as I finished reading Roszak's "The Cult of Information:"

The American tradition of new tradition

What constitutes an American tradition? It probably depends on who you ask. When I think of traditions of this country, I think of baseball, apple pie, and freedom (not necessarily in that order ... ). Holiday traditions in the U.S. are a little easier to define, only because they are recognized by a large number of people who live here. Religious traditions can be seen in the same vain, although few religions were actually created in this country.

Which came first, the idea or the information?

We are to the midpoint in Theodore Roszak's "The Cult of Information," and up until now, I have experienced mixed emotions based on what I have read. On one page, I found myself thinking, "Yes!

From the Archive

The headline I thought I'd never write: People are LESS crazy

See that guy in the office next to you? He might be crazy, but he's not quite as crazy as he was a few years ago.

According to my extremely scientific Ultimate Crazy Survey, readers have decreased their craziness by almost three points, from 37 to 34.3. These results were determined by taking the square root of each participant's name, converted into ASCII values, multiplied by a factorial of Avogadro's Number, depending on what time zone you live in. Or maybe it was just by taking point totals from each question, I cannot remember.

Berners-Lee on the good and the bad of the World Wide Web

While it's easy to find numerous things wrong while surfing the Web today (popup ads, no consistency between how browsers work, a lack of sites devoted to applesauce), there's one man who has a right to throw in his qualms.

This man is Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web (trumpets should sound now, so turn up your speakers). From the Wikipedia, he is also the director of the World Wide Web Consortium, which oversees its continued development.

Be prepared

Hard hat. Check.

Two years' worth of provisions, including 80 cans of Spam and 72 cans of beans. Check.

Can opener. Definite check.

Before preparing for the upcoming Y2K crisis, make a short checklist of necessary items. Because the problems could last until the Y3K crisis, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Is anyone really buying into this? Is a modern computer, which was invented sometime in the mid '50s, really going to believe it went back in time? Even without a flux capacitor or Michael J. Fox's Delorean?

This is just annoying

What do the PGA Tour, "Full House," Michael Jackson and the IRS have in common? I mean, besides the obvious, that Bob Saget is the president of each of their fan clubs? If you said they all made the AmIAnnoying.com Most Annoying list, you were right, but you probably also peeked to figure that out.

Web companies fooled by the B.S. Generator

At a typical office job in the 21st Century, you are guaranteed to come into contact with a number of individuals who have no idea what they are talking about. Of course, that doesn't mean that they cannot pretend they are intelligent.

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