Tuesday, February 16, 2010

I have always been a naive person. I'm pretty certain that my life will come to an end while I'm trying to "help" a hapless hitchhiker or former felon turned magazine salesman. Either that or I will open my front door when I hear a crying baby outside my window, and the boogeymen will come out of the bushes to get me. Yet, I continue to believe in the inherent goodness in all people, and have a hard time seeing the bear trap lurking in the silver lining in every cloud until someone points it out. Same way with the postman. He comes every day at the same time, but it has taken me 8 years to figure out what time that is. According to my neighbor, it's 1:00. I've never taken note of the time. Now that someone has pointed it out, it jives with all the internal notes I've been accumulating regarding the arrival of the day's posts.

Today, as I was researching blogs for my IS class, I came across an article on Zirma that stated that

"some tourism agencies in the United States have started to pay bloggers to make
references to certain locations." http://www.zirma.com/blog/2005/08/04/sponsored-blogs-and-a-the-conflict-of-interests/

Again, my naivete creeps in. It had not occurred to me, until today, that all bloggers are not just out to shout their opinions through the rooftops of their laptops. I thought people were seizing the day and upholding their First Amendment Right to Free Speech, because by God, this is AMERICA and if I want to complain or rejoice about something, anything, I CAN. My bubble has burst...all bloggers aren't just exercising their rights, a bunch of them are just out to make a buck!

Mostly, I'm angry I'm so naive and I didn't think of it first. I did not realize that I could sit at home in my pajamas, blog about a crappy return experience at Target, and then make money on my complaint by inserting a few words like "returned the bikini I had purchased for my trip to Aruba (which is gorgeous by the way! Stayed at the Hyatt...fabulous!)"

BTW, I don't even know if there is a Hyatt in Aruba, but if there is, I will gladly accept payment via PayPal!

PS I'm also aggravated that I can't figure out how to undo the "block quote" thingy now that I'm done block quoting. ARGH!

February 1, 2010

I just watched Steve Jobs' presentation of the IPad on cnet.com. I'm starting to wrap my mind around this new gadget. I can have my calendar, internet, pictures, videos, and email all with me, and carry this thing in my purse, without giving myself a hernia?! I could entertain one of the kids (or myself!) with a video while the other one is in the dentist's chair? Or check my email while I'm in line at the drive-thru? Reserve the hottest new DVD online with Redbox while I'm standing in line behind 4 people who want the same thing? I'm starting to see the potential for this new item!

It almost looks like one of those tablets the doctors used to carry around...our current doctor has to log in to a computer in each examination room as he enters. I wonder if it would be possible to access medical charts via this one tablet? Each doctor would have their own, and could take it with them wherever they go, even--dare I say it--golfing? I'm thinking I could call the nurse, describe my child's sinus infection, and have a prescription written without the doctor ever missing a stroke on the back 9!

While our current options with Internet connectivity and WiFi are obviously more decadent than they were even 3 years ago (think McDonald's adding WiFi), it is still very awkward to haul around the standard clamshell laptop. And don't forget the carry bag. And the charger. And the detached numberpad for us tried and true Accountants who can't live without it! The weightlessness of this new tablet is very attractive to me, the average consumer. The portability seems almost sinful...as Jobs' put it, "it's like having the Internet in the palm of your hand."