Friday, December 17, 2010

DOES PRIVACY REALLY MATTER??

FACEBOOK

Facebook is updating at a fast rate, probably faster than some it's members, in recent times, they launched the friendships page which shows a log of all mutual's(including friends, photos, wall posts, comments and things they both like) between two friends on facebook. This is in a way a good way to increase users  time on the site but on the other hand some critics have said that it's exposing members of the site.' Snoops' and so called stalkers are having it easy having to know all about whoever they need to know about.

The next big blow to users privacy is the facebook memories which is currently under test; it had been up this morning however the link went down since then. It's expected to give a log of the activities of a user for the past period since joining the social site.This again exposes to the would be stalkers of their details that they may not want exposed.

According to InfoWorld, facebook's privacy is among the 20 biggest failures of 2010 which could also have been fostered by such features that have exposed users.  This year was also the year wall posts begun appearing on the live stream of users on facebook mobile.

WHY PRIVACY DOESN'T MATTER

My idea concerning cyber-privacy however is different. I tend to think that the age we are living in cares less about privacy. With people updating on all activities of their life in such a way that you could use fb to track them everywhere they go. Uploading photos is also another common feature fb users use to abuse their privacy. Users are able to upload photos whenever and wherever.

The large population on fb is also an issue why people wouldn't care should fb have issues with privacy. The thought of having ones friends on one list is miraculous and a wonder to many. So many long lost friends have been reunited on facebook and hence fb has more good than evils should there even be privacy.

I am of the opinion that for the fact that if someone joins a social network, privacy isn't an issue really since emails, phones and other more private means such as Skype still exist. Even if they are not an assurance of ever reuniting with some old buddies, the consideration of one's privacy would surpass the will to join a social network.

So now the question is; does privacy really matter to fb it at all users don't care?

 

 

 

http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2010/05/25/facebook-privacy-issues-getting-worse

 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

#KCSE2010

The #KCPE2010 topic on twitter has been by far one of the most successful tweeting action be Kenyans all thanks to their creativity!
the related posts were triggered by the on-going
This is how my page looked like then


 All over in Kenya kenyanstwitters were tweeting their version of the KCPE exam questions and answers .the topic was an event that was

I sampled a few tweets that carried the day


 
Q. which ownership document are you issued with upon purchase of a vitz? a) etr receipt.
  Que: If Bob Marley shot the Sheriff, who shot the deputy Ans: Siakago AP
 
funny answers Question: who was the first luo in the bible? answer: Nick Odemus

 
funny answers Q: Tunga sentensi ukitumia 'mintarafu' ANSWER: 1:nilikula mint arafu nikatema.2:mwalimu ukinichekesha mi ntarafu.

kimani njenga RT @ Ninajivunia kuwa Mke... A)be B)ka C)nya D)nge 

 Big Props to all the contributors of the topic!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Mental Models


Mental Models
They are representations of reality that people use to understand specific phenomena.
    * A mental model is based on belief, not facts: that is, it's a model of what users know (or think they know) about a system e.g. a website. Hopefully, users' thinking is closely related to reality because they base their predictions about the system on their mental models and thus plan their future actions based on how that model predicts the appropriate course. It's a prime goal for designers to make the user interface communicate the system's basic nature well enough that users form reasonably accurate (and thus useful) mental models.
    
 * Individual users each have their own mental model. A mental model is internal to each user's brain, and different users might construct different mental models of the same user interface. Further, one of usability's big dilemmas is the common gap between designers' and users' mental models. Because designers know too much, they form wonderful mental models of their own creations, leading them to believe that each feature is easy to understand. Users' mental models of the U(user interface)I are likely to be somewhat more deficient, making them more likely to make mistakes and find the design much more difficult to use.
"In interacting with the environment, with others, and with the artifacts of technology, people form internal, mental models of themselves and of the things with which they are interacting. These models provide predictive and explanatory power for understanding the interaction."          -Norman (in Gentner & Stevens, 1983)
They are internal representations of thinking process. Mental models represent how well an individual organizes content in meaningful ways. Model analysis reveals inaccuracies and omissions that are crucial for deep understanding and application of course material, thus informing improvements in course design.
Some of the characteristics of mental models are:
  • They are incomplete and constantly evolving
  • They are usually not accurate representations of a phenomenon; they typically contain errors and contradictions
  • They are parsimonious and provide simplified explanations of complex phenomena
  • They often contain measures of uncertainty about their validity that allow them to used even if incorrect
  • They can be represented by sets of condition-action rules. 

The study of mental models has involved the detailed analysis of small knowledge domains (e.g., motion, ocean navigation, electricity, calculators) and the development of computer representations (see Gentner & Stevens, 1983). For example, DeKleer & Brown (1981) describe how the mental model of a doorbell is formed and how the model is useful in solving problems for mechanical devices. Kieras & Bovair (1984) discuss the role of mental models in understanding electronics. Mental models have been applied extensively in the domain of troubleshooting (e.g., White & Frederiksen, 1985).
One interesting application of mental models to psychology is the Personal Construct Theory of George Kelley (1955). While the primary thrust of Kelly's work was therapy rather than education, it has seen much broader applications (see http://repgrid.com/pcp/) [Thanks to Richard Breen for bringing this to my attention] 


Saturday, November 6, 2010

Ads in Gmail and your personal data

How Gmail Ads work

Ads that appear next to Gmail messages are similar to the ads that appear next to Google search results and on content pages throughout the web. In Gmail, ads are related to the content of your messages. Our goal is to provide Gmail users with ads that are useful and relevant to their interests.
Ad targeting in Gmail is fully automated, and no humans read your email in order to target advertisements or related information. This type of automated scanning is how many email services, not just Gmail, provide features like spam filtering and spell checking. Ads are selected for relevance and served by Google computers using the same contextual advertising technology that powers Google's AdSense program.

Privacy, Transparency and User Choice

Google does not and will never rent, sell or share information that personally identifies you for marketing purposes without your express permission. No email content or other personally identifiable information will be provided to advertisers. Google provides advertisers only aggregated non-personal information such as the number of times one of their ads was clicked.
Privacy is an issue google takes very seriously. Only ads classified as Family-Safe are distributed through our content network and to your Gmail inbox. Also, they are careful about the types of content they serve ads against. For example, Google may block certain ads from running next to an email about catastrophic news.
If you don't want to see ads in Gmail you have the option of using the HTML interface, or POP or IMAP. "We're also committed to data liberation: if you decide to switch to a new email provider, it's easy to set up automatic forwarding for all new messages that arrive in your Gmail account."-google sources
If you'd like to know more about how Google handles your information, please check out the Google Privacy Center.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

At iHub ;TandaaTechIdeasFunding 18-10-10

The awesome event was at iHub (off Ngong Rd opposite uchumi bishop magua house 4th floor)
It was tandaa Kenya TechIdeasFunding with different young innovators gathering to make presentations on their
Technology ideas in a bid to impress would be investors for their brilliant ideas!








 The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information & Communications.

Dr. Bitange Ndemo
shares a word with the delegates present. 

 at the hall-room at iHub

,,and Below some Delegates


Jessica colaco (left)-manager at the iHub

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Can't wait for 10/10/10 [DATE OF THE YEAR]

On 10th of October this year my calender will read symmetrically from both ends. This is a moment to catch or else wait for 3010( which is a millennium away] As for me, I don't even trust that I'll last a century so I'll have to make it a moment to remember!

Events on this day;
 The first ever Non-GMO Month, with a special Non-GMO Day on October 10th (10.10.10). 

 Decompression 2010

Celebrating 25 years of Burning Man and
bringing the playa spirit back to the Bay!
Sunday, October 10, 2010. (That’s 10/10/10!)
Noon SHARP till Midnight




A Wedding on 10-10-10? It Won’t Soon Come Again!


 

October 10, 2010 is a Sunday, so this date is going to be a busy one for weddings! It’s a cool date for a wedding (especially since it’s in autumn), and the 10-10-10 date sequence won’t come around again for 100 years (when, I’m sure, another blogger will let brides know so they can make plans, though it might not hit on a weekend that year.)
The biggest advantage to getting married on a triple-10 date is knowing your husband will have a better chance of remembering your anniversary. (It does work. I got married on Valentine’s Day, and my sweetie has never forgotten our anniversary.)
If your wedding date happens to be 10-10-10, congratulations—and check out these personalized mint tin designs that celebrate the date! These date-specific designs are available for other select personalized favors, like playing cards, candy tins and lip balm. With a special day like this, it just makes sense to play it up! Super day! Super couple! And no doubt, on a scale of 1 to 10, your fabulous wedding will be a 10, too!

http://blog.myweddingfavors.com/

Episcopalians join 10/10/10 global work parties

Cutting Carbon in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 10/10/10

 On Sunday, October 10, 2010 everyone is invited to attend this free event starting at 12 noon at Albuquerque Academy, Simms Auditorium. 400 people are expected to attend, part of 350.org global ‘work parties’ in 2,500 cities worldwide. The event marks the continuation of a movement to reduce CO2 below 350 parts per million in our atmosphere.



Also to note the book 10/10/10 by Suzy welch

A Life-Transforming Idea

From columnist and bestselling author Suzy Welch comes a powerful, proven strategy for making difficult decisions and clarifying life choices. Doris Kearns Goodwin calls 10-10-10 "A triumph."

 The idea of reading such a book on such a date is quite interesting also..




For sure the date 10:10:10 is one to anticipate!
Enjoy you're best date of the year!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Qwangu.......my style


Kenedy Nyaga is the man behind Qwangu.com
This is arguably the next big thing in kenya and later the rest of the world.
thsi social site uses live streaming on a users homepage just like facebook, tweeter and other social sites.
However it also has a number of additional features...like a user can link rss feeds on the livestream to another site.there are also widgets on a users page..
FACEBOOK VS QWANGU...is the big debate

visit the website at http://www.qwangu.com

Friday, September 10, 2010

Let's blog friends

I realize that it's only in blogs that great ideas are shared....
mind you not in social networking sites.

this implies how important blogs are to the world problem solving contibutions,
so let's keep blogging

Monday, March 8, 2010

life...

some time yesterday as i was facebooking as usual when am bored i came across a note created by one of my pals which was really interesting.basically,the note was about life and the things people do everyday.its main theme was to encourage people,whenever they realize that they have made a mistake.instead of trying to escape the problem....whose efffect may affect you later,approach it and deal with it to find a solution,so that when you escape it you will have no fear and you will be assured of no setbacks from a past doing.all the best people.

Chaos in TrAnsport

I really have an issue with transport in kenya.The rate of bribery on our roads is juust un-tolerrable.assuming that there are ten roadblocks between a station and the next....if at each roadblock a matatu remits 50bob it means that the total cost of just plying the route is 500/=...this is non-incluisive of fuel costs and other costs.this cost will obviously be covered by passengers since they are the source of the rest.indeed we end up paying for the constant bribery in kenya.
How about the police provide transport in kenya whereby the driver and the conductor are both policemen in such a way that they maximize keeping law and order...
that way there would be no cases of overlaping,overcharging and other scenarios we witness daily as we use our public transportation

Monday, March 1, 2010

Enviromental Management

Heres my fist post.I really don't know about blogging and stuff but i hope to make a difference with time
both in your life and in mine....c'mon wish me luck here