From the monthly archives:

October 2010

Headlines that showed up in my feed reader

Effects of Social Networks and an Unfortunate Proximity of Headlines

by mark on October 31, 2010

When I opened up my feed reader, and scanned the headlines, I was presented with two headlines posted only minutes apart.

Social Networks Are Not Killing Our Social Lives

next to…

“FarmVille” Interruption Cited in Baby’s Murder

Ouch! Just… Ouch…

Social networks can’t be blamed for the murder of that poor baby. The woman is clearly a stupid individual and an unfit mother. If it wasn’t FarmVille, then it could have been a phone conversation or an episode of Jerry Springer that the kid was interrupting that caused her to go off.

Social networks probably aren’t replacing our social lives in the vast majority of cases, although I have seen where social networks have created some real problems in people’s social lives, their work lives, their family lives, their school lives, etc. Social networks may even be contributing to some people’s health problems, the cleanliness of their house, the length of the grass in their yard.

Rather than subscribe to some oversimplified assessment of whether social networks are good or bad, it’s best to take it on case-by-case basis. Especially if you’re a parent and you’re worried about the impact on your kids.

Social networks are being used in positive ways, bring people together and accomplishing some good in some people’s lives too.

What experiences have you had, good or bad? Care to share a story in the comments below?

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What we Know About Candy from Strangers on Halloween

by mark on October 30, 2010

It causes cavities. It makes kids hyper. It does not kill them.

Learn all about how parents have ruined Halloween and how marketeers are managed to make a lot of money promoting fear to parents.

I don’t think there are any signs that this is going to stop any time soon.

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How Must Trust Do You Put In Technology?

by mark on October 5, 2010

This past weekend, a GPS led a driver into a reservoir.

Not the first time people put total trust into a gadget and turning off their own senses. More examples here, here, here, and here, for starters.

Would these problems have occurred had they not used a navigation system? Do you think that people become totally dependent on their GPS’s rather than simply use them as an aid, along with a map, signs, visually observing what is going on around you, etc.?

Do you have any similar stories to share?

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Now Fido can Bark and Tweet

by mark on October 3, 2010

You’ve been spending hours updating your online statuses and reading over the inane announcements of your 435 “friends” activities on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Did you notice that you’ve been ignoring the pooch that lays there with no sticks to fetch and nobody to rub her belly. Well, you could get off of the computer and take the dog for a walk.

Nah!

Now your pet can have his own Twitter account, thanks to a new device, called Puppy Tweets, from Mattel that will translate dog’s barks and movements into Tweets.

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