The Twitterverse

I really didn't discover twitter until around 2010 and actually didn't open an account until early 2012. I myself rarely even tweet but my main reason for joining twitter was to keep up to date with breaking news because I am somewhat of a news junky. I follow CBS, CNN, AP, and various other twitter feeds of news organizations.  And having a smartphone with the twitter app makes accessing twitter that much easier. Some may think that twitter is dumbing us down because it require you to use 140 characters or less to convey your message. however I think when it comes to subjects like breaking news twitter is extremely useful when reporting on a developing story. Many news organizations will post links to pictures or live streaming video of the event has it happens.Of course not all feeds are managed wisely, for instance the AP feed is often filled with useless fluff stories but for news organizations like CNN and CBS who know how to manage their feeds correctly it can be a great way to keep the public up to date with whats going on.

Google Glass

With Google being the hot topic in class this week i thought i'd touch on a recent development concerning Google. last week Google announced that they will begin selling Google Glass to the public for one day. For those who don't know Google Glass is a wearable computer system that is mounted on the frame of a pair of glasses. The system allows for the wearer to access the internet using simple voice commands. However Google Glass in particularly its wearers have been criticized for there lack of etiquette when using the systems camera which can record video and take pictures without those around them being aware. This has led to some restaurants and bars in cities like San Francisco and Seattle to ban patrons from wearing Google Glass inside their establishment. Those who feel the need to wear Google Glass everywhere have now been deemed "Glassholes". So one can ask "is this another way Google is having a negative effect on our privacy?". Of course i'm sure in the next few years we will see other companies developing similar devices but with Google leading the way and Glass becoming available to the public it'll be interesting to see if they will be forced to  address the issue with it's new users.

I just read the 2006 interview with Jason Kottke, who quit his job in 2005 and started blogging full-time on his blog Kottke.org. What's interesting about Kottke is that like many bloggers he started his blog in 1998 just as way to keep track of everything online that interested him yet somehow he was able to gain a following and regular readership. when you visit kottke.org today it's really just a random assortment of regular blog entries, videos, music, pictures, and links much of it relating to science and the arts but there is no real central theme to his blog. I guess you could say what made Kottke popular is his sort of randomness.