Hope For Haiti Now

http://www.redcross.org

.

Projects which help break the cycle of poverty:
Hygiene programs such as Global Handwashing Day
Citizen media at Rising Voices
Kiva empowering individuals and connecting people
William Kamkwamba’s homemade windmill in Malawi

There are a lot of individual plans to reduce pockets of poverty, but I am unaware of any over-arching strategy for the end of poverty across the globe and the progress we are making against it, we need this.

Part of Blog Action Day 2008 – Poverty

I find it astonishing that when people find private medical records in the street and seek a sale for profit with a journalist, knowing the victim is a celebrity, the penalty is a paltry AU$300.

Does violating someone’s privacy really only deserve a slap on the wrist?

When celebrity news is a billion dollar business, is a $300 fine really appropriate as a deterrent?

Second, put this in your calendar, Blog Action Day 2008. Follow them on Twitter. Blog Action Day is a nonprofit, grassroots movement of thousands of individual bloggers coming together for one cause.

For 2008, this cause is Poverty and if you make money from your website, you can donate the day’s earnings. So what actions can you do? You can promote it, donate and publish on your blog, podcast or video. It’s on Wednesday the 15th of October 2008, put it in your calendar, along with your next actions.

I love the about:robots easter egg in Firefox 3 and have had a few people ask me what it means and who put it there. For those wondering where these bits of electronic fun come from, here’s the deal. Bug #417302 was logged in Bugzilla, originally requesting a page which changed all your open tab Favicons to an animated robot. This was deemed too invasive (thanks Justin Dolske!), but the robot part was expanded to what you now see today. If you read through all the notes in the Bug log, you’ll see how hard the developers work, even on the little things, to bring Firefox into the world, for free, in as many languages as possible.

Thanks Firefox developers, I love Firefox 3 and Firefox users around the world appreciate all your hard work.

How is your country looking on the Pledge Map?

This particular example is not the only one and is likely to continue until such heavy penalties are applied that media outlets can no longer weigh up ratings against time in jail.

The Internet and the Right to a Fair Trial speech from 2005 contains an absurdly appropriate quote from 1846:

“The discovery and vindication and establishment of truth are main purposes certainly of the existence of Courts of Justice; still, for the obtaining of these objects, which, however valuable and important, cannot be usefully pursued without moderation, cannot be either usefully or creditably pursued unfairly or gained by unfair means, not every channel is or ought to be open to them. The practical efficacy of torture is not, I suppose, the most weighty objection to that mode of examination … Truth, like all other good things, may be loved unwisely – may be pursued too keenly – may cost too much.” – Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, 1846.

Keep in mind that those who are determined as unable to receive a fair trial are simply released. Naming sex offenders and pedophiles may seem like a good idea to protect the public, but you do not have that right (despite your ego) and your very actions may result in a criminal walking free, never able to be tried on that charge. Hinch is no hero, he’s a vigilante with an ongoing disregard for the law.

“Moo.com is awesome – where have you been all my Flickr’d life?”
Knowledge is everywhere

You should all know by now, I love Moo. The AJAX interface on Moo.com is fantastic, if you have yet to use it, what are you waiting for? I have now bought several packs of Moo MiniCards, and everyone who sees em wants em. I can’t believe they released the new MiniCard holders the day after my last order. That’s on my next shopping list, along with stickers. Now if only Moo did non-paper stuff too. [A shout out to the folks who did build Moo.com, love your work!]

But the biggest tool of 2007 is Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister of the Digital Economy, who has wrapped up 2007 by announcing mandatory internet filters, which will be opt-out only.

Filtering the internet isn’t democratic.

In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Article 19 affirms the right to free speech:

Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Is a filtered internet what you want for your kids? Unable to research breast cancer, religion, censorship, politics and missing out on news such as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s visit to a strip club.

The Librarians are asking, who is in charge of the filter? What is being filtered? Why no announcements on government websites?

All of this at a time when any child can easily subscribe to hard core porn via SMS, great job Conroy! Way to protect the children.

This year, the election will be a little different. Online media is going to have a stronger role than it has in the past. Politicians have been keen to try new ways of campaigning and even the political coverage is changing to meet the needs of the online generation. However, the tools have changed somewhat, but the policies are all pretty much in the dark ages.

The Australian Federal Election will be held on the 24th of November 2007.

Peanut
Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal’s YouTube Channel
John Howard’s opening speech – Right Leadership (transcript)

Pistachio
Kevin07
Labor’s YouTube Channel
[Waiting for Kevin Rudd's speech to be uploaded - New leadership doesn't including fast updates for the public] – [transcript when available]

Mixed Nuts
FederalElection.com.au – MyElectorate, Hot Issues, Rolling Debate, Blogs
Google’s Election 2007 – Follow Australian politics with Google’s map, videos, gadgets & more
For the Nut Intolerant
Leadership seems to be a key topic for this election, so here are some videos from thought leaders on the subject.
Dr Peter Ellyard – Futurist
Al Gore on Leadership in Global Warming
Barack Obama: Leadership On Energy

“The truth is, we can’t afford to let the same old politics stand in the way of our future anymore.“

If you create digital media or want to create digital media, come along, meet some people and get started.
Add MODM to your list of Events on Facebook.

MODM 6 is sponsored by Simon Chen from Eight Black,

Charles Firth was surprisingly inarticulate for someone from The Chaser, also very stuck on old business models which seems in stark contrast to The Chaser in general. [Update 29/08/07: see Cory's comment below - I am disappointed at the Melbourne Writer's Festival's approach to this event, fake debates are best left to comedians. This was just a waste of two talented people. I would have preferred a non-debate of their actual opinions.] Most interesting item from Charles was that the ABC is considering a paid archive model if the public does not complain. It’s odd that they are considering this as even the New York Times has finally figured out that’s a stupid way to go. Biggest irony of the night, Charles criticising Cory for giving work away for free, after which he supplied free copies of The Manic Times to the audience. I got my books signed, and no Cory, yours isn’t going on eBay.

Cory’s not in Melbourne for long, and for those who missed his open dinner invitation, you’re out of luck as his schedule is full.

[Update 29/08/07: More coverage of Cory's speech here on Views from Orbit]

Many Boomers remember advertising with fondness, not many members of Gen X or Y would say the same. Many members of Gen X & Y want more work/life balance, as they’ve seen the costs paid by their parents. The survivors of the World War II Generation appreciate the simple things in life, like bombs not falling from the sky on a regular basis.

The first thing that defines any Generation is their perception of other Generations. As a member of Generation Y, I quote the Simpsons: I used to be with it, but then they changed what “it” was. Now, what I’m with isn’t it, and what’s “it” seems weird and scary to me. All Generations think the other Generations are weird and scary (even if it’s just a little bit), but they’re all just born of a different social environment.

Generations different to yours aren’t weird and scary, they’re just different. Hopefully all the generations can learn to collaborate (instead of wanting others to “fade away”), combining the collective wisdom of all generations, to solve problems that we all face together. How many friends do you have outside your own generation? Is that number really enough?

I’ll leave you with the generation-mashup, the Zimmers, talkin’ bout their g-generation.

I am still waiting for a real broadband plan that’s not just for the next couple of years, but the next few decades. How will our connectivity be upgraded in the future? Are preparations being made to make this a cheap, fast and easy process? How will these future upgrades be funded? Why isn’t there a public map of what connectivity is available in your location and who is responsible for your crappy service? Why aren’t councils requiring mandatory standards of service before releasing new land titles? Why are some people still not receiving proper copper cabling and only receiving shared-line technology while paying full price?

 If there are any politicians which actually understand all of the above and are able to answer the questions with something other than “We have a plan, but it’s a secret”, you just might get my vote.

Failing that, I may just have to move overseas to country with better than 3rd world connectivity. It sucks to live here.

Are you coming to MODM #2? Sponsored by Eight Black
RSVP on Upcoming, join the MODM Facebook group, email me or Cam before 4pm. Directions to ACMI Lounge are as follows: When you get to Federation Square, head straight into the middle, with the Transport bar on your right and the information centre on your left. Go past ACMI and hiding behind the large PIXAR sign is ACMI Lounge. ACMI Lounge will be closed until 6.30pm for a private function. Early arrivals are welcome to hang out at Cafe Chinotto until 6.30pm.

All photos are here in this Flickr set.

Brad “Best Technology Industry Journalist” Howarth wrote an article in The Age which is firing up the local blogosphere. It’s web take 2.0 is creating a lot of discussion around whether Australian big business gets Web 2.0 (Brad’s full Aussie 2.0 list is here). One of my favourite quotes is from Mick Liubinskas at Tangler “So they keep chasing the users wherever they go, and the users are running away because they are sick of the corporates yelling at them”. As a Gen Y in the workforce, communication is clearly aimed at older generations. I’ve grown up as a consumer hearing the noise that is the corporate monologue, the same-again tv advertising, empty promises and not-so-hidden-agendas. This not only changes my behaviour as a consumer, it also changes what I want in communication in the workplace. I want two-way communication, input, rapid dissemination of news, subscriptions to news based on topic, a human voice, a giant repository of collective knowledge that can be searched… the list goes on. These technologies and techniques are native to me, part of how I get things done. I don’t fax, I don’t send letters and I hear blah blah blah when communication is inhuman and unnatural. Many older style companies are not connecting with their Gen X & Y employees, just as old media is not connecting with their Gen X & Y readers (if they have any). It’s a generation gap. (Rupert is one of the few who gets it)

The Global Geek Podcast recently asked Cameron Reilly “What motivates someone to walk away from the relative security of a six-figure-income corporate job to weather the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that go with running a start-up?”. Cam posted If You Start Me Up… on Startup Stories,

Creating a startup is already enticing to Gen X & Y for the seemingly unlimited challenge and job satisfaction, but I increasingly wonder whether the human voice (Naked Conversations) is going to be a greater factor in job choice for the coming decades. Money is only useful in that it leads to greater freedom. If you have freedom already, what exactly is the money for?

In other news, Scouta has released Hicks (thanks, no one else was going to) and MODM #2 is on 7th June at Federation Square. Put it in your calendar, RSVP and subscribe to the MODM rss feed. All the cool kids will be there.

I tag Cameron, Sam, Urbaer, Molly, Andrew, Frank, Mark and Darren to continue the Invade Rage Meme. Entries into the Invage Rage Competition close this Friday, the 4th of May.

In the rules for the competition, I’m listing 20 video clips and explaining why at least five of them mean something to me.

Anouk – I Alone
Arrested Development – Tennessee
Bomfunk MC’s: Freestyler
Mark Cohn – Walking in Memphis
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are a-Changin’
Eminem: The Way I Am – It may surprise you that I really love this music video. I’m generally not a fan of Eminem, but it’s one of the few songs with a real sense of the price the famous pay for being famous. “I am, whatever you say I am. If I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?. In the paper, the news everyday I am.”. When you watch this video, watch it all the way to the end. Someone under a great deal of stress wrote this song and scripted this video. I’m surprised to see this video come out of the shallow machine that is the music industry. “I’m so sick and tired of bein admired That I wish that I would just die or get fired And dropped from my label” the stress the media puts on people can be just too much for some people to take, maybe for anyone to take. I know I wouldn’t want his lack of privacy for all the money in the world.
Green Day – American Idiot
Insurge: Political Prisoners – “This song is for all the political prisoners, for anyone who wants to live, live like they know they should, the indigenous, minorites, the mentally ill, the passionate few, as we’re for justice, they may take away our freedom to walk, they’ll never take away our freedom to dream.”. I miss the passion of Insurge, I miss the political protest music that I was raised on by my parents. Brittany Spears and the like just don’t have enough soul.
Incubus – Privilege
Janis Joplin – Mercedes Benz
Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl – I love this song, my cat hates it, and hates the video even more.
John Lennon – Imagine
LIVE – The Beauty of Grey
Machine Gun Fellatio – Unsent Letter
Midnight Oil – Blue Sky Mine
Rage Against the Machine – Killing In The Name Of (hopefully these guys will stay reunited)
RedGum – I was only 19 (A Walk In The Light Green) “And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can’t get to sleep? And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet? And what’s this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means? God help me, I was only nineteen.”
R.E.M. – Losing My Religion
Tex Perkins – Better Get A Lawyer Son
Tracy Chapman – Talkin’ Bout A Revolution
U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
Van Morrison – Moondance
Yothu Yindi – Treaty

As I stated in my earlier post “My iPod is pristine, never having held anything that’s not a podcast. Eight years later in 2007 and I am no longer a consumer of any music. I will not return to the consumer pool until this industry behaves responsibly and stops holding back technology and human civilization. The RIAA are the Luddites of the Information Revolution, putting their own interests before the rest of humanity, to protect an outdated cartel whose time is up.”

“The SAU would be for 12 years from the commercial launch of the service in order to provide investors with appropriate long term certainty in relation to return on this significant long term asset.”
There’s no mention of how these assets might depreciate over 12 years and with current accounting practices out of step with perceived market value, this may be a questionable investment. A copper phone line of insufficient quality to sustain new technologies should be depreciated at a more rapid rate if it’s to be held in line with other new technologies such as computers. The value of a building wired with old copper wire is not enhanced by the wire, the market value of a building wired with broadband cable is enhanced. This technology has evolved dramatically in less than 12 years, exactly how is depreciation and this investment expected to run over the 12 year span?

“The FTTN Network will be an IP based next generation network capable of delivering high speed broadband services to over four million Australian homes.”
What percentage of Australians will actually benefit from this? The last measurement of Australian homes I saw pegged us at 7.8 million homes. If this number is still accurate, the G9 proposal only supplies broadband to less than half of Australian homes!

More information please.