adamyntium

Category: society

  • Misery, snarkiness, and an unexpected apology

    A few weeks ago, I posted a note on a prominent swing board urging dancers to “Just Say No” when they really don’t feel like dancing with someone. The gist of my note was as follows:


    […] I’d like to go against conventional wisdom and practice and urge people to say NO when asked to dance if saying yes would result in misery for both dancers.
    With regards to the three awful dances I had recently, in each case, the follow accepted my invitation quite reluctantly. Maybe she just learned that her pet poodle died, maybe I look like her abusive ex-boyfriend, or maybe she was just really, really tired. But it doesn’t matter. In each case, her movements and expression while dancing with me evoked images of someone cleaning the bathrooms of Grand Central Station with their tongue, and boy, was that painful (dancing with her, but yeah, undoubtedly the imagery, too).
    If these women had simply said, “No,” the following would have happened:
    – We’d both have been saved several minutes of unpleasantness.
    – We’d have had the opportunity to likely ENJOY several minutes of blissful dancing with a different partner (or a bit of blissful rest). […]

    One of the key acknowledgments in my note was the fact that saying no to a dance request is largely considered taboo in the Lindy Hop scene. My note was an effort to try to turn the tide and make it socially acceptable to turn someone down… in particular, when the alternative is an unpleasant dance for both people.

    —

    To my great surprise AND mortification, I received an e-mail in response to my now-very-active “Just Say No” thread… from one of the very women with whom I had such a miserable dance.

    When I read the first few words of the note, indicating that this was one of the people that had incited me to write the somewhat-nasty note, I shuddered in unpleasant anticipation of what she had to say in the rest of her note.

    “Adam, you’re really an asshole. Maybe if you learned to be a better dancer, or smelled nicer, you’d have decent dances and you wouldn’t have to whine on a message forum.”

    or

    “What nerve you have complaining about our dance in public! Not only will I not dance with you ever again, but none of my friends will either. You’re certainly not welcome back [in this city].”

    —

    No, instead, this is what she wrote:


    Hey Adam,
    I am that girl that looked like she would rather have a root canal than dance (by the way, the analogy was really funny but true) :-). I apologise for making it so miserable for you. I knew I should have said no but like it was stated in the thread, social politeness sometimes rules out.
    Again, I am so sorry that it was that horrible (and I knew it was when we finished) and after the eternal song finished I quit dancing for the whole night and turned down about two other dancers before leaving (I should have quit sooner, huh.) Hopefully I can make it up to you some other time.
    Hope you have more great dances,

    [her name]

    —

    I was completely stunned. And largely speechless.

    I took a few moments to gather my thoughts, and sent her a brief but sincere thank you, noting that I, too, hoped she and I would get to ‘make up’ for the less-than-stellar dance by having a much better one in the future.

    —

    So what lessons can we take from this? The kindness of strangers, even when they’re slapped? The potential perils of posting scathing but well-meant notes on public forums? I’m not sure. But at least now I have caught my breath and my heart isn’t racing anymore 😉

  • Big, Friendly Austin, Texas

    It figures that in Austin, Texas, even the graffiti is big and friendly.
    how-are-you.jpg

    Edited on January 11, 2003 to add:
    Wow, little did I know that this picture above was the soon-to-be-famous Frog Mural!

  • A music solution to make everyone happy

    I touched upon this idea briefly in my earlier note about Musicmatch’s new download service, but I’d like to go into more detail about what I see as the solution towards universal Music Happiness.

    Without further ado, here is Adam’s (hypothetical) Online Music Service, or “AOMS” for short.

    There are three critical aspects of AOMS… Flexible Fidelity and DRM combinations, Open Architecture, and Incented Sharing.

    —

    Flexible Fidelity and DRM combinations
    First of all, while AOMS would be available in a more fancy client (special software) version for Mac, PC, and Unix systems, it’d also work more simply but just as well via standards-compliant Web browsers.

    Every music clip within AOMS would be available as both a stream AND a download in three formats:
    1) LOW FIDELITY: Available in their entirety for everyone, with no restrictions.
    2) HIGH FIDELITY – 30 second preview: No restrictions.
    3) HIGH FIDELITY – full:
    3a) Available free with Loose DRM (iTunes-style) on an unlimited basis for AOMS Premium Subscribers (who pay $20-$25 per month, or are part of a Premium Affinity Group, such as a university or ISP that’s paying a block fee to AOMS).
    3b) Available with Loose DRM for 75 cents per download to non-subscribers.
    3c) Available free in Shared (stricter) DRM format. This DRM implementation would limit song files with expiration dates and/or maximum play times (e.g., 15 days or 10 plays)

    These different fidelity and DRM levels are key to the viral success of AOMS. Now-industry-standard 30-second song samples are often insufficient foundations for purchasing decisions, whereas full-length low fidelity clips are likely to both increase awareness of and interest in new music (expanding music demand) and increase the frequency of purchases. Shared (stricter) DRM files would be the foundation of successful Incented Sharing (discussed later)

    —

    Open Architecture
    Just as Amazon.com makes its entire catalog available for free via XML feeds today, AOMS would make information on every clip available to Webmasters as well. Via automated feeds, gospel aficianados could highlight a list of tunes for their gospel Web sites, enabling their visitors to stream or download clips according to the visitors’ AOMS membership status. That is, AOMS Premium members, once authenticated, would be able to download or stream a hi-fi copy of any listed and linked gospel tune on the site straight from their browser. In contrast, those without Premium memberships would be able to either stream or download a lo-fi clip or 30-second hi-fi clip, or download a Shared DRM full-length clip.

    The beauty of the open architecture of this system is that it would empower Webmasters to extend the reach, scope, and sophistication of the AOMS catalog via creative categorizing and selection. For instance, AOMS may not have a separate specified category for female collegiate a cappella music, but an ardent fan of this sub-genre could create his or her own AOMS-based list, catering to a narrow but still-valuable demographic. Similarly, AOMS may not have detailed info on every artist, album, or track, but enthusiastic fans could and undoubtedly would author this, using the freely available AOMS clips as a springboard and reference.

    —

    Incented Sharing
    As suggested above, everyone would not only have the opportunity to be a critic and a DJ of sorts, but indeed, also a salesperson, and a profitable one at that. With 5 cents of every 75 cent sale going to the referrer of the sale, Webmasters — in a fashion similar to the Amazon.com model — would be encouraged to share and recommend music via both artistic and economic incentives.

    Of perhaps even greater interest to the Recording Industry, droves of music lovers and mercenaries alike would certainly flood the peer-to-peer services with Shared DRM tracks, knowing that they’d reap 5 cents for every time someone downloaded their copy and purchased a Loose DRM version for 75 cents. Not only would Premium subscribers be eligible to unlimitedly share their copies (which would become Shared DRM files outside the subscribers’ network of three included computers), but so, too, would those who paid 75 cents for each of their tunes.

    Not only would gobs of folks be interested in uploading full-length protected songs to Web sites and P2P services, but many Web surfers and P2P users would be equally interested in downloading them. They’d know that they’d be getting files of very high sound quality and accurate tagging, in contrast with the oft-sloppily-recorded, mislabeled, and 128-or-lower bit rate files typically available online.

    —

    For most of this article, I’ve highlighted how AOMS would serve the purposes of both the Recording Industry and general consumers. However, the value of AOMS goes far beyond that…

    A boon to lesser-known bands and musicians in general
    With free lo-fi clips and Shared DRM clips freely available to all users on all platforms, artists of all means would be able to easily facilitate and encourage the sharing of their music. With the increasing levels of broadband penetration, artists could even e-mail Shared DRM clips to opt-in subscribers or friends.

    A boon to music culture in general
    How often have enthusiasts of more ecclectic music wanted to easily share their awesome finds with others, sadly finding that the only way of doing so was to run afoul of the law? Quite often, I’d say! For instance, I paid for and downloaded the Overture from an wonderful musical, and I wanted to share it with a friend in Germany who hadn’t even heard of the musical before. Thinking that I would have the technical, if not strictly-legal authority to do so by purchasing the track with PressPlay, I was shocked and angry when my friend was unable to listen to the track. Bullied and beaten after trying to do the right thing, I simply went on KaZaA, downloaded the (unfettered) equivalent track and forwarded her this file.

    In our society… when we have a wonderful poem we want to share with a friend, we can easily scan or type it in or even read it to them. When there’s a funny or poignant picture we find, we can mail a pointer to it or even the file itself. But when we want to share the love of music — even when this passion is quite likely to lead to additional sales — we are currently unable to easily and legally do so, because we are all treated as thieves.

    This is horribly wrong. It’s wrong for musicians, it’s wrong for consumers, and it’s wrong for society. Music deserves to be Free… not as in wholly free of charge, but rather, unfettered from its existing onerous boundaries and restrictions. With greater fluidity and access, everyone will benefit.

    —

    I greatly welcome your feedback on my hypothetical service, both with regards to envisioned specifics and broader goals.

    Please take a moment to contribute to the discussion here (registration recommended but definitely not required!)

  • A fascinating look at Morocco

    My friend Abeth, who is American with Egyptian heritage, recently spent many months teaching and traveling around Morocco, and with her permission, I’ve decided to share some of her observations with you.

    As I’ve noted before here, everything you see (aside from quotes) on BLADAM is my own writing unless I note otherwise, and I do hope you don’t mind the occasional ‘guest columnists’ 🙂

    And now… on with Abeth’s comments!
    —

    […]
    I’ve been writing bits and pieces of final updates in my head for a while now but have not been disciplined enough to sit down and get it out to where you all can share the joys of my contemplation. So, here I go. . .

    I’ve had quite a few people ask me to tell them stories about Morocco. I’m not very good with the general question–my mind goes blank. Or I horribly share only the things that were difficult for me in living in such a different culture than what I’m used to. I don’t need to harp on that. You know the outdoorsy/active/independent woman that I am and suffice it to say that there wasn’t much outlet for my interests where I was living. But I learned through it (things that I’m still trying to digest and assimilate) and am quite glad that I did go. I had experiences overseas that I never would have had if I had stayed in my beloved SF [San Francisco] bay area. I’d like to share some of those with you now if you will so indulge me. . .

    Commonplace experiences in Morocco which you don’t see everyday back in the States. . .

    One of my last days in Casablanca I was walking home from the public pool on one of the main thoroughfares and was able to witness the king’s entourage come into town towards his palace. I even saw him waving from one of the dark Mercedes! And the woman beside me on the street blew him a kiss after he passed. Then, as most of the other cars had passed, she began to cross the street, to the consternation of one policeman standing nearby because he had not yet given us the signal. Instead of listening to him and getting back on the curb she argued with him (wish I could understand the arabic). Now, here in the States, we wouldn’t THINK of talking back to the police unless we wanted to get further into trouble. But that was a regular occurence there (when pulled over or told to do something, etc). And this woman won. A second police basically hushed his colleague and waved her on.

    Basically, everything is up for discussion and debate. It’s funny to be back here where we don’t haggle prices, we just ACCEPT THE TAG. Now, I’m not a big haggler. It’s not my cup of tea. But I had so much fun watching my brother haggle in arabic when he came to visit or my roommate so smoothly and humorously make her price offer seem like the most reasonable thing in the world. I believe it is an art form, this ability to mentally price something and not yield to anything other than that ideal.

    Oh, wait, you can’t debate having to eat TONS OF FOOD when you visit someone for a meal. The first course comes, a pastilla (chicken/nut/pastry thing that is sooo good) and I eat half and am full. But, that’s FAR from the end. Next comes a tagine, or two, or three (hearty meat/vegetable or fruit/oily dish). Maybe a salad or something. Bread thrown at you to help you eat these other dishes. And if you take the slightest break you will be happily commanded to “Eat, eat!” and probably have more pushed your way. Then maybe some fruit and cake or ice cream or some other sweet course. Don’t forget mint tea! Believe it or not, I never got sick of it. It’s a soothing ending to a big meal but could also be consumed any other time, like when shopping for carpet! My brother, Kameel, and I spent a long time–a couple hours, I believe–carpet shopping one day out in the desert and were treated to the mint tea hospitality. We walked out with some good deals after much haggling and just plain chatting over many cups of tea. . .

    We drove through the mountains from there–some beautiful scenery. Needed a bathroom break (all the mint tea perhaps) so stopped at a little cafe in some Berber village where a beautiful rosy-cheeked teenage girl was manning the counter and keeping her brothers in check as well. She was a kick to talk to (well, Kameel had to translate for me as she didn’t speak French, just Berber and Arabic). She was convinced Kameel should change places with her–let her go back to CA and do his accounting job and he could stay and work in the fields in the mountains where the sun just never goes away (this seemed to irk her greatly). Now, the one thing I couldn’t figure out was how she worked out there in the very pointed heels she was wearing. ‘Twas a mystery to me. But, oh she had a lot to share about all the things she contemplated out there, and how much she wanted to be elsewhere. Unfortunately, we really couldn’t help her with her desire to escape. But we did have the chance to provide taxi service through the mountains for 4-5 others. . .

    We picked up one man who sat stiffly in the back, clutching his belongings, dressed in traditional djalaba. He was quite serious and didn’t seem too interested in Kameel’s and my efforts to start a round of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” The young woman we picked up, on the other hand, pretty much laughed at everything we said and did. She was helpful in trying to communicate with the stiff older gentleman, too. When Kameel asked him where we should drop him off and he didn’t respond right away, she shoved him and yelled it again in his ear. Now, we’re talking about a little woman about 5 ft. tall. She was small but spitfire. We introduced her to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and she was absolutely thrilled! “Give me a thousand of these!” she said emphatically in arabic. Ah, yes, another convert!!!

    You surely get all kinds as you travel throughout the country (or even just in Casablanca). It’s really interesting when you see older mother-looking women dressed in traditional garb and covering the head, walking arm in arm (a typical walking position–even for men, holding hands is another option) with what looks like a daughter who is dressed in the latest hoochie-mama European skin tight fashion. So what is acceptable and what isn’t? That is something I still haven’t figured out.

    I was told I couldn’t skate along this one street near the beach because I did “slalom,” the police explained. However, an entire 4-person family can ride on one moped with one helmet between them. A boy can grab onto the back of a big truck and hitch a ride, or maybe hold onto the edge while on a bike, whichever suits the fancy. The employees of Marjane (the equivalent of a supermarket/small Target) skate throughout the store to get their work done. Or, if you have problems getting your car out of a tight parking spot, you always have the option of getting about 4 men together and physically lifting the vehicle to scootch it a little bit to the right (yes, I witnessed this myself and couldn’t stop laughing after we finally got in the car and drove off). Only, Morocco. . . Merci, Maroc! C’etait super!

    Where else can you witness a conversation occuring in the three languages at the same time? So, though I am not returning to Morocco, there is a piece of it in my heart forever. In particular are the wonderful children I had the privilege to teach this year (even as they taught me) and the amazing people who helped me get through a tough year of adjustment. There are sure incredible people (Moroccan and otherwise) to be found in Casa.

    As for what I’m doing now, well I’m back in the SF bay area for the month of August. You can reach me on my Mom’s cell phone at [number] or at this e-mail address. My next step in September is to get my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certifcate through a month-long program in Greece, specifcally the island of Crete. Then, who knows? I will look for a teaching position, probably somewhere in Greece, but my options are open. . . wherever I am, I hope I’ll get to see some of you!

    If you read all of this, I must thank you for indulging me. There is still a lot I’m in the process of digesting about my trip. I learned a lot about myself and life. And, as with evey mind-opening experience, I learned that I have a lot to learn. I send out my love to you, my fellow students in this school of life! Keep in touch. . .

  • The idiocy of getting nickeled and dimed in America

    I recently read about a proposal in dreary coffee-loving Seattle to levy a ten cent tax on all espresso drinks, with proceeds going to valuable head start programs for underprivileged kids.

    At first I thought, well, this is a smart and worthwhile idea! Helping kids at a young age offers bountiful returns for all us in the form of lower crime, a more productive workforce… not to mention, of course, just the good karma of doing the right thing for kids!

    But then I began thinking a bit deeper about this espresso tax and realized that it was actually pretty odious.

    Beyond the obvious stories of Enron and Worldcom, we still have incompetent and ammoral CEOs making tens of MILLIONS of dollars a year… and for what? Leading companies to greatness? Usually the opposite. Helping society? Not directly, if at all.

    But beyond the pure “are they worth it?” question or even “do they deserve it?” exploration, there lies a more profound issue. Does anyone really BENEFIT from salaries in the obscene $100-million range?

    After, say, $5 million a year, are the lives of these folks measurably improved? Are they made ten times happier when they make $50 million instead of $5 million?

    —

    Imagine what good in the world would transpire if CEOs’ $100 million dollar compensation packages were distributed amongst 1,000 commonfolk.

    Certainly, one might argue, this becomes a slippery slope into communism. And despite not being particularly fond of the concept of communism (in practice or in theory), I don’t deny that there are aspects of my argument that are indeed grounded in communism.

    But from a purely logical standpoint, let’s examine the purpose of compensation:
    1) To incent work
    2) To incent excellence in work
    3) To provide for necessities and enjoyment

    And under this structure, let’s look at a typical CEO making $100 million nowadays.

    Would this person work if he (and yes, it’s usually a man) were granted $1 million a year instead of $100 million, or would he (all other factors being equal) decide to panhandle on the street or live a hermit-life in the forest? I’m guessing he’d still be incented to work.

    Would this person offer just as much excellence in his work with $1 million instead of $100 million? Considering the lackluster performances of today’s grossly overpaid CEOs, I’d suggest that there might actually be an improvement in performance AND attitude. And from a different perspective, can anyone argue with a straight face that any significant portion of society would take fewer risks or be spurred to create less if offered impressive rather than obscenely huge rewards? Would (good) artists refuse to compose music or create paintings? Most likely, if the distribution of wealth were more sensible and equitable (e.g., fewer mega-rich stars, but also fewer starving artists), then MORE artists or inventors would be incented to invest time and energy in their fields.

    Would this person still be able to live comfortably on $1 million a year? You bet your sweet bippy they could.

    —

    Returning again to the concept of incremental good or happiness… isn’t it clear that our society would be better served by having fewer multi-millionaires and more people earning $100,000 a year instead?

    Can you imagined the increased output in creativity, productivity, and invention?

    And — returning to the original issue of the 10 cent espresso tax — doesn’t it seem more likely that we’d be able to stop nickel-and-diming the “rich” folks who are grabbing the occasional espresso, and instead, have enough money inherently within our society to reasonably support every man, woman, and child?

    In survey after survey, America ranks lower than a great many European countries in quality of life, overall happiness, and so on. Is it, perhaps, no coincidence that these other countries have demonstrably less poverty and fewer obscenely rich folks than we have?

    Is the American Dream really about becoming a billionaire? And if so, is this something we should be proud of?

    In the meantime, sure, tax espressos 10 cents each to raise $35 million for poor kids. But do take a moment to ponder why our society needs to continually beg for cash, one bond or ten cents at a time.

    —

    Added on September 17, 2003: The espresso tax was voted down today.

  • I have faith in my country again

    Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading about U.S. presidential candidate Howard Dean, watching videos of his appearances, learning about his experience and beliefs… and having faith in my country again. While this may sound cliched and I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, Dean is the first politician I can remember learning about that got me truly excited about America and our country’s potential.

    [ Visit Dean’s Web site now — it’s actually interesting and informative! ]

    Here are some key aspects of Dean that get me excited:

    – He’s smart and logical
    He knows what has worked — and what hasn’t — in the past, and offers thoughtful, realistic solutions for our nation’s problems.

    – He’s articulate and Presidential
    Howard Dean speaks plainly, engagingly, convincingly. I can’t imagine him dumbly goading folks with “Bring it on!” or using embarrassingly lame cowboy rhetoric. No, Dean is someone that commands respect. In contrast, I wince every time I hear the Shrub speak. I wince even more when I think about our Dunce-in-Chief meeting with foreign heads-of-state. Bush — and by extension, our country — is currently both feared and ridiculed by civilized people and leaders around the world, and understandably so. Bush and his minions have squandered decades of good will, and relegated America to a world pariah.

    – He cares about people, especially those who aren’t millionaires
    What a refreshing change! Instead of giving wads of cash back to those who are already rich, Dean wants to do what he’s already done in his home state as Governor — endeavor to have EVERY man, woman, and child protected with health insurance. Keep people out of prison by providing social services ahead of time (saving lives, and saving millions of dollars!). Actually support education instead of just offering lip service.

    – He’s smarter about foreign policy than our poser-in-chief
    Some folks have dinged Dean about his foreign policy, dumbly claiming that his lack of experience in this area makes him unfit to protect our country. What hogwash! Dean has clearly articulated realistic and reasonable foreign policy ideas, including the no-brainer that Bush has trampled: Maintain a strong military, and deploy our men and women ONLY with sound cause. In fact, Dean is the only presidential candidate who opposed the “gee, I KNOW those weapons are SOMEWHERE!” Iraq war, demonstrating that he’s got balls AND smarts. Most importantly, as I suggested above, Dean would undoubtedly be taken more seriously by leaders around the world, and I firmly believe that such strong relationships are the backbone of successful foreign policies.

    – He unites rather than divides
    Dean consistently speaks of supporting the ties that bind — or should bind — our great nation… families, education, our environment… things that are dear to us every day of our lives. He believes in people, he believes that government can be good and do good, he is optimistic rather than cynical, and overall, he’s an amazing breath of fresh air.

    —

    If you have broadband, you absolutely MUST check out www.HowardDeanTV.com. You’ll be prompted to download a small (NOT spyware) program that downloads broadband, full-screen videos of Dean’s speeches and interviews, and after letting that run in the background a while, you’ll be able to watch literally hours of Dean footage. This is a great way to hear him speak in more-than-30-second-news-soundbites and really learn what he’s about.

    —

    I hope you’ll take a moment to learn about Dean and maybe print up one of the cool customizeable posters. I’m not exaggerating when I say from my heart that I think he’s one of the few people around now that can help reverse the treacherous course of our country. I think once you learn what he’s about, you’ll agree.

  • Party like it’s 1999

    Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Google Dance 2003, and experienced wonderous but surreal feelings of deja vu.

    Disclaimer: I have friends who work at Google, and I have interviewed for jobs there in the past.

    —

    Before I describe the Google event, let me fill you in on the weird and wacky events we San Francisco / Silicon Valley peeps were privy to during the heady dot.com days, BC (Before the Crash).

    On any given week, there were at least several parties with open bars, free food, lots of dancing, plus large numbers of ambitious, optimistic, and attractive people.

    Back then, companies justified the expenditure in several ways:

    1) They were gaining branding and awareness.

    2) During the days when talented techies were in huge demand but limited supply, it was cheaper to throw big attractive “look at our company!” bashes than pay recruiters to shop for talent. Recruiter fees for 15 techies: Easily $300,000. A huge party for the techies and their friends and their friends of friends? Probably a mere quarter mil… a $50K discount, and a hell of a lot more fun than hiring head hunters.

    3) The dot.commers needed to release some steam after working extended long hours.

    —

    Fast forward to the Google Dance last night.

    There were open bars, free food, lots of dancing (duh!), and a huge collection of ambitious, optimistic, and attractive people.

    Sound familiar? But unlike the days in which such parties literally overlapped each other, this contemporary Google Dance was a freaky anomaly, and I don’t believe it can be “justified” in the same ways as parties of dot.gone. No, it seemed pretty clear that Google threw a massive party to entertain its own employees and simply offer up some good will for everyone else.

    I suppose this shouldn’t have surprised me. While the rest of the technology sector still seems to be doing more firing than hiring, Google is hiring across nearly all its departments with a vengeance. And Google layoffs or drastic belt-tightening? I haven’t ever heard of any of that, have you?

    Perhaps this is because Google started off admirably and sensibly frugal (now Froogle) from the beginning. No Aeron chairs. No BMWs for newly hired engineers. No $30,000 signing bonuses. Though admittedly they do have a handful of Segway scooters on the premises 😀

    Instead, Google generally offers its employees generous albeit not outrageous benefits, and provides a place where folks are encouraged to innovate in a flexible environment. And the corporate culture is fun without being frivolous, it seems. I just learned that every AdWords staffer, for instance, was recently treated to a local Dave Matthews concert.

    —

    But returning to last night… one of the most noteworthy things that struck me was the sense of joy and exuberance, and not of the irrational sort, either, IMHO. There appeared to be a sort of Joie de vivre amongst the Google staffers that suggests contentment and a sense of security rather than the much less attractive insecure aggressiveness exhibited by more swaggering companies and their employees. The many Googlers I chatted with last night were proud without being arrogant or dismissive; they were friendly, respectful, and clearly happy with their employment.

    With the party that they threw, it’s no wonder.

    In addition to all the stuff I mentioned earlier, the party featured foosball and ping-pong tables, lots of colorful bouncy-balls and lava lamps (Google fixtures), a humungous video screen featuring live feeds from the dance floor as well as live feeds highlighting current Google searches, plus random pulsating graphics. I also got a cool Google t-shirt, the chance to chat one-on-one with a Google engineer about my Web sites, and a $300 AdWords credit!

    I definitely went home with a big smile on my face, and I understand even more than before why Google may currently be the Happiest Place On Earth.

    —

    UPDATE – 8/21/03: Pictures are now available at http://www.google.com/googledance2003/

  • Where do kids fit on the Internet?

    Earlier today, I got an Instant Message out of the blue… from someone who had visited my SmileZone site and noticed the IM address on my contact page.

    After brief introductions, I learned that she’s nine years old! And surprisingly articulate for such a young kid, too.

    She was looking to make friends and have a chat but I, alas, didn’t have much time for bantering this afternoon… and at 32, I felt a bit awkward chatting with a nine-year-old anyway.

    As politely as I could, I wished her a good day and good luck… but I wasn’t prepared for what came next.

    “So where can I find people, then? To chat with… make some friends” she asked.

    I drew a blank.

    The few online chats I’ve seen tend to be a bit more, ahem, risque than I’d ever want to recommend for a young kid.

    And for that matter, I don’t think Web sites in the U.S. can even legally collect contact info from under-14-year-olds, and hence I can’t imagine there being any pen pal-type sites out there for this girl.

    So, aside from just impersonally browsing for information, what does the Internet hold for young kids?

    With so many of us adults enjoying the personal aspects of the Internet… networking, sharing ideas, making friends… I’m guessing most of us (at least those of us without kids) never stopped to think about how limited young people are.

    I know when I was a young teen and likely even earlier, I didn’t have many friends in school. I was too smart… and my social skills hadn’t kept pace with my intellect. Back then, there was no grand Internet to connect with, well, nerds like me for commiseration and learning and befriending.

    Of course, the Internet today is filled with people of all interests and ages. But where can the kids go? Our American society has been so paranoid about walling them AWAY from any possible scandalous or controversial tidbit (oh no, a breast… oh no, a bad word!) that I don’t think we’ve given much thought to creating places where kids can interact thoughtfully and more-or-less freely.

    Perhaps I’m wrong, however, and I’d be delighted to be pointed in the right direction for kid-friendly resources on the Internet.

    Do you know of any good sites for young kids?

    And what do you think about this situation in general?

  • Sensitivity vs. absurdity

    I was reading a fascinating article in Wired.com today, Glove Won’t Speak for the Deaf, and what struck me most wasn’t the challenges associated with the technology, but the unbelievable ‘political correctness’ demonstrated by one of the organizations cited.

    The article describes a special ‘glove’ invention that translates a very limited amount of sign language into spoken English, and notes that many deaf people are less than excited about the development for a number of reasons.

    Clearly, a 200 word vocabulary could understandably be more frustrating than fulfilling. Even as a hearing person, I can grasp that.

    What I cannot fathom, however, is the defiant and almost farcical attitude of the National Association of the Deaf (“NAD”), which complains that this glove is just another means of suggesting that the deaf are somehow disabled.

    Call me an insensitive boor, but as a musician and as a rational human being, I think that any organization that defines deafness as “a unique trait, not a deficiency” is more than a bit off its group rocker.

    Along the same lines, then, a war veteran who lost an arm in battle now has the ‘unique trait’ of being an amputee. Or someone who was born without the ability to walk has the ‘unique trait’ of being stuck in a wheelchair.

    Descending into even greater absurdity, the NAD further asserts that parents shouldn’t necessarily “view deafness as a disease that needs curing.” Wonderful. So if little Johnny is born deaf, let’s have the parents encourage this ‘unique trait’ instead of examining options to cure it.

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    In the noble pursuit of de-marginalizing the handicapped, organizations such as NAD have unfortunately replaced intelligent and thoughtful advocacy with laughable rhetoric that is at best embarrassing, at worst, detrimental to the health and happiness of young people.

    Why not simply call it like it is? Deafness IS a disability, which Websters defines as “[…]a physical or mental impairment that interferes with or prevents normal achievement in a particular area.”

    I believe our society (via public and private endeavors) has an obligation to assist the disabled with job placement… both offering specialized training to deaf people AND persuasive and informative training to current and potential employers. I believe that we should be spending a far greater percentage of our federal budget on research for disease prevention, cure, and care. I believe that every good person — regardless of ability — deserves respect and opportunity, not pity.

    What I do not believe in, however, is the mindless drivel associated with political correctness. People who can’t see are not “differently sensitized” — they’re blind. Obese people are not (necessarily) “bold and beautiful” — they’re fat. People in a wheelchair are not “differently abled” — they’re disabled.

    Truth and directness in naming isn’t a matter of sensitivity. It’s a matter of honesty… and the first step towards effectively and thoughtfully working with a person or a situation.

    Oh, and for the record, I’m no stranger to ‘unique traits.’ I’m short — not “differently heighted.” And you know what? While I do just fine as it is, I sure wouldn’t have turned down an offer to be normally-heighted. 😉

  • The benefits (?) of e-voting

    Nowadays, I see with increasing frequency stories about e-voting — voting for regional or national elections via the Internet. The worries about fraud are stated clearly, emphatically, and meaningfully.

    But where are the corresponding benefits?

    Quicker tabulation? Perhaps. And I guess that’s considered important with today’s MTV’d-attention-span folks.

    Cost savings? After all the anti-hacking, equipment procurement and maintenance, and verification costs are added in? I don’t see it.

    Smaller margin of error? Nothing that couldn’t be accomplished by more user-friendly paper ballots, IMHO.

    Convenience? Those who are mobile-impaired (the handicapped or elderly, for instance) can already request absentee ballots and vote from the comfort of their own home. Heck, nearly ALL of us (at least in California) can actually do so; I’ve voted absentee for the last two years, saving the hassle of fighting the crowds and limited hours at my local polling place.

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    So am I missing something, or is e-voting actually a “solution” in search of a problem?