Breakable Crate » Humans make a fascinating case-study

An ad-free internet?

cardinal fang — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:53:21 +0000

Farhad Manjoo's lastest column in Slate discusses the ethics of the browser plug-in that blocks all ads on websites. I think it is clear to most people that ad revenue is how many websites make money; perhaps not the only way, but it might be. So, if we browse the web while turning all ads off, isn't that akin to piracy? Or, perhaps, you think of it as a consumer's right - more like fast forwarding or changing the channel while watching TV.

The article looks to a middle ground, where users choose which sites they are willing to see ads for, and those they are not. The difference might be between a site you visit a lot, or perhaps sites which do not offer intrusive ads. For me, personally, it's more about the latter: even if I like a site very much and visit it regularly, if they offer full page pop-up ads, or big flash banners with in-your-face graphics, I will turn off those ads, no ethical dilemma at all.

So, how do we get to that middle ground? One way is to use a plug-in like Flash Block which will prevent those nasty flash ads from loading, but still allow you to selectively load flash as you need to. Ad-block itself plans to allow users to choose to allow ads on sites that they visit often with a 'guilt' prompt: "As a frequent visitor to this site, maybe you should start viewing some ads. This site promises they aren't too annoying."

Yeah, ok, I'll look at your ad. Just as soon as I finish downloading this movie off PirateBay.

I love youngme – nowme photos.

cardinal fang — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:14:04 +0000

Can you tell that I'm procrastinating on a big paper?
I love these young me - now me photos. The best of these are the ones that not only nail the outfits, but also the looks on their young faces. I dare you, loyal readership, to make one of your own.

Which Super Power?

cardinal fang — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:07:01 +0000

Ok, so the new poll asks: If you could choose only one superpower, and you are the only person in the world who can have it, which would you choose: Flight or Invisibility?

The rules:

Flight includes the ability to fly at 1000 mph and anywhere within the earth's atmosphere. You can carry only what you can carry now.
Invisibility includes any clothing you are wearing, but not what you pick up. You are no more stealthy (quiet) that you are right now.

Please answer in the poll on the right, and leave your reasoning in the comments to this post. I'll discuss the results in a later post.

Solid!

cardinal fang — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:36:04 +0000

I think I've mentioned how much I love the Olympics. It tends to be on all evening here at the fang household. Sarah and I were watching the women's gymnastics last night (and you'd be hard pressed to call those Chinese gymnasts 'women'), and marvelling at their ability to contort and flip and pose. But you have to ask yourself, can they sing, too? (stick with this one folks, trust me)

Solid Potato Salad - The Ross Sisters - More bloopers are a click away

Google Reader Shared Item <- Ectoplasmosis

Also, see poll implementation, at right.

McCain is ‘Aware’ of the Internet

cardinal fang — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:15:33 +0000

This is a bit old, but amazing. Presidential candidate John McCain does not know how to use a computer; he asks his wife for help.

"Mr. McCain is a man who aspires to lead the largest economy in the world and yet recently admitted that he doesnâ€™t know how to use a computer, the one modern tool shared by everyone from the post-industrial American work force to Middle Eastern terrorists to Pixar animators. Getting shot down over Vietnam may not be a qualification for president in 2008, but surely a rudimentary facility with a laptop is."
- Frank Rich, "Wall-E for President" (New York Times - July 6, 2008)

"'John McCain is aware of the Internet... This is a man who has a very long history of understanding on a range of issues.'
- McCain aide Mark Soohoo (via Ben Smith, "The Google", June 23, 2008)

"As the father of young men and women ranging from 16 to 23, I understand from them not only their issues but how important and vital a role the Internet plays."
-McCain himself

"Understanding that your daughter is addicted to posting pictures of herself and her friends taken while riding in your private jet or knowing someone who is an eBay fanatic doesn't really translate if you don't have the frame of reference to understand the way in which that connectivity matters and the broader implications it has for the way in which we live our lives each day. It doesn't translate into understanding the incredible possibility of large-scale social change organized because the tools were freely available online and anyone could step up and use them.

But it was a nice try."
- Tracy Russo, "It's still not Enough" (TechPresident - June 17, 2008)

Click here to view the embedded video.

And then I pretended nothing happened.

cardinal fang — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:10:03 +0000

I just did the stupidist thing. I was walking outside, and I tripped, and I fell on my right knee, and tore my jeans. What am I, ten years old? Who does that?

Now I have to buy a new pair of the same kind. And no-one wears ripped jeans anymore (at least not during the day - look around, I dare you to find one). Sheesh.

And in no relation to this post,

Next up, America’s Hottest MLIS Student.

cardinal fang — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:33:07 +0000

I had to 'spread' the word about this infection watch to Sarah and Jimmy:

Also, some of you might be interested, from a purely sociological and behavioural standpoint of course, the winner and runners-up in the America's Hottest College Girl competition. Comments on Digg.com seem to think that MySpace poses + mascara does not = hottest college girl. I happen to know, however, that school is hard, and maintaining one's hotness on top of all that homework and hard drinking takes some doing. So, you go America's Hottest College Girl!

Yo Momma

Sarah — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:37:50 +0000

What is it with mothers and email? I'm not complaining about my mom cause she's actually pretty awesome when it comes to email and technology, but I found it interesting when I read in the Globe and Mail today about two women that started a website called "Postcards from yo momma" based entirely on the strange and cryptic emails we receive from our mothers.Â I found it pretty amusing so I thought I'd go through the emails I've received from my own mother to see if she had written any gems.Â Feel free to add your own gems.

"Can you describe for me again the following exercises - I can't remember.
If that doesn't work give your cell phone to your cat and have her video you doing the exercises and send to me.

Triceps - Overhead tricep Press
- French Press

Hamstring - Hip lift on ball

Ciao"

A Coke Addict – Day 3

Sarah — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:27:44 +0000

Day 3 wasn't so bad. I'm still not sleeping well but I didn't really have any cravings today. I also had a light bulb moment today. I was running around and didn't have time to eat lunch until 2:30. Normally I would've been lightheaded and dizzy and would have bought a bottle of coke to drink until I was able to eat lunch. I didn't have coke and didn't feel any side effects of waiting for lunch. I felt pretty good all day and didn't have any sugar ups or downs, which was nice. It's a good thing I'm making a note of this though because you don't often remember the good things!

A Coke Addict – Day 1.5

Sarah — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:52:26 +0000

According to webmaster cardinalfang, I'm supposed to give daily blog updates, so I'll do days 1 and 2 today and then I continue from there.

Day 1 sucked! I drank my little can of coke at lunchtime and then saved the C2 until after supper. C2 is very unsatisfying and 100 calories of coke is not nearly enough but I stuck with it. Last night I couldn't sleep. It's funny because people tell me that drinking coke close to bedtime will make me unable to sleep, but this never happened to me. It seems not drinking coke close to bedtime makes me unable to fall asleep and it wasn't fun.

Day 2, I've been drinking my 100 calorie coke for the past 2 hours. I will have the C2 when I get home from work tonight. I don't have headaches or anything but I'm glad I'm working at home because I think seeing coke machines may be too much to handle.