Technology On The Go

Today I am taking a break from talking about the kids, except to say that I have been up since 3:00am because of them.... But on the other hand, look at the blogging I get done and I know what is going on in the news. Now if I could just find my glasses I would be set... so forgive the typos.

First, admittedly, I have become a geek. I think computers are part of the access of evil, but of course I am very attached to mine. It gives me a chance to spout off about whatever I want, keeps me in touch with my family and it gives me a job. None of those things make me a geek. The fact that my husband is probably one of the biggest computer geeks out there does. When we lived in Portland he was part of a start up organization that provides fee wireless access points around the greater Portland Metro area. This is where my geek side comes from. For those of you who watch the Big Bang Theory, you will understand how geeky I am when I say that I understand the computer jokes. Yup, it is that bad! We only use open source technology and for the first time in my life I have found a phone/organizer that I want, the Nokia N900. Though I am not sure I could break from my hand written organizer.

However, one place we have left off our technology sphere is Facebook. Much to the consternation of nearly everyone we know......We are not on it for 2 reasons. A) My husband is a privacy nut. We are virus immune, not resistant, but immune. We we make Fort Knox look like chump change. However, the great part of this is obviously, that we get no viruses, but also NO pop up ads! I had no idea they still existed until my sister was complaining about hers. And the second reason I am not on Facebook is because I simply don't want to take the time. It will suck me in like a vacuum and leave me no time to watch the Big Bang Theory! I already have enough things to distract me. But what honestly drives me crazy is not Facebook in and of itself, everything has a privacy risk, I use Gmail, one of the biggest miners out there. But what people put on there! Today in the news there was an article on Fox news stating that Facebook will allow 3rd party developers access to the users address and phone. Meaning 3rd party apps like Farmville can see the users address and phone number. The idea being is that it makes it easier for those on the go to attach their phone and address quickly to other apps and sites. The warning comes from a company called Sophos which is a security firm. Their advice, don't put these vital pieces of information on your website. Well DUH! Why do people do this?!!!! Why would people put absolutely vital and personal information up on a site for the entire world to peruse. Now mind you, a person's name, address and phone number can be obtained from almost any public phone book, both on and off line, but still........It amazes me what people put on there! There are so many stories of the inappropriate photos, comments, messages that get posted and yet people are SHOCKED when it comes back to bite them in the butt! I know there are privacy blocks you can add to your page so only your friends see things, but it doesn't take long for many to connect the dots and get invited in, including employers, and businesses. Years ago a couple in Australia I believe was served with a home foreclosure notice via Facebook. Yikes! And I believe businesses have no place intruding in someone's social networking like that, but it doesn't stop them and it was deemed legal.

The other issue I have is employers who spy on their employees or future employees with these pages. A couple of days ago Dear Abby ran an article about a teacher asked to give a recommendation about her former student for a job overseas. The teacher was thrilled and had only good things to say. However, the organization came back and said we found her FB page and look at this! And asked the teacher what do you think?! The teacher was appalled by her exploits from when she was younger which, personally I did not do, but half the high school kids I knew did which was, the old fake ID routine for underage bar hopping and the like. Oh please, that has been going on since the implementation of an alcohol age limit......What gets me is that they did not acknowledge that this was all in the past, people do grow up and change, just look at all the hippies turned Republicans. But it also drives me crazy that they are sure this is HER. I do not and have not ever used FB. However, if I search for my name it is up there more than once. And if you Google my name apparently I am also a Russian porn star or some such thing. It makes we wonder if I could ever lose out on a job just because of my name. To be fair the teacher tried to reach the student for comment, but she wouldn't take the call and it would seem both former student and the parents were miffed at the situation. Could be it was all true and maybe the parents just found out and are now upset with her OR it could be they are just royally offended at the inquiry. Why is it so important that the world at large have the latest dirt on our social lives and why is so important to people to POST it?! Think people, think! Did FB rob these users of their brains too?!

The other big privacy robber is Google. However, I LOVE Google and I literally could not have my job with out them. In my company there are about 15-20 employees and we all work from home including the CEO. We stay current on what's happening via Gmail. I am a writer, so I share documents, assignments schedules and the like with 2 other people. But instant chat makes it easy to access customer service for product questions or talk directly to our CEO. It also means I can work anytime, anyplace, anywhere and from any computer. Yeah! I have done all three.

But the other thing I love about Google, is Google translate! A friend introduced it to me a few months a go and boy howdy, it has opened a whole new world! I can now translate the kids notes from school, unless they are hand written, because the first step is being able to read the words..... the handwriting that goes with teaching here indicates they missed their calling as doctors...... I can also plug in websites that are Hebrew and get them put in English and I can type in English what I want to say and it will come back in Hebrew! Which means that I can send notes to the school in Hebrew too! Yeah! Now despite all that M's teacher is accommodating me with all communication in English, but still I have a leg up where I did not before. Now they are making it even better. You can get a phone app that puts it all in real time on your phone. Just say what you need to in English and it comes back in the requested language, clear and concise in a real voice. So if I need to get my point across in some office but can't, I could say it in English and it would spit it out in Hebrew. This way the person I am speaking to can hear it! I am willing to forgo a bit of privacy for that little gadget! Now I just need to get my hands on that Nokia N900 and I will be set....

In technology there are always trade offs, in my case I figure eventually Google will see that I don't spend money on their adds, I have nothing nefarious or even interesting going on and they will get tired of reading about my kids, hardware and patio furniture. They probably read my name and read my stuff so they can fall asleep from boredom at night, but hey at least someone is getting a good nights sleep! Seriously, we give and we gain and that is they way it has been since the invention of th wheel. Someone makes a wheel, someone gets run over by it and now lawyers are invented to work out the law suit....... But why can't people us common sense? As my mother used to say, "If you don't want me to know you are doing it, then you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." Truer words were never spoken and they are words that everyone should live by; because folks your mom will eventually forgive you, but the rest of the world will never forget!