Although I have participated in Critical Mass, I don't really ignore red lights and plow into cars for sympathy.
My main point, minus the sarcasm, was that bicycles are far more manuverable that autos, and constitute an extremely efficient means of transportation.
I just think there are more colorful ways of illustrating this point.
I have always had an aversion to automobiles, in part because I dislike being dependent on the whims of large oil companies.
As a resident of Washington, DC, I find riding a bicycle to be an extremely effective means of getting from point A to point B.
I zip around the nation's capitol on a modified Trek 8000 (I call it the Postal Assault Vehicle due to its loud blue/red/white color scheme).
D.C. has the nation's 2nd worst urban traffic congestion. It's not so bad on a bike. I can hop curbs, jump to and from the sidewalk, manuveur between cars, go the wrong way down a 1 way street, and ignore red lights. Better yet, I can easily pedal away from the law during D.C.'s frequent citizen uprisings (bike cops are rather slow).
Every week, I get a new set of scars that serve as the focal points of conversations and elicit sympathy from the fairer gender. There's nothing like a good wreck to wake ya up in the morning.
My laptop, however, doesn't appreciate my riding habits. Just lost my "F5" key last night after a collision.
. I see the media in terms of its dependence of advertising -- or corporate media v. non-corporate media. Although this may seem to be a nebulous and futile distinction, I believe that the quality, depth, and sincerity of a media source is dependent on how beholden it is to the corporate logic of profit.
Take the devolution (in my opinion) of Time Magazine as an example. Once a forum of consequential issues, Time has become a glossy hodgepodge of cartoony charts, 150-word celebrity interviews, and cheery product reviews that blur the line between advertising and editorial content.
Television "News" exemplifies the mutual exclusivity of advertising and meaningfull content. TV News devotes far more time to patter, human-interest stories and weather than actual news.
There's a word that describes the drivel spewed forth by corporate media. Pabulum, which essentially means baby food -- a homogenous mush of finely ground, easily digesitable slop.
Consumer Project on Technology/ Essential Information's proposal for new top level domain names (including.sucks and others) was submitted to ICANN on June 10.
This and other "expressions of interest" can be viewed on ICANN's website.
Additionally, CPT maintains a website about new tldn's.
I recall reading a character profile of Wolverine that pegged his height at 5 foot 3 inches.
Being a 5' 5 1/2" troll, I've always been partial to the short badass archetype, as exemplified by James Cagney in the original Scarface and Joe Pesci in Goodfellas.
Good post John. The Consumer Project on Technology has recently started a campaign to get government contracts put on the Internet.
Currently, it is difficult for American citizens to obtain copies of publicly funded federal contracts without resorting to the Freedom of Information Act -- a tedious and often inefficient process.
At the start of this campaign (May 1999), we asked two associates attempt to obtain 81 federal contracts that had been listed in the Washington Post by contacting the firms and government agencies involved. They were unable to obtain a copy of a single contract.
We feel that the placing of government contracts on the Internet will shed some much-needed light on the impenetrable, byzantine process of government contracting and restore an element of accountability to the federal government.
Our correspondence with President Clinton and the Office of Management and Budget to date on this topic can be seen on our Government Contracts on the Internet page.
Does anyone know if Mattel software comes equipped with EULA's that would purport to sanction this type of activity? Vergil Bushnell Consumer Project on Technology email: vbushnell@cptech.org
Let me preface my comment by saying that I'm glad to see this type of discussion on Slashdot.
For those previous posters who question the conditions of sweatshops, specifically the presence of armed guards, I'd like to recount some of my observations.
Last summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Jakarta, Indonesia to speak with sweatshop workers who labor in the many cramped factories surrounding Indonesia's capital.
I spent a good deal of time interviewing Nike workers.
The previous poster asserted that Nike pays its third world workers "above the poverty line." I'm not sure such a statement is accurate. During my visit, several people explained to me that the prevailing Nike wage was indeed above the amount the Indonesian government defined as a subsistance wage. However, after the two figures were adjusted taking into account Indonesia's skyrocketing inflation, the Nike wage was actually below this subsistance mark.
On one occaision I managed to enter one of Nike's largest facilities as a guest of its labor union (I was accompanying a group of American anti-sweatshop activists and their Indonesian counterparts). The scale of this particular plant -- I believe it was called PT Nikomas Gemilang -- was immense, the size of a college campus. We didn't get much further beyond the main gate before a crew of managers on motorscooters blocked our way. They refused to allow us to inspect any of the factory buildings or dormitories (yep, many of the workers live on company property).
The Nike factory was protected by a series of guardhouses sheltering a fleet of uniformed rent-a-cops, hardly surprising in a facility this size.
More disturbing was the presence of armed, plainclothed soldiers on Nike property. The Nike managers explained that the troops were a necessary precaution because of upcoming elections. I don't know if this is true or not.
The activists I was with issued a press release detailing the labor conditions of the plant, and mentioning the presence of the Indonesian army. Soon afterwards, Nike's public relations people posted a poorly written "rebuttal" on their website that questioned the veracity of our visit, and flatly denied the presence of soldiers on Nike property. This document was yanked from Nike's page within a day or so.
The closest I came to interviewing workers producing computer products was a brief encounter with Targus (the company that makes laptop cases) employees. So I'm not qualified to say whether or not the manufacturers of computer components are socially responsible or not. However, I believe the chants echoed in Seattle (and re-echoed in this week's IMF/WorldBank protests in DC) accusing multinational corporations of placing "profits over people" and running a feverish "race to the bottom" to exploit countries with the lowest wages and non-existant social/environmental protections ring true to my experience.
Several previous posters have said that the presence of multinational corporations in 3rd-world countries is beneficial because of job creation.
Corporations such as Nike have demonstrated again and again why they have little stake in the nations and people that host their factories. According to the strict logic of profit, a corporation should have one directive -- to make the greatest amount at the least cost. This seems reasonable enough -- until you factor in the human cost of such motivation.
Ever wonder why many multinationals prefer dictatorships? If all you see is profit, it makes sense to have your factories in a country where people that speak up for fair working conditions "dissapear", where meetings of workers are broken up by soldiers, where activists are imprisoned or worse.
Nike used to have factories in South Korea in the '80s. As soon as the people in South Korea developed a strong labor and democracy movement that demanded, among other things, fair wages, did Nike stick around? Hell no. It relocated its plants to a dictatorship -- Indonesia. Now that democracy is stirring in Indonesia, Nike is trying to concentrate its plants in Vietnam and China.
Nike and other corps may be taking tiny steps in the direction of social responsibility, but only because loud university protests and media footage of women wearing nothing but "Better Naked than Nike" stenciled across their chests have a negative impact on earnings.
Some posters have said that a product's quality should be the sole criterion for determining consumer demand. Quality is pretty important to me, but I'm not comfortable purchasing products --sneakers or software-- that is produced at the expense of others.
Actually, the Coward has a good point. Even though EULA's aren't exactly relevant to a firm's social responsibility, such "contracts of adhesion" are quite pertinent to a software publisher's reponsibility to its consumers.
With UCITA looming on the horizon (I believe the Maryland General Assembly has just passed UCITA, all that's needed is the Governor's signature), even fundamental responsibilities such as ensuring a program isn't riddled with virii, works as it is supposed to (normally covered by the all-important implied warranty of merchatability) and matches a demonstration (covered by express warranties) can be tossed to the wind.
UCITA ensures that the software publisher can disclaim virtually all responsibility for its product by making the consumer liable for just about everything.
So in this sense, the Anon. Coward is right on. Soon "None of 'em" will be "responsible" according to UCITA.
Wonder how long it will take for other well-funded government research bodies (DARPA et al) to realize the utility of such seemingly beneficial applications. v
CPT's letter to ICANN asking to create new Internet Top Level Domains is available at http://www.cptech.org/ecom/icann/tlds-march1-2000. html This letter contains explanations of each proposed TLD. Sincerely, Vergil Bushnell Consumer Project on Technology
Is the Virtual Community a real possibility? Can it survive the growth, size and commercialization of the Net...?
I think "virtual communities" are indeed a possibility -- many, in fact, currently thrive amidst the "commercialization of the Net."
First, I believe it's a fallacy to speak of the "Virtual Community" with a capital V and C, as if it was a single, monolithic entity. Not that Jon Katz was making such an assertion, of course.
Take, for instance, Slashdot's favorite topic -- Linux. LUG's (Linux User Groups) are a decent example of regional-based congregations (forgive me for using that word) that discuss current, topical issues both online and in person. No LUG that I've witnessed seems to functions as an insular, exclusive body. Rather, they localize concerns and themes important to the broader Linux community.
Slashdot Mirror
Although I have participated in Critical Mass, I don't really ignore red lights and plow into cars for sympathy.
My main point, minus the sarcasm, was that bicycles are far more manuverable that autos, and constitute an extremely efficient means of transportation.
I just think there are more colorful ways of illustrating this point.
As an aside, what make bike do you ride, anyway?
Chill out, bro.
-Vergil
As a resident of Washington, DC, I find riding a bicycle to be an extremely effective means of getting from point A to point B.
I zip around the nation's capitol on a modified Trek 8000 (I call it the Postal Assault Vehicle due to its loud blue/red/white color scheme).
D.C. has the nation's 2nd worst urban traffic congestion. It's not so bad on a bike. I can hop curbs, jump to and from the sidewalk, manuveur between cars, go the wrong way down a 1 way street, and ignore red lights. Better yet, I can easily pedal away from the law during D.C.'s frequent citizen uprisings (bike cops are rather slow).
Every week, I get a new set of scars that serve as the focal points of conversations and elicit sympathy from the fairer gender. There's nothing like a good wreck to wake ya up in the morning.
My laptop, however, doesn't appreciate my riding habits. Just lost my "F5" key last night after a collision.
Vergil
. I see the media in terms of its dependence of advertising -- or corporate media v. non-corporate media. Although this may seem to be a nebulous and futile distinction, I believe that the quality, depth, and sincerity of a media source is dependent on how beholden it is to the corporate logic of profit.
Take the devolution (in my opinion) of Time Magazine as an example. Once a forum of consequential issues, Time has become a glossy hodgepodge of cartoony charts, 150-word celebrity interviews, and cheery product reviews that blur the line between advertising and editorial content.
Television "News" exemplifies the mutual exclusivity of advertising and meaningfull content. TV News devotes far more time to patter, human-interest stories and weather than actual news.
There's a word that describes the drivel spewed forth by corporate media. Pabulum, which essentially means baby food -- a homogenous mush of finely ground, easily digesitable slop.
Sincerely,
Vergil
This and other "expressions of interest" can be viewed on ICANN's website.
Additionally, CPT maintains a website about new tldn's.
- Vergil
I recall reading a character profile of Wolverine that pegged his height at 5 foot 3 inches.
Being a 5' 5 1/2" troll, I've always been partial to the short badass archetype, as exemplified by James Cagney in the original Scarface and Joe Pesci in Goodfellas.
Vergil
The Consumer Project on Technology has recently started a campaign to get government contracts put on the Internet.
Currently, it is difficult for American citizens to obtain copies of publicly funded federal contracts without resorting to the Freedom of Information Act -- a tedious and often inefficient process.
At the start of this campaign (May 1999), we asked two associates attempt to obtain 81 federal contracts that had been listed in the Washington Post by contacting the firms and government agencies involved. They were unable to obtain a copy of a single contract.
We feel that the placing of government contracts on the Internet will shed some much-needed light on the impenetrable, byzantine process of government contracting and restore an element of accountability to the federal government.
Our correspondence with President Clinton and the Office of Management and Budget to date on this topic can be seen on our Government Contracts on the Internet page.
Sincerely,
Vergil Bushnell
Does anyone know if Mattel software comes equipped with EULA's that would purport to sanction this type of activity? Vergil Bushnell Consumer Project on Technology email: vbushnell@cptech.org
Let me preface my comment by saying that I'm glad to see this type of discussion on Slashdot.
For those previous posters who question the conditions of sweatshops, specifically the presence of armed guards, I'd like to recount some of my observations.
Last summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Jakarta, Indonesia to speak with sweatshop workers who labor in the many cramped factories surrounding Indonesia's capital.
I spent a good deal of time interviewing Nike workers.
The previous poster asserted that Nike pays its third world workers "above the poverty line." I'm not sure such a statement is accurate. During my visit, several people explained to me that the prevailing Nike wage was indeed above the amount the Indonesian government defined as a subsistance wage. However, after the two figures were adjusted
taking into account Indonesia's skyrocketing inflation, the Nike wage was actually below this subsistance mark.
On one occaision I managed to enter one of Nike's largest facilities as a guest of its labor union (I was accompanying a group of American anti-sweatshop activists and their Indonesian counterparts). The scale of this particular plant -- I believe it was called PT Nikomas Gemilang -- was immense, the size of a college campus. We didn't get much further beyond the main gate before a crew of managers on motorscooters blocked our way. They refused to allow us to inspect any of the factory buildings or dormitories (yep, many of the workers live on company property).
The Nike factory was protected by a series of guardhouses sheltering a fleet of uniformed rent-a-cops, hardly surprising in a facility this size.
More disturbing was the presence of armed, plainclothed soldiers on Nike property. The Nike managers explained that the troops were a necessary precaution because of upcoming elections. I don't know if this is true or not.
The activists I was with issued a press release detailing the labor conditions of the plant, and mentioning the presence of the Indonesian army. Soon afterwards, Nike's public relations people posted a poorly written "rebuttal" on their website that questioned the veracity of our visit, and flatly denied the presence of soldiers on Nike property. This document was yanked from Nike's page within a day or so.
The closest I came to interviewing workers producing computer products was a brief encounter with Targus (the company that makes laptop cases) employees. So I'm not qualified to say whether or not the manufacturers of computer components are socially responsible or not. However, I believe the chants echoed in Seattle (and re-echoed in this week's IMF/WorldBank protests in DC) accusing multinational corporations of placing "profits over people" and running a feverish "race to the bottom" to exploit countries with the lowest wages and non-existant social/environmental protections ring true to my experience.
Several previous posters have said that the presence of multinational corporations in 3rd-world countries is beneficial because of job creation.
Corporations such as Nike have demonstrated again and again why they have little stake in the nations and people that host their factories. According to the strict logic of profit, a corporation should have one directive -- to make the greatest amount at the least cost. This seems reasonable enough -- until you factor in the human cost of such motivation.
Ever wonder why many multinationals prefer dictatorships? If all you see is profit, it makes sense to have your factories in a country where people that speak up for fair working conditions "dissapear", where meetings of workers are broken up by soldiers, where activists are imprisoned or worse.
Nike used to have factories in South Korea in the '80s. As soon as the people in South Korea developed a strong labor and democracy movement that demanded, among other things, fair wages, did Nike stick around? Hell no. It relocated its plants to a dictatorship -- Indonesia. Now that democracy is stirring in Indonesia, Nike is trying to concentrate its plants in Vietnam and China.
Nike and other corps may be taking tiny steps in the direction of social responsibility, but only because loud university protests and media footage of women wearing nothing but "Better Naked than Nike" stenciled across their chests have a negative impact on earnings.
Some posters have said that a product's quality should be the sole criterion for determining consumer demand. Quality is pretty important to me, but I'm not comfortable purchasing products --sneakers or software-- that is produced at the expense of others.
vergil
Actually, the Coward has a good point.
Even though EULA's aren't exactly relevant to a firm's social responsibility, such "contracts of adhesion" are quite pertinent to a software publisher's reponsibility to its consumers.
With UCITA looming on the horizon (I believe the Maryland General Assembly has just passed UCITA, all that's needed is the Governor's signature), even fundamental responsibilities such as ensuring a program isn't riddled with virii, works as it is supposed to (normally covered by the all-important implied warranty of merchatability) and matches a demonstration (covered by express warranties) can be tossed to the wind.
UCITA ensures that the software publisher can disclaim virtually all responsibility for its product by making the consumer liable for just about everything.
So in this sense, the Anon. Coward is right on. Soon "None of 'em" will be "responsible" according to UCITA.
Vergil
Wonder how long it will take for other well-funded government research bodies (DARPA et al) to realize the utility of such seemingly beneficial applications. v
CPT's letter to ICANN asking to create new Internet Top Level Domains is available at http://www.cptech.org/ecom/icann/tlds-march1-2000. html This letter contains explanations of each proposed TLD. Sincerely, Vergil Bushnell Consumer Project on Technology
I think "virtual communities" are indeed a possibility -- many, in fact, currently thrive amidst the "commercialization of the Net."
First, I believe it's a fallacy to speak of the "Virtual Community" with a capital V and C, as if it was a single, monolithic entity. Not that Jon Katz was making such an assertion, of course.
Take, for instance, Slashdot's favorite topic -- Linux. LUG's (Linux User Groups) are a decent example of regional-based congregations (forgive me for using that word) that discuss current, topical issues both online and in person. No LUG that I've witnessed seems to functions as an insular, exclusive body. Rather, they localize concerns and themes important to the broader Linux community.
Sincerely,
Vergil
Vergil Bushnell