Mommy says thats my private area...

A man takes his lover by the hand and slowly leads her towards his bedroom. A haven of sheets and disposed inhibitions awaits. His eyes start to undress her and his hands soon follow. As his lips slowly start to work their way down from her lips, across her cheek, down her neck and his heart starts beating faster than it took for the army of goose bumps to take over his skin, he hears a cheer from afar. As he turns his head, he realizes that the world is watching.

So much for privacy.

Thanks to the dramatic shift towards internet use and the birth of the so-called iGeneration, privacy on the web has basically set itself right alongside LFO's music career in extinction. And despite all of the settings and claims of privacy within the myriad of online communities, your personal information and pictures are out there. Congrats!

In the world that I've drawn around myself, I see privacy as something I can keep personal. If I want to upload pictures onto the internet and don't want anyone to see them, I want it to be impossible for anyone other than my intended target to be able to see them. If I've written a comment on someone's wall, I want them and only them to be able to read it. Whats mine is mine, and what I'm giving to you, is yours, not everyone else lurking on the interweb.

"Social network sites are the latest generation generation of 'mediated publics' - environments where people can gather publically through mediated technology. In some senses, mediated publics are similar the unmediated publics with which most people are familiar - parks, malls, parking lots, cafes, ect." Boyd, Danah. 2007. "Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?" Knowledge Tree 13, May. http//kt.flexblelearning.net.au/tkt2007/?page_id=28

Basically, what's supposed to be private online is becoming more and more accessible to second, third, fourth, ect. parties. Whether it's companies, stalkers, miscreants, or your basic run of the mill lurkers, they're out there, and they're creepin' you Shiite.

I've been subject to the invasion of privacy many a time. One time in particular involves my father.

On one fateful evening two summers ago, I had a little too much to drink and found myself sleeping in my home hallway. A hell-storm ensued to a far greater extent than I could have ever imagined. Papa Ranic decided to look up my Myspace and Facebook profiles and read about everything I've been saying and doing. Explicit retellings of my words, intent, and actions were printed out and verbally spewn at me.

Not only was it embarrassing, it was completely uncalled for. My father didn't have the right to check all of that, but he did. The things on the internet that I thought were mine and whomever I was writing, became a thorn in my heal and an infected laceration across my back.

It was horrible. An entire summer was ruined based upon an action that was nothing more than expected for a boy of my age. Because of the volatile nature of my father, I had to bite my tongue and take a proverbial pounding. Since then, I set my Myspace to private, but later undid that setting. I've just become far more aware and careful with my words.

It's not just papa who's doing research, it's big (and small buiness) too.

"Some organizations engage in the profilling of people's web browsing, collecting the URLs of sites visited. The resulting profiles can potentially link with information that personally identifies the individual who did the browsing." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_privacy)


Years of spam and smutt have followed.

To deal with this unwanted harassment via email, I either don't check my mail, or use the filters provided by UB that I previously had no idea about.

It's disheartening to know that despite all the profile settings on Myspace and Facebook, there are ways around them. There is always someone out there looking to take your information and use it to their benefit. Whether its you D. Lackaff or someone watching in the rafters, that is absolutely horrifying.

"Perhaps it's naive in these dangerous times to believe you can keep secrets anymore - your travels, your e-mail, your purchasing history is readily available to law enforcement officials and others." (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15221095)

And perhaps I'm like Sandra Bullock back in '95 in The Net, running in horror of whomever's out there looking to steal my information, my identity, my future, and my deep rooted admiration for com 125.

She wants it...

So...I gotta give it to her.

Now I know what you're thinking; "My favorite song from 2007, 'Ayo Technology,' is undoubtedly one of the hottest jams in years and when it comes on in the club I shake my donk like an epileptic stripper, but this era's "Digital Get Down" in no way applies the topic at hand."

Dear Derek, must you always be so impatient? This is where my words seduce you and lure you in. And just when you think we're reaching point break and everything you're reading is inappropriate, I blow your mind. So relax, maybe throw on some Enya, and allow me to penetrate deep into your brain and inform you on my favorite online gift community - Myspace.

It's no secret that everyone loves gifts. Waking up Christmas morning and seeing that 100 dollar Sears gift card waiting for you is enough to make any man jump for joy...or silently weep that they didn't get the 25 items that they kindly, and boldly stated they wanted on their printed and decorated Christmas list. But yeah, gifts are always welcome.

In terms of the internet and gifts, more importantly gift communities, things are a little different.

"It has long been recognized that the low-cost, mass-publishing, mass-reproductive nature of the Internet facilitates the reproduction and distribution of products as gifts for little or no cost. Exchange in the Internet gift economy begins with the creation of a product, not unlike societies in the past, made available to the community at large for free." (http://www.firstmonday.org/Issues/issue8_12/veale/)

The amount of free swag online is remarkable, but one would assume that a certain level of reciprocity is desired, or at least presumed.

"The relative or absolute anonymity of the recipient makes it all the more remarkable that individuals volunteer valuable information - one cannot realistically count on the reciprocity of the recipient in the futur to balance the gift that has occured." (http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/papers/economies.htm)

Finding a balance between being a gift giver and a receiver is tricky and basically based on trust and hope, but thats what makes the online gift community special. Well now, since you have a basic understanding of gift communities and what exactly they are (because you totally didn't before), it's time for the specialization.

If you know me, or any self-obsessed, self-deprecating, depressed, or wanton teenage boy or girl, you surely know about the online juggernaut that is Myspace. As the premier online community, it offers an extremely accessible way to stay in touch with your friends, meet new people, skeeve on girls, share pictures, music, videos, advice, stories, and basically make yourself way cooler than you are in real life. Myspace - it's you, but better!

It's the ideal online gift community. With your profile you can post your pictures for both public and private enjoyment. You can write and post blogs/bulletins offering advice and telling stories about your victories and defeats. You can upload and share music that can be either streamed or downloaded, getting your own personal music out into the online world, or shares your favorite band with virgin ears. You can even message and instant message whomever you desire.

"It is a massive networking community. And a great way to make new friends from all over the world." (http://personalweb.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=personalweb&cdn=compute&tm=13&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_p504.1.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.ciao.co.uk/Reviews/myspace_com__6087844)

The giving on Myspace is abundant. The reciprocity for the giver is present, but not always guaranteed. Users can post comments showing their appreciation of a picture, blog, bulletin, ect. If someone new likes you, they can add you as a friend. For those who really like you, they can place you in their Top 8 favorite friends.

But none of this is guaranteed. You could conceivably get no pic or blog comments. No new friend requests. No Top 8 spots. And that my friend, hurts.

It's all about finding your balance. If you're going to put so much out there, make sure you do it to those who are interested. Don't add people that have no desire to know or see what you have to offer.

Myspace is what you make it. I love getting comments on my pictures and profile, but the biggest thing Myspace does is boost my ego. Every time a lovely young lady says something kind in my behalf I smile and pat myself on the back. Ok, I don't pat myself on the back, but you get the point (But when I see similar comments on my page, I'm anything but pleased). Above everything else, looking at people who are far more pathetic than I does wonders for my self esteem.

How can you look at this and not immediately feel better about yourself? I'm sorry, but if you're a boy, and you want to be a boy and proclaim heterosexuality, act the part. You're doing nothing but making yourself look stupid.

Myspace is my Christmas morning at times. At others, it's the "I'm sorry, it's been a rough year," year. Why not join and become a part of one of the most dynamic online communities out there? It's worth a shot.

and p.s. Derek your so new age. You're like my new craze...

Why Isn't My Napster Working?

Life used to be so much simpler. After a long days worth of schooling, Lunchable/Dunkaroo snacking and chatting it up on aim, you could kick back, log into this dainty little program called Napster, and in mere hours, download any Metallica song you wanted. Felt like "Riding the Ligting" or "Killin em all?" Shawn Fanning's P2P software made it all possible.

Actually, you could download just about any song you wanted, despite what Mr. Ulrich would like for you to believe. After sitting through a queue of users, that Japanese cover of Aqua's "Barbie Girl" was all yours. Score.

For the countless music/video junkies and misers scouring the web for free stuff, Napster and it's music only network naturally wasn't enough. Accordingly, programs such as Aries, Morpheus, Bear Share, Imesh, Limewire, and so may others were developed, all offering the ability to not only download music, but images, movies, games, and programs as well. And on top of it all, the amount of pron floating around throughout these programs was enough to make any and every 16 year old boy's dreams come true.

Looking back at it, God only knows how many computers were damaged by the abrupt flipping of the power switch because someone "thought they heard their mother coming."

The problem with all of these peer 2 peer programs is that they're far from legal. Downloading the song or movie of your choice completely compromises the integrity of the artist, stealing everything they worked so hard to create.

As Shawn Fanning's Napster began to blow up, artists like Metallica took to the courts, proclaiming copyright infringement. The ramifications would shake the e-world to it's very core.

"'This is not about Metallica versus the Internet,' said Lars Ulrich, the band’s drummer, on the band’s website. 'We know that the Internet is the future in terms of spreading your music to your fans, and we’re excited about that. But we want to control how that is done, just like we’ve always controlled what we make. We object to the companies that take the liberty of providing that access without asking us and Napster never came and asked us first.'" (http://www.thefalcononline.com/story/748)


"If it is determined that a person is guilty of copyright infringement, penalties could include a court order to stop producing that item, confiscation of the items, and paying the owner of the copyright any profits you received (or could have received) as well as attorney fees." (http://www.lostquilt.com/CopyrightInfringement.html)

To protect an artists' work, but to also accommodate the publics good intent/interest, we need to continue along the path that programs such as iTunes are paving, while also providing sites online where music and or videos can be streamed, but not downloaded, for free.

With iTunes, any music fan can search for and download the song of their choosing, all the while paying a dollar for each track, awarding the artist who created said track. After Napster was deemed illegal, Fanning turned it into a pay service, but it wasn't until Apple took over and created iTunes that this new area of online MP3 purchasing exploded.

iTunes isn't just limited to music and video. Schools such as the University of Stanford offer courses, faculty lectures and interviews as well within it's Apple set boundaries.

In regards to previewing and streaming music online, sites like Myspace and Purevolume, allow fans to listen to a few songs from the band of their choosing, that is, if that band has a site within the community.

With the recently created VictorMe 2.0 online service created by none other than Victory Records, fans can stream entire discographies, but only that of those on Victory Records.

"Along with real-time news updates, tour info, band discographies and photo galleries, VictorStream 2.0 now boasts the ability to create your own music playlist."(http://www.victoryrecords.com/index_ad.php)

If other labels decide to follow in Victory's footsteps, it would be a Godsend to fans who wanted to listen to their favorite band online. And since they wouldn't be taking the songs with them offline, it would be completely legal.

We're currently living on the fault line between e-revision and eliminating online piracy or succumbing to it. So many torrent sites have been taken down, yet so many still exist. If executives were smart, they'd follow the iRevolution and provide every possible song for a small price to those who want to purchase them, and a place to listen to them for free and create buzz and excitement about a band without compromising their integrity and legality.

God only knows which direction we'll go in, but if I can't stream the new Miley Cyrus album for free and then decide whether or not I want to buy it, I'm gonna be pissed.

Post Script: Don't deny it Lackaff, you know the next time we hang out, you will redeem yourself, your heart can't rest til then, oh woah oh oh oh, you cant wait, to see me again.

S2R Only!!!! Com 125

In the beginning...Derek Lackaff told us not to be cliche. But for the unaware, my name is John Ranic and I eat, sleep and breathe cliche. But maybe, just for this one time, I'll try not to be, but you have to promise not to tell.

Long before a man named Tom determined what our nation's youth would be doing online, the internet was a much simpler place. The corners of this interweb that spidered out of control had to be navigated blindly, often leaving surfers high and dry and unaware of some of the best features that were being spawned around them.

In the early 80's, the Control Video Corporation was formed and founded by Bill von Meister, which in a sense, was the corner stone of what would become AOL and would completely change the way we navigated and used the internet forever.

The CVC was mainly a game service for the Atari. In 1985, after a slew of new members were brought on board, the CVC became Quantum Computer Services. Jim Kimsey would become the chief executive officer in 1985. Kimsey would groom his marketing director to take over as CEO when he retired in 1991.

In 1985 Quantum Link was launched, which was an online service for the Commodore 64. In 1988, Apple Link was launched for, go figure, Apple and McIntosh computers. After Quantum Link parted ways with its original partner PlayNet Inc, it changed its name to...AOL.

And that's history. And sometimes history is boring, the repercussions on the other hand, are anything but. The effect that AOL would have on the internet would revitalize arguably the most important invention of the last half century and would hold ramifications that are sure to effect the world to come.

"From the beginning, AOL included online games in its mix of products; many classic and casual games were included in the original PlayNet software system." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aol)

Graphic chat rooms, online fictional series, and the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing game (Neverwinter Nights) were all to be found within AOL's perimeters. Lives today are ruled and ruined by MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft. The revenue gained from subscriptions is astronomical.

Steering away from describing basic renovations, the composition of AOL was and is ever evolving. Chat rooms, e-mail, buddy lists, games, news and so much more were all under one housing, which was completely new to the online world.

This simplification of e-tools made communication with friends, clients, entertainment, and news sources all within the range of your monitor. Miss your friends? Need to seal an important deal? Bored? Feeling frisky and or the need to pretend to be a lesbian in order to score some sweet new pics in a chatroom? Send to receive only!


"AOL was considered Internet training wheels," says branding consultant Rob Frankel. "It offered a closed system on the Web. It had mainframes that cached the Web and offered people appropriate pages. AOL thought it could keep people captive." (http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=193104723)

Taking heed of the success and ingenious of AOL, more and more internet service providers have popped up throughout the years. Compuserve, NetZero, Road Runner, EarthLink, are just few of the providers that would go on to find success after mimicking AOL.

Though AOL has as many features as ever, more and more people are leaning towards using other basic internet providers/connections. What was once bordering on a monopoly is now one of many. Price, different online communities, ease of use all factor in.

With all of that being said, touches of AOL can be seen everywhere on the internet. Even on sites like Myspace and Facebook, who house their own chats and friends an messaging providers. AOL has spread more seed online than a star Morman basketball player in Utah.

It's been fun watching AOL grow and making the most out of it. Staying in touch with friends and getting in trouble by my parents for perusing things I probably shouldn't have. The future of AOL lies within it's past and all of the sites and communities that draw from it. And that, my dear, dear Lackaff, is a myriad.