Me after 30 seconds of the sadistic, automated maze that is Comcast’s toll free number:

GIVE ME A GOTDAM OPERATOR YOU STUPID SUNOFABITCH!! 🤬

#internets

This is why the web is horrible, especially on mobile devices. I really wanted to read about robots chatting in a new language they created while waiting for my coffee to brew this morning but no, we can’t have nice things on the Internet.

Did you see the independent.co.uk screenshot above has two close Xs overlaying each other in the bottom right.

Two.

I opened their article on my MacBook Air because again, I really wanted to read about the chatting robots but after scrolling past the intro graphic this…

I turned Ghostery off and it counted 61 trackers.

And I really wanna buy something from Zazzle now 🙄… When I see ads from companies this way, it puts a negative taste in my mouth. Their brands become revolting and I try avoid them from there on out.

It doesn’t surprise me that people just hang out on their Facebooks and their Pinterests, and their Twitters. At least those guys legitimately try to care about UI and content.

Independent.co.uk cares about their advertising.

#webdev #internets #fail

#meanwhile #internets

Net Neutrality: A Free and Open Internet

The FCC just voted in favor of a strong Net Neutrality rule to keep the Internet open and free. That happened because millions of Americans across the country didn’t just care about this issue. Read a special thank-you message from the President, then learn more about how we got to where we are today.

This is “so much win” for real.

#internetss #freedom

Google and blogs: “Shit.” – Marco.org

Everyone’s spending increasingly more consumption time dicking around in apps and snacking on bite-sized social content instead of browsing websites and searching Google.

Publishers are relying more on social traffic not because Google’s squeezing them out, but because that’s where everyone went. The dominance of mobile usage, social networks, and YouTube, plus attention-competition from apps, are the real problems for web publishers and blog writers.

The social and app revolutions haven’t been purely additive — much of the time people spend on those now has come at the expense of search, RSS, and bookmarks.

You’ll get no arguments from me. I tend to skim the social medias more than Googling these days. All the peeps are there and I’m much more interested in what they’re doing and reading than rummaging around with what Google has to offer. A peep’s opinion that I trust has much more weight than a search algorithm.

I’m still a big proponent of RSS, I’m in my RSS reader at least twice a day. There’s a whole lot of bullshit on the web and I prefer sticking with the sites that make it easy for me to get and read their content. And I only subscribe to blogs and sites that I trust as well.

Wikipedia is another frequent stop. I’d rather start my research there with measure of quality than starting with a blank page of Google unless I’m looking for very specific technical items. Then I always seem to end up on Stack Overflow anyways.

Maybe that’s the whole thing. Maybe it all comes down to trust.

#socialmedia #internetss #trust

I guess the NBC website took their ball and went home. :-(

#tv #internets #football

What is the Internet?

The Internet is a complex global network consisting of thousands of independent computer networks run by private businesses, government agencies and educational and research institutions.

Copyright © 1994 Mosaic Communications Corporation.

#internets

A technical examination of SOPA and PROTECT IP (reddit blog)

As you have probably heard, there are two pieces of legislation currently pending that we, and others like us, believe seriously threaten the internet. I wanted to take some time to delve into the text of both of these bills, and outline their potential consequences as I am able to understand them. As you can imagine, this is a complex issue, and as a result this is going to be a complex post. I highly encourage you to set some time aside to read this thoroughly. Grab some caffeine, we are going to be here for a while.

As a disclaimer, I am not a lawyer, I’m a sysadmin. The following is not legal advice, but rather an outline and personal interpretation of critical portions of the legislation. If you own or operate a site that may be affected by this legislation, I suggest having your legal counsel look at these bills. If you’re a brand new startup with little to no money for legal counsel, well, best of luck to you. The internet may no longer be a friendly place.

It is a bit long but definitely worth the read.

If anything, just skip to the “In Conclusion” section.

PS: reddit has loads of good links, it’s in my top 5 favorite sites to visit.

Update:

The Oatmeal’s take on SOPA:

Google’s take on SOPA:

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/sopa-pipa/

#internets

The Un-Internet

It isn’t a reflection on the moral quality of the leaders of the companies, to want to control their users. But it’s a short-term proposition at best. Either the companies learn how to take the lead from their users, or they will be sidelined. […]

The Internet always finds away around your best intentions.

#internets

SOPA and PIPA: A giant step in the wrong direction for the internet

Today, we’re joining pretty much every major internet and technology company in voicing our opposition to the PIPA (PROTECT IP Act) and SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) legislation before the House and Senate. For those who have never heard of these two acts, they are proposals before Congress that give incredibly aggressive censorship controls to our government (acting on behalf of rights holders).

SOPA, controversial online piracy bill, gains support as lobbying intensifies

Google, Facebook, Yahoo and other Web giants launched a media blitz on Wednesday with full-page newspaper ads urging lawmakers to vote against the proposal.

Send a free letter to your congressperson. Do it.

#politics #internets