When I developed this blog, I had no idea that I'd be uploading anything serious to it (hence the pic of Mr. Bean's head on a baby's body--because who wouldn't think that was anything but hilarious?). But here I am, being adult and sharing my actual resumé for all the world to see.
Here's a link to one of the versions:
Bonadife resumé!
Have mercy on me.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Definition of Privacy in Today's Digitial Age
So I read another article this morning regarding the privacy of our information in today's digital world (see? Skamp really IS growing up! This is a long way from writing about getting drunk with my girlfriends and the shenanigans of my "former" life.). You think your info is private? Think again, my friends. In the article--another from NPR's All Things Considered, they mention the fact that there are these huge powerhouse supercomputers sifting and analyzing data about all of us, all the time. And this can be problematic when the info is used without our permission (which, let's be honest, it is).
Back in the day, before the age of the internet, your information was much more private--in effect "secret." You'd have to hire a private detective to get the scoop on a person to find out details about them--where they worked, where they lived in the past, what kind of ice cream they prefer. Nowadays, big computers can do all that for us (and they do. See the other NPR article I posted in the previous post.). There is no real secrecy any more and there doesn't appear to be much we can do about it. So instead of aiming for secrecy, we now need to instead redefine what privacy means to us. According to Danny Weitzner, this means that the companies who do hold our information need to be "transparent" in how they use our info. We need laws to ensure that this happens. How do you feel about this? Are you alright with companies buying and selling our data without our permission, so long as they're "transparent" about it? I personally don't give a crap--I am just not that interesting. Sell me away, you overarching, devious companies, you.
Back in the day, before the age of the internet, your information was much more private--in effect "secret." You'd have to hire a private detective to get the scoop on a person to find out details about them--where they worked, where they lived in the past, what kind of ice cream they prefer. Nowadays, big computers can do all that for us (and they do. See the other NPR article I posted in the previous post.). There is no real secrecy any more and there doesn't appear to be much we can do about it. So instead of aiming for secrecy, we now need to instead redefine what privacy means to us. According to Danny Weitzner, this means that the companies who do hold our information need to be "transparent" in how they use our info. We need laws to ensure that this happens. How do you feel about this? Are you alright with companies buying and selling our data without our permission, so long as they're "transparent" about it? I personally don't give a crap--I am just not that interesting. Sell me away, you overarching, devious companies, you.
Data's Worth
Holy moly...I just read an interesting article over at NPR this morning about the information companies buy and sell to each other. Or, more specifically, the information they have about me that they buy from, and sell to, each other. It's kind of disturbing because some of the data they have on people is so sensitive! The article, a transcript of an All Things Considered interview between Audie Cornish and Emily Steele (a correspondent for Financial Times), wasn't overly surprising...until they got the part when Steele tells us that companies have sold the names of rape victims. My stomach turned when I read that. And I'm not sure what's worse--selling the names of rape victims, or the fact that there is a company out there buying those names. And for what? What company needs to know that? Are they hoping to somehow make money off of rape victims? My jaw dropped over this and suddenly it makes me want to be as private as I can be with my information--make those companies really work for it, you know?
Speaking of that, Steele says that the harder the information is to get, the more sensitive it is, the more money it costs. But even the most sensitive isn't all that expensive--a mere $.07 for each name of rape victims (I still can't even imagine why anyone needs those names!). My piddly info might come in at around $.001--with the bulk of my worth coming from my medical records. Awesome. I don't really care that companies want my data; it's not like I'm all that interesting to anyone anyway. But if I'd been sexually assaulted, then yes. For once I would probably be pretty offended and put off that I was basically being bought and sold. Eh. The lack of morals out there is just truly astounding.
The interview that I've been referring to can be found here. Go ahead, read it and find out for yourself some of the grossness that happens out there.
Hashtag shivermetimbers.
Speaking of that, Steele says that the harder the information is to get, the more sensitive it is, the more money it costs. But even the most sensitive isn't all that expensive--a mere $.07 for each name of rape victims (I still can't even imagine why anyone needs those names!). My piddly info might come in at around $.001--with the bulk of my worth coming from my medical records. Awesome. I don't really care that companies want my data; it's not like I'm all that interesting to anyone anyway. But if I'd been sexually assaulted, then yes. For once I would probably be pretty offended and put off that I was basically being bought and sold. Eh. The lack of morals out there is just truly astounding.
The interview that I've been referring to can be found here. Go ahead, read it and find out for yourself some of the grossness that happens out there.
Hashtag shivermetimbers.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Breaking Up (with a template) is Hard to Do
And here we are, playing around with fonts n' stuff, with no real rhyme or reason to the thing. Because why not? The only thing is that I haven't done this before, soooo. I know, I know, interesting, right? But breaking out of a template is kind of like a metaphor for breaking out of routine, or whatever mold you've been living in (mold, as in Jello, not mold as in green slimy stuff you find at the bottom of your veggie drawer). For lots of people, it can be very difficult to live your own life independent of what others think and expect of you. I have a friend who is secretly into the whole rockabilly culture but can't even bust out with a pair of polka dot sunglasses because she's terrified of what her rancher parents might think (and this gal is almost THIRTY for cryin' out loud!! I've been trying to get her to at least adopt some little aspect of that style for years now, but she refuses to. And that's sad. It's sad that an adult can't even wear some pinup hair and a vintage dress because she's too bound by the template her parents made for her. Boo.
Anyway, as for myself, I gave up templates for my life a long time ago. It's a little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll (thanks, Donny and Marie!) and a lotta bit of low brow humor--much to my parents' chagrin. Blogspot, however, is new territory for me. So it might take me a few minutes to get the hang of messing with the thing. But here goes nuthin'.
Anyway, as for myself, I gave up templates for my life a long time ago. It's a little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll (thanks, Donny and Marie!) and a lotta bit of low brow humor--much to my parents' chagrin. Blogspot, however, is new territory for me. So it might take me a few minutes to get the hang of messing with the thing. But here goes nuthin'.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)