It's a buyer's market as crunch hits virtual realty - National - smh.com.au

 

I am writing about this article on this one concept, to say how real and important SecondLife has become to the real world.  If SecondLife was not so important, then it would not have been effected my the First Life or Real Life economy problems.  Games are games.  They are not effect my real life crisis.

Life itself has it ups and downs.  It does not matter if it is in the virtual world or not.  What is this thing that is called SecondLife, and why has it been an important aspect of our lives today?  Let's first look at the history of the Internet.  The Internet first started with the United States of America Military, ARPA.  It was a means of sending information to different locations securely.  About 20 years later, marketing got a hold of it.

From there it started out with simple text only websites.  Shortly after PCs got better, graphics were added to websites.  How websites were created started out with simple designs.  Now with multimedia, websites are all that simple.  How companies do their business is a lot more complex then it use to be all due to the fast growing aspects of technology.  Today, most if not all websites are created to simplify this complexity.

That is where Content Management System (CMS) comes into play.  With CMS, anyone can create a web page of the website without any real understanding on the complexity of using a computer.  If one can write a document in a word processor, then one can create a web page using CMS.  This form of web designing is starting to evolve.  The old ways of designing a website is starting to be placed in the history books.

Ever since the Internet has been global, people have been communicating with each other around the world.  That is not surprise, but how that is done has been evolving constantly.  Since 2001, there has been a new form of communication, "Social Media" or "Social Networking."  Social media is the aspect of sharing videos, pictures, documents, etc.   Social Networking is the means of people talking to people, like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.

For five years now, there has been a 3-D virtual reality interface that people have been using to do all sorts of things.  One big one is socialization.  There are numerous marketing advantages in this new form of the Internet.  The most famous and most fast growing form of this 3-D virtual reality is called, SecondLife.  There is not telling what tomorrow will bring for all of us.

SecondLife is simply the next step of the evolution of our great technology.  Again, if a system can be hit so hard with the First Life economy issues, then that at least tells me how powerful this 3-D virtual reality has become to all aspects of life.  If SL was simply a game and nothing more, then it would not be hit as hard as it is stated in this article.

I have stated First Life in regards to real life.  If one would go inworld, log into SecondLife, it would not take all that long to realize how real this 3-D virtual reality can be.  That is the power of SL.  That is why 50,000-60,000 are inworld daily.  SecondLife is so real, that one can practically do anything inworld that can be done in First Life.  The limit to SL has just about the same limits as in FL.  After spending time in SL, go over all the limits you have in FL as you continue to do things in SL.

If that does not convince you, look at all the things you can do in first life or real life, and see about doing it in SecondLife.  You can rent a home for a lot cheaper then in real life.  One can get rent a home for 800L$ (Linden money) per week.  That is about 3 USA dollars per week.  That means you will be paying rent for $12/month.  That is not all.  To rent a new home of any price, one simply pay the first rent amount.  There is no commitment or anything.

SecondLife is a very good tool to help their children handle money.  They will learn how to use money wisely.  Even under a free account, one can add real money to an account.  A parent can give their child a certain amount each month.  If the child spends it all, they will not be able to get any more until the more is added.  This means if one cannot pay the rent on a house, shop, or whatever, they will loose it.  SecondLife like the rest of the Internet is not for children.  One has to be 18 years or older to create an account in SecondLife.

As with the Internet, SL does have its share of pornography.  Sad to say, sex does sell, and it truly sells in SecondLife, but SL has more to offer then adult entertainment....much, much more.  As one experience SecondLife more and more, they will come to realize how real it can be.  Now go to SecondLife website, create a free account, download the free software, and login world.  That is the true way to fully understand what SecondLife is all about.  See you inworld. :D

 

Blessed Be to Isis and you,

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers

 

 

 

It's a buyer's market as crunch hits virtual realty - National - smh.com.au

Crimes' in virtual worlds difficult to monitor

 

I first want to say that this article is more propaganda then anything.  Just the same, people can be jerks and act really foolish in SecondLife.  I do not know all that much about the other 3-D virtual realities online, but I have never come across one that comes close to what SecondLife has to offer.  Misconduct is controlled very easily in SL.  The one that runs a world or island can eject or ban trouble makers very easily.

As far as any sexual assault, that cannot be done without first allowing an animation to control the avatar that one has.  The only true control a person has over his/her avatar is walking, running, and flying.  With the other activities a very good scripted animation controls the avatar.  To say that crimes in virtual worlds are difficult to monitor is absolutely not true.  Like I said, only in SecondLife can one do so much with his/her avatar.  Most 3-D virtual worlds one can only walk and chat.  There is no way possible that any crime like in real live can be done in a virtual world as stated in this article.

The only crimes that can be done in SecondLife is copy writing infringements.  There are number of acts that can be  more of a pain in the butt, but that is about it as far as any misconduct that can be done in a 3-D virtual reality.  Most of these acts can be simply handled by muting the individual.  One can even teleport away from the location, and be able to return back in a short time.  Usually the trouble maker does not stay in the same place for a long period of time.

In SecondLife, one can report problems like this to Linden Labs, and they will act accordingly to the situation.  One can also report to the owner(s) of the world they are on about this also, and they can ban the avatar from ever being able to travel back their world. That is why this article is more of a bunch of lies and deceits to simply bad mouth SecondLife and other 3-D virtual realities.

Sad that there are individuals that do something like this.  There are some that are still saying the same things about computers in that they are the cause of security issues.  Movies and television shows are still showing this propaganda.  Identity theft has been going on for thousands of years.  Security breaches in business and so forth have happen long before the computer age.  There will continue to have these crimes in years to come.  Like weeds in a garden, they will always be there.

The best way to deal with any crime online or off line, report the crime to the local authorities as soon as possible.  Ignoring it will not make it go away.  In the virtual world of SecondLife, one can very easily report issues about other avatars.  If one is to sell things in SL, then do all you can to secure your product.  The less permissions the owner gives for the buyer after it is bought the better secure the item(s) will be.

In SecondLife controlling things, crimes or otherwise, is very easy.  There is no need for monitoring.  What is there to monitor?  How can one monitor what goes on in SecondLife?  If one does not have the permissions to build, then no one can put any monitoring devices in that world.  The control over a world is by the owner(s), only!  They are paying for the land, and they are the ones that can do what they want to with it.

Come right down to it, this article has not place to argue the difficulties of controlling issues within a virtual world.  Not only is this article slanted, but shows the ignorance of the writer.  I do wish these writers do their homework before stating things like this.  To prove this is a far fetched article, I cannot find any videos to embed in this blog posting of mine.  There is simply no crimes that can be done on SecondLife that Linden Labs, the owners of the simulation or world, or anyone else in controlling trouble makers.

The reason that I am writing something on this is to simply defend from these silly and ignorant attack articles on 3-D virtual worlds.  Yes, they are weeds in these 3-D virtual worlds, and SecondLife has there share of them.  These issues are so small that it is not something that the average individual thinks about.

 

Blessed Be to Isis and you,

 

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers
Avatar Name in SL:  FraterPhoenix Finesmith

 

 

Crimes' in virtual worlds difficult to monitor

Virtual Worlds: City of Decatur, Georgia Mulling Virtual World Interface

 

As you read the article, it says,  "Might be in SecondLife."  It also says, "It is in the planning stages."  The reason for me writing about this is the wonders of modern and future technology.  It is happening right now.  Spite our economy and so forth, we are living in wonderful times.

As I am writing this article SecondLife has 53,515 people login inworld.  In the past 60 days, Second Life has recorded 1,442,781 people logged inworld.  That is a lot of people using SecondLife.  This 3-D virtual reality is only five years old, and it has grown beyond how most technology systems have done in their first five years.  That is say a great deal, if not an understatement.

Another words, SecondLife has a great deal of growth potential yet to come in the next five years.  Many, many people have made real life money in SecondLife.  By far, SecondLife much, much, much more then a game.  The biggest wonders of SecondLife is not from the Linden Labs, but from the users themselves.  All that one sees in SecondLife was created not by Linden Labs, but the users of SecondLife.  Another words, it is each user that has made SecondLife what it is today and what it will become in the future.  That makes SecondLife just as real as life itself.  I wonder if Linden Labs realized how big their 3-D Virtual Reality would be when they named it "SecondLife?"

There is really no limit to what one can do inworld of SecondLife.  It is by fare the most cheapest way to do things.  To rent a house in SecondLife it might cast 800L$/week.  In real life money that is a little over three United States Dollars per week.  Tell me a house in real life that cost that little.  That is 3 times 4 weeks = $12 per month.  That is $12 times 12 months = $24 per year.

There are rental homes that are cheaper.  The issue is how much do you want to put into your home?  The more the rental cost the more one can add into the home based on what is called "prim count."  To understand what is a prim or primitive, one needs to read more about it.  The purpose of this article is to show the wonders of SecondLife and its possible future.

Spite all that has been going on in SecondLife, it has only been five years in the making.  It may take less then that for most people around the world to fully be on it on a constant basis, or it can take more then five years.  It is hard to tell.  Sometimes doing things too fast is not all that good.  If it can easily be created, it can be just as easy to destroy.  As with real life, there have been businesses that did not make it, and others that have thrived.

It might be cheaper to create and design things inworld, but as with real life, it does cost.  Right now the exchange rate to put money (at least in the USA) $1 to 263L$.  That means if one add $1 into their account, they will get about 263L$.  The rate of exchange is not a constant.  This is no different then moving your money to another country.  To buy linden dollars and bring in to the real world (at least in the USA) the rate of exchange is 272L$ to $1.  With Buying land and paying monthly fees afterwards, one will not get 100% money back in real life.  One might say, what is the difference in all that information compared to all the fees a business has to pay in real life?

That is how real SecondLife can be.   There will always be pros and cons to anything in life.  It might be to the point that not all businesses will benefit in a virtual world.  One cannot eat a McDonald's Hamburger in SecondLife and eat it in real life.  That brings this point out to the name of this 3-D Virtual Reality, it is a Second Life.  That can mean a great deal.  This new and very popular 3-D virtual reality one can nearly live as one can do in real life and even make money for real life.  Just the same, they are both separate from each other.

In SecondLife one can be anything they want to be:  male, female, animal, robot, Darth Vader, Koolaide Man, Sponge Bob, anything.  One might say, "A male in real life being a female in SecondLife, eeewww!!!"  I say, "How is that any different then being a animal (what is called a furry in SL)?  Are you an animal in real life?  Are you Darth Vader in RL?  It is how you present yourself in SL that makes a different.  It is never how you look.

In a lot of ways, it might be better to be a female then a male.  There are more clothes and wearable items for a female then a male, free or not.  One can do more in shaping a female avatar then a male one.  That is why I have a female avatar, FraterPhoenix Finesmith.  I am a male in real life, and I am very happy to be a male in real life.  I chosen a female due to my love of creativity.  I do not want to be limited other then my own limitations.

Here are a few video about SecondLife from YouTube that I would like to share on this post.  I hope you will see the overwhelming possibilities of SecondLife as I have:

 

Introduction to Second Life

 

 

Machinima: Text 100 in Second Life

 

Educational Uses of Second Life

 

Science Learning Opportunities in Second Life

 

Second Life used for virtual recruiting by State of Missouri

 

Second Life recruiting

 

There are many, many more that I could have shared, but these videos you all have to look at yourself.  SecondLife is more powerful then what I have stated in this posting.  SecondLife is not for everyone.  No one tool is right for everything or everyone.  Though, SecondLife is a very powerful and meaningful tool for a lot of business and individuals.  That is the purpose of this blog posting: to let everyone see the potential of SecondLife to encourage more research on SecondLife.  Thank you.

 

Blessed Be to Isis and you,

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers
SecondLife Name:  FraterPhoenix Finesmith.

 

 

 

Virtual Worlds: City of Decatur, Georgia Mulling Virtual World Interface

Stay safe while using e-mail | Workers' Edge - CNET News

 

Staying safe online does not require extreme intelligence.  All it takes is being aware of the dangers.  Even with a good firewall, anti-virus software, and spyware protection, one can still be hit by security threats.  Even the best efforts of going to the websites you know about may not be all that safe either.  Nothing is 100% safe.  That is life.

The key in going online and using safe practices is the idea of using common sense, but even that is not always work.  If a person wants to attack your computer, they know all the tricks.  They can make it that their website, email, or whatever is safe.  This even may fool security software, addons, and so forth.  I personally do my best in blocking any tracking cookies, flash, and anything that can track me online.  I do not allow any software to monitor what I do, even if it is recommended to do so.  No matter if it is safe tracking or not, that can add to the safe risk that one can do online.  The less you give out, the better.

All of us must face the fact that using services like bitTollerent or any other file share programs is a calling for major security threats.  First of all we take the risk of downloading illegal software, movies, etc.  Just being constantly tied to these P2P services is a big calling card to hackers and crackers that want to do hard to your computer.

What you give out online has to be the biggest security threat.  Never ever by any means whatsoever give out any private information unless that website or web page has a very good security system.  Always look a the URL of the page before giving out any private information, especially if you are buying online.  If the URL does not have "https://.......," then DO NOT fill out your name, address, phone number, etc.  In most browsers, there will be a locked icon at the bottom of the browser window as well as the "https://......"  If these two are not shown, then there is no security whatsoever on that web page.

The best security one can have is how one interacts online.  As the old Smoky the Bear saying, "Only you can prevent forest fires."  The same applies to being online.  Common sense is the key, but it is not the only solution.  There is no reason to fear being online.

 

Blessed Be to Isis and you,

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers

 

 

 

Stay safe while using e-mail | Workers' Edge - CNET News

When is an online fad over? | csmonitor.com

 

After reading the article and the comments, I have found this to be an interesting thing to write in this blog.  Why do so many are positive and negative about SecondLife?  As a person in the comments stated, "The viewer is a pain."  I am wondering if why so many do not like SL is do to that they wanted something more out of it then it could give.

We all do that in our day-to-day life.  Nothing wrong with that.  We always want better things to happen.  When this obsession becomes bad is when we divorce ourselves from reality.  That is right, SecondLife has a reality of its own.  That is why it has lasted for five years now.  That is why Google could not make it.  Their version of SL did not come close to any form of reality as SecondLife has brought out.

The realistic aspect of SL is why so many are on the grid today.  Still, I have to admit, that if Linden Labs does not give SL an overhaul soon, things might not be so bright for SL in the future.  That is the snare about modern technology.  If you do not show progress, then it can be the end of the road.  I hope that is not the case, but we all have to find out together.

Science Learning Opportunities in Second Life

 

 

Educational Uses of Second Life

 

 

It is very true for educators, SecondLife is a wonderland.  It is not the real thing, but the use of all that SL has to offer is very close second.  As with some things, it can be better then the real thing.  how a teacher teach makes all the difference.  Any tool that a teacher uses is a simple supplement.  With SecondLife, it can be a very important one.

That is my point could our frustrations with SL be us more then it is Linden Labs or SL itself?  I think at least that is why so many can say positive things about SL and negative things.  Human beings can be a the craziest creatures.  With our failing economy that appears to be effecting the world, SL could be haven.  It also could be a solution.  After all, we are living in the technical world.

The article states that SL like Twitter is a fad.  I do not think so.  Twitter made a giant difference in how we learned about the on going attack on Mumbai, India.  SL, Twitter, and other social media/networking systems did have a great deal to do with election for the Presidency of the United States of America.

SecondLife may not live all that long, but I have seen systems that one would think that was a big thing fail big time.  How many lost money with the dotcoms?  Nothing last forever.  That is life.  When SL does dye out, I am sure there will be someone that will have another 3-D virtual system that will carry the torch.

I know that I have written blog posting right no this blog on the negatives of SL.  I could easily be right on the measure I have written the post.  Though, it has amazed me to read the comments of the article that this posting is about.  It made me rethink somewhat that SL might be bright then it first appeared to me.

After World War II, the world started to blossom.  I do not think anyone can state why.  Sometimes the sun shines bright after a big storm.  I wonder if SecondLife could be alive now, to help the world to see the light at the end of the tunnel when the world economy goes forward?  Technology is that powerful right now.

True not all tools will work for all people and problems.  I may use a computer to get information on how to take care of a vegetable garden, but computers cannot make the crops grow.  As the video stated, SL is good for education the younger generation, but there are much more to learn that computer cannot do.  Though, one will be surprised what computers, the Internet, and even SecondLife has to offer for anyone on anything.

 

Blessed Be to Isis and you,

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers

 

When is an online fad over? | csmonitor.com

» 5 Reasons You Should Upgrade To A Content Management System Learning Is Free: Need an answer? Start here!

 

Actually I can give more then five reasons for using Content Management Systems.  That is what this blog posting is about.  I could have simply titled this posting "Content Management Systems vs Old Media Broadcasting."  Instead, I wanted to link this post to an article online that I read about on my GReader.

Basically a Content Management System or CMS is the means to organizing one's system.  In most cases it has to do with web designing.  Though organization does not stop on websites.  A business entire organization can be need of an organization restructuring.  This is called Service-oriented architecture (SOA).  Why would a business need to have an orientation on their web designing or any part of their business?

First of all, doing things with technology can be very complex these days, but computers and the like are very much needed.  The big thing is how does a business communicate with their customers in real time and allow it to be very easy for them.  Under both SOA and CMS any size businesses can do this without any major complexity if any complexity at all.

For a business to make is simple for its customers, the business must make it simple for themselves.  In order for business personal and the customers to communicate back forth in real time and in an easy to manage system, two things must be noted:  social media and social networking.

 

Social Media in Plain English

 

 

Social Networking in Plain English

 

 

There are numerous ways to communicate things online and get responses to them.  True one can email, but that can be a pain in the butt over time.  A business might also want to have the comments others have given to be seen by everyone.  That is why so many online services have Frequent Ask Question(FAQ) page on their website.

By having other people comments for all to read might be able answer questions that others may ask.  That is why social networking is so vital.  Please watch these videos on some of these social media and networking formats:

 

Blogs in Plain English

 

Online Photo Sharing in Plain English|Podcasting in Plain English|

Social Bookmarking in Plain English|Video: RSS in Plain English|Web Search Strategies in Plain English|Wikis in Plain English

 

 

There many other videos one can watch online regarding all the types of media formats anyone can use.  If a business or a individual does not use a structured organized system, using these systems would be right out impossible.  Even systems like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc., uses a form of SOA/CMS to have so many accounts running at the same time or different times.

 

The purpose of any organization is to save valuable time.  If a business waist time from its customers, then it is a very good chance they will not see them ever again.  That cannot happen in a business.  If those former customers have any friends, sure enough they will tell them all of what happened.  Using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feeds or web feeds is one way to allow your customers to get updates without wasting their time doing so. 

 

RSS Explained

 

 

Google Reader in Plain English

 

 

There is another way for a family or group to share information and that is by "Wikis."  This is very fascinating to me because I have never heard of this other then from Wikipedia.com.  I found out about Wikis in my research of this blog posting.  How simple for a family or group that might be in any state or country to be able to edit a "To Do List" online before the event or vacation that is being worked on takes place.  Here are some Wikis sites online:  pbwiki, wetpaint, and wikispaces.

All that has been said, what does SOA have anything to do with CMS, social networking, or social media?  Without SOA, no business cannot have these things I just presented.  If one has a mess desk, they do not have all that much room to work on.  SOA allows the business to organize their structure.  Please watch this video for more information:

 

What is Service Oriented Architecture? SOA

 

 

There are different way and different means for each business to organize itself.  There are sizes of businesses.  Each businesses sell different things to all kinds of people.  So one way will not always work for others.  That means that each business will have a different SOA format then another.  Please watch these Videos for what to avoid with SOA:

 

5 things to avoid with SOA - part 1

 

 

part 2|part 3|part 4

 

It is very true that these things may not work for everyone. For the businesses that can use these social structures, it will make a big difference.  All that I ask for these businesses is to do their homework and find all the information on this subject.  I do hope that this blog post has helped.  Social Networking and Social Media are that big.  It has done great things on many fronts of life.  I did all that I could to present this information with balance and all the facts that I could get online on the date of this posting.

 

References

Service-oriented architecture

1. Steven Spewak and Steven C Hill, Enterprise Architecture Planning: Developing a Blueprint for Data, Applications, and Technology.
2. Jorge Cardoso and Amit P Sheth, “Semantic Web Services, Processes and Applications,” in Foreword, SEMANTIC WEB AND BEYOND: Computing for Human Experience (Springer, 2006), pp. xxi.
3. Thomas Erl, Service-oriented Architecture: Concepts, Technology, and Design (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall PTR, 2005).
4. Michael Bell, “Service-Oriented Modeling: Service Analysis, Design, and Architecture,” in Introduction to Service-Oriented Modeling (Wiley & Sons, 2008), pp. 3.
5. Eric Newcomer and Greg Lomow, Understanding SOA with Web Services (Addison Wesley, 2005).

Wikis

1. Bo Leuf and Leuf, Bo, The Wiki Way: Quick Collaboration on the Web ([[Addison-Wesley]], 2001).
2. “wiki,” in [[Encyclopædia Britannica]], vol. 1 ([[London]]: [[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]], 2007), http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1192819/wiki.
3. Anja Ebersbach, Wiki: Web Collaboration ([[Springer Science Business Media]], 2008).
4. Don Tapscott and Tapscott, Don, Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything (Portfolio Hardcover, 2008).
5. Stewart Mader and Mader, Stewart, Wikipatterns ([[John Wiley & Sons]], 2007).

 

Blessed Be to Isis and you,

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers

 

 

 

» 5 Reasons You Should Upgrade To A Content Management System Learning Is Free: Need an answer? Start here!

More cash for Facebook? | The Social - CNET News

 

After reading this article, it amazes me to see how much social media has grown since 2001, and it is growing at alarming rates.  Why is social media a big thing today?  Why is it growing so much?  Let's look at the history of the Internet.  The purpose of the Internet was to be able to send/share information over a long distance.  Another words, the Internet is all about communication.

It should not be surprising that things are growing and growing online.  To me it is right down amazing of all the new things that can be done online.  Who could ever thought of sharing videos online by embedded coding?  Who could ever thought that Twitter would exist in the 1980s?  All that we have now online is amazing and mind boggling.

We are doing things far beyond most science fiction shows that I grew up with.  We are about to succeed the science fiction shows and movies of today.  We are doing super.  Our economy might not be doing good, but we are still on top of the technology age.   It makes me wonder if the reason why we are having economic issues is due to the change of the age from the industrial age that the United States of America have been in for a good long time to the wonderful and very fast growing technology age.

I have seen some YouTube videos that some businesses will not use social medias to run their business.  In those businesses, they should not to an extent.  The one thing that social media is not is an advertisement format.  No one would want t follow those types.  That is right, we all are in control of who we follow all social media formats.  That means that all the spamming will have a very short life.

That is why social media is a very fast growing thing online.  Each and everyone of us are in control of what we see and when we see it.  There are many businesses that uses social media of all kinds.  These businesses wants to communicate with their customers in real time.  The ones that do not might be the ones that has caused our economy to be as bad as it is now.  Only when we all partake in our community, everything will work in the right way. 

 

 

The purpose of sharing this video is to show that when the community works together with businesses that are willing to work with the people of the same community, then things will excel.  If more and more communities do this, then we might show our governments they are not needed, which will save on taxes.  As far as this blog posting is concerned, it is social media, either online or face-to-face, that makes the difference.  We should communicate with one another.  That is how things get done before things start on the drawing board.

This does not destroy a Republic Government.  It enhances it.  When all gives their advice on the subject, the leaders in a business or even a government can use that information to do a better job.  That is why President Elect Obama has the website up http://www.change.gov for all Americans to share their stories and other information that they can share.  How can Obama do his job after January 20, 2009 if we do not let him know what is going on with us as individuals and a community?

That is the power of social media.  We also have used social media like Twitter to share what was going on then and there, in real time, with the attack on Mumbai.  This was done by individuals.  This was done by you and me.  How I look at it, the Internet today is like a Republic Government.  We are allowed to do our thing while there are rules and policies on how we share and do on these systems.

 

 

More cash for Facebook? | The Social - CNET News

Over 50 Content Management Vendors to Demonstrate Latest

 

WOW!! Fifty Content Management Vendors.  Now if only schools will start teaching at least the basics of CMS.  I recently went to my school's website from where I graduated from, and they are still teaching the same classes I took between 1998-2006.  The sad thing is other schools in the area are teaching the same thing.  Sad that most if not all technical schools are not keeping up with today's technology.

It is not an easy task, but schools at least need to show they are taking up the effort.  In web design, NO ONE is designing static website any more.  First of all, doing websites today is very complex.  Companies must use databases to sell their goods.  CMS is a means of organizing the complexity of designing a website in the 21st Century and beyond.

Online companies need a Service-oriented architecture (SOA) to make their jobs easier and cheaper to run a business online.  CMS is that means of that SOA.  I cannot go into detail of Database Connectivity because this is not my cup of tea.  It is that complex.  In the hear and now as the USA starts to clime from the financial hiccup, schools can start to teach the basics of CMS and SOA right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I have stated, schools are teaching the old format of web design.  If static websites are going to be a thing of the past (and I wanted if it is not already), then schools do not need to be teaching how to do static websites.  If these schools want their students to get jobs in the technical field in web design, then they need to teach what companies need from these students.  to make a point, I will reinstate it this way:  It might be good to know the history of the ENIAC computers, but how will that help students get jobs that are needed in the 21st Century?" 

As you might have seen, social media is on an all time clime in the technical age we live in.  Learning about old technology will not help bring out jobs for this new age.  Social media is being used now in the work place, and it is more then chatting with your friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The technology is out there.  It is being used right now on a global scale.  How we do things online tomorrow is up to the function of the users.  It was the Twitters that made a big difference in how we learned about the attack on Mumbai.  If it was not for SOA, CMS, and all the things that makes the Internet what it is today, we might not have been able to send information like we did with Twitter.  Schools need to start teaching the business aspect of what users of all ages are doing with technology now!

That is the purpose of this blog posting.  To encourage all schools (high schools, post secondary school, like technical schools and even colleges) to teach how to integrate what is going on with technology in the here and now to how it can help businesses achieve their goals in their companies.

 

Blessed Be to Isis and you,

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers

 

 

Over 50 Content Management Vendors to Demonstrate Latest

Death and taxes in virtual worlds | Negative Approach - CNET News

 

If SecondLife can be raised up a notch or two, then things just might work for virtual worlds.  Right now it is too non-real.  I mean, if one can make money in SL, and not bring that exact amount the the real world, then what good is it to make money in SL?

Life is more then just playing games.  It is true there are more to SecondLife then a game, but if one have to make a great deal of Linden Dollars in order to exchange that into real money, then it would be impossible to make enough money in SL to make a living in real life.  Last I checked the exchange rate is 272L$ to 1 US dollar.  To make a living on minimum wage in the USA, which is $5.45/hr., one has to make 5.45 times 272L$/hr.  That would be 1482.4L$/hr.  Sorry, but no on is going to pay that amount in SL.

For a company to make a profit in SL, they would have to make more than that in SL to exchange that amount into real life.  Let's get real in SL.  In order for taxes to amount to anything, a business in SL would have to make a reasonable amount to pay the taxes.  The last I been on SL, and it has been a good many months, I have not seen anyone making that amount.

Right now in SecondLife, there are not that many shops to make that much of a difference in profit in real life and SecondLife.  If SL is going to cross the boarders of a virtual-world to the real world, then some major changes must be administered.  Online, if things are not going forward within 2-5 years, then it will be placed in the History Books Hall of Fame.  SecondLife is on its sixth year.  If Linden Labs wants it to continue, then it must make some serious changes PDQ.

If Linden Labs can do this, then it just might be able to help change how we do our jobs.  Seriously, if social media can do things like Twitter did with sharing the news on the attack on Mumbai, then what more can it do?  We are living in very, very interesting times.  The question needs to be asked, Is Linden Labs ready to take up the reins and hold on tight?  That is from them to answer.  They need to either get on the band wagon or jump off.  It seems that virtual reality is past the game (get to know the system) stage.  Only Linden Labs can take the next steps to take SecondLife to the next level.

 

Blessed Be to Isis and you,

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers

 

 

Death and taxes in virtual worlds | Negative Approach - CNET News

Open source is dead. Long live open source | The Open Road - CNET News

 

I am not sure if this guy is simply hating open source as a whole or an idiot.  Open source is more then what this article is saying, a lot more.

The Internet itself is an open source.  If it was not, we would not have so much on it like "social media."  We have seen how twitter, which is one part of social media, has shared and exchanged news information about the attack on Mumbai.  Before we have other idiots crawling out of the word work, Twitter did not get famous due to the demise of the attack on Mumbai.  Individuals used Twitter to communicate to everyone around the world about the attack.  So, do not insult the users of Twitter.

Open source also brings out competition.  That is a very good thing.  If it was not for open source in software, Microsoft would be a pain in the ass monopoly.  Now they are simply a pain in the ass.  From what I have read, Microsoft is not doing all that good on the Internet because they refuse to get on board on the open source ban wagon.

Let's all face it.  Open source is here to stay, and it has grown very much since it first started.  We are doing things like never before due to open source.  Another words proprietary is a thing of the past, or it is not as big as it once was in the beginning of microcomputers.  Where is the TSR 80 computer, the Commodore PET, 64, 128?  They might have been good computers in its time, but they are nothing to today's technology.  Microsoft is hurting because they want to stay a proprietary company, but they are only hurting themselves.

Realize it or not, we all use some form of open source, even if it is only the Internet.  In the old times of creating websites, HTML could be used by anyone.  In some small cases HTML (hypertext markup language) is still being used, but it has been replaced my XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), DHTML (Dynamic HTML), and for more web designs, CMS (Content Management System).  It does not take a highly skilled programmer to use these languages to create a website.  With CMS, one does not need to even have learn these to create a website.

This is is what is called "open source."  CMS is a new form of open source in designing professional looking websites without having to learn any mark-up language to do so.  There is no proprietary concepts at all.  The only reason that the IE browser is use more then any other browser is due to it is forced upon the computer user.  Most would not know how to go to the Firefox website and download a different browser.  If the government could keep the IE browser from being initially installed on the Windows OS, then other browsers would be used more.

Open source is in just about all that we do online and offline regarding how we use technology today.  The software one used on their PAD or handheld devices are open source.  Most open source software are free, some are not.   Another big deal with open source is that a programmer can manipulate the software to suite their needs or the needs of the company's work.

How many times have you turned down buying some software because of one tinny bit of how it works would not work well with the rest of what you have on your computer?  With open source, you can deal with that issue, and allow the whole your computer system to work as you want it to without any conflicts.  None of Microsoft's software are simply a pain in the ass in this regard.  They can even cause conflicts with their own software.  The user or company is stuck with this issue.  By silly legal agreements on that Microsoft gives out on all their software, a company ends up losing more money then just the prices of the software.

If time is money, then a company can lose a lot in the time to deal with these problems.  There are hardly any conflicts with open source software.  No, open source is not dead, nor will it ever die.  It is growing far too big and too fast to die due to this article or any other communicational means.

 

Blessed Be to Isis and You,

 

 

Real Name:  Brandon Bowers

 

 

Open source is dead. Long live open source | The Open Road - CNET News