📅 September 2004

I wish I had brought a better camera with me but I only had the 'kick with me. This futuristic looking robot/installation artwork/sign of the times is located on Grenway, that little alley street behind wilson farm's between auburn and breckenridge. That whole alley is such a strange place. It just doesn't fit in right, but I love it.

So the question is who rolled this really nice looking television here in a shopping cart and what was their intention - art, garbage, theft?

Rheingold asked Mark Smith, another internet / network philosopher, What do people gain from virtual communities that keeps them sharing information with people they might never meet face to face?

his answer: Social network capital, knowledge capital, and communion -- people can put a little of what they know and how they feel into an online network and draw out larger amounts of knowledge and opportunities for sociability than they put in."

This is so in tune with our site and other online communities. However, it is not quite so with the globalized internet. When the internet made the shift from usenets and listservs to a "google front end." The need to contribute in order to take was reduced and in essence no longer exists.

I mean for some people it is still there. For example, as a collective we have contributed to the greater exposure and historical recording of life on the elmwoodstrip. However, others just visit google and take without ever contributing. It's kind of scary when people lose touch with the fact that everyone can contribute to the network. If we leave things up to the "experts" we have a situation in which things can be controlled and history re-written.

I wonder if most people even realize how information arrives on the internet or that the 'net is not a place in Washington DC where everything is kept - like the library of congress.

On another note, did anyone read the news today criticizing google for bowing down to chinese censorship. The chinese news source that is powered by google now censors articles and news sources that are hostile to the gov't!! This just proves that censhorsip routines have been written into the google code.

I decided that it was more dangerous for me to hang out in the sick ward, where evan is mega sick now than to leave the house. I went over to Wilson's Farms and picked up the Buffalo News. The article was great with a giant picture of me and the Banner. I can't believe the News is so cheap. I would have expected it to cost abot $1.35 but it's only $.50.

My favorite quote of myself is, "I wanted to give people who arn't computer savvy a chance to put their voices on the internet."

I also found some sign about the Atwater house by feelrite.

Still thinking about e:sqb. e:sqb still hasn't contacted me about his disagreement with the tos. It is especially weird because we had a very open dialogue about the site and he often made suggestion or proposed changes which I nearly 100% followed through on.

Instead of programming today, as my computer resides in quarantine tank, I will finish reading Smart Mobs by Howard Rheingold. I love his books.

[inlink]lisa,124[/inlink]

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Is the Buffalo News or any newspaper liable for items sold in the classified section and if not, how are they exempt?

So the Buffalo news article about the site came out in the link section today. I was really exicted about it at first. I was going to rush out and get one but now I am starting to get the flu and I feel prety sick. We actually have an entire sick ward going on in our house. It sounds like a hospital with all the coughing and sickness.

I am not sure what the two objectors to the Terms Of Service are disagreeing with. First of all I created a totally free, advertising free service for people to express themselves. I pay for everything out of my pocket and never charged anyone for anything. It is not cheap nor easy to maintain the site. I have never even accepted advertisements. I spent over a year working up to 8 hours a day making the site and working throught the various stages of its development.

The terms of Service is to protect me from being sued if one of you post stuff that is copyrighted or is illegal, etc. For example, say you sell a bike on your journal. Someone sends you cash and then you skip town. If the purchaser tries to sue me for it, I can simply point out that it was not acceptable for you to sell merchandise on the site as per the TOS and that you accepted responsibility for all content on your journal.

Are those of you that are rejecting it supposing that I should be responsible for what you write! I just want it clear that I did not write your journals, and that I only provide the service.

I was even wiling to totally negotiate on this. I offered my IM and email if you had questions or comments and the two of you that rejected never even bothered contacting me to discuss your objections.

I am really hurt that after all I offered you didn't even bother contacting me about you objections.

Paul

My mom loves deals. My dad used to love spam. So naturally, when my mom found spam "singles" on sale she bought em for my dad.

Okay, this is digusting but my mom said my dad ate the spam without cooking it. This is weird because I kind of remember him eating spam when I was a kid and he always fried it like one fries bologna. He said it had a jelly texture.

I found another pack of spam singles in the house. I am not sure who their target market is but read this:

Slogan on the front - It's so quick and easy! Just rip and tear your way to crazy tasty(tm) town!

Can you believe they trademarked crazy tasty town.? Here is some more text from the very entertaining package.

SPAM(r) Singles are already cooked. This might just blow your mind. For you own safety, stop thinking about how easy SPAM(r) singles will make your life. It's time to enjoy.

Take another bite and throw your head back and think wonderful thoughts of faraway places while you chew. Like a magical SPAM (r) castle in the sky and what a delicious and convenient visit you'd have. This is the meaning of SPAM(r) Singles.

I was at target with @lilho a while back and took this picture of a new kind of men's product. I think there was shaving creme and some deodorant combo.

I never use deoderant, I actually never have. Well, for one week when I was 15 I tried old spice and it gave me a painful rash. I never tried deodorant again. Anyhow, this is marketed as a manly product, with the label looking like car grease or some sort of mechanic product. What a weird way to corner the male market. The display rack looked exactly like something out of the automotive section.

It is using the ultra-masculine achetype of the workman (mechanic), but the product itself strips you of manly smells. I mean when you think mechanic do you think smells fresh or smells like a workout?

This morning I ran to Wilson's Farms to get my paper with the link section. As soon as I got outside I started ripping it apart as soon as I got outside. I couldn't find the link section and started to think I got a bunk paper. Luckily I called my parents before I complained about it at Wilson's Farms, hahaha.

It has been so long since I read any paperbased media that I had no idea the link section is actually in Mondays Buffalo News

So now I told everyone and feel really stupid. I guess you all know now. Sorry if you bought an extra paper but I have found there is plenty of good reading inside.

While I was already out I decided to stop by spot and get an orange juice. As you can see in the picture, the orange juice, like the cream cheese is corporate, branded and labeled.

My visit to spot is actually part of a larger plot to get echinacea from Feel Rite. Echinacea [search]echinacea[/search] really works, I know I have written about this before. I am not actually sick but two guests staying with me are, so I figure better safe than sorry.

I still miss reading esqb 's journal, please contact me sqb.