Christmas

Ah, Christmas... My very favorite and not so favorite time of the year. Why, pray tell?

I love the music, decorations, lights, the tree... But, don't like the obligatory responsibilities that come along with it. I've abandoned most traditions these days. Gone are the days that I used to spend so much money on gifts that I'd spend the next year paying for them.

Now, it's simple. Gift cards. The greatest thing ever invented. I mean E.V.E.R. When have you ever heard of someone not liking a gift card? Wait I take that back. I have a foggy memory of my mother getting a gift card (from my sister, I believe? She was ahead of her time!) and my mother asking what is she going to do with THIS? To which my sister most likely replied, "Well, buy yourself something." (and thinking to herself, every time any of us buy you something, you always return it, so we figured you could get yourself something you wanted this year!) To which my mother probably replied, "I don't shop at Macy's!" to which my sister replied, "You've been shopping there for 30 years!" (To which I rolled my eyes). To which my mother probably replied, "How do I return this gift card?"

Here's what I want for Christmas. Nothing material!!!!! Okay, maybe I'm lying. I may want some gummy bears, preferably the 13 flavors of gummies sold by that candy store in Atlantic City. Maybe it's not really a material gift? It's biodegradable. Yah, that's it. Okay, so here's the link It's Sugar. (Just so I can show you, not because I'm asking you to buy them for me.) Okay, I'm lying again. Buy them for me. But, I only want a small amount, like 50 pounds. Hee hee. And, please do not, and I really mean this... Do not buy me that 5 pound massive gummy bear. My confused brain says... why do I picture myself claiming I ate one gummy bear, but yet I'm so full I can't eat for a week? And, why do I picture it as one large gummy bear in my stomach, like it reassembles in my stomach once I eat all the parts? Hmmmpf. Instant headache just thinking about it. If a gummy bear needs to be sliced to be eaten, well, it's too damn big. And, kinda gross. Just sayin'. {gag}

I used to collect deformed, or shall I call them "disabled" gummy bears. Yup. I kept them on my desk, lined up. Siamese gummy bears. Gummies without heads. Gummies with big holes in their guts. Gummies with missing ears or limbs. I decided to put them all out of their misery one day when I got hungry. It was for a noble cause. I didn't want to see them suffer. Don't hate. 

But, I digress... Let me not be accused of falling into the commercialized abyss of Christmas, and dragging you in with me. Then, just buy me the gummies after Christmas, K?

Just kidding, of course.

Buy them now instead. :)

I want gummies, damn it.

~ Pat

Thank you!

I got an A! :) Woot!

Thank you, everyone that subscribed to my blog for this class! I really appreciate it. My class is almost completed, and I have decided to continue this blog, but make it more personal! All of you that wish to stay, I thank you!

Stay tuned!

Web 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0

Interesting article on where the web is going!

http://flatworldbusiness.wordpress.com/flat-education/previously/web-1-0-vs-web-2-0-vs-web-3-0-a-bird-eye-on-the-definition/

Embedded Document from Scribd

Web Development by nadiastefanidi

LinkedIn's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

LinkedIn's new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy went into effect on October 23, 2014. The major change in their user policy appears to be in naming who owns the content that you post on your LinkedIn page. LinkedIn states that you, the user, own your content, but they can use any or all of your information, pictures, etc., as long as you are part of their network, which is completely contradictory. When you delete your profile, they claim that the content is deleted also, and they are no longer allowed to use it. Unlike Facebook, who keeps your information to infinity and beyond, LinkedIn claims to delete everything. Being the skeptic that I am, I do wonder if this is completely true, or if there are tiny little internet loopholes to protect them. I'm sure there are. My thoughts are that once something is posted on the internet, it's pretty much there forever, even if it's hidden from sight. I believe that your content will always exist somewhere.

One could argue that it's perfectly legal to use your information as long as you are member. After all, you clicked on "agree" when you were presented with user agreement that must of us do not read. There's a long list of how they gather their information from everything you post, every page you look at, every picture you add, every place you visit, where you've worked, where you went to school, every job you apply for... and the list goes on. That information has to be kept somewhere permanently.

In an article on CNN.com, they called LinkedIn's Terms of Service the worst terms of service ever! Basically, the article states LinkedIn can do whatever they want to with your "stuff" as they put it. They claim that if you have a great idea or a groundbreaking invention and share it on the site, LinkedIn can change it, share it or profit from it, and own it! LinkedIn claims it reserves those powers, but it doesn't intend to use them. Then why say it?

In summary, I feel that there is no such thing as "privacy" on the internet. I know they do their best to tell us that they are protecting us, but the truth is... Once you're on the internet and you post your personal information somewhere, it can be found, somehow, some way, someday. I don't necessarily find LinkedIn's Terms of Services shocking or unusual. One has to use discretion on what information, ideas, or inventions they think of, and share as little information as possible. Common sense should prevail when it comes to the internet.

Security Breach

In 2012, LinkedIn had a security breach where a hacker obtained 6.5 million passwords of LinkedIn members. A $5 million class-action lawsuit followed, where the parties involved alleged that LinkedIn failed to use critical measures to secure user passwords, resulting in the exposure of passwords to hackers. The plaintiffs also sought damages on the claim that they paid for a premium membership, but did not receive premium level security.

The U.S. District Judge concluded that the breach did not result in any actual identity theft, although the passwords were posted online. And, as far as LinkedIn failing to provide industry-standard security as part of premium memberships, the judge said “The User Agreement and Privacy Policy are the same for the premium membership as they are for the nonpaying basic membership,” and  “Any alleged promise LinkedIn made to paying premium account holders regarding security protocols was also made to non-paying members.”

Data breaches are currently on the rise. The question is... Has LinkedIn upgraded their security so it won't happen again? This remains to be seen. In their new Terms of Service and Privacy Policies, they do not address the subject of security, mention the incident, or express their plan to fix what went wrong. Hopefully, they are working behind the scenes to make sure that a breach doesn't happen again. In the meantime, it is up to protect ourselves in any way possible. Change your password frequently, and do not reveal information anywhere on the internet that you don't want anyone to know.

https://www.linkedin.com/legal/preview/user-agreement


http://blog.linkedin.com/2014/09/26/updating-linkedins-terms-of-service-2/

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/technology/2014/05/13/worst-terms-of-service/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/06/06/if-linkedin-hasnt-fixed-its-massive-security-breach-a-new-password-may-not-be-enough/

http://www.darkreading.com/risk-management/linkedin-security-breach-triggers-$5-million-lawsuit/d/d-id/1104943?

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/06/06/two-security-firms-say-they-verified-linkedin-breach/

http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/linkedins-5m-class-action-data-breach-lawsuit/

How Companies Use Wikis

So, how do companies use wikis? The key words that stand out from my research are "sharing ideas" and "communication." Wikis are used for collaborating ideas from the CEO to the janitor of a company. Everyone can post ideas, and comment on other ideas posted by other employees. A wiki can be used to motivate and support employees. Since the internet is available to everyone throughout the company, ideas can be shared from all over the world at a company's many locations.

My former employer, Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ, used wikis to share information and get feedback on just about everything. When I started my job there, I was directed to a wiki that helped all new employees get situated in their new job. Information was available online about how to use my new phone, where to call the help desk if my computer crashed, and what was available for lunch that day at the cafeteria. When I had a question on benefits, or anything human resource related, there was a wiki with company information, frequently asked questions, and links to all benefit sites offered from the company to employees.

In my former position, I created a wiki for all of the production artists that I managed, keeping track of who was working on what. It's a great way to organize work, and collaborate with other like minds. Many of the artists that I worked with were freelancers, or working in other locations, or different buildings on the campus. With the wiki I created, we were able to ask if anyone needed work, who was on vacation. It was a great way to communicate and manage everyone! :)


http://www.slideshare.net/myerman/how-are-companies-using-internal-wikis

http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning2-0/using-wikis-for-elearning/

Hello!

My name is Pat. I am a graphics and web designer, working on my web development degree as a full-time student.

This is my first blog post for SPC college's class "Web 2.0 Concepts and Applications."

I moved to Florida last year from Pennsylvania. Love it down here! My passions are my dogs (I have 3), mosaics, traveling, art, knitting, the beach, and food! :)

Buffy & Wally

Mysti & Buffy

Mysti as a puppy

Mysti