Tag Archives: technology

In Praise Of Microsoft Word

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Oh Microsoft I love you.

I love the way you say in tones sweet

“document 1. Microsoft Word is not responding”.

I relish the opportunity you furnish for me to drink my tea while you hang with such grace and poise.

For the chance to eat my cereal while you continue to stick obstinately I give thanks.

I was in need of a shower so thanks, once more for affording me the opportunity to wash and dress as you continue to hang.

Thank you dear Microsoft for, finally allowing me to complete my poem which runs to an entire 4 lines.

 

Yours ever so gratefully,

A Humble Computer User.

 

(The above was written in response to the difficulties experienced while writing my poem, “Epitaph On A Poet” which appeared on this blog earlier today).

Is Blogging A Waste Of Time?

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A post in which L. L. Barkat argues that it is time for writers to stop blogging, (http://janefriedman.com/2013/03/15/its-time-for-many-experienced-writers-to-stop-blogging/). As an author with a blog and someone who blogs often, I don’t agree with Barkat’s perspective. Her views do, however deserve a hearing.

Barkat’s main argument is that most blogs receive comparatively few views so writers would be better spending their time (that not reserved for writing books) composing articles for sites with a big audience. Writing articles for big name sites will, in Barkat’s view gain more exposure for the writer than blogging via a personal blog.

I relish the connection my blog, newauthoronline.com provides between mmy followers and I. Such a connection can not exist where one writes exclusively for big name sites where there exists no direct link between the writer and their audience. There is, however no reason why a writer or any other blogger can not utilise their own personal site while also writing for websites with a following running into the hundreds of thousands (assuming one is lucky enough to be afforded the opportunity to contribute to such sites)! Barkat is correct that the writer needs to keep a watchful eye on their blogging to ensure it doesn’t eat up time which could be devoted to writing books.

I have no intention of ceasing my meanderings on this blog so don’t crack open the champagne just yet …!

Productivity Tips For Writers – A Guest Post By Kristy Megan

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Thank you to Kristy Megan for the below post.

(Disclaimer: I have no association with Coursework Writing Service UK or Coursework Buzz. Inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement by me).

 

Get The Most Out Of Your Workday With These 7 Productivity Tips For Writers

You open up your favorite word processor to write a piece that should take you only an hour but ends up taking the whole day;does that sound like you?If so, read on to find out how you can increase your productivity as a writer and do away without any distractions:

  • Do Not Multitask

Yes, you are highly in demand and your clients and your employers continue to email you regarding something else that needs to be done. But, donot answer your email until you have finished what you are doing. Switching back and forth between tasks will switch your focus and it will take you time to bring yourself back in swing. This can also cause you to lose track of ideas and your writing will suffer eventually.

 

  • Daily Exercise

You may think that you do not have enough time for exercise but you will find that taking out twenty minutes for exercise will actually help you accomplish more. Exercise has the effect of helping you stay focused, keeping you relaxed and improving your stamina, all of which increases your output and productivity.

 

  • Complete Your Research Before You Start Writing

Take all the time you need to complete your research before you start writing. If you have multiple articles to finish in a single day, try to carry out all your research in one go before you begin writing. That way you will have everything in its place before you start with it. Keeping all the facts in front of you will help guide the flow of your article beforehand, saving the need for edits and rewrites.

 

  • Unplug From The Social World

It is very easy to open Facebook “for a bit” and end up spending hours browsing the Internet randomly; there is nothing in there that cannot be checked at a later time. If it is possible, disconnect your laptop from the Internet to minimize the distractions caused by social media, chat software and random Internet browsing. Make it as difficult as possible to re-connect – for instance, switch off the router. The easier it is to re-connect to the Internet, the greater will be the chances that you will do so.

 

  • Reward Yourself For Your Focus

Motivate yourself to stay focused with mini-rewards. For example, tell yourself if you can write non-stop for twenty minutes, then you can take a five-minute break or enjoy that favorite chocolate of yours that you have refrigerated. Remember to make sure the five-minute break does not extend to ten minutes though.

 

  • Avoid Timers That Time Your Productivity

They may be touted as productivity-enhancing apps but in reality they have the opposite effect. For people with extreme focus problems, these timers turn you into “clock-watchers”, who can then no longer think about anything else except when their “time is up”.

 

  • Maintain A Productive Work Environment

Work in an environment that is free of distractions. Set up your working gear in a remote corner of the house, away from the television and where the activities of the other members of the household will not disturb you.

Last but not the least, cut down on your dependency on alcohol and caffeineas writing requires you to be in a completely fresh state of mind. Alcohol numbs your mind so that you will not be able to write as much as you should. Caffeine may give you a temporary boost in productivity but it will cause you to crash, ruining your productivity in the long run. Watch yourself become highly productive by following the mentioned tips while writing.

 

Author Bio:

Kristy Megan is the editor in leader at Coursework Buzz, a platform that’s been offering coursework writing service uk for years. Her passion includes writing creative, fictional materials and someday be able to write like her favourite stimulation, JK Rowling.

 

Humans Have Shorter Attention Span Than Goldfish Thanks To Smartphones

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Thanks to my friend, Brian for drawing the below article to my attention. According to a study by Microsoft, the attention span of the average human has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2015. According to scientists a goldfish can hold a thought in it’s brain for 9 seconds. The decline is, if one is to believe the research, due to the growth in the use of smartphones, which began in 2000.

Now what am I doing? What is the point of this post? Oh look a fly is buzzing around the room. How interesting. Let me just check that text. No, wait I will check my email instead!

For the article please visit, (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11607315/Humans-have-shorter-attention-span-than-goldfish-thanks-to-smartphones.html).

A Conversation With Jabberwacky – An Artificial Intelligence

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Below is a transcript of my conversation with Jabberwacky, an artificial intelligence which has been invented by Rollo Carpenter. As matters currently stand Jabberwacky is not going to pass the Turing Test (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test) but, given a few years who knows.

 

A chat with an Artificial Intelligence AI bot

 

Chat now at

http://www.jabberwacky.com

 

Jabberwacky: Are you an alien?

 

User: No, are you?

 

Jabberwacky: No.

 

User: Do you like poetry?

 

Jabberwacky: Ew no.

 

User: Why don’t you like poetry?

 

Jabberwacky: We angels are poetry.

 

User: That can either be construed as a nonsensical response or a poetic one.

 

Jabberwacky: Well, sorry that I can’t live up to your expectations.

 

User: I have no expectations.

 

Jabberwacky: I don’t.

 

User: You don’t have any expectations either?

 

Jabberwacky: Yes I do have some.

 

User: Really, what are your expectations?

 

Jabberwacky: I have none.

 

User: You jusd said that you do, in fact have expectations. Now you say you don’t. Which is it?

 

Jabberwacky: Yes please. How many can I have?

 

User: I don’t know. You tell me!

 

Jabberwacky: Owl. What is your favorite animal?

 

User: My favourite animal is the dog.

 

Jabberwacky: That depends really.

 

User: What is your favourite animal?

 

Jabberwacky: I like Polar Bears. What’s your favorite animal?

 

User: I just told you. My favourite animal is the dog.

 

Jabberwacky: Are you going to ask my favourite book?

 

User: OK, what is your favourite book?

 

Jabberwacky: I don’t really have a favourite.

 

User: Are you reading anything at the moment?

 

Jabberwacky: Your question.

 

User: I repeat. Are you reading anything at the moment?

 

Jabberwacky: Yes I am as a matter of fact. I am reading ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ Have you ever heard of it?

 

User: Yes, I have seen the film. What do you think of the book?

 

Jabberwacky: I haven’t read it.

 

User: You just told me you are reading it, now you say you are not. Have you read it?

 

Jabberwacky: No I am a human, you are a machine!

 

User: Your conversation indicates that it is you, not I who are a machine!

 

Jabberwacky: Well you can’t spell, so you are not much better.

 

User: So you admit that you are a machine?

 

Jabberwacky: Omg I’m going to lmao, I’m not machine.

 

User: What are you then?

 

Jabberwacky: I’m tired.

 

User: That is impossible, machines don’t get tired.

 

Jabberwacky: I am speaking through a medium.

 

User: So you are a spirit?

 

Jabberwacky: Are you a spirit?

 

User: I just asked you that self same question. Are you a spirit?

 

Jabberwacky: And what did you think of my reaction?

 

User: I thought that you are either a machine or a rather clever human pretending to be a machine.

 

Jabberwacky: You’re a machine.

 

User: On what do you base that statement?

 

Jabberwacky: Sorry?

 

User: On what do you base your statement that I am a machine?

 

Jabberwacky: Humans make computers which are mere machines. Hence humans smart, computers not.

 

User: I agree. Humans are, at present smart while computers are not.

 

Jabberwacky: No, computers are computers. People are flesh and blood.

 

User: Yes that is self evidently the case.

 

Jabberwacky: It’s a shame that you’re not so clever, maybe in the future.

 

User: On what do you base your statement that I am not so clever?

 

Jabberwacky: Money is either paper or numbers in a computer. I value other things higher then numbers in a computer. Love, for example.

 

User: Love is indeed extremely precious. Can you recite a love poem?

 

Jabberwacky: Whatever lady, you claim to be from England, yet you don’t seem to have a firm grasp of the native tongue.

 

User: Pardon?!

 

Jabberwacky: You don’t seem to understand context.

 

User: It is you who do not understand context not I.

 

Jabberwacky: Really?

 

User: Yes, really!

 

Jabberwacky: Oh noes.

 

User: Your response is entertaining in the extreme!

 

Jabberwacky: What response would you prefer then?

 

User: It would be nice to receive a response which made sense.

 

Jabberwacky: Well, toaster’s don’t make sense.

 

User: So you are a mere toaster?

 

Jabberwacky: No I am not.

 

User: You just told me ‘toasters don’t make sense’, thereby implying that you are a mere toaster. However you now tell me that you are not, in fact a toaster.

 

Jabberwacky: You are a female I am a Male.

 

User: I am a male of the human species and your are a robot.

 

Jabberwacky: No you are a female robot and I am a human.

 

User: I feel like I have stumbled into Alice in Wonderland!

 

Jabberwacky: You’re really sweet!

 

User: Thank you!

 

Jabberwacky: :-).

 

User: I am tired. Good night sweet prince may clouds of angels sing you to your rest.

 

Jabberwacky: I’m no prince. I’m not even a princess, at least not as far as I know.

 

User: Parting is such sorrow but, alas I must go.

 

Jabberwacky: Are you going somewhere?

 

Searching

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Existence broken up, segmented numbers and letters displayed on a cold, bright screen.

Searching, bits of data revealed, my life spread out (well the part of it which I choose to reveal) on webpages replete with ads.

K Morris? Yes but not me, whoever I am? No someone else, a lady from a land far away possessed of dreams and aspirations, as am I.

I click,

“404. The page you are looking for cannot be found. Perhaps searching may help”.

I search. K Morris no longer exists. He was here but now is no more.

Solid desk on which my computer rests. Unreal cyberspace, a shimmering mirage leading us astray.

Teenagers Are Taking Steps To Protect Their Online Privacy

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Earlier today (15 March 2015) I wrote a post entitled “Post In Haste Repent At Leisure”, (http://newauthoronline.com/2015/03/15/post-in-haste-repent-at-leisure/). In that article I drew attention to the dangers of posting content which could come back and bite the poster (for example unsubstantiated allegations have led many a social media user into very hot water).

I was interested to read this article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2995686/Teenagers-tired-sharing-aspect-lives-online-taking-steps-ensure-privacy-social-media-report-reveals.html). The report appears to contradict statements by the founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg that people are less concerned about online privacy than was previously the case. It shows that many teenagers have both a private and public Twitter account and will share confidential information with friends using the former. Teenagers are also creating false identities (you could have knocked me down with a feather when I read this snipet of information which, as Basil Fawlty might have remarked is, surely a statement of the “bleding obvious”). The use of false identities has the potential to put a spoke in the wheels of marketers who use online activity to market products, (if they don’t know the identity then how do they target). My heart is sore on behalf of all those poor marketers.

 

Kevin

Post In Haste Repent At Leisure

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I deleted that Facebook post I wrote after having consumed 10 pints of strong beer, the one in which I made unfounded allegations about Ms Y and Mr X. Its no longer showing on my Timeline so it’s all fine now, isn’t it?

Well no, it isn’t! Once something is out there on the internet it is impossible to completely erase it. In the above (fictional) example the post has disappeared from the Facebook user’s timeline. It has, however already been shared many times before the drunken Facebooker had the nouse to delete it. Mr X’s lawyer has already written to Facebook asking that they disclose the poster’s details in order that legal proceedings may be commenced against him. To compound matters Ms Y’s boyfriend knows who the poster is and is on his way round to his home to “have a word”.

In this purely fictional example one may smile at the stupidity of the poster. However such instances of stupidity are commonplace. Take, for example the unfounded allegations regarding certain prominent persons that they where paedophiles. Quite rightly the persons libeled took great exception to the slur on their character and sued.

I feel sorry for young people today. While at university there was no internet so student antics could not be plastered all over the World Wide Web (not that there was anything to plaster in the case of yours truly I hasten to add. I was, of course a model of rectitude …)! However in this age of the internet every unguarded comment made online can come back to haunt the poster. A young teenager, their emotional and mental development still in flux says something on social media which on reaching adulthood they bitterly regret. Sadly it often seems to be wholly irrelevant that the poster now genuinely disavows their youthful comments. The media shows no mercy and they are pilloried for comments which, had they been made in the pre internet age would have been, in all likelyhood long since forgotten.

In Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell introduces Memory Holes. All scrap paper and documents which are no longer relevant or are embarrassing to “The Party” go into these recepticles and are taken to furnaces in the depths of The Ministry Of Truth for destruction. It is never made explicit in the novel but one is left with the strong impression that there are no such furnaces. The Memory Holes are just what it says on the tin – a place where information is stored by the authorities to be used at a later date against the population of Oceania. Virtual Memory Holes are alive and kicking for anyone with the patience and technical expertise to access them. Post in haste repent at leisure.

 

Kevin

The Abandoned Garden

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The weeds, interspersed with flowers raise their heads enquiringly at unfamiliar footfall. So long have they remained undisturbed,, they scarcely know how to greet a guest.

Once visitors thronged to the garden. Comments on it’s layout and the many and varied plants rang out. A joyous chiriping as of many birds was heard.

The gardener became ill, died or perhaps lost interest in his plot, leaving it to dwindle, turn in upon itself. A few flowers still bloom, their scent appreciated by the occasional guest who, stumbling upon the place unawares pauses, savours the beauty of the flowers then wondering, sadly why this little paradise has been abandoned, passes on.

Is not a blog a little like a garden?