formatting change and I feel ill

Formatting change. Title change. My blog doesn't have a pretentious I'm-trying-to-be-a-new-media-whore-and-I'm-blogging-about-it title anymore. Because I'm really not. And the site looks less orange.

I'm trying to finish a horribly confusing assignment for a course on computer operating systems I'm taking (yes, genuine interest in the subject matter) at U of T. Procrastination is a serious problem for me, but will be seriously curtailed after this post.

In other news, I feel slightly ill, enough to warrant blogging about it because the cause is too obvious to ignore. The only thing I can think of that could have made me feel this way is a McDonald's hamburger that I ate yesterday, after not eating any for a very, very long time. If you're thinking "I could really have a McDonald's burger right now", resist the urge. You won't know to thank me because your intestines will be happy, content that they haven't passed cardboard tasting hormone injected irradiated meat. WTF was I thinking.

publish your own books for free!!

My grandmother knows you can buy, sell, and comment on books online at Amazon.com but you now can also publish! Check out www.lulu.com. A former executive from Red Hat is behind it.

Also, collaborate to make documents online with Writeboard.

I have to re-iterate that internet entrepreneurs are the best. OK, maybe not in every case, but online, the cool shizzle, though it may fizzle occasionally, is still so greatly innovative. This gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling as I try desperately to finish a programming assignment. Unlike me right now, at least some people know what they're doing with computers, allowing other smart people to create wonderful things.

Like Google? How much?

How much is too much? There's a quiz you can take... I scored an 8. I like them a lot.

First things first

In general, I'm all about cultural exchange, opening one's eyes to the world, considering other ways of life, examining others' value systems etc. to take what's best and improve our overall lot in life. But changing the governance of the web to make it fall under some kind of U.N. controlled committee is simply RETARDED. Remember Oil for Food? Well now, get ready for another monumental disaster. The management of internet infrastructure, if anyone can be responsible for managing it, is something (that falls under the "governance" category maybe) that the American government, at least in its incarnation as Department of Commerce, has not been too shabby at. I say IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT: listen to your own engineers you European technocrat power sluts. Do they want this? Who would this really help? Even people (from the world over) who are extremely critical of ICANN do not want more international bureaucracy to hinder what is primarily a technical enterprise. This is a sure path down the road from bad to worse.

Here's a quote:

"The internet has been a remarkably reliable and stable network of networks and it has grown at a rate unprecedented in human history," he said. "What we are looking for is a continued evolution of the internet that is technically driven. We do not think the creation of new or use of existing multilateral institutions in the governance of essentially technical institutions is a way to promote technological change."

Here's another quote:

'Michael Gallagher, President Bush's internet adviser and head of the national telecommunications and information administration, believes they are seizing on the only "central" part of the system in an effort to exert control. "They are looking for a handle, thinking that the DNS is the meaning of life. But the meaning of life lies within their own borders and the policies that they create there."'

Actually, for a moment, let's forget the main thrust of the argument and clarify that DNS is NOT the meaning of life. You could argue that DNA might be, in some sense, but not DNS. Ah yes, but this is Bush's internet adviser...

boo

pooo. This is a first post. A brain dump. It can only get better. Better than my previous blog at least....