Spartalivenow - Spartasocialnetworks, Inc. - Social Media for the Enterprise Blog Posts

Pakistan blocks access to YouTube and Facebook in internet crackdown

selva — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:49:24 GMT

Pakistan has blocked the popular video sharing website YouTube because of its "growing sacrilegious content".

Access to the social network Facebook has also been barred as part of a crackdown on websites seen to be hosting un-Islamic content.

On Wednesday a Pakistani court ordered Facebook to be blocked because of a page inviting people to draw images of the Prophet Muhammad.

Some Wikipedia pages are also now being restricted, latest reports say.

Correspondents say it remains to be seen how successful the new bans will be in Pakistan and whether citizens find a way round them.

Because YouTube is a platform for free expression of all sorts, we take great care when we enforce our policies.

YouTube says it is "looking into the matter and working to ensure that the service is restored as soon as possible". The site was briefly blocked in Pakistan in 2008 - ostensibly for carrying material deemed offensive to Muslims.

Facebook said on Wednesday that the content did not violate its terms.

There have been protests in several Pakistani cities against the Facebook competition.

'Derogatory material'

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority said it had ordered internet service providers to "completely shut down" YouTube and prevent Facebook from being viewed within Pakistan.

It said the move came only after "all possible avenues" within its jurisdiction had been used.

Analysis

Continue reading the main story Zoe Kleinman Technology reporter, BBC News

Countries, companies and even individuals can easily block various websites if they choose. China has a notorious firewall in place to control internet activity and many Western organisations choose to block access to social networks in the office.

In this case, Pakistan will probably have instructed its internet service providers (ISPs) to prevent any pages containing the phrase "youtube.com" in the address from loading on web browsers.

There are various ways of implementing a block and sometimes it can go awry - Pakistan accidentally pulled YouTube offline around the world in 2008 when it tried to implement an internal ban by "hijacking" the youtube.com address in order to re-direct links to a different page.

There are also ways to duck underneath a ban - most commonly by accessing the internet via a "proxy" server based abroad. This can fool an ISP into thinking a computer is actually based in another country and therefore not subject to the ban.

"Before shutting down (YouTube), we did try just to block particular URLs or links, and access to 450 links on the internet were stopped," said PTA spokesman Khurram Ali Mehran.

"But the blasphemous content kept appearing so we ordered a total shut down."

One of the links blocked is to a BBC News website article about Pakistani soldiers apparently beating Taliban suspects in a video posted on Facebook.

A YouTube spokesperson said: "YouTube offers citizens the world over a vital window on cultures and societies and we believe people should not be denied access to information via video.

"Because YouTube is a platform for free expression of all sorts, we take great care when we enforce our policies. Content that violates our guidelines is removed as soon as we become aware of it."

The controversy began with the Facebook feature called "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day". Depictions of the Prophet are forbidden in Islam.

A message on the item's information page said it was not "trying to slander the average Muslim".

"We simply want to show the extremists that threaten to harm people because of their Muhammad depictions that we're not afraid of them."

The page contains drawings and caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad and characters from other religions, including Hinduism and Christianity.

"Such malicious and insulting attacks hurt the sentiments of Muslims around the world and cannot be accepted under the garb of freedom of expression," Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said about the page.

Facebook said in a statement that it would take action if any content "becomes an attack on anyone, including Muslim people", but that in this case its policies were not violated.

"Facebook values free speech and enables people to express their feelings about a multitude of topics, even some that others may find distasteful or ignorant," the statement said.

A hotline has been set up in Pakistan, asking members of the public to phone in if they see offensive material anywhere.

Islamic parties say they are planning nationwide protests in Pakistan

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Gian — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:12:00 GMT

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a voluntarily observed holiday that commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. It is celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla and in the United States. While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

test

lizaschlitt — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:36:45 GMT

Blog test

Lorem Ipsum

adeher — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:23:43 GMT

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Maecenas mattis ipsum nec ante feugiat sit amet sollicitudin lectus faucibus. Fusce id nisi in libero bibendum tincidunt vitae ut elit. Phasellus vestibulum dapibus magna vel scelerisque. Nullam velit libero, venenatis eu adipiscing sed, convallis id libero. Aenean sed varius felis. Proin eleifend sapien at leo tincidunt facilisis. Integer eget erat purus, deher design. orci. Sed nibh felis, faucibus sodales auctor ac, fringilla sed neque. Phasellus vel metus sit amet tellus fringilla rhoncus. Pellentesque at adipiscing nunc. Nam vitae cursus purus. Quisque turpis nunc, sollicitudin quis vestibulum non, pulvinar vel enim. Sed luctus ultricies arcu fringilla auctor. Curabitur egestas dictum purus, nec egestas felis elementum non. Mauris ac est urna. In sed facilisis nunc. Suspendisse tincidunt sem non neque dapibus mollis. Etiam eu odio risus, ultrices elementum nunc. Nunc dignissim laoreet lectus quis tristique.

Integer nisl nulla, convallis eget aliquet id, tincidunt quis mauris. Suspendisse id tristique nulla. Nunc viverra interdum nisl sit amet pharetra. Maecenas malesuada porta est, non accumsan arcu aliquet imperdiet. Vivamus rutrum nisi in nunc cursus interdum. Pellentesque eu odio vel diam tempor ullamcorper. *** sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Duis sit amet ligula quis erat ultricies blandit. Morbi et nunc neque. Nulla sapien arcu, viverra a egestas aliquam, posuere et dolor. Nulla nec dolor magna. Morbi commodo urna id orci laoreet eleifend. Vivamus lacinia elit velit. Curabitur eros ligula, commodo quis tincidunt et, eleifend at justo. Donec arcu nunc, gravida nec imperdiet adipiscing, accumsan id risus. Donec ullamcorper tempus ligula, nec pulvinar quam rhoncus at. Proin sed ornare ligula. Fusce vitae eros in leo semper auctor at vitae odio. Nullam accumsan blandit hendrerit. Integer et erat at tellus tempus convallis.

In vehicula magna vitae orci porttitor tincidunt. In id dolor in felis eleifend scelerisque. Nullam commodo est sit amet erat euismod ac ultricies dui ornare. Fusce ac quam ante. Curabitur congue enim at ipsum auctor faucibus. Sed sed lorem quis nisi condimentum sollicitudin a id tortor. Praesent fringilla lectus a dolor lacinia pulvinar. Quisque sollicitudin vehicula mi a egestas. Quisque at condimentum enim. Proin sit amet mauris purus, sed aliquam sapien. Morbi eu dui elit. In porta enim vel dui pharetra fermentum. Morbi ut risus sit amet metus tincidunt dapibus sit amet in mauris. Maecenas pharetra tellus eu quam laoreet non convallis orci suscipit. Ut nibh ipsum, elementum id molestie non, semper quis tellus. Sed commodo sagittis ipsum non tincidunt. Aenean vel nisl vitae leo tincidunt consectetur ut non dui. Quisque vitae magna quis erat porttitor feugiat.

Duis blandit mollis rutrum. Suspendisse fermentum luctus nisi. Sed dui nulla, feugiat sit amet fringilla eu, pretium ac arcu. Integer varius lacus eget eros congue aliquam. Nullam posuere turpis at magna porta ut malesuada urna gravida. Mauris dui est, feugiat ac condimentum a, laoreet vitae ligula. Phasellus dictum convallis faucibus. Aliquam erat volutpat. Integer mollis ultricies risus ut aliquet. Curabitur condimentum accumsan ultricies. Etiam aliquet venenatis orci, id malesuada orci hendrerit eu. Ut lobortis gravida dui, sit amet rhoncus enim commodo et. Proin adipiscing mattis augue, sed faucibus odio laoreet id. Donec auctor varius diam, id pharetra velit aliquam a. Pellentesque sed libero quis ipsum congue pretium. Donec nibh lorem, hendrerit et egestas nec, fermentum et erat.

*** sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Etiam tortor mauris, mattis ut facilisis eu, dictum scelerisque nisi. Sed lacinia viverra neque quis euismod. Morbi interdum rutrum eleifend. Vivamus vel felis et elit ornare sodales at id est. Vestibulum eu arcu at velit faucibus adipiscing. Nullam fermentum ligula nunc, in fringilla quam. Nullam tempus scelerisque nibh, ut ornare eros sagittis in. In est magna, mattis eget porta vitae, sodales et neque. Fusce est elit, imperdiet sit amet venenatis vitae, pellentesque at felis. Suspendisse tincidunt, orci in varius adipiscing, neque libero tempus ipsum, eget dapibus nunc diam id nulla. Ut nec ante nec leo consectetur fermentum et at mi. Proin eleifend ullamcorper odio, id pretium urna tincidunt a. Maecenas non turpis sed sapien cursus malesuada. Curabitur tempor varius semper. Nullam at mi nisl. Mauris in egestas mi. Vestibulum quis augue vel tortor porttitor viverra. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Sparta Integrates Twitter into Social Network Platform

Sparta_News — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:45:15 GMT

White-label networks utilizing Sparta's Community2 Social Network Platform can now ‘tweet' their activities, discussions, and other short comments from their network direct to a Twitter account.

This is another viral tool to help promote their brand, their content, or other real-time information from their network.

Sparta Client Tory Johnson Appears on The View

Sparta_News — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:43:49 GMT

Earlier this week, Women For Hire CEO Tory Johnson appeared on a special edition of The View devoted to job searching. She and the co-hosts of ABC's popular morning show heard from other women who are struggling to find jobs in their fields - and now benefiting from Tory's help!

Sparta powers the online Women For Hire Network where more than 40,000 people interested in working from home to trade ideas and inspiration.

In The View episode, Tory discusses her "job club" initiative which encourages groups of women searching for jobs in this tough economy to work together to motivate and assist each other in their efforts.

To watch the episode, click here: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7333348

General Mills Selects Sparta Focus Market Research Platform

Sparta_News — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:41:09 GMT

General Mills utilizes Sparta Focus to conduct market research with its customers, across multiple brands.

Sparta Focus is a specialized configuration of Sparta CommUnity social network platform constructed with the virtual focus group in mind where customers, clients and employees engage with your market research team and provide deep insight about your product or service.

With all the latest social network features users demand - from news feeds to user-generated videos to blogs and polls - participants are more likely to become engaged and stay engaged with the community.

For the Client, apart from the benefits of greater participation, Sparta Focus comes equipped with Sparta Insight, an enterprise class reporting suite which features both quantitative AND qualitative analysis. For example, with a few clicks, the Client can determine in colorful graphics, the content of key conversations, frequency and whether the audience generally likes an item - plus the Client can track attitudes over time.

With a successful social network, the amount of data generated can be staggering. For the Project Manager, it removes the hurdles of deciphering all the data, figuring out what it all means and presenting it to management.

Sparta Insight provides easy-to-read charts which facilitate deep understanding of participants' behavior and attitudes, and that can be quickly added to any presentation. The end result is an excellent Return-On-Investment - successful action plans which can be constructed and implemented more rapidly.

Sparta Social Networks Integrates with Facebook Connect!

Sparta_News — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:36:47 GMT

Differentiating your social network is important and providing those integration points to your Company network, or Association are very important, as more users become familiar and utilize social networks as an everyday tool. While Facebook continues to dominate the organic social network space, the user demands connectivity amongst the networks, whether it be friends, feeds, actions, and other Social Media activities. Sparta has integrated to Facebook Connect, to let the Facebook user view their feeds and actions from Sparta's client networks.

For Sparta Clients, it enables your end users to keep touch with your network more easily, and maintain their connections from network to network. This in turn leads to more activity on your network, and for public networks, can extend your marketing message across a wider swath of the Internet.

MGM Grand at Foxwoods Debuts Casino Social Network Built on Sparta Platform

Sparta_News — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:30:56 GMT

Leading Social Network Platform Vendor, Sparta Social Networks, Creates Compelling On-Line Experience for Customers of Southeastern Connecticut's Newest Destination

MASHANTUCKET, CT (January 9, 2009)

MGM Grand at Foxwoods launches its new social network today at http://connect.mgmatfoxwoods.com to bolster its customers' casino experience. Designed by some of the best in the industry, its purpose is to bring patrons of the resort together, to connect players to their favorite games, locations, interests, clubs and restaurants, and to educate and entertain with gambling tips and exclusive information about the casino.

For MGM Grand at Foxwoods, it provides an additional, critical function: the opportunity to gain insights into both what products and services resonate positively with its clientele and what can be improved to deliver a superior guest experience.

Stated Gillian Murphy, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, "By having a social networking presence, we have the chance to interact with our users in a novel format and gain invaluable insights into consumer satisfaction which ultimately can improve customer interactions. Just as important, we can extend the casino experience beyond each customer's visit and maintain engagement with our clientele when their stay at MGM Grand at Foxwoods is over, and encourage return visits and new visits by their friends and family."

MGM Grand at Foxwoods partnered with Sparta Social Networks (www.spartasocialnetworks.com) to build, manage, and help formulate the way to integrate social networking into its casino launch. By utilizing Sparta's enterprise Web 2.0 social network platform "Community2", MGM Grand at Foxwoods gains access to all the popular social network features plus the latest social platform tools like videos, widgets, and seamless integration with other sites like Twitter and Facebook.

"MGM Grand at Foxwoods took their first foray into social media and wanted a partner with deep domain expertise and whose enterprise platform could adapt and shape to their needs as their social strategy evolved. They did not want to be constrained by a rigid framework," said Jerry Sheer, CEO of Sparta Social Networks.

"More and more, we are finding large enterprises incorporating social networking into their marketing mix. Not only does it increase audience participation and improve customer retention, but with Sparta Insight Reporting Tools, it can provide detailed consumer behavior metrics to allow management to better understand their customers' interests and sentiment - both positive and negative - towards their products and services."

About MGM Grand at Foxwoods

MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which opened in May 2008, features 825 luxurious guest rooms and suites, 115,000 square feet of meeting space, a 4,000-seat MGM Grand Theater, 21,000-square-foot G Spa by Gretta Monahan, restaurants by some of the nation's most celebrated chefs including Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak, Michael Schlow's Alta Strada and Alan Rosen's Junior's Restaurant. In addition, the property features Shrine, a vibrant nightclub, high-end retail and a state-of-the-art casino. Adding another distinctive gaming and entertainment destination to the Northeast, the new MGM Grand at Foxwoods is evocative of the Las Vegas landmark: Grand in every sense; classically elegant and refreshingly one-of-a-kind. The must-see resort casino enjoys the same amenities as neighboring Foxwoods Resort Casino, including access to Lake of IslesTM, featuring two, 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Rees Jones and a Golf Academy. The property is easily accessible from Boston, New York, Hartford and Providence. For more information, call 1-866-MGM-0050 or visit www.mgmatfoxwoods.com.

About Sparta Social Networks, Inc.

Sparta Social Networks is a leading provider of enterprise social network software and services, through its Sparta Community2 Platform which combines the power of a function-rich, proven platform able to handle millions of users, with "market-smart" services, deep domain expertise, and unmatched experience. Since 1999, Sparta has been building communities for leading enterprises such as Hearst-Argyle, Ford Lincoln-Mercury, Oxygen, AOL, Crystal Cruises and Joann Fabrics. For more information, please contact David Ring at 646-701-5000 x710 (dring@spartasocialnetworks.com) or visit http://www.spartasocialnetworks.com

Sparta Adds Mobile Photo Upload Feature

Sparta_News — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:25:26 GMT

Sparta's platform now allows you to send photos directly from your mobile phone to your photo collection in your profile. Simply send the photo to an email address such as mobile@yoursocialnetwork.com and the photo will appear within your mobile photo set in your profile.

'24' star roped into cattle scam

alexcwilliams — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:43:57 GMT

By Associated Press

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - Actor Kiefer Sutherland was among cattle customers roped into an alleged scam that netted more than a million dollars.

Prosecutors say Michael Wayne Carr of Linden had agreements to buy steers in Mexico for his customers and sell them for profit in the United States. Carr allegedly took $869,000 from Sutherland, star of the Fox TV show "24," and $177,000 from a New Mexico couple.

Prosecutors say there's no record Carr ever bought the steers.

They also say Carr sold steers that didn't belong to him.

Carr is charged with 12 felonies, including grand theft, forgery and embezzlement. He was scheduled to be arraigned Monday, but a judge postponed it to Feb. 8 after his attorney was removed.

If convicted on all charges, he faces 18 years in prison.
http://www.kval.com/news/entertainment/82713962.html

Adobe Wave

adeher — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:59:29 GMT

When a friend posts a status update or there’s new content on your favorite site, be the first to know. Adobe® Wave™ software gets the information you care about right to your desktop. Click on the Adobe Wave badge on a website you want to follow and you’re ready to go. Best of all, you’re in control: you choose which sites can contact you. If you’re no longer interested, turning it off is a click away — Adobe Wave does not share your email address with websites.

With Adobe Wave, get all of your notifications through a single application. You don’t have to worry about downloading a separate notification application for each website. To find out more, click on a notification to take you to a browser pointing right where you want to go. Built with Adobe AIR® technology that has been installed over 200 million times, Adobe Wave lets you see all your most recent alerts at a glance.

Discover which of your favorite sites are using Adobe Wave. Click “ADD” in the bottom left corner of Adobe Wave to browse the Adobe Wave Gallery. Here, you can add feeds with a single click.

Learn more about developing for Adobe Wave

This is a handy dandy blog entry. Blogtastic

bige — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:06:36 GMT

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut sit amet enim leo, eget hendrerit nibh. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam vel augue a eros placerat posuere. Quisque justo diam, luctus in euismod tempor, hendrerit nec sem. Ut sagittis vehicula egestas. Sed sed turpis ligula, eget fringilla sem. Vivamus aliquet dapibus tempus. Vestibulum luctus, turpis ac lacinia luctus, diam mauris luctus risus, aliquet consectetur nisi velit vel nisl. Integer sodales, nibh vitae condimentum dignissim, diam augue consequat dui, vel consectetur turpis ante at ligula. Curabitur dictum libero sed justo condimentum ac dapibus mi blandit. Etiam vel massa urna, in ultrices quam. Cras gravida, nisi vitae dapibus dapibus, libero est molestie ipsum, nec euismod quam metus ut justo. Integer rhoncus mauris sed felis suscipit eu vehicula ligula sodales. Aliquam vel nulla tellus, vel condimentum risus. Ut risus neque, blandit nec bibendum ac, ultrices at mauris. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos.

Online activists hijack 300 Facebook groups

selva — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:11:19 GMT

Activists claimed to have seized control of nearly 300 Facebook community groups in a self-proclaimed effort to expose how vulnerable online reputations are to tampering.

A contingent that identified itself as Control Your Info (CYI) claimed credit for commandeering 289 Facebook Groups, saying it was simple to get into poorly protected administrative settings at the website.

"This is just one example that really shows the vulnerabilities of social media," said a blog post at controlyour.info.

"If you chose to express yourself on the Internet, make sure the expressions are your own and not a spammers. This isn't some kind of scare tactic, nor is it a hack, it's a feature that can be used, and is being used, in bad ways." CYI claimed its motives were pure and that the move was more of a "take-over" than a computer hack of Facebook groups.

Facebook Groups are themed chat venues that users of the social networking service can join to socialise online with people who share interests.

"Facebook Groups suffer from a major flaw," said a message on the CYI blog.

"If an administrator of a group leaves, anyone can register as a new admin. So, in order to take control of a Facebook group, all you really have to do is a quick search on Google."

Dec 1 test blog

benjohn — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:39:25 GMT

This is a test blog on Dec 1

WHY DO MOST STUDENTS REGARD HISTORY AS A BORING SUBJECT?

PottsJo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:25:59 GMT

Whenever students talk about their subjects in school, history is often perceived as among the most boring of subjects. Probably the main reason why History has been considered as a boring subject is because of the traditional ways on how it is being taught in class. Typically, a professor or a teacher would just stand in front of all the students and start reciting all the details of the topics- all those dates, places, names of prominent people and events that appear to be very difficult to memorize. The monotonous and seemingly non-participative way of teaching combined with all the many dates, names, places and events to keep in mind are probably what make students think that History is an incomprehensible and difficult subject matter. Some would even resort to letting those online sites with custom essays services do their own history term papers and even a research paper or two, just to avoid the boring process. However, this impression can be easily changed. It basically depends on how the information being taught is being packaged. This just implies that similarly, the process of packaging or wrapping the information taught in History is what determines whether or not students will find it boring and tiresome. For one, professors can create inventive ways of discussing the subject matters either by making it extra participative or interactive so that students will get to take part of the discussion and not just stay as passive listeners- which makes the discussion boring. If only the earlier History teachers were able to reinvent and innovate on the way History was taught, maybe students could have had a different notion about the subject today. If only History was made as interesting as any other subject matter or course in the academe, more students may have liked it today. Thus, changing this impression about History is basically on the hands of the teachers. Because on their choice of presentation depends whether or not students will be able to enjoy the learning experience. Given that History if filled with all the interesting revelations and discoveries about the roots of the world and the human race, it can be said students indeed deserve to learn such relevant information in the most interesting and motivating manner of teaching.

paper writers

Dell ships first laptop with Linux fast-boot tech

dvk1 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:03:03 GMT

Dell is shipping the first laptop offering its MontaVista-designed fast-boot technology. The Latitude Z laptop runs Windows 7 on an Intel Core 2 Duo, but also offers a TI-built, ARM-based module running the Linux-based "Latitude ON" technology, touted for instant access to email and the web with minimal power usage.

Techies share favorite iPhone apps

garyyahoo — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:30:31 GMT

Curious to know which iPhone apps are considered worthiest by the world’s leading bloggers and tech enthusiasts? I had a chance to eavesdrop on an all-things-cool session at the Gnomedex technology conference in Seattle last week. Here are a few apps that people mentioned.

These changed my life – at least for a minute!

AudioBoo lets you record and share mp3 audio files up to three minutes in length. You can add text, titles, photos as well as geolocation info. (Free)

PocketMeter allows you to measure any room or distance using sound to bounce off objects. You just point the iPhone’s microphone at the floor or wall and tap on the screen. The app emits sound and measures the time it takes for the echo to return. It can calculate distances between 8 inches and 13 feet within 0.4 inches of accuracy. ($0.99)

Sonar Ruler similarly uses echoes to measure distances up to 60 feet. ($0.99)

AppSniper is an app about apps. It allows you to track apps when they go on sale and it tells you when they are within your price range. ($0.99)

Boxcar conveniently sends you push notifications anytime you receive a mention or a direct message on your Twitter account. It conveniently works with most Twitter clients, so you can view a message once you receive a push. ($2.99)

Pocket Universe, an augmented reality app, is a planetarium in your pocket. Just point your phone up to the sky, and it simulates the exact night sky above you, complete with the names of all the constellations. The app works best on the iPhone 3GS, which has a digital compass and an accelerometer. ($2.99)

AutoStitch lets you create panoramas out of multiple pictures you snap with your iPhone’s camera. ($1.99)

Geocaching is a global treasure-hunting game where players can locate hidden containers or ‘geocaches.’ The app uses the iPhone’s GPS capability to provide a list of real-time information about geocaches near your location. It’s available in English, Dutch, French, German and Japanese. ($9.99)

So what are your favorite iPhone apps right now? Mine is Bump, which lets you exchange contact information with other iPhone users simply by bumping phones. It certainly came in handy when I ran out of business cards at Gnomedex!

Guest Blog Friday!

Chado — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:26:07 GMT

So what’s a typical day like assisting Joe McNally? First things first. When you’re a photographer’s assistant, especially for someone like Joe, “typical” goes right out the door.

To start, here’s a bit of the back story:
While I was in school for my undergrad, I was lucky enough to get a summer internship with Joe. In retrospect, I can confidently say that I learned more in those three months than in my entire college education. Now, people ask me all the time how I pulled off an internship with such a person, and my answer really comes down to persistence. I had seen a presentation of Joe’s at the Maine Photographic Workshops, really loved his work and became a fan.

Communication Arts Magazine puts out a great photo annual each year, and lists the contact info for everyone who makes it in… So that next summer, when browsing through, I saw a photo of Joe’s, called the studio, interviewed, and got the gig- that’s about it. Internships are absolutely competitive, but if you jump on them early, follow up, and make sure they know you’re very interested, you just might get it. On top of that, for any young shooters out there looking to intern: it’s not all about who you intern for, but what you get out of it. That same summer, I also interviewed with the studios of Mary Ellen Mark and David LaChapelle (both of whom would have happily taken on my free labor), but I didn’t think either of them would have given me nearly the hands-on experience I thought I’d get with Joe, and I was proven right.

After I finished school in Pennsylvania, I had a short stint with an ad agency and was drumming in a band, but knew I needed to be shooting full-time. Freelancing wasn’t the easiest of things to do, and 75% of my income came from shooting weddings and bartending part-time. All I cared about was being able to make the majority of my living with a camera- which I was doing, but I was also getting restless where I was. I always tried to stay in touch with Lynn, Joe’s studio manager, and would call to check in and let her know, as always, that I wanted to work for them, but my timing always seemed to be off. As I started to look at grad schools for my MFA, I got a call from Lynn to say that Brad Moore was moving on to assist Scott Kelby! Timing worked out for once, Joe offered me the position, and I very happily jumped at the opportunity.

Photo by Bobbie Lane

So what exactly do I do?

Like most assistants, just about everything. As a first assistant, I spend a lot of time on the road (since last October, I’ve logged almost 50K miles on Delta alone, flying everywhere from Arizona to Dubai). I don’t travel everywhere with Joe, but it seems as though I spend probably 40% of my time on the road, which I still find to be pretty crazy (in the best of ways). To that end, I’ve had several mornings where I’ve woken up and had no idea where I was for a few moments… Even crazier (laugh if you want) was a few weeks ago in LA, I was walking around and lost all concept of what season it was… I suppose that’s all just part of being on the road a lot?!

There’s a perception out there that Joe shoots all small flash (which he sometimes does), and someone even recently wrote that he’s “known for traveling with a minimal kit.” I sort of laughed out loud reading that, as, well…we’ll just say it’s not always true. While on the road I’m in charge of all the gear, which can range anywhere from 5-15 cases (I told you). On-location, things are always unpredictable, but I’m generally setting up and changing lighting, handing off cameras to Joe, switching out cards, shooting video, etc. Once we get back to the hotel, I have to charge all cameras/batteries/flashes/strobes, download/backup cards, clean sensors, etc. It’s not at all for the faint of heart, but it’s also one of those jobs I don’t think anyone even remotely interested in this field could ever get bored of.

Photo by James Wilkinson

One very valid point to mention: Keeping up with Joe is TIRING. Hands down, it’s a constant challenge, and even as a 26-year old kid, I have to work very hard to keep up with his constant energy, enthusiasm and creativity. I think it really boils down to the fact that anyone who’s been going at this as long and as hard as Joe has to be one of the most passionate and driven individuals you will ever meet. Jay Maisel’s assistant Jamie mentioned something similar, and most other assistants would agree with this sentiment. These guys didn’t get to where they are by sitting on their hands. This isn’t an office job where you make your way to the top. It’s something entirely different, and most people will never quite understand it. I’m lucky enough to see it every day. These guys have felt this passion for longer than I’ve been alive, and I hope more than anything, that some of this will rub off on me.

Back to the studio. When I’m home, part of my job is to reorganize gear. Being that Joe’s a “generalist”, no shoot or equipment he takes with him is ever really the same. What does that mean? Kind of a nightmare for myself and our two other assistants, Will and Lynda Equipment constantly needs to be cleaned, re-packed, sent out for repairs- and this isn’t a closet full of gear- this is a large two-car garage grip house that could compete with the best of them. In fact, when we do the McNally Workshops in the NYC area, we need Joe’s Suburban, a 20-foot U-Haul and another SUV just to transport the gear. As good of an organizational system as we may have, it’s always a tremendous challenge to keep up with it all.

Aside from the gear end of things, my days in the studio consist of post-production, archiving, printing, researching, coordinating with Lynn on projects, phone calls, etc. I also spend a ton of time with Lynn going over contracts, estimates, billing, and all those things that most young photographers are completely blind to, coming out of school. It’s so undervalued, but really is just as important as taking the picture. Without the business knowledge under your belt, there’s no way to survive, so it’s great to be able to learn from such an experienced producer.

Although this all is very hard work and can be quite exhausting, it has some pretty incredible benefits. Most importantly, I get to work beside one of the best in the world on an almost daily basis. I actually get paid to go to workshops that most people pay really good money to attend. I’ve gotten to meet and become good friends with a ton of extremely talented people in the industry, whom I’d never otherwise get to know. And I get to travel the world and have experiences I’d never get to have without this job.

I truly feel like one of the most fortunate people in the world to be where I am right now- It’s actually quite surreal to think about it. After all, very few people enjoy their job, let alone love it. If asked where I’ll end up from here, I really don’t have an answer- But I do know that I’m on an amazing path, and as long as I feel as though I’m challenging myself and learning a lot, I’m completely content.

Photo by Zack Arias

Thanks to Scott and Brad for putting this together and inviting me to say a few words. I feel honored to be a part of this community, and I encourage you all to get involved as well. I hope to meet some of you out on the road, and if you ever have any questions, just hit up Joe’s blog.

-Drew
(Oh, and if you’re interested in checking out my website that’s never been updated, go here: drewgurian.com, and you can always follow me: @drewgurian)!

Seven Principles of Software Development

garyyahoo — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:16:46 GMT

Seven Principles Of Software Development

Seven Principles of Software Development

The First Principle: The Reason It All Exists (Pattern: TheReason) A software system exists for one reason: to provide value to its users. All decisions should be made with this in mind. Before specifying a system requirement, before noting a piece of system functionality, before determining the hardware platforms or development processes, ask yourself questions such as: "Does this add real VALUE to the system?" If the answer is "no", don't do it. All other principles support this one. I agree about the value bit, but as JerryWeinberg noted in QualitySoftwareManagement, volume 1 (SystemsThinking), value is a relative not an absolute

The Second Principle: KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) (Pattern: KeepItSimpleStupid) Software design is not a haphazard process. There are many factors to consider in any design effort. All design should be as simple as possible, but no simpler. This facilitates having a more easily understood, and easily maintained system. This is not to say that features, even internal features, should be discarded in the name of simplicity. Indeed, the more elegant designs are usually the more simple ones. Simple also does not mean "quick and dirty." In fact, it often takes a lot of thought and work over multiple iterations to simplify. The payoff is software that is more maintainable and less error-prone.

The Third Principle: Maintain the Vision (Pattern: MaintainTheVision) A clear vision is essential to the success of a software project. Without one, a project almost unfailingly ends up being "of two [or more] minds" about itself. Without conceptual integrity, a system threatens to become a patchwork of incompatible designs, held together by the wrong kind of screws. As Brooks states:

: Conceptual integrity is the most important consideration in system design.

Stroustrup also notes:

: Having a clean internal structure is essential to constructing a system that is understandable, can be extended and reorganized, and is maintainable and testable.

From which Booch summarizes:

: It is only through having a clear sense of a system s architecture that it becomes possible to discover common abstractions and mechanisms. Exploiting this commonality ultimately leads to systems that are simpler, and therefore smaller and more reliable.

Compromising the architectural vision of a software system weakens and will eventually break even the most well designed systems. Having an empowered Architect who can hold the vision and enforce compliance helps ensure a very successful software project.

The Fourth Principle: What You Produce, Others Will Consume (Pattern: WhatYouProduceTheyConsume) Seldom is an industrial-strength software system constructed and used in a vacuum. In some way or other, someone else will use, maintain, document, or otherwise depend on being able to understand your system. So, always specify, design, and implement knowing someone else will have to understand what you are doing. The audience for any product of software development is potentially large. Specify with an eye to the users. Design, keeping the implementers in mind. Code with concern for those that must maintain and extend the system. Someone may have to debug the code you write, and that makes them a user of your code. Making their job easier adds value to the system.

The Fifth Principle: Be Open to the Future (see Pattern BuildForTodayDesignForTomorrow) A system with a long lifetime has more value. In today's computing environments, where specifications change on a moment's notice and hardware platforms are obsolete when just a few months old, software lifetimes are typically measured in months instead of years. However, true "industrial-strength" software systems must endure far longer. To do this successfully, these systems must be ready to adapt to these and other changes. Systems that do this successfully are those that have been designed this way from the start. Never design yourself into a corner. Always ask "what if ", and prepare for all possible answers by creating systems that solve the general problem, not just the specific one. This could very possibly lead to the reuse of an entire system. Abusing this principle is where I see many developers go wrong. One of the benefits of having both years of experience and many of them on a single project is that you learn the virtues of YouArentGonnaNeedIt. As developers, we often guess wrong on how a system is going to change unless we are also domain experts. Further, systems do change but often converge so the generalized solution becomes baggage. -- Sal Mangano

The Sixth Principle: Plan Ahead for Reuse Reuse saves time and effort. Achieving a high level of reuse is arguably the hardest goal to accomplish in developing a software system. The reuse of code and designs has been proclaimed as a major benefit of using object-oriented technologies. However, the return on this investment is not automatic. To leverage the reuse possibilities that OO programming provides requires forethought and planning. There are many techniques to realize reuse at every level of the system development process. Those at the detailed design and code level are well known and documented. New literature is addressing the reuse of design in the form of software patterns. However, this is just part of the battle. Communicating opportunities for reuse to others in the organization is paramount. How can you reuse something that you don't know exists? Planning ahead for reuse reduces the cost and increases the value of both the reusable components and the systems into which they are incorporated. (See CommentsOnPrincipleSix)

The Seventh Principle: Think! This last Principle is probably the most overlooked. Placing clear, complete thought before action almost always produces better results. When you think about something, you are more likely to do it right. You also gain knowledge about how to do it right again. If you do think about something and still do it wrong, it becomes valuable experience. A side effect of thinking is learning to recognize when you don t know something, at which point you can research the answer. When clear thought has gone into a system, value comes out. Applying the first six Principles requires intense thought, for which the potential rewards are enormous. (see CommentsOnPrincipleSeven)