Comments for Social Software Explored http://www.notronwest.com/blog Bridging the gap between code and life Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:42:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on Is there such thing as free will? by Vijay Kumar http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/12/14/is-there-such-thing-as-free-will/comment-page-1/#comment-214 Vijay Kumar Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:56:41 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/?p=356#comment-214 The concept of free will is best explained in sacred Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism! As per Bhagavad Gita human form is but a small sojourn in the entire lifespan of a <a href="http://www.godrealized.com/hinduism_atman_soul.html" rel="nofollow">soul atman</A>... the spirit within! (Soul is termed atman in Hinduism). As laid down in scriptures our soul atman... the spirit within is absolute master and controller of body (including human beings) and not vice versa! It is not within the capability of a body... including human beings to manifest a soul atman! Every soul atman starts its cosmic journey to manifest karma... remove dross impurities within! The moment complete dross impurities within soul atman removed... human beings (the highest form of manifest life in cosmic system) reached stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana)! From the first manifestation to last... the 8.4 millionth manifestation when human beings gained enlightenment... goal of life for a soul atman remains liberation from cycle of birth and death at the earliest! Travel in human form is the most pleasant experience for a soul atman... it is only in human form a soul atman regained its lost original pure prime pristine primordial form. The concept of free will stems from the fact that we are a living consciousness... a <a href="http://www.godrealized.com/glossary/Spirit.html" rel="nofollow">spirit</A> that has manifested human form to work out its karma! Every soul atman is always independent of other... no matter what! Human beings are invested with power of discrimination that makes us exercise free will... the dominant cosmic force that distinguishes us from animals! The concept of free will is best explained in sacred Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism! As per Bhagavad Gita human form is but a small sojourn in the entire lifespan of a soul atman… the spirit within! (Soul is termed atman in Hinduism). As laid down in scriptures our soul atman… the spirit within is absolute master and controller of body (including human beings) and not vice versa!

It is not within the capability of a body… including human beings to manifest a soul atman! Every soul atman starts its cosmic journey to manifest karma… remove dross impurities within! The moment complete dross impurities within soul atman removed… human beings (the highest form of manifest life in cosmic system) reached stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana)!

From the first manifestation to last… the 8.4 millionth manifestation when human beings gained enlightenment… goal of life for a soul atman remains liberation from cycle of birth and death at the earliest! Travel in human form is the most pleasant experience for a soul atman… it is only in human form a soul atman regained its lost original pure prime pristine primordial form.

The concept of free will stems from the fact that we are a living consciousness… a spirit that has manifested human form to work out its karma! Every soul atman is always independent of other… no matter what! Human beings are invested with power of discrimination that makes us exercise free will… the dominant cosmic force that distinguishes us from animals!

]]> Comment on Expectations for Mom’s when joining you on Facebook by Amy http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2010/02/04/expectations-for-moms-when-joining-you-on-facebook/comment-page-1/#comment-211 Amy Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:45:40 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/?p=365#comment-211 Great post, although I don't think my parents will make it to FB or Twitter.. they're happy with emails thankfully. Great post, although I don’t think my parents will make it to FB or Twitter.. they’re happy with emails thankfully.

]]> Comment on Bill Gates has a lot to learn by angie http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2010/01/20/bill-gates-has-a-lot-to-learn/comment-page-1/#comment-210 angie Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:30:46 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/?p=358#comment-210 what's most sad to me is 2 of his first 5 tweets were retweets of RYAN SEACREST. and another 1, ashton kutcher... what’s most sad to me is 2 of his first 5 tweets were retweets of RYAN SEACREST. and another 1, ashton kutcher…

]]> Comment on Is there such thing as free will? by Brosnaro http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/12/14/is-there-such-thing-as-free-will/comment-page-1/#comment-208 Brosnaro Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:33:59 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/?p=356#comment-208 I'm not so sure I'd jump off the determinism cliff yet. It seems like every major scientific/technical development in human history brings up the question of free will: Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, quantum mechanics, etc. Epicurus in the 3rd and 4th century BC had to deal with Democritus's deterministic atomism in order to account for free will in his (Epicurus's) ethics. This question has been batted around for a long, long time. Epicurus also had the best solution to free will in a deterministic universe: the swerve (no shit). Even if high speed computers can mine a database of priming signals in order to influence human behavior and decision making, the psychological mechanism is still only probabilistic. George Romero may have seen us as consumerist zombies in Dawn of the Dead, but that says more about our fears and cynicism than it does about control and free will. I think the notion of self-determinism is slippery enough to survive another attack. I’m not so sure I’d jump off the determinism cliff yet. It seems like every major scientific/technical development in human history brings up the question of free will: Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, quantum mechanics, etc.

Epicurus in the 3rd and 4th century BC had to deal with Democritus’s deterministic atomism in order to account for free will in his (Epicurus’s) ethics. This question has been batted around for a long, long time. Epicurus also had the best solution to free will in a deterministic universe: the swerve (no shit).

Even if high speed computers can mine a database of priming signals in order to influence human behavior and decision making, the psychological mechanism is still only probabilistic. George Romero may have seen us as consumerist zombies in Dawn of the Dead, but that says more about our fears and cynicism than it does about control and free will. I think the notion of self-determinism is slippery enough to survive another attack.

]]> Comment on Your Facebook data is for sale - and it always has been by Sweet! » Facebook will fail if they violate the "unwritten" rules http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/02/your-facebook-data-is-for-sale-and-it-always-has-been/comment-page-1/#comment-198 Sweet! » Facebook will fail if they violate the "unwritten" rules Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:38:27 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/02/your-facebook-data-is-for-sale-and-it-always-has-been/#comment-198 [...] to know Facebook and I have an agreement in writing and one in principal. Until either of these agreements are broken I think we are [...] [...] to know Facebook and I have an agreement in writing and one in principal. Until either of these agreements are broken I think we are [...]

]]> Comment on Twitter, its about the framework by Ron West http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/11/twitter-its-about-the-framework/comment-page-1/#comment-197 Ron West Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:09:48 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/11/twitter-its-about-the-framework/#comment-197 Interesting find Renee, We do have a "kleenex" situation here. Say "kleenex" 10 times and it doesn't sound so weird. At one point it was however, probably just as awkward as Twitter. Twitter as a concept is truly unique. No where do we have this "hub and spoke" style connection with so many people. No where. If it does not become a household name I am sure applications that are written to utilize Twitters framework will. Words like TweetDeck and Twhirl are already reaching hundreds of thousands of people. Interesting find Renee,

We do have a “kleenex” situation here. Say “kleenex” 10 times and it doesn’t sound so weird. At one point it was however, probably just as awkward as Twitter. Twitter as a concept is truly unique. No where do we have this “hub and spoke” style connection with so many people. No where. If it does not become a household name I am sure applications that are written to utilize Twitters framework will. Words like TweetDeck and Twhirl are already reaching hundreds of thousands of people.

]]> Comment on Twitter, its about the framework by Renee http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/11/twitter-its-about-the-framework/comment-page-1/#comment-196 Renee Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:48:26 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/11/twitter-its-about-the-framework/#comment-196 Is Twitter going to one day be the Kleenex of tissue and the Scotch tape of sticky paper? Check this out - Pew just released a study about who's twittering or "updating their status." Even though they're talking about facebook, myspace, yammer, etc. a cnet writer pointed out they really only refer to Twitter. Interesting. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/276/report_display.asp http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10163641-36.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Is Twitter going to one day be the Kleenex of tissue and the Scotch tape of sticky paper?

Check this out - Pew just released a study about who’s twittering or “updating their status.” Even though they’re talking about facebook, myspace, yammer, etc. a cnet writer pointed out they really only refer to Twitter. Interesting.
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/276/report_display.asp
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10163641-36.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5

]]> Comment on Your Facebook data is for sale - and it always has been by Dave http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/02/your-facebook-data-is-for-sale-and-it-always-has-been/comment-page-1/#comment-193 Dave Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:26:13 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/02/your-facebook-data-is-for-sale-and-it-always-has-been/#comment-193 Thanks for being a sensible voice in the middle of this. I'm sure Facebook is seling aggregate data already, or will soon. The post in question just sounds like intense behavioral targeting of ads. At first, things like this bothered me, but eventually I realized that my individual usage data is of basically no value, especially since I don't click through ads, buy from spam/junk mail, etc. I'm sure aggregate data is useful, but it's hard for me to find a reason why Facebook shouldn't sell that, especially when I'm enjoying a free service. Sounds like the people who get mad that Google "reads" their Gmail and puts related ads next to the mail. While they're yelling, most reasonable people are trying to learn more or rolling our eyes. Thanks for being a sensible voice in the middle of this. I’m sure Facebook is seling aggregate data already, or will soon. The post in question just sounds like intense behavioral targeting of ads.

At first, things like this bothered me, but eventually I realized that my individual usage data is of basically no value, especially since I don’t click through ads, buy from spam/junk mail, etc. I’m sure aggregate data is useful, but it’s hard for me to find a reason why Facebook shouldn’t sell that, especially when I’m enjoying a free service.

Sounds like the people who get mad that Google “reads” their Gmail and puts related ads next to the mail. While they’re yelling, most reasonable people are trying to learn more or rolling our eyes.

]]> Comment on Your Facebook data is for sale - and it always has been by notronwest http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/02/your-facebook-data-is-for-sale-and-it-always-has-been/comment-page-1/#comment-192 notronwest Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:27:45 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/02/your-facebook-data-is-for-sale-and-it-always-has-been/#comment-192 Welcome members of the "Don't Let Facebook Sell Your Data to Market Researchers". If you are sick and tired of being bombarded with tons of ads that have nothing to do with your likes/dislikes/conversations/purchases then you get the picture. Targeted Ads = More Meaningful Ads. And less of them! Welcome members of the “Don’t Let Facebook Sell Your Data to Market Researchers”. If you are sick and tired of being bombarded with tons of ads that have nothing to do with your likes/dislikes/conversations/purchases then you get the picture.

Targeted Ads = More Meaningful Ads. And less of them!

]]> Comment on Your Facebook data is for sale - and it always has been by notronwest http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/02/your-facebook-data-is-for-sale-and-it-always-has-been/comment-page-1/#comment-191 notronwest Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:21:27 +0000 http://www.notronwest.com/blog/2009/02/02/your-facebook-data-is-for-sale-and-it-always-has-been/#comment-191 <a href="#comment-190" rel="nofollow">@Renee</a> Yeah - that is actually quite interesting. I was very surprised at the reaction of some of the people. There is actually a Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=48561188389 that references this exact article. So far there is only 8 members. I am going to go and enlighten them some more. @Renee
Yeah - that is actually quite interesting. I was very surprised at the reaction of some of the people. There is actually a Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=48561188389 that references this exact article. So far there is only 8 members. I am going to go and enlighten them some more.

]]>