Blog On The Go

MarchaNacional: A country on the move

2011-05-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

#MarchaNacional started yesterday May 5th and it will finish this Sunday May 8th, for four days the citizens will pacifically march, called by Javier Sicilia from different cities to Mexico's City downtown.

He, as many others who lost their beloved ones, coldly counted as statistics or collateral damages on this drug war, can't simply stand idly listening to the Mexican President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa @FelipeCalderon asking for more support and courage from the people, to stand and endure this violence because there is no other way. I strongly disagree, there are always more ways, perhaps those options aren't that good for him.

And even so, they march. Speaking out loud the innocents names murdered, below the sun, without any political party ideology, spending the night away from the commodity of home, criticized by others because they hinder the highways or streets, greeted by a few giving them water and fruits... But above all, marching because they are fed up from criminals and politicians alike.

Will this march be meaningless? Depends on whom you ask. Lots of people couldn't go and even so they support, at least the reason, perhaps not the march itself, but we need a change, that's for sure. What could bring and unite the most of the Mexicans to shift our country's course? What else should happen to shake off this indifference from us?

Wake up and take an action!

Photo by Bren at Flickr.

Day against DRM

2011-05-04T17:34:00.003-05:00

I'm giving my support today for this campaign to let more people know how the DRM attacks our freedom.

May 4th has been chosen by the Free Software Foundation to be the International Day Against Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) as part of its Defective by Design anti-DRM campaign. Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group said, "DRM is a disaster for legitimate uses of music, film and books. They are designed to lock people into specific software and devices, destroying your rights to free speech uses like criticism, education and review. DRM means you lose control, and are at the mercy of vendors."

The last sentence is vital to understand what's wrong and makes no sense about this restriction method. You pay for your products, yet you don't really own them, the company retains some privileges over them because you may or may not copy their digital content. Not only that way of thinking is absurd, but it affects the consumers that don't want to do a copy and must cover the price for such protection anyways.

Those companies are trying to seize more control than just prevent copies over their products and make alliances to promote it. That's why we must realize and reflect over this, do we really want to pay to use something obeying the vendor on what, where and how many times we could use it?

This whole thing remembers me the planned obsolescence, an idea to force or seduce the customer to buy a new product after a programmed period of time or uses. The Internet is our way to be informed and organized to make a stance against all this kind of control, they should remember we have our rights and the freedom to use what we buy in any way we want and without any restriction or pressure to keep buying their merchandise defective by design. Remember that there are ways to remove the DRM and free your product, however the best route for action is to demand and regain the total control of our purchases since the beginning as it should be.

Keep your eyes and your mind open, stop supporting to those companies.

Sources: Free Software Foundation, Alt1040 and RTVE.

Image by Redfo1 at LibrePlanet.

A new start

2011-05-03T18:01:00.001-05:00

Looks like a new beginning has started for me. Since the change of administration at my work, a month ago, things were going down hill and I quit yesterday.

That's why I'm offering my services as a Web developer, you can contact me through comments here, at twitter account @tai_hen and/or check my LinkedIn resume.

Thank you!

PS. Hurray for shameless self promotion.

Image by Tim Tyrell-Smith at Flickr.

IMPI: Piracy is worse than drug trafficking

2011-04-29T20:06:00.000-05:00

Rodrigo Roque Díaz @rodrigoroqued, the new director of the Mexican Institute of Intellectual Property (IMPI), stated to the radio station Radio Formula that piracy is a bigger problem than drug trafficking:

The piracy issue is very serious, brutal to Mexican society and the world. The World Economic Forum's figures suggest that illegal trade representing 10% of world trade.
The issue of piracy is worse than drug trafficking.
You have to understand that piracy is like stealing a house or steal something, that's why is called intellectual property.

The IMPI's director must be desperate and ignorant. He must be afraid also, like all the so called cultural industries. The people is slowly but steadily realizing that the world has already changed and the greed doesn't understand it. Because all that, he said that disrespectful statement.

There are no other explanation, no normal and educated person would actually compare a human life with a product, let alone value it less. Mexico's citizens and tourists visiting it are suffering a brutal and cold bloody drug war. There are no words to describe the pain of the families torn apart, it is truly a dark time for Mexico, these kind of declarations are an offense to all the lives lost and their relatives.

It saddens me. How low can they go? Their lies have been exposed, it is only a matter of time:

Copy isn't stealing.
Copyright and/or patents aren't human rights.
The piracy isn't linked by anyways to organized crime.
The authors can find no impact on the overall supply of pirated goods.
Don't lie to us, don't try to compare a human life lost in a war with piracy.

Sources: Alt1040 and Radio Formula.

Image by Michael Sauers at Flickr.

Hacktivist Guide for proper Internet use

2011-04-27T18:37:00.001-05:00

Today I want to help to distribute a guide from Spain for the parents and teachers mostly, to educate the kids without the use of fear, manipulation or wrong definitions about the good use of the Internet. Helping them to share the culture, promoting their skills and understanding the education as a responsibility not a brainwashing.

I'd like to translate some of the guidelines, here is the link to the original site to download it.

The free right to culture is a fundamental right
You can access a copy of the contents of free and completely legal (nonprofit).
The P2P has been a technological breakthrough allowing the copy without a central point of exchange. That is why it is an egalitarian system.
When you share a cultural content, the spread benefits their creators, more people know their work and may be interested in it.
The law, to guarantee the right to private copying, protects the copies of works without permission from author (nonprofit).
Rights holders and management organizations are not qualified nor claim to an ISP that identifies the owner of an IP address for a civil infraction, as they would begoing against the legislation that protects privacy and communication privacy.
The artists are the ones getting less money from the current system still used by management companies. At the same, 2% of the members collected 75% of revenues. Thanks to the Internet, many artists find new ways without having to resort to such companies.
Although no physical support is needed as a means of distribution, management institutions are reluctant to new business alternatives such as Netflix requiring payments to triple what was paid in their countries.
The use of DRM in the original copies purchased prevents users from exercising their right to private copying, encouraging alternative downloads.

The guide was created to counteract the actions of lobbies and culture industries in Spain, nonetheless, many points are valid as well for other countries. This guide could serve for inspiration or a template to create more guides and help to understand that our rights are above any interests of the companies.

Sources: Alt1040 and Freesoftwareando.

Photo by Leonardo Augusto Matsuda at Flickr.

LSN: Mexico closer to military control

2011-04-25T18:53:00.000-05:00

LSN is the National Security Law by the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and already approved by the Senate, that includes broad faculties for the Secretaría de Gobernación (the Interior Ministry), CISEN, Army and Navy to try to make them more effective on the war against the organized crime and at the same time could put Mexico in a state of emergency under military control.

It's a law questioned by many because anything made on the rush will always be a bad idea, in this case, to try to turn our Army to function like cops it's plainly absurd just because there are some obstacles for the Army. The citizens are demanding, with obvious reasons, to stop this senseless war. There are nothing, zero, advances but the government won't admit its mistakes, so they want to impose the LSN.

This law is being discussed at the Congress with several ONGs, pro Human rights Organizations and political analysts pointing how these reforms violate individual rights of all Mexicans. Where are the risks? In the broad level of generality and vagueness of behavior of these sentences at the "everything fits" style. An example? Sure, how about the XXI fraction which states: "all acts that threaten national security .... "? Also, the reform only states respect to the human rights, but it opens the door to be violated in a legal way.

Fernando Escalante Gonzalbo says "the law was written with fear. Fear to call things by their name and fear of discussing the issue in public." And I can't agree more with this, the same thing happened with ACTA, they don't (can't?) argue and address such matters with open doors and can't recognize their mistakes, they keep trying to patch over and over trying to correct them but they end to making the situation worse. This law is going to be a terrible mistake added to an already failed war against the organized crime.

And they want to approve it during holidays... Wow! Good thing this isn't something important to Mexico, because it will only affect to the rights of the common Mexicans. *Sighs*

Thanks a lot to Diegoehg for grouping many links about the LSN in just one place.

Sources: Animal Politico, Razón, Nodho, Redacción Nexos and Diegoehg's bundles.

Photo by Isan at Flickr.

Internet Security Identity, really?

2011-04-21T17:45:00.000-05:00

National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) is a project to protect all the activities and data of the users on the Internet, moving the United States of America forward in securing their cyberspace as the President Obama emphasizes.

The NSTIC was developed in collaboration with key government agencies, business leaders and privacy advocates to design a blueprint to reduce cybersecurity vulnerabilities and improve online privacy protections through the use of trusted digital identities. Does this ring any bells to you? An OpenId implementation, like the ones we already use in some sites to avoid another username and password to remember in exchange to give our information (email address or another ID). But this won't be handled by a company, but the government. The register is going to be optional, let's hope it stays like that.

Why? Excuse me if I'm very reluctant about this idea, I don't doubt the good intentions to promote security to the Internet, without affecting our privacy and rights. However, do not forget how the same government didn't like to be exposed on the huge Wikileaks issue, they wanted and required to the companies to get access to the user's account information without letting them know. If they somehow manage to get the users info of all services and transactions they do, tell me what does prevent them to change, alter or simply get the same info they say to protect without their owners consent nor knowledge?

The same system could be used to control how, where and what can you access, say or write. And what about the security of the system itself? How can they guarantee all the data is going to be secure from Crackers? Nothing made by man is perfect, should we allow all the responsibility to manage our cyberspace identity in hands of any other? I mean, really? Just because it's easier than remember our passwords, know basic security and common sense?

I prefer to test my chances and maintain that burden to ensure my identity and transactions security. After all, the Internet has prospered quite nicely without any kind of identity control, so, why to fix something isn't really broken, why there is always the need to try to control every single thing we use?

Let the Internet free of controls, thank you!

Sources: White House Blog and Bitelia.

Image by University of Maryland Press Releases at Flickr.

¡Copiad, Malditos! A lesson about Copy

2011-04-19T19:03:00.001-05:00

The last incident brought many things to work on, nothing bad or serious, nevertheless, it's affecting my time to keep blogging and reading tweets. Till I restructure my schedule and work returns to normal (if ever), the updates will be whenever I have chance, so bear with me a little ;)

Rant over. I want to let you know something that surprised me this Sunday, it's about this incredible documentary ¡Copiad, Malditos! (Copy, dammed!) made by RTVE (Spain Public Radio and TV), directed by Stéphane M. Grueso @fanetin and licensed on Creative Commons BY/NC 3.0, ~~however, they want to keep the exclusivity for a few weeks more, so you probably have to wait to link~~ Update: RTVE has decided to end the exclusive on the video and you can download it now. ~~Yeah, quite a shame but as a first experiment it's ok~~, congratulations to all the people related to this documentary, let's hope their hard work could inspire others to do the same and sooner than later this can be massive.

This is how "Presunto Culpable" should have been licensed, but that's history. Apart from this, the video show us how is the reality about the author's Management Entities, the resistance they oppose to change and how they operate. The resistance of the Spanish people that won't allow their Fundamental Rights to be trampled, explaining with actions and proposals how the technology changed all the rules and now EVERYONE can be a creator, be published and try to get some money, of course, not with old models.

The documentary goes beyond itself, it has many more videos and resources on its site widening this matter about the Copy, how the definitions aren't the same according to who you ask and how the perception from the people is changing towards it. And obviously, how the new generations do know the distinction better.

I applaud any effort to bring some light on this subject and alternatives to find adequate solutions, no doubt they are there in plain sight, but some are just blinded with money, power and ignorance that there are no need to hear those who can't see the reality and refuse to adapt.

As in the beginning of our existence, let's continue copying and keep learning, creating and teaching.

Sources: RTVE and ¡Copiad, Malditos! Blog.

Photo by David Goehring at Flickr.

The importance of knowing the technology

2011-04-15T20:36:00.001-05:00

Finally at home relaxing after 3 stressful days at work. Firstly, an apology because I couldn't blog on Wednesday, I try to be strict on my blogging schedule but what happened wasn't something I could imagine to prevent.

It all started last week when we were informed that another group of programmers were going to use our workplace temporally due the change of the Administration. That was the first sign that something fishy it was bound to happen... Then this Monday some workmates couldn't open the door to our office, we all believed it was pretty normal, the door lock was jammed. After a few tries they open it. On Wednesday morning, the office was adjourned and we were told that the door lock was violated since Monday when it was changed.

We weren't able to pick up our personal thing from our workplace and we heard rumors of our income withheld, the best part was that the other group of programmers was inside our office. We were lied and betrayed! Little attention we could bring to our cause on that moment because of the amount of changes, we basically were unprotected with no boss in charge of our department. Luckily, some workmates were able to speak briefly with a chief executive who was asking about our office.

A meeting was held yesterday, after a long presentation we were able to show all the systems that were made on our department, how we were working till Wednesday and the repercussions of that incident. The decision was now in hands of the new Administration, sadly, some of them aren't familiarized with the use of technology, they have wrong ideas of how the systems operate, of all who assisted to that meeting only 1 was taking notes on a laptop and the rest was writing notes with pen and paper.

Today, we had no problem and were paid, the workplace was recovered and it looks like we have already a boss in charge to handle these kind of issues. I hope this kind of situation doesn't repeat and more young people could rise to higher positions at work with a good knowledge on the use and importance of technology to improve how we can serve to our community.

Thank you for reading this!

Photo by Kristian D at Flickr.

Breaking Paradigms

2011-04-11T18:23:00.000-05:00

About time to break something, for now, we need to break and tear apart many paradigms that are already deprecated, useless and yet they are so into ourselves that we can't comprehend why we still live and continue being driven by those. Some acquired because our family and others by the Society we live in.

They are also known as patterns, an established thought process, a system of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality. Yup, sounds very Matrix, they are the rules of the game, system and everything we can or can't do of every action in our reality.

How much is too much? Paradigms are meant for abstract control, I'm not talking about manipulation to use it with a negative purpose, a neutral control, an equilibrium, yin and yang, good and evil. They keep the whole together and provide a base to build from there. And the man loves to build. Sadly, it mostly does it to one side, doesn't matter which one, both extremes are equally dangerous.

The change is subtle when one learns the paradigm that doesn't contradict another learned before. And over the time is assimilated, the longer the time, the harder it gets to distinguish it from our self. That's the tricky part, when we are faced with a new paradigm that collides with the one we have, of course, we can't tell the difference and we assume that it collides against ourselves rather to think and reflect about the cons or pros to change. We face a resistance to change without logic, in total darkness.

This trauma, so to speak, doesn't have to be too difficult to overcome, then again, other already paradigms placed by our family and Society restrict us. The worst kind as you already know, are those with the solely objective to maintain power over the individuals, to keep them entertained, in ignorance and blissfully delighted! Always begging for more from such control but never getting it.

Examples, you say? Are irrelevant meanwhile you don't stop, look around and realize if you can improve your life breaking paradigms.

Source: Wiktionary.

Photo by Alex Pang at Flickr

Colombia: Internet and Human Rights in danger

2011-04-08T14:01:00.001-05:00

The Colombian Minister of Justice, Germán Vargas Lleras, presented the law project to mimic the Hadopi Law from France and Sinde Law from Spain to fight the Internet piracy according to him. All this is because the Free Trade with US but, unlike Chile where there are no warnings to the users, cut of services nor content removals, in Colombia, Lleras said: "those who continue using piracy, be warned, because from here on forward the issue of prison sentences and fines will be implemented rigorously, if we can get the Congress to criminalize these conducts that today aren't covered in our legislation".

Brutal! Colombia is another government pushed by foreign lobbies to go against their citizens, with a mix of external laws following the wrong steps of other countries only to please the lobbies and get their obligations acquired to belong to the Free Trade done. With no open discussions or debates including and front of the society but in secrecy as always to try to pass the law as quietly possible.

The Lleras law, as others laws imposed to protect the overrated Intellectual Property on the Internet, is filled with ignorance and arrogance. The negotiators don't know how Internet works, they couldn't care less to try to understand it, it's an order to pass it, the servants don't need to understand it or try to learn why their master gave them the orders. And it's full of arrogance from both, master and servant, to impose their will and ignorance to the Colombian people.

The Colombian Congress must reject the Lleras law, to prove they aren't sold and have responsibility for their people and try to understand better the real problem, the piracy is an invention for the copyright industry. Read, analyze and study the independent studies like the Media Piracy in Emerging Economies (MPEE) by the SSRC and the Creative Destruction and Copyright Protection by the LSE. Don't be mislead or blinded by false accusations against your citizens, data with no source, lies and threats from those corrupt industries.

That old model refuses to change and will try anything to alter the reality and laws of every country to bend them and keep the profit. Don't feed them and let them die.

Sources: Carobotero-co, Alt1040 and FayerWayer.

Image from Anonymus uploaded by Pateando Piedras at Flickr

You can't defend the indefensible: NO ACTA

2011-04-06T18:40:00.003-05:00

The ~~last~~ Work Group of the Mexican Senate on ACTA took place today, this was the time for the institutions involved and guilty to negotiate this treaty in Mexico to explain their actions with valid arguments, why the Senate wasn't aware of the treaty (they knew only because the citizens) and enumerate the advantages that our country would get in case its approval. Here is a resume of the meeting:

SeGob (State Assistant Secretary) Ruben Hernandez wasn't sure about the advantages, he was just there to see that the meeting went well.
IMPI's ex representant Jorge Amigo said that "the President decided that to Mexico was important to belong since the begining of the negotiations to strengthen the juridical legal framework"
INDAUTOR wanted that the Author's right prevailed like Human Rights. Little did they know that the Intellectual Property Rights aren't considered by law as Human Rights. Author's rights have less priority and can't never surpass these.
The CNDH's participation was of low level to justify their intervention according to Jesus Robles Maloof @roblesmaloof, an activist for the Human Rights.
IFAI representative was the only one who was prepared to question ACTA, their methods and explained that the institutions must defend the citizens first among the enterprises and so called culture industries.
PGR representative don't know or understand anything about ACTA, he just read the papers his superiors gave him. That's the level of public officers we have in Mexico.

After that, the Senators spoke:

Senator Eloy Cantu clapped the failure and the poor argument of the assistants (except IFAI, of course) who don't understand Internet but obviously that's no impediment to talk about Intellectual Property in the Internet and try to legislate it.
Senator Beatriz Zavala @BeatrizZavala said that the interventions gave a sign of risks about unconstitutionality and individual guaranties on ACTA's application.
Senator Carlos Sotelo @carlossotelog expected more from the negotiators to give convincing arguments pro ACTA and that wasn't the case. There was no explanation about why the Senate wasn't informed of this treaty, he pointed and exposed their mistakes giving several examples (like how approving ACTA would damage Free Software). He expressed that ACTA must be rejected and added that "Not all our world is market, not all is business". Later, on his Twitter account, he typed "I've stated with the most possible clarity my standing respect ACTA in front of public officers at the #GTSenadoACTA" (Work Group ACTA of the Senate).

Indeed, Senator Carlos Sotelo surprised all on the meeting and on twitter, with many citizens celebrating his resolution but above all, because he was prepared for the theme and showed a great concern about this delicate but urgent matter. I really hope other public officers see him as an example to be really prepared not only about ACTA, but in all their job!

The next step for the Work Group of the Mexican Senate is to reject ACTA, that even its promoters couldn't be able to defend. That's why from here I thank you for your incompetence.

Update: Another Meeting will take place for the citizens before any decision is made as Senator Federico Doring @senadoring promised.

Source: Twitter.

Photo by arkizzle77 at Flickr.

If you want Innovation, prepare for Troll's War

2011-04-04T18:48:00.001-05:00

Regrettably today, most of the technological companies are trying to copy others idea and a few try to innovate. As if you could see the neighbor's house and look how the grass is greener, they look around to other services and products to tweak a bit the idea and present it like a big deal for their market.

Others couldn't change or adapt themselves fast enough and see with greedy eyes how they can get a huge piece of the cake by suing, filling lawsuits for n patents of x features, even if those features are so obvious and needed like a selection of text or to shutdown the PC, to say a couple. However, they are in their right to do so... right?

All because the US patent system that was designed as An Act to promote the progress of useful Arts [...] if they shall deem the invention or discovery sufficiently useful and important. [...] Sadly [...] Patent applications were no longer examined [...] granted simply by submitting a written description of an invention, a model of the invention, if appropriate, and paying a fee. Facepalm.

Really? I don't care if you try to patent something as ridiculous as the process of how a human being inhale and exhale while running under the rain in Ohio. The so called System will grant it after you accomplish the formalities and... pay? No wonder there are companies dedicated exclusively to patent everything they imagine and never use it, let alone make it, and they just have to search for someone who, not only thought the idea, with variations or not, but also was able to make it work, commercialize it and be successful. Oh no! How naive I am, obviously the common sense is a disability, the troll patent company will sue them for millions because they did the formalities at the US patent system and paid for it before, just like that.

New companies are at a disadvantage: If they don't have ammunition (patents) then they can't defend on this war. And as long the "System" isn't repaired to reward those who create the most useful innovations for society, not those who stake bogus claims or file dubious lawsuits, Techno companies have little choices and will have to arm themselves on this pathetic war where the ones that really lose, are us.

Stop trolling and start innovating!

Sources: Android Phone Fans and Wikipedia.

Photo by Jon Ross at Flickr.

Hacking your ideas!

2011-04-01T18:54:00.000-06:00

Trying something new for some people is too easy, in technology they are called "Early adopters", always looking for new gadgets, programs or services to experiment with. It doesn't matter if the experience was bad, they simply could opt to check other things or they could try to create other uses hacking the idea.

That's a wonderful thing to do in our everyday basis, if we are faced with new opportunities, paradigms or challenges, how about giving it a try? Nothing crazy or a big change, just play with the idea to give you a chance to do something out of your routine. As simple as to vary the road you always do to your work or place, check a new restaurant or start that hobby you always liked but never had the time.

Try once and check the results, was it worth it? How did it feel? And the most important, would you do it again? Perhaps it wasn't that impressive or the results were bad, what would you change? How can you improve your idea? Hack your idea! Don't expect to get all that you wanted on the first try, don't let rejection or failure stops you, keep moving, thinking and improvise.

If you have an acquaintance that you know she/he has this kind of ease on the idea you want to try, ask her/him to teach you the basics or share the experience. In the other hand, if you know of someone that you think or know that could improve what he/she does with technology or other fields, show him/her. Sometimes it's harder to ask for advice, take the chance to advice them. Don't do their chores, tell them how or provide them the resources to them to start.

I'd never imagined myself typing a blog in English, I had many (maybe more) thoughts about why I shouldn't do it and now I've been wondering why I didn't started it sooner? Sure enough, I want to keep improving my writing and challenge myself in other ideas. One step at a time to do it right, and by all means, continue to enjoy what I do. Also, I teach my family how to use the programs and services on the Internet so they can do their duties faster and be more effective.

Take your time and think an idea, the simpler the better and from there expand it. If you want to share your results here, please do so. Have a great hacking!

Image by Jeff Keyzer at Flickr

Using SaaS is giving up my freedom?

2011-03-30T12:33:00.000-06:00

Richard Stallman, the founder of the Free Software Movement

I found this article in Alt1040, it has been published since a year ago but Stallman updated it in 2011/01/03 and I believe it is worth to know and reflect about it.

On his article Who does that server really serve? Richard Stallman writes that Software as a Service (SaaS) is another way to let someone else have power over your computing. What means SaaS? Is software that is deployed to run over the internet or behind a firewall on a local area network or personal computer. A provider licenses an application to customers either as a service on demand in payments or at no cost. This approach to application delivery is part of the utility computing model where all of the technology is in the "cloud" accessed over the Internet as a service.

According with Stallman, SaaS takes away your freedom because users send their data to the server, which does their computing on the data thus provided, then sends the results back or acts on them directly. The users do not have even the executable file: it is on the server, where the users can't see or touch it. Thus it is impossible for them to ascertain what it really does, and impossible to change it. SaaS is equivalent to total spyware and a gaping wide back door, and gives the server operator unjust power over the user.

Synthesizing a lot, you could get these advantages using SaaS:

Accessible from anywhere with an internet connection
No local server installation
Pay per use or subscription based payment methods
Rapid scalability
System maintenance (backup, updates, security, etc) often included in service
Possible security improvements, although users with high security requirements (e.g., large corporations) may find SaaS a security concern
Reliability
Reduced time to market

But Stallman critizes SaaS since users cannot study nor modify the particular software they use, thus, they cannot control their own computing. However, he mentions some exceptions:

Publish information for you to access, publishing your own materials via a blog site or a microblogging service.
Communication not meant to be private, such as chat groups, Social Networks to use the service for minor editing of what you're going to communicate.
Search engines collect data from around the web and let you examine it.
E-commerce if you trust the other party with your money and personal information.
Using a joint project's servers like editing pages on Wikipedia, you are not doing your own computing; rather, you are collaborating in Wikipedia's computing.
Multiplayer games are a group activity carried out on someone else's server, because you might well ignore that risk, since it seems unlikely and very little is at stake.

Basically, he advices us to not let others to take in charge of our privacy data in great amounts, to not believe or be naive of any product or service of the IT Industry to do our computing and by all means refuse the SaaS and do your work on your own server.

Now, thinking about all the implications, I believe is wise to prevent the extremes of any side, be conscious of our decisions and consequences, from there, distribute and manage our data according to our needs and our limitations, because we must know there are more options to handle our computing. To our luck, Internet will keep evolving and I'm sure we could get the control and/or transparency that we so much want with our data accessing Software as a Service.

What else do you want to add?

Sources: Who does that server really serve? by Richard Stallman, Alt1040 and Wikipedia.

Image by Gisle at Wikipedia

#TasaRobinHood: Shooting arrows against injustice

2011-03-28T19:06:00.000-06:00

The Hash Tag #TasaRobinHood (#RobinHoodTax) appeared on my Twitter Timeline today and my curiosity drove me to search more about it. That's how I knew about this proposal to levy with a 0.05% tax to every International Financial Transaction not related nor affecting the citizens.

This tax idea isn't new, on the 70's it was proposed by the Economist James Tobin as the TobinTax and dismissed because it was too hard to deploy and control it. Then again, the differences between these two ideas were that Tobin was going to tax specific types of currency transaction, The RobinHoodTax would apply to a broader set of financial sector transactions, and the most important: Tobin wanted to use the funds to to stabilise the economic market rather than generate revenue. The RobinHoodTax campaign presents the raising of revenue for domestic use and to fund international aid as a leading aim:

25% to fight poverty in developing countries.
25% to mitigate-adaptation to climatic change.
50% to social spending in the countries in which it is collected

Fortunately, the European Parliament gave his approbation, three weeks ago (March 8th), to apply a levy of 0.05% to transactions undertaken by financial institutions with which could fight poverty around the world. Only on non-retail financial transactions, including exchange of shares, bonds, foreign exchange operations or commodities, both on organized exchanges and in OTC trades. It would affect individual investors, banks, hedge funds and other financial institutions.

The technical part recommends to do it through "Continuous Linked Settlement" and codding. What else is needed? The support of the Governments, even if some at the G20 as Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, Zapatero and Lula da Silva are defending and/or promoting it, more consensus are needed. However, this could star with the leadership in the European Union if they take the initiative.

If this is globally approved, more than € 300,000 millions per year would be collected to help the poorer, taking only 0.05% from the transactions.

I think it's about time to do the right thing and give our support to this new Robin Hood. Prepare your arrows!

Sources: Twitter, El Pais, Wikipedia, Innova Social, Oxfam España and Intermón Oxfam.

Image by Olaf1541 at Wikipedia.

IMX: Trying to cover the sun with a finger

2011-03-25T14:32:00.000-06:00

Several media, companies and civil societies of Mexico have united to sign the "Iniciativa México" (Mexico's Iniciative): agreement coverage against violence, launched by the two biggest TV companies of Mexico: Televisa and TV Azteca. According to them, they don't want to interfere on the war against the drug trafficking and organized crime, because of that, they won't say any news involving those matters, will soften the news and omit any word alluding them.

All the signers agreed to unify editors criteria and form a "citizen's committee for observation" to do periodical checkouts over all these media and verify if they adhere to the agreement. That means no words or images about the violence generated of this war in our country. Any journalist trapped in crossfire would be because of his own fault and not because the unsustainable violence.

Is this agreement a kind of sick joke? Are we all going to pretend that everything is fine and everyone is happy? This by far is an insult to our intelligence and a censorship covered by morals with not an ounce of ethics from the signers. Its a Self-censorship over their news appealing to the taste and decency of the public where in fact they try to erase their faults and lack of ethics.

At least there are some from the media that didn't sign like the Proceso magazine, MVS radio, La Jornada, Reforma and El Diario de Juarez journals. Good thing we also have sites and blogs in the Internet where you can keep informed, keep it up on your work all of you!

Of course we all are against such violence and don't want more blood, but this is not the way to act, this agreement is about to be blind to our reality and continue our indifference as I wrote in my post Mexico: Indifference to our tragedy. We don't want that!

We want the authorities can grant us the protection they are supposed to provide us.
We want to be informed with real data, not to be treated like we can't handle what is happening.
We want free speech and real proposals, not to be silenced by innocuous morals.
We want to remember the truth.
We want a real country.

Would you like to be lied and accept the silence if someone you know suffers from this violence? Neither do I.

Sources: Noticias Mérida, Alt1040, Wikipedia and El Diario de Juárez

Image by Antonella Beccaria at Flickr

LSE study: Downloads aren't guilty

2011-03-23T19:04:00.000-06:00

As I wrote in my previous post MPEE: Findings applied to Mexico reality, there are more studies about how wrong the reports made by the Industry lobbies are, and this time we have the London School of Echonomics (LSE) study: Creative Destruction and Copyright Protection by Bart Cammaerts and Bingchun Meng. I found the study thanks to an article on Genbeta.

The study analyzed the Music Industry in 2 general aspects:

The music business isn't doing so badly. A well known Mexican author said "the Internet has destroyed the Culture's Industry." But that's not because Downloads, there are many reasons for the decline in sales, however they have facilitated the broader distribution and increased demand for their live concert performances. And don't forget the sales of songs rather of physical formats.

The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) in UK gets the balance between copyright enforcement and innovation wrong. Any lobby from the Music Industry in any country have shown they couldn't care less about innovation or any rights from the people to get what they want. They threat the technological advance, they don't want to remember that the history shows how the Industry must innovate to accommodate the new technologies and take advantage from them, as some artists and music labels did already. Too bad here in Mexico the IMPI is blind at this point and begs to join ACTA.

And there are 3 conclusions:

Involve multiple stakeholders in discussing the fair dealing of digital content. They have to listen to the users also and other media and technology experts, just like the ACTA meetings with the Mexican Senate. Let the people know and propose.

Debate the feasibility of putting levies on blank media and/or internet access. This means that the most of the users want a simple way to get what they are looking for in an accessible price without complication or restrictive process to pay. I'm against any kind levy on blank and/or internet access, there are no need when you can see to Spotify and iTunes being successful.

Encourage new talent by distributing creative artist’s fees in ways that achieve this goal. They need to use the copyright licensing fees collected on behalf of innovation and creativeness. Don't stay still and keep adapting.

This is a synthesis and a collection of my points of view to invite you to read this study, it's short with only 18 pages and even if it was made in England and specifically regarding music, as you see, it can be applied to other countries and industries.

We need to be informed and open to debate with REAL data.

Source: LSE study: Creative Destruction and Copyright Protection and Genbeta.

Image by Mikael Häggström at Wikipedia.

Lendle - Amazon: Lending eBooks issue

2011-03-21T18:31:00.001-06:00

I have never heard of Lendle till today when I read the notice where Amazon has revoked API access to Kindle eBook lending service.

The mechanic was simple and explained in detail at Lendle's site, as in the real life where you can lend a book to another person and/or ask a book of your interest for 2 weeks and then return it. The basic thing here was that the people needed to be willing to lend their ebooks for the service could work, with no lending there are no borrowing.

~~Right now you can read on Lendle's site: "Amazon has revoked Lendle’s API access. Unfortunately, Lendle is down indefinitely. We will do everything we can to restore service soon."~~ Update: Lendle is back again.

[...] According to Amazon, Lendle does not serve the principal purpose of driving sales of products and services on the Amazon site. I beg your pardon, since when lending books doesn't help to sales? The users of the service are right now complaining and some of them are remarking that because of this particular service they bought their ebooks and not only that, the lending and borrowing stimulates the readers sales too.

This notice just increases more the idea to control E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g related of any product from whatever company, they want to control where are you allowed to use it, how do you use it and restrict you in many ways that I seriously doubt the thing you bought is really yours. And even if someone tries and dare to change their rules is a criminal or in the less of the cases the security is reinforced and the controls are tighten.

On this particular notice, I believe that a great business opportunity was wasted, prospect users were lost and the company's image was damaged. However I don't think the big corporations change the ways they strongly believe and will close further the fist to limit our freedom using their products.

The solution could only spawn from the people's decisions.

Sources: Lendle and GalleyCat from MediaBistro.

Photo from The Blacker Swan Blog.

The many sides of the coin

2011-03-18T18:27:00.001-06:00

False dichotomy, according to Wikipedia, is a type of logical fallacy that involves a situation in which only two alternatives are considered, when in fact there are additional options.

I'd say that everyone has faced a situation, personal or external, when you have to choose one side or another, a yes or no, black or white no grays allowed and where we are faced to act or stay still. And I brought this theme because the UN resolution to intervene and help the Libyan people, something many have been asked (see my post) and now it is a reality.

10 votes in favor, none against and 5 abstentions was enough to start a series of actions from the Allies, including the no-fly zone, a cease of fire for Gadaffi and other no negotiable terms before any other military action or ground forces to protect the lives of the Beghazi's citizens who were threaten with no pity nor mercy.

The Network community wanted to help in any way to shake and wake up the International Aid when the peaceful protest were repressed with brutal violence, after seen the others dictators from Egypt and Tunez it was a tremendous shock and there was no alternative to keep the protest in peace, they had to protect themselves.

I saw videos where the people were anxious to fight for their freedom with enthusiasm right after they left the hospital, and I watched how they gathered in around a pot to prepare food dancing and singing. Surreal I say! Of course, everyone outside Libya wanted to help them, in the heat of the situation there were few people thinking coolly and logically. The goal is to help them in the best possible way, no questions about it, now... How?

The 5 abstentions weren't from countries that didn't want to help, far from the truth. The abstention was because of the method to use. The Germany's foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle says they don't believe in a military intervention, because that would be the next of the steps in case the no-fly zone or the other demands don't work. That's why some were puzzled when Anonymous wrote: "We are against war. We are PRO lybia citizens We are PRO PEACE We are against the U.S. and Europe attack on Libya. When a War starts, you never know how it ends. We need a peaceful solution. We must find other solutions. Not war."

Because it is a false dichotomy to think that the only way to help and protect Libya citizens now is with military force or you're not helping at all. And there are many sides on this coin that is still on the air.

Do you still believe in only 2 options?

Sources: Wikipedia, Reuters, Guardian.co.uk and Anonops Blog.

Image from ILC Info: Organizing the International Fightback

Reflection on the Internet: Information or illusion?

2011-03-16T19:00:00.000-06:00

Does the Internet allow us to get more information or is just an illusion? A nice post by Milton Ramirez at GeeksRoom that I'm reflecting about it since yesterday.

When we were in need of some knowledge, the books were our main tool and to get the info we spent time watching the television or reading the newspaper. We were somewhat restricted to our local news with some exceptions, we could only read the books and newspapers in our reach or watch the news on the TV and that was enough for many of us. Between our time to study, work and hobbies sometimes we needed more than the 24 hours per day.

In the 90s I said that in the Internet one could get mostly all the info you need for your day by day basis and the challenge now was to learn how to manage it. Of course, not everybody understood the Internet thing (and some haven't yet) and how does it works. It simply was a nerdy thing to get info and the mainstream news weren't there. So for the early adopters in those years, they couldn't get enough of your time, maybe you searched for your homework on the Internet and you saw a link to a flashy page loosing your precious time reading and watching images until you clicked in another link repeating the process.

There wasn't too much interest on managing something that was like a fading fashion, why anyone without vision would do that? So the Search pages were invented, the first attempt to give some kind of order in the growing web.

Now the need to prioritize the info that we search to find interesting and new things is way advanced, many services are in our reach to discover what we want to see, read or hear in real time or later. We already can manage the info as I said but the new challenge is to filter in a smart way.

Even now as I write this, my RSS reader tells me I have unread news or posts, my smartphone rings every 15 minutes in case I have new notifications from my Network (yup, it sounded just now), email, sms, calls and the real life situations. And yes, I have some filters but can't filter all, maybe I'll get a tweet that is important for example. Who knows? But in the same time I have some books I'd like to keep reading. You see? Nothing has changed, the 24 hours seems so little as they were in the past as in these days.

So we do many things at the same time, trying to finish all the things we need/want to do before the day is over. And the studies say that if we do multitask we could be less smart? What if we don't multitask and we only focus in one thing until we finish it and pass to another? That doesn't sound too logic for me, even on vacations and the times I wasn't online, doing 1 thing at a time makes me feel inefficient and misinformed. How many of you have also this feeling?

To me, the Web can bring us information to help us to get more knowledge but is up to us to prioritize how much time we spent on it and the quality of what we look at it. It's only a tool not finished, not the knowledge itself... yet ;)

I hope you have stayed with me in my kind of reflection and maybe you can share your thoughts about it.

Source: GeeksRoom.

Image by Matt Britt at the English Wikipedia

Internet improves, doesn't kill or destroy

2011-03-14T20:04:00.000-06:00

Unlike the text on the image above, we have a new regrettable quote from a public figure that shows how badly some people refuses to move on and make accusations like this.

Bon Jovi: “Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business”

How Strange! Wasn't the Internet the supposedly guilty for such a thing? Also killing the movies business and all culture Industry?

Jokes apart; I couldn't disagree more with such statement (and many others alike), the fact that someone created a new way to improve the music business doesn't give to anyone the right to make such accusation. And nobody is killing or destroying anything, but improving the business model that have been operated and can't let it go.

Missing "the old times" and remembering the way it was all before when we were younger is nice. Hanging on those ideas and imposing them to others, is another thing. To simply try to make the progress stumble and putting barriers so people can't choose a new way on how they want to access to any content are foolish attempts, the reality has changed fast from the last 10 years to date and will increase exponentially in the years to come. The progress can't be stopped, the Culture is not only subject to the Industry anymore.

Those who don't adapt are destined to perish and in this case, it means others will take their place to monetize the new models on the internet as we are witnessing it now. They can ignore and attack this opportunity or embrace it and take advantage from it.

Meanwhile here is something to see about the Digital Culture: PressPausePlay

Source: 9to5Mac and @PressPausePlay.

Image from the PressPausePlay Press Kit pdf

Japan: An example to follow against disasters

2011-03-11T13:51:00.001-06:00

Firstly, my condolences to all the people affected and for the lose of many people because of the earthquake and tsunami. Google have a website if you're looking or have information of someone in Japan.

The image above speaks on its own, all Japan moved. This is another reminder to many cities in the world, it happened to Haiti and Chile last year. Mexico suffered a huge one in 1985 and the city infrastructure was highly improved after it, but not in other earthquake-prone cities. Japan's citizens are extremely aware of the constant earthquakes, they not only have a great technology to detect and give the alarm in anticipation the tremors and buildings designed to resist them, they are also well trained on what to do and how to proceed in order and calmly.

To save lives, the technology can help in many ways, but if the people react in chaos or don't know what to do then the situation could be even worse than the original disaster. Mexico lacks of that training and order, all the earthquake drills are taken like a relaxing time in offices and schools, a good pretext to chat, play and make joke. I've only heard gossips about Japan's tragedy and false alerts of tsunamis, not a single talk about to what to do if that happens in our city. I don't know if this kind of situation is seen in other countries.

The goal of this post is to invite you to reflexion on what to do if a disaster occur near you, do you know your evacuation routes and meeting points with your family? Do you have the resources to keep you informed and safe? Take this opportunity to talk about it.

Update: SlashGear did a great article on how you can help Japan here.

Sources: Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake and Wikipedia

Photo by Héctor García, @Kirai at Kirainet's gallery

MPEE: Findings applied to Mexico reality

2011-03-09T15:03:00.000-06:00

All the reports made by the Industry lobbies claim the loses of all the downloads made, and urge to change the law to criminalize the people and sustain their business, without any solid data from only their payed sources. Many independent sources have showed how wrong is to change your local law just to please the Industry and ignoring their people. This report is one of them:

Made by the The Social Science Research Council: Media Piracy in Emerging Economies (MPEE) is the first independent, large-scale study of music, film and software piracy in emerging economies, with a focus on Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa, Mexico and Bolivia. The report argues that the efforts of industry lobbies that have reshaped laws and law enforcement around copyright protection have largely failed, and that the problem of piracy is better conceived as a failure of affordable access to media in legal markets.

The major findings applied to Mexico reality:

Prices are too high, some could simply say "if it's too expensive then don't buy it", but how this idea can compensate the competitive development of our country compared to others? Many people can be denied to get culture and the tools to let his or her work be known because the lack of money to pay for them. We have too much poverty and this will only increase, those treaties aren't favorable to Mexico.

Competition is good, nothing is better to the consumer than a good competition but if these lobbies get what they want, it will severely damage it because only a few can withstand those prices. We can see right now in Mexico a commercial war against another competitor on public TV as an example in the exercise of power to deny competition. Local entrepreneurs will have a hard chance to success.

Antipiracy education has failed, nothing more to add on this point, you can go to any urban city and you will find a Tepito like market, now count how many young people you see buying and selling.

Changing the law is easy. Changing the practice is hard, the justice system in Mexico is way overwhelmed already and can't respond to its people, is naive to expect anything good from it. If you don't agree just see Presunto Culpable.

Criminals can’t compete with free, something that all the media and a lot of politicians believe is that the organized crime or terrorism are tied to the piracy, the truth says that even the criminals have a hard time to compete with free, as the industry.

Enforcement hasn't worked, the authors can find no impact on the overall supply of pirated goods. Because the citizens are not stealing by downloading and sharing their work, in fact they are promoting it and many authors have been embraced new models to monetize their work without criminalizing their fans actions.

The report also has an exclusive chapter to Mexico, but I also recommend to read it all. I know it can be too much and if English isn't your forte you can read a great article about the MPEE by Geraldine Juárez @SinkDeep on Alt1040. Thanks to her I could find this excellent report.

Sources: Media Piracy in Emerging Economies web page, Alt1040 and @SinkDeep

When the work exceeds its creator...

2011-03-07T19:08:00.001-06:00

Small annotation to any content maker:

An author's work can inspire many, an idea can enlighten us and reforms the interaction with the reality in new ways for better or worse. The audience makes the work its own, interpreting the message. The most of the people likes to share what they did, saw, read and lived. The Network exists because to that human aspect.

But the idea to control anything of the work is what makes hard to see new ways that are having success in popularity and in revenue. Letting all to share the work doesn't mean the creator can't try to get money, and to achieve this, the author must think out of the box.

Nowadays, the author can reach its public (and the other way around) easier than ever with the technology and even so there are numb minds who try to deny this, chained to their rules and to maintain their power. No matter how hard they try to convince us, share isn't steal, it is publicity to the work and can be monetized with awesome results.

When the work exceeds its creator it's because of the people, not the control.

Image by Paco Rives Manresa at Flickr

Alleged censorship: "Presunto Culpable"

2011-03-04T18:17:00.002-06:00

The controversy is well served. Why you say? The hot topic right now is all around the movie "Presunto Culpable" (Alleged guilty). You see, this documentary was filmed because of the bad application of Mexico's justice system. José Antonio Zuniga was detained for 2 years and a half in prison just because he was in the wrong place and the wrong time, one person was enough to convict him and could face 20 years in detention for a crime he didn't do.

When all hope was lost for Antonio, the lawyers Roberto Hernandez and Layda Negrete, the cinematographer John Grillo and the documentary filmmaker Geoffrey Smith visited and proposed to him to let them do a recording of his trial, not to save him for the injustice, but to show to other people how those trials are, how are they managed and to warn all of the Mexicans: This can happen to you.

With nothing to lose, Antonio agreed and because of the cameras, the filming and... Well, I won't say the ending, or anything to stop you to see it, before it's taken away, of course, here's a link with english subtitles: ~~Presunto Culpable.~~ Update: New Link. The last one was taken down by Roberto Hernandez. Right now it isn't available from the official site... when would they learn?

Ok now, the movie didn't show up in our theaters, it had to win internationals awards for that to could happen in Mexico, funny uh? Oh but the best part is here, one of the witness named Víctor Manuel Reyes asked to the judge Blanca Lobo Domínguez an appeal for protection to remove the movie from the theaters, because no one asked his permission to use his image on that documentary and the judge granted him.

Many voices were heard claiming censorship and a few says that Victor has the right to do so and was a big mistake of the film makers. About the others conspiracy theories... too far fetched, for me anyways. As I say in the beginning, the controversy is served, about the theme of the movie and its removal or not, cause this isn't over yet.

In the end "Presunto Culpable" met its objective: It's famous offline and online.

Photo on the APUNTESPARAUNACINEFILIA web site.

Another Acta round: Some impressions

2011-03-02T19:01:00.001-06:00

Stop Acta!

Another meeting with the Mexican Senate concerning ACTA took place, this time with many representatives of several industries, companies and associations, among others. It was today at 11 a.m.and lasted 2 hrs and a half. The official channel on the Internet was having technical problems and we had to rely on Twitter following the #Acta. So I apologize for the omissions in advance.

Almost at the same time were happening another 2 events: The Apple keynote obviously had a lot of attention from many citizens in many countries, and ours wasn't the exception, I'm afraid the meeting wasn't reaching to enough people, a pity. The other didn't had so much attention but was regrettable, a guy named Salvador Behar Lavalle was saying in the USTR #Special301 that Mexico supports Acta , outrageous! It's incredible how this man can say such lies, Acta isn't remotely supported by Mexico simply because it's still debating on the Senate's Workgroup!

Back to the meeting, I was really glad reading how many of the representatives were explaining the reasons against Acta, describing examples and with solid data. The both sides were well defined so I was not surprised on the views of most of the participants.

Worth to mention: from Google saying the Internet is a democratizer and the "Pro Acta" Industries must update or create a new business model, and from Telmex saying they aren't backing anything to harm the users!! I was amazed about that, they had understood.

The shame: Armando Manzanero saying "the Internet has destroyed the Culture's Industry." Say what? He's lost and doesn't know nothing about the Internet and its reality, but hey! Who cares? He doesn't bother to investigate and say crazy thing as the above statement. Also on the same boat is Roberto Cantoral saying "the Senate is protecting criminals if the Acta isn't approved." They just don't get it!

Almost in the end of this meeting, the Sentator Döring @senadoring dropped the bomb to the ones trying to approve Acta, "If someone told you than approving this treaty will solve all your problems, it lied to you." I can't agree enough with him.

The meeting was over. But this matter is not over yet, we will continue informing, giving reasons and expecting the rejection from the Senate to Acta.

Source: Twitter.

Image taken in NieroX from Derecho a Leer.

Reflexions after the Gmail issue

2011-03-01T12:20:00.001-06:00

Keep it safe!

There was a big fuss over the bug that "deleted" 37 thousand e-mail accounts (0.02% users) from Gmail. All the technology blogs wrote about it, and a few others more that weren't.

Pretty much normal news, the services of the big internet companies affect a lot of people when they fail, no doubt the bloggers should follow the news. At first, they were saying about 500,000 accounts affected, then 150,000, till the official statement explaining the source of the problem and how they are solving them.

But some people went further the notice, criticizing on the wisdom of moving so much of our data to the cloud. C'mon, Chill out already! Nothing made by humans is perfect and last forever, everything has a flaw or deteriorates. Even then, those failures drive us to improve ourselves even more and we must learn about them.

You can try to avoid the "Cloud services" to store your data, collections and whatnot, and instead, buy a physical data store and travel with it to everywhere when you are in the need to use it, thats cool too. But also you must remember that those devices are subject to failure or theft, and I believe the chances, in average, to suffer some kind of damage are higher with the physical devices than with the services in the Cloud.

The advice here is just common sense, if you have very sensitive data don't store it, memorize it and keep it for you, like the passwords. If your data is precious for you, then don't keep it all in the same place, there are many options to make backups online and offline, free and pay. Don't blame the service or the device for any failure or data lost if you didn't save it in another place, that blame, my friend, is yours alone.

Remember to backup the important stuff often and at least in two places more.

Sources: Gmail blog, CrunchGear and TheNextWeb.

Backup_festival logo by Caroca at Wikimedia Commons.

Mexico: Indifference to our tragedy

2011-02-25T13:45:00.000-06:00

I have been reading and seeing about all this wave of blood and impunity in México for a long time. Doesn't matter if the government through the media tries to diminish it, diverts the attention, declares that the security in our country is almost the same of some European cities or even say that we are winning this war.

Only the people who believes in that, are blind to the reality of México. Unfortunately this blindness isn't our worst obstacle, I thought if it was fear, to declare a crime and make a difference with this unjustly way of our such called "justice system" which is wrongfully operated by some government officials. That's a great obstacle to override but one greater is the indifference of our people.

The most of the citizens got used to see the crimes and murders, little by little, they see them as something normal. People reunite in the cafe, meeting or party and share the events that they saw or heard at the news, they perhaps agree that is too tragic all the things that happened and say some insults to the ones that they believe are guilty, and nothing more, the subject is rapidly changed to other merrier. As long their life isn't affected, it doesn't matter. The plea for justice for the affected isn't heard, it's dismissed.

There are sometimes when an injustice has a lot of replicas, a great media circus is formed, not because they are interested to help, they just don't want to miss the story and the ratings will rise. In the end, the case is forgotten by the mainstream, either because the people is tired of hear the same or another event is starting, the indifference goes on.

Time will tell how much more of this indifference we are going to see and endure, in the meantime, the injustice continues.

Logo by Alejandro Magallanes.

This May 22th, #NoLesVotes

2011-02-23T18:19:00.001-06:00

Due to the agreement of three political parties (PSOE, PP and CiU) in Spain, ignoring once again to their citizens's proposals and reasons, they approved the Sinde Law. That, and many other cases of corruption from the politicians gave birth to the movement: #NoLesVotes (Don't vote for them).

Created by people with the same idea, to make the PSOE, PP and CiU to remember: you all are there because of us, because of our vote! Something they obviously forgot long time ago, or perhaps, doing all on their power to make the people forget the only thing they can use against all that corruption.

#NoLesVotes has matured, it isn't not something exclusively for the Net Neutrality and for those who uses the Internet, it's more than that, it's for their right to freedom and the culture, to teach others there are more options for a government and not just the ones who don't listen their people.

The movement has reunited a lot of volunteers to spread their work online and offline, to document the cases of corruption (Corruptódromo), making videos, propaganda and more. The movement feels so alive and growing each day, it's not a vague idea, a loud cry from four annoying cats on the Internets, as some detractors strive to say. This is starting to bring concern to the those political parties, even if they keep denying it.

Nevertheless, the first test of #NoLesVotes is coming in 87 days, the elections for Mayor are at May 22th and a strong message is needed, the people of Spain must join, not because all the problems they have, but because a good solution for the problems that all them have in common, to vote for any party except the PSOE, PP and CiU.

It's not a call to anarchy or to sabotage the elections, It's a call to the congruence for all that they have done and the respect to the ones who voted for them, their citizens.

Many things are changing, what we thought that was impossible, others had proven us wrong.

This May 22th, #NoLesVotes.

Sources: Wiki #NoLesVotes, Wikipedia and 20Minutos.

Photo by #NoLesVotes.

#UN: No more speeches, #Libya needs actions

2011-02-21T18:58:00.002-06:00

We are shocked with the slaughter of libyan people.

I won't name this cold murderer, who declares war against his own people seeking for freedom as the Egyptians and Tunisians. And he's using not only tanks and foreign mercenaries, that's not enough for him, he also used jets and helicopters to attack innocent people with bombs and machineguns.

Despite all the deaths, we just hear statements of some countries declaring the same old thing, that they don't condone such actions, that those acts aren't acceptable and must cease... Pretty useless speeches. Do they help the Libyans under fire? Bring medications to the wounded and food to the hungry? Do they remove the murderer and bring the peace to Libya?

Actions, they are in need of your help. Please explain us, what does need to happen for any country or the UN to take actions and stop the murderer?

We are really uncertain of your willingness. But you can rest assure, we'll keep doing all we can in our hands to help the Libyan people even if our countries don't.

We the people.

Reading and Helping

2011-02-17T18:57:00.000-06:00

This time I'd like to write on a dare that was converted later to a cause and now it's on its way to become a great web library.

A challenge of a famous singer directed to the Spanish writer @JuanGomezJurado was the detonator. The response was to offer a free download of one of the writer's novels, "Espía de Dios", and in exchange the user could donate 1 euro to the Save the Children Foundation.

This announce was well received for all the followers on the writer's twitter account and was spread rapidly on the social network, the support on the cause was generous and incredible, Juan Gomez Jurado was impressed with so many "pirates and delinquents" donating not just 1 euro but more, even if some of them already had the book.

The cause was a triumph, for the users and the children helped by the Foundation. Juan realized the potential of this cause and wanted to keep it alive and convince more writers to allow their works to be in a web site maintaining the same free download and donation spirit. He doesn't know how to make it but through his twitter account asked for help to make the web site and logo, the volunteers didn't take long to show up and in few days the site was available for the visits.

And today it had its first update with two new novels: "Realidad Aumentada" by Bruno Nievas Soriano @BrunoNievas and "Apocalipsis Z" by Manuel Loureiro Doval @Manel_Loureiro. The three novels are free in different formats to enjoy and with the opportunity to help the children.

A big thanks to all who made this idea to prosper. We hope to see more works from other people on the web site to make the library bigger and keep raising the donations.

Logo by 1libro1euro.

Blog Action Week: #ACTA

2011-02-15T12:49:00.000-06:00

MEXICO: NO ACTA!

Tomorrow, February 16th at 11:00 a.m., the ACTA's Workgroup of the Mexican Senate will do its first public consult. And because of it, I'm joining to the Blog Action Week to write why the ACTA must be rejected and why does it affect me like others Mexicans.

My reasons are simple, since the beginning of it conceptualization the ACTA was doomed, it is defective by its design. The pretext to create the ACTA obeys to an industry that doesn't want to change its business model and opts to criminalize and take away the rights of the citizens.

The way it was made in secrecy tells us how much they knew that the ACTA wouldn't be accepted by the public. It was meant to be approved without notice and when the ACTA was revealed, we could see why, the lobbies wanted to make us believe everything in ACTA is for our own good, when that's a lie.

Why our country must apply something that even in USA, where the ACTA was conceived, didn't approve it because it harms their citizen's rights? It is only for USA's partners and Mexico is going to be used to experiment with it, to convince other countries to adopt it. Hello Brazil!

This imposition is a desperate move from the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to coerce governments to join the ACTA.

Members of the Mexican Senate, reject this Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and ensure the freedom and rights of all the Mexican people.

Photo by Nicolás Espinosa via Wikimedia Commons

One speech to bind them all

2011-02-14T12:14:00.002-06:00

Yesterday in Spain, the 25th Goya Awards had unexpected visitors for some guests away from the public's opinions, for others that don't care what the public says, they were a nuisance. For me and many others, those Anonymous represented the legit demands of the Spanish citizens who are tired of the censorship with the impositions of laws ignoring the people.

It was truly a shame, the TVE, the public Spanish TV channel, having 5 minutes delay in their transmission to ensure any censorship in case of something "inappropriate", trying to not focus the citizens with the Guy Fawkes masks and also lowering the volume to all the boos directed to the the Culture(?) Minister at her arrival. The Goya's organizers did everything on their power to minimize the citizens manifestation outside the Teatro Real in Madrid, and they prevented to some reporters to interview the Anonymous.

The ceremony started but there was nothing interesting till Álex de la Iglesia gave his speech, which is appropriate not only to the movies industry but others alike. Álex talked not only like the president of the Spanish Film Academy, he spoke like a convinced spanish citizen and a gentleman. A man who listened to the people and realized of our worries and proposals, convincing himself to look for other solutions that could benefit not only a few with power and privileges, but to all. His last duty as the president was a tribute to the truth and the people.

The applauses inside the theater to the end of the speech were minimal, shy and reluctant, the assistants were deaf. The real applauses were outside, from all who were following the event with their smartphones under the rain cheering, listening to it with their car's radios honking, viewing it on the TV jumping excited, and those typing endlessly on Twitter informing to all the world what just happened. Those applauses are louder and well deserved to you, @Alexdelaiglesia. Thank you!

Source: Twitter, ElPais.

Photos via Fernando Alomar Blog, AnonOps Communications Blog.

Mubarak: the Insane

2011-02-10T18:55:00.002-06:00

About 3 hours ago, the people of Egypt were expecting to Mubarak to resign his charge as their President and with that, remove the old regime. 17 days have been passed since the peaceful protests started and 30 years of dictatorship have passed, the Egyptians weren't the only ones waiting for that speech, that supposedly was his last as a ruler of their country, I would dare to say that millions of people all over the world were following the event to begin, and Egypt could finally reach the freedom that deserves.

The speech was delayed and many jokes were written with the HashTag #ReasonsMubarakIsLate in Twitter, 40 mins later the original hour, it begun. It was transmitted on TV and what we hear was a speech by an insane, a delusional man, talking nonsense, his words couldn't be more illogical, full of lies and provocation. The message was clear and loud: He isn't going anywhere. He will step down, not by foreign or national pressure but by his desires and will, till September.

The obvious reaction to that statement was a mix of incredulity and exasperation. Does he really believe that speech will suffice and every Egyptian would go relaxed to its home, forgetting all what just happened and wait peacefully, working in harmony with its government till any date he wishes? Insane! It was a insulting provocation not only for his country people but for all the worldwide spectators. I felt insulted as many others twitting the event. Then, many feared the protesters reaction, some were shouting "To the Palace!" A frightening thought crossed our minds, if many people become violent it would be chaos.

Fortunately once again, the people of Egypt shows a fine example by not be provoked by an insane and keeps the protest peaceful. They calmed down chanting "Tomorrow, tomorrow!" My respect to them.

Some says this day, February 10th, was going to be an historical day, the day when an insane resigned from Egypt's Presidency. And I say that February 11th IS now an historical day for the Egyptians, the day they went out victorious over a dictator's provocation.

The protests will remain peaceful and stronger.

Update: Mubarak resign! Egypt won!
February 11th IS now an historical day for the Egyptians as I said. 11022011 =D

Source: Twitter.

The reason and the technology are at our side

2011-02-09T18:51:00.001-06:00

Today, the Spain's Senate voted and revived the Sinde Law, 244 senators voted in favor and 12 against it, and with that act, they make clear to all the Spain's citizens that they simply don't care about their rights, but the lobbies.

One can wonder, do they think that those 450,000 approx mails sent to their mails saying "Don't vote the Sinde Law or I won't vote you" is something childish? That the people will cry and scream like a baby, and in the end, time will erase this memory? Or perhaps they really believe that what they did is for the good of their people?

Looks like if such law is useless and doesn't even convince some people from the lobbies, it will be approved no matter what. What kind of mentality is "to have something bad instead of nothing"? That's not true, we have more options than this!

Why, oh why, we can't see there are more options than the extreme ones? Here it's a fine example of proposals: 1libro = 1euro. A page where any creator can share its work and the people can help the children. Of course, the creators have to get money to live, who doesn't? Then another initiative can be to sell the downloads and have profit with a reasonable price and listening to its costumers.

Is it so hard to imagine it? And some could say "hey! That will do other jobs to disappear", yes, times change, many jobs are no longer needed meanwhile others born, the man evolves with the technology, it cannot be stopped, it can only be retained just to shatter its chains and keep progressing.

The reason and the technology is at our side, lets make them know it with your vote!

Sources: ElPais, 1libro1euro.

Photo by Epaminondas Pantulis via Wikipedia.

It's a simple question

2011-02-07T18:48:00.001-06:00

A well known journalist in Mexico is censored by a media network because she asked an uncomfortable inquiry about the Mexican President, many citizens in the social network are giving her all their support after they found out yesterday that the media network announced that she won't be working with them.

I was expecting to hear the journalist's explanation of what happened, before to write this. Unfortunately I still haven't heard or read anything from her but the facts are there: She only asked a question and she never insulted, then the media network wanted her to apologize in public because of that question, she refused and as a result they fired her.

Expression freedom, the same thing we want on the Internet, but even now we keep struggling for it on the real world. Any democratic government should guarantee such freedom and punish anyone who denies it. And because of that, any person must not lose its job just for asking a question or for refusing to apologize for it.

Finally, after all that been said, we can be sure that Carmen Aristegui will discover many communication's channels on where she can keep expressing, questioning and investigating even more.

Photo via Wikipedia.

Source ALT1040, Sergio Aguayo.

I am a citizen then user

2011-02-03T18:53:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, there was a meeting in Mexico City. The subject was the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) that according to Wikipedia is a proposed plurilateral agreement for the purpose of establishing international standards on intellectual property rights enforcement.

Some of the Mexico Senators were there with a few citizens and many more were following the conversation via Twitter. The very reason of this meeting was simple, we want the Senators see why we don't approve the ACTA. The reasons are many but some of them are:

It was made at USA in secret for the lobbies who will benefit from it.
USA didn't approve it because it harms their citizen's rights. It is only for USA's partners.
The lobbies want to make us believe everything in ACTA is for our own good, when that's a lie.
And they bribe some of our government officials to approve it by any means.

During that meeting, we were called the "users", the "Internets people", "those of the social network", and they were corrected every single time, because we are citizens as they are. We don't want to be labeled just because we use this tool, to be informed, to communicate us, to express our support or our demands, the Internet doesn't make us any different or foreigners.

It's not anything minor to be called something like that, the media, the music and movie industry relies of that simple matter of labeling to misinform our society. How many times we hear "The Internet users are downloading everything free"? Almost all the time. They want divide the people's opinions, when in reality the citizens are those Internet users, but that won't work for them, because they can't target us as the citizens we really are.

Let's clarify that mistake to anyone that makes that labeling, sometimes is nothing but the result of all the disinformation, and always remember them:

"We are citizens then users".

Source: Wikipedia.

Photo by k.l.macke via Flickr.

Helping Egypt

2011-02-01T19:11:00.000-06:00

As many know, the people of Egypt is showing to the world a great feat. They were using the Internet to organize themselves and the social networks gave them echo, but this last Thursday, January 27th, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered to the ISPs in Egypt to shutdown. For the first time, a country disappeared from the Internet and it hasn't come back.

How far would a man's pride and his ambition go, to retain his people in the darkness without its liberty? There are some in favor to Mubarak but is a minority, the army is protecting the people. Today, the demonstrations against the dictator are continuing at many places. For how long will this continue?

Will we be witnesses from another country shutting down its Internet for good of the "Security" and to prevent threats? The ISPs obeyed the orders to cut off the Internet for legal actions and their employers's safety. But couldn't those companies do more than say "oh, we are so sorry but we can't do more"? I'm not asking great deeds but I heard nothing from them, I heard Anonymous's help, I also heard from the users of the social networks giving updates of the events, not from Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt, Etisalat Misr...

More examples? The Al Jazeera English News Network keeps doing their transmission even when their license was revoked and they are risking their lives. Also yesterday, Google and Twitter presented Speak to Tweet, in a joined effort to enable the Egyptians to be heard using international phone numbers and their message is converted to tweet. And maybe many more are helping but I can't remember all, sorry.

It's time to do anything we can do, not only now for Egypt but also for others that will come next.

Sources: Lakewood Voices, Al Jazeera English News Network, Google Crisis Response.

I voted, is that all?

2011-01-30T17:25:00.000-06:00

The State that my city belongs, has elections for Governor today as I write this.

Since the beginning of the pre-elections campaigns there was a call to all the parties contending, to avoid defamations and propose solutions to our State's problems. Unfortunately the media payed more attention and broadcast to the defamations, some citizens didn't know the candidates proposals, but they knew the gossips and the disqualifications, like an audience seeing a boring and unsubstantial soap opera. The worst part were some rumors scaring the voters, preventing them to go out.

The election's day arrived, I saw many persons in the polling booth I belong, all went well and I voted. On twitter, there are some citizens inviting to go out and vote, observing and informing anything suspicious. Thats a noble cause that I applaud, getting involved in the election's process is part of our civic duties, but I wonder if the authority will check the reports and, in case of an electoral offence, do their job.

Is that all? We did vote, now we keep living our lives till the next election to vote again? Aren't the people encouraged to question, ask for results and even decide the actions of our government representatives? And if it's true, are there reasonable communications ways?

Mexico needs to regain the trust of its people, I believe that improving and securing those ways of communication is a great step in the right direction. A country's strength relies on its population as a whole, not a few elites that decide its course.

Photo by emil cipar via Picasa.

Something to work on

2011-01-28T19:32:00.014-06:00

Thanks to @JuanGomezJurado, for letting me translate and share his proposals in my blog. The whole article is here, I humbly recommend to read it.

5 Proposals to the digital growth:

1.- Creators, open your eyes. Let's learn our rights and the available choices to monetize our effort, which aren't always the traditional ways. Internet is, first of all, our largest exhibition portal, and the biggest market of the world. And those who travel by it aren't thieves, but people like us, as worthy as us although their work brightens less than ours.

2.- Industry's Executives, study the working models. Don't underestimate your public. Don't give things for granted. The old outdated Spain no longer exists. Your new audience is the digital citizen, and it isn't old fashioned, its new television is extra slim, and it wants something modern. Look for wider economies, better to sell one hundred thousand copies at one Euro than a thousand copies at ten. And above all, don't complicate the things trying to prevent them copy. They will do it anyways, but if it's hard what they won't do is to buy.

3.- Users, bear in mind that copying isn't steal, but also that there is someone behind the products that make us happy. There is a writer behind the books, and all the cast behind a movie. If possible and there's a simple alternative at a reasonable price, buy it. As long as your economy allows it, choose the original. And please, don't say that a movie or a book are expensive and then go to the bar and drink three mojitos at 5 Euros each.

4.- Politicians, create programs to help to the authors at monetize their contents. Encourage the creation of novel business models. Fight against the IVA tax at 18% in the downloads, against laws as the flat price. Reform the law of the Intellectual Property from zero. Abolish the digital fee.

5.- Everyone, don't offend. Let's try to put ourselves in others place, because in the current frame of mind all have a point. And above all, let's listen, debate and reflect. Don't let them to slip through us more lies and fat ones.

Source: ALT1040.

Photo by @JuanGomezJurado.

Where is my vote?

2011-01-26T18:53:00.002-06:00

When will the dead politics die? What can the thinking do against the brute force? Those questions are written in AcuarelaLibros blog. They are asked in an effort to understand the frustration of many living under the shadow of a system, which attends only to its needs.

Everyday there are more people that realize that no matter what ideology or ideals their politicians may have, left or right, they care nothing about the public opinion. They ignore the efforts of their citizens trying to reach their attention, with new ways of communication, to talk and reason together. You know, like a true democracy.

Instead of that, they show us their hypocrisy. Controlling the media to misinform, acting like they care to listen to us but all is a lie, making laws away from the public to play dumb when the law takes some of your rights, obeying lobbies pressures to get more money and ensure their power. They always are alleging the same thing: "It's for the good of the democracy".

There are a minority in that group, of course, who are working and doing their best. Regretfully not on the right spots to reverse this corrupted way of politics. And in the same time, a few compromised citizens that not only express themselves on the web, but in the real world also, bringing their demands to the streets, spreading the word.

Each one of us can decide how much support and time we want to offer to this cause. Too bad we can't decide that much on our government today.

Source: Acuarela Libros.

Photo by the original uploader Pournick at en.wikipedia.

Spain: It's your time

2011-01-24T18:37:00.001-06:00

Today the Spain Senate has been bought by the corporations and gave the back to their citizens when the political parties, PP and PSOE, made a deal to approve the infamous Sinde Law.

Like a mafia in a surreal movie, the two parties with the most representation at the Senate in Spain agreed to support the Sinde Law in closed session ignoring all the work, manifestations, proposals and petitions of the Spain people. Doing mere aesthetics modifications to this law is the way that they plan to fool us all, but even with all that, you can still perceive the rotten smell of censorship, corruption and ignorance that give us nauseas. And with this lame victory, the decadent industry to which Sinde represents, have made a firm step to control the Internet, because this won't stop, this kind of injustice can't do more than grow and take every right you posses, to express yourself, share and create.

A fair warning to other countries peoples. It pains me to see this on Spain, but now isn't time for sadness nor hatred but actions and proposals, to show that Spain and all the countries deserves honest politicians devoted to the people, never to corporations. Hit them where they can be hurt, on every election! And to those who belong to an industry can't adapt itself and just criminalize the citizens, they can be weakened if you don't give them more money. Discuss, give more ideas and spread this cause with everyone you can.

We must act coherent and start to show support for a cause it is just, for our freedom and a real democracy.

People supporting People

2011-01-22T18:12:00.004-06:00

I recently saw the professor lessig's keynote talk and Q&A session from the first day of the #4thePeople summit. It lasted 1 hour but even if you're not American, like me, the video is worth to watch. Not because their problems could affect other countries, but the most of the countries are in a similar situation.. As the professor said: "Money in the wrong place".

A vicious cycle that takes advantage of the democratic system, the core of many problems that we want resolve as concerned citizens. Elections financed by corporations . As simple and in the same time, nothing new as many could say to me, but old or new, this must end. Many of our rights are ignored or decreased, along with our petitions to the government, why would they have to listening to you if they can get the money, position and the power by just listening and accomplishing the petitions of their greatest "donors" ?

Everybody can help to solve this corruption, there are many actions to take, depending how involved you want to be in the cause but any is as the important as the other:

Keep informed on the cause.
Talk with others about it.
If you can express your opinion on different media, do so.
Support or join groups to spread the cause at events.
Be creative!, our first goal is to get the support of most of the people.

The democracy must not be managed by corporations but by all us. We the people.

Source: C-Span Video Library

Photo by Adrienne Perilo via Picasa

Control Online and Offline

2011-01-20T18:54:00.002-06:00

The 90s was the information decade, the technologies provided us with so many ways of communication. The Internet got its debut into the general public in the cities and we went discovering new ways to inform, learn, create and share. I was really amazed but I could hardly imagine what accomplishments would be next. And I couldn't believe the perversion to control the Information that would follow.

Before the 2000 the control started, the control of those who are minority but have the ways to pressure the governments and bend them to their will. They weren't happy to control the traditional media, they want to control everything, even that thing they completely don't understand, the Internet, formed by the links and contents from all the people, and it's doing great without any kind of control, because it doesn't need any.

The minority is rejecting all the arguments and logic, they want to reign over the Internet. Take and dish out whatever is convenient to their desires. If there is something on the web that affects them, erase it. Are there many people using a service that a partner offers at higher price? Make them to pay more or the connection is reduced in speed. Lets see how a Startup can compete if its webpage can't be visited enough, because is more expensive for the people than to visit pages that their local carrier approves.

Do you think I'm exaggerating? No, those ideas and others more are already in those minority minds. They are just preparing the field to get all the referees to their side, growing in power. We can't compete against their money, but together can weaken them. Don't let them gain more control of the media. Don't let them control the Internet!

Make yourself be heard!

We want an apology

2011-01-18T18:53:00.001-06:00

The Spain minister of culture charges again, this time trying to deceive and not mentioning the things that doesn't help her to her goal. Citing many historical figures, she distorts the facts so much that I don't know if she really thinks that what she says is real or she is simply assumes that the people is dumb.

Once again... the minister of culture doesn't know a squat about history, or she thinks the people won't realize all the lies and omissions of what she says? She even dares to publish it on the newspaper to get more support for the -oh so called- Sinde Law.

I kinda thought the minister was simply pushed by foreign lobbies to support that law, but now after reading her whole article, I realize it. She doesn't deserve her job.

Anyone is free to argue its point of view, as low as it can be, but when a lie is used and exposed, the argument is lost, the only honorable thing is to admit your mistake and apologize. Same if you don't know of what are you talking about.

Sadly, such a thing is hard to witness.

Source: El Pais

Photo by Grandville: Illustration zu Don Quijote (1. Buch, 52. Kapitel), 1848 via Wikipedia Commons

Tunez: Internet changes lives

2011-01-17T18:22:00.002-06:00

I'm speechless.

Precisely I was talking about the good use of the tools we already have, when I read this interview that Karin Kosina vka kyrah did to @sans_url that lives in Tunez. The last one categorically says:

[...] without the Internet it would be possible for the massacre to happen in silence for us and for the outside world. [...]

They realized the potential of the Internet. Nobody says it was easy what they accomplished, they had their hardships and their losses. It wasn't instantaneous, little by little more people got organized and defeated the censorship and the corruption of a whole government. Their revolution took place online and offline.

What happened in Tunez, to me, inspires confident. It's an example for more people to really take action and improve their lives, to be conscious that IT can be done.

Source: kyrah blog.

Photo: Anonymous via Anonymous blog.

Guts or Nuts?

2011-01-16T20:16:00.003-06:00

This made me think a lot. Many of us kinda know the "rich, famous, powerful" people have more privileges than the average Joe, some says that's not true, that they also must obey the law like any of us. So we are never sure about that. Each one has their opinion to that matter.

Then something happens, a person that belongs to the "inner circle", that knows the "secret" and has access to documents ready to be revealed to the public, says that "the people must know the truth". Is he delusional? Is he merely trying to get the media attention and have some fame? Or is only someone with lots of guts that wants to reveal a well kept secret?

Maybe it's nothing and our lives will continue as usual. Perhaps it is something important but I wonder if the people can actually do something about it? All I know for sure is that we better start awakening as an active society, not one that just complains and do nothing, or worse, one society that doesn't care such matters because it's boring.

We already have the tools to be informed, do you think is worth to act?

Source guardian.co.uk

Photo by invest1001 via Picasa

Watson kicks ass

2011-01-14T10:05:00.003-06:00

To think the computers were this size.

Another step on the computer field has been taken. IBM made successfully the first supercomputer that can answer a question after "hear" it (english for now). How cool is that?

It was designed as a challenge in a game, like the "Deep Blue vs Kasparov". But we all know what happens after that, the people gets insterested, resources to research rises and then we have more applications for that technology that surpasses the original goal. Do you know what else happens on these news?

Of course, depending on what is your point of view, this could be see it like a great opportunity to improve our lifestyle, some won't care and others might see this like a gigantic mistake for the humanity.

It's a human condition to fear the unknown, but there are many that are a bit more sensitive specially on the science and technology. Sadly, the most of my country people are like that. They consider those fields as dangerous and rely more on religion, the occultism and other stuffs.

Seriously, I can understand if they don't know, but to fear and not even try to understand, that's worse. We will need more Watsons to teach us.

Sources: Engadget, Vanguardia.

Photo by Victoria Angelelli Files via Wikimedia Commons.

Main dish: FEAR

2011-01-12T12:13:00.010-06:00

Amador Fernández-Savater share with all the web about his peculiar dinner with the Spain Minister of Culture and other relevant figures of the Spaniard Culture Industry to talk about the Sinde Law, download issues and alike.

Some background, the Sinde Law was made for a single purpose, control over the Internet. According to Wikileaks, it's a law made by the Spain Goverment to please American Embassy. You can search it.

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
10MADRID174	2010-02-12 15:03	2010-12-21 12:12	UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY	Embassy Madrid

Returning back to the dinner, was it a reunion to discuss new alternatives after that the Spain Congress rejected such law? Of course not, how naive of us to think such a thing would be remotely possible. They want total control, they don't want us to be able to create, just buy and consume their products. They fear to lose their privileges and power, blinded by their ignorance and change resistance, they don't

want to evolve their bussiness model.

The history remind us, if you mix fear and ignorance, you get the use of force, repression and punishment. What does that mean to us? We must keep spreading the word of a Free Culture, don't be intimidated and keep proposing new ways for the Culture, the real one. Not the Fear.

Remember, in the Internet, there are no frontiers. What happens on the Internet, affect us all.

Sources: Acuarela Libros, Web Software design, Wikileaks

Photo by RocketRaccoon via Flickr

DRM? No, thanks

2011-01-11T13:24:00.007-06:00

Defective By Design.

But what is DRM? Acording to Wikipedia: "Digital rights management (DRM) is a term for access control technologies that can be used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals to limit the use of digital content and devices. The term is used to describe any technology that inhibits uses of digital content not desired or intended by the content provider. [...]"

A lot of things have been written about DRM, protests have been made, and yet here comes Intel enabling DRM by pushing the DTCP-IP protocol as a standar and the movies companies announcing Ultraviolet. It's incredible how many companies are supporting it, and yet again we must spread the word: NO to any DRM.

Don't support any technology or product that limits your rights. If you paid for those, you have the right to control how many times or where you use it, and share it with no comercial purpous of course.

As users, our stance must be firm against those impositions. Comment it with others, let your opinions reach also the goverment, our politicians might need to be remembered to who they serve, let's help them with that. ;D

Source bit-tech, bitelia

Photo by Karen Rustad from Claremont, CA, USA via Wikipedia

Bacterias to the rescue

2011-01-09T19:29:00.010-06:00

Let's hope this doesn't repeat.

Who would thought that those small life forms helped to clean the Gulf of Mexico disaster? That was unexpected! A lot of people were saying, including me, "That's going to take years to be repaired", and others could say "It will never be the same".

It took more or less 4 months and now the methane concentrations are returning to normal levels. There are people that says not all the credit goes to the bacteria but deep-sea currents and more variables. Yeah, true, I can agree. It's a complex model, not so simple to explain. The scientists are going to keep tracking the situation and further tests need to be accomplished. But nonetheless something to be celebrated and at the same-time to be amazed.

I want to see more of these news, like the other I read about the ozone's hole being repaired. That wasn't because the bacteria but humans. But still good news. Those are hard to watch or just not so important to our traditional media, the most of those just want to announce the bad news, filled with disasters and losses.

That's why I wanted to blog this one, to keep it and remember that even the greatest disaster can be solved with smallest things. =D

Source: popsci

Photo by CSIWEMBLEY via Picasa

Supporting Free Culture

2011-01-08T16:35:00.011-06:00

The main reason I wanted to start this blog was to support the free culture. Why, you say? Let's put an example of my image above. Yeah not stylish at all. My bad. But I'll tell you why: It's usually hard to find a good image that can represent the idea you just had. But every image, idea and alike are protected by copyright. So now you need to find that image you want AND that you can share without harming the author's rights. I tried but in the end I made my own image. =)

And that's a tiny thing compared to great works like writings, video and much more interactive content that can't be simply showed because most of them are copyright protected without any rights to share to others and promote the culture.

We must support our free culture for everybody good.

If you are interested in this subject or just want to know the whole and real deal about this, then I humbly recommend you to read the Free Culture book by Lawrence Lessig.

Photo by Me