Posts tagged Information Age
IT Quote of the Day: Dave Barry
Mar 9th
I like Information Age quotations. I find some of them very inspirational and like to carry a new one around about every week. I thought that i could share mine with you from time to time. This week’s is even a funny one!
Here is my quote of the day:
“User, n. The word computer professionals use when they mean "idiot."”
- Dave Barry
You can learn more about our quote source at Wikipedia of their own site.
So how do you think that this relates to Information Technology? How do you think that it could be important to Information Technology Professionals?
Do you like quotations? Do you collect them, too? What did you think of when you read this one? Do you agree or disagree with it? Please comment below.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for March 9, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.
Image credit: Wired Writers Blog
Quote Source: Quote Garden.com
Sex(.com) on Sale
Mar 7th
On Sundays I offer comments on some of the most interesting information technology stories that I have found on the web that week. Please feel free to join in the discussion or suggest other stories.
Today’s tale is all about how the virtual world of the Internet continues to become more and more similar to our “real world”. I am sure that all of you can look out your car windows on the way to work and see that the housing market, though improving, continues to be in the doldrums here in the USA. It is sad, but most homes around me are now suddenly worth 10-25% less than they were just two years ago. Do you think that the online world is immune from this? Think that there is still scarcity in the virtual real estate market? Think again and read this story…
CNBC – Things Aren’t Worth What They Used To Be
“Sex.com is up for sale, but sex doesn’t sell like it used to. The adult content site sold for a record $14 million back in 2006 to Escom, which reportedly can no longer pay its debts. Traffic was only about 120,000 visitors a month, according to the International Business Times—not good.
Perhaps it’s the name?“
There was so much written about this topic that there is no single news story to cover all bases. I recommend that you review Google News’ aggregation site for this topic. You can find all angles, opinions, and levels of engagement there.
For those of you who are not aware, registering a new domain name can cost as little as about $10 from a reputable registrar. The fact that people pay so much at auction for “good ones” is really no different than having a good location in the real estate market. Domains like pizza.com, sales.com, and news.com have all gone for small fortunes, but were once bought by speculators at less than $20. That is surely a bubble waiting to burst and when sex(.com) gets cheap you know that we are near the bottom of the cycle!
I firmly believe that our virtual world will continue to evolve, ever faster, to completely mimic our real world and eventually become indistinguishable. This story and its topic are just one more sign that this belief is a true one.
What do you think about this topic? Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you have a recommended news story for next week? Please share your ideas below.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for March 7, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.
Image Credit: Philadelphia Reflections

News Commentary: Cyber Crooks
Mar 8th
Posted by Scott Coughlin in Information Age
No comments
This morning, CNN.com featured a very thought provoking front page story on Cyber Crime. What I especially liked was the discussion of return on investment and whether having the police try to catch them was even worth the effort. I highlight it as a good thought piece for a Monday morning commute.
Here is the link to the story –
CNN.com – Is chasing cybercrooks worth it? by John D. Sutter
I have to admit that I think that the story is a little disingenuous to the whole problem of cyber crime. I am not so sure that the argument that it is hard, expensive, and confusing is really a good one for not doing it. It is a very similar argument that those opposed to the “War on Drugs” use to justify legalizing drug use. Nevertheless, it is a popular, and now public, discussion that information technology professionals should be involved in.
I, for one, think that we need to increase the size of our counter-cyber crime units at all levels of law enforcement. I believe that there is nothing, but a growth industry when it comes to crime online. I doubt that we have even seen 1% of what is possible for criminal activity that involves cyberspace. I say more, not less, engagement is needed by the police.
What do you think about this topic? Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you have a recommended news story for next week? Please share your ideas below.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for March 8, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.
Image Credit: Money Magazine