For those that hate the application spam; don’t understand why they just won’t release the 2004-05 era facebook design though…

Test drive it for yourself at http://lite.facebook.com .

Credits to Chris Lewis for passing this along -

Facebook has agreed to let third party advertisers use your posted pictures without your permission. To avoid this: 1) Click on SETTINGS up at the top where you see the log out link. 2) Select PRIVACY. 3) Select NEWS FEEDS AND WALL. 4) Select the tab that reads FACE BOOK ADS. 5) There is a drop down box, select NO ONE. 6) Then SAVE your changes.

Cybergangs? Scams? Oh the horror!

With that out of the way I must bring to queation why this is just now making the news?

I’m pretty sure plenty of users have seen this scenario one tooooooo many times.

Read the full article “Scareware’s pitches for fake security show up in odd places” at USA Today’s website

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-06-09-cybergangs-scareware-hackers_N.htm

One of my goals for 2009 is to launch at least 2 fan-related web sites.  One that I launched in 2007, MichaelJackson1Stop.com, never really got the attention it deserved.  It was a project I launched during my crucial last semester of college with a full-time 90 hour week work schedule (sounds fun right?).

The original idea was for a site that brought together various RSS feeds to produce a single web site that fans could go to to reach the various news/content/media related to Michael Jackson.  However, I only found time to put up a simple Michael Jackson discography, biography, and limited links.

I have now uploaded a new layout and content to the site, which was very bare beforehand.  New features include:

• Tweaked layout
• Various photos
• Updated biography
• Detailed discography coming soon
• Influences coming soon

Check it out at www.michaeljackson1stop.com.

It is very safe to say that the modern work industry is not only fast-paced but also an easy place to find yourself distracted. Below are five helpful tips that help me throughout the week.

Don’t Take On Too Much At Once
This is something we’re all guilty of. We want to jump out, show we can take on a heavy workload and get the job done. What we don’t realize is that after time it takes a threatening toll on our health, focus, and ability to perform. Pay close attention to the amount of time you have and the amount of time it will take to complete the tasks you take on. Remember - sleep and time outside the office dictate how stressed you get in the long run!

When Stumped, Dont’ Google Solutions First
What? We live in a digital age and I’m not recommending to hit Google first? That’s correct! Yes - there are a ton of message boards out there you can find through Google that have probably come across the same issue that you’re having. Sadly though, by going this route first you put yourself into dangerous area for procrastination.

If you’re stumped, try walking away from the situation for five minutes or so to catch your thoughts. Then, once back in the office, try drawing out your project and how you think it should work. Trace your steps and go into more detail on the task at hand. Weirdly enough, this has usually helped me find areas that I may overlook to being caught up in finishing a project.

Coordinate
Sometime’s it is tough to build a routine in the IT industry. If you can, try to implement certain elements of your day into a set schedule. Maintenancing your e-mail early in the morning, reviewing your calendar for tomorrow’s activities in the late afternoon, finishing projects in the early morning can all be effective ways to combat procrastination and loss of time. Try tackling projects early on in the day while you are the most awake and energetic. Finish your day off with the least important activities or the ones that require the least amount of energy.

Read Up!
It’s rather nice to keep up with all of the news in your related field. Although it may not relate to your company at large, a lot of what happens in the industry can either help or disrupt you in the long run. Keep up-to-date with whats going on. As cliche as it sounds, knowledge truly is power.

Retouch Your Skills
In this industry, it is impossible to use your entire skillset in one single day or week. I’ve found that retouching certain skills, techniques, or software can maintain your knowledge of the respective area. Who knows, you may even learn more about it than you knew before.

As you can see, these are 5 random points of advice. The IT industry is truly growing and with that comes with responsibilities that will only grow in time. Keep your mind healthy, knowledgeable, and free to think and you will find much more comfort in your abilities and career.

I might be on an edge by even giving this attention, my input, or other media coverage. I do feel though this is an important subject and I would like for those of you to read through this blog before making any judgements at all.

I was scoping Newgrounds.com today and I ran across a game that really caught my attention. Unfortunately, the game itself isn’t one I’d recommend to others. It seems as though someone has tried to exploit the events of April 16th at Virginia Tech (just a mere 12 minutes from my home in Radford) through a video game entitled simply “VT Rampage”.

At first my thoughts were simple - How could anyone be this tasteless?

So then I played the game. The creator literally programmed a flash game to “relive” the events. You are Cho, the relentless psychopath that looks to send a message to the world. Your first mission through the 1st stage is to shoot Emily Hilscher - the first victim in the actual events. Events then move on as you return to the dorm to film the manifesto tape. From there Cho must “stealthily” make it past a ward of police to drop the package off to the Post Office. From there is where “the fun begins”, as the creator puts it in Cho’s words.

Norris Hall is nothing more than a glorified bloodfest. You have a time limit to slaughter as many students as possible, even with a theme song playing in the background encouraging “Go Cho Go!”

At the end of the time limit, with 32 dead and various injured, Cho is left with only one choice - to take this life. The game ends there, with credits rolling in shortly afterwards.

Personally I am all for freedom of speech. What I am not for however is the right for people to be so distasteful. It is an outrage that this online game portrays the events, let alone NAMES one of the victims in the game and allows you to murder her. This is truly a lack of respect towards the victim!

With further research I see that the media has really picked this up and has even conducted an interview with the game’s creator - Ryan Lambourn. Turns out he’s a 21-year-old living in Australia, but grew up in the United States (credit - MSNBC). With that being said, Ryan should be able to connect since most of those killed were students HIS age. So why would someone still do such a thing?

It has also been stated that he will remove the game if the government pays him a price. Should the government fold and pay the “ransom”? How does this play into freedom of speech and freedom of the Internet?

Frankly, if the government pays to have the game removed, it will create a few scenarios in my opinion.

• By paying the ransom, you open the gateways for similar games. Oklahoma City Rampage anyone? So what will the government do then? Pay to have each game removed?
• By taking the game off, it takes away some of the freedom of the Internet. Should legislation be passed to limit what can be posted on the Internet? Who will be the judge of what is tasteful, politically correct, and eligible to be posted?

Either way, Ryan is getting exactly what he wants. He’s getting cheap press and has become highlight of chat through various media, including this blog. What he has done on the bright side has screwed any chance he had at becoming a respected professional in his field of work, let alone a respected human being.

Incase you’re interested, this video game can be found at www.newgrounds.com