Cyber Information Awareness (CIA)

Takeaway: Internet users unknowingly contribute to this global cyber information awareness for altruistic and self-serving reasons. But what is the alternate to not giving up privacy to enjoy the benefits of the Internet's vast resources?

The thought of this idea came when I was about to start my bath. The thought began with giving up certain privacy rights in order to improve efficiency among government services (e.g., National ID System, Unified Multi-Purpose ID System, etc.). The thought, however, kinda got so far as the simple idea of giving up rights to one entity became larger – that is, something like a Skynet (Remember Terminator?).

Cyber information awareness is just my own term – I think. This is not cyber surveillance as being done by one entity, like what the US does with CIA, NSA, FBI, and other electronic surveillance-capable agencies. I think of the idea of the Internet genuinely creating an intelligence - no, intellect - of its own, something similar to the idea in Skynet and I, Robot.

It is not just a collection of data, as Google would already have this with their search algorithm, search database, expert systems and other search-related, data-centric systems (although Google would be the best candidate to unknowingly realize cyber information awareness). Cyber information awareness is the Internet’s own conceptualization and realization of itself, as created by us – the people, its users – in contributing to its intellect (not simply intelligence).

We volunteer everything to the Internet for two totally distinct reasons: An altruistic motivation, which says that we humans want to help each other, such as contributing to Wikipedia, or Google Maps, or Open Maps, or creating a public album with geolocation embedded so that other people will know how to get there or what they can see in a location (yeah, I do all of those). The opposite is a market-driven motivation. We give up our rights because that is our payment for the system. Examples are the Google Now, Ingress, Google Local, Facebook, and other location-sensitive mobile applications. In order for us to get the benefits of their service, we have to give up certain rights, like privacy. Yes, Google says they protect us by collecting only non-personal, anonymized information, but.. then... have you read this?

http://gigaom.com/2013/03/28/when-theres-no-such-thing-as-anonymous-data-does-privacy-just-mean-security/

Cyber information awareness could have started (if the idea would eventually happen) from Wikipedia. Yes. Wikipedia started the idea of sharing our knowing of things. Not just the encyclopedia-based information, but how we understand things. The only thing that minimizes the person-based nature of the Wikipedia is the editing portion. Editing is good, but in terms of cyber information awareness, editing (by other people) removes certain elements of the know-how (read: understanding) of the people and its users.

Blogs, journals, micro-blogs and photo-blogs are very personal, and so they contribute so much to this cyber information awareness. And of course, you have Google Keep and Google Now, two very personal, real-time applications on what we think, what we appreciate, what is important to us, now.

Google’s continuing improvement of its search technology – first is from our search behavior, (knowing if we create a mistake, and then predicting what really we might have meant), then enhancing the Android operating system which added the capability to embed location to our searches and behavior based on what we are doing with our mobile phone (and know that, too) – enhanced this.

To add even more personal and consent-based (read: voluntary?) know-how is Google+.

Facebook tries to do this, but because they started as an ad-centric social networking service, they are not as comprehensive on this as Google is.

Add to this Google Glass.

Of course, I am not pointing a finger at Google. I love their services (I am using Blogger, right?). It just shows one entity can influence towards this cyber information awareness.

Consider Apple’s plan of an iWatch (is it?).

And what about the numerous cloud services, such as Dropbox, Minus, iCloud, among others. These files are not simply data. These are files which are important to us. It is not just the files which we keep but also what we consider as important that they (cloud service providers) know.

And how about mobile (carry-on) health devices which we connect to the internet? Remember Google Health? So you have one entity that knows your contact info, your contacts (if you use Android phone and email), your work, your common places and your track, your attitudes at any particular moment of your life, knows what games you like, and knows your health condition (Trivia: Did you know that during World War II, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s health was the target of German spies? They even tried - in vain - to smuggle urine samples to ascertain his health condition and use his weakness to the Germans’ advantage. FDR’s Deadly Secret, 2009.)

The more we share our experience (not just opinions, but even links, which show what we are reading, what interests us, what we like and don’t like), the more we contribute to this global cyber information awareness – the Internet’s awareness of us, its users. And when there is no such thing really as anonymous data, then it is just a matter of time when one of the global entities of information and knowledge will simply take away our information – which we volunteered for one of the two reasons – and make us pay to keep the benefits we have come to appreciate and depend on.

As we gear towards this knowledge-based market, industry or world, the battle between who owns what we know (yeah, even the legal agencies, such as the court and congresses think about it), we have to be responsible for these about what we put online.

So, what is the alternative?

Piece of my peace: CMBA's 2nd test

Death of Critical Thinking among UPM Students

The death of Ms Kristine Tejada, for me, should not be blamed to UP Manila, the UP System, nor its officials. Takeaway: No one wants this to happen, so no one should be blamed.

I have known Chancellor Agulto, Vice Chancellor De Luna and even Dr. Tony Leachon since they became UP Manila administrators, so that was about a year. I don’t particularly like them. I don’t like their prioritization – prioritizing medical and hard sciences over social sciences and humanities. Prioritizing in media and publicity over internal needs. I got annoyed with Vice Chancellor De Luna’s seeming inexperience in administering the international relations program of the University. But none of those gives any justification for shifting the blame on them over what happened with the student who committed suicide.

All of those administrators are parents. Sure, anyone can accuse them of ‘crocodile tears,’ but I don’t believe so.

While I am an advocate of reform, these reforms need no sacrificial lambs in the form of qualified administrators such as them. Those administrators are not perfect, but neither are the accusers. The administrators may not be the best, but they are the ones who took the challenge to lead such an ungrateful community as UP Manila.

Criticism is good. But do it constructively. Do not use this tragedy to advance your political interests.

On Scrapping STFAP

I remember an upperclass man who told me (and others) that he hates STFAP. He said because of STFAP, a lot of unqualified students got to enter UP. For him, STFAP, besides expanding the capacity of UP to accept students, also lowered the passing rate.

Activists call on UP administration to scrap STFAP. I am one of those who benefited from STFAP. I know, if I relied on my ‘intellect’ alone, I could not enter UP. I know, because I applied for 2 quota courses, and I did not get accepted. I was accepted in my 3rd choice, a non-quota course in UP Manila.

Sure, scrapping STFAP means everyone will have totally free UP education, but only everyone who got to enter UP, and that would be far less, because of the limited budget of the University.

In South Korea, as far as I know, there is nothing similar to STFAP. I think. So in order to get to enter a state university, you have to be very intelligent, and live in the locality.

Scrapping STFAP would mean, among others, and considering real conditions:

1. Totally free UP education
2. Less students entering UP

Maybe UP should consider scrapping STFAP. So that students who are not intellectually qualified, and those who fail their courses because of too much progressive, anti-fascist, anti-structural activities, will no longer enter or stay in UP. UP will be strict in providing support to those who are really qualified.

Just my thoughts. For now. Not organized. Just response to the reactions.

Note: CMBA's first test was the Courtzone Badminton shooting incident.

Life's Purpose versus Simplicity

After half a year of busy days, I am blogging now, again with just about everything coming from my head going directly to the censorship of my nine fingers. My last post was about working on a holiday. Now, I think I will have a short post, because I have to sleep early because I have to wake up early tomorrow.

* * *

I thought my work at UP was busy. But here it is really scarily busy. This is work where you could easily think - if you are single - Will I get married?

Of course, there is a valid reason. This organization thrives on purpose, accuracy and timeliness. To be selected is really saying something about one's capability. (Yeah, I may be bragging... let that slide, okay? :))

* * *

These days, it is easier to tweet about your thoughts. With such a service, one might wonder what is the purpose of blogging, if you can have your own site like Google Sites. But then again, there are some thoughts which are longer than 160 characters, and breaking it into many tweets will mess the entire thing. And with Google Sites which might require a lot of construction considerations to think about (yes, even though it is web-based and requires virtually zero coding capability, it does require design consideration, if you want it to be effective), a blog allows you to just create the blog, select a template design, and start blogging. The server will fix everything and you can customize easily later. Also, the blog is already (usually) set up for RSS to allow your readers (assuming you have some) to easily get updates if you have one.

So the weblog still continues to exist.

* * *

Lastly, my main point. Yes, it has been a very difficult first half-month. I have really thought of things. I reflected - Didn't I say that I want a simple life? But then, I remember my old debating of myself. A simple life is usually not with the life which serves a higher purpose. Rick Warren's book supposed that a life driven by purpose will be simpler because you know how to identify which ones are important and which ones are not. Well, in life, in general, maybe. But when it comes to work, where the 'important' is decided by someone else and not by you, you have to follow their lead.

And with the level of quality expected out of your work, it may be simple, but it is in no way easy.

Long Weekend, No Rest

Tonight is supposedly the start of the long weekend. There is no class and office on Monday (Eid al-Fitr) and Tuesday (Ninoy Aquino Day). Still, it is not really any rest day for me.

Tomorrow, I will (have to) attend the fourth session of my training at UP ITDC, Database Systems. Actually, tonight, I have to prepare my rough ERD and try to normalize the forms.

On Sunday, I  plan (!) to write my backlog of AAC minutes of meetings, since there will be an AAC meeting come Wednesday.

On Monday, I plan to write another short section for my technology book. I hope I do that.

For that night, we are going to Subic for a meeting with our partner in our English language program.

On Tuesday, we have the meeting. We plan to go there night before so that we don't go there and come back on the same day.

Wednesday, AAC meeting.

Thursday, I don't know.

Friday, I don't know.

Why do I even type here?

Just to occupy space?

Maybe. But I also feel that this helps me get back into writing. Creative and purposive. Not the administrative type.

Thinking for tomorrow

Okay. So I will try to post something tonight. It is 10:11 PM now, Sunday. I am trying to write something out of ... well, basically nothing.

I am writing now just from my head, not writing it down first as a draft. I will try to write something (I doubt if it is of any use or sensible meaning), just that I want to write again.

So today actually started late. I got up 8 or 8:30 am, I forgot. I then had exercise. As usual, 20 push-ups, 5 sets. Then the dumbbell. 30 pounds this time, 6 reps per arm, 5 forms (Does this make sense? I mean, I don't know how to describe what I did....).

After finishing the dumbbells, my nephew asked me to do the push-ups again - this time, with him on my back. I agreed, thinking I need that, but since I already did push-ups, I will just do 10. But after my 10th, he asked that I do it again (with him still on my back), but this time, we count in Filipino. Interesting.

So I did that, then ate breakfast and had coffee.

(For some reason, coffee, when I prepare it at home, is quite good!)

I just noticed that my verb tense is not as consistent (maybe not even accurate) as I thought it should be. I wonder if I would read this again before publishing...

Or if I would edit after I publish....

Anyway, moving on... I took a bath, ate lunch (tinolang manok!), then went to the office.

Yes, I went to the office.

I was supposed to meet a friend today, and I was thinking of consulting her regarding getting a house. But that did not happen. I have four or five articles that I need to finish, and it was raining. So I could not have met her and talked about that topic when I had those things in my head.

So I tried to write the following:

1. faculty conference 
2. research dissemination seminar
3. meeting of chancellor with PE faculty
4. foundation week
5. launch of the online journal

Of the five, I was able to complete  Number 1, 90% of Number 4, and 80% of Number 5. Number 3 is a very complicated - event? - thing so I could not begin with the time I had. Number 2... I cannot find the press briefing, so I definitely cannot write about it. I do not have basic facts for that (I do not even remember the topic of the seminar).

I went home just before 9 pm. My student assistant sent a message saying she saw the lights on my office, so she knew it was I who was at the office. By that, I also knew that she went to the mall to play arcade. Problematic student. I mean, not really as a student. She cannot stay at her dorm, she had to stay  somewhere just so that she  could avoid thinking about thinking. Poor one. I mean, even driving herself to a very busy state is not enough to stop her thinking about that ... thing? or person.

Anyway, now, I am typing this. On Blogger, I have a message that says, "An error occurred while trying to save or publish your post. Please try again. Ignore warning." I am not sure if this is because of my browser (Google Chrome) in an Ubuntu OS, or my broadband provider (and it is raining now).

For tomorrow, I have to finish all the articles and post them online. Also, I have to announce the call for papers. And there is a meeting at 9 am for Dean. I am not included, but I have to be at the office early because ... I just feel that I would be needed (conceited). 

On another note, I have to remember to send that report of the department regarding the fact-finding committee. Hmmm... Just thinking about them, I need to update my list for tomorrow. 

I hope I have a good sleep so that I can exercise.

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The Distinct Shadow.