5 posts tagged “internet”

Happy New Year my fellow Voxers,

it's been a while since my last (noteworthy) post. You can blame the Navy for that! Every morning I have to wake up at 5 am, drive for 40 minutes, catch the ferry to Salamina island, work for 7 to 8 hours and then go back home at around 4 pm. I sleep most of the afternoon and then catch up with my friends and of course sleep for 4 to 5 hours. Sometimes, I feel that 24 hours are not enough.

Last night, I took some time off from my social activities and browsed my favorite medium, the internet. Most of my browsing time was spent on "The Daily Beast", which is -for me- a worthy alternative to the "Huffington Post". Best part of the experience? Checking out the "Sites We Like" section. I'm expecting Harlot's Sauce Radio to appear on top of that list in the next months! And I have to add the "Cheat Sheet". Spend five minutes to read it every day and you are ready to go.

In the meantime, Gaza and the Greek riots have been keeping me busy these days. We are on a downward spiral and noone can reach the breaks. In Athens, we are expecting the riots to continue after tomorrow. I don't know if arson will be on the menu. I think that we played enough with fire. Now it's the time for the "social fighters" to set their goals clear and decide their "weaponry". If destruction continues, the majority of the Greek population will not be able to support their rightful cause; to ameliorate our society, politcal system and financial apparatus.

Yet, something awful happened two nights ago. Since the murder of Alexander Grigoropoulos, whose death sparked the current social revolt, there is a disturbing rumor hanging that things will reach a closure when a polica officer will die.

A group of people (that goes by the name Public Rage) attacked (with massive guns) the group of officers who protect the Ministry of Culture and one officer was badly injured. Right now, he is at the hospital fighting for his life. This is just brutal. Is death the solution? Certainly not. I always believed that the "eye for an eye" principle was behind us.

As for Gaza, I will later post a series of links to articles and videos regarding the war that goes on down there. The situation is extremely grave and international attendance is needed. The stability of the Middle East is at stake, while the price of oil is rising again. Coincidence? Maybe, but from my experience nothing just happens. Any ideas on a greater plan? I am open to suggestions.

That's all for now!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Hello my fellow Voxers,

today I am going to talk about our personal privacy in the web realm. Michelle Solange started a conversation last week and now I have finally something to add.

A couple of days ago a group of Greek bloggers were invited by Greek members of the European Parliament to attend a series of meetings in Brussels. Besides the usual informational sessions about the mechanisms of the European Union, the group was lucky enough to attend a session regarding our personal privacy in the Internet Era.

Nikos Drandakis from Nylon posted an important video from that session with the Dutch member of the European Parliament Sophie in ‘t Veld and I am re-posting it here.

Take a look. You might find it really interesting!

The past few weeks, I have been occupied with the new Nokia service, Share on Ovi (ex-Twango). It has taken me by storm. I have been selecting a pile of photos and creating channels, where I can upload multiple new pics for each subject.

Share on Ovi reminds me of Flickr, but with more options and storage space. Every channel can be an evolving album, while each month 2 gigs of space are offered. Besides photos, a user can upload videos and documents. All files can be private and a user can choose which ones can be shared with the rest of the community. I am planning to upload some documents in private mode, because I need to format my windows-based laptop. Also, I love the way that Share on Ovi is integrated with my N95 8GB (business phone); though, I can't still install the service on my N82 which is my primary personal camera phone. The uploading options are also great. A user can upload his/her files with four different ways (one-by-one, multiple files and folders, e-mail and mobile phone). Pics can also be resized, so a user can save up space for more files, if he/she wants to take full advantage of the service.

What I would like to see is a better integration with major social networking sites and blogging sites, like Vox. For example, I wish I could transfer my photos from Flickr without having to download them and upload them one more time to Share. In addition, I would like to see a Facebook application, because I want an one-stop destination for my pictures and share them with my friends through my Facebook profile without uploading them to both sites. If the rumors are real and Nokia is going to achieve a big partnership with Facebook, then my dream will not be far away. Searching through media and users is kind of awkward and the service has to become more stable, because there are times when the site is unavailable.

Nevertheless, Ovi is destined to have a great potential and I hope that Nokia will make the best out of it and soon, because I would be really disappointed if all the buzz around the new Nokia handsets and Share on Ovi was blown away.

PS. I uploaded around 65 photos from my trips to New York and create a slideshow. I hope you enjoy it!

It's been so far quite a day. I presented some points from my thesis to undergrads who seemed interested on the subject. Yet, I have a difficult time finding the proper material. A short books list will not be accepted, therefore I need to find empirical evidence. 

Few days before X-mas and I haven't been able to recover from my stomach illness. I am dehydrated, angry with myself for eating all this bull****** that caused my food poisoning, tired and exhausted! Due to professional obligations, I couldn't travel with my family to NY. Christmas Eve will be an intense working day. Yet, I try to be optimistic. Besides, it's the Holidays!
My aunt, before leaving for NY, gave me my present; a new Nokia N95 8gb! I am officially in love! This piece of technology has kept me busy the past couple of days and I can't get enough of Spider-man 3, the movie, that was pre-installed in the device. I am planning on using my new phone for major blogging sessions!
Nevertheless, what made me really happy this week was Patricia's latest blog where she quoted me. I felt so honored! Why? Because, I am 25 years old and a successful and amazing woman who I admire used one of my phrases. For me, it's a kind of recognition and I thank her.
In the meantime, my new thesis supervisor and I finally decided my essay subject: New social movements and the Internet. I feel excited because I can use my experience through blogging, microblogging and social networking. New governance models arise and social movements in the 21st century can not be categorized under certain organizations. Having an internet connection and a sense of citizenship and political engagement can make us part of every social movement. It goes beyond any political belief. It transcends the core of the society and it all comes to down to Choice. For instance: if we want to fight against global warming, we don't have to be members of a NGO or a political party. All we need is the sense of social responsibility.
It might be premature, but I believe that people will regain their power. In a society of user-generated content, the dream of freedom is not that far away; yet, we have to be aware of the "Eagles"! Tim Berners-Lee has a dream for the Internet; to be free and publicly accessible. Yes, we need regulations to protect minors and sensitive segments of the human population, but in the same time we have to protect our freedom of speech. Funny thing...the internet will push us to reconsider the limits and definition of freedom...We live in extraordinary times!