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In America, cell phone use is ubiquitous.  Americans are using their cell phones are more places with fewer self-restrictions about where they should not be uses.  We use them while driving, at home, at restaurants, and while shopping.  I have even seen people using their cell phones while biking – talk about doing two things at once.  Of interest for this blog topic, is cell phone use at work.  Now I am not referencing work as in the case of business requirement, but at work in terms of making and receiving personal calls and/ or texting while at work.  Most of the time, I would imagine, this is at the chagrin of management.  Particularly when customer service is being compromised as, employees pay more attention to what is happening with their cell phone vs. what they are being paid to do – taking care of the customer. 

Unfortunately, cell phone etiquette, or lack of is one type of technology use that has leadership implications.  That is, how can today’s organizations balance the need to ensure that employees are being production with the work they are being paid to do, while simultaneously limiting the intrusion of personal cell phones, short of banning them out right? What are some of your experiences of using cell phones at work and what is your organizations policy about cell phone calling and texting at work?

Piracy on the Internet

Several weeks ago, I had posted a blog about my experience with malware.  A recent Wall Street Journal report online article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123976230407519659.html) reports that incidents of malware in 2009 have risen by 66 percent compared to the first half of 2008.   

This is the modern battle between good and evil in the technological age.  It would not be too much of a stretch to compare online malware threats to the Somalia Piracy threats occurring off the Somalian – in the Gulf of Aden/Indian Ocean.   In both cases, innocent bystanders (consumers / shipping crew) are caught in the middle and have to protect themselves.

According to the WSJ report, malware developers have come a long way from their humble and clumsy beginnings.  Features have been added to the virus programs to avoid easy detection and many advertise in reputable websites to avoid suspicion.  In addition, as the threat of malware increases, the ability of law enforcement to capture and prosecute perpetrators is further challenged.  One main reason in particular is that many of the malware developers and distributers operate abroad.

The distributers apparently seem to be on top of their game.  One strategy used to ensnare Net users is by being current on search trends and positioning themselves for opportunities.  For example, malware distributers will often create fake websites related to popular net searches (i.e. Conflicker worm).  Consumer protection is much the same as before.  Net uses have to stay current on anti-virus and firewall software as well as to ensure (Windows users) updates are routinely uploaded to patch vulnerabilities. 

As the shipping crews traveling though the pirate-infested waters off the Somalian coast are aggressively investing in anti-pirate equipment, Net users continue to invest in software to guard against malicious viruses as they surf the Net.  Unfortunately, software developers on both sides of the issue (the good and the bad) are profiting from the threat.

I was very interested in the redesign of the Kindle – Amazon’s digital book reader which is to be called Kindle 2.  This is especially so, given its newest “text-to-speech” feature which converts the text into an audible play back – essentially allowing the unit to read to the owner.   This would be a greater feature to have and may actually facilitate book readers to actually “finish” reading the book.  I seems that another benefit of this feature is being able to listen to the unit where reading is not possible (i.e., while driving).  Unfortunately, this feature has run up against copyright issues.

According to an article by CNet, The Authors Guild is threatening to sue Amazon based on their claim that the “text-to-speech” feature is a copyright violation of the author’s creative work.  Initially, Amazon disagreed with this premise and defended this feature.  However, the company’s position has changed, and the book’s author must grant permission to Amazon to enable this feature in Kindle 2.  Unfortunately, the article does not provide detail as to why The Authors Guild believes the read feature violates author’s copyright protection.  It does confirm, however, the strenght of copyright protection and how overlooking it can be problematic for even major technology aggregators like Amazon.

The Conflicker Worm / Virus

Perhaps the biggest tech-related news this week was about the conflicker virus / worm.   I just recently heard about this virus earlier this week and was surprised to hear that it has been known for some time.  Additionally, the worm is apparently using “zombie” computers (computers affected, but unknown to the user/owner) to potentially create whatever havoc it was designed to cause, with an activation date of Apri1 1, 2009.

This is yet another worm related issue that millions of computer users have to deal with and worry about in the Net age.  Call it the opportunity cost of owning a computer.  Given the potential damage this and other types of virus/worms may cause, computer owners, businesses and corporations must be constantly vigilant in installing current and valid software to protect their computers and network systems.   Although the date of concern (April 1), has come and gone, tech experts are warning that the danger is not necessarily over as the worm has the potential to unleash its affect later.  Interestingly, this worm is able to affect thumb/flash drives, which I’m sure greatly expands its ability to affect other computers.

Time will tell if the conflicker virus was a bust.  However, I am interested to hear other comments about this virus and the best way to guard against it.

There was an interesting discussion on an NPR news program regarding President Obama’s plan to digitize patient’s health care records.  The President’s stimulus package allocates over $19 billion dollars for this transformative initiative, yet not everyone is enthusiastic or convinced that digitizing patient records will yield the efficiency and cost savings lauded by his administration.  Skeptics critical of the plan argue that the hardware and software requirements adds cost and complexity to the system, and would make it prohibitive for doctors to implement and use.   Supporters of the president’s plan explain that the internet will serve as the platform for system, seamlessly linking doctor’s offices to patient information utilizing web-based programs that will be user friendly and cost-effective.   One such program is called e.Prescribing.  e.Prescribing will allow doctors to write prescription orders via the computer and be delivered to any participating pharmacist nationally, (and globally if need be).  The cost savings of electronic prescriptions is hardly disputable and the reduction in risk to patient health attributed to legible computer font is significant by itself.

It seems to make sense that in our increasingly Net centric world that the efficiencies of the Internet can be and should be used to help transform back office processing of medical information.  Furthermore, the old argument of costly system requirements are less relevant today due to the Internet and its adaptive protocol, than they were a decade ago.  Now if the only the efficiencies of the Internet can be brought to bear to reduce the cost of attorney fees.  Perhaps that is the next frontier.

The perpetual drumbeat announcing the decline or death of newspaper print media seems to be increasing daily.  As a result, newspaper companies initially attempted to halt the decline in readership by offering online subscriptions.  Unfortunately, many have been reluctant to pay for news that they believe can be obtained for free elsewhere.  

To stem the continued decline, the  industry has undergone quite a bit of consolidations over the years with many newspapers now looking to stem cost by reducing the number of print days and/or significantly cutting back on staff.   The latter does not bode well for the quality and content of the paper, which could end up driving paying subscribers away.

In the mean time, a growing number of Americans report that they get their news online from blogs or Internet news sites.  When I reflect on my source of news information, I see that it is primarily from radio (NPR), Net sources (blogs, etc) and television – pretty much in that order.   I have a newspaper subscription, delivered during the weekends (Saturday and Sunday).  I enjoy the Sunday paper especially, given the diversity of information it contains from politics, business, sports and arts.  I do admit that the Sunday aadvertisements is a big reason for subscribing.

Despite the foretold demise of thenewspaper business, I do believe that it will not completely disappear.  Although its best days seems to be behind it, there will be an adequate number of subscribers to allow newspapers to survive –  though at a smaller scale.  Who knows, instead of city newspapers, there may be a trend towards state newspapers.  Living in Ohio, it’s not a stretch to envision a consolidation which would see a merger of  the major city papers (Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland) into one paper, delivered to all three (if not all) of the major cities in Ohio.

One common theme, however, remains clear.  The Internet has certainly changed the newspaper business model.  The ready availability of free news and information has resulted in the decline of the newspaper industry.  All, however, may not be lost.  That is if the industry is able to make a come back by developing a Net strategy that will allow it develop a significant presence online.

Patient Digital Health Records

 

Title XIII (Health Information and Technology) of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( or stimulus package) which was signed into law in February 2009 funds a bold initiative to digitize the health records for all Americans.  This expansive initiative faces some significant hurdles in order to meet its’ proposed five year implementation time frame.  Challenges include implementation costs, developing a common technology platform and the arduous task of actually digitizing patient health records.  Among the cited benefits are improvements to individual care, reduced health care costs, and improved public health.  Perhaps the most appealing benefit for many Americans is the job opportunities in the form of over 200 thousand newly created positions.

A key concern of this initiative is protecting patient privacy by limiting access to   patient data, preventing abuses and detecting unauthorized access.    After several well- publicized reports of security breaches for credit card and  financial companies, as well as lost laptop computers containing public data records,  I do not have a high confidence level  in the infallibility of online system’s ability to fully guard against unauthorized access.  Never-the-less, the objective for digitizing medical records (cost savings and efficiency) is a valid one.  Additionally, I believe the risk of unauthorized access of medical records is higher in the current paper – based environment where medical associates can access patient files (I recall a visit to a doctor’s office in which wall files containing patient folders were visible, unsecured and accessible by any employee).   It is possible to counter argue that online access to medical records increases the possibility of unauthorized access by any determined individual (or state) anywhere in the world, posting the information online where it can be viewed by anyone.   

Overall, I feel the benefits of a common medical platform, particularly one that allows patient access to their complete medical history outweighs most of the potential risks.  But, I am interest in other’s comments, thoughts and perspectives.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1enr.pdf

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/12/technology/stimulus_health_care/

It seems that I have become very reliant on the Internet to seek out product review information or to research a particular problem that I am experiencing with a range of electronic components (TV, laptop, stereo) or major home appliances (washer/dryer, stove, furnace, etc). 

Several months ago I needed to search the Net to find information about a particular “bug” that had invaded my laptop computer.  It was not a particularly malicious bug, just annoying.  It was cleverly disguised as a Microsoft window, which I must have inadvertently clicked on (I only download files from “trusted” sources, and from a very limited group of big name companies  – Microsoft, Java, Citibank, etc).   I digress.  Anyway … this bug kept prompting a window to pop up (again cleverly disguised to resemble a Microsoft window box), informing me that my computer has a virus and if I clicked on the box, it would solve the problem.   Well, I was not going to fall for that.

I searched the Net by entering some key words contained in this virus information.  I was able to find quite a bit of information and blog sites on this particular virus (search engines Rock!).  I was also informed that this is not a true Microsoft window, and if the user clicked on the window, they would be directed to a site where they could purchased software to remove the virus – presumably from the same company or person with unleashed the virus. 

Unfortunately, many other individuals had experienced the same virus judging by the many pleas for help.  Equally unfortunate, were the number of varied help suggestions  posted by bloggers to resolve the problem, many of then unsuccessful (as reported by those who followed the advice).

Needless to say, my hopes of resolving this issue quickly (and cheaplyJ) was rapidly fading.  Then I remembered that my laptop (IBM brand – I only purchase IBM computers, now produced by a Chinese company  under the brand of Lenovo), has a data recovery feature which wipes the hard drive completely clean, restoring it to the original factory settings.  Additionally, my laptop has an automated hard drive backup feature which backs up data on a regular interval.

I proceeded with the recovery process after a review of my laptop’s manual. The entire process was completed in less than 1 hour, and when finished by laptop was renewed.  After uploading my backup data (selected a date well beyond the period of this virus), I was up and running again – virus free.  And to ensure that this issue (hopefully) never occurs again, I have download and installed a newer version of McAfee virus protection on my laptop (which I discover was offered as a free service from my AOL provider).

I was very much aware that, in this netcentric world, there are dangers lurking.  It is good to know that there is a community of users (and victims), who can share their experiences to better inform others about specific issues and provide tips for possible resolution.

Please feel free to comment or post your related experiences as well.

We could easily call the Internet “the enabler”.  This name is fitting simply because of what it allows people and organizations to accomplish.  The Internet enables human beings to do so many things that were unimaginable several years ago.  Perhaps the most important aspect of the Internet, and the netcentric world that it has enabled, is the ability for individuals to share knowledge. 

I define knowledge as the cognitive ability that human beings possess to process information and apply it to achieve some form of tangible benefit or action.  Yes, it is possible to know without action, yet without acting on the knowledge, where is the benefit?   More important, it that knowledge is most powerful when shared with and by other.   By sharing knowledge, new knowledge is possible.

Okay, so what does this have to do with technology?  The Internet has enabled the ability to gather, compile and share vast amounts of human knowledge.  The ability to digitize text, audio, and video and distribute it via the Net has been a knowledge transformation.   For many companies, KM or Knowledge Management is a strategic process for organizational competiveness.  The concept of KM is not new and has been around for quite a long time.  Yet it wasn’t until the development of the Internet that KM systems went digital and came into the consciousness of many. 

My knowledge of KM began in a management course, with my experiences of its application occurring in the business world.  At the time, my companies KM system was “clunky”, contained limited information and was difficult to access.  It was approached from an IT perspective, with little involvement (or contribution) from other departments.  Worse yet, it had little support from senior management.

The good news, however, is that many organizations continue to develop effective methods of compiling employee generated knowledge in a robust, digitized medium, while storing this knowledge in vast repositories which can be quickly mined by powerful search engines.  Computerization and digitization are key elements of KM, but it is the distributive, enabling power of the Internet that allows the KM repositories to be filled by employees situated anywhere around the globe.

Online Privacy

Chris Anderson (2006), author of The Long Tail, wrote that “for the first time in history, we are able to measure the consumption patterns, inclinations, and tastes of an entire market of consumers in real time …” (p. 107).  As an avid Net user, I am very concerned about Internet privacy.  In particular, the amount and type of information gathered about my online experiences. 

Online personal consumer information is actively compiled with or without the user’s consent or awareness. The former (with consent)  is generally in the form of a Web survey, questionnaire, or access user agreements (“click here if you agree”) in which the user agrees to comply with terms of use, which often contains a clause allowing the site to collect  user information for marketing and advertisement purposes.   Typically, if the Internet site is for an established company, there is a statement that personal  information collected can be shared with affiliates (ex. Citibank, a member of Citigroup, could share the customer information with its insurance unit, Travelers).  Yet, as Net users and consumers, do we really know how personal information gathered is being used? 

As company profits are squeezed and greater initiatives are implemented to reduce expenses, the ability to match products and services offered by targeting consumers having an interest in the product or service is an efficient and cost-effective marketing process.  As such, the value for compiling a database of customer interests, buying habits and demographic information has tremendous market appeal.  The dark side, however, is the temptation by companies to violate consumer/ company privacy agreement and sell confidential consumer data.   

EPIC’s (Electronic Privacy Information Center) is a Washington based public research organization which seeks to educate consumers on issues of privacy, civil liberties and constitutional rights.  Their 1999 analysis of 100 top online web sites found that many lacked consumer privacy agreements, while others had significant deficiencies, including failure to comply with federal regulations on consumer privacy. (http://epic.org/reports/surfer-beware3.html  This report is a bit dated, so I will attempt to determine if a current review of the Internet company privacy policy has been conducted, and comment in future blogs related to this topic.  However, it does highlight the need for Net users to be vigilant in protecting personal information as they navigate the waters of the World Wide Web.

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