Posts from the “Practical Opacity” Category

About Those Facebook Privacy Settings… » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union

Posted on January 19th, 2012

About Those Facebook Privacy Settings… » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union So, you’ve done it all right. You’ve meticulously chosen your Facebook privacy settings so that only your closest friends can see the most personal information about you. No one else has access. Or so you think. Turns out, it’s more like your designated closest friends and anyone who advertises on Facebook. (And, P.S., anyone *can* advertise on Facebook. Doesn’t have to be a business.) Just in case there was any question who Facebook’s real customers are.

Categories: Practical Opacity

Cloak VPN :: Push Button Security

Posted on January 18th, 2012

Cloak VPN :: Push Button Security Cloak is a service for your Mac, iPhone, and iPad that keeps you safe when you’re connected to public wireless networks like those found at coffee shops, hotels, airports, and conferences. It is basically an easy to use and configure VPN service for those without the skills or desire to set up their own. A good idea executed well.

Categories: Practical Opacity

Let’s Unsubscribe From It All

Posted on January 17th, 2012

Let’s Unsubscribe From It All I am getting to the point where I want to stop everyone but people I know and work with from emailing me. I don’t want people calling me on my phone to sell me stuff or inform me of things that they think I should know. My email is rapidly becoming that way. No more newsletters, advertisements, or enticements.

Categories: Practical Opacity

Getting Back to Growth — Steve Pavlina

Posted on January 16th, 2012

Getting Back to Growth — Steve Pavlina In addition to refocusing on my own path of growth in 2012 and closing the door on daily social networking, I’d like to reorient my social life to spend more time connecting with others who have similar priorities when it comes to pursuing growth experiences. I had hoped I might meet such people through the social networks surrounding my work, but that didn’t happen. One reason is that such people would rather engage in growth experiences than in discussions about growth. They’d rather travel than talk about travel… would rather speak than discuss speaking… and would rather start a business than talk about starting one. Steve mindfully and consciously opts-out.

Categories: Practical Opacity

The Dangerous Effects of Reading | Certain Extent

Posted on December 31st, 2011

The Dangerous Effects of Reading | Certain Extent If the world overwhelms you with its constant production of useless crap which you filter more and more to things that only interest you can I calmly suggest that you just create things that you like and cut out the rest of the world as a middle-man to your happiness? This sounds like a good plan. (via Chris Long)

Categories: Practical Opacity

PhotoBlog – Accidental photographer: Making pictures of ‘our own personal little gods’

Posted on December 14th, 2011

PhotoBlog – Accidental photographer: Making pictures of ‘our own personal little gods’ The fairly new activity of constantly checking our phones, I mean ascertaining our dual existence, both in real life and in the virtual world of social networks, switching from the people present in flesh and blood and the uninterrupted conversation with “friends” we have across time zones and borders, is an interesting phenomenon. I was first stunned by the faculty we have to isolate ourselves for a few seconds in the middle of a loud, crowded bar, and immediately become oblivious of our surrounding, letting candidly the virtual world reflect on our faces. The social masks fall for a fleeting moment, and our pleasure, our worries or sorrows, show for anyone to…

Categories: Practical Opacity

Six months without an iPhone: Shotgun | 52 Tiger

Posted on December 13th, 2011

Six months without an iPhone: Shotgun | 52 Tiger Perhaps you’ve had an experience like this. You own a car and typically do the driving. Then, for whatever reason, you spend a trip in the passenger seat and a route you’ve driven countless times looks different. No longer required to watch the road and the other motorists, you can look at passing houses and buildings, playgrounds, corner stores and more. You see things you never noticed despite having driven past them time and again. Now that I was observing my life and not just its most tweetable moments, I felt more relaxed. I was living in that moment, not 30 seconds into the future (“Can’t wait to tweet that.” “I have to get a…

Categories: Practical Opacity

Gwen Bell – Digital Sabbatical

Posted on December 1st, 2011

Gwen Bell – Digital Sabbatical Gwen’s page on digital sabbaticals is actually an excellent resource on the subject full of interesting links, reasons, ideas, and inspiration.

Categories: Practical Opacity