Webs’ Random Ideas

Much better than the original!

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/258570/december-15-2009/alicia-keys—empire-state-of-mind–part-ii–broken-down

You think shopping online makes you safer. That you have more control over what you purchase. Researching products and pricing is easier as well as comparison shopping right?

Well yes, but research on our brains and how they are affected by different stimuli are making our online shopping experience better for marketing firms and gives us less control. How Online Retailers Read Your Mind:

An increasing number of retailers, marketers and ad agencies are using elements of neuromarketing techniques—developed from brain research—to make those clicks more likely. They are beginning to use brain-science studies to help determine the elements of your online experience (the colors, location of objects, order of prices on the screen) to influence your feelings about their products, what you will buy and even how much you’ll spend.

Neuromarketing is “the science of human decision, how people use their brain to make decisions,” according to Patrick Renvoisé, a co-founder of SalesBrain, a neuromarketing company in San Francisco. He argues that neuromarketing, online or otherwise, is no more subversive than regular marketing, which he regards as an art.

The interesting thing about this is I am big supporter of science so I am at odds with this science work. Studies on the brain are important, so I guess I would question the ethics and use of the work being done.

The article is a very intersting read with some tips for things we can do to help protect ourselves, but the truth is even for a very aware individual it will be tough to not be a victim. The only tip I would add is that it’s probably best to only shop online when you absolutely need something. Otherwise you are likely to spend.

Along with this I have started to stop shopping at One Day Deal sites. They are just a trap for money. Again you are likely to see and buy something you probably don’t need, unless you have a ton of self control and/or get lucky.

but he never called into the conference number HE sent me or connected to the WebEx meeting that HE setup. It’s strange as this is the second time he has flaked on me. What’s stranger still is my company has not bought any of their products, yet I could foresee more of our data centers using their products. So potentially he had a lot of sales. Not very likely, but still there was a chance.

I waited around for 15 minutes as I had other things to do, then just hung up. I must say that in this economy when many companies are struggling I’m surprised that someone seems to be working incredibly hard not to sell me something.

This is what I found when racking new servers.

I heard the big news today… The Mayan calendar end of the world date has been disproved. My only thought, isn’t that like disproving Harry Potter?

A pretty moving TED Talk from Emmanuel Jal…

Time to finish my certification I started about a year ago.  I’ve let if go for too long. The timing worked out pretty good for me though as I wanted to by some Cisco equipment and now I have funds for such a purchase.

Following this post will hopefully be many more highlighting some key topics as well as tips and tricks within the networking world, but pertaining to the CCNA. I want to start out with a discussion of subnetting and network layouts and move on to more advanced issues.

Enjoy.

This video moved me and I hope you enjoy it too…

I post it because the damage we do to our world is not always easy to see and not immediate. The threat of ocean life only existing in tanks is very real. And the reminder to future generations of how earlier generations didn’t care or wouldn’t change would be staring us right in the face.

If Global Warming is real and scary than what does that make Ocean Acidification?

Video found via Digital Cuttlefish…

So I try to make things more comfortable for my cat and she goes back to the box paper that was in the box. Even though she loves the old fleece too.

And I really cannot stress this enough…

I wish, oh how I wish, he wasn’t an anti vaccination nut or an alternative medicine nut. Really. His bits on his shows on any other topic are pretty brilliant. I don’t agree with him on everything, but his quick comments on political issues are just laugh out load funny.

UPDATE:
PZ Myers has the video that inspired me to write this…
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/10/maher_really_is_a_moron_on_med.php