digitalME

web stuff, etc.

[digital-me-blog]

#electionfinalthoughts

I’m far too exasperated with the state of my homeland to actually express any of my own thoughts on the election via social media, but I have been mildly interested in the barrage of comments, memes, and general goings on of the Twitter-sphere and world of Facebook during this, the most ridiculous spectacle ever to pose as politics: the American Presidential Election 2016.

Today is Election Day, the day we have all been dreading since we realized earlier this year that Donald Trump had somehow become a viable candidate and his only legitimate opposition was Hillary. As we watch a world superpower crash and burn, it may also be interesting to tune into what the American public have to say during these last moments. Enter: #electionfinalthoughts. 

This hashtag has popped up recently, and it’s like a blackhole of sometimes thoughtful, often depressing, slightly hilarious posts by an unbelieving/unbelievable public. I don’t remember any political cycle ever being as divisive or engaging as this one. There’s no question social media has had a massive impact on the proliferation of quick info and even quicker expression of opinion. Ah, American politics—let’s get this over with, shall we?

[digital-me-blog]

Get out of my face.

Google may be the evil empire, but you have to admit they probably know their stuff when it comes to...everything, really. It’s their job to know things, especially in terms of human behavior patterns and technological user experience. 

The all-knowing beast recently announced an adjustment in their website ratings system, which impacts the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of content on the web. Essentially, they’ve publicly stated that pop-ups suck. HALLELUJAH. I’ve been (somewhat unsuccessfully) trying to convince clients that pop-ups are more damaging than helpful FOR YEARS.

Unfortunately, people seem to think that thrusting annoying and often totally unrelated content in user’s faces is the best way to ensure they sell their wares. What usually happens, however, is that the user experience is unceremoniously interrupted, causing annoyance and negative associations with your brand and web presence. Up until now, this has simply been my personal opinion, refuted by most cheesy, lead-generating, totally-out-of-touch sales outfits. And so clients have continued to utilize the pop-up. UGH.

Enter, Google: http://irishtechnews.net/ITN3/what-is-google-telling-us-about-user-experience/

The experts have spoken, folks. And even if you don’t agree, you’d better get on board, or your site’s ranking will plummet. It’s very hard not to say, “I told you so.”

[digital-me-blog]

Remote Life

The advent of the internet has changed daily life considerably—but nothing has impacted me more than the ability to communicate in real time across the globe. Living on a different continent from my family is a big sacrifice, but the choice was made easier thanks to FaceTime, iMessage, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other various ways I keep in touch with my loved ones.

On a practical level, technology has made my dream-scenario lifestyle a reality. For the past two years, I worked in a salaried position for an advertising firm in the U.S. while living in Ireland. The fact that I didn’t have to go into the office every day gave me the flexibility to manage my own time, stay healthy, invest in friendships, and travel whenever I wanted—all while working! My quality of life has never been so high. Now that I’m in school, I work for myself. Digital connectivity has allowed me to take on clients from Chicago to LA to London, while allowing me to stay based in Ireland.

Remote employment is on the rise, and it’s easy to see why. Steve Findlay wrote about his daily life as a remote employee for Irish Tech News (http://irishtechnews.net/ITN3/remote-working-a-personal-insight-by-steve-findley/), offering tips and tricks for making the most of a traveler’s lifestyle. Here’s to hoping more employers see the benefits of geographical flexibility and giving employees the ability to pursue a full life while also doing work they love!

[digital-me-blog]

Algorithmic Accountability

The Guardian article “Facebook and Google: most powerful and secretive empires we have ever known” (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/28/google-facebook-powerful-secretive-empire-transparency) hit on more than one recent and relevant topic of conversation in my own life. The idea that these digital media conglomerates have become too big and too powerful is not new to me—I’ve long heard warnings about the invasion of privacy, biased idealogical influence, and the negative social and psychological impacts of social and digital platforms. The question is, what can we do about it?

Goodman and Powles, the article’s co-authors, suggest that the amount of information (i.e. power) that these companies have is imbalanced and possibly dangerous. They implore the reader to demand accountability, which sounds great, but what does it actually mean? How can I, an average Facebook user, effect change in this arena? Should I delete accounts, go off the grid, commit to only reading newspapers for my daily world event updates? Sorry, not going to happen. 

I wholeheartedly agree that the idea of two corporations essentially controlling my entire informational input each day is scary. I don’t want to be a product of one entity’s ideas, opinions, and agendas! I agree that we should demand more of the services we use so often—but the combination of information source with profit machine is probably a recipe for disaster. That’s not to say “traditional” journalism is completely free of this type of conflict, either. Sensationalism, political and ideological bias, and subtle marketing have been present in print and TV news since their inception. At the end of the day, profit rules. 

Upon further reflection, I trust no one. Time to unplug, move to the forest, and live off the land. BYE. 

[digital-me-blog]

The metaphors that we use – empire, medium, undertow – allude to the power of the all-knowing digital companies. Speaking clearly about this power and its effects is critical. Ultimately, the public needs more voice, more choice, more power. In the near term, we should pursue algorithmic accountability, independent auditing and consumer protection scrutiny, before we lose our agency as a public that is something other than their 'user base.'

The Guardian