text:
namespace {

base::LazyInstance<content_settings::WebsiteSettingsRegistry>
    g_instance = LAZY_INSTANCE_INITIALIZER;

}  // namespace

namespace content_settings {

// static
WebsiteSettingsRegistry* WebsiteSettingsRegistry::GetInstance() {
  return g_instance.Pointer();
}

WebsiteSettingsRegistry::WebsiteSettingsRegistry() {
  website_settings_info_.resize(CONTENT_SETTINGS_NUM_TYPES);

  // TODO(raymes): This registration code should not have to be in a single
  // location. It should be possible to register a setting from the code
  // associated with it.

  // WARNING: The string names of the permissions passed in below are used to
  // generate preference names and should never be changed!

  // Content settings (those with allow/block/ask/etc. values).
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_COOKIES, "cookies",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ALLOW, WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_IMAGES, "images",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ALLOW, WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_JAVASCRIPT, "javascript",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ALLOW, WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_PLUGINS, "plugins",
                         PluginsFieldTrial::GetDefaultPluginsContentSetting(),
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_POPUPS, "popups",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_BLOCK, WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_GEOLOCATION, "geolocation",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ASK, WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_NOTIFICATIONS, "notifications",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ASK, WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_FULLSCREEN, "fullscreen",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ASK, WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_MOUSELOCK, "mouselock",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ASK, WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_MIXEDSCRIPT, "mixed-script",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_DEFAULT,
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_MEDIASTREAM_MIC,
                         "media-stream-mic", CONTENT_SETTING_ASK,
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_MEDIASTREAM_CAMERA,
                         "media-stream-camera", CONTENT_SETTING_ASK,
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_PROTOCOL_HANDLERS,
                         "protocol-handler", CONTENT_SETTING_DEFAULT,
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_PPAPI_BROKER, "ppapi-broker",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ASK, WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_AUTOMATIC_DOWNLOADS,
                         "automatic-downloads", CONTENT_SETTING_ASK,
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_MIDI_SYSEX, "midi-sysex",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ASK, WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_PUSH_MESSAGING, "push-messaging",
                         CONTENT_SETTING_ASK, WebsiteSettingsInfo::SYNCABLE);
#if defined(OS_ANDROID) || defined(OS_CHROMEOS)
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_PROTECTED_MEDIA_IDENTIFIER,
                         "protected-media-identifier", CONTENT_SETTING_ASK,
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE);
#endif
  RegisterContentSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_DURABLE_STORAGE,
                         "durable-storage", CONTENT_SETTING_ASK,
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE);

  // Website settings.
  RegisterWebsiteSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_AUTO_SELECT_CERTIFICATE,
                         "auto-select-certificate",
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::NOT_LOSSY);
  RegisterWebsiteSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_SSL_CERT_DECISIONS,
                         "ssl-cert-decisions", WebsiteSettingsInfo::NOT_LOSSY);
  RegisterWebsiteSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_APP_BANNER, "app-banner",
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::LOSSY);
  RegisterWebsiteSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_SITE_ENGAGEMENT,
                         "site-engagement", WebsiteSettingsInfo::LOSSY);

  // Deprecated.
  RegisterWebsiteSetting(CONTENT_SETTINGS_TYPE_MEDIASTREAM, "media-stream",
                         WebsiteSettingsInfo::NOT_LOSSY);
}

WebsiteSettingsRegistry::~WebsiteSettingsRegistry() {}

const WebsiteSettingsInfo* WebsiteSettingsRegistry::Get(
    ContentSettingsType type) const {
  DCHECK_GE(type, 0);
  DCHECK_LT(type, static_cast<int>(website_settings_info_.size()));
  return website_settings_info_[type];
}

const WebsiteSettingsInfo* WebsiteSettingsRegistry::GetByName(
    const std::string& name) const {
  for (const auto& info : website_settings_info_) {
    if (info && info->name() == name)
      return info;
  }
  return nullptr;
}

void WebsiteSettingsRegistry::RegisterWebsiteSetting(
    ContentSettingsType type,
    const std::string& name,
    WebsiteSettingsInfo::LossyStatus lossy_status) {
  StoreWebsiteSettingsInfo(new WebsiteSettingsInfo(
      type, name, nullptr, WebsiteSettingsInfo::UNSYNCABLE, lossy_status));
}

void WebsiteSettingsRegistry::RegisterContentSetting(
    ContentSettingsType type,
    const std::string& name,
    ContentSetting initial_default_value,
    WebsiteSettingsInfo::SyncStatus sync_status) {
  scoped_ptr<base::Value> default_value(
      new base::FundamentalValue(static_cast<int>(initial_default_value)));
  StoreWebsiteSettingsInfo(
      new WebsiteSettingsInfo(type, name, default_value.Pass(), sync_status,
                              WebsiteSettingsInfo::NOT_LOSSY));
}

void WebsiteSettingsRegistry::StoreWebsiteSettingsInfo(
    WebsiteSettingsInfo* info) {
  DCHECK_GE(info->type(), 0);
  DCHECK_LT(info->type(), static_cast<int>(website_settings_info_.size()));
  website_settings_info_[info->type()] = info;
}

}  // namespace content_settings

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Seven students in Elementary and Middle Grades Education will present their individual classroom-based research projects at the WCU Graduate Research Symposium on March 21st. The students are Elizabeth Anderson, Melissa Strother-Stout, Shelley Graham, Cynthia Margiotta, Nancy McGowan, Melissa Faetz, and Delaney Holloway. They are sponsored by Carrie Rogers, assistant professor of elementary and middle grades.


The Dallas-based company has teamed up with Coral Group to invest in startups developing connected services and platforms.
AT&T will soon invest in connected-service and connected-platform startups via a $200 million investment in a new venture fund.
The Dallas-based technology giant has teamed up with Minnesota-based venture capital firm Coral Group, which has invested in more than 100 technology companies, to aid in identifying and investing in companies. It will work with Coral's Communications Industry Platform team.
The new fund will help AT&T develop solutions for some of the toughest technology challenges, AT&T said in a release on Thursday. "We look forward to collaborating with Coral and other CIP members to find – and even create – startup companies to build disruptive technologies to solve these challenges," Andre Fuetsch, chief technology officer and president of AT&T Labs, said in the release.
AT&T said it will target technologies that run on the Open Network Automation Platform, which is hosted by the Linux Foundation and combines two open-source networking initiatives—one of which was led by AT&T Labs. AT&T currently uses ONAP to manage its cloud network.
The fund is AT&T's latest move to connect with startups. It already works with them via its Foundry innovation centers, one of which is located in Plano and focuses on the Internet of Things, a term that refers to connected devices.


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Posts tagged 'liberty'
I was watching France 24 about half an hour after the Charlie Hebdo attack and made the above graphic a few hours later, in support of press freedoms and the victims' families, and showing solidarity with other members of the media. One friend has made it his Facebook profile photo and I followed suit about a day later.
We have come across the usual, and expected, 'Everyday Muslims should say something and be openly against extremists. Silence means they endorse these actions.'
Some have, of course, but no more than Christians came out to condemn the actions of Protestants and Catholics groups during the Troubles (although at least the IRA told you to get out of a building), or white American Christians came out against the KKK prior to the Civil Rights Movement.
I wonder if there are double standards here.
Perhaps this Muslim writer put it best in a Facebook comment: 'I was just making a larger point about how easy it is to make the assertion and equate "silence" to passive aggression. Most Muslims are from non-English speaking countries. Just because they don't tweet in support and aren't given enough media coverage, doesn't mean they directly/indirectly propagate the oppression conduced by radical Islamists.
'I'm a Muslim who vehemently opposes attacks such as the one in Paris. I can only say this to you because I'm equipped with the privileged circumstances to do so. Most people on this planet (let alone Muslims), do not. Claiming that I have a stake in these attacks, however, is blatantly unfair too.'
I'm not denying that those engaged in acts of terror do so in the name of Islam, just as the Klan proclaims itself a Christian organization. They have been able to spread their hate more readily because of where we are in history, namely in an age of easy movement across borders and the internet. But had the same technology been ready 100 years ago, it isn't hard to imagine Chinese terrorists taking it to the west for what western colonial powers were doing inside China. Would the PLA have been more widespread for the same reasons? Probably. It's hard for me to have it in for any one faith since we're not that far away from doing the same, and the fact we aren't is down to winning the lottery of where, when, and to whom we were born.
I definitely have it in for those who are committing atrocities, and they need to be identified and dealt with. We can debate on whether we have a suitable legal framework to do this, and that is another topic.
Simon Jenkins should have the last word on this topic:
[The terrorists] sought to terrify others and thus to deter continued criticism, and they now seek to reduce the French state to a condition of paranoia. They want to goad otherwise liberal people to illiberal actions …
Osama bin Laden's attacks on the United States, culminating in New York in 2001, were exceptional. Since he could not hope for an American capitulation, the intention must have been to scare the US into a hysterical reaction … [Y]ears of war ensued, years that realised al-Qaida's wildest dreams. Western nations plunged into battle, at a cost of some $3tn. Thousands of lives were lost and regimes were destabilised across the region. Democratic governments lurched towards authoritarianism. Almost willingly, it seemed, governments tore up many of the central tenets of their liberties. In the more belligerent states – the US and Britain – habeas corpus, private communication, legal process and even freedom of speech were curtailed or jeopardised. The forces of state repression suddenly found themselves singing the best tunes.
Bin Laden was handed his triumph. For a decade he was able to rally supporters to his cause. He boasted at the vulnerability of this supposedly superior society. He taunted democracies that claimed immunity from the devious tactics of militant Islam …
Terrorism is no ordinary crime. It depends on consequence. It can kill people and damage property. It can impose cost. But it cannot occupy territory or topple governments. Even to instil fear it requires human enhancement, from the media and politicians.
That is why the most effective response is to meet terrorism on its own terms. It is to refuse to be terrified. It is not to show fear, not to overreact, not to over-publicise the aftermath. It is to treat each event as a passing accident of horror, and leave the perpetrator devoid of further satisfaction. That is the only way to defeat terrorism.
Autocade hit 3,000 models before December 31 was out. The 3,000th: the Renault Espace V.
There are still some big omissions (for instance, all the full-size Japanese sedans, all the Toyota Celicas, and it needs more Corvettes, Ferraris and Maseratis) but a lot of the mainstream model lines are there (all current Geelys, all the Volkswagen Golfs, and more and more current model lines). For a site made primarily out of personal interest, it's doing reasonably well, with a few thousand page views daily.
A quick summary then, based on the stats grabbed in early December:
March 2008: launch
July 2008: 500 (four months for first 500)
December 2009: 1,000 (17 months for second 500)
May 2011: 1,500 (17 months for third 500)
December 2012: 2,000 (19 months for fourth 500)
June 2014: 2,500 (18 months for fifth 500)
December 2014: 3,000 (six months for sixth 500)
April 2011: 1,000,000 page views
March 2012: 2,000,000 page views
May 2013: 3,000,000 page views
January 2014: 4,000,000 page views
September 2014: 5,000,000 page views
Currently, it's on 5,473,963, so the rate is increasing slightly, probably helped by a new Facebook fan page (with a mere 60 members).
We have been chatting about some radical changes to Autocade in 2015. Should this happen, I'll blog about it when I am able.
Finally, the resolution to my problems around Linux was putting Linux Mint 17.1 on to a bootable USB stick using Rufus, which happily (and unlike a lot of programs) does what it says on the tin. (The allotted hard drive space for Ubuntu 13, which was determined when I installed 10, became insufficient for 14, hence the Christmas project of trying to upgrade.) Neither Ubuntu 14 nor Mint 17 allowed itself to be installed without hard drive partitioning—it is not poor memory when I say that Ubuntu 10 presented no such hassles in 2011—and that is too risky based on my computing knowledge while I have data on every hard drive that I need to keep. (Again, this is down to experience: an earlier attempt following instructions—that old bugbear—cost all the data on one hard drive and having to Dial a Geek and pay NZ$100.) I could not put either on to the hard drive I wanted, despite selecting the 'Something else' option. Putting either into a VM Ware virtual machine made little sense, though I tried it at the suggestion of a good friend, only to find that the only screen resolution that was possible was a tiny 640 by 480. (Going into display settings did nothing: it was the only option available; trying to force different ones through the Terminal also failed, while downloading new drivers for the screen did not make any difference.) After hours—possibly even days wasted if you totalled up those hours—none of the usually helpful forums like Ask Ubuntu had answers that matched my circumstances.
The USB set-up is good for me for now, since I do not get that much work done in Linux, but I cannot believe how complicated things had become. As with the browsers I have, there is very little on my computers that is so customized that they would be considered extraordinary—I do not have those computing skills to make changes at that level—so it makes me wonder why there is such a gulf between the claims and the reality when it comes to software, constantly. Yosemite taking 12 hours to upgrade, browsers that stopped displaying text, and now Linux requiring a computing degree to install, aren't good signs for the computing industry.
Unless you are in the support business, then they are wonderful signs for the computing industry.
Tags: 2015, Autocade, computing, crime, France, freedom, Islamophobia, JY&A Media, law, liberty, Linux, Linux Mint, magazine, Paris, prejudice, press freedom, publishing, religion, terrorism, Ubuntu
Posted in media, politics, publishing, technology, UK, USA | 3 Comments »
When it comes to mass surveillance, forget specificity
Be careful what you say on social media in Britain.
English law permits mass surveillance of the big social media platforms, according to Charles Farr, the director-general of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, in a statement published last week responding to a case brought by Privacy International, Liberty, Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union, Bytes for All, and five other national civil liberties' organizations.
While communications between British residents can only be monitored pursuant to a specific warrant, those that qualify as 'external communications' can be monitored under a general one, under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
Since most social networks are US-based, they qualify as external.
'British residents are being deprived of the essential safeguards that would otherwise be applied to their communications—simply because they are using services that are based outside the UK,' says Privacy International.
'Such an approach suggests that GCHQ believes it is entitled to indiscriminately intercept all communications in and out of the UK.'
One Conservative MP, David Davis, accuses 'the agencies and the Home Office' of hoodwinking the Commons, although Farr says the matter was expressly raised in the House of Lords, according to The Guardian.
It was evident in 2000 that there was an international element to electronic communications. After all, telexes had been with us for decades, and emails were mainstream in the 1990s.
None of this would have been brought to light without the revelations from Edward Snowden and the subsequent legal challenge at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, on the grounds that 'The absence of [a legal framework under which surveillance of citizens takes place] appears to be in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights, Article 8, which provides the right to privacy and personal communications, and Article 10, which provides the right to freedom of expression.'
If the decision of the Tribunal falls on the side of the civil liberties' groups, then that could be useful to similar groups here. We've already seen the Court of Appeal find the arguments of the Attorney-General more compelling than those of Kim Dotcom and others when it comes to balancing search warrants and the right against unreasonable search and seizure in the Bill of Rights Act 1990. While not directly related, pragmatism outweighed specificity, and it's not a step, I imagine, that proponents of the Act would feel at ease with.
When it comes to foreign powers exerting influence on our agencies here, especially with indictments that were so grand for what is, at its core, a civil copyright case, one would have expected specificity would be a requirement. I also would have expected such agencies to have the legal experts who would have used very tight language in an international case against a foreign national.
The worrying trend with both scenarios is that things are taking place against citizens as though they were a matter of course, not subject to state agencies taking great care and being aware of individual human rights.
As communications are global today, then the frameworks need to start from the point of the view of the individual and protections afforded to one.
Here, s. 21 of the Bill of Rights Act 1990 should protect citizens when it comes to reasonable expectations of privacy, and cases tend to start from the interest of the person, who must be informed of the search or surveillance.
The distinction between domestic and 'external' has not existed for years: all our websites, for instance, have been hosted abroad since we went online in the 1990s. Anyone who has used Gmail, Hotmail, Zoho and its rivals would be using external communications. Yet I do not know of anyone who would have consented to surveillance without grounds for suspicion, and laws need to balance the external requirement—where threats are perceived to come from—with the expectation of privacy individuals have on everyday communications.
The Search and Surveillance Act 2012 is tempered perhaps by the tort of privacy and some precedent, but it's the new Government Communications Security Bureau Amendment Act 2013 that generates similar worries to those in Britain, because specificity has gone out the window.
We already have had an Attorney-General claim wrongly during the bill's second reading, 'As I say, this bill does not represent an extension of powers but a clarification,' when even a casual comparison between the 2003 act and the new one suggests a marked increase of powers. The Prime Minister has suggested similarly in saying that it was incorrect that the 'GCSB will be able to wholesale spy on New Zealanders.'
The requirement for the GCSB's monitoring of foreign intelligence has been removed in s. 8B, and any intelligence it gathers in the performance of the section is not subject to the protections afforded to New Zealanders under s. 14. Under s. 15A (1), the 'interception warrants' can apply to a class of people, covering all communications sent to or from abroad. These warrants can be very general, no threat to national security is required, thus eroding the expectation of privacy that New Zealanders have.
The process through which the bill went through Parliament was disgraceful. Dame Anne Salmond noted:
During the public debate on the GCSB bill, Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Dr. Rodney Harrison QC spoke out about its constitutional implications, while I addressed its implications for democratic rights and freedoms in New Zealand.
In reply, the Attorney-General made ad hominem attacks on Harrison, me, Sir Geoffrey and other critics of the legislation during the debate on the GCSB bill, under Parliamentary privilege, and without answering the concerns that had been raised.
These attacks on independent agencies and offices, and on individuals suggest a campaign of intimidation, aimed at deterring all those who oppose the erosion of human rights in New Zealand from speaking out, and making them afraid to 'put their heads above the parapet'.
If we think our laws could protect us against the sort of mass surveillance that is legal in Britain, then we are kidding ourselves. By my reading, interception warrants can take place under the flimsiest of reasons, almost in a desperate attempt to catch up with these other jurisdictions, rather than considering New Zealand values and what our country stands for.
If Britain is successful at amending the scope of RIPA 2000, then that would be a useful first step in redressing the balance, acknowledging that communication is global, and that citizens should have their privacy respected.
One hopes such action inspires New Zealanders to follow the path of Privacy International and others in questioning our government's expanded surveillance powers over us. Those who are already leading the charge, I take my hat off to you.
Tags: ACLU, Amnesty International, Bytes for All, Chris Finlayson, civil liberties, email, England, Facebook, Gmail, Google, human rights, John Key, Kim Dotcom, law, liberty, New Zealand, Pakistan, politics, privacy, Privacy International, social media, UK, USA
Posted in globalization, internet, New Zealand, politics, technology, UK, USA | 1 Comment »
Even as Liu Xiaobo gets a Nobel prize, Beijing can be smug
As I watched actress Liv Ullmann read Liu Xiaobo's address, 'I Have No Enemies', on BBC World, I was quite moved.
The address is what the Nobel Prize-winning author and intellectual delivered prior to his sentencing by a Red Chinese court for subversion.
What is fascinating is the dignity with which the words are written, showing respect even to his prosecutors.
Liu even discusses how the human rights in the prison at which he is held have greatly improved since the first time he was locked up there, saying that the 'enemy mentality' that Red China once held is disappearing in favour of a more humanist approach.
Given that he knew he would be found guilty just before Christmas 2009, the address is remarkable for the hints of optimism he holds for his country.
Liu Xiaobo will not, by himself, see through a wholesale change in the way the Communist Party is running mainland China, but he is representative of many forces which will, some day, make the country freer and more open.
He is also representative of the area with occident and orient disagree: human rights. While those campaigning for Liu's release should not stop, his address puts a lot of things into context.
Mainland China, as it opens up, has tried to find a balance between governmental intervention and the market-place. Even Confucius has been partially recognized by the Politburo as a way to reinforce the state's position, somehow reinterpreted along the lines of: we bring you prosperity, you give us your loyalty.
As much as the internet is patrolled, there is a tendency for people to wish to be more free, and blacking out TV screens behind the Bamboo Curtain or resorting to censorship simply makes people wonder what they are missing.
Where the country might yet succeed, however, is keeping a firm hand on change. Instead of the rush that saw to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Beijing is being pragmatic. As unbridled globalization and a corrupt, conspiratorial financial system has seen to two economic downturns in the last decade, and as the US's politics move to extremes, the occident is giving fuel to Beijing's methods. That's not something that we should feel happy about, nor should we tolerate our commerce being run to further class structures in our societies.
Liu has been likened to Nelson Mandela by Nobel committee chairman Thorbjørn Jagland. Mandela made a similar speech on the eve of being sentenced to treason in 1964. While Liu has his supporters, and I do not proclaim to be any expert on South African history, my feeling is that the former president was known to far more of his own people. There are also other differences to the other Nobel winners who have not been able to attend, be they Carl von Ossietzky, Andrei Sakharov, Lech Walesa and Aung San Suu Kyi.
The chief difference is that fewer of us living in the occident in 2010 can be as smug or as preachy. While I support calls for Liu Xiaobo to be released—the jailing of a man exercising the same rights you and I do in criticizing our governments shows, in my mind, the weakness and insecurity of the critiqued régime—there is a real lesson for the rest of us.
We cannot be in a position to insist on change if we keep supporting governments that weaken our own approaches to human rights. If we vote in a government that widens the distance between rich and poor—and history has more than often shown us which do—then we are letting down our most downtrodden citizens. If we fail to tidy up the mess our business sectors have left in their wake, then we are simply allowing their mistakes to recur.
For every failure we chalk up because we let things remain the way they are, the more Beijing's politicians can sit back and accuse us of hypocrisy.
Tags: 2010, author, capitalism, China, Confucianism, freedom, globalization, history, human rights, liberty, Nelson Mandela, news, Nobel Prize, Norway, Oslo, politics, press freedoms, Red China, South Africa, technocracy, USSR
Posted in China, culture, internet, media, politics | 17 Comments »
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text:
a personal commentary on an eclectic movie collection
Tag Archives: dog competitions
22. Best In Show
By kaneseligsohn
Smiley Rating:
Have you ever seen that zany Errol Morris documentary, Gates of Heaven, the one about the pet cemetery and the people who have their pets buried there? Well, if you haven't seen it, and if you like the documentary format in particular, you might want to check it out. But the actual reason why I mention that movie is because just like this movie, Best In Show (Christopher Guest, 2000), it's central theme is coping. Yes, Best In Show has an extremely amusing context about a colorful cast of character's entering their dogs in a competition, but underneath that, it's really about coping. It's about people coping with people, mostly, but it's also about dogs coping with people. And ironically, how dogs (or any other pets for that matter) allow people to cope more effectively in the first place. Basically, there's a lot of coping going on.
And behind all of this coping is the usual cast of brilliant comic actors who always seem to find themselves in Christopher Guest movies. Jane Lynch is great. Jennifer Coolidge is great. Catherine O'Hara is great. John Michael Higgins is great. Michael McKean is great. Parker Posey is great. They're all great. They all have their moments. Especially Fred Willard who provides a volcanic amount of humor somewhere after the halfway point. It's nonstop and it's hysterical. "Tell me, do you know the difference between a rectal thermometer and a tongue depressor?"
But there's a performance here in particular that I wanted to point out, and that is Christopher Guest's. While watching Best in Show it occurred to me— and I could be wrong about this— but it occurred to me that he seems to the most chameleon-like of all the actors in this cast. By that, I mean, he's consistently the most unrecognizable. He seems to disappear into his roles slightly more so than the rest, physically speaking. Which isn't to say that the other actors don't play a variety of diverse roles, because they certainly do. And it also isn't to say that Christopher Guest is always the funniest character, because he isn't, and he isn't in this movie either. In fact, his character comes off as a bit sad to me. He's very likeable. He's cordial and he's nice. But there's a visible tinge of loneliness and sadness throughout, especially in the ventriloquist scenes. I guess you could say he's coping with loneliness (aren't we all), and luckily, at the end of the day, he has his dog to cope with.
Leave a comment	| tags: Best In Show, catherine o hara, Christopher Guest, christopher guest movies, comedy, coping, dog competitions, dogs, entertainment, Fred Willard, Jane Lynch, john michael higgins, mockumentary, movie review, oscars, parker posey	| posted in Movie Review
27. Boogie Nights
26. Blood Simple
25. The Birds
24. The Big Lebowski
23. Big Fish


Usually we choose the density 1.95g/cm3 -2.2g/cm3 graphite material to produce.
Graphite Carbon Vane is widely used in various machinery equipment. For a variety of dry running compressor impeller,oxygen machines, vacuum pumps, compressors, dispensers and printing and packaging equipment.
3. Strong resistance to chemical corrosion.
We usually quote within 24 hours after getting your detailed requirements,like size,quantity etc. .
If it is an urgent order, you can call us directly.
Yes, samples are available for you to check our quality.
Samples delivery time will be about 3-10 days.
3.What about the lead time for mass product?
The lead time is based on the quantity,about 7-12days.For graphite product,apply Dual-use items license need about 15-20working days.
We accept FOB, CFR, CIF, EXW, etc. You can choose the most convenient way for you.
Besides that, we can also shipping by Air and Express.
We are packed in wooden cases, or according to your requirements.
The actual price will depends on raw materials ,exchange rate ,wage and your order quantity .
Hope to cooperation with you,Thanks !


text:
Back to Journals » Vascular Health and Risk Management » Volume 11
Are the current recommendations for the use of aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease applicable in low-income countries?
Authors Noubiap JJN, Nansseu JR
Published 25 August 2015 Volume 2015:11 Pages 503—506
Peer reviewers approved by Dr Amudha Kadirvelu
Editor who approved publication: Professor Daniel Duprez
Jean Jacques N Noubiap,1,2 Jobert Richie N Nansseu3,4
1Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; 2Medical Diagnostic Center, Yaoundé, Cameroon; 3Sickle Cell Disease Unit, Mother and Child Centre, Chantal BIYA Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon; 4Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Abstract: Although evidence has accumulated that long-term aspirin therapy is beneficial in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), a lot of controversies persist regarding the benefit of aspirin use in primary prevention of CVD. In low-income countries (LIC) specifically, the decision to prescribe aspirin for primary CVD prevention is more problematic, as there is a dearth of evidence in this regard. Aspirin has been shown to have relative beneficial effects in preventing a first myocardial infarction, but not stroke. However, as stroke is the prevailing CVD in many LIC, especially in Africa, the benefit of aspirin in these settings is therefore questionable. Indeed, there is no published trial that has evaluated the benefits and risks of continuous aspirin therapy in populations of LIC. Furthermore, though cardiovascular risk assessment is crucial in decision-making for the use of aspirin in primary prevention of CVD, there are no risk assessment tools that have been validated in African populations. Studies are urgently warranted, to determine the usefulness of aspirin in primary prevention of CVD in low-income settings where the drug is highly available and affordable, as CVD is becoming the leading cause of deaths in LIC.
Keywords: aspirin, cardiovascular disease, primary prevention, low-income countries


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Walt Whitman Poetry: American Poets Analysis
Walt Whitman American Literature Analysis
What makes Walt Whitman a symbol of America as a nation?
jihyunkim67 | Certified Educator
write78 answers
starTop subjects are Literature, Science, and Business
Walt Whitman is just about everybody's candidate for "greatest American poet," although few people would have agreed to that judgment in the 19th century. Whitman's explosive new vision—of poetic language, of the common man and woman, of America as a new subject for poetry, of the nature and power of the body, of the strange beauty and appeal of the modern city, of the ubiquity of death as an informing spirit, of the bond with the reader, and of democracy itself—has so stamped our view of these matters that it is hard to realize how new they appeared in mid-19th-century America.
Even though Leaves of Grass , which first appeared in 1855, looks as though it were literally prescribed by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American public at large, and the polite New England critics in particular, were shocked by the rowdiness and explicit sexuality of these poems. Americans have all grown up with Whitman's celebration of America, but it is sometimes hard to get clear of the view of a facile Whitman, a jovial, all-embracing poet whose work seems to ignore the subtleties and complexities of national and personal life. Yet we see that Whitman is more various than we think, that his muscular optimism is balanced by a surprising precariousness, and that his call for universal brotherhood and empathy is matched by a strange sense of distance and mystery. He is also very funny and very smart, about his country (America) and about his poetry. Perhaps the Whitman signature is best found in the special...
What is the theme of Walt Whitman's poem "I Hear America Singing"?
What are some traits of Walt Whitman's poetic style?
What is a summary of "I Sit and Look Out" by Walt Whitman?
What is Walt Whitman's greatest contribution to American literature?What is Walt Whitman's...
"I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman What key word is repeated by the speaker? What is the...
What is the tone, imagery, metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, and a prefix or suffix used...
What is meant by Walt Whitman's "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I...
What is the main theme of the poem "O Me! O Life"?
What are the main themes developed by Whitman in the poem "O Captain"?
What are the figures of speech in "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman?
Walt Whitman Biography
Walt Whitman Analysis
Walt Whitman Lesson Plans


text:
#ifndef itkBlockMatchingMultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand_h
#define itkBlockMatchingMultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand_h

#include "itkBlockMatchingMultiResolutionIterationCommand.h"

#include "itkImageFileWriter.h"

namespace itk
{
namespace BlockMatching
{

/** \class MultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand
 *
 * \brief Write the search region images size images for each level.
 *
 * \ingroup Ultrasound
 * */
template <typename TMultiResolutionMethod>
class MultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand : public MultiResolutionIterationCommand<TMultiResolutionMethod>
{
public:
  ITK_DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(MultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand);

  using Self = MultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand;
  using Superclass = MultiResolutionIterationCommand<TMultiResolutionMethod>;
  using Pointer = SmartPointer<Self>;

  itkNewMacro(Self);

  void
  Execute(itk::Object * caller, const itk::EventObject & event) override
  {
    Execute((const itk::Object *)caller, event);
  }

  void
  Execute(const itk::Object * object, const itk::EventObject & event) override;

  using MultiResolutionMethodType = TMultiResolutionMethod;

  using SearchRegionImageSourceType = typename MultiResolutionMethodType::SearchRegionImageSourceType;
  using SearchRegionImageType = typename SearchRegionImageSourceType::OutputImageType;
  using SearchRegionType = typename SearchRegionImageType::PixelType;

  using SearchRegionImageComponentType = Image<unsigned short, 2>;
  using SearchRegionImageComponentPointer = SearchRegionImageComponentType::Pointer;

  using SearchRegionComponentWriterType = ImageFileWriter<SearchRegionImageComponentType>;

  itkSetStringMacro(OutputFilePrefix);
  itkGetConstMacro(OutputFilePrefix, std::string);

protected:
  MultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand();
  ~MultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand() override = default;

  SearchRegionImageComponentPointer        m_SearchRegionImageComponent;
  SearchRegionComponentWriterType::Pointer m_SearchRegionComponentWriter;

  std::string m_OutputFilePrefix;

private:
};

} // end namespace BlockMatching
} // end namespace itk

#include "itkBlockMatchingMultiResolutionSearchRegionWriterCommand.hxx"

#endif


text:
Music and Headphones: What's a Safe Volume?
September 21, 2022 | Audiology Services of Chattanooga | Hearing Loss Articles
Aiden enjoys music. He listens to Spotify while at work, switches to Pandora when jogging, and he has a playlist for everything: cardio, cooking, video games, you name it. Everything in his life has a soundtrack and it's playing on his headphones. But the very thing that Aiden loves, the loud, immersive music, could be causing lasting harm to his hearing.
There are ways to listen to music that are safe for your ears and ways that aren't so safe. But the more hazardous listening option is frequently the one most of us use.
How can listening to music lead to hearing loss?
As time passes, loud noises can lead to degeneration of your hearing abilities. Normally, we think of aging as the primary cause of hearing loss, but more and more research indicates that it's really the accumulation of noise-induced damage that is the problem here and not anything inherent in the process of aging.
Younger ears that are still developing are, as it turns out, more susceptible to noise-induced damage. And yet, the long-term harm from high volume is more likely to be disregarded by young adults. So because of extensive high volume headphone usage, there has become an epidemic of hearing loss in younger individuals.
Can you listen to music safely?
It's obviously dangerous to listen to music on max volume. But there is a safer way to enjoy your tunes, and it usually involves turning down the volume. The general recommendations for safe volumes are:
For adults: Keep the volume at no more than 80dB and for no more than 40 hours per week..
For teens and young children: 40 hours is still okay but reduce the volume to 75dB.
About five hours and forty minutes per day will be about forty hours a week. Though that may seem like a long time, it can seem to pass rather quickly. But we're conditioned to keep track of time our entire lives so most of us are pretty good at it.
Keeping track of volume is a little less user-friendly. Volume isn't measured in decibels on most smart devices like TVs, computers, and smartphones. Each device has its own arbitrary scale. It may be 1-100. Or it could be 1-10. You may not have a clue how close to max volume you are or even what max volume on your device is.
How can you track the volume of your tunes?
There are a few non-intrusive, simple ways to figure out just how loud the volume on your music actually is, because it's not very easy for us to contemplate what 80dB sounds like. It's even harder to determine the difference between 80 and 75dB.
So using one of the numerous noise free monitoring apps is highly advisable. These apps, generally available for both iPhone and Android devices, will provide you with8 real-time readouts on the noises around you. That way you can track the dB level of your music in real-time and make adjustments. Your smartphone will, with the correct settings, let you know when the volume goes too high.
As loud as a garbage disposal
Your garbage disposal or dishwasher is generally about 80 decibels. That's not too loud. It's an important observation because 80dB is about as loud as your ears can handle without damage.
So you'll want to be extra mindful of those times when you're moving beyond that decibel threshold. And limit your exposure if you do listen to music over 80dB. Maybe limit loud listening to a song instead of an album.
Listening to music at a loud volume can and will cause you to develop hearing issues over the long run. Hearing loss and tinnitus can be the result. Your decision making will be more informed the more aware you are of when you're entering the danger zone. And hopefully, those decisions lean towards safer listening.
Give us a call if you still have questions about the safety of your ears.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment


Highlight Installation and press T. If this package is used in a product, Eric Young should be given attribution as the author of the parts of the library used. Dell agrees and you agree to waive, to the maximum extent permitted by law, any right to a jury trial with respect to the Software or this Agreement. The lamp unit door is provided with an interlock to reduce the risk of electric shock and excessive ultraviolet radiation. Lights were going through the reboot process as designed for 8 attempts before it went to the solid red light. The format of the image in any of the picture sizes will vary depending on the format of the signal you are currently watching.
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Sectional sofas are large pieces of furniture that can be divided into separate pieces, which makes it easier to move and rearrange them. These sections are usually joined together with some type of clamp mechanism, so separating the sections simply means separating the clamp from the pin.
Remove the cushions. Take all of the cushions off the sectional sofa before you begin separating it.
You can technically separate the sofa sections while the cushions are still on the piece of furniture, but doing so can be more difficult since the cushions usually cover the area you will need to grab and work with.
Keep the cushions nearby and keep track of which cushions belong to which section of the sofa.
Grab the corner. Locate the corner section of the sectional sofa. Find the lip running around the top perimeter of the corner piece and slide your fingers beneath it.
Placing your fingers here will give you the greatest amount of leverage when you lift up the corner section. For best results, position your fingers beneath the corner section lip along the edge it shares with the detachable section.
Lift the corner up. Lift the lip of the corner piece straight up. The entire corner piece should lift up and out of the sectional jaw clamps.
Note that most sectional sofas use jaw clamps, but some may use other clamp-and-pin style attachments. Regardless of the exact hardware used, the procedure for detaching the pieces should be the same.
The pin mechanism is usually attached to the corner section, so when you lift the corner up, that pin should slide up and out of the clamp attached to the detachable section. If this does not work, it is possible that the pin is attached to the detachable section. Try lifting up the detachable section instead of the corner.
Pull the section away. Move to the sofa section previously attached to the corner piece and grab the outer edge. Pull this edge straight out to pull the section away from the rest of the sofa.
It will be easiest to pull the section away if you are pulling from the edge opposite the jaw clamp side.
Note that the clamp portion of the jaw clamp may fall out as you slide the section away. This is fine, but you will need to remember that the clamp is loose while moving the section to avoid damaging any walls or other surfaces.
Repeat as needed. If your sofa has more than one detachable section, you will need to pull each section away separately.
If each detachable section was originally connected to the corner piece, they will usually separate from the corner simultaneously once you lift the corner up. If the detachable sections are all connected at different places, however, you will need to lift each connection away separately.
Once the clamps and pins are separated, you should be able to move the sofa sections around as desired.
After separating the sofa sections, rearrange the sofa as desired and join the sections back together as needed. Place the cushions back on the sofa when finished.
Remove the cushions. If there are any cushions on your sections before you join them, temporarily take those cushions off before connecting the sections together.
Taking the cushions off will make it easier to see what you are doing while joining the sections. You can technically join the sections together with the cushions on, but doing so is not recommended.
It is best to keep the cushions nearby as you work. Make sure that you remember which cushion belongs to which sofa section.
Locate the pins. Find the sectional jaw clamps on both connecting sections. Arrange the separated sections so that these clamps line up with one another.
Make sure that you know which section has the "pin" side of the clamp and which has the actual "clamp" side.
If the clamps lie flat against the sofa sections, you do not need to make any changes to them before joining the sections together.
If the sectional sofa has clamps that extend outward, make sure that these clamps are parallel to the base of the section before joining the sections together. These types of jaw clamps tend to fall down when you separate the sofas, so you will likely need to straighten them up each time you want to reconnect the sections.
Slide the pins together. Lift the pin-side section up and push it directly next to the clamp-side section. Press the pin-side section down until the pin snaps into the clamp of the adjacent section.
The pin-side section is usually the corner piece, so the corner is usually the section you will need to lift and move.
Note that for some outward facing clamps, you do not need to lift the section to join it to its adjacent piece. You might be able to simply push the clamp into the pin while both sections are flat on the ground.
Regardless of how the clamp works, you should wait until you hear an audible "click" or until both sections appear perfectly level before you stop pushing the clamp together.
Repeat as needed. If your sofa has multiple detached sections, you will need to join each section together one at a time.
It is best to connect the heaviest or largest sections together first. Join the smallest section to the sofa last.
Some pieces may have both pin-side and clamp-side hardware on them, so you will need to make sure that you line up the correct side with the adjacent section based on which type of hardware is on that adjacent section.
Replace the cushions. Now that the sections have been joined, you should place the cushions back on the sofa sections.
Once the cushions are back in place, the sectional sofa should be ready to use.
When arranging sectional sofas, make sure that none of the extensions block any walkways or doorways.
For the sake of aesthetics, it is usually best to keep the sectional sofa joined instead of breaking it up and placing the different sections around the room. Sectional sofas also tend to look best when placed in the center of the room instead of being pushed against a wall.
wikiHow is a "wiki," similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 67,613 times.


text:
Information for Service Providers
Community Social Services Sector Innovation & Sustainability Roundtable
Service Provider Portal
Youth Engagement Toolkit
Contract Management Training
CSP - News and Events
Training Pilot for Social Service Contract Management & Procurement
The Northern Contract Training Pilot provided Ministry of Children and Family Development specific training on procurement and contract management for both ministry staff and service providers in the northern part of the province.
The goal of the training pilot was to:
Strengthen and standardize procurement and contract management practices
Address specific challenges faced in the north, such as seasonal weather conditions, prohibitive travel costs and staff turnover
Review the pilot project outcomes as of March 2016 (PDF)
Introduction & Purpose
Introduction to the Training Pilot
The two facilitators, Neil Rich and Liz Busch, introduce themselves. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Describes the purpose of the course and videos. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Overview of BC Bid Resources
About BC Bid
Introduces the BC Bid Resources website, which contains considerable information on procurement and contract management for the Province of BC.
Describes the principles that impact how the Ministry of Children and Family Development contracts with service providers. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Legislation Overview
A brief overview of the main Acts that impact how the government acquires goods, services and construction from vendors. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Three videos which provide an overview of Contract A and Contract B, and how this case law impacts the competitive solicitation process. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Legal Duties
Legal Duties and Obligations
An overview of legal obligations for the ministry and service providers. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Describes the importance of transparency when contracting, and the three-year opportunity notice posted by government. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Transparency & Core Policy
Core Policy
An overview of corporate policy impacting how ministries contract, including how this impacted by the contract value thresholds. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Identifies the current applicable trade agreements and explains the impact on government policy and practice. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Direct Awards
This video describes when ministries can direct award a contract without a competitive process. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Online Contract Management Manual
Contract Management Manual
Provides an overview of the Ministry of Children and Family Developments' manual containing information for both ministry staff and service providers under contract with the Ministry. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Organizational Structure, Roles & Effective Working Relationships
A discussion on the roles of the Ministry of Children and Family Development and contracted service providers for the delivery of social services. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Effective Working Relationships
A discussion on how effective relationships between signatories to a contract are established and what can get in the way. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Contract Monitoring
Information on what all parties should understand about contract monitoring. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Challenges with Contractual Relationships & Conflict Management
Challenges with Contractual Relationships
An in-depth examination of the challenges that both sides to a contractual relationship can experience in a social service context. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
A definition of conflict and advice on how to manage it. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Ethics & Standards of Conduct
Ethics & Standards of Conflict
A review of the ethics and standards that apply when government contracts for goods, services and construction. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Confidentiality, Releasable Info & Documents, and Conflict of Interest
A case study on how to recognize and manage real or perceived conflicts of interest in an evaluation situation. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Releasable Information & Documents
Explains where to find guidance on what information can be provided when asked versus what requires a formal request, and how this impacts debriefs and potential vendor complaints. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Explains the importance of recognizing confidential information and how it should be treated. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Procurement Lifecycle
A brief overview of the parts that make up the full procurement lifecycle. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Describes the steps for planning to contract, including the importance of developing a clear description of needs. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Employee Employer Relationships
This video describes where more information can be found to determine if a contract may create an employer/employee relationship.
Market Identification & Assessment
Explains the purpose of Requests for Expression of Interest (RFEI), Requests for Information (RFI) and Requests for Qualifications (RFQ). Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Notices of Intent
Notice of Intent (NOI)
Explains when a Notice of Intent (NOI) is required, and what they mean for service providers. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Triggering a Solicitation Process, Solicitation Types & Preparing Solicitation Documents
Triggering a Solicitation Process
A description of the various solicitations that are used by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Solicitation Types
A brief overview of what should be included in a solicitation document, and what service providers should do if the information isn't there. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Preparing Solicitation Documents
Factors that service providers should consider when deciding whether or not to participate in a competitive solicitation. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Service Providers' Decision
Explains how service providers can ask questions while a competitive process is open, and how those questions are answered. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Questions & Addenda
A brief overview of the documents that government should keep for its competitive solicitation processes. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Solicitation Documents to Retain
Managing Close Score & Scoring Methodology
Managing Close Scores
A case study, from the perspective of the government as well as participating service providers, on how to manage a competitive solicitation when the highest score and second highest are very close. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Guidance on one type of scoring methodology that can be used to evaluate submissions to a competitive procurement. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
This video explains direct award contracts, the process, and negotiation. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Contract Administration & Monitoring
Once an agreement is signed, contract administration and monitoring begins. Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Post-Contract Evaluation
Post contract evaluations are supposed to be done on service contracts that have a value of $50,000 or more. This video answers the question "When do we evaluate?". Uploaded on Feb 2, 2016
Getting Contracts
Search for contract opportunities on BC Bid
Doing business with the B.C. government
BC Association for Child Development and Intervention
Community Social Services Employer's Association (CSSEA)
Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC)
Labour Relations Board
Government transfer policy
If you have questions about contracting with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, please connect with us.


The ultimate in New Zealand tours, Tauck's New Zealand-only trip offers an in-depth look at this beautiful country from Wellington to Auckland. As a Tauck Exclusive, travel aboard our exclusive air charters as you enjoy fabulous travel experiences throughout the North and South Islands. Make cultural connections as you explore Maori traditions; explore your adventurous side on a jet boat cruise; travel by helicopter to the top of Bob's Peak in Queenstown; pamper your palate on a green-lipped mussel and wine cruise on the Marlborough Sounds, lunch at a winery known for its Pinot Noir and lakeside views, and a wine tasting on Waiheke Island; and view some amazing natural wonders from the glacier-carved cliffs of Milford Sound to stunning Lake Wakatipu.


text:
Chapter 5: Openness, 8 areas of Openness (areas 1-4)
will mcinnes	Culture Shock	 January 31, 2012 15 Minutes
Hello people,
There was an intermission while I made some serious progress on writing the book over Christmas, and then I had a trip to the USA.
But now I will be regularly publishing 3 or so extracts a week and would love your continued feedback and sharing.
General progress is quite exciting as the cover design has now been commissioned, and when I get some early designs I'll be sharing them here.
Today, we're breaking Openness down into 8 chunks – here's the first 4.
Let me know what you think,
To understand how contemporary organisations are more open, we need to look at eight distinct areas of openness.
The eight areas of Openness
1. Culture & behaviour
2. Environment
3. Systems
4. Innovation
6. Marketing and communications
To discuss openness meaningfully, we need to start with your (or any) organisation's culture and behaviour. There's a reason why this book is called Culture Shock, and that is because so many of the adaptations that need to happen and the opportunities that are available are cultural. The following six domains on this list all interact with culture – they create it and they are created by it, the are all interlinked. But culture is like the glue binding them all together, which is why it is first.
So what does an open culture look like? Here's a checklist; as you read through it, think about your own organisation and where you are.
In an open culture:
• Almost all information is available to almost all members of the organisation – there are few secrets and it is easy to get the information you need.
• People across the whole organisation are open about their emotions – there is little disguising or hiding of true feelings
• Collaboration is a natural state, both within distinct organisational structures (like teams and divisions) and across them – there is little evidence of silos and no problem with people hoarding knowledge and protecting turf
• The organisation collaborates as well as competes with its competitors – there is a nuanced view that competitors are also valuable collaborators who help build the market and ongoing joint projects
Interestingly the trend towards openness is also affecting our organisations internal environments, and has been – along with other trends over the past decades like those of global competition and the associated pressures for some companies to drive down costs in order to compete – is beginning to transform how our workspaces look and operate.
Some of the emerging elements of these changing working environments include:
A shift from closed offices and cubicles to more shared spaces. Increasingly organisations are re-designing their spaces to have more 'third spaces' as Starbucks described themselves – that is, casual, comfortable, collaborative spaces like coffee shops, sofa areas and open plan spaces suited to informal meetings and conversations.
A shift from fixed desk spaces for all towards more hot-desking and even co-working. For several decades this has been happening, and many people have experienced both the pluses and the minuses of hot-desking. The next iteration of this trend is co-working: collaborative, shared workspaces for freelancers, independents and distributed employees who would otherwise work from home or alone in solo office spaces. What is particularly interesting about co-working spaces is how they physically design-in the opportunities for cross-over, serendipity and formal collaboration that we look at in the area of Innovation just a little bit further on in this list. In a co-working space, an architect sits next to a web developer, who sits across from a medical instruments sales rep, who shares a desk space with their illustrator partner. Co-working is the physical manifestation of a blended, connected, loosely connected workforce.
A shift from 'the company provides the best technology' to an emerging 'Bring Your Own' approach. Not long ago, the technology at work was pretty good and often better than that which most of us had access to at home. Over the past decade, that balance has inverted – many employees in developed and developing countries have better technology in their pockets and their home-offices than they are made to use at work! We are just starting to see intelligent organisations moving to harness this trend, with an emerging movement towards 'here's your tech budget, here's an approved list of technology that will play nice with company systems – go choose the tools that are best for you and your job'.
A shift from company firewalls preventing access to large chunks of the web to an opening up of permission and a corresponding move towards IT as enablers rather than policers. When I worked in a traditional business in my first and (so far) only 'proper' job, it quickly became obvious that IT were gatekeepers. Theoretically there to serve the organisation, the IT manager wielded an unusual amount of power and seemed to revel in making things difficult. As an aside, he meant well, and did actually wear Disney ties – some stereotypes are true! Fortunately, times have changed in some organisations and there are those in IT who see themselves not only as gatekeepers and managers of security, but also as enablers of business results. As a result, in some organisations there is an enlightened recognition that employees need access to almost all of the web in order to carry out their lives and often to do their jobs too. The 'Bring Your Own' tech approach above is also a pretty enlightened trend. Long may the shift from IT as police to enablers continue! We look at this in more detail in Chapter Six on Technology.
Do you remember when Google Maps first came into your world? Suddenly, Google Maps was everywhere. It was the backdrop for news items on TV as the presenter introduced a piece about Iraq or Iowa – there was this big fat sattelite-y map and in the corner the Google Maps logo. It was soon popping up on other organisations' websites – there, in the middle of an otherwise branded web page, was a Google Map of their office location. And then entirely new services popped up plotting all sorts of interesting property or crime or weather data onto a map that just happened to be a Google Map.
What Google had done so brilliantly was to build openness into the heart of their Google Map product. This was a map that came with a plug and a set of rules that said 'hey, as long as you follow these rules, you can come along and plug into me and have a Google Map as part of your service and for free'.
You see, somewhat fascinatingly for non-technical geeks like me who are attracted to shiny cool technologies that do really useful things, openness, if allowed to, reaches into the very guts of a progressive organisation. It goes beyond the culture and the office layout into the very fundamentals of a business, into its systems and its inner core.
This is a huge and unstoppable trend, so let's look at some of the core opportunities
APIs. Although Application Programming Interface isn't the most user-friendly name it does do what it says on the tin from a technology perspective. I think of an API as a plug available in Company A (like with the Google Maps example or Facebook) that allows Companies B, C, and D to come along and plug into Company A and access some of the core functionality it provides. Simply put, this allows Companies B, C and D to get a lot more done with massively less resources – 'hey, we don't need to create a whole map thing now – we just plug into Google Maps for that part of our new property search engine'. And it allows Company A to substantially increase the distribution of their offering and their brand, and to build competitive advantage through having an ecosystem of related services that build on top of their own, but at little additional cost to themselves (Company A, that is).
This is how – in simple terms – independent companies are producing apps and games used daily by million inside Facebook. Facebook provides the platform, the plug, the rules, and independent companies are then able to develop their apps and games that take advantage of Facebook's gigantic user base, its user information, its login functionality – the whole damn thing! In theory, everyone wins. Zynga, producers of Farmville, Mafia Wars and Words With Friends, did $600m revenues in 2010, a huge percent from game playing happening inside Facebook.
APIs tend to favour companies that have distinct, systematised products and services, and those which are powered by databases and technology – at least at first glance. So organisations providing very tailored products and services may struggle to identify opportunity here. But Facebook and Google Maps may be poor examples to use, because they allow the rest of us in non-digital native companies to get off the hook. That may be a little too easy. This is a seismic shift in how – from a systems point of view – business gets done in the networked 21st century. It will come knocking at your organisation and market sooner or later.
To find an opportunity, the way to think about the value that an API strategy can create is to think 'What is the very core of our organisation? What are the crown jewels, and how could we accomplish our goals better by allowing other organisations (or individuals) to plug into a carefully considered part of those jewels in a way that creates value for us and for them?'
Let's look at an overlapping opportunity but from a consumer's point of view.
What would it be like if your bank could give you not only your balance and your recent transaction information, but could also provide a dashboard that gave you a sense of the trends in your personal finances and some meaningful insights into patterns and quirks that allowed you to better understand and manage your money?
What would it be like if you car could help you understand what your driving is like, and particularly when your driving style is more economical (financially and environmentally) and less, and when that tends to be in your journeys and why, and what you can do about it?
And, avoiding the old cliché of the Internet Fridge, would it be helpful if you could Google for your keys when you misplaced them at home (seriously, how cool will that be?), and if you could look up your cat flap data to tell whether the cat was in or out? Increasingly, objects are becoming connected to the Internet. The next generation of the web – the Semantic Web – is often popularly characterised as The Internet of Things. Soon it won't just be people and data connected to one another through the web: almost everything will be connected.
In this digitized world, we are all leaving trails of breadcrumbs behind us that are being collected by the companies and organisations providing services to us. Recognising this, there is a whole raft of innovation happening around this idea of unlocking existing data stores to give value back to the creators – that is, the consumers and users – of that data. Some people are calling these 'data handbacks', and you can see this trend also located in the rise of visualizations of data, in infographics being used in the media to convey complex information through images as well as many other newly spawned opportunities.
Many banks and financial services institutions are beginning to hand back useful intelligence to their customers through a raft of 'Personal Finance Managers' – a good example for further research is Mint.com. The car example I gave just a moment ago is actually the Fiat 500 Eco-Drive which does exactly that – provides useful web-based information, nicely visualized, to the owners of their cars to help them understand and improve their driving.
Here's a business-to-business example: Zappos, who we looked at earlier, has a vendor extranet where the c. 1,000 suppliers that it buys its many lines of shoes from can login and monitor the various stock levels for the lines that they supply. Nothing too revolutionary there, though I'd bet many companies wouldn't allow their suppliers to do the same based on attitudes rather than technology limitations. But what about this? Zappos then permits those thousand or so vendors to raise Purchase Orders from Zappos to them to order new stock where they feel is necessary. Let me play that back to you: the supplier raises order from its customer to buy more stuff from itself, when it wants to. Zappos sees this as 'a thousand extra people helping us to manage our business'. Pow!
So the question for you is 'What information do you hold that could be enormously valuable to your customers, employees and stakeholders?'. And think about it good: there's gold in them thar hills.
Open vs Closed systems
An interesting related consequence of the rise of Open is the tension between Open and Closed Systems. It is not something we are able to look at in detail here, but keep your eye on the positive conflict between open systems and closed systems. An example would be the open Google Android operating system for mobile devices in contrast with the closed 'vertically integrated' Apple system of iOS and iTunes, or the open Linux operating system for computers in contrast with the closed Windows operating system.
Both approaches have advantages: as an Apple user, I enjoy the (relatively) seamless integration between my iPhone, my iPad, the Macbook Pro that I have written this book on and my iTunes account. It generally 'just works', the quality is high, things work the same across different touchpoints. Yet here I am espousing the benefits of open systems.
Perhaps the most radical influence of Openness has been in how businesses innovate in the late 20th and now early 21st century.
Crowdsourcing innovation
In 2010 a Russian by the name of Yury Bodrov solved twelve well-paid tricky 'challenges' for businesses around the world that he may never need to physically meet. That problem-solving feat made Yury the top solver of the year on innovation marketplace Innocentive. Yury is prolific – the next solver on the year's leaderboard solved four challenges. And the challenges were not posted by just any old businesses: challenges have been set on Innocentive by P&G, NASA, Lilly and Roche.
You can think of Innocentive as a dating website where companies with business problems that they need solving can advertise their unfulfilled wishes to talented specialists that love solving problems. Solvers might be passionate soloist 'amateurs' working from their garden shed or a local lab, or highly paid professional scientists moonlighting. As Alph Bingham of Innocentive said at a recent event: "95% time the solver wouldn't have been hired by sponsor". This is problem-solving from the edges, or some kind of formalised serendipity – a way of gathering intelligence from the unexplored, unaccessed corners of possibility. And it is a valuable exchange for those involved.
At Threadless, community members submit new t-shirt designs, community members vote for their favourite designs which then go into production and community members send in photos of themselves and their friends wearing the t-shirts, which Threadless then adds to the product pages. So which bits of the typical t-shirt business does Threadless actually do? Well it prints the t-shirts, it takes some nice photos of them when they are first ready to be purchased, it takes the money and it sends them out – the logistics. But it's just a hobby business though, right? Although the company doesn't disclose financials often, it is in the public domain that Threadless is turned over $30m in 2009.
These kind of collaborative, online problem-solving endeavours have been called Crowdsourcing – the idea of harvesting or sourcing effort and intelligence from an online crowd or community.
This great opening up has been a radical shift in how innovation gets done in some organisations.
Previously, innovation was a matter for the Research & Development department. In-house talent would cook up the new product developments, and great innovation factories like 3M (sticky notes!) and Proctor & Gamble (the Swiffer!) would churn them out. This was both a practical reality and a source of company pride.
In this networked age, however, the opportunities to solve problems are far greater. As we have already touched on, businesses are no longer limited by their own available equipment, time, talent and resources. By opening up their fortress walls, these organisations are able to draw on talent dotted around the globe, on ideas and problem solving approaches that have not (and perhaps would not) emerged inside their own four walls and so can get better quality solutions to problems, and quicker too.
It's like businesses have begun to get over the idea of themselves as the be-all-and-end-all and found a new found humility. That, or the economics of crowdsourcing as deeply compelling to profit-driven businesses in a hyper-competitive marketplace!
Getting stuff done in Government
As governments and local authorities wrangle with their delivery challenges in the recent austere, harsh economic environment, they too are exploring how opening up both their resources (like data stores) and their workloads to distributed groups can help. This is not crowdsourced innovation in the mode of Innocentive, but more like crowdsourcing-as-innovation.
Launched in 2009 by Hilary Clinton, the 'Virtual Student Foreign Service' is a U.S. Department of State programme harnessing 'technology and a commitment to global service among young people to facilitate new forms of diplomatic engagement'.
The VSFS pairs 'e-interns' it has recruited – all of whom are American students – with State department offices and US diplomatic posts worldwide, whom they then help with a variety of tasks from their own college and university campuses around the world.
As the VSFS says on its website: "Past projects asked students to:
• Develop and implement a public relations campaign using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, etc. to communicate and reach out to youth
• Conduct research on the economic situation, prepare graphic representations of economic data, and prepare informational material for the U.S. Embassy website
• Create a system to gather and analyze media coverage on a set of topics including environment, health, and trade
• Research IT-based interventions that have been successful in higher education, particularly in teacher training
• Write and contribute biweekly articles to the U.S. Embassy's Facebook page on topics such as internet, computer science/technology, history, and literature
• Develop a series of professional instructional video clips to be published by the U.S. Embassy
• Survey social media efforts of U.S. diplomatic posts, NGOs, and private companies around the world to help establish best practices in a U.S. Embassy's social media outreach business plan."
A global workforce of unpaid, willing volunteers? Seems to work for the U.S. State Department in these lean times.
Smaller steps in crowdsourcing
However, the big, developed end of crowdsourcing that we have looked at above is increasingly well understood. There are whole books and events and – as we've seen – innovation marketplaces enabling this wonderful connectivity between those with something they need and those with something to give.
What else is there to enable Innovation in progressive businesses around crowdsourcing? There are a couple of fairly simple trends worthy of our attention, both building on these ideas of the organisation having porous edges so that ideas can flow in and out.
Firstly, hackdays. Hackdays are a wonderfully simple and useful phenomenon to emerge from the developer community. Like any community, software developers have always been drawn to one another and have a rich history of meetups and big community events where they can get together, geek out and make stuff. At hackdays, developers, designers and creatives get together – usually at a weekend – to 'hack' something together: that is, to make something, and usually something they personally believe in – something that scratches an itch they have. Barcamps – a global network of open, user-generated conferences – really helped distribute the methods and benefits of hackdays to a global audience.
We are now seeing the rise of nichely focused hackdays, either around a cause, a specific niche area or around a technology. Organisations are also increasingly using hackdays to either foster internal innovation or even externally, like the recent Honda Hackday in London.
Social Innovation Camp is a brilliant example. Founded by a few good-spirited, frustrated people in London who that felt there was a huge opportunity to innovate more to provide better practical solutions to social issues in society that just were not being taken up by the usual solution provides of Government, charities and NGOS. The Social Innovation Camp guys felt passionately that some of the making and getting-stuff-done-ness of the hackday formula could be brought usefully to bear on the job of innovating around social causes. The first Social Innovation Camp was run in London in April 2008.
In the UK alone Social Innovation Camps have generated more than 450 ideas of which over 30 have been protoyped into social ventures, and a few have continued to grow including MyPolice, 'an online feedback system for the police service, allowing direct, open conversations between the public and the police', and the awesomely practical SimpleCRB which provides 'A cheaper, quicker and more effective CRB checking service for organisations in the voluntary and public sector'. Real outcomes. And Social Innovation Camp has now spread far beyond London alone: camps have happened in Nigeria, South Korea, Australia, Slovakia, Georgia, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Bosnia. These lightweight, open movements are so much more viral than their centralised predeccesors – they spread.
Secondly and perhaps most simply of all, one of the most practical trends around this growing porosity in the edges of organisations is the rise of formats that bring guest speakers and potential collaborators into the organisation. Driven by the rise of the great talks available from inspiring events like the TED and TEDx series and the wonderful DO Lectures in Wales, there seems to be a growing consciousness that the world is full of interesting and alarmingly talented people that if we're not careful, we may never hear from.
At NixonMcInnes we operate a First Friday programme where we simply ask interesting people we know to come and talk to us about their work on the first friday of every month. I think we 'borrowed' the idea from Google which has a whole external speaker programme in place bringing some of the world's most interesting speakers to talk to their employees. Why wouldn't we all do that?
How was that? Please provide feedback: via comments on this post, via email to wmcinnes@gmail.com, tweets @willmcinnes #cltrshck.
Next extract: Finishing off the 8 areas of Openness by looking at areas 5 – 8.
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3 thoughts on "Chapter 5: Openness, 8 areas of Openness (areas 1-4)"
Pete Burden says:
There are some great examples here Will.
But personally I found the whole IT bit too long.
Re: APIs etc there was a thing called EDI back in the day. M&S and other retailers have been using the idea of open APIs into their businesses for decades. The thinking has moved from B2B to B2C, but really what is different now?
I think you gave some reasons in the previous section – that openness is becoming endemic. But maybe it is worth stating that the motives have changed even if the technology hasn't changed much.
Similarly, the battle between closed proprietary systems and open ones has been around for – to my knowledge – 30 years plus.
The question that springs to mind is what is different now? Why is Apple in trouble this time? (Or if it isn't why not?)
Re Feelings – I don't agree that everyone needs to show their true feelings. In my opinion, congruence isn't being open about all feelings. It is about knowing and understanding our own feelings and revealing these to others in the light of our empathy for their feelings for them and our respect for them and their needs.
The First Friday example doesn't work for me. Companies have been doing this for ever. Google certainly didn't invent the idea. I'd lose it completely – or say why it is different now and therefore interesting.
Finally, I think you need to say more about competition. This is worth a book on its own – but for me it is much more than "nuanced". Competition – which is a real cultural issue – changes radically in a new environment.
Competition (as we have previously understood it) only makes sense in a world of scarcity and underlying a lot of what you are saying about openness is the opposite of scarcity – an abundance of easily replicated information and data.
will mcinnes says:
Hi Pete, yeah, I think you're right – I also felt bored as I was writing some of the more IT-y stuff! Do you mean specifically under the 'Systems' sub-section, or more broadly?
Also, is it possible that you and I will find it too long/boring, but the 'general' reader who may not be a digital person might find it useful to know that this stuff is happening, even if it has been a trend for 30 years? I'm trying to also cater for the broad audience rather than the digerati.
Comment on First Friday was helpful as prompted me to go deeper with what I was trying to express.
Think you're right about Competition too (dammit!). Thank you…
Hi Will, the whole chapter seems long compared to others but the systems section specifically. I do think there is something different going on – it is really about the democratisation of IT not what it does.
That is what I meant: what has changed is the cost and ubiquity of IT not what it can do. Some apps only work when cost and ubiquity (ie critical mass) exist.
Personally, I also don't believe in a technologically deterministic point of view. Technology doesn't drive things, it only enables change.
As a simple example lots of people claimed email would change organisations in important ways (the distribution of power, knowledge etc). But it didn't – all it did was speed things up a bit (and leave a better trail than paper).
For me, it is people and social change that change things. Technology follows.
The difference today, to me, seems to be that people are changing things, and when they do cheap ubiquitous technology is there to facilitate and enable.


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