Jeff Stibel on the Internet as a Brain

Came across this fascinating article over on Google Blogscope, it’s a long read but worth while.

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Jeff Stibel on the Internet as a Brain

Jeffrey Stibel is the CEO of Web.com and a brain scientist and author. At his blog, he talks about The Internet & the Brain. He once told BusinessWeek, “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and be proud of your mistakes. At the end of the day learning and getting experience and getting advice from others shouldn’t be seen as a weakness, it should be seen as a positive.”

What are the similarities between the internet and the brain, and what is a shortcoming in the analogy, if any?

· The analogy is really quite different than what most people think. Most people assume I mean computers and AI. But that is really a small part of it. The Internet is really two innovations put together. The first is the telegraph; the second the computer. With the two combined, you have the ability to process information, store information and share or communicate that information. That is essentially what the brain does (or higher level brain functioning). The Internet is equivalent to our brain’s neural networks: neurons, like computers, connected to billions of other neurons through axons and dendrites (think phone and broadband lines). That is the hardware side of the analogy.

· The software side is really The World Wide Web. The brain has layers of complexity built on top of its neurons and neural networks. The most important are our semantic networks that enable memory. This is very similar to the way the World Wide Web works on top of the Internet. As you know hypertext is really the underlying current of the web, and that creates a very integrated structure of knowledge. And if Berners-Lee has his way (and I think he will), the web will actually become a semantic network.

In the analogy, is the user working on their computer (like by emailing, creating websites, or reading a blog) part of the neuron?

· No more than you are part of my brain right now as we have this conversation. To be sure, we are feeding the brain knowledge and information; communicating with it – but we are not “part of it.” The keyboard is a communication device, as are our mouths. Of course, there is a concept f a “global brain” but that is a whole different matter...

On your blog you also mentioned that websites are the memory. Are there analogies between accessing the memory in terms of how the brain works, and how the web works? One of the most common “memory access” approaches is using a search engine, it seems...

· It should come as no surprise that search (and retrieval) is the underlying function behind our ability to think. Storing memory is irrelevant if we cannot logically retrieve it. And that is why the best search engines are both the gateway to the web and so powerful. Google’s dominance is because of this.

Gnome at last: Stolen garden elf is returned after a 7-month adventure around the world

And Finally the tale of a Feisty little gnome who got more action out of life than I have these past 4 years.

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By Beth Hale
Last updated at 10:50 AM on 12th August 2008

He's been swimming with turtles off the Great Barrier Reef, scaled a glacier in New Zealand and toured the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat.

Unfortunately the gnome formerly known as Murphy is giving nothing away - save for a singularly enigmatic smile.

Owners Eve and Derrick Stuart-Kelso were stunned to discover the 10-inch high stone leprechaun they had inherited when they bought their Gloucester home, had disappeared.

The couple, both retired, assumed the gnome had fallen foul of students from a nearby college and would never be seen again.

Both keen travellers, the couple never dreamed that the humble green-hatted garden ornament was setting of an around the world jaunt taking in 12 countries and three continents.

The 8lb gnome appeared on the Stuart-Kelso's doorstep on Thursday last week, some 11 months after disappearing.

A little the worse for wear, the traveller was standing next to a mysterious and tightly-wrapped parcel.

Once unwrapped it revealed a leather-bound photo album containing 48 pictures of the gnome's trip around the globe along with a note putting his impromptu world tour down to 'itchy feet'.

The painstakingly compiled album, complete with index, showed their gnome - renamed Barrington by his travel companions - abseiling down a mountain, standing in a shark's mouth, swimming in the sea, and riding a motorbike.

Also with him were immigration stamps for all the shores he had been taken to visit - South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong and Laos.

A witty note, purporting to be from Barrington, referred to his 'travelling companion' only as The Bear, and told the couple how he attracted unwanted attention from customs officials and took up 25 per cent of the party's luggage allocation.

The only clue, however, to the identity of those companions was a photograph of a group of grinning young men.

As for the letter it began:

'Hello! First of all I feel I should explain my prolonged absence. A gnome's life is full of time for reflection, and whilst surveying your garden one summer morning, I began to get itchy feet.

'I came to the conclusion that the world is a big place and there is more to life than watching the daily commuter traffic, and allowing passing cats to urinate on you.

'So I decided to free myself from the doldrums of the Shire and seek adventure. My travels have taken me across three continents, 12 countries and more time zones than I can possibly remember.

'There have been high points, low points, and positively terrifying points. But I have survived - small thanks to the companion with whom I have shared all these moments.'

The bizarre crime echoes the French film 'Amelie' starring Audrey Tatou in which a gnome belonging to her father is taken around the world and photographed to show him how much he is missing out on in life.

.Gloucestershire police took a less amused view of the adventure.

A spokesman said: 'Any theft of a person's property, even if it is carried out as a joke, will be treated as a crime by police.'

As for Murphy, his wanderlust satisfied he is now back in the flower bed where he belongs - only this time he's out of temptation's way in the back garden.

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Not surprisingly, the police doesn't appreciate the humor of the situation.

Feel Good Vibe's Continue

Another “positive” themes blog entry, better be careful or people might think I’m not cynical and dour…

“This list is just to spark some ideas, and please note that not every item on this list is appropriate for every person in your life. I trust you to figure out which actions go with which people.”

• Smile.
  
• Help them carry something.
  
• Call just to see how they’re doing. .
  
• Tell a joke and laugh your butts off.
  
• Clean.
  
• Give them a cherished book. .
  
• Thank them for a job well done. .
  
• Give a free hug.
  
• Spend time with them, having fun.
  
• Do errands or chores for them.
  
• Help them get ahead.
  
• Be proud of them.
  
• Coffee.
  
• Deliver a nice lunch to them when they’re having a rough day
  

The rest of the list can be found here

Positive First Day!

In case you didn’t know I’m a job placement case manager for a non-profit in Austin. I met with my first client, today; all in all it was a great experience!

Since I am in a great mood, Ill post 3 positively inspired articles I came across.

7 Powerful Ways to Get the Most Out of Any Situation

Great list of things one can do to make one’s life bearable, my persona favorite is no.3

Respect everyone. Not just the people you like, or the people you get along with, but everyone. Forgive the people who do you wrong. Take time to help those who wouldn’t help you. Reach out to people who would harm you. If you see someone sitting alone, take a walk across the room and say hi. Make time for people in your life. You’d be amazed at the difference it makes in your attitude to life.

To be honest, I still need to work on no 2.

Don’t assume the worst in people. There’s an old saying, “If a man thinks he’ll die tomorrow, he’ll probably find a way to make it happen.” If you look for faults in your partner, or expect them to cheat, you’ll push them away and only make it more likely. If you expect friends to fail you, you’ll set them up to do it. Try and look for the good in people, and treat them how you want to be treated yourself.

The rest of the list can be read here

Why Do People Say "Yes?" The "6 Weapons of Influence"

Ran across this article and was intreagued by some of the premisies. my favorite being number 4 which I reprrinted here.
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Why do people say 'yes'? How can we get them to comply with our requests? I asked my friend David Palmer, an expert on organizational development and marketing.

"Fortunately, people often say 'yes' or agree with requests out of mindless compliance," David told me. "They are frequently willing to say 'yes' automatically without thinking first. It makes their lives simpler and smoother. But what most of us are trying to overcome is the opposite phenomenon, when they've programmed themselves to say 'no' without thinking about it.

4. LIKING: "The Friendly Thief"

People love to say 'yes' to requests from people they know and like. And people tend to like others who appear to have similar opinions, personality traits, background, or lifestyle. More people will say 'yes' to you if they like you, and the more similar to them you appear to be, the more likely they are to like you.

Most people are also phenomenal suckers for flattery, even when they know it isn't true. When we have a good opinion of ourselves, we can accept praise and like those who provide it. (Those with low self-esteem reject even well-earned praise and distrust the source.) All salespeople worth their salt have mastered the flattery tactic. They know it works, but they may not know why.

People also tend to like and trust anything familiar. The best way to build this familiarity is to have frequent, pleasant contacts. For example, if you spend three hours straight with someone you've never met before, you would get a sense of who they are. But if you divided the same time into 30-minute segments of pleasant interaction over six consecutive weeks, you would each have a much stronger and positive knowledge about the other. You have established a comfort level, familiarity, and a history with them. Their repeated pleasant contacts with your organization's services or products helps builds familiarity and liking.


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Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and award-winning professional speaker on Change, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com

We offer this article on a nonexclusive basis. You may reprint or repost this material as long as Patricia Fripp's name and contact information is included. PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com
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Mosters of Accordion and Mine

Yesterday, I stopped by Terra Toys and picked up one of these toy accordions for a low price ($25) and yesI have been wailing away on this little things like crazy.













In honor of my latest purchase I’m writing a heads about the Monsters of Accordion tour hitting the West Coast, sadly I’m going to miss out on this awesome event.

Man Tried to Rob Store with Empty Box

Friday, August 8, 2008
(08-08) 14:13 PDT Charleston, W.Va. (AP) --

Charleston police said a man tried to rob a movie rental store with an unusual weapon — an empty cheesecake box. The suspect placed the box on the counter of the Movie Gallery with a note saying it contained a bomb. He told the clerk the bomb would be detonated remotely if he wasn't given cash.

The clerk refused and the suspect fled.

Police arrested 43-year-old Paul Parrish II of Charleston on Wednesday.
Sgt. Aaron James said Parrish allegedly confessed after he was shown a store video of the attempted robbery. Parrish allegedly told police he needed money for gas and cigarettes.
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Information from: The Charleston Gazette, www.wvgazette.com

Wonder if the box was from a cheesecake he had bought or if he had found it. I mean, cheesecake aint cheap!

Awesome Thailand Light Bulb Commercial

Saw this over on Boing Boing and was blown away by the wackiness of it all..



My Personal Favorite is the "Jackfruit Ghost"

Woman kills boyfriend for drinking her beer,

By Matthew Walberg | Chicago Tribune reporter
August 7, 2008

A Chicago west side woman who allegedly stabbed her elderly boyfriend to death because he was drinking her beer was ordered held Thursday in lieu of $500,000 bail.

About 6 p.m. Wednesday, the two were sitting in Anderson's car outside his home when Williams became angry that he was drinking her beer. They began to quarrel, and Williams allegedly pulled a knife she carried for protection and began stabbing Anderson.

Afterward, Williams got out of the car and called down the street to Anderson's nephew, saying, "You better come get your uncle—I just killed him," according to her arrest report.

Groebner said Williams got back in the vehicle and finished drinking her beer.

Her next court date was set for Aug. 26.

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What I'm interested in, and the reporter failed to mention was, what brand of beer were they drinking?

After a long Hiatus I'm back

After a long hiatus and plenty of life changing experiences I have decided to reactivate this old blog.

I will continue with the irreverent nonsense and occasional insight that marred my past entries and update during my lunch breaks at work. Hope I entertain and amuse you enough to keep you coming back.

10.09.07

since moving to Seattle I have not had much time to read, write or generally have time to myself. to compound my dilemma is I never have a moment alone.

I did start a hard copy journal to write my thought, observations and ideas, but my moleskine isn't secure from prying eyes. That fear has kept me from writing what really goes on in my head. I have noticed that keeping everything bottled up is adding considerably to my stress level, so I have to let these things out of my system, hence I will start blogging again, only this time I will be keeping them private. I know the premise of a blog is to write down your thoughts for the whole world to see, but there are too many people that I have to hide those feelings from out there.

This will be my first entry in the Eye's Only section of my blog, if I have anything that i want to share I will make it public, but I doubt that I will trust anyone that much anytime soon.

Slow Morning

Today is a slow morning, and since I’m facing the door and no one can see my screen, I decided to write a new report about my life.

The move to Seattle has been great, I finally got a decent job downtown working for a start up, cant really say which one, but does it really matter?

It’s right by the waterfront, and I managed to get a snazzy window office, unfortunately, I'm set up facing the door and not the window, so I miss most of the stuff going on outside. Not if it matters, it rains about 70% of the time anyways.

Aside from West Seattle and a few places downtown, I haven’t had much of a chance to explore the city, but so far I’ve had pretty good luck finding interesting places and things, the old proverb of not being able to throw a rock without hitting a coffee shop in Seattle is true, go figure. I have found a few music stores that carry a good selection of music, so I might take that into consideration these holidays.

Ok, stuff is starting to pick up, so I have to cut this short. I hope that lessened people’s fear that I had dropped off the face of the earth.

more to come soon.