Asking vague questions but expecting specific answers

I had a job interview by telephone this morning and I came out of it feeling…bemused. The guy doing the interview wanted to gauge the degree of my technical knowledge and expertise. A rather specific thing, it would seem. And yet, to determine if I was technical enough for this job, he asked very vague questions.

(Example):

Him: I’d like to see what you know about Internet security.

Me: (pause) oookay.

Him: What do you know?

Me: (pause) In what sense? Can you be more specific please?

Him: Which is more secure, FTP or HTML?

Me: (pause) Can you give an example please?

(/example)

And so on the interview went in this vein.

Not sure how I did as a result, but I do know that there are very few people in my employer’s company with my mix of tech knowledge, project management expertise, people skills and writing/presentation abilities.

gameCODE news

Upcoming talk sponsored by the Montreal GameCODE Project and

the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University

Political Videogames:

Press “START” to Change the World

Gonzalo Frasca

(Center for Computer Games Research, IT University of Copenhagen)

Thursday, March 18, 2004 at 3:00 PM

In LB-677 (1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W)

Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University

Abstract: Even though both the military and educators have been using videogames for non-entertainment purposes for several decades now, we are seeing more and more examples of videogames that aim at conveying specific ideas. Corporations develop webgames in order to advertise their products (advergaming). Organizations such as the U.S. Army or Hezbollah are using games for propaganda and as a way to recruit soldiers. Last year, we were able to play the first videogame to be officially endorsed by a candidate during the early U.S. Presidential Campaign.

This talk will review different examples of political videogames, exploring what is the potential (and limitations) of this new form of political speech. The author will also comment on the development process of his two latest political games: the “Howard Dean for Iowa Game” and “September 12th”, a game about the U.S. led war on terror.

About the author:

Gonzalo Frasca is a videogame researcher and developer, currently working at the Center for Computer Games Research in Copenhagen. He has recently produced and co-designed the first official videogame ever commissioned for a U.S. Presidential Campaign. He publishes Ludology.org (a “seminal game studies site” according to the International Game Developers Association) and is also a Review Editor at Game Studies, the international journal of computer game research. He is also a former head of videogame development at Cartoon Network LA and Editor of Science and Technology at CNN (CNNenEspañol.com).

Background on EFF

The EFF is an interesting organization people by both total lefties and ultra-conservatives. I’ve followed it since its inception in the mid-90s, particularly because some of the people I find noteworthy like John Perry Barlow, Esther Dyson, etc.

Mytake on them? They’re very influential at certain levels of government in the US, mocked by many other levels and by many people in the technology industry and they’re pretty obscure and unknown in Canada.

Now what?

The tentative schedule is out for next year’s classes, and it looks like I’m screwed! Most of the courses aren’t offered at night next year and the ones that are seem to all be offered in the same time slot!

Now what do I do? I’m not yet financially ready to go back full-time days!

What color do the good guys wear today?

While sifting through the internet with the key words of technology, freedom and terrorism googled, ive come into some interesting reads. The most interesting link ive come across to date is the Electronic Frontier Foundation Hits the nail on the proverbial head of my topic [check out the USA Patriot Act]

With such organizations made up of intelligent, upstanding citizens – it is very sad that people can get banned from flying within their own country based on their publically stated political views.

The people at the EFF have their work cut out for them

It’s due when?

Just finished reading your post, Kell, about your paper topic. I don’t have enough time now to share all my thoughts on the topic.

Can tell you this right now, here, though.

I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival in my email inbox so that I can read it once you’re done! Sounds fascinating! Seriously!

Wow!

Technology, Consumerism & Terrorism

I figured out my topic for that poli sci class.

to contextualize the topic a [very] brief commentary about Chomsky’s 5 Filters – the last one is Communism as a justification for defense budget etc.. (yes its dated a tad) The professor made comments that although terrorism seems to have replaced communism in this sense, terrorism hasnt been the drive behind technological innovation as the cold war’s fight against communism was. (at least my interpretation of his lecture)

I disagree – and will make this the basis of my paper. Terrorism and its justification for the development of security technologies (from face recognition software in airports, massive amounts of cameras placed throughout cities such as Longon, and the willingness of the american citizen to give up freedoms for the sake of freedom – oxymoron i know – in the form of incredibly advanced identification cards being developed etc. -there is alot of this seen in Wired magazine etc.)

Many people have stated that “it [the technological advancement] is not on the same scale as the cold war”… Well, i see this as part of my industrialized-turn-technocized society theory and why it is important to look at our society under its new technocized light rather then the aging idea of the industrialized.

The importance, and essentially the impact of the technology currently being developed may not be as “important” in terms of political strength and size[equated to physical destructive value i suppose] but it is incredibly important to understand how it redefines concepts of freedom. And personally, that can be equally as destructive [from physical destruction to more of a mental or intellectual form of destruction…control] as a bomb.

It is dangerous to think that the ‘war against terrorism’ hasnt pushed the technological envelope towards more subtle and even more dangerous things.

Downsizing…

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,113105,00.html

With much post-modern theoretical debate surrounding McDonald’s and its “SuperSize”, I wonder where this latest development leaves George Ritzer and his theories of McDonaldization?

Songs like Matthew Good Band’s 21st Century Living will now become an anthem of times past. But will it really make that much difference? Can you really undo a problem by taking away the physical perpetrator? The ‘supersize’ seed has already been planted, and has become much of western society, ingrained in its culture.

Will sit and think about this a little more re:Ritzer

Textual analysis

Reading through my soci email lists, a post that spoke of this site popped up and I thought that Kelly might find it interesting. The resource list in particularly might be helpful as you set out to code and analyse your text chats.

What is celebrity?

Now _there’s_ a topic for conversation. What is a celebrity?

According to Dictionary.com, it is a “widely known person”.

Fame / renown would seem to be the one absolute necessity then.

By that yardstick, yes Matthew Good is a celebrity.

Unfortunately though, talent or skill are not a prerequisite. Hence we end up with people like that Heung guy from American Idol with his “she bang” routine, who gets on talk shows and gets record deals.