Weird and Wacky Adventures Around the Net and Random Things

Remember the news Google Reader will no longer exist after July 1st?  It’s to give people enough time to find a suitable substitute, and migrate their feeds after seeing if such a thing exists.  I found something right away, but people need time.

Well, Google forgot people needed time.  Imagine my surprise, shared by many others, finding out the ‘Google Reader’ option was removed from the Gmail drop down menu.  Yup, a definitely WTF!-kind of moment.  I saw some tweets pretty much saying the same thing, but after a few days Google folks seemed to come to their collective senses to reinstate the option.  The whole thing just leaves me shaking my head.

No sooner than they remove the option, but introduce the new Google Keep.  Google Keep will compete with note taking apps like Evernote.  I just started using Evernote, and I confess to enjoying the app.  It’s on my phone and tablet, and I have to say ‘hats off’ to the people over at Evernote for the following:

1. They announced right away they had a breach.
2. They took steps to correct the problem, and still are at this moment.

Matthew J. Schwartz over at Information Week has a more detailed analysis of the situation, and a follow-up piece on Evernote hoping to add two-factor authentication. What the heck is it?  Here’s how PC Magazine defines it:

The use of two independent mechanisms for authentication; for example, requiring a smart card and a password. The combination is less likely to allow abuse than either component alone.

 

I did change my password just in case, and have four notebooks set up with less than ten notes so far.  I downloaded Google Keep to see what it’s like.  Well, I always wonder why companies roll out something clearly not ready, for the sake of rolling something just to look like they’re keeping up?  Get what I mean?  Google Keep offers the basics for things like lists, but no tags.  Others will find something else they lack, but it just doesn’t look ‘ready’ to me.  For now I will keep it on the tab, but not on the phone.

Then we have the case of the real-sized mannequins from Sweden.  I saw this linked on a Facebook page:

The photo went viral, but the story behind it has a few things wrong.  At first the Facebook page claimed it was from Swedish H&M.  Actually a Swedish department store called Åhlens has these mannequins.  I wish people would fact-check before something goes viral, no matter how much a conversation needs to happen about body image.  The best I can dig up is this website called The Local who made the original blogger, Rebecka Silvekroon, their Swede of the Week..  Ironically, a similar statement was made by her :

Many initial reports about Silvekroon’s picture erroneously described it as having been taken in an H&M store. When the Swedish fashion giant said the mannequin wasn’t one of theirs, reports emerged claiming the whole thing was a hoax.

“It’s a bit frustrating that there are still lots of articles that got it wrong,” Silvekroon laments. “Åhlens should get the credit they deserve. I really hope this gets other retailers to rethink their choices when it comes to the mannequins they use.”

I admit from apps to mannequin sizes, my head spins from processing all the information.  Imagine how people coming to libraries must feel.  First learn how to get your information, then check it, then check it again.  Now imagine those fact-checking skills like comprehension, synthesis, repetition, and recovering from failure have not developed.  Keep in mind what I just outlined is my rubric for fact-checking, one still evolving from what I read, hear, and discuss.  People feel bombarded with information on a daily basis, and don’t want to deal with it any more.

How do I know?

Sometimes I don’t want to deal with it any more.  I don’t want to change anymore goshdarnit!!! Then I remember why I think.  Better to think my own thoughts, fail, and evolve than have someone assign their definitions to me.

Think about it.