Linked In :) vs. Google+ :|

So I just made a Linked In profile (Linked...in), after countless emails from people that I've known for a while and have my email addresses. I always thought it was just an extra thing that was unnecessary since I had a Facebook. But then I thought that about Twitter, and I'm actually enjoying it more than I thought I would, so go figure.

But more and more, as I grow my professional persona on the Internet, I thought I should at least make one for now. Considering I'm going to be at UC Santa Barbara for a while. It is something that can be completely separate from Facebook, and I haven't seen one a place where it can integrated at all, in fact. So something that I thought would be entirely useless to my online persona, in addition to my personal academic website, looks like it could be an asset that Facebook can't be. I can be myself on Facebook, but with Linked In and Twitter, I can be a more reserved, patient person. I'm glad I got one. (One complaint: Too much going on the main home page when I log in; a bit overwhelming!)

This brings me to my next point: The terribleness and uselessness of Google+. As with many Internet junkies, I was able to get on (thanks to Gmail) and send out invites and such. Every person I was connected to on Google+, was a friend on Facebook. The lack of options. The ugliness of the UI. The inability to post on other folk's wall. I thought, "I can only comment on other's thoughts? What if there is something spontaneous that I want to mention?" I found, as so many others reviewing it did as well, the only redeeming quality was the "Circles" part. One could conceivably talk behind the backs of their family to their friends. (I'm not promoting this practice.) My point is that different message could be directed solely at the appropriate circles. Makes a whole lotta sense. But that was it. I only saw it as Facebook Lite that was connected to my Google Account.

At this very moment, there are few posts in my "feed" and they are all from one person (sorry, Barb!). These posts also span the entire month of August. Granted, it is newer and possibly I'm not giving it a chance, but honestly, I have all my friends on FB and I'm not sure why I should migrate over to G+. It also seems, for obvious reasons, Android heavy. However, this won't be a good idea when the iPhone is released on all major US carriers this year or next. While a decent platform, it is too varied the market is flooded to compete with iOS devices. A social networking service that has Android-specific features is not going to catch on with the general consumer base.

My prediction is that it will be a similar story to Google Buzz, albeit minus some of the privacy concerns. In about a year, I expect FB will still be 1B strong, while G+ will be waning in traffic.

My final thoughts: FB good, just keep it private, and be yourself; Twitter is really fun; Linked In good for the professional inside many of us; Google+, major suckitude.

I don't think I'll be using it again if my friend-base remains the same as my FB friend-base.

SpaceX and Privatized Space Flight

I got really excited when I read this article: SpaceX Eyes November 30 Cargo Launch To Space Station

Apparently, they are breaking ground for a launch site at Vandenberg AFB, which is right near Santa Barbara. I'm really hoping that while I'm there, the launch site will be completed and I can go see a launch or two. I was usually envious of Floridians who got to go see the Cape Canaveral launches of the shuttles.

I am also hoping that the partial privatization of space flight will lead to better space flight and a manned mission to Mars before I die.

What do you all think?

Cog Blog: Juan Williams and Media Bias

My alter ego has posted this on his Cog Blog, so I think you should check it out!

Juan Williams and Media Bias

I apologize for the double posting, but cross-promotion is always useful.

Goodbye Space Shuttle!

So I know I'm a little late to show, but there's nothing like watching the space shuttle take off and successfully land after its mission was completed.

I missed the take off of Atlantis last week, but saw many images and aftermath video of the last shuttle's final flight (heading to the ISS). Now it is coming home (and selfishly, I want the weather to be too poor to make a Cape Canaveral landing imprudent, so it has to land at Edwards AFB in Palmdale; I'll disregard the ginormous cost of transporting it back to Florida for the final time), departing today from the ISS and rotating back to descend back to Earth.

It's a shame that there will be a lull now in US space flight, having to hitch rides with Russian craft while NASA figures out the next machine that will take Americans and others back into space, back to the Moon, to an asteroid, and possible to Mars.

I wasn't alive when Apollo 11 landed on the moon, nor when the Apollo mission went back 3 more times, but I can tell you that even hearing about it on the countless documentaries gives me chills. I will admit that back in the day, when I was young boy, I had a dream of becoming an astronaut--the science gene in me was very strong from the outset! So even though I didn't always keep on the events of the Space Shuttle news here and there, I still feel very connected to each flight (even including the occasional sonic boom!) and the disasters of Challenger and Columbia.

So I will miss you, Space Shuttle Program, but I look forward to the next stage in human space flight, because as any Trekkie knows, it is the final frontier, and we've only seen a micron of what it has to offer...

Cell Phones and Brain Tumors

To begin this post, I must give a disclaimer: I am not a cancer researcher, so my observations on this matter are at best cursory.

Today, at the Huffington Post, I stumbled across this article: No Cell Phone-Brain Tumor Link, Latest Study Finds. The study was conducted in Denmark, finding no real link between the two things, as opposed to a recent classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that cell phones do cause cancer.

This is dangerous science: it is a battle of misinformation and I think the press has a duty to prevent premature story-breaking. We haven't had the technology of mobile phones long enough to link the use to brain cancer. What is harder is to compare usage over a population that doesn't use the devices (of many different makes, shapes, and sizes) uniformly.

A bombastic and sensational headline is not informative and causes reactions that are exaggerated (like throwing a cancer-phone into the river).

I have a mild suggestion: Let's wait a few more years (or 5 or 10) before we start pointing the finger at cell phones. Just think--we might not need to put it next to our ears in the future with Bluetooth or headsets.

Back to Blogging

So I had a conversation today with a fellow blogging procrastinator, and I realized I should get back to blogging about important topics.

Now, I don't think I'm going to be as controversial as I used to be, since it has been almost 2 years since I wrote my last blog post. This doesn't mean I'm not the same person, but my interests have expanded and I realize too that there are many people that agree with me, but then there are those that don't.

My posts now are most likely going to focus on psychology and science topics that interest me, technology that I find fascinating, and I might throw in the occasional political stance on various current events.

I also promise to keep the swearing to a minimum.

Thank you to Angela Bell for having the blogging conversation with me and to Erin McMichael for inspiring me to focus on things that matter in my blog and not just complaining about political boneheads.