Twit-ter

When I opened up WordPress this morning top billing had been given to this entry over at The Brand Builder Blog and as it relates to a subject I had very recently touched on, I headed on over. 

Stop me if you’ve heard this before but the story goes like this: Someone announced on Twitter that they had been offered a new job at American networking equipment and network management supplier Cisco.  Their twitter went thus:

Not surprisingly, a response came on this public network forum (spot the special significance of this when in relation to Cisco)?  It went thus:

I guess they don’t call it ‘twit’-ter for nothing.

This article got me thinking again just why it is that people make such gaffes, imagining that Facebook, Bebo, personal blogs, Twitter et al are good places to spill the beans about their personal lives and their innermost thoughts.  They might as well stand at the top of Nelson’s Column with a loud haler and the attending press coverage that would invite.  

These are otherwise sensible people…so why?  Do you think it’s because we have actually developed a bit of a personal relationship with our electronic devices (bonkers though that may sound)?  Our mobile phones are carried everywhere like adult pacifiers, our computers sit quietly and obediently in the warmth and comfort of our own homes.  Maybe their omnipresence gives us a false sense of security, as though something so readily available and easy to use couldn’t possibly cause us any harm.  My theory falls down of course with office workers who use work computers for blogging etc.  In my admittedly limited experience, office computers are regularly monitored by employers for any number of reasons.

Whatever the reason, the wisdom remains the same.  Don’t say anything you wouldn’t be happy for everyone to know…because they will.

Travel: ESTA’s arrived

I’ve been reading up about ESTA today – the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation - and it’s yet another way in which we are to be electronically tagged because it’s something that we all need to fill in prior to travel to the US now.  Done via the internet, it’s basically in addition to the visa entry form that we all fill in on the plane when we visit the States.  The idea is that the form filling on the plane will eventually cease … but not yet.  ESTA clearance allows us to get on the plane, but of course still doesn’t mean that we are guaranteed entry to the US – that will continue to be decided, face to face, at Immigration and Border Security. 

(According to yesterday’s Sky News, this system may be introduced throughout Europe, so it’s something we may all have to familiarise ourselves with).

I’ll do it of course, because I have to in order to continue visiting a place that I love, but I can’t really see the point of it in its current usage, other than to gather information on us all and salt it away on computer for years to come.  The ESTA form will be valid for two years, after which time it is kept by the Department for Homeland Security for a further year, then archived for 12 years.  So basically, if you have a nasty case of, let’s just say The Clap  (which, according to what I’ve read, you are required to notify the authorities of), this will be on your record, on file, somewhere for 15 years. (Oh what fun).  All I can say is, it may prove food for thought for all those rampant little bunny-people out there with their devil-may-care, sharing caring no condom wearing ways, and, crumbs, I do hope US file security is substantially better than ours here in the UK, where discs and pen drives containing highly sensitive data have been left on trains and in cafes.

What a world we live in.  Anyone who was an adult and therefore aware of what was going on in the world just 8 years ago (pre the September 11th attacks) must, like me, cry inside at the way our lives have so drastically changed.  I don’t think even the terrorists could have anticipated the profound effect their actions would have on our society.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

ESTA’s apply to those of us who have e.passports (which I believe is most people) and those of us in countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (the UK being one of them).   The current advice seems to be that for anyone thinking of travelling to the U.S., even if it’s only a vague possibility, it may be wise to apply for an ESTA right away.  Most are issued on the spot, but you don’t want to be caught out by applying at the last minute and then find that there is a problem.  The US Embassy site has all the information you need, and you may like to start reading up on ESTA at their page here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over at Voix Douce / Gentle voice: Steak au Poivre (simple and sublimely delicious)

Travel: ESTA's arrived

I’ve been reading up about ESTA today – the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation - and it’s yet another way in which we are to be electronically tagged because it’s something that we all need to fill in prior to travel to the US now.  Done via the internet, it’s basically in addition to the visa entry form that we all fill in on the plane when we visit the States.  The idea is that the form filling on the plane will eventually cease … but not yet.  ESTA clearance allows us to get on the plane, but of course still doesn’t mean that we are guaranteed entry to the US – that will continue to be decided, face to face, at Immigration and Border Security. 

(According to yesterday’s Sky News, this system may be introduced throughout Europe, so it’s something we may all have to familiarise ourselves with).

I’ll do it of course, because I have to in order to continue visiting a place that I love, but I can’t really see the point of it in its current usage, other than to gather information on us all and salt it away on computer for years to come.  The ESTA form will be valid for two years, after which time it is kept by the Department for Homeland Security for a further year, then archived for 12 years.  So basically, if you have a nasty case of, let’s just say The Clap  (which, according to what I’ve read, you are required to notify the authorities of), this will be on your record, on file, somewhere for 15 years. (Oh what fun).  All I can say is, it may prove food for thought for all those rampant little bunny-people out there with their devil-may-care, sharing caring no condom wearing ways, and, crumbs, I do hope US file security is substantially better than ours here in the UK, where discs and pen drives containing highly sensitive data have been left on trains and in cafes.

What a world we live in.  Anyone who was an adult and therefore aware of what was going on in the world just 8 years ago (pre the September 11th attacks) must, like me, cry inside at the way our lives have so drastically changed.  I don’t think even the terrorists could have anticipated the profound effect their actions would have on our society.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

ESTA’s apply to those of us who have e.passports (which I believe is most people) and those of us in countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (the UK being one of them).   The current advice seems to be that for anyone thinking of travelling to the U.S., even if it’s only a vague possibility, it may be wise to apply for an ESTA right away.  Most are issued on the spot, but you don’t want to be caught out by applying at the last minute and then find that there is a problem.  The US Embassy site has all the information you need, and you may like to start reading up on ESTA at their page here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over at Voix Douce / Gentle voice: Steak au Poivre (simple and sublimely delicious)

X-Ray Vision

BBC News reports that tens of millions of people travelling through European airports could be digitally photographed as if they were naked.

Devices to scan the human body are already used in a limited capacity.  Now the European Commission is considering the human rights implications of implementing the scanners on a larger scale.

Hey, I don’t think I’d mind this too much, as long as large-scale images of the scanner operators – in all their buck naked glory – are clearly displayed above their work area.  In other words, OK, but you go first.

You can read the article here.