All posts by MJS

News

In The News Race To Be First, No One Wins

It seems like media outlets now more care about being first than actually making sure the story is right. These early stories are always coming from “sources” or “people familiar with the matter.” News sites seem to take any little rumor or something that a “source” says as truth. I am seeing this in tech news, sports news, almost any kind of news.

When this happens, no one wins. People are given false information and the media outlet looks stupid and loses some trust.

If you can’t show who the source is, should it really be reported? I don’t think so. If I was running a news outlet, I would rather be correct than first. I know that technology has sped up the pace of news, but I feel that credibility is more important.

Sports

Control Your Self – It Is Just A Game

Note: This does not apply if you are on an athletic team.

If your team loses a game, it is not life or death for you. Quit taking it like it is. There are much more important things in life to concern yourself with. If you can’t handle your team losing, you need to reconsider watching your team.

People take losses of their team way too hard. People will do stupid things that are not worth it. It is a game. It is entertainment. Not life or death. Get over it.

Also, don’t be so cocky when your team wins.

You are not on the team. Do not refer to your opinions on the game like you are. It is not “we need to improve” because you are not on the team. It is “they need to improve.”

The actions of “fans” after a loss is horrible. It embarrasses the entire fan base. When the Packers lose, the reactions make me ashamed as a Packers fan. The reactions are why Packers fans are not well liked.

Teams can’t always have great years. Yes, the teams do try to win (they shouldn’t be manipulating their results, but that is another subject), but they can’t always win. Don’t let a loss ruin your own life.

Tech

Notification Overload?

Are we getting to a point with technology where are getting into a notification overload? Do we really need to be alerted to every little thing that is going on in the world? Do we really need to know the instant we get a new email, a new message, or a new follower? It is becoming taboo to not instantly respond to these alerts?

I feel that we are getting to a point where we are just being bombarded with notifications. Collecting the notifications in one area is not a bad idea, but every notification by default wanting our attention? I don’t think that is a good idea. In iOS 6, after I give an app permission to send me notifications, I will go see what it has set as default for options. If I don’t feel that app deserves to have sounds in their notifications, I will turn it off. (A word of caution with that – I have seen apps that will then nag you to turn the notification sounds on.) If the app become abusive with their notifications, I will turn them off (completely if the app does not have granular controls). I also pay attention when an app asks for permission to send me notifications, and will not allow it for apps that I don’t feel need to send me notifications.

Are we becoming so dependent on knowing what is going on? Has society forgotten how to disconnect? Have we gotten to a point where we need an instant response from people?

I think all this information and notification overload is not helping society and may actually be separating people from their surroundings.

And then  the ad notifications… don’t get me started on those.