Facebook to have new option of emojis to express dislike

It goes without saying that Facebook is the most popular social networking website and there was a thinking of introducing a ‘dislike’ button aslogside the ‘like’ button. The thinking had been triggered by feedback from users who felt that there should be some form of expressing one’s opinion more effectively rather than just through the ‘like’ button.

Therefore, Facebook has unveiled its solution to people's calls for a "dislike" button — this would be in the form of six new emoji, each of which would represent the feelings more effectively. The emojis would represent "Love," "Haha," "Yay," "Wow," "Sad" and "Angry." More details here at this link.
Facebook would begin by introducing it first in Spain and Ireland, as a test. The selection of these countries is because they are relatively closed groups. Inclusion of Spain will allow the site to try out how the emoji work for non-English users.
Of course, it would be a one way traffic because once the buttons are rolled out to a users' feed, they cannot be turned off.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower, joins Twitter

Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower had revealed plenty of secrets pertaining to the workings of the National Security Agency that led to generation of bad blood with the United States authorities. He has, at last, got a Twitter account.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 30 September 2015.

Edward Snowden has sought for and got asylum in Russia. It is a temporary asylum and he managed to get it after he admitted that he was the source of the NSA documents leaked to several media outlets, including the Washington Post.
He still faces criminal charges in the United States but has succeeded in maintaining a pretty high profile. He is serving on the board of directors for the Freedom of the Press Foundation and is also making fairly frequent livestreamed appearances.
However, he has maintained a fairly discreet online presence while in exile.
This is because all web publishing platforms have massive amounts of analytics embedded in them. Like Facebook – it keeps record of how long you are on each page, what posts you click on, what pictures you have seen. These are store permanently. Obviously, any individual in a high risk situation has got to be careful.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

#ISIS #BritishArmy #77Brigade #psychologicalwarfare The British Army is struggling to locate suitable men to man the computers in order to take on the counterterrorism activities through a secretive psychological warfare unit. The purpose of this unit would be to combat Islamic State’s domination of the internet and social media. This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 11 April 2015.

The British Army had launched the specialized 77 Brigade with much fanfare in January in response to the jihadis’ mastery of online propaganda but it is total disarray because on non-availability of the right type of personnel.
It had been expected that the brigade would comprise 2,000 social media and psychological warfare exponents who would enable UK forces to fight wars ‘in the information age’. But, they just do not have the numbers. Even when fully operational, the brigade will number just 454 regular and reservist troops.
The worst part is that the commander of the brigade has admitted that he has failed to recruit enough ‘talent’ to challenge IS’s ascendency online.
The need of the hour, as explained by Brigadier Alastair Aitken, is computer whizzkids who are skilled in ‘social media, financial operations and counter-criminality’. Unfortunately, civilians who could have done the job are not natural recruits for the Army.
Their scope of duties should include covertly leaking messages about British successes to the enemy, through social media platforms like the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and also contacting jihadis directly and spread false information through them.
In the opinion of Brigadier Alastair Aitken, there would be a need to redesign the terms and conditions of service in the Army to attract those persons who possess the necessary skill sets.

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He complained about his work on Facebook and was put into prison in UAE

#BelleairBluffs #UAE #backstabbers A man named Ryan Pate who is a helicopter mechanic from Belleair Bluffs, Florida, had written about his work environment in Facebook – it was apparently about a dispute over sick leave with the company he was working for in the United Arab Emirates. For that, he was put in prison in Abu Dhabi as reported in foxnews.com dated 5 March 2015.
At the time, he was home in Florida and, when he returned to Abu Dhabi last month, he was directed to go to the police station and the police arrested him for breaking an Emirates law that was about slandering his employer.
Griping about work was not new to the American culture but, it landed the person behind bars in a Middle Eastern jail. He has already spent about 10 days in jail and is now free on bail awaiting a March 17 trial. In case he is convicted, he could go to jail for up to five years and, also, a steep fine.
30-year-old Ryan Pate is shell shocked at winding up in prison for something he put on Facebook when he was in the United States. It seems he has mentioned in the Facebook page that he called his bosses "backstabbers" and warned other contractors not to work for them.
He is repenting his actions and is reported to be remorseful for letting his emotions get the better of him.

Welcome the robot into your kitchen

Just imagine a robot in your kitchen that has learnt the tricks of the trade by watching 88 specially selected YouTube videos. This has been made possible by researchers from the University of Maryland and the Australian research center NICTA – they have published a paper on their findings.
Their work is basically part of an impressive use of artificial intelligence called 'deep learning' which involves researchers using training systems called artificial neural networks on lots of information derived from audio, images, and other inputs. Based on these information, the researchers generate commands which the robot could then execute.
The researchers employed 'convolutional neural networks' which are now in use at Facebook, among other companies. These networks help identify the way a hand is grasping an item, and to recognize specific objects. Moreover, the system was also able to anticipate the action involving an object and a hand.
The results from the study will be revealed later this month at the 29th annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.

Facebook reunites a homeless man with his family after 12-years

Facebook has earned a bad reputation on many counts but this is an example that best reveals another, more humane side of FB – it can reunite lost families.
George Cunningham, a homeless man had been separate from his family for 12 years and confided to a photographer friend that he was homeless and wanted to find somewhere to sit down and have a Christmas dinner.
All he wanted was a place to have a Christmas dinner – he was willing to pay money of up to €100 for a hotel – he only wanted to have a Christmas dinner."
The photographer took his photograph and posted it on Facebook and there was an immediate and overwhelming response – among was one from his sister. She recognized his photo and wanted to invite him home for the holidays. So, she contacted with the photographer and wanted her brother to be brought to a remote location - in Kinsale which is a small fishing port in County Cork.
Finally, the date has been fixed and next Wednesday he will be going home to spend Christmas with them.

Marriages are made on Facebook and broken in the Court

The world of today is indeed a topsy-turvy place and the solemn institution of marriage has gone with the wind. The understanding in the days gone by was that marriages are made in heaven – hence, when the knot was tied, it was customary to keep God as witness. Therefore, marriages would be held in temples or churches or other places of worship.
The general belief was that marriage is necessary, some may feel that it falls in the category of a necessary evil. But – that is neither here nor there. Marriage is necessary for society to survive, for ensuring that the breed of humans does not die out.
However, the change in perception is emerging and is not a good trend.
I have listened to programs on TV where young men and women come and interact with the anchors – and, the anchors ask them pointed questions about their relationships. If married, the questions were about how they met, how they broke the barriers, how they eloped.
And – the revelations provide an insight into how society is changing, how new concepts are evolving. Marriage today is not left to God but to Facebook or matrimonial websites. That is how boys and girls meet. Of course, there are family connections at times or work place friendships that translate into marriage.
Unfortunately, no one elaborates on how long such relationships last. Wonder when some TV channel would break the ground and conduct programs where the focus would be on those whose marriages did not last long enough but ended in the Court. In the western countries, happy marriages are exceptions. Broken marriages are not uncommon and the plight of the offspring of such marriages have to struggle at every step to come to terms with reality. The result is a society where unhappy children grow up and find it difficult to cope with stress of being all alone in this vicious world. That is not a good sign. Ultimately, such children turn their back on society.