Off Topic-this has nothing to do with myabuy and is a personal opinion. Feel free share it if you like...

There is an uprising in Thailand because there is massive corruption, everyone knows about it, the opposition Democrat Party proved it in no confidence debate, and nothing changed. The Parliamentary system still voted on Party Lines and nothing got fixed or addressed. I think after people view that they see that as long as the current Parliament does not ask for or try to implement accountability what is the alternative.

It is very hot in Thailand. The weather is often humid and muggy, and now there is also a lot of rain.  Too many cars are in the city which makes the air on the streets not the most pleasant to inhale. The people who protests do not want to spend all day on the streets-most have jobs in nice air-conditioned offices. They are sacrificing their own personal comfort to try and change what is wrong. Protesting is what happens when there is no other outlet to combat corruption and bad governance. It is a shame but that is how things are in Thailand. That is in practical terms the only way to create people who do not support the current administration can make their voices heard....

"Too big to fail" or punish...

Anyone else read the article about FTC recognizing that all their "settlements" they come up with companies like FB where the company is allowed to evade admitting guilt when FB was found to be abusing the privacy of their users. How can the FTC look at themselves in the mirror and be happy that they ended up with such a watered down "punishment" It is one reason why a company like FB will continue to play fast and loose with the rules-if a company can get punished without paying fine or admitting guilt, then it says a lot about what has happened to the "laws" in this country when it comes to dealing with businessess that have become "too big to fail" or punish!

-A Myabuy Man

Where can you find million dollar homeowners heading to library for a/c...

The answer-Silicon Valley. This is from firsthand experience. Its a shame but million dollars does not go far there. Why the library-its free and offers strong central a/c. Guess how many million dollar homes have central a/c (or even window a/c) in the Bay Area? A lot less than you think....


Lets just say your not going to be living large in a million dollar home! 


-A Myabuy man:-)

A typical summer in Silicon Valley often means no a.c.

Its ironic but understandable because the whole area of Silicon Valley was until the 1970s farmland and modest homes that were not built for luxury or convienence. Million dollar homes in the area are the norm-they just don't come with air conditioning or particularly thick and sturdy walls....There is nothing quite the same as having spent a super hot CA summer with only a ceiling fan and floor fan to keep you cool:( In short I do not miss the type of super expensive housing that is the norm in Silicon Valley. Anyone going there who thinks they will get even a studio rental for under $1000, prepare to have your heart broken...

-Chief Myabuyer 

Time to get on board with Do Not Track...

It may seem weird that any company in Internet area would welcome the Do not track list. Unfortunately many companies live in a bubble and cannot see the forest from the trees (so to speak) It is similar to some politicians in U.S. that do not see the big picture in anything that is against his/her interests or ego. The problem is a lack of empathy towards the end-user. Its a shame but empathy is something lacking in many people nowadays (particularly those who really lucked out in things)

What do ya'll think? I would totally sign up for Do not Track list if FTC gets in the game and demands that the govt stop squabbling and protect their citizens!

On Myabuy  you will not need to worry about signing up for Do Not Track List, THat is nice, since who knows how much longer it will take for govt to take the recommendation of FTC to implement Do Not Track list.

A time to sue? Probably...

What do you think of Yahoo suing Facebook for 10 patent violations, I think Yahoo will win just because if you go by facts, its clear that Facebook ads are modeled on Yahoo and Google (aside from the sponsored stories which pushes the laws of decency far more than either Yahoo or Google could ever imagine) Also Yahoo owes Facebook nothing-they do not own a piece of the company and will not profit from the success or failure.

If the new CEO did not file patent suit he probably would be let go for dereliction of duty...

Love to get other thoughts on it....

Myabuy 4 life:)

What is about privacy thats so hard for some sites to understand

I never understood what is so hard about basic forms of privacy that are so difficult for some "social" sites to understand. It is basic principles that govern social relations throughout the ages. Ideas like common courtesy, asking permission before taking something, not stealing, being upfront...These are not hard to understand concepts...It does not take a genius to know people do not want a stranger rifling through their email accounts (something many sites do) to "suggest" friends that you may have communicated with once in your entire life. It is crazy to think anyone would welcome that. 


I was not a psychology major but this sort of thing is basic tenet to how regular people behave towards others. Its strange and scary that there seems a lack of humanity and empathy from the people in charge of companies that regularly do this (it does not matter if the company is being run by a man, woman, college dropout, or whatever)  Without humanity and empathy towards others, no site can truly understand how people interact socially anyways. It is sad to think that some people would idolize or frequent companies with no sense of right vs wrong, good vs bad, acceptable behavior vs chronic dishonesty....
It may seem like I'm venting (there is some truth to that) but the facts speak for themselves. You cannot make this stuff up!


Ciao for now.


Chief Myabuyer
www.myabuy.com

What does a million dollars buy you (not much in Silicon Valley unfortunately)

When I was in Mountain View, I met a guy who bought a home in Palo Alto in the 1960s told me that before that area became Silicon Valley it was farming land-its why many of the homes and apt buildings are not built with modern conveniences (double paned windows, thick walls.) They were never designed to be million dollar homes or even executive style accommodation lol Make me wish I were alive to have bought up a bunch of homes in the 1960s lol

The place I rented back in Mountain View best described the no upgrade necessary for the very high rent mentality of most landlords!

-Myabuy Man

Myabuy

What does a $1+ million home in Silicon Valley look like....

Very average...honestly $1 million gets you so little in Silicon Valley-if you owned a home there before the Internet boom (when the homes were probably priced at their physical value-materials, land size, design) than your sitting on a fortune that will not go down in value...Its weird what $1 million gets you in an area that is not near the water, or beautiful scenery....

Well its the type of area where nothing is what it seems...

-Myabuy 4 life

The difference between Silicon Valley myth and reality!

Wondering when Silicon Valley will understand that people who work there (unless their an employee of a huge company) cannot afford to live there. I remember living in Mountain View and talking with people working downtown who had to live about a 1hour drive away (some had to take a few buses) to get to work. I went to mountain View for Myabuy but learned a lot about the difference between the myth of Silicon Valley and the reality of living there.Income inequality does exist even in 1 of the richest parts of CA.

Just an observation from a former Mountain View resident, who did make some good friends while living there....

Facebook=Experian. 'Nuff said

How Facebook has become Experian.

Both have become a vehicle for data collection

Both solely exist to collect personal communications and profile information that they sell to any type of business (no matter how sleazy, disreputable or crooked)

Both are very large and head by a CEO who's a huge hypocrite-preaching how we should be open but desperately guarading their own personal info and communications from others

Both would soil themselves and sue if a rival corporation perpetrated the crap they do to us

Both do not care what happens to you, me or anyone else-we are like ATM's to them (well our personal communications and actions are)

They are a match made in heaven, that unfortunately does not care if it makes the lifes of other’s hell...They may as well merge and cut out the facade that they are benefiting society.

What's wrong with the FTC-look at the Facebook settlement. Shameful by any legal standard!

Is anyone else disappointed in how inefficient U.S. government and the FTC has been-waiting this long and willing to accept "settlements" from companies like Facebook that relish in exposing everyone (except their own executives) information as part of their culture and original business model. I guess that is a type of business model in the way that cos I never heard of, posting your information and then asking you to "claim this profile". That there is no financial punishment to a company that has been doing it blatantly since it's founding (in legal terms punitive damages) indicates that the laws and congress are for sale, through corporate lobbyists-Facebook has a big lobbying unit in Washington D.C.

Its a shame because without punitive damages there is no incentive for anyone to respect privacy until they are forced to (which in Facebook's case was 5 years plus) I cannot imagine in private sector lawyers would work and spend years only to settle for such weak terms (no financial or punitive damages) It is a settlement between a watchdog and a private, for profit company being treated like a misunderstanding that has been going on for over 5 years! I can understand why FTC and other government agencies cannot attract top level talent nowadays. If I were a lawyer and spent all this time and effort to get nothing tangible (financial or personal satisfaction) I would feel like the whole thing was a waste of my time and expertise.

-A "faceless" Myabuyer

Musing on Thailand (my homeland)

I am perplexed and angry about what is going on in Thailand now. While I am not in the country I follow the Thai news keenly on Thai newspapers, including Bangkok Post and Nation Newspaper, the idea perpetuated by Western media that has no idea about what's going on in Thailand. First The Puen Thai government (which is not being led by the PM Yingluck but her older brother on the run, ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra) were not voted for by the contributing parts of Thailand. The Southern region, where all the tourist and natural beauty area) and most of Bangkok (the capital where all the GDP revenue is generated) They also happen to be areas where the people are more educated (perhaps this is circumstance but probably not)

Unfortunately the North contributes very little to GDP yet have many people. This is also the region which voted for the Puen Thai government (bribes and cash handouts are used as extra incentives) So the government now is representing a region of Thailand (the North) and everywhere else in Thailand (particularly the Southern Region and Bangkok) has to endure a lesser government for 4 years (god I hope they are not in office for that long) This type of democracy is not really representative democracy but more domination of one part of the country that happens to be the worse educated and not much of a contributor to the Thai economy.

Of course now that there is an election, regardless of the competency of the current Thai govt Western media will ignore the country. It does not make news unless there is coup or natural disaster. This is not unique to Thailand but is similar to many non-Western countries. They are forgotten quickly until a big disaster strikes. It is sad but all I can do is try not to think about the mess and hope that Thailand succeeds somehow, whether it be with the current govt (although that is probably not likely) or a better one that replaces it. This may be off-topic but it matters to me and many other people who care about Thailand.

Thanks for reading!

-A Myabuy guy

Beauty is under rated online-why?

I am amazed at how beauty is under rated when it comes to websites and "Social Networks" It is not how the real world works. I do not want to sound superficial but the thought that some of the ugliest and most unfriendly to look at websites are heavily visited is disturbing. It is not the design in so much as the ugly practices and need for websites to devote 40% of screen space to the most tacky "Sponsored ads" and garbage imaginable...

How any business that is looking to maintain a good reputation would be willing to associate themselves, knowing their profile will be seen and matched alongside ads for dollar stores, dubious dating sites, crappy for profit unis (basically all the sad business entities that do not care about customers or the quality of their wares)

Life online is not like the real world. Unfortunately good businesses that rely on ugly websites and "Social Networks" with even uglier business practices will be lumped together-it just does not work (business wise) for the reputable party. It is time for some businesses to wake up and see that not all websites or social networks are equal-to pretend otherwise is delusional.

-Myabuy team

Quality can be measured by the values of its leader

I notice corporations often take the shape and attitude of their leader-whether it is deliberately enforced by the co. or that their ethics (or lack of) are natural magnets to like minded folk. Regardless of the reason, I have never seen a corp where the leadership is evil and the co. itself is pure of heart.

That is why Myabuy is special-it is designed by an ethical leader, who hopefully will attract equally ethical Users. Trust (or lack of) is so important online.

When you cannot reach the person in charge because the leader has deliberately made themselves incognito, that is a bad sign.

I often wonder if people find it fishy that some of the largest social networks have no number attached to their website (be it phone/fax or something) Most do not even have direct email address to the people in charge. While some may think its not important, they are wrong.

There has never in history of the been a major corp that was allowed to be completely uncountable to its members (both paid and free users) I wonder why the media does not mention that either-its a pretty OBVIOUS omission. I wonder if they think that regular users have access to anyone who can resolve issues.

the leadership of the biggest social network is one such unccountable business that has a lot to be desired. Particularly when they do not seem to respect anything about the very users that can make or break their company.

For all those who have not thought about it, I pose this question to you:

If something goes down, what will you do or contact-well there is no number or direct email address. When that happens who will resolve your situation-probably no one:(

What about businesses that use social networks to put up those cheesy advertisements, Same Question. If something bad happens what can you do? Its worth thinking about when evaluating leaders of corporations and whether they have real accountability to its users...

Till Next Time folks!

Why do some people “hate” Charlie Sheen

This is my personal opinion but I find it disgusting how many people now dismiss Charlie Sheen as a joke and trying to diminish his accomplishments by comparing him to Snookie and reality TV show stars.

First Charlie Sheen is a damn good award winning actor, who has a career spanning 3 decades now. As proof, I suggest you watch Platoon, Wall Street, Hot Shots, and Major League-all classics that show an amazing acting range. It is a false equivalency to say he is the equivalent in importance to snookie, or other nobodies who are cashing in on their 15 minutes of fame for dubious accomplishments.

He is a real star, not a reality show contestant!

Its funny that so many people see such a good actor behave a little manic and try to beat him down so he is less of a person. Why do people drag others down just for the heck of it. Charlie Sheen deserves respect (a lot of it) because he is truly someone who made a difference in life (even if its just for his great portrayal of greed run amok in Wall Street, the horrors of the Vietnam War in Platoon, or wonderful parodies of the Top Gun and baseball movies.) That is natural talent and and a positive legacy that we should remember long after the catch phrases and inteviews with 20/20!

The real tragedy is the legacy this will leave on a stellar actor that is far better than many of the “stars” and celebrities critics are now comparing him too. By disparaging him as a famous for doing nothing “celebrity” is just mean, nasty and petty.

If this editorial ever spreads I would like to say Charlie Sheen deserves a lot better than how the “haters” are treating him! I hope he finds peace and regains his rightful place as a real star of screen and TV.

When do people care about privacy-always!

I want to ask everyone in the google universe when do you care about your privacy? I am assuming your answer is all the time! It is bunk when Social Networks like the CEO of a network that starts with F and ends in "book" boasts, about you and I not caring about our privacy...I can tell you, the reader in everyplace I have been to in the world (5 continents and counting) no one has ever told me, no we don't care...

The reason why there is not so much outrage to the trivialization of privacy from social networks is that most of the world (outside the U.S.) DO NOT KNOW about it. The fact is most social network users outside the U.S, have no idea that these cos have such a reckless disregard for privacy.

No one I spoke to, even knew how social networks made money...If social networks told this to people outside the U.S-that they were abusing the privacy and information of its users, the admiration (not to mention the number of new users) goes out the window.

When I tell people about what social networks are really doing, they cannot imagine a robust democracy like the U.S. would let companies get away with it. This is not innovation, but the Internet equivalent of telemarketing, email harvesting and/or dumpster diving.

Social networks must hope that Congress and U.S. lawmakers will continue to ignore what they do. Unfortunately the action/inaction of the U.S. has consequences. In this case, inaction acts like a rubber stamp in the eyes of many outside the U.S. that what other social networks do (particularly how the one that starts with the letter F and ends in book, does not allow its users to OPT-OUT of all their many privacy invasive features) is appropriate. It also sets a horrible example to others around the world who decide to copycat this deceptive model. When we stop having respect for the privacy of our fellow man, bad things do happen.

That is why it us time for the U.S. government to :"get 'er done", and put a stop to many of these egregious practices.

Sincerely,

A concerned member of Myabuy

clearing up some myths about Johns Hopkins (my alma mater)

I have met many people recently (from different backgrounds, regions of the country, and education level) who have a lot of false information, when the subject of Johns Hopkins comes up. Some of these fantasies people insist are facts (that is also very annoying-clueless men/women who judge places they have never been to or seen but I digress)

Two different faux friends literally said that Johns Hopkins is a public school. lol Where they got such a ridiculous idea is beyond me. there is no state or city in the name, and there is no town of Johns Hopkins anywhere in the U.S...yet some people choose to be willfully ignorant of what is going on in the U.S. and the world...

I have also been told that Johns Hopkins is just a hospital-how f**king ridiculous is that? Hopkins was the first research university in the U.S., and is a lot more than just a hospital-it is not the Mayo or Cleveland Clinic! There are a ton of different majors, programs and leaders that came out Hopkins-the treasury secretary of the U.S., Tim Geither is a Hopkins grad (SAIS) for peat sake!

Sometimes I wonder where people latch onto false ideas, and how they parrot them and pollute their ignorance to friends, colleagues and total strangers...it is a shame that people do not know more about a great school like Johns Hopkins and the wonderful students and alumni who contribute so much to the U.S. (and world) If there were more Hopkins grads, this world would be in a lot better shape! This is just my 2 cents:)

-from the desk of the Privacy Pioneer (aka Mr Myabuy himself)

Social Distortion: Facebook must stop - Opinion

Great Article from Hopkins Newsletter (my alma mater) about the dangers of using Facebook. I find it is written very well, and explains some of the major points that should be recognized!

Social Distortion: Facebook must stop - Opinion

This article reflects exactly what I think about the typical social network

This great article is exactly the sort of thing I have mentioned in prior blog posts.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362967,00.asp

When people do not understand the choices because a social network (in this case FB) makes them so myopic (i.e. confusing) free will becomes an illusion. How can ANYONE make an informed decision about what to share, and tell about ourselves if we are not given the facts. The fact is all the social networks (particularly the largest one) are deliberately misleading the user into thinking conversations on their networks are between friends and not intended to be recycled across the Internet, and their 3rd party affiliates, ad partners, potential ad partners and god knows who else!

Until columnists and Internet users points to how unethical it is to trick people into giving up their god given right to privacy is, nothing will change:(

My 2 cents.

-Myabuyer