Archive for December, 2009

Just a random thought: Is there any other model that works besides Capitalism ?

As I’m getting older I’m increasingly realizing the extent of how fucked up the world is. I mean, how can the number one disease in America be obesity when half of the world is dying of starvation?
Should you spend your life as a volunteer in Africa helping a few or should you use Capitalism (scaling other people’s hard work) to build something big, like Microsoft,  then start a fund to help people in Africa, like Bill Gates? Can you make more an impact that way because you’ve got more money?

At the root of the problems seems to be capitalism – supply and demand- keep half of the world starving so that the other half can live beyond their means. I’m a culprit too, why would I not reward myself with those gorgeous leather £200 boots when I’ve worked bloody hard to be able to afford them? It’s my money, I’ve made It, why should I sacrifice any of it? It’s easier to ignore the rest of the world and life in London is hard enough, Isn’t it?

So then I was thinking about another economic model that could work? Socialism has been tried, tested and failed- the problem is humans are inherently greedy and as soon as people get in a position of power they abuse it and corruption comes into play- Do you really think we live in a democracy?

But then I was thinking it’s human nature to be greedy – Right from the word go we fight for survival, the fastest sperm wins the egg. You have to fight your brothers and sisters at the dinner table for the biggest egg, fight off your colleagues for that promotion, fight off the other parents to send your child to the good school.

And then I got confused so I thought I’d share it on Twitter and wrote:

“Just a thought:aren’t we born into a capitalist society?I mean isn’t the sperm’s race to the egg hard nose capitalism?Work hard get reward?”

Kicking off a whole conversation on Twitter, Here are some of my favorite musings:

robertloch

@hermioneway capitalism isn’t about hard work. You can’t scale hard work.

ealexhudson

@hermioneway Nah, millions of sperms working to achieve a single goal with no overall owner is clearly communist.

ananelson

@hermioneway Capitalism today is the losing sperm gets a bailout from the central bank.

yishaym

@Alfie @robertloch: @hermioneway actually it is, but about other people’s hard work. the west has been scaling that for centuries.

chaffeet

@hermioneway no sperm starts out with £3m from his daddy, which DOES happen in a capitalist society. What about the egg?

stevekennedyuk

@hermioneway that’s not capitalism that’s strongest/fittest survive … Darwinism ;)

Then i Tweeted: “Capitalism makes the world so unfair- is there any other model that could work? Humans are too greedy no?!: ”

BronwynDurand

@hermioneway Grass roots capitalism is the way out of poverty. Conscious capiltalism is the way forward. All resources are precious.

badhex

@hermioneway Indeed we are greedy, which sucks -but Sir David Attenborough has taught that other creatures are too. Hopefully we can change?

wendytanwhite

@hermioneway Social market economy http://bit.ly/7mKVom Has it’s problems too (see Europe) .. all systems can be broken by ‘people’!

jonfish

@hermioneway Capitalism can be fair if the people at the top help the people at the bottom – entrepreneurs must put something back & pay tax

handlewithcare

@hermioneway Free exchange of goods, services & ideas is the best system there is. Money puts food on the table. Ergo, capitalism.

Lyeos

@hermioneway capitalism takes advantage of the difference in social classes, but no other works in the materialistic society we live in atm

e81

@hermioneway yes, charge an item’s true value and pay the workers fairer wages. Means your MacBook would cost tripple.

bryanglick

@hermioneway “Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried” – Winston Churchill

skorpio73

@hermioneway yes but all sperms start off equal, none are given a head start by their background! Plus, I say they r all proletarian sperms.

So what do you think? It even worth having this conversation? What difference will it make? I’m gonna go buy a skinny latte and ponder.

The future of print? Digital Mags

Just saw an article on TechCrunch demoing Sports Illustrated digital magazine on a tablet. Would you pay money for this?

Intruders and Techfluff.tv teaming up for Le Web Special!

Video site Intruders TV, (what i call the TED for tech), and our very own Techfluff.tv are teaming up to bring you a Le Web special!

Yes that’s right two of Europe’s hottest video sites we will be bringing you something very fun from one of Europe’s hottest tech conferences!

Last year’s video was a huge hit and we even got on French TV-ohh la la!

So who else from the UK is going? There are a few events you should know about like the DrinkTank event sponsored by Microsoft Bizpark:

“DrinkTank Paris @LeWeb
Are you coming to LeWeb next week? Join us at the inaugural DrinkTank Paris on Thursday, 10 December sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark. It’s going to be absolutely spectacular – 300-strong party of LeWeb speakers, press, bloggers, VCs and European start-ups in a venue used by Oscar de La Renta during the Fashion Week in Paris (I realise that to most of you, it means absolutely nothing). If you haven’t received your invitation yet, drop me a line.”

Will keep you updated on a venue.

Here’s last year’s video, it’s one of my favorites- straight from a Sauna!

The iPhone Boot Camp back in London, January 29-31-Girl Geeks get scholarship and go free!

The three day intensive London iPhone Boot Camp workshop from 10am-6pm covers the fundamentals and advanced feature of iPhone development, enough material that you should be able to develop your own iPhone application and upload it to the AppStore.

The workshop is limited in size and features hands on exercises under the supervision of the instructor.The course includes over two hundred pages of course material – slides and exercises, specifically written for the workshop Trainer Charles under the brand of Percula Software has published his own apps such as SleepOver and EventHorizon (which was awarded 2nd place in the O2 iPhone App Showdown), and has also released an open-source project called AppReviews for use by other iPhone developer (Video of Kate Ho thanking you for the scholarship)

More info and early bird rate here

Calling all female geek- get a scholarship and go free!

Girls! Send in you resume to win the 2010 Techfluff.Tv Scholarship for women to the Jan 29-31 intensive London iPhone Boot Camp. Judging will be by Kate Ho, winner of the 2009 Techfluff.tv  scholar. email: hermioneway@newspepper.com and one paragraph on why you should win!

Video: Computer Weekly IT Blog Awards 2009

Last week was ComputerWeekly’s 2000 IT Blog Awards..it was fun, fun, fun! I was in a cheeky mood! See more photos and coverage on their site. Media coverage provided by Newspepper.com

An Open Letter from Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg about ditching regional networks

Insomnia again, so some late night browsing for me… Just saw an open letter from Mark Zuckerberg in my Facebook feed …They’re ditching regional networks so users can better control their privacy..will it work?

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The epitomey of Internet fame-small town girl hits big on YouTube.

I’ve been following Lauren Luke for a while- she does makeup tutorials on YouTube and is the second most subscribed UK YouTube user of all time. She said she was ‘bullied at school’ and ‘has no real friends’ but her videos get viewed millions of times. And now she’s got a published makeup book, her own makeup line and even an Nintendo DS game. She is very unassuming, seems down-to-earth and this is why the YouTubers love her! Good Luck Lauren!

Of course the Beeb’s done a docco on her -it make me cringe when she meets the fashion industry expert -stick to the Internet Lauren!

I love Charlie!

Charlieissocoollike is an English videoblogger. He’s very Internet famous especially on the YouTubes!

Here’s his latest video:

Funky Twitter Accessories-If you love me at all this Christmas?!

Just came across these lovely Twitter name necklaces from this site

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Ohhh and these phycadelic tee shirts from iJustine’s got made up! photos from her  blog

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well if you wanna give the Techfluff team a little xmas pressie – you know what to get us;)