I was thinking recently about Myspace and YouTube and the power they currently hold, and it’s quite apparent that the power and influence they can use is quite proportionate. The Internet has always been a successful communicative medium since the Internet hit home users, however I see YouTube and Myspace as exceptional cases in which they have exceeded the stereotypical Website and became major power-players in the Real World, in not only Entertainment but Politics and News.

When YouTube was founded by several former paypal members, it took the Internet and quite literally the Internet by storm. Since it’s creation there has been Internet celebrities by the boat load, however unlike any period before, there has never been this many Internet Celebrities breaking into success in the Offline world. (See lonelygirl15; Brooke Brodack) Does this mean, in another generation onwards, that the merger of Internet and Offline forms of Entertainment will be complete? If one becomes famous on the Internet, they will be famous all over? When you consider the ever-growing numbers in which this is happening, it’s not so unbelievable.

News? Both YouTube and Myspace have been mentioned in the Offline Media numerous times, often painted in a bad light. Is this due to the fact they can be considered a threat in public manipulation? Possibly, but either way they are seen as extra-successful mediums on which to reach out to the public with messages, news and commercial marketing. It’s a given now that Myspace and YouTube make more money then most TV Channels do monthly. Both are even referenced in the Offline Mediums of TV, Newspapers and Magazines. Threats? Yes, and both Google and Rupert Murdock see this medium as being the future of not contributing information but controlling it.

The problem about these mediums receiving so much power is what they can do with it. Too much power will mean sooner of later someone will slip up and use it. And conterversies relating to manipulation of the public have already occurred.

Myspace and YouTube alike have both been used by Politics as staging wars between the political parties of their respective countries, both the Australian Liberal and Labour parties, and the American Republican and Democrat parties have successfully utilized the medium. This is both a double-edged sword. On the one side, the parties reach out to an audience otherwise untapped, and on the other is the fact that utilizing these sites are effectively giving them power. As for the future of these sites, we can only guess they will grow larger and other sites will be born which in turn will be successful. But from what I can see the Internet has never been stronger, and in only a few decades, the Internet will be the biggest medium with events which will occur being literally embedded in both the Offline and Online Worlds.

Funnily enough in a September 2006 investor meeting, News Corp. COO Peter Chernin claimed that virtually all modern Web applications (naming YouTube, Flickr, and Photobucket) were really just “driven off the back of MySpace“.

How very untrue.

So right, I plan to do University next year, but recently I found out that I couldn’t do the University Preparation Course at Sydney University. Why? Because I’ve done a qualification above a Certificate III in AQF. So that means I’ll need a plan to get in through another means.

So far the two options I have are:

- Apply to University using my Diploma in Network Engineering.

Sounds odd, using an IT Diploma to get into a non-IT degree. I think it’s suppose to show that I can do above-secondary education work. Either way, I sure hope it works.

- Apply to Open Universities.

Well, Open Universities is basically a program held by a group of universities that allow anyone wanting to do University in. The only catch is that the entire curriculum is online. It’s taught online and you only go in to do the exams.

I’m just hoping the first option works, because I’d rather be a student on campus rather then off, and using the Internet to do my work..

Well, this should be a rather long post. Where have I been off to? Well, not far really.

I got laid off by The Byron Group after three weeks of work.

Why? Well, the reasons they gave me to explain why the fired me didn’t make sense and were wrong. Basically, they accused me of “snooping” though documents, that I was late one day (Whereas I really came 27 minutes early…), and so forth. But as someone said to me, it’s good that they showed their true colours before I got sucked in too much. Oh well, I enjoyed working there, even if I did know more then my boss.

Gave up on German.

As stated on an earlier post, I knew once I got the job, that I’d have to give German the wave, even after I got fired, it would have been stupid to go back to it. So I did the first half, and missed out the last eight weeks. I got my academic transcript though and got competent on 2 of the 3 modules… Makes me wonder how good I was going in the course. German’s a pretty easy language to get the hang of, and I probably will go back to doing it at some point in time.

Had to pass on ReMix Australia and Paul & Nat’s engagement party.

Yes well, several reasons came up before it was held. My grandfather not feeling well, I had to enroll for a new semester at TAFE, and my financial status was just enough to get me to and from Melbourne due to some clients not paying me. But although I hate the fact I missed the party, there’s not much I could’ve done really.

Now doing a course in Mandarin dialect of Chinese.

I was finally able to enroll into the course, and although the language isn’t as easy as German, I think if I commit myself to it and buy various teaching aids, I’ll be able to grasp it particularly well.

As Will posted in his journal, I also got to meet-up with him in Sydney, which is always fun, for Yum-Cha and the Simpsons Movie.

Indeed, apparently I’m 21 today, I don’t really feel that much older through.

Just like Paul and Will. I’ve jumped the bandwagon and registered for Microsoft’s ReMix 2007. I know I’m not much of a developer, only being able to code in PERL, PHP, SQL and other minor/outdated languages, but some of the potential sessions have more or less perked my interests, and really an event like this at the cost is just too good a chance to miss.

Though I’m not as organized as Will, I’ll be sure to make plans before or in early June to make flight bookings, etc.

As Will said in this post, Wireless Security is essential for an efficient and reliable network. You would honestly be amazed in how many Wireless Hotspots are either badly secured or not even secured at all, I have came around 30 Hotspots in my immediate vicinity out of 52 which are badly/not secured.

In addition to Will’s handy advice, I’d like to throw in my few cents about the issue.

svA/svA2 With Radius

svA/2 with a Radius Server or Wireless Access Point Database is easily the most secure way for your Wireless network. Making it nigh impenetrable, due to individual accounts and passwords, and the fact you can throw things in like certificates which would even make the most skilled hacker cringe and sweat trying to break into your network.

Do not use WEP unless you have no other Choice.

WEP is barely security these days. Think of it as a very cheap garbage bag trying to hold lots of spiky bits, it’s going to come apart. Why? Because WEP can easily be cracked in under a minute depending on the security length of the WEP key. There are programs out there which sniff the wireless packets automatically before cracking the password, which can even let a twelve year old gain access to your network.

Hide your E/SSID

Hiding your ESSID will not prevent determined Hackers, but it can pass basically basic scans, and be a small annoyance to people trying to break into your wireless network.

It doesn’t hurt to use MAC Filtering

While Will highlights the fact that Mac Filtering can easily be overcome, not everybody can do it. It takes someone going in and after monitoring Wireless signals, spoofing(Taking the identity of) a MAC Address belonging to the actual network. However like hiding your E/SSID, It’s another annoyance, and is harder to overcome then the above. Think about it this way, you’re basically barricading your network against attacks. And each thing is a hurdle. All these things together can make your network safe as it can possibly be.

Well Ladies and Gentlemen…. I got the job. I now work for The Byron Group as an IT Assistant. (I know, not a Snazzy Title.) I’ll only be working 3 days a week, 8 and a half hour days, but I think I’ll be able to manage it.

Unfortunately, the downside is that I won’t be able to do German anymore because there’s no way I’ll be able to get from Milperra to Ultimo in an hour via Public Transport. But honestly, money is more valuable currently.

The heading speaks truth, I noticed a job offer on Seek, about a Part Time IT assistant. It’ll be three days a week, and the duties of the job and skills required I fulfil quite well.

I submitted an application today via Fax because their email was having issues and was called back a few hours after submitting it arranging a job interview tomorrow at 10am. I’ll post how I went with it once I’ve done it.

Pretty busy weekend. On Friday I went to my friend Krystal’s 21st and enjoyed it pretty well, I do like the odd social event, though I have to make it a note to get her a belated birthday present. On the weekend, I went out to hang out with a mate down from Newcastle, No it wasn’t Will! Though Will, if you’re reading this, we should meet up sometime.

Had a quiet Easter, not like I really celebrate it anyway, like everything else these days it’s too commercialised.

Fixed up both my journal my myspace profile, which I’ve started to finally use after signing up sometime in mid 2006. So if you guys have one, add me.

You know what I always find interesting? I have a fast metabolism in that I can eat and eat and not gain much, if any, weight. Yet if I drink excessive amounts of Alcohol, I will not get a hangover but the alcohol will remain in my system for days, and I’ll feel out of it until I finally “sober” up. I do wonder why, hm.