After countless years in grade school working hard on science fair projects and not receiving a ribbon, I finally gave up and wrote a “non-experimental” paper on computers in the eighth grade. Despite the paper being weak, I finally won a ribbon (third or fourth place) in the school science fair. Remember, this was the early 1980s and everyone was still fascinated with the then new concept of computers entering “everday” life. Why am I going down memory lane? Well I came across an article on the 60th anniversary of Eniac, the “first” computer built which of course was mentioned in that paper of mine some 25 years ago.

Though, only to find out after reading the article, ENIAC wasn’t the first computer and really didn’t do a whole lot. They just had a good public relations department that explained well to the American audience what role the computer would play in the future. If you read the article you’ll find (not included in my excerpt) that the PR people went so far to include the placing of flashing light bulbs on the computer console so that people had something to look at besides vacume tubes and switches. Still, you have to admit it was an amazing engineering achievement.

Compared with other computers that performed such practical functions, ENIAC was an odd bird in technical terms. It relied on a 10-digit decimal system, rather than the binary systems of ones and zeros used by virtually all subsequent computers, even those developed by Eckert and Mauchly. Programs could not be stored on ENIAC. It didn’t really employ conditional branching–the if/then statements that form the cornerstone of modern programming.

And only one ENIAC, in fact, was ever built.

“It was a monstrosity. It was rapidly overtaken by general purpose machines,” thundered Jay Forrester, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and one of the leading computer architects of the last century. “There wasn’t anything in it that survived into modern machines, except maybe electricity.”

But supporters respond with an indisputable fact: It worked. Until it was immobilized by lightning in 1955, ENIAC performed computational problems relating to the development of the hydrogen bomb and other military projects. Penn professor Irving Brainerd once even speculated that during the 80,223 hours ENIAC operated, it crunched more calculations than had been performed by all humanity since time began.

Earlier this week, we discussed here at Like that Idea how NBC’s handling of people posting “amateur” video clips of Saturday Night Live skits on Internet servers. We took no issue with NBC’s claim of copyright, but argued that as copyright holders it may have been a better business decision to allow fans to post such skits on sites. In our opinion, they should have considered it free advertising reaching their intended target. The whole NBC-YouTube episode was our first if three example of how TV networks have lost touch with their audience.

Since our posting, we’ve noticed some bigger fish also picking up on the story we first saw on CNET. One of those bigger fish includes the Motley Fool which argued a day after us some of the same points we made:

After all, the runaway success of “Lazy Sunday” had little to do with its original airing on SNL. But given YouTube’s growing popularity among the young audience that NBC surely covets, I’d have to say that for now, this seems like a rather shortsighted move. Much like the music recording industry’s often heavy-handed tactics, NBC’s decision to pull the plug might irritate the same customers it’s trying to attract.

However, this story doesn’t end. From this episode there are two more examples that can be drawn for how TV networks have lost touch with their audience.

Example 2: Many of the TV networks deny up to twenty percent of their audience from accessing their content fully.

This isn’t something new, but it is still amazing to me the number of large companies that don’t make their Web sites compatible with anything other than Windows and Internet Explorer (IE). Even those articles discussing Windows and IE favorably can’t hide the fact that 20 percent of Americans do not use IE. Instead those users use alternative browsers such as Firefox (Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac) and Safari (Mac). NBC is of course one of these companies that have yet to recognized how much the Internet and its users have evolved in the past five years. From the CNET article:

The video continues to reside on NBC’s official “SNL” site, though its embedded video player appears to work only with Windows.

Reading the CNET article you would believe that it’s only the Linux and possibly Mac crowd that need to worry about not being able to access the videos from the NBC site. However, when likethatidea.com visited NBC.com, using Windows XP and Firefox 1.5, we were prompted with a message that not only said you needed a Windows operating system but also Internet Explorer 5.5 or greater. So not only are the Linux and Mac users out from accessing the video but also Windows users using a non-IE browser.

Once again, the videos are NBC’s property and they can do what they wish. However, you just have to wonder why a network that wants to attract a younger and hipper audience to their network programming would do such a stupid thing. How many real businesses would survive pushing away 20 percent of their customers? I argue not many, especially those that are out of touch with their audience.

Example 3: Networks, such as NBC, insult their audience without even knowing what they’re doing wrong.

Let me ask you, if you sent an e-mail to a company that expressed concerns with a service or product not meeting your expectation, what would you expect in their reply? I think most of you would expect at a minimum a form letter that replied back addressing your concerns. Well I wrote back to NBC and they sent me back a form letter, but it so badly written that it barely touched on my concerns. In fact, it suggested I fill out one of their surveys! Yes, that’s how to calm a customer down…ask them to take additional time out of their schedule to fill out a survey.

However, the most insulting part of their response was in the final line of their reply, a reply responding to my concerns about not being able to properly access their Website without Internet Explorer. I’ve posted NBC’s response to my e-mail below and will let you judge it on its own merits.

Thanks for your email. NBC values your comments, but unfortunately, due to the volume of emails we receive, we cannot respond to each one. Please check our FAQ section to see if your question is answered there:http://www.nbc.com/faq/Since we cannot accept unsolicited scripts, show ideas, or other creative material, any such submission by email will be deleted without being read.We would also like to hear more of your opinions about television and the programs you watch. If you would like to share your feedback with us by becoming part of our viewer panel, please visit the following link:http://www2.rresults.com/1809998/index.cfm?s=50 Once you join, you’ll occasionally be invited to take Internet surveys, which are fun to do and usually take about 5 minutes to complete. The information you give will have an impact on the television programs you enjoy.Thanks for logging on to NBC’s websites.

When I first considered placing advertisements on my site I found a blog, called Subnixus, that catered toward how best to market your site on the Internet. I have enjoyed visiting Subnixus the past several months and I’ve honestly learned a lot. I recommend the place for someone trying to figure how they can make money by placing advertisement on their own site. However on a recent visit I was disappointed to read an article titled, Why College is a Scam. Maybe I’m showing my age, but I continue to be disturbed with so many young adults not understanding the true values of education. I am even more disturbed with the lack of students seeking an education in science, math, computer science, and engineering . From time to time, I have seen the following facts from a study on the state of engineering degrees in the United States posted in newspapers and magazine articles:

Last year alone, more than 600,000 engineers graduated from higher education institutions in China. In India, this number was 350,000. In the United States there were roughly 70,000 and the number of engineering degrees awarded in the United States is down 20 percent from the peak year of 1985.

American society as a whole seems to have less value for education, especially in the sciences and math, than when I was growing up. Maybe I’m more sensitive to these numbers since I am a scientist at heart…but isn’t anyone else disturbed by this trend? While I feel there should have been something done to help reverse this downward spiral sooner, I’m glad at least that it is finally getting some some well deserved attention by the Bush administration.

Getting back to the article posted on Subnixus, the following is my open letter to the author:

My primary field is in the sciences for which there is no other way to get that education without going through at least a four-year degree program. Recently, I went the opposite direction going for a Master’s Degree in Administration with the focus on Information Systems. Yes, there were times I was sitting in the classroom and thinking, is this really worth it? How could I not consider whether the degree was worth the price I was paying. A price that was not only paid in money for tuition but also my time. During those years I missed so many Sunday football games and evenings with the family. Quite frankly, when I was pursuing a higher education I felt I was living the life of a monk with little connection to the “real world”.

Did I feel at times the university was just taking my money with the only reward at the end being a piece of paper? Yes, I did. Did my employer give me a penny more after receiving my piece of paper? No they didn’t. Was it tempting to call it quits? Yes it was. Do I regret that I spent my time in college and completing my degree? No, I don’t have a single regret and here is why. If there is only one thing that is important in life to assure success it is to “follow though” and finish what you started. Completing what you set out to do is what separates the winners and the losers.

And no, I’m not implying the author of the article is a loser. He seems to me to be very intelligent and as I’ve said, I learned a lot from his writings. I am however saying that I have deep respect for the roommate that he writes about. A roommate that despite having someone tell her that “she has been brainwashed” is still sticking it out and working on her degree. I too had roommates that dropped out and were living the good life while I pursued my studies. I know what she is going through. It’s not easy to eat Ramen Noodles when your roommate is eating steak.

One of my former roommates thought I was crazy when the first job I accepted after getting my degree. The job paid less than what he when he worked at the local video store. Fast forward twenty years to the present and I promise you he does not carry the same attitude. It is a struggle to realize you didn’t finish what you started when you had the time, energy, and youth to do it. Regardless of the money he may or may not be making now, he regrets not following through and finishing his degree. As a good friend of his, I too regret he didn’t finish what he started.

Respecfully,

Bryan from Like that Idea

I have been seeing on quite a few internet sites once again displaying misinformation that Cell Phone numbers will be released to telemarketers in the United States. The claim is that you need to register your cell phone on the national Do Not Call list. This information is false and far from the truth. The US Federal Trade Commission on January 19, 2006 posted a news release on this matter, The Truth about Cell Phones and the Do Not Call Registry. Below is some information originating from the news release.

The Federal Trade Commission today reiterated that despite the claims made in e-mails circulating on the Internet, consumers should not be concerned that their cell phone numbers will be released to telemarketers in the near future, and that it is not necessary to register cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry to be protected from most telemarketing calls to cell phones.
The truth about cell phones and the DNC Registry is:

• Contrary to the e-mail, cell phone numbers are NOT being released to telemarketers, and you will NOT soon be getting telemarketing calls on your cell phone.
• There is NO deadline by which you must register your cell phone number on the Registry.
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers are barred from calling consumers on their cell phones without their consent.
• While the telecommunications industry has been discussing the possibility of creating a wireless 411 directory, according to the FCC, even if a wireless 411 directory is established, most telemarketing calls to cell phones would still be illegal, regardless of whether the number is listed on the federal government?s National Do Not Call Registry.