Online preoccupation in a virtual world is denying today's youth the real thing Today's youth and some adults may be spending too much time online and ending up losing opportunities to develop other skills and have meaningful off-line experience and face-to-face relationships. In Bangkok, schoolchildren and some adults spend an inordinate amount of the time at Internet cafes or in front of their notebook computers playing online games, checking out Facebook or literally Twittering their life away on their mobile phones.
A more balanced approach is needed lest these people end up treating their online virtual life as more important or a substitute to their off-line real life.
There is no debate about the merits and marvels of the Internet. Wikipedia and Google have opened access to a treasure trove of information in ways unimaginable to people two decades ago. Twitter has changed the face of revolt in Iran and will likely play a more crucial role in future political struggles elsewhere. And the seemingly less-hi-tech e-mail has managed to make inter-continental relationships possible as well as affordable. Facebook and MySpace have also reinvented virtual social networking. Today, one can also play online games with multiple others from various parts of the globe in real time.
Nevertheless, despite the obvious merit of these technological innovations, one must recognise that too much of anything is always harmful. Some people have ended up becoming addicted to online life and relations and fail to nurture their off-line life as a result. Others have ended up having less time for serious book reading and contemplation, preferring the easier way to google up everything.
The virtual world, to some, has become a replacement for the real world's face-to-face interaction and relations. No one should doubt that no matter how hi-tech and dazzling these new Internet technologies are, they can never replace the real-life experience of our five senses. Looking at any number of pages of snow online can never replace the real-life experience of being physically exposed to snowy winter. Google as many maps as you like about different parts of Rome but it cannot compensate for taking a leisurely stroll in that majestic old imperial capital by foot. Also, none of the sweet words online sent through e-mail can ever replace a real embrace and kiss of lovers or the joy of having a real face-to-face chat with friends while having lunch or dinner together.
Parents should spend more time with their children, face-to-face and enjoy the here and now. Often time, online activity distracts people from the present. Their minds drift far away and unfortunately are no longer rooted to the present, not mindful and contemplative about the moment.
In the US, a string of books have been written about the possible adverse effects of spending too much time online. Mark Bauerlein, a professor of English at Emory University and author of the 2008 best-selling book "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardises Our Future", asks if digital diversion of the young has cut kids off from history, civics, literature and fine art.
Bauerlein answers in the affirmative.
"Teenagers live in the present and the immediate. What happened long ago and far away doesn't impress them. They care about what occurred last week in the cafeteria, not what took place during the Great Depression. They heed the words of Facebook, not the Gettysburg Address. They focus on other kids in the English class, not leaders in Congress," the author wrote. "These young people are uninterested in world realities. They are actively cut off from them. Or a better way to put it is to say that they are encased in more immediate realities that shut out conditions beyond - friends, work, clothes, cars, pop music, sitcoms, Facebook."
His suggested remedy is that children need a reprieve and a retreat. "For them to grow up into mindful citizens and discerning consumers, then, adolescents must break the social circuit and think beyond the clique and the schoolyard. But they can't do it themselves - peer pressure is too strong - and so adults must help draw them away."
Do some people see a parallel of sorts to some youth (and even some adults) in Thailand? One may not need to totally agree with Bauerlein to appreciate his concerns.
Some Thai parents and adults may do well to think about the issue. In fact, teenagers and young adults should be encouraged to discuss and debate the pros and cons of their digital dependency, if not addiction, in the hope that they may eventually develop a less euphoric and more realistic view of what an online-dependent life really entails and what repercussions it has for not just themselves but society as a whole.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
AD AGENCIES "NEED TO ADOPT HOLISTIC APPROACH"
Local advertising agencies need to adopt a holistic approach to cope with the challenges in this new era of integrated marketing communications, experts said last week.
"It's downhill for mainstream media advertising as vendors have shifted part of their budget to other communications activities, such as public relations, event marketing, seminars and the use of IT, such as Twitter, blogging, message boards and Web communities," said Seri Wongmontha, a marketing communications professional.
Nowadays, the image of advertising is that of manipulative, intrusive and misleading, he told a seminar on "Advertising and Social Responsibility in the Business Sector" held by the Thai Soap, Detergent and Personal Care Manufacturers' Association.
Advertising is also low in taste, vulgar and a victim of zapping. Many works are unethical and interested only in getting sales. They have no responsibility to society, he said.
"The popularity of mainstream media advertising among business vendors will decline gradually and be shared by other channels of marketing communications," he said.
Public relations firms for instance would play a larger role in brand and marketing communications, as they can provide messages at less cost, but with greater complexity and credibility.
"Business vendors need to find PR agencies that are creative, and doing communications things beyond just giving press releases or hosting press conferences," he said.
To deal with the new challenges, ad agencies need to adjust to provide, not only advertising work, but fully integrated marketing communications to their clients, he added.
Niwat Wongprompreeda, secretary-general of the Advertising Association of Thailand, said most local ad agencies had adjusted their business portfolio by moving up to brand agencies.
No ad agency provides a purely advertising service in the marketplace anymore, he said.
"The way of marketing communications has been changed substantially. Ad agencies now have become companies that can provide full marketing communications services. All communication tools have been used by them to build brands," he said.
Niwat, who is the managing director of The Searcher, a local marketing research house, said that all ad agencies would no longer do advertising spots and spend money. They have created holistic approaches to make those products successful in the market.
"I myself however believe that mainstream media advertising will not totally disappear and business vendors still allocate a certain level of budget to mainstream advertising," he said.
To promote ethics among business organisations, including in advertising, all vendors should group together to monitor all of the ethical issues and such self-regulating activities, he added.
"It's downhill for mainstream media advertising as vendors have shifted part of their budget to other communications activities, such as public relations, event marketing, seminars and the use of IT, such as Twitter, blogging, message boards and Web communities," said Seri Wongmontha, a marketing communications professional.
Nowadays, the image of advertising is that of manipulative, intrusive and misleading, he told a seminar on "Advertising and Social Responsibility in the Business Sector" held by the Thai Soap, Detergent and Personal Care Manufacturers' Association.
Advertising is also low in taste, vulgar and a victim of zapping. Many works are unethical and interested only in getting sales. They have no responsibility to society, he said.
"The popularity of mainstream media advertising among business vendors will decline gradually and be shared by other channels of marketing communications," he said.
Public relations firms for instance would play a larger role in brand and marketing communications, as they can provide messages at less cost, but with greater complexity and credibility.
"Business vendors need to find PR agencies that are creative, and doing communications things beyond just giving press releases or hosting press conferences," he said.
To deal with the new challenges, ad agencies need to adjust to provide, not only advertising work, but fully integrated marketing communications to their clients, he added.
Niwat Wongprompreeda, secretary-general of the Advertising Association of Thailand, said most local ad agencies had adjusted their business portfolio by moving up to brand agencies.
No ad agency provides a purely advertising service in the marketplace anymore, he said.
"The way of marketing communications has been changed substantially. Ad agencies now have become companies that can provide full marketing communications services. All communication tools have been used by them to build brands," he said.
Niwat, who is the managing director of The Searcher, a local marketing research house, said that all ad agencies would no longer do advertising spots and spend money. They have created holistic approaches to make those products successful in the market.
"I myself however believe that mainstream media advertising will not totally disappear and business vendors still allocate a certain level of budget to mainstream advertising," he said.
To promote ethics among business organisations, including in advertising, all vendors should group together to monitor all of the ethical issues and such self-regulating activities, he added.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Police arrest B100m web gang
Police have arrested six foreigners believed to be members of a transnational gang that has conned victims out of more than 100 million baht in an online investment scam.
Interpol previously alerted the Thai authorities about the group of foreigners who have allegedly set up fake investment firms to lure internet users into putting their money into a non-existent investment programme.
The arrest followed a joint operation of the Central Investigation Bureau, Crime Suppression Division and Tourist Police.
The suspected gang members included four British nationals, one French man and a Filipina.
Pol Maj Gen Panya Mamen, deputy Central Investigation Bureau commissioner, said that local officers discovered that the gang had constructed fake company websites in both Thailand and the Philippines.
It also imitated real websites and lured victims into transferring money for investing in fake stocks via their fake websites.
The six people were discovered working on computers in a house in Soi Thong Lor 25 after police raided the property. Seven desktop and six notebook computers along with 31 mobile phones were seized from the house.
Based on the information gathered from the seized computers, the gang had managed to get a number of victims to transfer more than 100 million baht into its accounts.
The gang members claimed that they knew nothing about the scam and had been hired by a man identified only as Paul for 30,000 baht to 50,000 baht per month to type information into the computers and answer the telephone.
Interpol previously alerted the Thai authorities about the group of foreigners who have allegedly set up fake investment firms to lure internet users into putting their money into a non-existent investment programme.
The arrest followed a joint operation of the Central Investigation Bureau, Crime Suppression Division and Tourist Police.
The suspected gang members included four British nationals, one French man and a Filipina.
Pol Maj Gen Panya Mamen, deputy Central Investigation Bureau commissioner, said that local officers discovered that the gang had constructed fake company websites in both Thailand and the Philippines.
It also imitated real websites and lured victims into transferring money for investing in fake stocks via their fake websites.
The six people were discovered working on computers in a house in Soi Thong Lor 25 after police raided the property. Seven desktop and six notebook computers along with 31 mobile phones were seized from the house.
Based on the information gathered from the seized computers, the gang had managed to get a number of victims to transfer more than 100 million baht into its accounts.
The gang members claimed that they knew nothing about the scam and had been hired by a man identified only as Paul for 30,000 baht to 50,000 baht per month to type information into the computers and answer the telephone.
SIX FOREIGNERS ARRESTED FOR INTERNET SCAM
Four Britons, a Filipino woman and a French man have been arrested for allegedly deceiving foreigners to invest in stocks of bogus firms through the Internet and taking their money, a senior police officer said yesterday.
The six were arrested last week while carrying out the scam at a rented house in Bangkok's Thonglor Soi 25, said Central Investigation Bureau deputy chief Pol Maj-General Panya Mamen.
Police seized seven desktop computers, six notebook PCs, three computer servers and 31 mobile phones as well as some documents from the house. Interpol had contacted police about some Thai-based and Philippines-based "bogus firms" that were tricking foreigners to invest in stocks via Internet, he said.
The Thai police investigated and learned about this group of foreigners carrying out the scam at the house, so police asked Phra Khanong Court to issue a search warrant.
Information from the seized computers showed the group tricked victims into investing over Bt100 million in stocks in fake companies, he alleged.
The foreigners claimed they were hired by a man identified only as "Paul" for Bt30,000 to Bt50,000 a month to key in data and make phone calls.
The six were initially charged for putting false information on to the Internet and knowingly distributing false data in a bid to earn money from others, as well as working in Thailand without permits.
The six were arrested last week while carrying out the scam at a rented house in Bangkok's Thonglor Soi 25, said Central Investigation Bureau deputy chief Pol Maj-General Panya Mamen.
Police seized seven desktop computers, six notebook PCs, three computer servers and 31 mobile phones as well as some documents from the house. Interpol had contacted police about some Thai-based and Philippines-based "bogus firms" that were tricking foreigners to invest in stocks via Internet, he said.
The Thai police investigated and learned about this group of foreigners carrying out the scam at the house, so police asked Phra Khanong Court to issue a search warrant.
Information from the seized computers showed the group tricked victims into investing over Bt100 million in stocks in fake companies, he alleged.
The foreigners claimed they were hired by a man identified only as "Paul" for Bt30,000 to Bt50,000 a month to key in data and make phone calls.
The six were initially charged for putting false information on to the Internet and knowingly distributing false data in a bid to earn money from others, as well as working in Thailand without permits.
MORE LOTTERY TICKETS, PRIZES TO BEAT THE OVERPRCING PROBLEM
The board of the Government Lottery Office yesterday approved a plan to issue four million additional tickets and split the first prize from 1 to 25 prizes, to ease the overpricing problem.
The additional tickets, which will boost the number in each round to 50 million, will be issued on behalf of charitable agencies. New tickets will be printed from November onward while the prize split will start in January, said Nakarin Mektrairat, a member of the boardA subcommittee will also be established to oversee the overpricing, empowered to terminate distribution contracts with violators.
Also chairing a team to sound social responses on the two and three-digit lotteries, Nakarin said 53 per cent of the respondents supported the scheme while 24 per cent opposed. The board may convene in the next few weeks to finalise the issue, after the Council of State ruled that the online lotto scheme is legal.
"We're not buying time, but it is an issue of readiness of information. We want it to be complete. Moreover, it remains unclear how to ease the social problems deriving from lotteries," he said.
Thawat Sathitwithaya, president of the lotto distributors association, yesterday issued a request to the office, asking for it to speed up the online lotto scheme. He said in a letter sent to all newspapers that the lotto-distributing machine is getting old and further delay would deprive the government of additional revenue, worth Bt784 million per round based on the estimated lotto sales of Bt2.8 billion.
The additional tickets, which will boost the number in each round to 50 million, will be issued on behalf of charitable agencies. New tickets will be printed from November onward while the prize split will start in January, said Nakarin Mektrairat, a member of the boardA subcommittee will also be established to oversee the overpricing, empowered to terminate distribution contracts with violators.
Also chairing a team to sound social responses on the two and three-digit lotteries, Nakarin said 53 per cent of the respondents supported the scheme while 24 per cent opposed. The board may convene in the next few weeks to finalise the issue, after the Council of State ruled that the online lotto scheme is legal.
"We're not buying time, but it is an issue of readiness of information. We want it to be complete. Moreover, it remains unclear how to ease the social problems deriving from lotteries," he said.
Thawat Sathitwithaya, president of the lotto distributors association, yesterday issued a request to the office, asking for it to speed up the online lotto scheme. He said in a letter sent to all newspapers that the lotto-distributing machine is getting old and further delay would deprive the government of additional revenue, worth Bt784 million per round based on the estimated lotto sales of Bt2.8 billion.
Google offers its digital books for printing
Google is giving 2 million books in its digital library a chance to be reincarnated as paperbacks.
As part of a deal announced yesterday,Google is opening up part of its index to the maker of a high-speed publishing machine that can manufacture a paperback-bound book of about 300 pages in under 5 minutes. The new service is an acknowledgment by the internet search leader that not everyone wants their books served up on a computer or an electronic reader like those made by Amazon.com and Sony.
The "Espresso Book Machine" has been around for several years, but it figures to become a hotter commodity now that it has access to so many books scanned from some of the world's largest libraries. And On Demand Books, the Espresso's maker, potentially could get access to even more hard-to-find books if Google wins court approval of a classaction settlement giving it the right to sell out-of-print books.
"This is a seminal event for us," said Dane Neller, On Demand Books' chief executive, as he oversaw a demonstration of the Espresso Book Machine on Wednesday at Google's Mountain View,California, headquarters.
In the background, some of the books that Google spent the past five years scanning into a digital format were returning to their paper origins.
"It's like things are coming full circle,"Google spokeswoman Jennie Johnson said."This will allow people to pick up the physical copy of a book even if there may be just one or two other copies in some library, or maybe it's not even available at all." On Demand's printing machines already are in more than a dozen locations in the United States,Canada, Australia, England and Egypt,mostly at campus book stores, libraries and small retailers. The Harvard Book Store will be among the first equipped with an instant-publishing machine to have access to Google's digital library.
The books published by The Espresso Machine will have a recommended sales price of US$8(270 baht) per copy,although the final decision will be left to each retailer. New York-based On Demand Books will get a $1 of each sale with another $1 going to Google, which says it will donate its commission to charities and other nonprofit causes.
The high-speed publishing machine itself sells for about $100,000, although On Demand Books is willing to lease the equipment to retailers instead.
For starters, Google is only allowing The Espresso Machine publish from the section of its digital library that consists of 2 million books no longer protected by copyright.
These "public domain" books were published before 1923- an era that includes classics like Moby Dick and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as very obscure titles. The paperbacks churned out in Wednesday's demonstration of the Espresso included Lathe Work For Beginners
Lathe Dame Curtsey's Book
MOf Candy Making , and Memoirs Of A Cavalier , a Daniel Defoe novel that never caught on quite like his most famous work,Robinson Crusoe .Millions more titles could be added to On Demand's virtual inventory if Google gets federal court approval of a classaction settlement that would grant it the right to sell copyrighted books no longer being published. Google estimates it already has made digital copies of about 6 million out-of-print books.
The settlement terms includes a provision that could authorise republishing the books with a machine like the Espresso. Some of Google's rivals and a long list of other critics are hoping to block the settlement, mainly because they believe it will give Google a monopoly on the digital rights to out-of-print books and make it too easy to track people's reading preferences.
The US Justice Department is investigating the monopoly allegations and is scheduled to share some of its preliminary thoughts with District Judge Denny Chin in a brief due today.
Mr Neller is thrilled just to have the right to publish selections fromGoogle's digital library of public domain books.
He thinks it could help him reach his ambition to turn the Espresso machine into publishing's equivalent of an ATM.
"It's more efficient for everyone and readers are the biggest beneficiaries,"Mr Neller said.
As part of a deal announced yesterday,Google is opening up part of its index to the maker of a high-speed publishing machine that can manufacture a paperback-bound book of about 300 pages in under 5 minutes. The new service is an acknowledgment by the internet search leader that not everyone wants their books served up on a computer or an electronic reader like those made by Amazon.com and Sony.
The "Espresso Book Machine" has been around for several years, but it figures to become a hotter commodity now that it has access to so many books scanned from some of the world's largest libraries. And On Demand Books, the Espresso's maker, potentially could get access to even more hard-to-find books if Google wins court approval of a classaction settlement giving it the right to sell out-of-print books.
"This is a seminal event for us," said Dane Neller, On Demand Books' chief executive, as he oversaw a demonstration of the Espresso Book Machine on Wednesday at Google's Mountain View,California, headquarters.
In the background, some of the books that Google spent the past five years scanning into a digital format were returning to their paper origins.
"It's like things are coming full circle,"Google spokeswoman Jennie Johnson said."This will allow people to pick up the physical copy of a book even if there may be just one or two other copies in some library, or maybe it's not even available at all." On Demand's printing machines already are in more than a dozen locations in the United States,Canada, Australia, England and Egypt,mostly at campus book stores, libraries and small retailers. The Harvard Book Store will be among the first equipped with an instant-publishing machine to have access to Google's digital library.
The books published by The Espresso Machine will have a recommended sales price of US$8(270 baht) per copy,although the final decision will be left to each retailer. New York-based On Demand Books will get a $1 of each sale with another $1 going to Google, which says it will donate its commission to charities and other nonprofit causes.
The high-speed publishing machine itself sells for about $100,000, although On Demand Books is willing to lease the equipment to retailers instead.
For starters, Google is only allowing The Espresso Machine publish from the section of its digital library that consists of 2 million books no longer protected by copyright.
These "public domain" books were published before 1923- an era that includes classics like Moby Dick and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as very obscure titles. The paperbacks churned out in Wednesday's demonstration of the Espresso included Lathe Work For Beginners
Lathe Dame Curtsey's Book
MOf Candy Making , and Memoirs Of A Cavalier , a Daniel Defoe novel that never caught on quite like his most famous work,Robinson Crusoe .Millions more titles could be added to On Demand's virtual inventory if Google gets federal court approval of a classaction settlement that would grant it the right to sell copyrighted books no longer being published. Google estimates it already has made digital copies of about 6 million out-of-print books.
The settlement terms includes a provision that could authorise republishing the books with a machine like the Espresso. Some of Google's rivals and a long list of other critics are hoping to block the settlement, mainly because they believe it will give Google a monopoly on the digital rights to out-of-print books and make it too easy to track people's reading preferences.
The US Justice Department is investigating the monopoly allegations and is scheduled to share some of its preliminary thoughts with District Judge Denny Chin in a brief due today.
Mr Neller is thrilled just to have the right to publish selections fromGoogle's digital library of public domain books.
He thinks it could help him reach his ambition to turn the Espresso machine into publishing's equivalent of an ATM.
"It's more efficient for everyone and readers are the biggest beneficiaries,"Mr Neller said.
Australian website offers to send messages from beyond the grave
The fear of dying suddenly,without the chance to mend wrongs or say goodbye, has prompted an Australian entrepreneur to start a website where people can contact loved ones from beyond the grave.
Peter Ingram, a security systems retailer, watched as within just two weeks of being diagnosed with a brain tumour an aunt lost her ability to speak, write,or even smile. She was 100% conscious and able to understand what was happening around her, but remained silent until her death, taking her secrets, thanks and regrets to the grave.
"I'd known her for 20 years and to me that was devastating," said Mr Ingram.
So he recently launched Australia's first virtual time-capsule site,FromBeyond2u.com, where the living can leave videos, photographs and documents to be sent out to loved ones after death. For a fee users can store their "cherished digital memories" and programme farewell messages for the time of their death and on fixed dates such as birthdays or anniversaries into the future.
"It's not a new concept, leaving things,letters, videos, messages, but the internet has changed what we can do with it,"Mr Ingram said. Subscribers can write their own eulogy and create a multimedia tribute for use at their funeral, and bequeath their photo and video files.
Whilst living, they can use the site as a place to store and share their files with friends and family all over the world. A certificate with an activation code in the event of death is given to every user to be left with their will or next of kin.
Part social-networking hub, part memoir project, FromBeyond2u is one of just a handful of such sites worldwide,and its appeal lies in creating "everlasting love" for generations to come. Far from being morbid or narcissistic, Mr Ingram believes the site encourages sharing.
"I think the number one aim is definitely sharing the love with loved ones and being there for them, and not to be forgotten," he said.
Peter Ingram, a security systems retailer, watched as within just two weeks of being diagnosed with a brain tumour an aunt lost her ability to speak, write,or even smile. She was 100% conscious and able to understand what was happening around her, but remained silent until her death, taking her secrets, thanks and regrets to the grave.
"I'd known her for 20 years and to me that was devastating," said Mr Ingram.
So he recently launched Australia's first virtual time-capsule site,FromBeyond2u.com, where the living can leave videos, photographs and documents to be sent out to loved ones after death. For a fee users can store their "cherished digital memories" and programme farewell messages for the time of their death and on fixed dates such as birthdays or anniversaries into the future.
"It's not a new concept, leaving things,letters, videos, messages, but the internet has changed what we can do with it,"Mr Ingram said. Subscribers can write their own eulogy and create a multimedia tribute for use at their funeral, and bequeath their photo and video files.
Whilst living, they can use the site as a place to store and share their files with friends and family all over the world. A certificate with an activation code in the event of death is given to every user to be left with their will or next of kin.
Part social-networking hub, part memoir project, FromBeyond2u is one of just a handful of such sites worldwide,and its appeal lies in creating "everlasting love" for generations to come. Far from being morbid or narcissistic, Mr Ingram believes the site encourages sharing.
"I think the number one aim is definitely sharing the love with loved ones and being there for them, and not to be forgotten," he said.
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