Rambles and Riff Raff about all this and that

Computer Illiteracy

Published by Esteban Glas on October 31st, 2006 | This post lacks all category except for: All this and that, Business, Web, general

I had a good friend of mine to dinner last Sunday. We met at university, while I studied Music he was studying social communication, it is to him I owe having read some Kant and Heidegger. I guess it was time for me to pay back.

He currently works for the Argentine Airport Authority (Policía de Seguridad Aeroportuaria) searching for it’s public perception, terrorist news, smuggling and everything that might be of interest. I felt compelled to ask how he achieved this.

So, he tells me: I usually go to major newspapers pages and start reading around.

Panic.

Shock.

WHAT?

I had to ask if he had ever heard of data feeds. Luckily for me he had; this made the following rant easier for me. I brought the ThinkPad to the table and started to show him around sites like technorati and the like. I helped him to set up various searches and feeds into google’s personalized homepage (http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en) so he can access all of them from anywhere (he told me they switch computers at his workplace). Now he has some nice tabs set up there with all the usual searches and headlines from major newspapers in them.

He told me it was a major time saver, around 1 or 2 hours / day, and it only took me one hour to show him the “tricks”.

I can’t say I’m surprised that a government agency doesen’t train it’s people in such fashion.  But I have seen similar things on the private sector as well. I think I might start some tips & tricks blog in this regard some time.

I can’t help but wonder what new technologies I’m missing out that could save me some time every day.

Suggestions?



  • There's a danger in newsfeeds: Your friend should keep reading newspapers, because sometimes what you need is not what your searches are set up to find.

    I hope he still reads the paper.
  • Do not be pannic!, I work in Policia de Seguridad Aeroportuaria since 1997 and I'm Senior Security Consultant too, working for ISEC Information Security Inc.
    I sent tree proyects with this researchs technics and others more efectives but nothing!.
    You will have to know that there is no califications exams to work in Complex Delits for the Policia de Seguridad Aeroportuaria, only friends and family! could work in this department.
    So when you arrive to an argentine airport feel secure!!!!
    What is my suggestion? tell your friend that he and his partners have to study a lot! to be similar to others Agencies like Chile, Colombia, Venezuela. Now we are similar to Georgia o Afganistan.

    SALUDOS!!!!!!!
  • Update to Krista... google works wonders, you might want to check your profile here at WP

    you link to: http://krist-talogy.blogspot.com/ instead of: http://kris-talogy.blogspot.com/
  • Hey Krista, thanks for the links, I'll check them out. Regarding your blog, I've tried to see it threough the link you left on your "signature" and ended up in a dreaded 404 page... can you swing your link this way?

    Edarrel,
    I ave plans to write maybe not "tutorials" per se, but some tips and tricks on this and other regards...
  • How about a tutorial for those of us who don't know this stuff?

    Teachers ought to be trained in this stuff, too -- but are not. For that matter, so should everyone else.

    How does it work?
  • Hi Esteban: 2 ideas for you.

    1. this is a blog similar to what you are talking about http://blogger-tricks.blogspot.com/

    2. Refer to the Google 'groups' section for wordpress, blogger, or blogging in general. Those people are wonderful at sharing ideas.

    P.S. I know of you through Mike M. and Jim H. and our company. Feel free to check my blog out also. Krista
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