“Digital Ash” – What we leave behind

22 Wednesday Feb 2023

Posted by in 21st Century Human, Data, Security

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As technology continues to evolve, more and more of our lives are being lived online. We use social media to connect with friends and family, conduct business online, and even store important documents and memories. But what happens to all of this digital content when we die?

Recent experiences for me around this topic are the reason that I decided to write about it.

It is possible in some platforms now to assign trustees of the account who can deal with it when you are no longer able to. Other systems don’t and the data just stays there.

The internet is full of “digital ash,” the digital remnants of our lives that we leave behind when we die. This digital content can include everything from social media profiles to email accounts, cloud storage, and more. The amount of content we leave grows on a daily basis as we live our normal lives.

Here are some important things to consider about digital ash:

Ownership

When we die, our digital assets still exist online. However, the ownership of these assets is often unclear. Depending on the platform, our digital content may be owned by the platform itself, our family members, or the executor of our estate. It’s important to understand who owns these assets and what can be done with them.

Privacy

Digital content can contain sensitive information that we may not want to be publicly available after we die. For example, email accounts may contain sensitive financial information or private conversations. It’s important to consider privacy when thinking about what will happen to our digital ash after we die. Many systems now implement two factor authentication which protects the data, but if its your wish to have it deleted can someone actually do this with a high level of security in place?

Legacy

Social media accounts, blogs, and other digital content can serve as a form of legacy after we die. Our online presence can provide comfort to loved ones and allow them to remember us. It’s important to consider what we want our legacy to be and how our digital ash can contribute to that legacy.

Digital Estate Planning

Just like we plan for our physical estate, we can also plan for our digital estate. Digital estate planning involves creating a plan for what will happen to our digital content after we die. This can include instructions for how social media accounts should be managed, how email accounts should be closed, and more. Do you have a plan alongside your will?

Online Memorials

In recent years, there has been an increase in the creation of online memorials for loved ones who have passed away. These memorials can take the form of social media pages, blogs, or other digital content. It’s important to consider whether we want an online memorial and how it should be created and managed.

It important to consider the above when you next review your will arrangements.

Digital Mindset Tools – Second Brain

21 Tuesday Feb 2023

Posted by in 21st Century Human, Digital, Productivity

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The concept of a “second brain” has gained popularity in recent years, especially among individuals who want to improve their digital mindset and optimize their productivity.

Having written about having the right digital mindset previously, I am now looking at the next levels of these posts and what you can do in more recent times.

What is a second brain?

A second brain is a system that allows you to store, organise, and retrieve information and ideas that are important to you. This is basically a way of storing those useful bits of knowledge, other than just using an email system as a knowledge system.

A second brain is a personal knowledge management tool that can help you capture and connect your thoughts, ideas, and experiences. It is often used to augment your own memory, to increase your productivity, and to help you make better decisions.

Why is a second brain useful?

There are many reasons why a second brain can be useful. Here are my top three:

  1. Better memory: A second brain can help you remember important information and ideas that you might otherwise forget. By capturing and organizing your thoughts and ideas, you can easily access them later when you need them.
  2. Increased productivity: A second brain can help you stay organized and focused, allowing you to work more efficiently and effectively.
  3. Better decision-making: By organizing and connecting your ideas and experiences, a second brain can help you see patterns and make connections that might not be immediately apparent.

How can you create a second brain using digital mindset tools?

There are many digital mindset tools that can help you create a second brain. Here are my top five, and there are many others such as One Note.

  1. Evernote: Evernote is a note-taking app that allows you to capture and organize your thoughts, ideas, and experiences. It’s a powerful tool for creating a second brain because it allows you to easily tag and categorize your notes, making them easy to find later.
  2. Notion: Notion is a versatile productivity tool that can be used for everything from note-taking to project management. It’s a popular choice for creating a second brain because it allows you to create databases, wikis, and other organizational tools that can help you stay organized and focused.
  3. Roam Research: Roam Research is a note-taking app that’s designed to help you connect your ideas and experiences. It’s a popular choice for creating a second brain because it allows you to easily link and cross-reference your notes, making it easy to see patterns and connections.
  4. Trello: Trello is a project management tool that can be used to create a second brain. You can create boards for different projects, and then use cards to capture and organize your thoughts, ideas, and experiences.
  5. Airtable: Airtable is a spreadsheet-like database that can be used to create a second brain. You can create tables for different topics, and then use fields to capture and organize your thoughts, ideas, and experiences.

Are you going to develop your second brain?

Further Reading

Having the right Digital Mindset

How to Build Yourself a Second Brain

Building a Second Brain: An Overview

David Seah: Variety of Downloadable Productivity Tools (free to download for personal non-commercial use)

Metapolice – Policing the Metaverse

20 Monday Feb 2023

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Photo by kat wilcox on Pexels.com

The “Metapolice” will be a thing of the not too distant future with Interpol looking at how the organisation could police crime in the Metaverse – reported in a BBC News article a couple of weeks ago. Following my last two blog posts about the Metaverse and security – “My Virtual Selfie – Avatars and Identity Security” and “Multiple Metaverse“, this is a timely topic

The thought of a Metapolice brings to my mind the novel “Halting State” by Charles Stross – a cybercrime has been committed in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Avalon Four. A robbery of several thousand euros worth of “prestige items” occurs in the game’s central bank, led by a band of orcs and a “dragon for fire support. (extract from Wikipedia)”

The Metaverse is an ever-expanding virtual space that will and is becoming integrated with our daily lives. As it grows, there are many concerns about the regulation and policing of this virtual world, so what is needed to make the topic of policing the Metaverse effective and why it is essential to create a safe and secure virtual space.

The Metaverse is a set of multiple platforms/virtual worlds that is made up of other multiple interconnected virtual worlds, where users can interact with each other in a simulated environment. Many tech companies are investing in the Metaverse and envision it as the next stage of the internet, where people can shop, play, and interact with each other in a virtual world.

As with any social platform/system there are concerns about privacy, security, and the potential for criminal activity. Just as in the physical world, there is a need for policing and regulation in the virtual world to maintain order and ensure the safety of its inhabitants.

One of the biggest challenges in policing the Metaverse is jurisdiction. As the Metaverse is not confined to any one country, it can be challenging to define who has the legal authority to regulate it. Interpol have the ability to span these borders and makes it a good move that they are looking into how to police the Metaverse. With many platforms, many standards and governance arise and with these a single set of laws will be hard to put into place. Better agreements internationally are needed on how to govern the Metaverse and establish a set of standards and laws that all users and platforms must adhere to. The speed of the technology adoption though will move faster than any legislation/regulation can.

Another challenge for policing is the sheer volume of data that is created in the Metaverse. Platforms collect vast amounts of personal data from users, including their online activity and location. This data can be used for targeted advertising or sold to third parties. There needs to be regulation to ensure that users are aware of the data being collected and have the ability to control how it is used. Tracking users is one of the norms of using the internet and the Metaverse won’t be any different.

When it comes to criminal activity in the Metaverse, there are concerns about cyberbullying, online harassment, and cybercrime. There have already been instances of fraud, identity theft, and virtual theft in the Metaverse and it is important to have a system in place to identify offenders so law enforcement can deal with them and to deter others from committing similar crimes.

To address these challenges, there needs to be a collaborative effort between tech companies, governments, and law enforcement agencies. Tech companies need to take responsibility for the data they collect and ensure that they have robust security measures in place to protect their users. Governments need to work together to establish a set of international standards and laws that can be enforced across different jurisdictions. Law enforcement agencies need to be trained to operate in the Metaverse and have the necessary tools to investigate and prosecute criminal activity.

All that aside, though, the Metaverse is becoming an increasingly interesting place to do business.

Multiple Metaverse

01 Wednesday Feb 2023

Posted by in 21st Century Human, Metaverse, Wearable Tech, xR

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Visiting new worlds used to be a topic of Science Fiction. Nowadays it is as easy as putting on a headset and being transported to a different setting, real or virtual. You can find yourself stood on top of a high mountain or at the bottom of the sea (using real photos) or in a completely different place or world (a virtual environment or metaverse).

Virtual world are not new. The gaming community has been using virtual worlds for a long time now, however Metaverses are now developing into useful spaces in which to work, rest and play.

Where did the term Metaverse come from? Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash (1992). The term metaverse was coined in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash, where humans, as programmable avatars, interact with each other and software agents, in a three-dimensional virtual space that uses the metaphor of the real world.

Today there are multiple Metaverses being developed at a fast rate and all playing to be the chosen place to go. But which is the best, which wins? I don’t have the answer to that because at the moment there are so many and lots of these platforms aiming to be the one go to place.

In the future though I do think that there will be one or two main platforms for business/consumers and multiple for entertainment.

Cost and accessibility are key to a platform becoming a strong player as well other factors such as security, attractiveness and our acceptance of modern technologies.

Metaverses are usually available through a number of access methods, from Mobile, to PC/Laptop to Headset. Not everyone can afford the few hundred pounds or dollars for a headset without a good justification (other than gaming in a lot of cases) and for a business equipping all its staff with a headset might be a big hit on the books, without a reasonable return. Headsets are developing at a fast rate and hopefully will develop into a cheaper form of headset to be more affordable by the masses.

This is where a Metaverse that has an option/client for access on a normal mobile, PC/Laptop/Tablet are gaining ground as there are more accessible to users and they can still experience the Metaverse, just without the wow factor of the immersive experience.

The challenge for these Metaverses is to make themselves more appealing to business and consumers other than looking like a game – “Where is that crate drop or quest giver!”.

Some Metaverses are offering land for sale using NFT and Blockchain technologies – a quick search on one of these sites and someone has purchased the virtual land that Buckingham Palace is on for $305.9 consisting of 133 lots (chunks of virtual land). This is one of many platforms out there. Could investing in the right platform pay off?

Across all these platforms though Security is still a big thing that needs to be considered, with risks such as identify and avatar theft, fraud, virtual land theft being some of these. One of the factors as to if a platform succeeds and becomes mainstream will be how secure it is.

So how many Metaverses are there….. Lots!

Here is a list of some of them, but there are a lot more out there:

  • Axle Infinity
  • Battle Infinity
  • Bloktopia
  • BlueJeans
  • Cryptovoxels
  • Decentraland
  • Everdome
  • Gather
  • Hyper Nation
  • Illuvium
  • Metahero
  • Meta Horizon Worlds
  • Myland
  • Nakamoto
  • Nvidia Omniverse
  • Roblox
  • RobotEra
  • Rooom
  • Sansar
  • Second Life
  • Sensorium Galaxy
  • Somnium Space
  • Sorare
  • Spatial
  • Stageverse
  • Star Atlas
  • Tamadoge
  • The Sandbox
  • uHive
  • Upland
  • Virbella
  • Viverse

My Virtual Selfie – Avatars and Identity Security

23 Monday Jan 2023

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The creation and use of avatars isn’t a new concept, however with the growth and development in the MetaVerse and technology, they are getting better. Back in May 2020 I wrote a post about “Avatars – My Digital Selfie“, covering several avatar options and showed examples of different avatars across them. Two things came to my news feed recently that have made me re look at this topic. Firstly the news that Microsoft is closing down AltSpaceVR on the 10th March and users can now download their data before the platform closes. and secondly an email telling me of the new experiences being developed using Ready Player Me.

The explosion of MetaVerse and SocialVerse platforms is seeing lots of new platforms and older ones being shutdown, replaced or upgraded for new user experiences as well as supporting developments in technologies. Loosing AltSpaceVR is loosing a bit of nostalgia for me, but on with newer things as Microsoft are concentrating on Mesh and on October last year introduced Microsoft Mesh Avatars in Teams in preview.

I’m not going to republish all of my avatars again (see my previous post for that), however the image in this post is my Ready Player Me avatar. This can be used across a wide range of platforms, some of which I haven’t come across yet and probably won’t use, but its good to understand they are there.

Being able to use the same avatar across multiple platforms does have advantages and allows a single identity to be maintained. The amount of platforms that can or will adopt an avatar will be down to standards, cost and compatibility. Not every platform may operate at the same resolution or speed.

Whilst avatars are good fun and allow you to be represented in the virtual world by a set of pixels that look like you, there are a few draw backs (things not yet developed) that still need addressing.

Security – How easy is it to create an avatar? it’s not hard. How easy is it to create and avatar of somebody else? again its not hard. So whats stopping someone else mimicking you on a platform – nothing. This is an area that is in need of development and thinking. Although this is not a massive market at the moment, there are some questions that need considering. Here is my point of view on these.

  • Should there be a form of authentication that accompanies an avatar? – Yes, 2FA and an ID key embedded into the avatar. An avatar ID watermark to confirm its the actual person who is using it.
  • Should there be legislation covering false or identity theft using avatars? – Most probably, look at what is happening with deepfakes at the moment.
  • Should there be any specific legislation on avatar creation and detail? Maybe – This is an interesting one as avatars are getting better and becoming more lifelike. Yes there are virtual people systems today that can replicate a human without much error, but in this instance I am talking about standard avatars for everyone. Look at all the press around facial recognition. Would a system identifying a lifelike avatar be classed in a similar vane?

Avatars is an area to watch as they develop further. Do you have a view on these questions?

Air Launching Satellites into Space – UK First

09 Monday Jan 2023

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Screen shot from the live stream

This evening I am sat watching the stream of the Virgin Orbit launching from the UK, which is launching from Cornwall. The payloads are small satellites and the launch is from a two stage rocket under the wing of “Cosmic Girl” the Virgin Orbit 747. This isn’t the first launch from Virgin Orbit (launched from the US), however it is a first for the UK and Europe and a pivotal moment in this countries space history.

I can remember sat in a school hall back on the 12th April 1981 watching the first NASA shuttle launch (Columbia) on a large tube TV, sat in awe as the shuttle took off for the first time. Forward in time to now where I am sat on my sofa (not in shorts sat on the wooden floor as I was back in 1981) watching on a mobile and laptop with a hot coffee.

A launch of this type (Air Launch) is not new as there have been many different types, but the ability to launch into space is more recent. The Air Launch method provides a more cost effective and easier method of launch. It does limit the size of items that can be can sent into space by this method at the moment, however it opens up the space economy to a bigger audience.

A good launch but, unfortunately ending with the satellites being lost as they could not be released from the rocket.

It will be an interesting follow to see where this takes the UK in its space capabilities and future Space Ports for both air and vertical launches.

The market in future jobs in this area has become more accessible and will hopefully inspire the younger generations to study STEM subjects and become part of this industry.

Our Acceptance of Modern Technologies

06 Friday Jan 2023

Posted by in 21st Century Human, Productivity

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I was sent a meme the other day which apart from making me laugh, actually illustrates our acceptance of modern technologies over a period of time and is the reason for this blog post.

Not sure who created the photo/meme so unable to credit at this time (so thanks internet).

We can explain Technology Acceptance through a model. How we use and perceive technology changes from person to person. There are also external factors that can effect our perception. Lets look at the meme as an example.

Previous advice from fuel vendors has always pointed at not using a mobile at the fuel pump. This information was spread through via an email stating that an influential figure in the fuel market said it was dangerous to use a mobile near a pump. This had a wide impact and the “Do not use your mobile near a fuel pump” sticker was born.

This guidance has been since shown to be a myth and was a topic of Myth Busters experiments. It was proved as busted back in 2004 and that in fact there is more danger from static electricity getting out of the car. This has in the main been accepted and in a complete turn around now and keeping up with modern banking and consumer trends, allow the payment of fuel through a mobile phone (of course you should always follow the latest legislation for use of a mobile whilst driving).

There is a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (defined by Fred Davies 1989) that can be used to look at how a technology may be accepted through its perceived use and usefulness.

The model is based on four constructs:

  • Perceived ease of use
  • Perceived usefulness
  • Attitudes
  • Actual behaviours

These constructs are linked as per the model diagram below:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Technology_Acceptance_Model.png

The model suggests that when users are presented with a new technology, a number of factors influence their decision about how and when they will use it, notably:

Perceived usefulness (PU) or (U) – This was defined by Fred Davis as “the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance their job performance”. It means whether or not someone perceives that technology to be useful for what they want to do.

Perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) or (E) – Davis defined this as “the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free from effort” (Davis 1989). If the technology is easy to use, then the barriers conquered. If it’s not easy to use and the interface is complicated, no one has a positive attitude towards it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_acceptance_model#CITEREFDavis1989

The External Variables are factors that can effect the four constructs such as

  • Social influence
  • Design
  • Content
  • Entertainment
  • Cost

Social media is one external variable to add to the list, that has a growing impact on the PU and PEOU. Going back to the petrol pump analogy, in the video earlier referenced an influential person in the industry is quoted as saying don’t use mobiles at the pumps. In todays world the use of social media would have this message out quicker than an email, influencing how the product is used, myth or not. This has an influence on our perception of the technology.

The model however does not account for people doing things not as planned or rational. Here is a good video explaining the Technology Acceptance Model:

Pen based Productivity Tools – The Chronodex 2023

05 Thursday Jan 2023

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Another year and another release of the popular Chronodex time management diary system for Jan to Jun 23. As usual this is split into two publications and each covers 6 months of the year.

I have blogged about using this format of time recording before and its uses (see further reading). I have now invested in a stamp version of the Chronodex so I can incorporate this into my regular journaling/diary writing within my preferred Moleskine Journals.

Chronodex 2023 by Patrick Ng – scroll down to the downloads to get different formats.

Further Reading

Top 10 Tech Podcasts for 2023

04 Wednesday Jan 2023

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Following my last post on my PKMS (Personal Knowledge Management System), where I covered the use of Podcasts as one of my inputs into the information I consume, here are my top 10 Podcast recommendations for 2023. These are mostly technology based podcasts, although some have a wider scope.

1. The Digital Human (BBC)

In The Digital Human podcast Aleks Krotoski (Broadcaster and Journalist) explores the digital world and the topics that affect, grow and change it.

2. a16z Podcast

The a16z Podcast discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future with regular multiple podcasts. The a16Z podcast is produced by Andreessen Horowitz a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm.

3. TED Radio Hour

The TED Radio Hour podcast brings together some of the best TED talk topics across a wide range of topics. This is a great way to get to hear about the latest information about TED talks.

4. WB-40 Podcast

In the WB-40 podcast hosted by Matt Ballantine and Chris Weston they hold conversations on how technology is changing how we work.

5. Tech Tent (BBC)

In the Tech Tent podcast broadcaster and journalist Rory Cellan-Jones talks about the latest stories in the tech world.

6. FT Tech Tonic

In the Tech Tonic podcast by the FT (Financial Times) it investigates the promises and perils of this new technological age – the digital revolution.

7. The Vergecast Podcast

The Vergecast podcast is hosted by Nilay Patel, David Pierce, and Alex Cranz, where they present a weekly view of tech news, whats happing now and in the future.

8. Tech Swamp Podcast

The Tech Swamp podcast covers global tech policy and business headlines, tidbits of tech history, and topical policy deep-dives on legislation and regulation in the U.S., EU, UK, and around the globe.

9. Tech Stuff Podcast

The Tech Stuff podcast hosted by Jonathan Strickland explores the people behind the tech, the companies that market it and how technology affects our lives and culture.

10. Back to Work Podcast

In the Back to Work podcast Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discuss productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints and tools.

What are your top 10 Podcasts for 2023?

Personal Knowledge Management System – Revised for 2023

03 Tuesday Jan 2023

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It has been a couple of years since I have updated my PKMS (Personal Knowledge Management System), so time to publish an updated system. Lots have changed over the past few years including a move to working from home more which has reduced my time in the car and catching up on podcasts, however it has allowed me more time to read. Some of the systems I was previously using I have removed from use and added in new ones.

I still believe strongly in separating my personal social and business social, although there is the occasional need for the two to cross.

Personal Life

Personal Journal

My go to notebook of choice for Journaling is still the Moleskine plain pocket book and I have just started journal number 35. Its quality and paper is good enough for my needs and archival quality. I still favour the Pilot ball ink pens (0.5 or 0.7) as they flow nicely on the page. See my blog post No batteries required for further details.

Social Media

In keeping my work life separate from my personal life, I use platforms such as Instagram and Facebook for friends and family with appropriate two factory and security settings in place. Even with those settings you still need to consider that once something is online, it could be public in the future.

Professional Life

Research

This is split into several areas and these are a few of the inputs that I use to grab information, feeds, data from:

  • Streaming Services
  • RSS Feeds
  • Podcasts
  • TED Talks
  • Web Searches
  • Blog Posts
  • Courses

This is a high level list of the types of content that I am consuming in my research and knowledge growth. It is important to have Growth Mindset by taking every opportunity to experiment, embrace failure, learn, change and seek challenges will enable yourself and business to realise potential and success. The term Growth Mindset comes from the study and theory of Dr Carol Dweck that intelligence can be developed. This can be applied to every person young and old to reach higher levels of achievement.

Streaming Services covers platforms such as YouTube. The availability of cameras and online streaming platforms, more content is being made available and recorded by people to pass on their knowledge.

RSS Feeds low my to pull updates from sites into Feedly where I can view them on my daily viewing of my feed.

Podcasts cover both Audio and Video casts that I watch/stream online or download to my Phone / Media Player (Audio and Videos) to listen to when I am on journeys in the car or other transportation methods or out walking the dog. I have spent a lot of time out walking as my family got a dog back in April 2022 and this has also improved my level of fitness as well as the ability to catch up on podcasts.

The amount of online learning available today is huge from free MOOC’s (Massive Open Online Courses) to paid for course such as Udemy. Lots of vendors now provide a good level of free training for their products and solutions. This category also covers courses that I can take through work.

Feedly

Feedly provides an aggregation tool which I use to collect the stories from blogs and web sites.  This provides a list of stories that can be scanned tin a few minutes on a single screen without going via multiple sites. Clicking on a story will bring up a snippet from the source site and provide the link to read the source article if required. Using a series of key strokes you can read the headlines, then move down the articles at a reasonable speed, stopping and opening when needed.

Sources can be categorised to allow an all view or just whats new in a category.

Thinking Time

Thinking Time covers the time that I spend absorbing the PKMS information coming in from the different sources and then also process and apply in different ways. It is also good to spend time reflecting on what I have learnt and think of different and new way to use the information and learnings.

Blogging and Being Social

Following my Thinking Time I gather my thoughts and research and write these down through my blogs and podcasts and publish these on Social Media, WordPress and GitHub.

My previous posts on my PKMS can be found below

Personal Knowledge Management System – Revised for 2020
A-Z of Digital – K is for Knowledge