A love of fake Twitter accounts

One of the things I love about the Internet is the silly side it possesses. The whole idea of it being a platform for a person to deliver content, such as an, erm, blog, would have been unthinkable 10-15 years ago. But that is precisely what the Internet has become. And with this ease of content delivery comes the additional boon of being able to access some quite silly and funny material. The Internet has certainly been a boon for comedians, I suspect.

Now, I am not just talking about those stupid videos that end up on YouTube - things like Keyboard Cat or a dog riding a skateboard - because while they are funny, they don't take a huge amount of creativity and thought to get them out there. Most of the time, they are just a random happening that was captured for all of time going forward. And while YouTube has certainly brought us a lot of funny videos in the last few years, Twitter is fast becoming the go-to place for comedy on the go.

I'm specifically talking about the notion of the Fake Twitter Account. This is a more recent phenomenon, with the guiding principle seeming to be that someone creates a Twitter account in the name of someone famous, and then tweets as if they are that person. Usually with a sarcastic or satirical spin being placed on what is said. There are now literally hundreds, if not thousands, of Fake Twitter Accounts out there already, and while most of them are just stupid, there are a few - particularly here in Australia - that work beautifully.

The thing is, and again this is where the Internet is wonderful, like I said above not all of these FTAs (that's a bit quicker!) are excellent examples of comedy gold. Even though anyone can set one up, it doesn't mean it'll automatically reach critical mass and become humorous. The person behind the FTA still has to have the ability to craft comedy. But hey, who really cares - since it doesn't kill anyone to start one up, and you've literally got nothing to lose, there's no harm in giving it a go, and that is why I said the Internet is indeed wonderful. The entire process of democratising the publishing process is indeed having a profound change on the way our society works. And this is very much a good thing.

With the recent Federal election, I followed a number of Twitter feeds to keep on top of the daily news cycle, and this did indeed include two FTAs. Both of which have consistently had me in fits of laughter. Allow me to explain why.

The first one, @FakePaulKeating, is a wonderful example of someone who manages to capture the voice of the real Paul Keating, but in a highly OTT and satirical way. The person behind this particular account clearly knows their ALP and Keating history, with a lot of gold nugget references in there for followers to spot. Even obvious ones like references to political relationships, lots of mentions of expensive clocks etc. All very entertaining stuff. Well worth following if you were, like me, a big fan of real man himself.

The second one I wanted to discuss, @FakeFielding, is simply a sublime use of the FTA concept to deliver what is truly an exceptional piece of comedy gold. The general aim here, as far as I can tell, is to present us with a vision of Steve Fielding who is his present age, but has more akin to a 7-8 year old version of himself. So we get a lot of references to drinking Milo, getting into trouble from Susan (the wife), getting lost in the shopping centre, getting given a yucky lunch to take to the Senate each day. The usual things that little kids complain about. In addition, we get some nice word-play on people's names, a demonstration of some real ignorance of real-world concepts and policies (so perhaps not too far from the truth...), and just general awesomeness. You do need to have a little bit of political knowledge to get all the jokes, but it's well worth it in the end.

So, yes, Fake Twitter Accounts are really rather awesome, and a great use of the Twitter micro-blogging service. While I said earlier that there are thousands of these buggers out there, and I've described but two, it's worthwhile exploring your options. Like someone who is famous? See if someone has started a FTA about them, and subscribe - because who knows what sort of comedy value there might be in it...

It Will Get Better by Melinda Hutchings

Just a quick plug for a dear friend of mine, Melinda Hutchings, who recently released her latest book, It Will Get Better. I am presently waiting on my copy of the book to arrive via the post (gotta love the Hervey Bay postal service, really...!), but it does look like it'll be yet another excellent piece of writing from the person who is fast becoming one of the leading experts and mentors on teenage-related issues. Her previous book, Why Can't I Look The Way I Want?, was an amazing read, and I am sure this new book is up to the usual standard of Melinda's writing.

You can buy a copy of the book by clicking here, but I thought in the meantime I'd give you all a quick summary of the book, courtesy of, what else, the back cover:

Teenage life brings up plenty of issues and can feel overwhelming at times. In It Will Get Better, Melinda Hutchings draws on her own experiences and those of many teens who speak openly about their issues - everything from family break-ups and troubled friends, to cutting, cyber-bullying and experiencing the death of a parent. They talk candidly about dealing with difficult emotions and what did or did not help them. Most importantly, they share the insights they gained that helped them heal and move forward. Alongside the teen voices are helpful sections of expert advice, practical tips, websites and other supportive resources.

The Slow Death of Tony Abbott

Source: ABC News

OK, so stop me if you've heard this one before, but there was this election. A federal election. About a month ago. The general public basically rejected both sides of mainstream politics. But at the same time, both major parties came extremely close towards the ultimate goal of winning the federal election in question. The new parliament sits on a knife edge, and even the "winning" party knows they are a major cock-up away from being turfed out, in exchange for the Other Guy.

So, with all that understood, why the hell would Tony Abbott be acting like such a twit when it comes to his dealings in the new parliament? I mean, really! Does this guy simply not get it?

Tony Abbott appears to be on a strategy that most likely appears quite logical to him - wreck everything and anything on the Government's side, until such time as the ALP House of Cards comes falling down and he can claim his rightful place as the next PM of Australia.

Such a shame, then, that the strategy looks like a piece of crap. And sadly, could very well succeed. Which makes it even worse.

Of recent note was his party's attitude towards the whole notion of the pairing arrangements with the Speaker. Even though his own party had signed the agreement just weeks before with the ALP and the Independents, the Mad Monk feels quite comfortable in walking away from that agreement, most likely because it suits his personal interests best. All it really does is make me wonder if the original signing was just a simple attempt to get the support of the Independents, and given he didn't end up getting it, the simple reality became that all bets were off.

Ho bloody hum.

Then of course I guess we have to question Tony's actual ability as a leader, and what better example of this emerges in his decision to keep Joe Hockey on as Shadow Treasurer. Sorry, but that decision just defies logic. The man is so not suited to such a position. I could see him in a shadow portfolio like Education, or Health - but not the nation's coffers. Especially after the $11b black hole election debarcle. If the Coalition wanted some serious economic credibility, it'd dump Hockey for someone like Andrew Robb pretty quickly.

Or even better still, Malcolm Turnbull. I hear he knows a thing or two about cash.

I guess the really sad part about all of this is that while Tony is running around doing dumb things in Canberra, almost all of this will be missed by the voting public. Worse still, depending on how things are reported in the media over the coming weeks and months, this particular strategy could work quite well for Tony.

Even if it isn't going to result in the best outcomes for the national interest...

The ongoing NBN debate...

Source: ABC News

If there is one defining topic to have emerged out of the post-election waiting game, it's the significance the ALP-backed National Broadband Network (NBN). In all of the deliberations of the key Independents, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor kept referring to the significance of the NBN in swaying their decision to ultimately back a Gillard Labor Government. Since this is one of the key planks which ultimately undid Tony Abbott's attempts at becoming Prime Minister, surely since the August 21 election he would be a lot more positive and open towards the creation of the NBN? Surely? If it meant he got a step closer towards forming a Government at some point in the near future, wouldn't it make sense for him to realise the error of his ways, and become a backer of the NBN?

Of course not - that could in some way be seen as a logical step to take. What isn't logical is to appoint Malcolm Turnbull as your Shadow Communications Minister, and give him the express order to "demolish" the NBN.

Yes, it makes sense to me as well - about as much sense, as the TV show Red Dwarf once famously stated, "as jumping off a cliff".

So while I have no problem with an Opposition holding the Government of the day to account, coming out and being so blatantly negative towards a key piece of legislation that got your competitors over the line just seems like a really dumb move, especially if you are running around Canberra claiming that you have a good chance of changing the minds of the Independents and having them back you instead. The fact as I see it, this move by Abbott and Turnbull will not achieve such an aim, and Tony Windsor himself has said as much. These Independents have committed themselves to giving this ALP Government the best chance it has of running for a full 3 years, and that would not include switching at the first chance you get and backing a Coalition Government.

And yes, while it is true Turnbull does come with good economic credentials, and was involved in the formation of OzEmail back in the day, that doesn't automatically mean he knows what he is talking about when it comes to 21st Century broadband infrastructure in Australia. Particularly if he is in any way trying to claim that the Opposition plan is in some way superior to the ALP plan of fibre nationwide. As has been proven by several people much cleverer than me on this topic, a national fibre network will serve our needs - known and unknown - a lot further into the future than a wireless network based on 2010 technology.

Of the two main articles I want to present today, the first comes from long-time new media exponent Mark Pesce, in which he details his recent struggle with getting a stable Internet connection configured at his new residence. Of particular note is his experience with using a 3G wireless service whilst waiting for his fixed line connection to be connected and installed:

While I've been awaiting the installers, I've used the wireless broadband service provided by my mobile. The 'tethering' option allows me to connect my mobile to my laptop, effectively turning it into a high-speed modem. That hasn't been pleasant. The service is great when I get up in the morning, but slows gradually, throughout the day, until, at around 4:00pm, it falls off a cliff. Nothing works anymore, no data sent or received, and there it stays until the next morning, when it's all fine again.

Why is this happening? Simply put, there are too many people going after too few bits. I'm sharing that wireless broadband with everyone else in my suburb, and as people come home and log on, using their own wireless broadband (those cute little 'dongles' that the carriers are so happy to sell you), the network overloads. Carriers have built their wireless networks to handle a certain amount of traffic - when you go over that, everything falls down. And if your carrier hasn't made the big investment needed to handle skyrocketing mobile broadband usage (mine apparently has not) then you're well and truly cut off.

This is such a good point, and is basically the fatal flaw of the wireless broadband option. Right now, the whole notion of "peak speed" is a massive limiting factor, especially when you consider the difference between what one can achieve with a dedicated 100mpbs up/down line as opposed to an a line that is a lot slower up than it is down. You can do true HD video conferencing or e-health on the former, but certainly not on the latter. And certainly not all at the same time on the one connection in a house, which is what the reality will be in several years time. Furthermore, while Mark is clearly a backer of a wireless Internet service running this country, he makes the following very salient point:

Mobile broadband isn't the answer. Wireless broadband isn't the answer. There is only one answer: 'Do it once. Do it right. Do it with fibre.' Everything else has a place, but nothing else can replace the aging and overloaded foundation of copper wiring.

I haven't enjoyed this state of semi-connectivity. I have work that's backed up: websites I should be visiting, videos I should be watching, Skype calls that should be happening, but aren't, because I don't have enough bandwidth. It feels as though I'm being subjected to a slow strangulation: I snatch a few breaths every morning, then gradually turn blue over the rest of the day. Broadband is the oxygen of the 21st century. We should demand great big ducts to keep the ventilation flowing through our lives, not tiny straws that can be pinched off, leaving us with nothing but stale air.

Well said, Mark. What I would add is that in a few years from now, we'll be wanting to do all of the above at the same time. Dad will be wanting to stream the latest news, while Mum chats with Grandma on a HD Skype call, while the kids are upstairs streaming a HD movie and engaging in real-time chat with their friends. All of this, on the same connection, at the same time. Suddenly, 100mbps sounds like the minimum speed we'll need.

The second article I want to look at is by regular blogger Stilgherrian, who writes a fascinating article examining the myths behind the NBN opponents. While the entire article is well worth reading, the following extract will give you a good idea why:

[Economist Peter J.] Cox believes that when we all have broadband speeds of 1Gb/s or, as will be possible soon enough, 10 times that, or a hundred, or a thousand, that no new services will be made possible, and that there will be no significant changes to society. That today, a mere 15 years after the beginnings of the commercial internet, this is as good as it gets.

Imagine Coxworld in 1830. That's 18 years after the first commercially-successful steam locomotive, Matthew Murray's Salamanca of 1812. We'd have looked at the newly-opened Liverpool and Manchester Railway as seen in this painting and declared that nothing more would change our work, or cities or our lives.

Stopped laughing yet?

I've not, even if the laugh is a worrying one because this kind of view seems all too familar. Go on and read the full article, it's a great read.

I cannot see this NBN debate going away anytime soon. I think the big factor to figure in here is that as times marches on, more of the NBN will roll out. And as more of it rolls out, and more and more people sign up for it, I am hopeful that word of mouth will start to turn the general public towards the necessity that the NBN will soon become in our daily lives.

Only then will people like the Coalition look like the morons that they are pretending to be right now...

Microsoft Arc Keyboard

As I recently mentioned in my Hanvon Windows 7 Tablet PC review, one of my biggest bug bears is with virtual keyboards. With no tactile feedback to know if you are hitting the correct keys, the entire concept of "touch typing" essentially goes out the window. These days, it is not uncommon to watch people trying to type on an iPhone or iPad to be staring more at the virtual keyboard than they are at what they are entering - and then either a lengthy editing session begins, or the person flings off the message complete with numerous typos or T9 correction gaffs. Is it any wonder, then, that I firmly believe the "Sent from my iPad" default sigfile that Apple installs in the iPad's mail client should more accurately read "Srht form my oPsd"?

Anyway, to ensure I would be able to endure semi-long typing spells, I decided to purchase a small portable keyboard to go with my B10 Tablet (hmmm - that really does sound like a vitamin pill!), and after browsing my local Officeworks for nigh on 30 minutes, I elected to purchase the super-tiny, but no less awesome-looking, Microsoft Arc Keyboard. Have been using it these last few days to type on, and I have to say that for the most part it's been a really great keyboard, but considering the alternative was an on-screen virtual one, it's a no-brainer really.

The footprint of the hardware is quite petite, being more akin to the sort of keyboard you'd find on a larger 10" - 11" netbook. The keys themselves are chiclet-style, and have a decent level of bounce or clickiness to them. It's a satisfying typing experience, and I have found myself warming to it quite quickly the more I use it. In fact, it would be fair to say that the Arc Keyboard is nicer to use than some larger sized, more expensive, keyboards I've been forced to endure over the years. The actual design of the unit is appealing, with the "Arc" nature of the keyboard giving it a slight ergonomic feeling as well, with a raised middle section ensuring your hands feel at essentially the right angle to make the typing experience comfortable.

In terms of the actual "extra" buttons you get on the device, there is a dedicated Start menu button, and while you don't get a dedicated numeric keypad (something I will admit I am saddened to see appearing less and less on keyboards), you do get a nice D-pad down the bottom right-hand corner for moving a cursor around on screen. I've found that little bonus quite a nice feature, and it certainly works better in terms of space useage than getting a more regular set of 4 directional keys. Chuck in some dedicated volume / mute keys, and you've pretty much got the Arc Keyboard down pat.

The device works with it's own dedicated USB dongle, which is thankfully a "Nano Receiver", which basically means you don't have a massive USB stick poking out of the side of your device. The receiver is a very tiny, discreet unit, which sits almost flush with the side of my B10 Tablet. When it is not in use, the receiver magnetically clips into a hollowed-out section under the keyboard, which makes for easy storage. Powered by 2 x AAA batteries (included in the box), overall it's proving itself to be a great travel keyboard. I certainly really like it.

About my only complaint with the device, and I am not sure if this is a problem inherent in the Keyboard itself, or just something I am doing wrong, but I have found that when trying to use the Shift key in addition to, say, generating the " character, I find it doesn't appear until I hit the Spacebar or something. Which can be quite annoying, but again, this might not be a problem with the Keyboard itself, but rather my use of it in certain app situations. I will have to do more testing before reaching a final conclusion.

But if there's one thing clear from the Microsoft Arc Keyboard, it's that Microsoft can definitely do good-looking hardware, there's no doubt about that. The Arc Keyboard is a beautiful addition to the growing "Arc" product family, which so far has really only included mice. If you are after a great travel keyboard that is thin, portable, and relaxing to use, you cannot go far wrong by getting a Microsoft Arc Keyboard. It's certainly become my essential travel companion to my Hanvon B10 Windows 7 Tablet PC.