Auggie's Blog

Computerized Medical Records: Report of Findings

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:37:15 -0500

The final project required us to research, present, and write about a controversial information technological/ social issue. For this we chose Computerized Medical Records: CMR, EMR, EHR; all are a different abbreviation for the same topic. It was my duty to write the socio-technical analysis of the final deliverable and present the findings I made through this blog.

"The American Health Information Community (the Community) recommended that Electronic Health Records (EHR) adoption be its top priority."

The American Health Information Community was chartered in 2005 as a federal advisory body that would make recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This community was formed in response to President Bush’s goal to create accessible EHR to the American people by 2014. Subsequently, AHIC has recommended that EHR adoption be its top priority.

It is estimated that EHR systems increase overall efficiency by 6% per year.

Like any IT system, there is a large risk of information loss. It happens to the Fed too believe it or not.

Laws are made that enforce security and privacy policy, like this one.

This is an aggregation of most of the facts I have found throughout my research.

Happy summer everybody!

Crank that bass son!

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:36:03 -0500

I know it has been a long time since I have posted a blog entry. There is probably a strong correlation with it being nice outside and my lack of motivation to do anything other than avoid my computer. As for my roommates, who are league gamers, they remain indoors. We all play Team Fortress 2. The game was released in October and I began playing on the release day. Roommate A started playing in November. Roommate B started playing in December. Steam, the video game service provided by Valve, records how much time you have spent playing games (on those developed by Valve).

Roommate A: 2.60 Weeks
Roommate B: 2.48 Weeks
Me: 0.76 Weeks

This data was accurate as of April 9. Go have a bbq.

Hello sexy..

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:30:39 -0500

Yesterday was gorgeous, and as I was walking back in the Scotia game lands I realized that I could really increase my experience by purchasing a new bike. So I did. Now it's not like me to throw money at a situation to make it better, but I've been pondering this kind of purchase for maybe ten years. Looking back at my childhood, I realized there were two primary motivators: video games and biking. I am so freaking ecstatic about this and I plan to bike every day.

I bought a Specialized Hardrock Sport, a super solid frame that I plan to slowly build on as I get more into the sport. The bike only cost me about $400.00, and was on sale. I couldn't pass it up and I think this thing will pay for itself as I will be doing a lot less driving. I'm not just saying words here either. I plan to use the shit out of this thing and really get some bang for my buck.

Just a side note: the image above has disc brakes, and I don't have those yet.

Directed Blog Post 4: MMORPG Research

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:05:15 -0500

For the fourth directed blog post we were assigned the task to read from a collection of writings called “The Daedalus Project” (TDP), a web blog dedicated to the research and findings pertaining to MMORPGs. The site is operated by Nick Yee of the Palo Alto Research Center’s PlayOn research group.

“The PlayOn project at PARC is an investigation into the social dimensions of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) and virtual worlds…”

In addition to TDP, the PlayOn site will also be a source of critical thinking in this entry. The PlayOn site, another blog, is the site maintained by the PARC research group.

The content of both sites is comparable. TDP and PlayOn both provide incredible insight into the social and psychological mechanics of the MMO machine. Considering there are over ten million World of Warcraft players alone, the research in this area is valuable. These two sites are excellent sources of this kind of information. From first glance at the site you are exposed to scientific studies on this type of subject matter. I had previously never guessed that this kind of work was being done, and the information that is presented in these sites is interesting. Articles cover lofty issues such as how we virtually project ourselves in a virtual world, to more serious topics like therapy and dependency of MMOGs. How we keep ourselves motivated to play these games, and questioning the stereotypes of gamers (anti-social, gender, age).

A primary objective of understanding apparent in TDP is learning what motivates us. Why is it that we spend seemingly wasted time in virtual worlds accomplishing little recognized by the outside world? Dr. Yee creates an empirical framework to answer this question. In his study titled “MMORPG Demographics, Motivations, and Experiences”, Yee surveys 6,000+ players of the game Ever Quest to discover what draws them to the game. The survey construed the following terms for motivating factors: relationships, manipulation, immersion, escapism, achievement, and learning. Female players were driven by the relationship factor, while male players found their motivation in achievement and manipulation. Furthermore, the study indicates that these experiences created genuine relationships, and practical leadership skills. This study seems incredibly reliable considering the size of the dataset.

As an adult gamer myself it is not uncommon to be compared to a child for playing video games. =( Sad yes, but true? No. And the data collected from the above study supports me and my feelings. The gender distribution was nearly 50/50. Shocking, I guess. But in this case we can question the validity of these figures. Consider that the dataset was provided by one game, in one slice of the gaming genre. Average gaming age was 27, another reality check. Once again, the old stereotypes are not exactly met here. Unfortunately, nobody said that these stereotypes were designed for MMO players, just players in general.When it comes to ingame stereotypes, and I mean stereotypes that are built into the game, they exist. Apparently it isn't easy to find every ethnic hairstyle you want.

I'm sitting here..

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:46:34 -0500

Thursday morning, 8:45 AM, in the IST building. Where else would I ever be on such a fine day (everyday)? And as I'm sitting here dying for inspiration, I'm inspired by the troublesomeness of the web brower I'm using: IE 7.0. About 5 years ago light shined into my life. Firefox walked through the door and introduced many innovative features that today I cannot live without. Some of these features microsoft has implemented, like tabbed browsing, but hundreds of thousands of others MS has not.

Mozilla just announced that in June they will be shipping the final version of Firefox, version 3.0. I declare June to be Firefox appreciation month.

I WANNA BE THE GUY

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:40:29 -0500

The most difficult game of all time.

Synopsis: You are this little man with the potential to be the guy. Will you be? No. If you can get to the second screen, you're lucky and dedicated. The game is an ode to a long list of classic old school games: earthbound, mario, tetris, kirby, street fighter, and so on. However in the most saddistic, cruel, and frustrating compilation ever known to mankind. Because I know if you download the game you will quit after 10-15 deaths (that will take about 2 minutse tops), below is one persons' "best run". Watch it and appreciate the fact that getting that far probably took many months of trial and error.

How I spent yesterday evening.

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:15:56 -0500

My roommate has been using the same p.o.s. compaq since 2003, with minor additions since then. Last week he made the decision that it was time to upgrade, from the ground up. So I put it upon myself to find some beefy parts, and personally build it for him, because I'm a nice guy.

Here's the parts list I came up with.

ABIT IP35 Pro ATX Intel Motherboard

EVGA GeForce 8800GTX 768-P2-N831-AR Video Card

A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Memory

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor

ZALMAN 9500A 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

Acer P223Wwd Glossy White 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor

All in all the computer is a tank. A very quiet one. It cuts through Team Fortress 2 and COD4 like a warm knife through butter.

I began assembling the computer promptly when I got home from class, 5:30P. It took 9 hours to assemble the damn thing and troubleshoot a handful of problems we were having with the MB and the optical drive.

Problem 1: the MB wasn't getting enough juice. Reason, I forgot to plug one power cable in (supplementary PCIex). Total time to deduce: 3 hours.

Problem 2: You can't clean install from SATA drives. At least this motherboard didn't let us. We had to scrounge up an old IDE cd drive to install the OS, windows, which leads to our third problem. Total time to deduce: 1.5 hours.

Problem 3: Windows doesnt have built in USB drivers during the installation process. This is a problem when your keyboard and mouse are manufactured after the year 1932. Solution, use old keyboard (luckily we had one).

I finally crashed around 3 AM. Mission accomplished. One last note, I have to thank Alex T for helping. Two heads are definitely better than one semi drunk head (me).

Internet Gaming Disease

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:17:50 -0500

Today in class we discussed the glory of massively multiplayer online gaming. In particular, World of Warcraft.

Does the computer have Buddha nature?

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:06:26 -0500

Lately out of spiritual self loathing I've been reading a lot about Ghandi and Zen Buddhism. No, the two topics aren't exactly related, but still it's given me the opportunity to think about things from different perspectives.

It's a common philosophical debate about computers and consciousness. Does a computer have a consciousness, at least in the most fundamental sense? A biological organism is a macrocosm of organization. It's what makes an amoeba different than a text book. It's what makes living beings so fascinating. But if an amoeba is conscious, is a computer? I'm not asking if the computer has sentience.

And from the Buddhist perspective. Everything has Buddha nature. And if computers evolve intelligence, can it achieve enlightenment? And what about the internet? Has it Buddha nature?

Call of Duty 4: Is it better than sex?

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:50:54 -0500

Looking back at spring break I've come to a sad conclusion. No, I'm not ashamed to admit it, but yes it is somewhat saddening.I spent the whole week playing COD4. Why, do you say? The game is digital heroin. Injecting pure adrenaline into your eyesockets, the game never ceases to excite. Also, 99% of my friends, and my woman left town. I'm a towny.

What sort of insight can I provide from my experience? None. This is the result of not actively using my brain all break. Playing the game has reached the point where little thought is required at all. I just sit there going through the motions. And I suppose you could also attest the lack of insight to the frequent 40 oz.. I would often self medicate to dull the boredom.

Break was a blast, but no I didn't spend it anywhere warm. Unless you consider the digital Persian Gulf a warm place.

Future plans include trying to get a life.

The Blue Brain

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:35:44 -0500

Above is an image of 2000 IBM microchips at work. This isn't your standard 2000core computer though. Each microchip is programmed to act like a neuron, a brain cell. And on top of it the whole shebang is structured like the neocortal column. Don't ask me what kind of implications its architecture has, but apparently it's a very complex and biologically accurate structure. Plans to upscale this thing include self-consciousness and ghosts in machines. Anyone smell robot's taking over the human race?

Net Neutrality

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:58:25 -0500

Net neutrality is a non restricted internet: free communication of content, sites, and platforms where one method is not degraded by another. Why this is important is reflected quite nicely in the video above. But if you didn't have time to watch the entire thing, to follow are some key points that are made.

The history of telecommunications has always lead to domination by particular private entities. Radio and television both represent this model: one way information. The internet is being threatened by this same model as some companies have made plans to create their own networks (Comcast), putting them in complete control. A sad reality considering that the major telecommunication companies had absolutely nothing to do with the conception and creation of the internet. I don't want to live in a non neutral internet. I'd rather die.

Directed Blog Post 3: Technology in Advertising

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:04:23 -0500

Top creative executive Paul Tilley for the advertising agency DDB committed suicide last Friday, February 22. Famous for the "I'm lovin' it" of McDonald's and "Dude, you're gettin' a Dell" of Dell slogans, Tilley had a significant impact on the advertising spectrum. I remember working at McDonald's years ago when the new slogan came out. Everything was revamped. New uniforms, new greetings, new signs, new sandwiches, new everything. Boy was that a sh*tty job. And now here I am preparing to do a directed blog post about advertising.

Above is one of EA's Rock Band's latest commercials. In case you don't know what Rock Band is, it's the new addition to a line of video games in which the player plays a guitar like controller to an array of music. Rock Band is available on all next generation consoles.

The field of TV video game advertising is rather homogeneous. Typically, video game commercials consist of in-game graphics in a provocative sequence, usually really fast, that illustrates the actual in-game experience. You might compare this to a movie trailer in which a string of clips from the movie are combined to evoke the most powerful moments of the movie. Alternatively, the Rock Band commercial appeals more to the user of the video game than the actual game itself. The commercial portrays game players in a fictional environment that personifies the emotion a player might experience by playing the game. This really does set it self apart from the majority of video game TV advertisements.

The commercial music, Suffragette City by David Bowie, is a classic rock song. While the song is playing, apparent band members are lounging in a private jet supposedly on tour for playing the video game. Meanwhile, the band members are having a trivial argument over what the band should call themselves (humor). While I might not be laughing, it is the intention of this commercial to present a hypothetical, sarcastic situation. The name Rock Band is self defining. Clearly the actors portrayed in this commercial are just that, rockers.

The individuals relaxing in the private jet are aged roughly between 18 and 24. The obvious target audience of the commercial is high school/college aged young adults who enjoy video games and music. The commercial contains the token black male and white female, along with 3 other white males. All appear to be of the same music culture, although they seem rather generic looking (and I'm sure intentionally). Towards the end of the commercial, when David Bowie starts playing, "Rock Band" fades onto the screen signifying the commercials end.

This clever approach to video game commercials is unique and entertaining. While in real life we play this game and feel like rock stars, in the commercial you ARE a rock star. The commercial evokes the feeling that by playing the game you are becoming a rock star. In conclusion I feel that this method of advertising is unique and effective. Also R.I.P. Paul Tilley.

Targeted Advertising

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:57:58 -0500

Last semester I took a course in sociology on population and policy. During the course we utilized a site called "My Best Segments" by Claritas (a marketing research/software company) to evaluate consumer behavior in almost every region on the United States. You can take a look yourself. Try entering your own hometown's zip code. It's fascinating the information that the website provides. It begins by assigning appropriate, yet clever, names for various "communities" found within that zipcode. When you think you've found the one that corresponds with the neighborhood you are seeking, select it. I believe mine was "Suburban Pioneers" for zip code 16803. It then gives a brief narrative of the general culture of that area, and then displays various variables. Here was mine.

Ethnic Diversity:	White, Black, Hispanic
Presence of Kids:	Family Mix
Age Ranges:	Age <55
Education Levels:	Some College
Employment Levels:	White Collar, Mix
Homeownership:	Homeowners
Urbanicity:	Suburban
Income:	Downscale
Income Producing Assets:	Moderate

Furthermore it projects defined statistics and lifestyle traits.

2006 Statistics:

US Households: 1,163,110 (1.04%)

Median HH Income: $33,258

Lifestyle Traits

· Eat fast food

· Do needlepoint

· Baby Talk magazine

· King of the Hill in syndication

· Suzuki Verona

Overall an interesting website. I recommend everybody to check it out if you have any free time. You'd be surprised how well that Claritas has researched the consumer/marketing field. It's almost scary.

Companies are able to target designated audiences using tools like this. And with this information being publicly available, we have to wonder what is in store for us next. Advertising armageddon.

My brief thoughts on consumerism

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:24:48 -0500

Yesterday in class we discussed consumerism and the impacts it has on the IT realm. With instantaneous transactions made over the internet and the digital processing of credit cards, we are in an era where consumers can be consumers at lightning speed. What this means to me as an individual, especially as a computer savvy individual, is that I am very much vulnerable to the trappings of consumerism that the industry has constructed. I don't have a credit card, but I have a substantial amount of debt. I feel that if I got a credit card, I'd become their slave.