Monthly Archives: October 2014

Internet.org has taken a new interest in the population of people offline in India. With an estimated population of 1.3 billion, getting India acquainted with Internet and data usage will pose as a prosperous opportunity for many online industries. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, said during a summit in New Delhi that “connectivity is a fundamental right”.

The effect of Internet usage in North America has changed modern culture completely. Instead of reading books to find information, the Internet has become a bottomless pool of knowledge that is accessible through simple search options. It has helped productivity and enhanced the efficiency of learning, as well as providing immediate news, broadcasts, videos, and so much more through discoverable online content.

I believe that introducing the Internet to the masses of potential users in India will create a new way for them to receive and send out information. Information would be generated and shared much quickly than if the Internet were not available, and perhaps through the Internet we could learn more from the scholars and voices within India. Being in a connected environment online with countries that do have Internet, it would only be fair to include other countries who have not decided to use Internet. Internet is currently available in some areas in India, but very few wi-fi hotspots are available, connectivity and buffering rates are extremely slow, and it is very expensive to use. I am hoping that advances in technology in the near future will allow us to bring the Internet to India at a reasonable price, and that necessary infrastructures will be built to support the demand of Internet.

Resources:

India’s Population 2014

Internet.org wants to connect India’s offline millions

BitCoin: a digital currency first introduced in early 2013 by a mysterious programmer (or several programmers) by the pseudonym Satotshi Nakamoto. BitCoin successfully found feasible solutions to some of the issues that arose with previous, failed versions of digital currencies (Internetcash.com, Beenz, E-Gold) and has since then been universally recognized as a legitimate currency and can be used to purchase things from groceries to real estate. The first-ever BitCoin users were mainly composed of investors who were looking to make profit from the currency, libertarians who seeked freedom from government control, and tech geeks who were interested in the development and technology of a digital currency.

A recent news article states that researchers on BitCoin have found that the original demographic for BitCoin users have dramatically changed since its initial launch. An online survey stated that in the early years of development, 42% of 1,000 people categorized themselves as a libertarian and that their purpose of using BitCoin would be to pardon themselves from the government. Nowadays, less than 20% of people label themselves that way. Diversity in the people interested in this digital currency is growing, and with varied use comes acceptance.

With changing times and newfound technology, it is appropriate for consumers to adjust to these new methods of purchasing things. Not only are the algorithms behind BitCoin reliable and fair to the growth of the currency, but the fundamental value in using BitCoin is to have a currency that truly belongs to the people. It is accepted internationally, and the margins to the expansion of BitCoin-accepting markets is steadily growing. I believe that more people should take an interest in BitCoin, solely because 1) there’s no negative impact on the user, and 2) as a safety precaution in case international economies go into depression.

Resources:

BitCoin’s Official Website

The BitCoin Boom

The Rise and Fall of BitCoin

BitCoin: Not Just for Libertarians and Anarchists Anymore

Abercrombie & Fitch, a brand that has been making all but the right choices in recent years of business, has recently associated itself with attempts of committing religious discrimination. Abercrombie is strict when it comes to its appearance and reputation in media and has dedicated its brand to a very specific social group of young individuals. A few years ago, Abercrombie’s CEO, Mike Jeffries, stated very bluntly and indifferently in an interview that Abercrombie caters to “cool” kids, and that men and women larger in size are not the desired consumers for Abercrombie. In recent news, a Muslim woman who applied to be a sales associate was rejected by Abercrombie because she wore a hijab to her interview. This issue has been brought to the Supreme Court and a verdict is pending.

It is socially unacceptable for a company to reject a perfectly able individual because of her religious beliefs, or, rather, for wearing her necessary religious garments. If her hijab does not inhibit her ability to work compared to other employees, she is only, if more, able to carry out the same duties even if she is wearing a hijab. Although Abercrombie is known for hiring only models/employees who fit their appearance standards, hijab-wearing women should not be seen by the company as “unfashionable” or “has inadequate style”.

References:

The Supreme Court Will Decide if Abercrombie is Guilty of Religious Discrimination

Mike Jeffries

Look of a Leader: a blog post by Ayumi Imaizumi

 (image sourced from Ayumi’s blog)

Ayumi wrote about an interesting research analysis about the key features that make a leader in a particular field of business. She states in her blog that “According to research done by Malcolm Gladwell, ‘30% of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are 6 feet 2 inches or taller’… [and] that CEOs with the ‘deepest voices earned $187,000 a year more than the average'”.

Since when did height and voice amplitude make or break the success of a business leader? I believe that the thought process behind how individuals instill trust in their leader is dependent on whether or not their leader provides a sense of security and responsibility. Perhaps through natural selection, taller men with deeper voices have successfully genetically convinced us that they are more capable of leadership positions and that they are qualified to do so.

I think this is an interesting article because although evidence is uncertain regarding the actual reason why the previously listed characteristics are shared by many leaders in corporate environments, it gives society and those working in businesses a wake-up call by saying, “hey, not all leaders need to meet those height and voice requirements”. These statistics demonstrate characteristics behind the success of many business leaders to society and may convince individuals to reconsider their options when electing their new CEO.