New Google Service Agreements
Published February 18, 2012 | 
I was talking to an associate who expressed concern about the new Google Service Agreement and I wanted to post. He was concerned that the new agreement could be read as Google taking license with people’s stuff…not so.
The part that seems to cause everyone heartache on the Google agreement is this:
“When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.”
Various lobbying organizations and elected representatives keep trying to make technology providers who offers tools like Google Docs, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and any other web organization that offers software on-line legally accountable for the content they transmit. So, if JimTechBoy posts copyrighted material on Facebook, or YouTube, instead of you being responsible, Facebook and YouTube is responsible.
This is an awkward, monolithic way to try and handle piracy. The violation of sharing copyrighted material was by JimTechBoy when he copied the material and posted it, but Jim’s hard to find, he doesn’t have as much money as Google, so the lobbyists and legislators are trying to find ways to make the carriers responsible.
Problem is, doing so would end those carriers abilities to pass on content. The new Google agreement clarifies language and makes Google more protected against such issues. The license you give by posting your content is necessary, if you don’t grant Google a license, they cannot share your content in any way…
Free distribution of information is imperative to our global culture, and even our local relationships now. Trying to restrict it because a few people break the law will further damage our economy, our ability to relate to the world and one-another and negatively impact all my clients.
So, I’m in favor of companies like Google protecting themselves carefully. Does not mean they are going to suddenly start stealing anything.
Wed Jan 18th: Techivity went dark!
Published January 18, 2012 | In opposition to the SOPA and PIPA proposed legislation techivity.com went dark today, January 18th, 2012. The day passed, but the risk remains.
The philosophy of this legislation is analogous to holding a postal carrier liable for the material in his bag when he’s out on his route; he didn’t choose to carry it, doesn’t know what’s in there, could find out if he stopped to read everyone’s stuff, but certainly couldn’t make any deliveries on-time or maintain any privacy doing so.
That is almost precisely what the proposed legislation would do to the internet. Its appalling and would damage most of our clients hosting and stop much small business from engaging in legitimate online business.
So call your representatives, sign the petitions, email your friends. YOUR internet is on the line and it needs you…
MonsterMural: Custom HTML
Published October 21, 2011 | 
Monster Mural is a cool business that provides large murals for events that can be colored, assembled or are otherwise interactive.
Monster Mural wanted a custom site – they didn’t want to do their own updates and controlling the specifics of the design page to page was more important than applying the same template to multiple articles like a blog or content management solution.
Using good coding practices to create PHP includes that re-use as much of the page as possible, we created a custom site that uses extensive java-script, PHP templates and re-uses graphics. The site includes custom java-script slide shows that update automatically any time Monster Mural uploads pictures and a custom, PCI-compliant shopping cart solution.
A great example of proper requirements analysis; instead of investing time and energy into traffic-building or other business resources that did not fit Monster Mural’s requirements, Techivity focused on providing a site that provides support for their existing sales process, since Monster Mural works directly with event planners through catalogs and direct contact.