Paolo blog: Ramblings on Web2.0, Trust, Reputation, Recommender Systems, Social Software, Free Software, ICT4D and much more

There is a very interesting article on Business, Business 2.0. The Technology of the Year: Social Network Applications

Social networking applies the power of the network to one of the most fundamental problems in all of business: finding the person who has the critical information you need, right when you need it.

There are all the cool companies playing the game: SixDegrees, Spoke, VisiblePath, Friendster, RyzeIn, ZeroDegrees. There is a mention about CIA interested in using these ideas and the article finishes with an important concern about privacy.

Wikitravel.org is a free (as in freedom), complete, up-to-date and reliable world-wide travel guide.
Who create and update the guide? You! Yes, thanks to the disruptive technology called wiki, you can go on Wikitravel.org and edit the page about your city and your country or whatever page!
[Instruction: go to a wikitravel page, scroll to the bottom, click on "Edit this page" link, enjoy!]
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President of the World Bank James D. Wolfensohn said “European cows get a subsidy of $2.50 a day. We have 3 billion people in the world who live under $2 a day. Japanese cows get $7.50 a day subsidy.” Reference: James Wolfensohn: Excerpts of Christian Science Monitor Interview on Poverty and Globalization, near the end of page. Or Continue Reading

As I already written, Saturday night I was in New York at a party. It was an Halloween party and everyone was dressed up. I didn’t have a costume but was wearing the shirt you see on the left.
I was speaking with some guy who asked me “So you’re what? A communist?”.
I replied “Well, kind of…”.
At this moment another one came in with “So why didn’t you go to study to Russia?”.
It was not said with bad mood, just with simplicity. This made me wonder what this guy thinks about Russia.
We spoke a little bit about what we think communism is and capitalism is but eventually we shortly ended up drinking more beer.
So the lesson is clear: don’t wear “communist costumes” at Halloween parties in US. ;-)

This is a funny truck I pictured in New York.
I noticed that here in US you can find US flags everywhere. Someone told me that it is so after 9/11. I guess the flag has become the symbol of “United we stand”.
In Italy luckily we try to stand united behind the peace flag.
According to bandieredipace.org, in Italy 2.500.000 balconies were exposing the peace flag at 03/17/2003.
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“Qualcosa comincia ad essere sempre più chiaro: non è sicuro che abbiamo perso noi e, soprattutto, non è sicuro che hanno vinto loro. La storia che conta, quella che facciamo uomini e donne, ha ancora molto filo da tessere e non si finisce di indovinare neppure il disegno né il colore che dovrà avere questo gigantesco arazzo che è l’umanità. Noi, e con noi molti come noi, sappiamo che, in ogni caso, il colore non è il grigio che ora impongono, né il disegno che è solo dolore e morte. Ci sono anche molti altri colori. E c’è anche molta speranza.”

Relazione tenuta all’incontro internazionale di intellettuali a difesa dell’umanità il 24 e 25 ottobre a Città del Messico

da Nuovi mondi media

I’ve been to New York over the weekend. [Thanks Cristina for wonderful hospitality! You are almost a NewYorker but I'm not sure this is a compliment! ;-) ]

NY was less dirty, chaotic and dangerous than I was expecting.
In 2 days I’ve seen Chinatown, Time Square, many skyscapers, Financial district and Wall Street, took the free ferry until Staten Island to see the Statue of Liberty. Friday I’ve been to a party in a gay club until 5 am and Saturday to an Halloween party in Queens.
Saturday I almost run the NY Marathon … it was a tour de force but I enjoyed it a lot.

Some picture can be found here. As you can see I still need to practice with my new, extracheap camera.

Credo che andro’ a vedere questo film Ora o mai più.

Penso che sia successo a molti un giorno di “incontrare dentro di sé il dubbio che la vita sia altrove”. E da quel giorno non si e’ piu’ potuto far finta di non vedere, far finta di non sapere che l’unico motivo per cui siamo al mondo e’ di migliorarlo, questo mondo.
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My Erdös Number is 5.

Erdös numbers have been a part of the folklore of mathematicians throughout the world for many years.
Essentially, the Erdos Number Project studies research collaboration among mathematicians.

If you are curious about your Erdos number, you can compute it.
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http://www.repubblica.it/news/ired/ultimora/rep_nazionale_n_522461.html

“L’assemblea generale delle Nazioni Unite ha adottato una risoluzione di condanna dell’embargo deciso dagli Stati Uniti contro Cuba. E’ il dodicesimo anno consecutivo che l’Onu adotta questa risoluzione.”

Faccio una previsione, l’anno prossimo sara’ il tredicesimo.