Growing Pains

One of the things I like about running your own business is that you are your own boss. Success of your business depends entirely on your decisions or lack thereof. One of my computer shop’s first major project was the LAN installation of UPLB Foundation, Inc. (UPLBFI). Back then, I have been repairing computers for various offices at UPLB and when I worked on one of the PCs at UPLBFI, the current Director confessed that they were trying to network the computers but were not successful. They bought the materials, albeit some of them are redundant and unusable so I guessed that they really have not much experience in networking. My shop was just starting out but I have the reputation of getting things done. My brother was a computer engineer (a system administrator, actually) at a top government IT institution and he helped me out and showed me the ropes in networking. UPLBFI had to buy a couple of lan cards and another box of cables since we decided to install their switch in a different location. They were impressed with our speedy work which included a general orientation/training of all the staff on network security and resources sharing. The Director later asked me if we could computerize the UPLBFI accounting system. His term as Director was nearly over and he wanted to leave this as legacy for the succeeding Director. Furthermore, this would ease up the workload of the staff who are still manually processing most of the transactions / encodings. We met a couple of times with their accounting consultant to draw up a flowchart of their system and determine the extent of the work to be done. When we have ascertained the work load and estimated the programming costs, we came up with a fair figure. Honestly, my brother said that we are charging very cheap since he has a team of programmers way back and he has an idea on how much customized programs generally cost. The Director invited me upstairs (rooftop actually) and offered me refreshments, pizza, drinks, etc… I knew then that we’re going to talk about the deal. After eating a bit, he talked seriously about the computerization project. He said our price was high, he can only offer about 25% of what we were asking. I knew first hand that what he’s offering does not even begin to cover the programming cost. He was really haggling to the hilt. I said that it was impossible to do the work with only that much compensation. He argued that UPLBFI is the 2nd largest (or was it richest) foundation in the Philippines. And our work would increase my business reputation tremendously since I was just starting out without a name to speak of. I said I can’t afford to work on charity yet and know for a fact that they have budget allocation for the computerization
project.

I was wondering then, “Bakit ako nito kinukuripot?”

I attended one of their staff celebrations a few days back because they have received another
management project that would pour in 10% commission from a multi million peso project at BIOTECH. With some insights on the nature of the work that we’re about to do for them, I have a general idea of how much money the Foundation was making. I did not reveal any of that knowledge to anybody but I talked frankly because I could not understand why the Director was driving me a hard bargain. Apparently, he was talking to another company based in Manila and both of us have more or less the same asking price. He said that this company has a bit more experience and assured him that they can do the job. I countered that I have a pool of programmers who are also experienced in this kind of thing and I am merely the channel for this project. To cut the long story short, I did not get the contract. Well, I’ve learned these important lessons:

1. Don’t be overoptimistic about an upcoming deal because you can’t possibly keep all the bases covered. There are circumstances beyond one’s control that can foil even the most carefully laid plan.

2. Know your worth and don’t sell yourself short.

3. Free services given will lead to expectations for more free services. (I made a mistake of repairing some PCs without charging, hoping to be seen more favorably for more contracts).

4. Experience is still the best teacher and lack of experience can be disastrous, BUT the biggest
mistake of all is to avoid situations in which you might make a mistake. But then you can't learn fly if you don't have the nerve to jump off your nest.

There may have been other lessons that I have unconsciously gained from my first years in the
business. I know those experiences have influenced my decisions in the past and will still help me make better decisions in the future. Failures will always be a part in any business, but if you look at it in another way, no man really fails if he does his best.

Know your Eggs...

“When you start with a portrait and try to find pure form by abstracting more and more, you must end up with an egg.” - Picasso

According to Merriam-Webster, eggs are the hard-shelled reproductive bodies produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken. In the biological sense, eggs can take on a variety of meanings, from female gametes to fish, reptile, bird, mammal reproductive structures. In any case, all the appearing egg terms will mostly refer to chicken eggs. Chicken eggs are great sources of protein, minerals and other vitamins like A, B, E and D. The Department of Health launched an advertisement campaign, "An egg a day is okay!" and can be seen in tarpaulin streamers in public markets and clinics. I learned later that similar campaigns were in effect in US and other European countries.

Egg and your Cholesterol

We have always been told, even by our doctors, not to eat too many eggs, because it contains a lot of cholesterol and may end up clogging out arteries. This is partially true because each egg has an average of 213 mg of cholesterol and 5 g of mostly saturated fat. Therefore, cutting on the intake of eggs, say only once or twice a week will reduce blood cholesterol. Such common knowledge was proven false, just recently, by a team of Harvard researchers. Studying more than 115,000 men and women, they found out that "healthy people can eat an egg a day without raising their cholesterol to harmful levels. This study suggests that dietary cholesterol isn't bound to blood cholesterol. Frank Hu, a Harvard researcher, noted that dietary recommendations to prevent heart disease should concentrate less on cholesterol and total fat intake and more on reducing intake of saturated and trans-unsaturated fats. I would guess fast foods and junk foods are on the hot list!

Egg Storage

According to US surveys, the chance of getting contaminated eggs is 1:20,000. There are no reports however, in our country, but basing on the number of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with contaminated egg products, I believe the chances are higher. Eggs can be contaminated by various Salmonella sp., the most common being S. enteritidis. Normally, contamination can be prevented by good housekeeping in poultries of egg producers. But, even careful disinfection and washing of raw eggs will not totally eliminate the chances of contamination.

Eggs should always be kept in the coolest part of the refrigerator. Egg experts say that 1 day at room temperature is equal to a week in the refrigerator. I can also suggest to store the eggs in their own cartons and not on the door where the usual egg trays are located. The reasons for this are: (1) the eggs are kept in a more constant cold temperature, and (2) the cartons prevent the eggs from acquiring off-odors from strong smelly foods in the ref like cabbage and onions.

Eggs should always be stored with the pointed end up. The large end of the egg which usually contains the air space, when placed down, prevents the yolk from touching the shell of the egg. The yolk will be relatively in the center of the egg protected by the porous shell, the egg membrane and the white albumen. Normally, a newly laid egg would not have an air space, but as time goes by, the egg becomes dehydrated and an air space forms on the large end of the egg. Storing it large end down will also help reduce egg shrinkage.

Eggs and the Melamine Scare

In October 2008, the news of contaminated products from Northern China escalated from milk to other food products. A popular crackers company in the Philippines found out that their products contained melamine. This means that the eggs or the milk products used were contaminated. Investigations revealed that the chickens were apparently fed with melamine contaminated feeds. One can only surmise if the contamination was intentional or accidental. In a poultry farm, it is very important to closely monitor not just the chickens themselves, but the feeds, the cages and the poultry farm management as well. Our country is slave to Chinese products nowadays. From toothpicks to computers, all are made from China. Our government has not the capabilities, and more importantly the will, to monitor the quality of these imported products. I sure hope this melamine scare is over but I wouldn't bet my money on it.

Egg on Every Child's Plate

Chicken egg is at the 6th place of commonly eaten food by Filipino children according to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI). It's the number 1 "ulam" since the other five are rice, coconut oil, milk, white sugar, milk and brown sugar. Small wonder since it's relatively cheap and nutritious. Preparing eggs, however, for family consumption should not be taken lightly. Eggs shouldn't be given to babies less than 1 yr old as this would increase the likelihood of developing food allergies. Some pediatricians say that yolks can be given as early as 8 months old but since the allergens are mostly in the egg whites, these should be given later. Recent studies are slowly showing evidence that we can give eggs even to 4-month old babies. But, as a parent, would you take that chance?

Eggs and Cooking Time

Eggs can be cooked in a number of ways. Some say that the pleats of the chef's hat correspond to the number of preparations you can make with an egg. Whether hardboiled, sunny side-up, poached or scrambled, eggs should always be cooked thoroughly. No runny whites and the yolk should be at least viscous if not hard. The whole egg coagulates between 144 and 158°F and FDA recommends a minimum of 15 sec at 145°F for eggs for immediate consumption. Normally, almost all harmful bacteria are immediately destroyed at 144°F, but improper cooking and storage can result to eggs unsafe to eat.

Fresh eggs are likely to have more intact membrane and thus are more difficult to peel when hard boiled. The shells of older eggs are easier to peel. So, remember that when complaining about getting pockmarked peeled eggs.

As for cooked eggs with still liquid yolks (i.e. sunny side up or poached), these should be consumed within 2 hours. More time would allow for both contamination and bacterial growth. This is a wake up call for parents giving their children, eggs as part of their packed lunch for school. Even only a few cells of Salmonella can cause foodborne illness. Let us recall the 112 elementary students who got sick by eating egg sandwich at the school cafeteria in Tondo.

On Choosing Eggs

So how would you know if the eggs you are choosing are any good? Placing an egg against a strong light would reveal its freshness. The white should appear translucent and the yolk should be clearly defined. Not so fresh eggs will appear cloudy and stale eggs will have a dark cloudlike part near a portion of the shell. Of course, I don't advise you to bring your Mag-Lites inside the supermarket.You will decidedly look suspicious taking a sneak peak at those eggs looking for cloudy areas.

Another option is to put them in a saturated salt solution. One tablespoon salt, one quart water. Fresh eggs will sink and more than 6 day old eggs will float. Stale eggs will go high up and may ride high on the briny surface. As mentioned earlier, fresh eggs have little air space. Of course, putting egg after egg on a glassful of salty water may also attract trouble in the grocery store.

What else? You can also shake the egg gently near your ear. If a gurgle or a gentle thud is heard, congratulations, you just broke the yolk. Just kidding! It means that the egg is stale.

But for me, the best way is to look for the expiration date. Estimate your egg needs and don't buy too much eggs. Fresh eggs are always the best.

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

There are three possible answers for this one:

1. The chicken

2. The egg

3. Both at the same time.

Evolution states that chicken did not originally came from a chicken egg. The chicken, essentially all birds, evolved from reptiles. Notice the similarity in the presence of scales and egg laying habits? One theory suggests that a bird ancestor (that is not a chicken) gradually evolved to produce a chicken egg. When that egg hatched, it produced a chicken that layed more eggs to produce more chicken. In this case, the egg came first because the bird that layed that first chicken egg was not a chicken, but a bird ancestor of that chicken.

Genesis 1:21 from the Bible stated:

"So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."

It didn't say that God created eggs from which these birds came from. This means that there were no chicken ancestor in the first place, thus the chicken came first. It can also be argued, that if only an egg laid by a chicken can be considered as a chicken egg, then the first chicken (which hatched from a non-chicken egg) laid the first chicken egg! Therefore, the chicken came first before the egg. Not only a mind-twister but a tongue-twister as well.

So what is the correct answer? Maybe it's harder to figure out than I thought it would be. This mind-warping chicken-egg thing would be a good point of debate, though I doubt any side would get all the points. Maybe it's a matter of opinion.

A similar dilemma faces our new graduates. They have a hard time getting jobs because they lack experience. How could they get experience if nobody is hiring them? Wish I had paid more attention to my logic / philosophy classes.

Some references and useful sites below:

http://www.incredibleegg.org

http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keywortd/egg

http://chicken-or-egg.3wpages.com

http://pinoyfranchising.blogspot.com/2006/09/franchising-chicken-egg-production

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Egg

http://bible.cc/genesis/1-21

http://www.quotes.ubr.com/quotes-alphabetical/e-quotes/egg-quotes

http://www.eggsafety.org/f_a_q.htm#8

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/eggs

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/18974/philippines-to-import-poultry-products-to-meet-demand

http://www.eggs.ab.ca/about/handling

http://www.topnews.in/health/melamine-discovered-chinese-eggs-authorities-make-first-arrest-25036

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080925-162897/DoH-eyes-salmonella-in-Tondo-food-poisoning

http://www.ats.agr.gc.ca/ase/4670-eng

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egg

http://stronglifts.com/cholesterol-saturated-fat-how-many-eggs-daily

http://www.proceeded.org/Chicken_or_the_egg

Bathing or showering INCREASES bacterial count on your skin

If you think taking a bath everyday reduces the number of bacteria on your skin, then think again!

Let me explain.

The natural bacteria on your skin exist as microcolonies or small clumps of bacterial cells between 1,000 to 70,000 bacteria depending on the location of the skin. You will have relatively more bacteria in your armpits than in your forearm, for example. These microcolonies can also be found literally under your skin. That's why even though how hard we scrub our skin during bathing, even though the skin turns an angry red, there will still be bacteria there.

When you take a bath, you are actually spreading the microcolonies of bacteria on your skin. Given the fact that a lot of bacteria are washed away, there will still be a lot left on your skin. So even if the total number of bacteria on your skin decreases, the number of bacteria per square area of the skin increases. In fact, if you can borrow the eyes of Superman with his microscopic vision, you can see that the number of bacteria per square inch of your skin is higher than before you took a bath. Your skin also becomes a bit dryer than before causing your skin to flake off. Each of these flaking skin scales contain millions of bacteria. Eventually, after a period of about 24 hours, your skin bacteria would resume its normal number and distribution.This piece of information is important most specially to the pharmaceutical industry, electronics manufacturing and operating rooms in hospitals where bacteria and dust particles are kept at a minimum.

On the Use of Soap

Nowadays, there are lots of soaps to choose from. You should choose the soap that agrees with your skin. Some soaps are too alkaline that render your skin too dry. You can remedy that by applying lotion after taking a bath. Each of those squamous cells sloughing off reveals even more bacteria underneath your skin. And those skin scales you continuously shed off gradually result to the entire replacement of your outer skin every 27 days! Guess how much skin cells you lose every year on the average? 1.5 pounds! Ewwww... Still you have to take a bath regularly to reduce the microcolonies and the oil that feeds the bacteria. Otherwise, they would multiply and produce those offensive odors (in some cultures, that smell doesn't bother them) and toxins that affect your skin cells (e.g pimples).

And don't be so grossed out not to wash your hands properly. Remember to use soap and sing two happy birthdays while washing your hands. Washing with water alone won't take away the oils on your skin and you'll use up 2 gallons of free flowing water just to see some reduction in bacterial count. Incidentally, why two happy birthdays? Unless you sing faster than Alvin the Chipmunk, the 2 Happy Birthdays would give you a minimum of 20 second handwashing. That's the standard set by the CDC to effectively reduce the number of bacteria on your hands.

But which soap? You don't have to use antibacterial soap all the time. I really would like to comment on a very popular soap that starts with the letter S. If you use the same soap continuously, your skin bacteria are likely to develop resistance to that disinfectant. That's why even pharmaceutical companies and hospitals cycle their soaps and disinfectants used for cleaning (or do they?). I believe that the available soap nowadays are effective only due to mechanical action and not by virtue of its "disinfectant" properties. In order for your soap to "effectively" reduce skin bacteria, you have to leave the soap for longer than a minute or maybe even a few minutes. But who washes their hands that long?

On Hand Drying

Drying your hands right after you wash is also important. The worst way to dry your hands is to use hot air hand dryer. Using this method produces more skin scales and consequently, the number of bacteria in your hands also increase by as much as 117%. You can use cloth towel but make sure that it is clean or freshly laundered. Using your hand towel over and over again for a couple of days will definitely allow bacteria to breed on the cloth. The best way is to use disposable paper towels to dry your skin. It results to about 24% reduction of bacteria. And don't forget to turn off the faucet using the paper towel, not with your bare hands. There is the concern of environmental pollution though. Oh well, you can't think of everything.

So, to wrap up:

Should you still take a bath even if the number of bacteria in your skin increases or keeps coming back? YES.

Is it necessary to use soap while handwashing? YES.

Is it necessary to always use antimicrobial soap? NO

What is the best way to dry your hands after washing? PAPER TOWEL.

References:

Keith Redway & Shameem Fawdar. A comparative study of different hand drying methods: paper towel, warm air dryer, jet air dryer.University of Westminster. European Tissue Symposium (ETS), Brussels. Nov 2008.

R. J. Holt. Aerobic Bacterial Counts On Human Skin After Bathing. J. Med. Microbiol., Aug 1971; 4: 319 - 327.

Word Health Organization. Global Handwashing Day 2008: Planner's Guide.

http://www.cdc.gov/cleanhands/

Breaking News: FARMVILLE HIT BY A METEOR!

I bet you haven't seen this one yet. One of the rare occurrences in the FarmVille game. Approximately, 1 in 75 million is affected. *joke. For me, it all started with a simple question.

"Ano nga 'yung game na yun?" (What was that game?)

"The one with the nice tune?"

"Oh, that's FarmVille," my brother said.

I've been seeing Farmville played in a lot of computers and laptops lately. From the "tambay kids" at the local internet cafe, to the nurses at the hospital, to the teachers at the faculty room.

I decided to look and see for myself what the fuss was all about. FarmVille, developed by Zynga has attracted over 73.8 million users worldwide just 6 months after it was released. Philippines is ranked 3rd as the most number of users. The first is USA followed by Turkey. I bet in a few more months, the number of users will be more than the population of the Philippines (approx 92 milliion). As of today, Feb. 1, the number of monthly FarmVille users is a whopping 75,778,293.

At Farmville, you start out with 6 plots where you can plant and harvest a lot of crops. As you plant and harvest, you gain game cash and XP points for leveling up. As your level increase, so does the range of seeds you can plant. You can invite more friends and help out in their farms by fertilizing their crops, shooing away those pesky birds, giving away farm gifts, etc...

Probably one of the best feature of the game is the ability to manipulate and decorate your farm. From hundreds of assorted farm elements you can spell out your name, create your dream mansion, dream farm, or even your own version of "Golden Acres" when you grow old. Some users take it to the limits by imitating Mona Lisa and creating their own personal artworks. Because of all the complexities due to the variety of choices in the game, a couple of fans decided to create a Google spreadsheet for FarmVille. Here's to you all addicts:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=rrFQP5AOGa4yUZCL-1VLUyg&gid=7

So why this interest in farming? Maybe its a way for people to escape reality. Imagine yourself sinking your hands in garden soil, planting the seeds, watching it grow and make money out of it. And you can do it without dirtying your hands too. Who doesn't want to garden anyway? Well, everybody I know loves to garden and this maybe the reason why FarmVille is so popular. BUT, for any addicting game, there should always be moderation. Manage your time wisely. Don't spend too much money at computer cafes if you don't have a computer/internet at home. Don't be like me. From level 1 to level 50 in less than a month. Ha ha ha.

All I can say is FarmVille is firmly planted in our computers and I can't wait to see what Zynga's up to next.

The Cell Phone [R]Evolution

“Mobile phone is the single most transformative technology for development.”

-Prof. Jefrey Sachs, the Director of Earth Institute, Columbia University

Communication is an indispensable part of living.Technology on the other hand made it more accessible and available by producing a tangible device—the mobile phone. The mobile phone evolved from merely a communication piece to a camera, music player, alarmclock, pocket computer, and web browser all at the same time. Mobile phones make the digital divide look like digital multiplication. According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2007 survey, 58.8% of Filipinos are mobile phone subscribers. Factoring out the small children and extremely aged, that leaves out almost every adult and teenager having at least 1 cell phone. Wherever I go, I see people using cell phones; inside the jeep, on the bus, walking at the mall, park. Practically everywhere. Heck, they even use it inside the CR. They hold it first thing in the morning, even before their toothbrush. Some surveys also suggest that young people would rather be deprived of television and radio rather than their mobile phones. New kinds of social interactions that were, hitherto, impossible are now possible due to texting. A level of communication that was the property of the Western elite 25 years ago evolved and taken a foothold (stranglehold, actually) in every country, especially in ours.

I myself cannot view a world now without the cell phone. We have become so dependent on it that many of our daily activities revolve around it. When it was first introduced in the US, cell phones were rare, bulky and expensive, about $2,000 per unit. Two and a half decades later, everybody has it. Not only one, but maybe 2 or more! It comes in all shapes and sizes. From cute streamlined gadgets to wafer thin sizes. The units also became very cheap, a lot of 2nd hand phones allow a common laborer the use of the more advanced models. Reloading stations and repair stalls are appearing left and right and have become the primary source of income of the “sari sari store sa kanto.”

I may be overestimating the functional impact of cell phones but who can tell what will happen in the future? Maybe I’m still underestimating it. The next step might be video phones that are as cheap as text. Instead of texting, maybe you’ll just call and see your husband at work in the office or see your wife buying stuff for you at the mall. A few years from now, you may even not need to go to the mall or grocery. Your in-house system can detect all your low supplies and needs, and log into the internet to buy them for you. I was amazed by the new Samsung ref that is connected to the internet. It actually detects if you don’t have stuff in your ref anymore like eggs. It will automatically buy from a local grocery store and have it delivered on your doorstep – without you even knowing that you are low on eggs.

The future of cell phones promises many things, but I am worried of the unstated negative impacts of this new technology. Radiation during cell phone usage was a craze during the early years but was proved unfounded since the amount of radiation emitted by the phone is much lower than the standards set by the FAA for human tolerance. Cell phones have also been implicated for the cause of numerous accidents. People can’t seem to accept that cell phones and driving do not mix well. But all technology is only as good as the person using it. Cell phones are revolutionizing our social structure and inexorably influence the way we do business. I believe that cell phones and broadband Internet connection are the most important factors that drive our economy today. And in the future, cell phones may be all that we need to transact businesses or pay for goods and services. G-cash of Globe and Smart Money, for example, has been gaining popularity. Launched in 2004, G-Cash has about 500,000 users then and have been transferring about US$ 100 million a month.3 In the future, cell phones can be used for NFC (Near Field Communication) transactions. Similar to the expressway tollways, cell phones can just be waved around near the sensors at the cashier for non-contact purchases of goods or services. Potentials for mobile payment and banking are high and I don’t see the use of that ubiquitous cell phone stopping there.

Admittedly, brand new cell phones are still expensive for the lower Filipino class but surprisingly these low-income, first-time buyers are demonstrating their willingness to purchase and use mobile phones! Since practically everybody owns or use a mobile phone, the potential market for sales or advertising is within easy reach. Furthermore, texting can be used to reinforce a sense of community by engaging people to interact on issues that affect their everyday lives. Even my 6 yr old son owns a phone and can use it for texting and calling. He even learned to text using his phone before he learned to write. I don’t really see it as pampering since he only uses it to communicate with me and his mom even when we are at work. This is a classic example of the digital divide being bridged by the mobile phone. Everybody and practically anybody in the world is just a text away. Cultural, political and geographical and age boundaries become meaningless with mobile phones. The challenge is not only to use it effectively but morally and responsibly as well.

To Hack or not to Hack...

It was my birthday yesterday but since I currently have no work, my cash at hand is rather low. I was wondering what I wanted for my birthday? Something simple and useful. Something I can give to myself without the accompanying guilt of spending too much. Probably a massage, God knows I needed one. Then I was wo ndering how would it feel to be financially free? To have tons of money and spend it whichever way I want. I want to buy that P30M Porsche displayed at EDSA. Cool! People say money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery so much easier, he he.

There I was fantasizing about money… and then I recalled a few years back when I was so engrossed with computer software, internet, and computer games. That time, I have a client at my computer shop asking me if I have Windows 3.11 and if I could install it on his PC. I said I don’t have that OS anymore since it was “Jurassic”. That was my exact term.

“Why would you want to have that installed anyway?”, I said.

“We have Windows XP or 98 if you want.”

“I need Win 3.11 OS because that’s the only system where one of my programs work,” he replied.

And he added confidingly, “I have this credit card software that works only in Windows 3.11 and I use it to purchase some stuff.”

I was surprised and got very curious. I said I would try to make his PC work once more.

Unfortunately for him, his hard disk had crashed, that’s why it wouldn’t work.

“Too bad,” he said morosely. “That was my only copy of the software. I got it from a friend in the States.”

Right after he left, my insatiable curiosity got the better of me. Armed with just that incident, I roamed the internet and sought knowledge on credit card hacking. I have no intention of hacking credit cards, but I have heard a lot of this stuff from the news and thought I should educate myself on this. That’s one trait I have, I never stop until I get it if it’s possible. I used tools, I formulated strategies, reformulated them again when they didn’t work. Attack from a different angle. Eventually, I got a couple of programs that work in any Windows system. The credit card wizard can give you any number of cards you want. When I say any number, I mean even 100 Master cards, Visa Cards, Bank of America cards, etc… There must be dozens upon dozens of card types that I can choose from and generate any number I want. I was surprised on how easy it was. With a little persistence, I can even generate names, addresses, telephone numbers and US zip codes that are all valid and can be used to make a virtual persona. By this time, I’m about to wet my pants with excitement. I have been telling myself I won’t use the program. But I have to know if it would really work. Maybe the credit card companies have upgraded their systems. It’s foolish to think that just because I have the card generator, that it would work. I thought carefully on this. I don’t want the police in front of my computer shop arresting me for card fraud. What I did was select a pay per view movie website. They have new movies that you can download online and they are offering free membership for the first week, just enter your credit card number to verify that you have one and you’ll get free access for a week. If you don’t want to continue, just cancel your subscription before 7 days. I thought not much harm in this; I don’t plan on downloading anyway, just see if I can access. It’s also a good thing that my computer shop is not using static IP so I believed then I would be more difficult to track, just in case. With much trepidation, I created a fictitious account of a fictitious person somewhere in Arizona. I entered one of the numerous cards that I generated and presto, the very first one worked. I have access for a week. I immediately left the site, shaking. So that’s how somebody feels when they knowingly do something very wrong. The blood rush was genuinely addicting. I swore I would never do that again. I never gave the program to anybody, and I am no longer sure if it would work, knowing all the security checks implemented on credit cards nowadays.

The credit card firms and the vendor companies probably do not have the time nor resources to track down every purchase and if they tracked it to other countries, it would even be more time consuming and expensive. They block the cards and focus on the bigger aspects of their business. Small losses, small attention. Big losses, bigger attention. Focus on improving security, that’s probably what they’re thinking. Nevertheless, a hacker can generate more cards and they can be as tenacious and merciless as lematics (small leeches in Mt Makiling) if they put their mind into it.

The way I see it, you have to dip first into the water before offering advice on how to jump.Credit card hacking may give you fast and easy money. But the risk of being discovered and going to prison is also high. The oppressive weight of the deed will surely bear on the conscience of a morally ethical person. What motivates me now is an obligation to do what I believe is right and the assurance that my conscience would let me sleep at night. In the end, I reflected that the best birthday present I could give to myself is not just an indulgent massage but a clean conscience and a bright outlook for the future. Everything that we do in this life affects us and the seemingly harmless things that we leave behind are the things that could destroy us. -melchor, sept 2009

Microsoft Contributes to the Digital Divide: A Different View

Yes, I did not make a mistake in writing the title. Taking the devil’s advocate view, I believe Microsoft and many other major software companies may inadvertently promote the “digital divide”. I hear you say, “How on Earth did I come up with that idea?” Microsoft has been the powerhouse of major advancements in this Information Age. Majority of computer systems runs Microsoft OS and other software. Many IT companies are dependent on software that are programmed to run on Windows.

Unfortunately, the cost of licensing for Windows is very expensive here in the Philippines. When I had a computer shop, I purchased about 20 licenses of Windows OS and a couple of Microsoft Office CDs for my computers. I was afraid that the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and NBI would raid my shop. It was very expensive for me since at that time, the cost was about P8,500 per Windows XP. Office 2000 was about P12,000 each. The cost of licensed software was higher than the cost of the computer itself! And what’s more, I found out that Microsoft does not honor those legally purchased licenses because they should only be used for OEM or standalone computers;not those computers being used/rented by other people. A computer café has to apply to Microsoft and submit requirements like computer specs, number of PCs, etc.. to Microsoft Philippines. These will be entered in their database and you will have to pay annual dues on top of your licenses. If the hard disk or computer bogged down, your software license ends and you have to purchase another license for the new (or upgraded) PCs.

Complying with all the legal and ethical requirements of Microsoft is very difficult. Before I purchased the licenses, I tried using Linux systems. I learned how to install and operate various versions including Mandrake, RedHat, Xandros, Linspire, Ubuntu, BayanihanLinux, etc… Using BackOffice, StarOffice, and other free desktop publishers did not make my computer shop popular. True, these free software can do almost everything Windows can do, but the students and other clients are not so familiar with this and takes a longer time to finish their work. Since almost every client is familiar with Windows and MS Office, they would opt to go to a computer shop with those programs installed, licensed or not. And installing licensed software does not really guarantee customers and a successful business. There are more than 105 municipally registered computer shops in Los Baños alone and all of them are using Windows. Only a few PCs run Linux depending on some customer preference or requirement. And I would wager all my fingers that only a handful are 100% Microsoft compliant. Even Malacañang is not 100% compliant. How can you expect these small computer shops to spend so much for yet uncertain profit from their business?

Microsoft and BSA do not have the people nor the teeth to check all the computers in the Philippines. Basing on the experience of one LB computer café owner, BSA mostly rely on intimidation and official looking letters/mails. BSA and Microsoft partner up with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to raid computer shops/companies and truck all their computers away to the NBI Manila Office. The poor owner will of course be taken and fined. The confiscated PCs will not be returned unless a certain amount is paid (about 20,000 owner’s fine + about 10,000 per PC). If the computer café owner does not have the money, he’ll have to part with a few of his computer units in order to take back the remaining PCs. And then I asked, is NBI 100% Microsoft compliant? And wonder of wonders, of course they are! Their computers are also branded, Dell or IBM, etc… Hmm… pretty expensive, huh? Well, they are donations from Microsoft and other companies, after all… So that’s how.

On a different angle, Bill Gates is quite a rich man already. Couldn’t he lower the prices of the software so that everybody could afford it and not resort to piracy anymore? That was one argument that came up during one of the computer café owners meeting. Some argued that software piracy is rampant because the software were too expensive. Software developers argue back that many of their revenues are lost due to piracy, so they have to raise the price to offset those losses. It’s a vicious circle and nobody seems inclined to yield. Furthermore, the market price of Microsoft products is almost the same globally. Therefore, countries with higher GDPs can probably afford to become compliant than those local companies in countries with lower GDPs. The buying power of richer countries is higher than that of poorer countries. Since computers are indispensable in any country, logic follows that poorer countries have fewer resources to buy licenses and become compliant. I am trying to reason it all out and I believe that Microsoft can still get its expected revenues even if the price of their software is cheaper due to the fact that a lot more companies will be willing to become compliant. If I was a computer café owner and licensing would be only about P2,000 per PC, I would willingly add that expense to the cost of the PC. A few years ago, I have computed the GDP discrepancies in United States and in our country, and using a calculator found out that an average American buying a Windows license will spend only approx P500 equivalent in dollars. If Microsoft software is that cheap, would you still risk piracy and pay a stiff fine if you get caught?

Should software become cheap, piracy will still be there and would only be eradicated if everything was free; because by then you won’t have to pirate anything. I can’t see it happening though,since research and development does not come cheap. So in my opinion, Microsoft and other software companies are presenting an environment that is conducive for increasing the digital divide and piracy. I believe that lowering the cost of these software will promote an ethical setting with more software compliant companies.

One way that this can be started is by meeting with the government’s ICT department and drawing up a contract that would ensure very cheap cost of the software, e.g. Windows and MS Office. The government, on the other hand, would implement stricter policies on compliance and mobilize local authorities to enforce it since the software are now more affordable. Should the net income of the software companies yield lower revenues due to non-compliance or the ineffective enforcement, then they could always go back to where they were, i.e. high prices of software. I strongly suspect though that many companies, especially the small businesses, want to be compliant, they just couldn’t afford it.