You Can Now Ask Google to Forget You!

Tech blogs practically blew up last week, as the highest EU court ruled that ordinary people have a ‘right to be forgotten’ on Google. What could this mean going forward?

Google Rankings and Online Reputation

Oliver Rawlings blog readers, whether you like it or not, until this moment you haven’t really had too much control over what showed for your name on Google. If you did something stupid years ago and somebody wrote about it, it would be up there, and unless it was defamatory, there wasn’t much you could do to get rid of it.

Naturally, this made a lot of people angry, as silly mistakes that they had long left behind came back  to haunt them in later life, often stopping them from getting jobs, securing business etc. This could now be a thing of the past, at least in the EU, thanks to the case that established the ‘right to be forgotten.’

The Case That Established the ‘Right to be Forgotten’

The case itself was lodged by a Spanish citizen who asserted that an auction notice on his repossessed home that featured on Google invaded his privacy. He said that a search for his name brought up newspaper articles of the auction from 16 years ago that were outdated and no longer relevant.

From there, the case pitted the Spanish mans right to privacy against Google’s legendary endorsement of blanket freedom of speech. It went all the way to the highest EU court, The European Union Court of Justice.

Google lost. In its ruling, the court found that Google must remove search results when specifically asked to by ordinary people, in cases where it is “outdated” or “irrelevant.” The exceptions lie in the concept of public interest, so an active politician, for example, would not be eligible, because the public has an interest in their prior conduct.

The Removal Exodus Has Begun

The ramifications of this ruling are already hitting home. The BBC reported that it had found that one ex politician has already lodged removal requests. Going forward at the moment, it means that you can use the normal Google Removal tool to request the search engine take down data falling under the rulings remit.

We have no idea how this is going to play out yet, but one thing is clear. As far as the EU goes, the days of absolute Google rule are coming to an end!

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Is Reality TV Dying?

Look at the ratings for reality TV Shows lately. They’re a mess; they’re certainly not drawing in the hordes of viewers that they use to. As someone who finds media trends fascinating, I wanted to explore this week whether reality TV is dying a slow painful death.

Reality TV is a loose label for the media genre. What generally tends to happen is that the show chronicles the life of real people as they have constructed roadblocks thrown into their path. So why did it grow to be so popular in the first place?

The Rise of a Juggernaut

The late 90’s saw a creativity vacuum in the media industry that resulted in the birth of reality based programming. We started off with flagship shows like Big Brother, Pop Idol and The X Factor, which drew in millions every week.

In my opinion these shows worked because we believed in the struggles of what people were going through. When Leona won the X Factor, we believed that she’d worked to earn the title and when Nadia became the first transgender woman to clinch the Big Brother crow, we felt a though we’d helped both her and society at large to embrace tolerance and diversity.

That was the whole idea of the genre; it showcased ordinary people and we watched how their lives changed forever. We identified with these people because of their humanity. We got to know them and we cared about them.

A Lack of Humanity

However as the decade wore on, we got a stiff introduction to the next generation of reality show. These are shows in the Jersey Shore mould; Towie, Made in Chelsea, Gordie Shore (gag!) etc.

Suddenly, we weren’t watching people we could identify with work towards a dream or travel the road to self-realisation. We were watching privileged brats drink their lives away. We couldn’t identify with these people and stopped believing in their innate humanity. We stopped caring.

Oliver Rawlings readers, reality TV is dying and that is because we have stopped caring about and identifying with who we are watching. Even the people we once identified with have been changed by fame. We no longer see ourselves in them as they stumble out of Funky Buddha at three in the morning. It’s not reality anymore.

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Top Five Part Hotspots for summer 2014

With the weather finally heating up, we’re all getting ready to jet off for some fun in the sun and if you’re clueless about where to party this year, I suggest you check out my top five party hotspots for summer 2014!

You’re young, you’re a professional, you’ve got a tonne of expendable cash and you’d kill for a good night out. You’re sick and tired of the British club scene and you want a chance to indulge in some banging beats away from the home stead.

Lucky for you, summer is the perfect time to rock until the break of dawn, as tourist hotspots everywhere gear up to provide you with the party of the century. If you’re spoilt for choice, which party’s right for you?

1)   Ibiza: The veritable party capital of the world, this birthplace of the modern dance scene is a staple with revellers from all four corners of the world. A regular home to DJs, singers, bands etc. Ibiza famous superclubs such as Pacha, Space, Privilege and Ibiza Rocks give you the chance to bounce along to cool trance beats until the break of dawn.

2)      Goa: Famous as a haven for those of you out there into the rave scene, Goa may have enacted stricter laws on dance bars last year, but don’t be fooled, it’s still a major draw for the international party set. The world leader in silent discos, this centre of free love is the perfect place to party ‘til to you drop this summer!

3)      Mykonos: An idyllic Greek Island sat in the heart of the Mediterranean, Mykonos comes alive in the summer months, particularly in August, as Europe shuts down and gets ready to rock! Called the Ibiza of the Greek islands, Mykonos is a dream – all sun soaked skylines, sleek modern clubs and raves that rock from midday to midday! If you want to catch the world’s best DJ’s make sure you check out the Paradise club!

4)     New Orleans: If you’ve got a little extra cash, you might want to fork out for a trip to New Orleans – you won’t be disappointed. A city famous for its rich culture tapestry and anything goes attitude, its home to the party to end all parties – Mardi Gras. This week of sheer hedonism is reason alone to head over to the Louisiana city this summer!

5)     Amsterdam: Amsterdam has long been touted as the world’s coolest city, and it’s a reputation that’s truly deserved. A short trip by ferry or plane can see you partying hard in the city’s infamous Rembrandtplein party district, and in Amsterdam, it literally never stops as the city is known for its 24 hour bashes!

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Mrs Doubtfire 2: It’s Happening!

Films buffs everywhere cheered last week as it was announced that classic Robin Williams fronted comedy Mrs Doubtfire is headed for a sequel. Why did we love the first film as much as we did and can we expect from this belated second instalment?

A 90’s Classic

Any kid growing up in the 90’s saw Mrs Doubtfire at some point in their young lives, it was practically mandatory viewing for the post Generation X set, and the light mix of comedy and heart inspired kids everywhere to learn that their parents are people too, a valuable lesson to remember through your mixed up teenage years.

Mrs Doubtfire tells the story of San Francisco based, recently unemployed voice actor and devoted father Daniel (Williams), whose wife Miranda (Sally Field) asks for a divorce due to his irresponsible and immature nature.

She won’t let him watch his own kids, but when he learns that Miranda plans to hire a housekeeper to do the job, he has a spark of inspiration. He adopts the drag persona of Mrs Euphegenia Doubtfire, and takes the job. What follows is a hilariously touching tale of a fathers struggle to prove himself to his ex and his children.

So why do 90’s kids everywhere love Mrs Doubtfire? I can think of several reasons…

· Drag: Robin Williams in drag as a Scottish nanny is simply too funny for words!

· Sally Field: An accomplished actress, Field brings a sense of gravitas to a story that might otherwise have been too rooted in its comedic nature.

· Real Life: Drag aside, this is a tale that a lot of children growing up in the 90’s could relate to. After all, two in three couples divorce now and many of their families struggle to deal with the aftermath.

· Cutting Edge: It’s was actually ahead of it’s time for Hollywood – the idea of a straight man in drag was pretty unheard of in this market before Doubtfire, and it hit home with a new, more tolerant generation.

The Curse of the Sequel

So is the second instalment of the classic comedy going to work, Oliver Rawlings readers? There is the curse of the sequel to contend with, but I think it could work, and here’s why.

It’s being directed by legendary Harry Potter director Christopher Columbus, who will no doubt bring his A-game to the film and it is so long after the first film came out, that the market hasn’t been saturated. People are ready for Euphegenia once again!

It’s a while until Mrs Doubtfire 2 is set to hit cinema screens – it’s not even in production yet, but I’ll be waiting anxiously to see whether the second film will be just as beloved as it’s legendary predecessor.

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The Rise of Wearable Technology

As a major tech buff, there are few trends that excite me as much as the wearable tech trend that has gripped the market over the past year or so. How might this trend play out and what could it mean for the future of smart devices?

A few years ago, I’m sure you were all like me, Oliver Rawlings readers. I was simply amazed at how quickly smartphone technology was moving, how it seemed to be diversifying every day. Suddenly you could bank with your phone, you could online date with it, you could even use it to get a (somewhat) accurate weather report.

What a difference a few years makes. Smartphones are only barely a decade old and suddenly we’re all talking about wearable tech. If you’re still stuck in the IPhone age, let me break it down for you.

Wearable tech is exactly that; smart technology that acts as a piece of clothing. Commonly we see it with the Google glass, a pair of glasses frames with ‘smart’ capabilities that you can wear as you would wear real glasses. We also see it with the new smart watches which perform similar functions.

So what are we dealing with here? Well, we’re really dealing with wearable smart technology. They perform the same functions as a smartphone and have the added advantage that they are more convenient, as they are on the body, as opposed to in your pocket.

But there are kinks still to work out. Namely, people aren’t out buying Google glass in droves yet, and experts are now partly putting this down to design. That’s why plans are currently underway to produce a version of the technology with Ray Ban.

So how might this trend play out? In the short term, it could go one of two ways and it depends entirely on the consumer. Wearable tech could remain the domain of tech buffs and millionaires. However, if it is marketed and delivered in the same way that smartphones were, wearable tech could become every bit as pervasive in society as the phone that changed communication forever.

In the long term, it’s clear that exactly this will happen. It’s actually something we see fairly often with technology; CD’s replaced cassettes, which were in turn replaced by downloads etc. It’s very much a natural progression.

It says something larger about the world in which we live. The tech age has blossomed, there’s no going back. Wearable tech is yet another sign that technology is our future. 

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The Ukraine… Is it Really Over?

Anybody who’s been keeping tabs on the situation in the Ukraine at the moment will have noticed that things have finally come to a standstill. What does this mean for the future of the country considering its larger problems?

Over the course of the weekend it seems that the leaders of the Ukraine have finally come to an accord. The president was kicked out, the protesters have stopped marching and elections have been called for May.

It would seem that the situation has finally settled. However Oliver Rawlings readers I would argue that this is part of recurring problems that elections aren’t going to solve.

Ukraine has been in this position before, multiple times. I would argue that in order to solve the problem for good we need to go deeper than just calling for another election. We need to look at the basic cultural divide that haunts the Ukraine and has done for decades.

The Ukraine for a long time was either under direct Russian control or a client state of the much larger nation. Indeed for most of its life it was either a part of the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union. However the west of the Ukraine has been, at other points in its history, Polish, Austrian, Hungarian etc.

This means that there’s a basic cultural divide in the country, indeed this divide is what led to the clash in the first place. The protests were sparked by the Russian friendly government after they turned down a trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Putin’s autocracy.

This is what sparked the riots. People in the East rely on Russia and when they threatened to pull away trade, the government had to protect their interests. However the people in the west of the Ukraine were hoping that EU trade deals would bring living standards more in line with those enjoyed in the west.

This is a problem that runs deeper. What will happen in May is that the Ukraine will most likely elect a EU friendly government, then things will be quiet for a time before they make a decision that’s unpopular with the other half of the country. The merry-go round goes round and round as it were.

The nation needs to address this cultural divide if it ever hopes to survive. Should it even survive?  I’m guessing that this may be a question those in the Ukraine ask themselves in the coming days and months.

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The Internet Block: Was There Even Any Point?

The British government put a new scheme blocking certain websites from being accessed into place which officially began on 1^st January 2014. A month later and people are already up in arms about what this ban is doing to their right to surf the net. With this in mind we ask was there any point in the first place?

Have you encountered this ban Oliver Rawlings readers? The chances are that you will; the funny thing is that unless you’re a regular viewer of illicit websites (not judging if you do) then you shouldn’t have.

So this brings up the question, if you don’t view these websites then why are you coming up to banned webpages. It was never meant to actually be this way; however it looks like the people who have carried out this policy have made some mistakes.

The policy was brought in by the coalition government to curb access to porn. Basically Cameron introduced legislation that required internet providers to block porn and other controversial websites. However there’s more to the policy.

Naturally the ban was put in place to protect children; they’re too young to legally be viewing such content anyway. However many have argued that it’s a sort of shaming device. This is because you have to contact the internet provider to have the ban removed.

However it’s had unintended consequences. This ban was only supposed to effect websites with content viewed as a risk. However ever since the ban has been put into place, it has effected a whole host of websites that nobody could ever consider harmful.

It’s blocked access to harmless sites such as the BBC and there’s another unintended consequence. It’s blocking access to sites that provide help and education such as sex education websites and LGBT rights websites.

It’s clear to see how this has happened; these types of sites, whilst not gratuitous, do have content that is in some way linked to adult issues. However it’s clear that there are people out there who need access to these types of websites to get the type of information they need to make sure they stay safe.

So in this way the ban hasn’t worked. Would it ever have done really? I can see where David Cameron was coming from; however blocking these sites is a violation of freedom of speech, even if it is a somewhat minimal one. Should we ever be encouraging a restriction to freedom of speech in a democratic society?

So Oliver Rawlings readers it’s not a question I’ve got an answer to. What is clear is that the current system definitely isn’t working and it needs to be reformed. Only time will tell where it all goes from here. 

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