Elliott Silverstein

The end of an era

2007-05-30T03:00:00Z

For anyone who ever had the opportunity to shop for music in Toronto, one of the landmarks for records (or tapes, or CD's) was Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street. Not too long ago, Yonge and Dundas was the centre of record sales, with Sam's, HMV and A&A Records all within walking distance and competing for your music dollar. In fact, rumour has it that the "late night record shop" mentioned in the Barenaked Ladies' smash hit Brian Wilson was actually Sam's flagship location.

When I heard the news today that Sam The Record Man was closing its flagship store once and for all, it signalled a death blow to the record shop as it once was in Canada. While many will chalk this up as "just another casualty" of the digital age, it is more than just that. At its peak Sam's was a national chain, and when you walked into the flagship store, it was wall-to-wall albums and memorabilia. All three floors were filled with the current hits, catalogue albums and hard to find imports regardless of your preferred genre. And to top it all off, the staff in each section were knowledgeable about music.

It was a Toronto tradition to line up on Boxing Day and stock up on CD's for as little as a dollar or two, and chat with fellow music fans. It's experiences like that you just can't get with digital downloads.

With the digital age, Sam's fell on hard times even though they attempted their own presence in the "clicks and mortar" world without much success. Several years ago, as a graduate student, I walked into the downtown Toronto store many times as they were liquidating, only for them to emerge from bankruptcy. Earlier this year they closed their store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and at that point I realized the end was near.

Even though the Internet makes it much easier (and quicker) to download music, I'm still old fashioned and prefer browsing through the racks of music, sifting through an artist's catalogue and the cover art. Again, these are things that you just can't replicate online.

The Globe and Mail reports that the store will close on June 30th, and I will definitely make a point to visit the landmark at least one more time, to kill an hour by browsing and buying (and probably pick up a copy of High Fidelity at the same time).

Does Facebook belong in the office?

2007-05-03T11:37:00Z

Last month, a story appeared in many of Sun Media's newspapers regarding the decision by several federal government departments to prohibit the use of Facebook in the office. While this story fell under the radar for the most part, a similar issue has just surfaced and it appears that the discussion is now taking centre stage.

Today's Toronto Star examines the Government of Ontario's decision earlier this week to ban Facebook from all government computers. That would include all members of the Ontario public service, and members of the legislative assembly as well.

When looking at the issue from both sides, it is clear that each side has valid arguments. The government does run on taxpayer dollars, and the expectation is and always should be that the public service is effectively serving the public during business hours.

Alternatively, Facebook is a completely different entity in that it attracts a younger demographic which could be beneficial for various government programs that reach out to that age group. A lack of access hinders the ability of government departments to use the social networking site to promote its programs. In addition, it is evident that younger Canadians are not deeply involved with politics or political issues. Sites like Facebook could be a potential driver to draw interest and awareness to issues and programs alike. Further, politicians who use Facebook to reach out to the youngest of their constituents should not be hindered, they should be applauded.

The Star article also mentions how MySpace, one of Facebook's rivals in the social media space, is still accessible to government staff. This surprises me as MySpace, and its allowance for users to design their own page, seems to "push the envelope" further with respect to appropriateness than Facebook. Moreover, it should be an "all or nothing" approach when it comes to access.

To me, the underlying factor here is trust. We are all hired to do our jobs based on the skills we have. If Facebook use during the day is becoming an issue, it should be addressed with the individual user/abuser rather than blanket the entire public service who may be using it for valid work related purposes. But it seems there are more questions than answers at this point. For example, when is Facebook being used by government employees? If it is primarily during lunch breaks, and for valid government work, I can't see what the problem is.

To me, I wonder if Facebook is to the new generation what the office telephone was to a previous one. Specifically, it was expected that personal calls would be kept to a minimum, sometimes even with a code of conduct to enforce it. That sort of approach might be the best one in the digital age. Perhaps employers need to set clear boundaries rather than ban sites outright. And at the same time, it's important that employees (in all sectors) use good judgment in how they spend their time online at the office.

Using Facebook to promote

2007-03-04T23:04:00Z

About two months ago, after much provoking I took the plunge and signed up for Facebook. In that time, it has been great to catch up with over 100 people I haven't seen from University and high school (and in some cases even elementary school). The opportunities for connecting via Facebook seems endless, and it is something that my colleague Ian Barr mentioned in a recent post. Of late, I've been amazed by the entrepreneurial spirit that seems to be emerging via the website.

There were two instances where I received e-mails promoting the opening of a new store, and a local event taking place in my area. But what I found interesting was that I hadn't "befriended" these people in person or virtually. Instead, here were two entrepreneurs essentially looking to expand their network by searching location and personal interests, and sending out emails based on it.

While some would classify it as a virtual annoyance, I found it somewhat refreshing. In one sense it was the ambition, along with taking a very local approach to their promotions which is something you don't always see online. But the most memorable line of one email, was the reminder to mention Facebook to get 20% off at the store.

As the mainstream interest around Facebook continues to grow at a rapid pace, it will be interesting to see how people/groups will market to local and/or niche markets.

Voting for the underdog

2007-01-05T04:47:00Z

It was only a matter of time before sports became the subject of a post. In a couple of weeks, the National Hockey League will be holding its annual All-Star Game in Dallas. What makes this year's event different from others is that the NHL introduced an online ballot, enabling fans to repeatedly vote for their favourite players from across the league.

While the top candidates for each position were crafted by the league, they also allowed for "write-in" candidates to be added. And it took very little time for message boards, blogs and websites to throw their support around an underdog. The result was a grassroots campaign to ensure Rory Fitzpatrick, a veteran NHLer with a modest scoring record, was named to the All-Star team.

VoteforRory.com quickly appeared, along with countless pages and groups on Myspace and Facebook. YouTube is home to several Rory Fitzpatrick videos, including some political type "attack ads" with the hope of increasing his popularity leading up to the January 2 deadline. By late December, Fitzpatrick was sitting second in his division with over 400,000 votes cast.

Critics like the CBC's Scott Morrison have been vocal, stating that fans have exploited a "flaw" with the NHL's voting system by casting ballots for someone who is "unworthy". Hockey Night in Canada's Don Cherry even shared his thoughts recently calling the support of Fitzpatrick a joke.

In this context, I disagree. First and foremost, this is a ballot for an All-Star game, not a general election. The process in place allows for multiple votes, and as such the results could be skewed by those who take the time to vote often. The intention was for fans to vote for who they wanted to see in the lineup. If the purpose was for only the "deserving" players who are having a good year to appear, then it defeats the purpose of the NHL allowing fans to select a write-in candidate.

The NHL will announce the roster for the All-Star Game in the coming days, and it will be interesting to see whether the campaign succeeded and if there is any fallout from it.

The culture of Boxing Day

2006-12-28T15:51:00Z

We're all familiar with the tales and nightmares of Christmas shopping, where parking is at a premium, malls and big box stores are packed tightly, and the top gifts of the season are in high demand and in low quantity.

In many parts of Canada, the Boxing Day (now Boxing Week) sales are often as frantic as the ones that precede the holidays. There are countless stories of people camping out and lining up overnight in frigid temperatures to try and get the best deals possible at department or electronics stores. I'm one of those people.

For almost a decade since Boxing Day was legalized in Ontario, I've ventured out in the middle of the night (usually between 2:00 and 4:00 am) with friends and lined up at the electronics store of choice for the year. With an extra large cup of coffee in hand and layers of clothing to stay warm, we brave the elements for hours before getting access to the store.

This year, we were fortunate to have warmer temperatures, but still waited three hours before the doors opened at 6:00 a.m., and were 49th and 50th in line. The CBC reported earlier this week that nearly six million Canadians would be taking part in the Boxing Day sales this year. In the article, the CBC referred to research that estimated the average Ontarian would spend approximately $414 this Boxing Day in the stores and online. I fell just shy of that number this year, but I witnessed many others spending considerably more than that.

Given that laptops, LCD televisions and other items were available for as little as just a couple of hundred dollars, the crowds were as civil as the lines were long. Even when the employees announced that the season's highly sought after gadgets from Sony and Nintendo would not be available, it didn't change the mood of those in line.

But most of all, there is something surreal about spending a few hundred dollars on electronics and being back in your car with purchases in hand before the sun even rises.

Are you too old for the Top 40?

2006-11-24T01:42:00Z

When it comes to music, everyone has their favourite artists and genres. For some it’s rock, and others it’s jazz. In some cases, you’ll meet people (myself included) who have eclectic tastes that span the musical spectrum, and a collection that will rival many radio stations.

But aside from that, I take pride in being a fountain of useless music information. Not too long ago, a colleague randomly walked by my desk asking me who sang the 80’s classic “Turning Japanese” (Answer: The Vapours). He was baffled. Not at my response necessarily, but at the speed in which I was able to answer this otherwise ridiculous question.

And that’s why when I came across an article not too long ago, I began to question my own musical credentials. The article, an AP story by David Bauder, talks about losing touch with today’s Top 40 music, with the belief that Top 40 radio is geared to 16 year olds. His theory; subtract one song from the Top 40 for every year you are over the age of 16, and that should represent the number of songs you should know in today’s Top 40 chart.

A quick visit to Billboard.com and their latest Hot 100 chart, and to my shock and horror, I only knew 17 songs. Powerless, I proceeded to Radio and Records, the charts immortalized by Casey Kasem and Shadoe Stevens for the American Top 40 as I grew up, and again only 17 songs.

To draw from the 80’s classic by Hall & Oates, am I “Out of Touch”, longing for the “Old Days” that Chicago so aptly sang about, or was U2 right and I’m “Stuck in a moment you can’t get out of”?

Oh, and I should mention, my score should have been 27.

Txt msg n society

2006-11-12T17:00:00Z

We're currently in the midst of the instant messaging generation. Millions of people are using their mobile phones, and programs like MSN and Yahoo! Messenger to text with their friends and family. There is no dispute that text messaging is a convenient tool in a social context.

But what about the future, and the potential for text messaging jargon to become part of day-to-day business communication? Is text messaging becoming so immersed in our society that for some the lol, brb and other abbreviations synonymous with texting are becoming part of our writing style?

Over the weekend, I came across a story from the Associated Press which details how high school students in New Zealand will be permitted to write in "text-speak" during their national exams. The story describes how students are encouraged not to write their responses in that manner, but if they do so, it will be interpreted as demonstrating their understanding of the question.

Once again, I have to question what the future holds. The old principle that bad writing habits would haunt people in the business world is effectively being challenged if students are permitted to use jargon/slang in the classroom. Ultimately, trends like this could lead to a generation of individuals being ill-prepared for the workforce, and the professional nature of business communication.

But who knows? Maybe one day, if someone combines their text messaging habits with business messaging, they may see the "lol" that they're used to replaced with "cul8r".

We've come a long way

2006-10-22T13:40:00Z

A recent visit to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission website provided some food for thought when it comes to how the Internet was predicted to impact Canadians versus how it really evolved into a part of our day-to-day lives. I came across some statistics they released from 1998/1999 on the new media in Canada.

Some of those stats included:

it is estimated that by 2001, approximately 40% of households will have access to the Internet (approximately 5 million households), double the number from 1998;
150 million people are connected to the Internet (half of which are in the US);
Canadians spend over 20 hours a month on-line, with 61% connecting at least seven times a week. The most common uses are e-mail (77%) and accessing information (71%).

When it comes to e-commerce alone, Canadians have accounted for nearly $3 billion in annual sales in recent years, and is just one example of the Internet's shift from being a series of alphanumberic sites.

Low brow humour to promote higher education?

2006-08-30T02:40:00Z

Lakehead University, a smaller University in Thunder Bay, Ontario has embarked on a very interesting and somewhat controversial campaign to attract students to their campus. With the launch of their Yale Shmale campaign, Lakehead has targeted U.S. President George W. Bush and his degree from Yale.

The decision by Lakehead to run with this unorthodox campaign has already attracted media attention. The National Post went as far as to label Lakehead as "Jughead University" in an editorial. The University's President has also stated that the University has no plans to pull the ads or web site.

Whatever happened to post-secondary institutions actually promoting the programs they offer, the faculty affiliated, and the opportunities for prospective students? Somehow that message seems to be lost in the shuffle. Even after entering the site, visitors are enticed by opportunities to win a car lease or a gaming device, rather than being introduced to what the University has to offer, making the academic component at Lakehead seem secondary.

What this whole exercise did do was get Lakehead noticed across North America. But do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages? Time will tell.

Comma Confusion

2006-08-13T02:25:00Z

Proofread everything. Double check your work. Check your punctuation and spelling. Year in and year out, teachers try to help students grasp these concepts as they prepare for “the real world”.

These steps are vital when conducting any form of business or communications, be it contracts, written submissions, and everything in between.

That’s why when I saw an article in The Globe and Mail this past week entitled “The $2-million comma”, I was immediately intrigued.

As it turns out, Rogers Communications Inc., one of Canada’s largest cable and telecommunications entities, is embroiled in a battle with Aliant Inc. over the interpretation of their five-year agreement in the Maritimes. Surprisingly, the conflict surrounds the inclusion of just one comma in the middle of a sentence. This additional comma, as interpreted by Aliant Inc., gives them the right end the agreement at any time provided one-year notice is given. Rogers’ interpretation is quite different, as they believe the agreement cannot be terminated within the first five years.

So what are the ramifications? The additional comma stands to cost Rogers Communications in excess of $2 million.

Reading this made me stop and wonder. In an ever demanding world, do we take the necessary precautions to ensure that we avoid being subjected to the same embarrassment?

You Get What You Pay For When Illegally Downloading

2006-06-28T10:15:00Z

Call me old fashioned, but even in the age of the digital download, I'm still prone to heading to my local music/DVD shop or visiting the latest "clicks and mortar" establishment, spending my money, and adding to my collection of album covers, jewel cases and box sets.

While I admit that I regularly downloaded music during the original Napster era, I always looked at it as sampling a single, much like one would at a kiosk in your local music store. Why? Many times I actually went out and ultimately bought the full album after first being exposed to new artists online. But as bandwidth grew and video downloads became the trend, I simply never jumped on that bandwagon.

Music and video downloads, in my opinion, are two truly different elements. When one would download an "unauthorized" audio track, there is the hope that the user would legally seek out the artist's catalogue either in the stores or online. However with video, once you have the whole disc why would anyone purchase a legal copy? I doubt the 10 minutes of outtakes, trailers and director's commentary slapped together as "Special Features" would be incentive enough.

For years I never viewed, let alone owned a downloaded or bootleg video, staying perfectly content with my collection of legally purchased movies and concert discs. Until this past week that is. A friend lent me a DVD movie which from first glance looked perfectly legitimate. It was about five minutes into the movie where the audio trailed from the video and the picture would pixelate and jump. Stopping the disc and looking at it closely, I realized that it was nothing more than a DVD-R with some incredible packaging that made it look identical to a regular cover. Regardless, I wasn't prepared to sit through another 90 minutes of stops, skips and jumps, along with an inferior picture. While I enjoyed the first five minutes or so of the movie, I'll make sure to rent it the next time I'm at my local video store.

After experiencing illegally downloaded videos first hand, I've concluded that those who do download videos not only open themselves up to spyware and viruses but also a truly inferior product. If there was any upside to audio downloading, not that I am advocating it, at least the bit rate was often high and the music was of a decent quality. To each their own, but when it comes to the latest comedy or concert DVD, you'll catch me browsing and shopping at music/movie retailers.

Are we ready to vote via the Internet?

2006-06-18T20:06:00Z

It's no secret that the Internet has played an increasing role in Canadian election campaigns over the past decade. Alongside the Internet's mainstream acceptance in the mid 1990's, we saw the first candidate and party websites emerge during the 1997 federal election. Over time, we have seen the Internet's role in elections evolve, adding new capabilities with each campaign.

A evolving phenomenon is the opportunity to cast a ballot through the Internet. The Town of Markham, just north of Toronto, will be allowing residents the opportunity to vote via the web during the advance poll cycle of its municipal elections scheduled for early November. This will be the Town's second attempt at Internet voting, having experimented with it in 2003.

While Markham is not the first jurisdiction to attempt Internet voting (the Arizona Democratic Party used the Internet for its Primary in March 2000), the reality that Internet voting is here, and may be here to stay, is cause for both celebration and concern.

Advantages to Internet voting include offering residents the ability to vote from the convenience of your home, office or wherever you are wired. With voter turnout dwindling, casting a ballot via the web would likely increase the turnout for election campaigns, eliminating line-ups and attracting younger voters at the same time.

However, there are some considerable drawbacks. While residents would be required to register and establish a password for their Internet ballot, there aren't any measures in place to ensure that the ballot remains with the resident. It is conceivable that they could sell their PIN numbers, allowing others to cast their ballot. Interestingly, the Town of Markham does have a disclaimer saying that Internet voting "in no way releases electors, candidates and others from acting within the spirit of the legislation".

It seems that for the time being the success of Internet voting will depend on the integrity of the elector. The only question that remains is, can you spoil a ballot online?