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Marketing Ethics
Posted by Razor in Uncategorized
Title: Q. 6-1 Black and White… and Grey?
Q.6-1 “In your opinion, are marketers likely to be faced with more ethical dilemmas than members of other functional areas of the firm like finance, accounting and manufacturing? If you believe this to be true please explain why.”
Personally, I am a very black and white person, but I’m finding that marketing ethics is… complicated. I would assert that marketing ethics is more difficult than and therefore raises more ethical dilemmas than functional industries. There are parts that bother me about marketing and parts that seem to make a lot of sense. What is great about the manufacturing industry, and others like it, is that you have fairly quantifiable metrics to use. Do not steal is pretty simple. In manufacturing there are objects, do not steal them. Should safety be upheld in manufacturing environments: a resounding yes. True, we could make this more complicated by asking to what degree do we need safety regulations/practices, but that is a second level sort of question. Marketing on the other hand raises this dilemma for me: taking advantage of a persons situation = excellent marketing strategy? Case and point: elder emergency response beepers (for lack of a better term). I’m sure most of us have seen those ads on tv for “Life Alert” little beepers that page 911 when you press a button. The idea is good, great even, you find yourself in an emergency and press a button to alert the authorities. This is great for the elderly because they may fall and be in a situation where they cannot reach a telephone. So how do you market that? ‘You can feel safe and secure with your beeper thing from ACME, Inc!” Would that not be preying on the insecurities of the elderly? For a tv spot we would have footage of the elderly on the floor writhing trying to get to the phone to prove the point that they NEED a beeper thing. The problem for me is that this product does just that and how else can you market it? The beeper thing saves lives, but marketing that the elderly need it by pointing out frightening realities leaves a bad taste in my mouth. For me, marketing ethics brings up a lot of these conundrums that do not exist in functional industries that simply provide straight products.
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read comments (1)Taking a stand on politics
Posted by Razor in Uncategorized
I used to, and still do, wrestle with whether or not to share my political beliefs. I’d like to think that I base my political stances on Biblical standards to the best of my ability. The problem is that when I am communicating with non-Christians, how do I hold them to my Christian standards? Is that even appropriate? I am not saying that I was wondering whether or not I should tell them that they are steeped in sin, but rather whether or not I agreed to a piece of legislation (focusing on my viewpoint of a law or issue).
I ended up realizing that: 1. we all have a right to our opinions 2. if I am wrong in an area then I need to know about it and that concept is true of others as well (golden rule + iron sharpens iron)
So, now I try to voice my opinion on politics more and express that I have a right to believe what I believe and that my audience has that same right too. Further, I try to emphasize that it is out of love that I vote to uphold what I understand to be God’s law. It get’s rough when a non-Christian wants to know why I am voting on something that affects non-Christians as well as Christians but will ‘adversely affect’ the non-Christians (”holding them to my standard” as they would claim I am doing). My response is that their voting for/against whatever is holding ME to THEIR standard too. This is MY country and MY community. Every piece of legislature affects me too.
Having said all this, I still wrestle with this a bit, but my conviction is to hold to the decision I have made: uphold God’s standards in my community.
I’m difficult for me to control sometimes. Sometimes I think I am just trying to hold things together.
It is like I have a caged animal inside me. Inside me a beast that burns to be let out is me altogether.
Took awhile, but I realized that it was flesh. Flesh of a human being inside of me that beckons me to sin.
Now I know to beat myself into submission. Submission to a greater call that orders me to dig in.
Is this life and how it is supposed to be for me? For me to subdue the desires within and hold fast?
I think I am called to a hirer purpose in life. In life to press into Him who can strengthen me to push past.
See, I am to draw nearer to Him for His glory. His glory then beckons me and keeps me from myself.
Then life becomes easy as I forget about myself. Myself is dying and He is living in me Himself.
The more I let go of me the more He takes over. He takes over and sets me free.
I’m difficult for me, but He sets me free.
I was trying to download a podcast of a sermon today, but kept getting stopped. The church website had a link to their podcast, but it was meant for iTunes and would send you to Apple’s website to download iTunes. I didn’t want to use iTunes in leiu of the Amarok or Songbird players. So, I did some web searching and found a nifty python script that will take one of those links and spit out the actual feed url. Here is the link to the script itunes-url-decoder.py
Download the script to your Linux computer.
Then type: python itunes-url-decoder.py [url_of_podcast]
This will return the feed address which you can add to your favorite RSS or podcast reader. I’m checking out Penguin TV currently.
Source:
http://nusstabox.net.au/blog/2007/10/19/itunes-podcast-urls/
I thought about what you said, what it meant
I thought it was so sad, to repent
For things long gone and long over
For hurtful things early in the past
For things so new and just begun
For silly things late in the present
You made a big deal about that which was not
Eruption of emotion from a buried, hidden cave
I guess I was insensitive and lost without a clue
It was too late, our relationship I couldn’t save
Try as I might, long after the talk, I have failed
I promised myself change and to be a phoenix
I achieved success, in most areas I was hailed
Pressed a button and wow in a few clicks
Alas, all for naught if not for one
Again, I forgot my first love
Someone who became something got in-between
I forgot to live to the full for the one unseen
Forgive my distraction Father, but I cling to my old ways
Forgive my unfaithfulness Father, for I let my loyalties sway
But she…
BuddyPress – Social Networking in a Box!
Posted by Razor in tech
Most people know about MySpace and FaceBook, but few know just how expansive the coding is behind such websites. The reality is that sites like those have thousands of lines of code and are rather complex. What most people don’t know is that BuddyPress, an open source project, is working to make it easy to setup your own social networking website.
BuddyPress is built upon WordPress, the famous blogging software. WordPress is considered one of the, if not the, best blogging engines ever made. It is used by many organizations and individuals, everyone from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson to the Library of Congress. To name a few more users: Azusa Pacific University, eBay Insider, Mark Shuttlesworth, Harvard Law, Ford Motor Company – Global Auto Shows and The Wall Street Journal Law Blog. WordPress is amazing in that it is open source and thereby free. The source code is freely available to the public. This makes it easy for any programmers to work on and create plugins for. Out of the box, WordPress is just a single user blog. Meaning that once it is installed an a webserver you have one blog or one site. Now, the makers of WordPress have expanded their endeavors and created WordPress Multi-User or WordPress-MU. This is a multi-user version of WordPress that allows for one site to house and administer multiple blogs. So, if you install WordPress-MU on your webserver you get a site that can allow people to sign up for a blog and then they can start blogging away on your site with their own blog. By itself, WordPress-MU is not all that glamerous. It can handle most of the plugins that WordPress can handle, but it is still just a blogging software, a very powerful blogging software that can handle thousands of blogging users.
Enter in BuddyPress, BuddyPress is a project to take a vanilla (default) install of WordPress-MU and add features that you would see in a typical social networking site. The idea is to have a website where users can sign up for accounts and create profiles. These profiles would then have the ability to send messages between each other, write on each other’s board/wall/wire area and even have a friend or buddy list. The heart and soul of WordPress is blogging so you will definitely see a prominant blogging feature as well.
The beauty of all this is that in order to create a complex social networking site you will just have to setup a WordPress-MU website and add in BuddyPress plugins. No coding needed! Further, the technology is open source so it would not cost you anything to implement it other than your web space or web host costs (in my case, I just use a server at home hosting over dynamic DNS). Seeing as how it is open source you will get free updates for life as well.
Currently, BuddyPress is in the first release candidate stage of its development. The software is still working out its kinks, but it is built upon the super stable WordPress-MU platform. This is a project to watch out for. You may one day start the next MySpace or FaceBook with it.
Sources:
Who uses WordPress? http://wordpress.org/showcase/archives/
WordPress http://wordpress.org/
WordPress-MU http://wpmu.org/
BuddyPress http://buddypress.org/
Forgive me Father, for I know not what I do. I know not why I do what it is I do, it is beyond understanding my sinful nature. My tainted flesh compels me so, greatly it compels. I’m a wretched sinner locked in a mess created by thine own hands. Who am I that I could even speak to You having seen what I have wrought. What can I do? I am to blame for it all and yet it needs to stop. I have You alone to help me. I just hate myself so much for what I have cost you and I do it again! Yet, You take me back again.
The beautiful vicious cycle revolves another time. Why must I suffer so and You suffer so much for me? Can’t we end this pain and toil that I feel on a millisecond basis? I should be better, stronger… changed. Yet, if it were so I’d have something new to say, but here I am reporting the same repentance again. I fell victim to my own undoing. I undid myself and have become undone, unraveled. Weeping I can’t bare to look in Your loving eyes, its too much to bare at this point. So, You just whisper. …I am fixed again, made whole by the Author and Finisher of my life.
After a short period of spiritual awareness, I regress to a life that is null. For when I stop what is right and do what is not right, my life’s worth reaches null. It is at this point that I realize I never was above the null or that I was ever at the null. For my wickedness puts me in the depths so low that I cannot even see the scales. I am broken, torn. I am ripped and I can’t stop separating. Please, oh please, I need to stop myself, but I don’t. …And now here we are again, You and me face to face. I’m the usual blubbery mess and You the strong presence that is not to be contested. I swear if I looked up I’d see light, and it burns me that this is all happening again.
I don’t deserve this, not even the first time. I shan’t be taking advantage of You again, but You already paid for me. My ticket is bought and the payment for naught if I don’t take it. It kills me, but if I don’t receive this gift I will be slapping the face of my Savior. How can I, despite my destruction, take steps to walk away from Your invitation. I am only a pathetic sinner, but You carry me through each hardship. I am forgiven, but can I forgive myself? My hands are so very dirty and You would have me wash them in Your pure blood that was spilled for me, the image stings my eyes. How many times must I return to the altar and see You there on it.
And then a moment appears when it all becomes clear, at least for awhile. You open my eyes and burn away the pain in the memories. You lock my eyes with Your steady gaze and I cannot see into the periphery. You birth in my mind an epiphany: love. My pain gives measure to the love You poor out on me. Still blinded by the bright light, I look onward with tears flowing in streams from my two eyes. I can see the picture now. My horrible nature, my terrible track record, my deplorable thoughts, my terrifying memories, my gripping fears, my plight and my struggle are all a part of the greatest masterpiece ever seen. In this work of art I am the dark color that accents the light one. I hurt that I may know better this love that I do not deserve. My feeling and knowing how underserving I am makes the gift weightier! This love and power is made perfect in my weakness. This love is so powerful it can change the world and more powerful than that it can change me. This love can break my inevitability.
Who am I, that You know of me
With whom do I, find refuge in
Who am I, that its me you see
With whom do I, confide within
Who am I, to be heard clearly
With whom do I, test love’s very bounds
Who am I, to be loved dearly
With whom do I, have love abound
A poem about the desperation of finding who you are and who it is that you go to for your everything
25 random obvious and non-obvious things about me
Posted by Razor in memes
I saw this internet meme go around where people listed 25 random things about themselves. I ended up learning a lot about some of my friends and thought it’d be cool if I did one too. So, here goes…
1. Someone once described me as a very convicted individual. I think that is a very accurate description of me.
2. I feel God has a plan for me and that He has revealed parts of that plan to me already. I am to go to school and get educated. Graduate from school and at some point start a computer related business. Be wise with my investments and make a ridiculous amount of money to support my friends in ministry (I.E. missions). If I’m honest about it though, I think He has called me to live humbly so that I can give more money away (way more than 10%)… that is going to be difficult as I like technology/computers/gadgets as a techie.
3. I always tried to get people to listen to me when I was in junior and senior high about important things (life, God, etc.), but people wouldn’t listen. I was told by a parent once that things would change for me in college when I would be around people who are more mature because of their age…….. yeah, that didn’t happen.
4. In junior and senior high youth group at church (the homeschoolers’ taste of what ‘real school’ must be like) I was kind of an outcast from the popular kids. I did not fit in well. So, as a loser, I rallied up all of the other losers/outcasts and we became friends. I fondly remember how every Sunday we would gather around the foosball table. What was great about that group is that none of us felt like we had to prove anything to one another. We accepted each other as we were.
5. I have hyper-extension in my elbows, shoulders and a little in my hands (maybe its called being ‘double jointed’?). Basically, I can bend those joints a lot further than a normal person. I am extra flexible I guess.
6. I am an introvert that is extremely social. Personally, I don’t fully understand myself in that regard. I habitually tire myself out by spending too much time with people. I do this freakin’ all the time! …maybe that’s why I’m always tired?
7. Both my mother and I can come across as very critical of others when we don’t mean it. This has led to some unfortunate miscommunications and as a result I am extra careful about what I say to people.
8. I don’t fear death, at all. But, I’m horribly afraid of pain and thereby a painful death.
9. There are three activities that bring me the most extreme inner peace, relaxation and contentedness (in no order):
A: Snowboarding
B: Surfing
C: Playing guitar
10. I grew up in San Diego up to the age of ten and still call it home. My personal plan is to one day live down there again, but not for the foreseeable future (like not in the next 3-4 years at least).
11. I don’t listen to secular music often, I find that it doesn’t build me up but breaks me down (typically).
12. One time, when I was about 15, I had an allergic reaction. I didn’t go into shock, but I had hives all over my body. My parents took me to an emergency clinic and I was shot with an “epipen“. That pumped me full of epinephrine and I didn’t know that my heart was supposed to start pounding after taking the shot. I freaked out for a little while. We never did determine what caused the allergic reaction.
13. I hate seafood with the exception of shrimp.
14. I am probably a little paranoid, in a sense. I am convinced that everyone is talking about me when I can’t hear them. The good news is that I’m smart enough to know that it isn’t true and just have to fight off my inclination to think that way.
15. Related to #14, I am petrified of what people think of me, absolutely petrified. I am way better than I used to be, it used to be really unhealthy: my fear of what people think of me. However, I’ve been able to rationallize that it doesn’t really matter if someone dislikes me or not, I just have to please God. Besides, if I can’t please someone then who’s to say that I have to? Right? …Right?
16. I have what I call “truthful Tourette’s” and have been known to say the truth when I probably should have kept my mouth shut. Examples: “I don’t think you should wear that in public.” “Well, the SHIRT doesn’t make you look fat…” On the positive side, I practically never lie. I say practically because it is impossible to have never lied, but I can’t think of a time I ever lied.
17. I was in private school for kindergarten and first grade. I had to repeat first grade. To catch up, I did highschool in three years instead of four.
18. After my second year of first grade my parents pulled me out of school to try homeschooling. I went from failing, miserably, first grade reading to reading at an adult level with four months of homeschooling. Go mom!
19. Speaking of parents, I could not possibly imagine better parents than the ones I have. That is not an exageration.
20. I find liberals irritating, but I find the liberal agenda infuriating. I honestly believe it to be the downfall of humanity.
21. As one can probably tell, I am pro-life and pro-death penalty. I can back those views up religiously or from a secular standpoint. I realize that this will burn bridges, so to speak, but I feel that if you are a Christian then we shouldn’t even be having to discuss this. I hesitate to say things like that, but it is truly how I feel and I feel very strongly.
22. Tagging onto the last one, I hold a LOT inside of me. I am often not saying what is popping into my mind. I have a lot of angry and mean thoughts that run through my head and it takes a lot to hold those at bay. Not only do I struggle to keep from saying them, but I struggle to cast them out of my head. Like, I have to focus on not having hateful thoughts because if you consciously think it, it is the same as doing it. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28
23. I really wish I could write music with lyrics, but I just can’t. It seems like I can write ok music and pretty good poems, but I just can’t cross over into lyrics. Just as well I suppose. Music is definitely not my calling.
24. The Apostle Paul said to Timothy that a trustworthy saying is this: “Of sinners, I am the worst.” I take that to heart and believe that of sinners I AM the worst. I am a terrible, terrible person… but, God loves me. I can honestly say that I don’t know why He does. However, because I am His and was bought at a price to pay for my own crimes I will serve Him to the best of my ability, if for no other reason than because He deserves it.
25. Last but not least, I care SO MUCH about my friends. You have no idea. I ache for you.
Bonus: 26. I tend to get a little melancholy when I’m alone at my computer checking Facebook or whatever. These 25 random things are a reflection of that. I hope I wasn’t too dramatic or too much of a downer… there I go worrying about what people think again.
Bonus: 27. I like vanilla, the color blue, the beach and ONE of my favorite movies is Moulin Rouge (but why is another story altogether ;)
RSS is cool, but Atom failed me
Posted by Razor in tech
I just spent two hours, maybe more, trying to get my Wordpress 2.7 blog to syndicate to my Facebook profile. I thought it was working fine, until I posted a new blog. I liked the post and wanted to check that it showed up in Facebook. However, when I looked in Facebook my post was listed, but listed three months ago. So, somehow Facebook imported the blog post, but it had messed up the date.
I went through the steps to setup the syndication from scratch, but it didn’t fix it. It kept importing the new post as if it was old. I then tried upgrading my Wordpress installation to the newest version, but that didn’t fix it.
After much trial and error, I switched my RSS (syndication) from Atom compatible to not. After that, I tried importing my blog and sweet goodness it imported with correct dates. My theory, as it is now, is that Facebook doesn’t work with the Wordpress use of the Atom protocol.
Upon finishing that endeavor, I realized I needed to test the syndication and make a new post, erego this one.