Can Happiness be Found Online?

"The question means little to millions living in poverty with neither electricity nor electronics. But there are also millions now weaving the Web 2.0 ever more tightly into their social fabric -- witness the booming popularity of Facebook and other social networking sites -- so the question seems worth asking.
Happiness can be found everywhere, including social networks and on blogs.

Happiness can be found everywhere, including social networks and on blogs.

Enter the "Virtual Happiness Project" in the Netherlands, which explores the relationship between the Web 2.0 (in particular) and happiness.

Though the final report hasn't been released yet, the project's global survey results and experiments suggest something that a lot of Facebook users already sense: social interaction is a driver for happiness, and the Web 2.0 is a valid way to experience it.

Jim Stolze, a writer and researcher involved with the project, says the Internet has become our "new global campfire," the place where we gather to argue, laugh, talk, learn, love, turn strangers into friends, and to get a sense of belonging.

"We are a social species and we need to interact in order to feel alive," he says.

As happiness research over the past half century or so has shown, belonging is a strong a predictor of happiness.

Psychology courses introduce students to Maslow's "hierarchy of needs," a pyramid diagram created by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow.

The project suggests the pyramid's middle levels of "love/belonging" and "esteem" can be met by services like blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other elements of Web 2.0, like comments sections below news articles or YouTube posts.

But as with anything there are perils tempering the benefits of heavy Internet usage. Stolze warns the Internet can cause stress in users who don't take control of the experience.

"The attitude that they treat the medium with," he says, "defines the happiness they experience."

People who feel they "rule the Web" are happier than those who feel like "they are ruled by the Web," he says.

"The first group sees the long tail as a brilliant place to cherry pick for the best results, and the second group immediately experiences stress because they can't look at all the results."

Staying in control

At this month's TED conference in California, Stolze gave some light-hearted but probably sound advice for making sure you're in control of your Internet life.

Among the tidbits dispensed: Don't take your Blackberry into the bedroom. Accept that there is more information than you can possibly look at. Human filters of information (like your Twitter network) often beat machine filters (like Google). Know when to go online and when to go offline -- sometimes a face-to-face talk is needed.

Ignoring the latter is a possible sign of Internet addiction, a growing problem in many parts of the world.

At clinics like the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at Proctor Hospital, patients (especially online gamers) are challenged to look at sacrificing some of the "high" they get out engaging in their addictive behavior (a boost in self-esteem, a sense of belonging, an ability to forget about real-world problems) because of the consequences of the negative aspects.

These can include loss of personal relationships, conflict with family members, and the threat of job loss. Of course it's important to distinguish between addicts and healthy users, which make up the vast majority.

"As far as people using networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter to derive happiness, that is not uncommon," says Shannon Chrismore, a clinical coordinator at the clinic.

"Many people can use these sites for their intended purpose -- to remain in contact with people and/or to develop personal relationships."

But perhaps even healthy Internet users get "addicted" -- and are aware of it -- to at least some degree.

As part of a playful experiment, Stolze, a blogger and Twitter user with hundreds of followers, decided to spend the month of December completely offline, during which time he worked on his upcoming book "How to Survive Your Inbox" (written in Dutch).

Feelings he experienced went from "phantom limb" strangeness in the first week to anger and regret in the second to peace of mind in the third. Without the online distractions, he says, "I had tons of energy and have never been more productive than in that single week."

In the fourth week there was anticipation but also a sense of growing anxiety about losing that sense of quietness and ability to focus.

Life without the Internet, he decided after the experiment, was not for him. Life without email, though, was a blessing.

A lot of us, not just Stolze, are wondering what it would be like to unplug for a while. That in itself is interesting. Twenty years ago the idea that millions would be so absorbed in the Internet might have seemed unlikely and bizarre.

A T-shirt of Stolze's reading "The Internet was closed so I thought I'd come outside today" wouldn't have struck a chord the way it does now. And virtual happiness -- and unhappiness -- wouldn't have been considered real."

-Mollman, S (2009, Feb 19). Can happiness be found online?. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from cnn.com Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/19/db.happy.online/index.html

Everyone has their different ways of being happy. Nowadays though, since technology effects many peoples lives, people do tend to find happiness on the internet from lots of ways. But those people that do not have internet can also be happy. The internet is not the only source of happiness.

Knowledge.

"Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says:

"After the passing away of the Prophet (peace be upon him), I said to an Ansari friend of mine: ‘The Prophet is not now with us. But a large number of Sahabah are still among us. Let us go to them and get knowledge of the Islamic practices.’ He said: ' Who is going to approach you for learning a regulation in the presence of these eminent Sahabah?' I was not discouraged. I kept up my quest for knowledge and approached every person who was supposed to have heard something from the Prophet. I managed to gather substantial information from the Ansar. If on my visit to someone of the Sahabah, I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and sat waiting. Sometimes my face and body would get covered with dust, but I kept sitting till they woke and I was able to contact them. Some of them said: 'Abdullah you are the cousin of the Prophet; you could have sent for us. Why did you take the trouble of coming to our places?' I said to them: 'I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my teachers.' Some people for whom I had waited said: 'Since when have you been waiting for us?' I informed them that I had been sitting there for a pretty long time. They said: 'What a pity! You could have awakened us from our sleep.' I said: 'I did not like to disturb you for my own sake.' I thus carried on my pursuits, till there came a time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansari friend realized this at that time and remarked: 'This boy has surely proved himself more sensible than us.'""

Thirst for Learning. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from islamcan.com Web site: http://www.islamcan.com/cgi-bin/increaseiman/htmlfiles/static/111765757834438.shtml

As a Muslim, one should not only strive to learn just the regular math, science, etc, but they should make sure they learn the same for Islam. If people spend so much time studying for math, they can also spend that much time learning about the past Prophets or topic related to Islam. This can help the Muslims for the hereafter.

Good to Give.

"A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a Professor, who was commonly called the student's friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.

As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work.

The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."

"My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him."

The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.

While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.

He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.

His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"

The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."

Abdullah bin Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallAllahu alaiyhi wassallam) said that encouraging good, prohibiting evil, lifting the burden of the weak person and removing an offensive thing from a path are all acceptable prayers to Allah.
[ibn Majah]"



small>Better to Give. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from islamcan.com Web site: http://www.islamcan.com/cgi-bin/increaseiman/htmlfiles/static/113250779487671.shtml

This story reminds us that we should be kind towards that are not as fortunate as us. We should do what we can to help them because we also get blessed for what we give.

Addicted to the Internet.

Goo-goo-google.

The Clever King

"There was a country long time ago where the people would change a king every year. The person who would become the king had to agree to a contract that he will be sent to an island after his one year of being a king. So, one king finished his term and it was time for him to go to the island and live there. The people dressed him up in expensive clothes and put him on an elephant and took him around the cities to say goodbye to all the people. This was the moment of sadness for all the kings who ruled for one year. After saying goodbye, the people took the king with a boat to the remote island and left him there. On their way back, they discovered a ship that had sunk just recently. They saw a young man who survived by holding on to a floating piece of wood. As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took him to their country. They requested him to be a king for a year. First he refused but later he agreed to be a king. People told him about all the rules and regulations and that how he will be sent to an island after one year.

After three days of being a king, he asked the ministers if they could show him the island where all the other kings were sent. They agreed and took him to the island. The island was covered with thick jungles and sound of vicious animals were heard coming out of them. The king went little bit inside to see how it was and discovered the dead bodies of all the past kings. He understood that as soon as they were left in the island, the animals came and killed them. The king then went back to the country and requested the people to provide him with 100 strong workers. He was provided with 100 workers and he took them to the island and told them to remove all the deadly animals and to cut down all the trees. He would visit the island every month to see how the work is progressing. In the first month, all the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. In the second month, the whole island was cleaned out. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the island. He also took with himself useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, cows etc. In the third month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docking stations for ships. Over the months, the island turned into a beautiful place. The young king would wear simple clothes and spend very little from his earnings. He sent all the earnings to the island for storage. Nine months have passed like this. The king called the people and told them that "I know that I have to go the island after one year, but I would like to go there right now." But the people didn't agree to this and said that he have to wait for another 3 months to complete the year.

3 months passed and now it was a full year. The people dressed up the young king and put him on an elephant to take him around the country to say goodbye to others. However, this king is unusually happy to leave the kingdom. People asked him, "All the other kings would cry at this moment and why are you laughing?" He replied, "Don't you know what the wise people say? They say that when you came to this world as a baby, you were crying and everyone was smiling. Live such a life that when you are dieing, you will be smiling and everyone around you will be crying. I have lived that life. While all the other kings were lost into the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I turned the deadly island into a beautiful abode for me where I can stay peacefullly." "

-A clever King. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from islamcan.com Web site: http://www.islamcan.com/cgi-bin/increaseiman/htmlfiles/static/106002294595662.shtml

This is an important lesson because this life should be used to prepare for the hereafter. We shouldn't be to obsessed with all the jewels an beauties of this world because that's what shaitan wants us to do so we can forget about Allah's orders. We should live a simple life without.

Technical Support.

My dad gets fed up with people like them whenever he calls for help. What's the point of calling them if they don't even know what they are talking about.

Blogs

This is to hilarious :D Kids nowadays don't communicate with their parents much and rely on technology a lot.

MySpace kicks out 90,000 sex offenders

MySpace.com has identified and removed 90,000 convicted sex offenders from its popular social-networking site, according to one of the dozens of state attorneys general who pressured the site to beef up its safety standards.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who spearheaded the campaign to subpoena MySpace, told CNN Radio that he found the number "appalling."

"These convicted, registered sex offenders clearly create profiles seeking to prey on children," he said. "This revelation is totally appalling and unacceptable, and this shocking revelation, resulting from our subpoena, also provides compelling proof that social networking sites remain ripe with sexual predators."

MySpace's chief security officer, Hemanshu Nigam, issued a statement: "As the first and only social networking site to use state of the art technology to identify and remove registered sex offenders from its site, MySpace is proud of its leadership position and hopes that Facebook follows our lead in providing their members with the same protections. As part of our longstanding partnership with law enforcement and state attorneys general, we will continue to readily provide information on these removed offenders for their investigations."

In May, MySpace announced that it would provide the coalition of state attorneys general with information on sex offenders who use the site.

"We have zero tolerance for sexual predators on MySpace," Nigam said at the time, as he introduced a tool known as Sentinel SAFE to track online sex offenders.

MySpace had initially refused to comply with the subpoena, citing federal privacy laws. "

-(2009, Feb 4). http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/03/myspace.sex.offenders/index.html. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from cnn.com Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/03/myspace.sex.offenders/index.html

This kind of scares me. Imagine knowing someone who had a who had a Myspace and they got trapped by one of these sex offenders. I don't understand why some people are just like that. It disgusts me.

The Ten Greatest PC Games Ever

#10: Trade Wars 2002- Never heard of this game. Look it up if any of you are interested.

#9: Myst- Haven't heard of this one either. Ahahaha. It did come out in the 1990's and at that time I was still in diapers. Looks interesting though.

#8: The Sims- Love this game! There are different Sim versions. In this game you create yourself a person and then you control their life! Really fun. Especially if you know the cheat codes :]

#7: StarCraft- My older brother use to actually play this game. I was never into it though.

#6: Rogue: The Adventure Game-I have never played this either. Kinda looks like the game pacman though.

#5: M.U.L.E- This game was out before I was born! Obviously I haven't heard about it.

#4: SimCity- I played this game when I was reallyyyyy little. I didn't understand it much but it was fun back when i was little.

#3: Sid Meier's Civilization-I've played this game to! It's like you create your own little civilization controlling people and what they do. Like you pick a certain amount of people to work on this farm.

#2: Doom- I don't understand why all these old games or the top 10. I haven't heard of this game either. Lol.

#1: World of Warcraft-Okay I have heard of this one. But I never played it. I'm not interested in those kind of games that involve those non real people and wizards and witchcrafts.

-Edwards, B (2009, Feb 8). The Ten Greatest PC Games Ever. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from pcworld.com Web site: http://www.pcworld.com/article/158850-11/the_ten_greatest_pc_games_ever.html

Making Use of Your Youth

"Dear friends, if Allah gives us 60 years to live then it comes to around 22,000 days (60x365). All these days Allah gives us to prepare for one day of interview with Allah. That is on the Day of Judgement. On that day, Allah will ask us some questions and He wants some correct answers. Allah is so merciful that He already told us what the questions will be through Quran and Ahadith. His mercy is so great that He even told us the answers to these questions. Now imagine, a student goes to write an exam. He opens his exam paper and finds the questions on one side. Then he finds that the answers to the questions are on the other side. Now after writting the exam, if this student still fails then what would we think of him? We would think that he is the dumbest person around. Well, tell you what, on the Day of Judgement, us people who knew the questions and answers will still fail! That is why, this is the time to wake up before we prove ourselves to be the dumbest of people.

Youth is the prime time of our lives. This is where people make important decisions like what to become in the future. Things you do in this time will most likely affect you throughout the rest of your life. That is why, it is important to bring Islam into your life during these days. Many people have the conception that when they get old then they will start practising Islam. Probably you and me also have this feeling. But look at it this way: If you want to become a famous hockey player then you would start playing right from the youth. As you grow up, you will become better and better. But if you think that you will start playing when you are an old man then the chances of becoming famous is virtually zero. That's the reality. When we become old, we won't have enough energy to even stand up and pray.

Because youth is the prime time of your life, that is why it is very precious to Allah. Allah has prepared a shade on the Day of Judgement for those people who used to worship Allah in their youth. On that Day, there will be no other shade except the shade from the throne of Allah. Imagine standing outside on a very hot day under the sun for hours after hours. You would definately want some shadow to rest under. But what about that Day when the sun will be much nearer to us and the heat will be much more extreme. Wouldn't you want some shade on that day? Ofcourse you would!

You and I are all weak in terms of keeping our duties to Allah and Allah is aware of that. Allah wants that we keep trying to do our best. If a baby falls down while walking he tries to get up again and walk. He doesn't keep sitting down. Then a day comes when he does start to walk. Similarly, we should keep trying our best and not give up. A day will come when, Inshallah, we will be strong enough to obey Allah in every situation. Let us make a small promise to Allah right now that we will start doing the things for which we were sent to this life. Otherwise, we will be like that dumb guy who will fail the test on the Day of Judgement.

May Allah make it easy for us. Ameen."


-Making use of our youth. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from islamcan.com Web site: http://www.islamcan.com/cgi-bin/increaseiman/htmlfiles/static/104882031260550.shtml

This really makes you think. Are we making our time useful? Or in the extra time we have, do we just go on the computer or go watch TV? We should make time in our daily schedules reading quran with our daily prayers. We have to learn and understand our religion and make sure that we know the answers now before time is over. Because when we get older, I doubt we will have that extra time on our hands to learn.

Too Funny ^.^

Haaaa this is hilarious :] I guess this picture depicts that some people really think that technology can do everything for them. Maybe sometime in the future, people will rely too much on technology. (the movie Wall-E is going through my head)

Top 10 Cell Phones

-Mies, G (2009, Feb 5). Top 10 Cell Phones. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from pc.world.com Web site: http://www.pcworld.com/article/125397/article.html

I personally really like the G1. I haven't heard of the Blackberry Pearl 8120 or the Blackberry Storm. Those phones do look nice though. Everyone knows the Apple iPhone. Hmm..I've heard the Omnia somehwere, but that phone seems like it's cool.

Electric Cars on the Road

"Meeting the Obama Administration's goal of putting 1 million plug-in electric vehicles on the road by 2015 will only happen with a coordinated set of policies and technology advances, according to an electric vehicle association.

The Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) on Tuesday is expected to release a set of policy recommendations for ushering in what auto industry executives call a major technological shift away from gas-only cars to electrics.

EDTA members include auto manufacturers, battery companies, a number of electric utilities, and other industry associations.

The group is lobbying for policies to boost domestic manufacturing industry, fund technology research, and launch wide-scale testing of electric vehicles. It said tax incentives, which currently give consumers up to a $7,500 rebate depending on battery size, should be extended to a higher number of cars and private fleet purchases.

On the technology side, batteries remain the biggest hurdle. The EDTA said the Department of Energy should fund to develop and test energy storage and fuel cells systems.

"Energy storage capability is the key to the success of the vehicles and also is the enabling technology for using renewable power as a transportation fuel," according to the EDTA's policy recommendation report."

In an indication how of important battery technology is, General Motors decided to manufacture the battery pack for the Chevy Volt and other electric-gas cars itself, rather than purchase the packs from a supplier. The battery cells will be supplied by LG Chem.

In addition to technology progress, battery and auto company executives say that establishing a supply chain of electric vehicle components will require collaboration among different companies.

Fourteen U.S. companies have established an alliance to lobby the U.S. government for $1 billion in federal aid to build up U.S. battery manufacturing, according to a Wall Street Journal report published last December.

Car manufacturers will need to provide warranties on batteries which have not yet had years of testing among consumers, the EDTA said. Some automakers have considered leasing batteries, which will allow consumers to upgrade to newer batteries.

The EDTA also argues that new business models are required to prompt consumers to purchase electric vehicles, even though they promise a jump in fuel efficiency.

The group recommends setting up an infrastructure for charging stations, coordinating with utilities and companies that test fleets of plug-in electric vehicles, including government agencies.

"By helping public and private entities to build coherent alternative vehicle and infrastructure solutions, the federal government can help the industry to move beyond the 'chicken vs. egg' question," according to the report."

-LaMonica, M (2009, Feb 2). Plotting the long road to one million electric cars. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from cnn.com Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/02/electric.vehicles/index.html

Interesting. I'm all about saving environment and using non-renewable sources. If these cars do work good, I hope I would be able to buy one. But I have a feeling there will be some kind of side effect with using electricity for cars. It may seem like a good idea now, but what if there might be some problems because electricity is being used too too much.

Facebook turns 5 years old :]

"A Web site started by a student as a way of staying in touch with friends celebrated its fifth birthday Wednesday as a billion-dollar business and a global phenomenon.

Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when he launched Facebook from a Harvard dorm in 2004. Within 24 hours, more than 1,000 of his Harvard classmates had signed up for the social-networking site and one month later half of those on campus had a profile.

Five years on, the Web site claims more than 150 million users worldwide while Zuckerberg, now 24, was named the youngest billionaire on the planet -- with an estimated fortune of $1.5 billion -- last year by Forbes magazine.

Writing in Time on Zuckerberg's inclusion in the magazine's 2008 list of the most influential 100 people in the world, Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, said Zuckerberg had created "a social network that not only reflects your life but maybe expands it."

Along with sites such as MySpace and Bebo, Facebook has also been credited with bringing social networking into the mainstream, with politicians, businesses and celebrities jumping on the bandwagon.

According to Facebook figures, around 15 million users update their statuses daily. More than 850 million photos are added to the site each month while the average user has 120 friends.

Meanwhile, Web sites such as Facebook were widely credited with helping Barack Obama secure victory in last year's U.S. presidential election by helping him connect via the Internet with younger, previously disengaged voters.

In a blog published Wednesday to mark Facebook's birthday, Zuckerberg said the site offered a way of making the world more open and giving people a voice to "express ideas and initiate change."

"The culture of the Internet has also changed pretty dramatically over the past five years. Before, most people wouldn't consider sharing their real identities online," Zuckerberg said. "But Facebook has offered a safe and trusted environment for people to interact online, which has made millions of people comfortable expressing more about themselves."

In a new Facebook first, the Web site featured at last week's World Economic Forum in Davos with users contributing to live discussions and polls that were flashed onto big screens during sessions with world leaders.

Speaking to CNN, Randi Zuckerberg, Mark Zuckerberg's sister, said politicians and businesses were looking to Facebook as "a place for insight and to get a real time pulse."

Yet questions still remain about the finances behind Facebook's remarkable expansion. The company has attracted more than $200 million in investment from venture capitalists while in 2006 it rejected a reputed $1 billion bid from Yahoo!

In 2007 Microsoft paid $250 million for a 1.6 percent share, a figure that gave Facebook a total projected value of some $15 billion.

But with the global financial crisis hitting Web advertising -- Facebook's core revenue stream -- those sort of figures now appear to belong to a bygone age.

"What Facebook isn't yet is a slam-dunk success," said Adam Lashinsky of Fortune magazine last month. "It is selling advertising, it is bringing in revenue but it's not wildly profitable even if it is profitable at all.

"There is no question that it has entered the zeitgeist but that doesn't mean that it has progressed beyond the stage of being cool or viral or exciting to being a mega-business success the way that Google, Microsoft or even its arch-competitor MySpace is."

Yet in an industry prone to short term fads and rapid evolution, Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday he remained committed to making sure that Facebook remained as relevant in the future.

"Building and moving quickly for five years hasn't been easy, and we aren't finished," he said. "The challenge motivates us to keep innovating and pushing technical boundaries to produce better ways to share information.""

-Hooper , S (2009, Feb 4). Facebook turns 5 -- but can it survive?. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from cnn.com Web site: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/02/04/facebook.anniversary/index.html

I really didn't don't some 19 year old made this site. But I still always wonder how Facebook is more safer than Myspace, like what makes it different.And however that person made Facebook, how did he make safer. Oh and, Happy birthday Facebook :]