The changing face of Human Interaction

Social Media

Social media has reduced human interaction significantly in the past few years. So many of us boast to have friends numbering in the hundreds and thousands, some even in the millions. It can be exciting to claim to have all these so called friends but it has not made us any more friendly or compassionate towards each other. As a child I spent so much time outdoors playing with my friends, it seemed like the best of times. These days children play with there friends who live next door by logging on to a web based multi-player game. While this may demonstrate humanity's intelligence and creativity, it also gives you some insight into what the future is likely to become, where we no longer have any real conclusive idea what the person we call friend looks like, or even if that friend is even human.

Interactive Games and Movies

We are limited only by our imagination. I no longer watch movies for just the entertainment value it offers. I now use them as a window into the minds of people. If the mind can conceive it, you can achieve it. No where else is this more evident than in the movies. Hollywood seems to be the trend setter and architect for many of the technology we use and enjoy today. Star Trek gives us a look at what may be possible at some point in the future. Creating games and movies, so interactive, that you become a part of the cast. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Matrix is one of my all-time favourite movies. The idea of us being in a dream world from which we may not awake, living oblivious to the nature of our actual existence was bordering on the ridiculous at the time, that concept however, doesn't seem so far fetched anymore. AI seems a very real prospect for replacing humans as social beings. While I don't think our fate would be as dyer as for those in The Matrix, I do believe that it will only serve to further erode the already thin fabric that still holds us together.

Technology has made it possible to do things that we never thought possible. The breakthroughs will continue to take place. We will continue to push the boundaries of science, we will continue to learn, some good lessons, some bad ones too. But in all of this race to the stars and beyond, we must never forget our humanity, people will always need people. There is just no substitute. 

www.orbit3systems.com

Doing Business in Jamaica

It is interesting that the Government insists the way froward for this country is through the creation and development of small businesses. However, I have experienced the frustrations of setting up and trying to get my business up and running. The first hurdle to clear after registering your business is to become compliant to prevent the "Tax Man" from taking all your possessions and your freedom later. At this stage you encounter the true nature of operating a small business in Jamaica. With the plethora of technologies available to the state and the overabundance of expertise, you would expect that all the Government agencies would be some how linked to each other making information available to all the different bodies concerned. But even in this so called "information age", we are lagging behind. So all the bodies have to be visited in turn, to submit the same information.

The second problem arises when you now start the process of becoming compliant. You have to visit all the different agencies to get the necessary tax clearances (you still have to do this even when you are an existing business). The tax offices are rarely free flowing, and many of the attendants and clerks are not properly trained and many times give totally different information when explaining how to achieve the same outcome. The process is so tedious and time consuming that many persons resign themselves to paying the late penalty fees just to avoid the crowded halls and hours waiting on your feet in line.

Thirdly, and probably the most discouraging is that, you have to go through the entire process all over again, Every month. This, to me, is not a climate that is conducive to helping a country move forward on a small business platform.

However, I am still motivated to go all the way to establish my business and becoming a success at what I do, even if it means I have to endure the frustrations, discomfort and distractions created by an ancient and backward system and a Government that regardless of who may form the administration still maintains the status quo and  continue to function with nepotism towards party rather than country.

In the meantime, you may visit my website at www.orbit3systems.com

Changing of the Guard - New day in Jamaican politics

As was the case with the former governing party, the  Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is now faced with the stepping down of the officially elected leader of the Government and the JLP. This move has cleared the way for the ambitious few to make there voices heard. But wait, not so fast, the members have decided to throw their support behind the heir apparent Mr Holness, Minister of Education. If this move stands he could become the youngest person the be the leader of Jamaica in her short history.