I DANIEL DIGITAL

Israel and Arab Israelis

2010-06-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

There is clearly a problem in how Israel is dealing with it's Arab Israeli minority. This has long been an issue and is concerning to say the least. Unequal treatment is unethical, bad for Israel bad for its Arab population, bad for demographics, bad for Israeli national security. I often speak of the Idea that those who support Israel must challenge themselves to understand that Israel is not perfect and that criticism of Israel is Israel's best friend. Criticism is one of the major reasons that is highlighted by Saul Singer/ Dan Senor's book Startup nation as to why Israel is so successful in its endeavors. What's most important is that criticism should be seen inherently as a rational expression. If you look at this way and separate the emotion from conflict situation created by the criticism then the outcome is one that is a rational response.. This when good things happen. This is an area where Israel and Israelis have a duty to improve. Its nice to see that Israel is trying to address the problem of Arab Israelis and Arab Israeli companies. Highlighted in the article is that Shimon Peres led a bus to talk to Arab Israeli companies to try and promote Arab Israeli business links in Israel as well a High tech startup companyincubator which helps Arab Israeli companies get better traction in Israeli society. Note that this article was posted in the Jerusalem post and that this article is not one that is very flattering of Israel. Its imperative that despite military conflict that Israel strive to providing equity in Israeli society for its Arab Israeli citizens. Though the efforts listed in article are a good start more needs to be done. original article can be found here.

What should a young startup share?

2006-11-27T21:38:00.000-08:00

It occurred to me today that at some point you have to worry about what information you are sharing with people about your idea...your startup. What is too much? What is not enough? People are always interested to listen and really, you are always interested to tell. Is your idea easily replicable? Is it easily monetizeable? The real issue it seems to me, isn't that I shouldn't share this information. It's that I worry about sharing the information with those I most want to share it with... Those who strike me as competent and entrepreneurial. Now at my age (25) there are very few people like that.
I found myself the other day on www.techcrunch.com and there was this mini chat application, embedded right on the site created by www.incircles.com. So I chatted with competent, entrepreneurial young guys.. That I really do want to connect with and make contacts out of and yet I found myself holding back on the information on my project www.p2bet.com (not yet active). I felt like I was maligning myself but was I really ? Or was I making the better decision to not share that information.

Web clutter and attention

2006-11-23T15:22:00.001-08:00

The web is vast. Even for those that are on the cutting edge like me it's becoming more and more difficult to wade through the massive amounts of information that is actually relevant to our specific needs(let alone taking into account all the information that isn't). There has been a lot of talk relating to the idea of "attention". Seth goldstein and his attentiontrust.org are at the heart of this new theoretical debate.

We only have so much time so how do we prioritize what deserves our attention. Of course, this applies in many areas and often the answers are obvious. In my case the issue is that if I want a complete relevant picture of a particular area... How do I do that? This relates to my last post on mybloglog because there is a great deal more information on sites that I don't have time to tune into. It's clear that if I want a complete or "total relevant awareness". (Hey that sounds cool maybe it'll catch on. Say it to yourself outloud...."Total relevant awareness" or for short TRA)
Then I really need help because I simply don't have the time do that. This is important because what is now relevant, at least to me, is a great deal more information with different depth levels. I sometimes wade very deep in order to find out those things that have a profound affect on my thinking and actions. What will be my buoy, my life preserver that will keep me from sinking in this ocean of information.

Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Mybloglog

2006-11-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick word on Mybloglog.com for those of you who have not read about it or visited this site. There is an undeniable depth of capability to this site. The implications of tappping a market of socially networked users who read and write blogs themselves is incredible. Great for those who are planning a viral/guerilla marketing campaign like me. I have created my own community on mybloglog and I am a member of many communities on the site in disparate areas. The power of this is equal and directly tied into social networking.. The most fundamental thing about people is that they exist conjunction with others. The web now provides an extension to that in various formats. This is one of them. It seems to me that this site is for those users that will be or are webprofessionals more so than for the average user at least at this stage for mybloglog. In many cases , now that I have visited various profiles on the site, this network of users reaches out into the rest of the web and its more average users if not mainstream as they write to public audiences with various interests. So mybloglog, you could also say is almost like an industry periodical for those involved in an industry that is hard to define other than it includes those who represent early adopters and those on the cutting edge of the web as a seperate category then any specific area of interest or business sector.

Suck on that Michael Arrington... You know I love you.

P2bet

2006-11-10T01:57:00.000-08:00

This is my first post on p2bet.com my new startup. First I have to say before anything that this startup will accomplish two things. One, it has a disruptive business model for the online gambling business. Second, its going to bring the online gambling business in the world of web 2.0. For the moment, this startup is website-less. I will shortly put up a temporary website. I think I am going to use weebly.com.
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Note to self

2006-11-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

Note to self...

Women are insane.
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

New Mission

2006-11-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

I have in my mind a new mission and that is to be Michael Arrington. That's a lie I am way cooler than Michael Arrington. My new mission has too parts. One is to connect to everyone on mybloglog.com and have them to connect to me on linkedin.com. All those who do are better people for it. The second, is to detail my progress on my new startup company which I will do over the coming months. Stay tuned.

Idea

2006-02-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

Someone should really create a customizable ticker that scrolls new rss posts from blogs, stocks, news, whatever. It could also be interspersed with advertizing. You should do this. That's right you reading this right now!.

Hamas

2006-02-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hamas won the elections in the Palestinian territories. Now, anybody who tries to think pragmatically about this conflict understands that it was likely to happen sometime. Here's the thing. They won't abandon their one core belief(destroy Israel). They also like Fatah cannnot deliver on the concept of creating a state. Even If Israel withdrew tomorrow negotiated or not. The Palestinians still wouldn't have a state because the idea of statehood does not override the overwhelming conflicting loyalties within Palestinian society. The ties that bind reign supreme. Tribal loyalties would not yield to such a noble cause. Israel would still have to periodically go in to the territories and go after the baddies. The question becomes how do you overcome: Tribal loyalties, corruption, international interests in the Middle East that seek to continually disrupt th peace process, arms dealers, etc. This is no different than anything else, somebody is profiting from all of this. On the other side of the equation, the Israeli interests that oppose a peaceful settlement are inconsequential no matter how popular they are. If the Palestinians could sit at the table and seriously say we want this peace and they were believed than they(Israeli interests) would be backed into a corner because Israel is a democracy (no matter how much those interests may periodically dislike this). The International pressure would be overwhekming and Israel could not afford to seem intransigent in the face of such an opportunity and there might very well be peace. This equation is unfortunately far from solved.

a grand descision

2006-02-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

I think I'm going to start agregating everything I read here. Cause What I read is so much cooler than what you read an I liked what you liked 5ive years ago.

social networking for business minded young people

2006-02-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

I just posted this at Fred Wilson's A VC blog. http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/

I would really like to know what Fred thinks about the 19-25 year old group that makes up the 5%. I'm 24. It also just occured to me that social networking should expand into the blog network. What I wouldn't give to meet young people roughly my age who are clearly motivated by the same pursuits as I am. It's not easy to do this even if your a super-extrovert like me because there just isn't enough time. Such social networking would make it qicker and easier those people who such interests amd view of the world. Myspace connects young people but not in the same context- at all. I use linkedin and other sites and have a number of contacts I don't know primarily because at my age there is little to talk to them about. It's not that I can't. I have. I'd have much more to talk about(regularly) with people my age who are aiming high. I could build a network across the continent of people that would lead to business relationships, friendships and who knows what else. Bang- a few new billionaires who met because they read the same blogs. This also applied to everyone else who reads blogs. Now you should all pay me 5 bucks. Or at least connect with me at idanielgold@hotmail.com

A word about Christmas

2005-12-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

I see alot written and said about how Christmas is commercial and about capitalism. The thing about people who say that is that htey just de-value it more. Sure there's consumersim but it's all about family and a good meal too... People really have to come to terms with our society being financial. We've seen what communism did to people.

Peace in Da East.

2005-12-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

I often read haaretz. It's a good quality paper. I then browse the comments section and what is revealed is a bigger problem. point counterpoint argument and rebuttle. An endless merry-go-around for people who aren't dedicated to anything really except the argument and their dislike for each other. None of them show any real compassion for anybody as you they are the ones that have become truly disposessed from any semblance of being committed to something more important then their needs to antoganize their opponents endlessly. Have they nothing better to contribute then writing uselessly in the name of nothing but furthering your own disposession though you know it not. All of you, people on both sides consistently frustrate peace in the name of being declared the more righteous party and enable consideration of the other as the animal. I see the same names commenting there
day after day. I hear the same things said by my friends day after day Will you ever move on in the hope of something better, that it is a declared fact that most on both sides are ready to agree to capitulations that they believe they will be satisfied with. You are the true enemies of peace but you can change that. This is a battle of moderates versus extremists rather than Israelis vs Palestinians and Rather than rebuttling me you should all visit www.onevoicemovement.org

Common Sense

2005-12-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

A big question about Common Sense is who's Common Sense is what's common. Difficult.

Such an abstraction is calculable but whose calculation do you trust. Let's talk specifically about conmmon sense. Like the media. Is the media capable of performing it's duties if they are for profit institutions.

Answer: YES. If you think not you're STUPID. Paying people attracts talented individuals to work in media who are smart and want to better the society they live in and who don't want to live in the proletariat life my friend Fef.

2.Does reading soemthing once mean you know what you're talking about or represents an a good factual representation of a given issue.

Answer: No again you're STUPID if you ever do this or mention anything to me having read this much about issue you should go Blow yourself up somewhere like those fundamentalist robots.

3. If you disagree with what you read does that mean what you're reading is wrong.

Answer: K... I think there's a trend here. challenge yourself in reading, watching TV, don't let your prejudices decide what you think.

4. Does reading everything in sight make you smart like my friend Fef.

Abundunce of information creates a deficit of attention. So No, you're not smart you're a pseudo-intellectual.

5. What exactly defines good media.

Good question. I'm glad you asked. Good media is media which deals with real issues that don't capitalize on sound bites taken with little context. Real infromation with cotext most often has to be read. To have any sense that the information is valid takes the critical analysis of detail.

6. Does consumption of information of media from different geographical origns make a difference.

Absolutely. Consider differences in education,perspective, economics, government, elites, and many other factors that "I may have overlooked but ths will get you going in the right direction.

The following is a lsit of media I consider to of quality.

Germany. Der Spiegel english version

Britain: The BBC and Guardian.

Economist,

USA: salon.com , slate.com (one of the best)

New york times but be careful they're a little out of control sometines.

Wall Street Journal ( business people need real new and don't screw around) the editorial section is written by Right wing wacko's so avoid that.

Altantic monthly, the new yorker, harpers, the new republic, foreign policy (includes a number of contributors from disparate backgroungs), foreign affaris ( the best for in depth look at anything they discuss)

France

Radio free europe and le monde (the rest is shit the gonverment has very tight control over the media.

Hong kong (southern China Morning post)

.

Canada

The Globe and mail ( the only newspaper in canada that takes social issue seriously)

I could go on and on but you get the picture.

Attacking anything takes serious consideration if you're going to use information know the right information forget emotion and deliver with tact as most other will not be doing what I have outlined.

Much more to come on other topics.

The Sham of politcs

2005-12-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

This is my first real blog post. Hurray! At least I hope you'll be saying that at some point about any one of my posts.

The thing about politics is that we tend to have very finite definitions of the labels we use to define where we stand when most don't have a proper conception of what those labels are suppose to mean based on their theoretical definitions.

Though it's likely the level of theoretical knowledge won't really change nor the concepts we use
to define labels I can at least give you this tidbit: COMMON SENSE!