Rachael.Kennedy - Profile

Really? I've never really heard of it until I saw this video- think its a good idea though! 

I don't know if it's just me, but I find keys are so inconvenient. I must 'lose' my keys at least five times a day in my bag; the fact that my bag is probably equivalent to Marry Poppins' is irrelevant. I was watching a video on BBC this morning about a new technology which would cause keys to become extinct. Rather than using your keys you can use a smart watch or your phone. If this is a better idea than keys I'm unsure. It has its pros and cons- have a look at the video and see what you think? Would be nice to see what you guys think... 

The recent Google memo outburst has really opened my eyes to the ongoing discrimination in our modern world. The memo that was sent out by Google Employee James Damore and has caused nothing but damage to a lot of companies. Topics discussed in the memo include:

•     Google Biases
•   None bias causes of the gender gap within the technology industry
• Biological reasons of why men and women differ.

 I could go on with all the topics but we would be here for days. The main point that I have taken away from the Memo is that there are fewer women that work in the tech industry in comparison to males. After reading a lot of articles regarding this topic and the memo itself I feel as though I do have a strong opinion towards this. I’m not a feminist and don’t usually have strong views on the news; unless I feel that something isn’t right.

Living in the contemporary world, we hear about the discrimination that used to occur towards women many years ago. When we hear about it, we think of it as something that is in the past, something that as the years have gone by has improved and no longer exists. But the truth is, it does still exist. The memo talks about the biological reasons as to why men and women differ, I can see that scientifically this can be proven however how boring would the world be if no one went against science to be the person they wanted to be.

Take women’s football for example, 100 years ago women would never have even thought about running around a football pitch for 90 minutes. It has only ever been presented to be a male sport; which is wrong. The society we live in today is full of unique individuals and in my eyes that’s a good thing!

The workplace should be a place where men and women are treated with equal respect. There is no reason why it should be any different. I believe strongly that men and women are equals. Men should not be paid more for doing the same job as a woman, what if she does the job better than he does?

I personally think the ongoing debate of sexism will still be ongoing when I’m old and wrinkly. Which upsets me.

Going back to the actual memo written by Google employee James Damore. I feel as though you can think of him being sacked in two different ways. The first one being that because he spoke out about the company he worked for in a very revealing way you can see why Google were not happy with him. On the other hand he did speak some truth and expressed an opinion backed with facts, you could say it was freedom of speech.

With such a wide topic, there are so many different opinions and views. It’s not fair to say my view is right because to you it may not be. It’s just important to speak out for what you believe is right.

I would love to know what you all think about this particular topic, be nice to see some different/similar opinions.

Hi Bryan, welcome to the forum

We all love that cheeky McDonalds we have to cure a hangover. Well I do anyway; and sometimes its not just for a hangover I'm pretty sure 99% of the nation does love a McDonalds from time to time. 

We love the food, but how many of us have taken a step back and focused on how successful the franchise is. With restaurants all over the world they are bound to take millions of complaints on a daily basis, however it has come to my attention recently that they do face criticism head on.

Fake news has been headlining social media for some time now; McDonalds being one of many victims on the receiving end expressing that their chicken nuggets are not from 'Chickens feet or beaks'.

Marketing director of the company stated that:

For us to continue to make progress in getting people to trust us, we needed a new language and to challenge [these myths] head on, rather than just telling good stories. We thought it was a good idea to put those myths out there and then answer them.” 

I feel as though this should inspire us to do the same, I know that McDonalds are a extremely big Franchise, but if they can come back from numerous horrific accusations then we can come back from a negative customer review or complaint. It is all about the way you tackle these issues, its about patience and knowing what your customer wants to hear.

At the end of 2016 McDonalds had the highest trust rating anyone had ever seen.

Surely that is motivation to keep going and tackle things with the same approach...       

Just have to make sure you don't accept anyone you don't know on there- best way to keep safe!

Exactly my thinking! I use ghost mode, however it is handy to track where friends are if you are meant to be meeting them

Most of you will know about or have the social networking app Snapchat. I use it all the time to talk to my friends, its a really quick and easy way to communicate, however their newest update might have not been the smartest. 

Introducing the new 'Snap Map', this feature of Snapchat allows you to share your location with your friends. By pinching the home screen a map like the one below appears: 

The Map shows your friends and what exact location they are in. The map is a street map and is similar to google maps. By clicking on an avatar you are able to see how long ago they were active and where they were at that time.  

The new update does have an option of 'ghost mode' this particular setting will take you off the map and will not allow anyone to see where you are located. In my opinion this is the safest option; due to the update being available to all ages using the app it is advisory that with any child under the age of 18 they should use 'ghost mode'. 

The app tracks your location using you GP sensor within your smartphone. 

The new update has raised some concerns form police and schools due to child safety, it does focus primarily on younger children however can be dangerous to all age groups, especially if you have friends that you don't really know on the app. 

The Telegraph reported: 

 "It is important to be careful about who you share your location with, as it can allow people to build up a picture of where you live, go to school and spend your time. Given how specific this new feature is on Snapchat - giving your location to a precise pinpoint on a map - we would encourage users not to share their location, especially with people they don’t know in person."

It is a case of being more aware of who you actually allow on your Social Media. Online safety is so important for all age groups. Keep your head switched on and this feature could be a fun way to spy on friends 

Recent headline news has informed me that Parliament were next on the agenda to be hacked. I think after the recent election it was something that they needed to be extra cautious with. The hack hit up to 90 users, luckily this was only 1% of the potential 9000 users. 

If anything all of these cyber attacks have really opened my eyes as to how this keeps reoccurring within such huge corporations. A spokesman for Parliament stated that the attack was a result of 'weak passwords' - it is so important that passwords are regularly updated and are strong, this way you and your business will be at a lower risk of becoming a victim of such a dangerous crime. 

The users that were targeted as a result of the Parliament hack have been contacted and now are under investigation to see if any data has been lost or is missing. 

Take this is a warning guys- make sure all your passwords are secure! 

This website is great for tips on your passwords for multiple devices- 

https://www.connectsafely.org/tips-to-create-and-manage-strong-passwords/ 

Yes will deffo mention you- I don't suppose you have a digital copy you could send over to me?