Recently, several internet financial observers have attributed the emergence of the social network Ello as a response to Facebook’s strict username policies and ambiguous privacy rules.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an unusual friend request on Facebook from a 10 year old Nigerian boy. After I refused his request, I asked some friends if they had received similar requests, and they explained that it was a scam.

I began to ponder the effectiveness of Facebook’s privacy settings, as this incident happened four months after Facebook changed its default privacy settings from ‘public’ to ‘friends only,’ and included a privacy check-up option, which ensures users that their posts are shared with only friends. However, Facebook still retained the right to sell user information to advertisers, which has been a major source of controversy.

In addition, members of the LGBTQ community were outraged when Facebook shut down user profiles of drag queens and transgender people who did not comply with their user name policy which permits only birth names.

Then Ello stepped in. Contrary to Facebook, Ello’s manifesto states that the user is “not a product,” and promises an ad-free social network along with the use of pseudonyms. Ello is not the anti-Facebook that it presents itself to be, however: I suspect that, sooner or later, it will either begin to charge fees for features, or will backtrack on its manifesto and allow advertisements to permeate the network.

Ello claims to be ad-free, but allows mass-marketing [through brand profile pages].

According to Ello’s website, there will be no charge for users at the basic level, but there will be the option to purchase special features to support the company. The network’s founders argue that this business plan could generate enough money to keep the site ad-free, but I find this unlikely. Like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Ello will soon have to resort to selling ads to maintain itself as it gains popularity.

Social networks must have the money to provide faster and safer services across various platforms. Relying on ad revenues, rather than paid memberships, has historically been the most successful business strategy to garner revenue, as people seem to be more willing to tolerate ads than to fork over money for a membership.

Furthermore, the social network ironically permits advertisers to create brand profile pages; Ello founder Paul Budnitz even has a brand page for his bicycle company. This is a highly hypocritical concept — Ello claims to be ad-free, though it still allows mass-marketing.

The network further harbours a hidden elitism. While Facebook and Twitter allow users to register to use their networks instantly, anyone who wishes to use Ello must request an invite by submitting their email address. The network’s slow, invite-only system has led to so much frustration that users are now purchasing invites on Ebay for over $500, to avoid waiting.

Overall, Ello portrays itself as an exclusive, ‘hipster’ club. Its monochromatic logo and Marxist-like slogans further affirm this secretive, elitist image. I believe that the internet should be an open place, but unfortunately Ello dismisses the idea. For these reasons, I will take this social network off my ‘To Do’ list, while opting for something a little more open and commercial.

Woohoo: Hajj selfies

At the beginning of October, over 1.4 million Muslim pilgrims made the Hajj to Mecca, a journey which comprises one of Islam’s five pillars. This year, pictures of the religious observance exploded across the internet thanks to a new phenomenon: Hajj selfies.

From the Tawaf — the circling of the holy Kaaba structure — to prayers atop Mount Al-Noor, to the stoning of the ‘devil’ in Mina, the key stages of the Hajj have been mass-recorded for the world to see. Although the phenomenon sparked controversy over social media, with some observers criticizing the photo trend for being flippant, the flood of photos has exposed an entirely new audience to this major religious event.

This week, news buffs could click on BBC World and be greeted not by news of air strikes or jihadist rebels in the Middle East, but by the faces of millions of individuals participating in an exceptionally important global event.

Boohoo: Hajj construction

While some pilgrims were upset by the Hajj selfie storm, many more were outraged by the major development that dominated Mecca’s skyline to accommodate for the increased number of visitors. Historic neighbourhoods, domes, and pillars dating back to the Ottoman Empire have been bulldozed to make room for hotels, shopping malls, and other buildings.

For example, the 12-mile radius around the Kaaba, which houses the Black Stone — the spiritual focal point towards which all Muslims pray — used to be a restricted and holy space. Today, the area is littered with cranes.

This new ‘Mecca-hattan’ has archaeologists and religious authorities concerned that development is stripping the holy city of its spirituality. Far more dangerous than a couple of selfie snaps, this trend has the potential to transform one of the most beautiful sites of the modern and ancient worlds into a monstrosity of petrodollar-fueled capitalism.

All of us have dreams, yet some of us lack the motivation to pursue them. Whatever you see as your goal in life, you can achieve it by following a set of rules.

First of all, the more outrageous your dream, the better. Whether it’s to become an athlete, chemist, or the next prime minister, the first step is to research those who have already achieved your dream. Recognize them, study them, and admire them. Watch their movies, read their biographies, and listen to what they have to say on Youtube. I guarantee that the more you do this, the more you will become inspired.

The second step is to visualize yourself as that famous Hollywood actor or that Olympic athlete. This is absolutely necessary, because if you can’t visualize this, then no one else will. This concept can also be applied to those smaller, intermediate goals.  For example, before every set at the gym, I examine the weight on the bench press or the barbell, and I visualize myself lifting it. Afterwards, the actual lift is much less difficult because the struggle in your mind is always more strenuous than reality. If you can visualize your dream, you’ve completed the toughest part.

The next step is to dismiss all of your critics, as many people in life will claim that your dream cannot be accomplished. I find that many of these people make biased or ignorant assumptions, as they naturally cannot put themselves into your shoes. Trust yourself, fall back on visualizing your accomplishments, and remember that you have the ability to achieve your goal.

You may demonstrate your skill well, but you’ll never be publicly known unless you promote yourself.

Of course, you must put the best work possible toward what you want to achieve. This means diligently studying your notes, lifting the heavy weights at the gym, coding away on your computer, or whatever applies to you. This hard work will require a lot of mental and physical power, so it’s best you make it a double shot of espresso.

However, there is another aspect of work that people often ignore. You may demonstrate that you have skill or knowledge, but you’ll never be known to the public unless you meet up with like-minded people and promote yourself. You can do this by creating online profiles through certain websites dedicated to your skill or craft; many of these sites have forums in which you can discuss topics with other members. Not only does this make you known, but it helps establish you amongst a network of people.

One misconception about the road to success is that failure doesn’t occur. Embrace failure — it’s inevitable that you’ll have setbacks. I’ve failed many times to achieve what I want in school, at the gym, and in my other activities. When I don’t receive a decent mark on a test, or fail to lift a weight at the gym, I remember that there will be a next time. Whether it takes three times or 100, I’ll eventually crush it, and this is the attitude you must employ. Failure is opportunity for growth, and not some moral incompetency.

What you want out of life is attainable, but you must first believe it to be possible. Your dream will not be accomplished easily, but if you find an inspiration, visualize, work hard, and do not fear failure, then you will undoubtedly achieve your dream. When it comes to your life path, never let a critic’s remark become your reality.

What is absurdly clear from the recently released white paper outlining the revised Society Act, is that the current Liberal government has issues with priorities. While there is a scarcity of accountability for corporate activities in BC (I’m looking at you, Kinder Morgan), the government seems overly concerned with regulating non-profit societies.

Section 99 of the proposed act is of particular interest, as it allows for any “member of the public” to file an application to the BC Supreme Court if they feel that a registered non-profit society is acting in a way that is “detrimental to the public interest.” This act essentially introduces an undue amount of ambiguity, while misunderstandsing the role of non-profits, and will be used to lessen the impact these societies have in BC.

The ambiguity of the term ‘public interest’ implies an unacceptable amount of judicial interpretation in a non-partisan court system. In order to define the public interest, a judge must determine what interests are at hand and whose interests take priority. The very nature of politics is centred on this question.

Whether one defines public interest as job creation, environmental protection, or income equality, it ultimately remains a political position on which all parties in BC take a stance. This term cannot be interpreted without a partisan judgement.

The term ‘public interest’ cannot be interpreted [by the government] without a partisan judgement.

Section 99 further affirms that there is a “general expectation that societies will act in the public interest.” Considering the ambiguity in ‘public interest,’ it is clear that no non-profit could live up to this “expectation.” These organizations exist in our society as mechanisms for concerned individuals — who are otherwise voiceless — to organize and collectively advance their own specific interests.

To legally incorporate as a non-profit involves its structure and finances, more than its specific aims. Non-profits functions to counter hegemonic opinions and create a democratic civil society in which people can play a greater role in politics beyond the act of voting. Tying the legitimacy of a society with its specific actions contravenes this purpose and lessens its positive social impact.

The act will lead to silence, and intimidate those organizations whose activities are incongruent with the Liberal political agenda. It places a disproportionate burden on already struggling non-profits to not only self-regulate actions for fear of legal reaction, but to spend enormous amounts of their already tight budgets defending themselves in courts from accusations which can be raised by anyone, and be justified by any rationale the court finds convenient.

Outlined in Section 98 (3) are the court’s available remedies, which include “directing the society’s activities” and “ordering the society to liquidate and dissolve.” These measures clearly constitute overreaching power of the courts — a power that concerns me, especially given recent news that the BC Supreme Court denied the City of Burnaby an injunction against Kinder Morgan for violating the city’s bylaws. The courts simply cannot be relied on to protect public interest.

The true intentions of this act may be benevolent, but I remain dubious. This white paper places too much power in government hands, and constrains public free speech and action for the good of society. The Society Act is yet another bill that strips away the democratic standings of our nation.