Facebook & 10 Years in Prison...

Cafe World and all those other games on Facebook are addictive, no doubt. However, I am not sure that they are that addictive that I would be even slightly tempted to leave a 13-month old baby in the bath by themselves while I go and cook some cakes or harvest a few crops in Farmville or even have a few 1-minute rounds of Bejeweled Blitz.

Shannon Johnson of Fort Lupton in northern Colorado was sentenced to 10 years in jail for allowing her 13-month old son to drown in the bath while she played Cafe World and check her status updates.

According to Johnson she wanted her son, Joseph, to be an independent baby and not be a "mama's boy". Also Johnson claims to have been traumatised as a child from constantly being told "no". Therefore, she was committed to never saying no to her own child. And, subsequently Johnson was claiming that little Joseph himself asked to be left alone in the bath.

Sadly, Johnson had been warned of the dangers of leaving an infant in the bath by themselves. This warning came from Johnson's own mother, but the advice was ignored and tragically it was little Joseph that paid the ultimate price.

The point of this post is not to bang on about Facebook or Mark Zuckerberg being ultimately responsible for Joseph's death because they facilitated Johnson's addiction. To the contrary, it is really about parenting and what constitutes good parenting and how we learn to be good parents. I have been wondering how, as parents, we learn to find that balance between allowing our children their independence and protecting them from the dangers that surround them?

The learning curve is steep.

The Government, The Internet, and A Little Revolution...

This came via the Treespotter via the Hammer of Truth.

Has technology changed the face of revolution?

RIM Blocks Porn on BlackBerry Smartphones in Indonesia...

All hail to the Anti-Pornography King, TitS!

TitS (aka Tifatul Sembiring) has seemingly won the battle with RIM. RIM have not only agreed to block pornography from their BlackBerry Smartphones, but they have gone even further by simply adopting the filtering system developed by the Nawala Project.

This filtering system blocks out all content that is considered to be not only pornographic, but that content that is considered to be related to gambling, phishing / malware, and SARA (this is a term that relates to anything involving religion, ethnicity, race, or inter-group relations). The filter is very broad, which means that many Indonesians will not be able to access sites through their BlackBerry devices that are harmless.

It must be pointed out that the Nawala project is an Indonesia created open-source filtering service that has been in operation since 2009. It is the filtering service of choice for all of Indonesia's telecommunications providers, and it is the one that is being touted by the Ministry of Communication and Information.

The use of the Nawala Project filtering system by RIM is a cost-effective way of meeting the demands for a porn filter from the Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information. It is cost effective because it is open-source and it is free. Although, it would seem that Irwin Day, Deputy Head of Public Relations at the Nawala Project, is contemplating that RIM might make some financial contribution to the ongoing development of the technology.

What's next? Well, the porn filter issue was really only a pre-cursor to a much larger battle in TitS' war against RIM. The Minister wants a server, or at least an aggregator, to be built in Indonesia. The rationale is a simple one; Indonesia is the biggest user of RIM BlackBerry devices in Southeast Asia and has earned the right to have the server / aggregator built in Indonesia. For Indonesian subscribers, the belief is that a server here will reduce BlackBerry tariffs. In contrast, the Minister wants the RIM server here because he believes that it will make it easier for his Ministry to track corruption and terrorism suspects and their communications.

If RIM stands true to form then it would be reasonable to expect them to fold on that demand as well. I wonder how long it will be before RIM and its Managing Director for this part of the world, Gregory Wade, are announcing their plans to build a server in Jakarta?

If TitS is giving all his praise to Allah for allowing him a victory in the filter battles, then one can only imagine how much beside himself he will be when RIM announces that it is building a server in Indonesia. It might just be enough to send him into the arms of Vicky Vette and another happy ending!

Then again, one day, and perhaps one day soon, TitS will realise that for all his small victories in battles on the war on porn that he is fighting a losing fight. Internet pornography will always be there as will those with an appetite for it and the desire to develop mechanisms to access it. The porn industry is very much like Medusa's head in that for every snake you cut off, another one grows back in its place (I am sure someone is going to want to argue the point about severing Medusa's head altogether, right?).

Telkomsel and Excelcomindo Get on Board the TitS Bandwagon...

In a victory for ignorance and stupidity, Telkomsel and Excelcomindo have decided to jump on board the TitS Express to "Insanityville". TitS has been waging a "War Against Porn". The main thrust of his current strategy is to shut down access to any site or material that he determines is offensive and undermines the morals of the Republic of Indonesia. So, Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of BlackBerry Smartphones, is now in his sites.

The Minister for [Mis]Information and [Mis]Communication (photo caption: "nah, I am right-handed and I start like this!") has decided that RIM has two weeks to shut down access to all pornographic sites. Here is my confusion as I sit down typing away while looking at my new mobile phone. I am wondering who is responsible for blocking porn content on my phone if Australia ever gets to the point that Indonesia is at now with TitS? My phone is a HTC and my service is provided by Telstra's Next G network. So, is HTC responsible for blocking porn content that may be accessed through my mobile phone or is that the responsibility of my service provider Telstra?

I would have figured that Telstra would have had to have been the responsible party in this instance. So, if that is the science of the matter then why is TitS so adamant in his pursuit of RIM and their BlackBerry Smartphones? I am no techno wizard, so feel free to jump in and comment.

I wonder if the real issue is not one of nationalisation through creative and novel interpretation of the prevailing laws and regulations, specifically the Pornography and ITE Laws.

I am sure I will get back to TitS and his RIM obsession in the future. Although, the mind boggles, where to from here Mr TitS, porn for the sight-challenged (blind in less politically correct terminology)?

Mobile Phones and the STD Test Application...

After the Ugly Meter which seems to be nothing more than a little frivolity there is the possibility that scientists will hit the STD test jackpot so to speak. It is being reported that in the not too distant future STD testing can be done at home or with the help of your trusty mobile phone. The test will be as simple as providing a little urine sample on a computer chip and placing it into your phone and waiting for the phone to spit out the results.

Not all experts are of the belief that this technology is imminent in the consumer-ready sense. However, it seems that it is not something that is outside the realm of possibility. The experts have developed simple test kits for HIV. So, the future is nigh, so to speak.

However, the technology raises some interesting nocturnal entertainment possibilities, don't you think? Going out on the turps on a Friday and Saturday night and entering the one-night stand lottery need not result in a recurring case of STD. The reality will be that right next to the condoms in the wallet or purse will be the STD computer chips. It would be pretty funny to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. "So, I am really looking forward to getting down and dirty with you, but before we do would you mind if I watched you pee on this computer chip?" Sort of crushes the moment, doesn't it?

Nevertheless, the old adage of "it is better to be safe than sorry" might make it cheaper in the long run. All the same, I am wondering what happens when the mobile phone pipes up..."Warning, Warning, Warning, don't do it, Chlamydia!" or "Warning, Warning, Warning, do not go there...Gonorrhea!"

It is a good idea. Anything that keeps our young, and perhaps old, people healthy is a worthwhile cause. Yet, it is still one of those things that you find yourself shaking your head at, like will it still work once the beer goggles are on?

The Ugly Meter...

I do not own an iPhone, but now that I know that I can pay USD 0.99 and buy an application called the "Ugly Meter", I might just have to splash out and get one. The concept is an interesting one; face scanning technology that maps your face and then gives it a rating of somewhere from 1 to 10. I am no techno wizard, but I always thought that this would have to be a 3-D thingy in order to get some accuracy to the scanning and mapping. Perhaps I have been watching too much CSI and NCIS and Law & Order.

Anyways, the ugly meter seemingly scans and calls most people ugly. So, it appears to be an equal opportunity ugly meter and makes everyone ugly. It is hard to work out how best to use the ugly meter. I can see that if you can resist the urge to scan yourself and just scan all those around you, then there is a chance that this application will be good for yourself esteem and body image, well at least your face image. Then again, if you cannot resist that urge and you scan yourself and score a woeful ugly number then your hard-earned self-esteem could be shot in no time at all.

Yet, if trial runs are anything to go by this application could be a real winner. Brad Pitt, often cited as one of the beautiful people and one-time sexiest man alive, has found out that age does in fact weary him. Mr. Pitt scores a pretty ugly 8 on the ugly meter. When Brad Pitt scores an 8 it is almost worth buying the application just to see if you can score a 7. If I scored a 7 then you can rest assured that everyone I know will know that I am just that little bit "hotter" than Brad Pitt! But Mr. Pitt's better half scored a lot better. It just goes to prove that old adage; opposites attract.

Then again, knowing the reaction of my mirror when I stand in front of it, a ten is not outside the realm of possibility! Or better still, the application just laughs and says "Mate, you're so ugly that it is not even worth a score...but, 27!"

Apparently, the developers of this here "ugly meter" are doing beautiful business. They managed to sell some USD 10,000 worth over the past weekend. I really need to whack on the thinking cap and come up with an iPhone application that people will find amusing.

Wikipedia & Education...

I have been thinking of writing on this for a while. I have been told throughout my Masters Degree not to use Wikipedia as a source, and not to suggest to students when on practicum to use Wikipedia as a source. I have always found this a little bizarre and way to biased for my usual standard. I have always believed that, where you can, you use all the resources at your disposal. This would include Wikipedia in an educational setting.

On the weird front, I use "wikis" as a means of providing information to students and as a means of allowing students to post and share information amongst each other. It is an excellent learning tool. It is also a tool I need to get better at using and utilising. I have no qualms about admitting to being a technology novice. I, am though, keen to incorporate as much technology into my classroom as I can. Let's face it, technology is the way of the future. I would be negligent if I did not learn to use it and facilitate my students in using it.

So, back to Wikipedia. What I have been taught is that "crowd sourcing" is code for unreliable. Simply, any one can post any old garbage online in, or on, a Wikipedia page. This is in fact true. However, part of the learning process is teaching students to be discerning in how they locate information and how they address issues of usefulness, reliability and bias. Strangely enough, I think, particularly in Years 11 & 12 that students are more than capable of making these judgment calls, and they must be afforded the opportunity to do so.

I encourage my students to use Wikipedia, often as a first point of call. One of the earlier lessons in my programming deals with Wikipedia and how to use it as a research tool. The beauty of Wikipedia is that it is a wonderful resource. The vast majority of pages contain links to other material, usually the source material for the Wikipedia page itself. Therefore, if students know where to find these links on a Wikipedia page, then they might only be one, two, or perhaps a mere three 'clicks' away from the pot of gold at the end of the Wikipedia rainbow, the primary source.

The other point of interest that most people seemingly fail to recognise is that most Wikipedia pages include a disclaimer at the top when the content / material is deemed to be of a questionable standard. This disclaimer tends to suggest that there are problems with the citations, or lack thereof, with the Wikipedia page. I would argue that most students would read the disclaimer and recognise that there were 'issues' regarding usefulness and reliability. I encourage my students to separate "the sheep from the goats" (I used this line on my last practicum :D).

Final point. Wikipedia is not the be all to end all with respect to research. There will be times when students are required to look beyond the internet, perhaps even do some hard yards in a real library as opposed to a virtual one. But, with the ever-increasing amount of material being digitised and uploaded to the virtual realm, it is possible to research and write an academic essay or paper without leaving home. I, for example, can access my university library (University of Western Sydney) and all the digital resources it has by using my student card and logging in remotely.

So, why are some educators scared of Wikipedia?

Viva Wikipedia!

Twitter...

I am now on Twitter...

@rabexperience

I still need to learn how to use it properly. But, feel free to do whatever it is that Twitterers do with the follow and be followed thing.

Hmmmm...

A change of pace. I figured that a photo to make you smile would make an interesting change from what I have been posting of late; for you and for me.

This photo was sent to me as part of an Irish joke. It also included a sentence about it being a 'real' photograph. I am always a little weary of real photographs and the internet. The cold hard reality is that there are some real masters out there of the technology and software who can manufacture 'real' photos.

I cannot make the writing out on the street signs so the photo could really be anywhere. Maybe someone recognizes the buildings or the signs. Supposedly the footpath is the one outside the Royal Hospital in Belfast.

It is kind of funny and put a smile on my dial. People really cannot be that silly can they? Those bollards, at least one of them, must lift out and then can be replaced and then locked, right?

Oh well!

Public Lewdness and Masturbating on the Subway...

It takes all sorts to make this world that we live in. And, sometimes you just have got to wonder what makes some people tick. In this age of modern technology and super fast communication, the chances of you doing something stupid and getting away with it are decreasing all the time.

So it was for Kevin Bishop, the subway masturbator. Bishop was snapped on a mobile phone doing the deed and then reported to the police. The police originally said it was not a matter for them. however, they back-tracked rather quickly from this position and on recognizing Bishop from a couple of posters, arrested him.

Bishop is facing up to 90 days in jail for his chicken choking activities. His excuse, "officer, they just fell out and I was trying to put them back in." Maybe, no one ever told bishop that any more than three shakes and it is a wank. I have to say, I have caught a lot of trains over the years and I cannot recall even one time where the family jewels and tackle just fell out by themselves, and then having a hard time (pun intended) in trying to restore some order by getting them back inside my strides.

Nope, definitely not looking good for Mr. Bishop. Another WTF were you thinking moment.

Internet Filters and Pornography...

Not everything is as easy as installing a filter, this includes blocking pornography on the internet. The New South Wales Department of Education has installed filters on school computers presumably to ensure that students, and teachers, do not have the ability to access porn and to ensure that their time is productive in accessing appropriate academic and education-related sites.

Oops!

The filter has some problems. This is highlighted in the case of a Year 10 student who typed in the search term "swallow". Yes, I know, you can see where this is going already. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, for this particular Year 10 student, the sites that came up had nothing to do with a little bird but rather some hard core porn that dealt not with the little swallow but with a whole different set of swallow circumstances.

But, turning this into a farce is that harmless sites like the Minister of Education, Verity Firth's, own web page is blocked by the filter.

This is the problem with filters. They are not discriminating enough and too discriminating all in the same algorithm. It is perhaps better to err on the side of caution and block web pages and sites that are harmless if the filter could ensure that it was doing the job it was supposed to and filtering out all the harmful web pages and sites. However, this example clearly shows that the filters are not up to that task.

The reality is that even the constant updating of lists is of limited use. Pornographers are smart enough, and technologically savvy enough, to up and move their material to a new web page address and avoid the filter. Web / internet users are also generally sufficiently technologically savvy to be able to follow along with the pornographers, if they are so inclined to do so.

There must be a better way to ensure that access is restricted in a manner that prevents the access to pornography while maintaining access to the sites required by school-aged children.

This begs the question are the filters a worthwhile investment or a waste of time?

It would seem that at this present time filters are not working and it is time to invest in finding a better and more effective alternative.

A Small and Unexpected Surprise...

This post follows on from the earlier posts on the Jessup Competition. I have enjoyed, thoroughly, the past two years working with and coaching the UPH Jessup Moot Team (in the photo: Johan, James, Pricilla, Yours Truly, and Nenda). It is always nice to see a group of dedicated and committed students willing to go the whole ten yards and sacrifice a little bit along the way to achieve their goals.

A long story short, they invited me out to dinner last night. I am thinking this is just a chance to say our goodbyes as they are moving on to new and different things in their university careers and me and mine are pulling up stumps and heading back to Australia. This was very much how the evening was going. However, when we were about to call it a night, they surprised me with a cool little book that had photos of our journey over the last two years and a personal note from each of them.

This was a very nice gesture and much appreciated. However,there was more to come. They also gave me an iPod touch. Now, this was not just a nice gesture but also very cool. I am so technologically challenged that it is going to take me some time to work it all out. Yet, it will be fun in doing so. It also happens to be the first Mac thing that I have ever owned.

Now it is off to iTunes and download the necessary software to get started on this journey.

What's Your Preference?

The miracles of modern medicine and our ability to save and prolong life are an integral part of who we have become, who we are, and who we will be. It is also a matter of some concern, at least, in a medical ethics sense.

The most obvious example of a current concern is the leaps and bounds being made in cloning technology. I am all for development of new technology. Nevertheless, new technology, particularly in medical science, is going to give rise to some interesting ethical and moral debates.

I have just finished reading this interesting story about prospective parents being able to choose not only the sex of their child, but also the child's hair colour, eye colour, and even skin colour. I guess this is like a little bit of pre-natal cosmetic surgery.

The issue here is that some individuals are exploiting advances that were made with more primary concerns involved. Scientists who have developed the ability to identify certain diseases or markers for potential health problems have also, as part of the process, discovered ways to manipulate cells and genes to ensure certain outcomes, like blue eyes.

Medical research is not cheap, so it is of no surprise that the selection of the specialized traits for your baby will also not come cheap. The current estimated cost is USD 18,000. Having had a look at my perfect little bundle of screaming joy on getting home earlier tonight, I can think of other things to put USD 18 K to, rather than a set of hazel coloured eyes or darker skin.

When it is all said and done, to each their own. However, even if I had the money or the ability to choose these traits, I would not do it and I would not have done it in this case. This, for me, is a separate issue from one such as identifying a gene for disease, such as down syndrome. But, that's just me.

Privacy -- The Virtual Strip Search

The privacy theme is one that resonates in all manner of places and in a large number of countries. Australia is currently trialling body scanning technology at a small number of airports with a view to providing enhanced security for flights.

I have written on this previously here. The privacy issues here are that the technology does not have the ability to blur the genitals of the people that it screens. More accurately, it does have the ability to blur the genitals but the powers that be have decided not to. So, in essence the person sitting behind the monitor will be viewing you in all your glory. I wonder if they are taking volunteers for these screening positions.

The picture leaves very little to the imagination. It is worth noting that in this picture I can make out what appears to be bones in the lower legs and the knees of the person being screened. The idea is that the x-rays used are at the lower end of the spectrum and would require up to 10,000 screens before you would be in danger of excessive radiation exposure.

So, if you are a domestic traveller leaving Melbourne Airport over the next six weeks you may well be asked to test new x-ray scanners and not only be exposed to the x-rays but be exposed in other ways too.

The new X-ray backscatter body scanner has been described by some critics as a "virtual strip search". Looking at the image above you can see why. The trialling authorities have made it clear that they are not going to blur the images of the genitals. However, the technology has been set up so that faces are automatically blurred.

The blurring of the faces is an attempt to try and avoid claims that the technology violates privacy. Probably more important is that there are very explicit regulations in place with respect to the storage and access to any images that are saved. Even with faces blurred, the mere thought of these images appearing online in some porn site would bother many people.

The current procedures are that once a person walks through the scanner and they are clear of any nasty stuff like explosives, the screener presses a button and the image is automatically deleted. Sounds fair enough assuming that the screener is deleting the images.

Happy traveling!

Virtual Strip Search

It was only a matter of time before Australian airports started to trial virtual strip search technology. The virtual strip search is a low strength x-ray machine that can see under one's clothes.

The picture (courtesy of AP) shows what the image is supposed to look like. I do not know enough about the technology but I wonder if the strength of the x-ray is upped a little bit do you get to see more of the traveller than either the scanner or the traveller bargained for?

The two extremes on this technology are:

* those that say the technology is necessary to screen for explosives and other weapons; and
* those that say this technology is nothing more than an invasion of privacy.

Nevertheless, the question is one that should be asking how much are travellers prepared to give up in order that they travel without fear of people bringing explosives and other weapons on to a flight?

The NSW Council for Civil Liberties main complaint is that the images could be highly embarrassing for travellers as it shows in reasonable detail their body shape. The Council is also worried that this will become the norm. Currently, strip searches are not required to board an aircraft so why should a virtual strip search be mandatory?

This is a trial so the emphasis is on travellers opting in to try the new technology. Travellers not into being stripped searched virtually can opt to go through regular scanning procedures. My guess is that the trial lines will always be shorter.

So, if you are in a hurry it is certainly going to be decision time. I do not carry explosives or other weapons when I am walking around the place and definitely do not carry them onto planes. I know I am an ugly bastard so I am more likely to ruin the virtual strip searchers day rather than provide them with any form of amusement or heaven forbid, arousal.

There will be strict rules in place about the storing of images and it is unlikely that the images are to be stored. There would be no valid reason to store images that did not show someone trying to smuggle something illegal on board.

Besides if these images were to find their way onto the Internet or into the public domain, then there would be claims galore for the invasion of privacy. It should be noted that the faces of the scanned individuals are to be blurred. However, it should also be noted that there is software available to "unblur" these faces (or at least this is what I am told).

The word is that the low dose of radiation associated with the scan is harmless. It is said that to get anywhere near the maximum permissible level of radiation exposure would require upwards of 10,000 scans. This would make you a very frequent traveller.

The technology is to be trialled in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. I won't be home anytime soon, so I guess I will have to wait until they start trialling it here in Indonesia.

Sexting

I guess new technology calls for the creation of new words to explain new phenomenon. I always thought that I was fairly clued in and up-to-date on things. Today I learned that there was such a thing as sexting. The phenomenon is generally about people who utilize all the technological capabilities of their gadgets. In this case their mobile phones.

Most mobile phones now include cameras that have the ability to take still pictures and streaming video. A lot, albeit not all, people enjoy photographing and filming themselves in all their glory or in compromising positions and then sending that to friends and colleagues. This I was aware of but I did not know that this form of communication had a name, sexting.

For me when consenting adults take pictures of themselves and send them to each other is fine with me. Once you do it and then you lose control of those images and they appear on the Internet and end up causing you embarrassment, then so be it. This, I suggest, goes with the territory.

However, teens now also have mobile phones and by default also have the ability to be actively involved in sexting. The question is when kids send naked pictures of themselves to their peers of the same age have they broken the law? Are they involved in child pornography? Can they be charged?

It is clear that when someone over the age of consent encourages someone under the age of consent to photograph themselves and then sext them, then this would be something that would run afoul of prevailing legislation, at least in Australia.

New technology will require new laws to govern new developments and phenomenon.

Alexa

I really do not understand this traffic counting stuff. I am not a techno wizard and any explanation is likely to go way over my head. Particularly, if it is any more detailed than the question I pose at the end.

I do not really know why I linked it to my blog. I guess it seemed like a good thing at the time. And when the numbers were coming down pretty consistently it probably seemed like fun. I have been down to 914,000 plus a few and I have now blown back out to 1,028,396.

I am not sure how this works as the other stat and traffic counter seems to suggest that I have statistically grown and grown somewhat significantly, like double over the last 30 days. I am guessing the Alexa number is my rank and that must mean that there are others out there who are growing much faster than me. Is that how the figures should be read?

Internet -- The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

There is no doubting that the Internet is a powerful tool. There is also no doubting that once something gets posted online it is almost impossible to retrieve. So, if what is posted is embarrassing then it is likely to remain an embarrassment for the rest of your natural life.

It is not only the Internet that is a powerful tool in this age of technology, but the increasing sophistication of mobile phones to include cameras and streaming video means that just about anyone can be a conduit for news. This sort of takes citizen journalism to a whole new level.

When the Internet and increased sophistication of technology is combined with the increasing levels of sexualization of children, then we have a scenario for real trouble. This is highlighted in a Victorian case that has now involved the FBI.

A teenage girl, and only just a teenager at 13, has taken some sexually explicit photos of herself and sent them to her 17-year old boyfriend. Now, I am not quite sure what a 17-year old wants to be going out with a 13-year old for in the first place, but he was.

The whole story might have ended there but for the intervention of another 13-year old who happened to acquire the self-portrait images of the other girl and decided to create a fake MySpace account and post the pictures there.

Now the news are reporting the girl who took the photos as the victim. However, if the photos were taken voluntarily is she still a victim. In the eyes of the law, yes. The 17-year old should have known the law and steered well clear. This might be cut and dried in terms of interpreting the prevailing provisions but it might not be so cut and dried once the full story emerges (then again maybe it will).

The complaint was made by the "victim" and the police became involved. It is unclear as to whether the complaint was about the 17-year old boyfriend or the 13-year old that created the MySpace account and posted the happy snappy self-portraits.

The 13-year old that created the fake MySpace account was cautioned, which is nothing more than a lecture and a slap on the wrist.

The boyfriend on the other hand is in a whole different world of hurt having been charged with the sexual penetration of a child under 16 and procuring child pornography.

My views are clear on kiddie porn and a quick squiz through my postings here are elsewhere highlight that. Simply, kiddie porn is not on at any time. But, how are we as a community to deal with images of minors taken by the minors themselves and then posted by those minors on the Internet?

Parking Practice -- Aliens

Who said that there were not aliens among us?

If we would just open our eyes we would see that they are everywhere! The picture I have seen before (at least I think I have seen it before) but I borrowed this one from here.

I wish I was more technologically savvy so that I could photoshop pictures. I have a weird and wicked sense of humour so I think I could be good at it. I reckon there must be an adobe class somewhere in Jakarta. Any suggestions were a person with limited skills goes to get skilled-up?

Thanks!