The Liberty Amendments Chapter 1

the Liberty Amendments ✗ch a p ter one R estor ing the A m er ica n R epublic I und e r t o o k t hi s p roj e c t not because I believe the Con- stitution, as originally structured, is outdated and outmoded, thereby requiring modernization through amendments, but be- cause of the opposite—that is, the necessity and urgency of restor- ing constitutional republicanism and preserving the civil society from the growing authoritarianism of a federal Leviathan. This is not doomsaying or fearmongering but an acknowledgment of fact. The Statists have been successful in their century-long march to disfigure and mangle the constitutional order and undo the social compact. To disclaim the Statists’ campaign and aims is to impru- dently ignore the inventions and schemes hatched and promoted openly by their philosophers, experts, and academics, and the co- ercive application of their designs on the citizenry by a delusional governing elite. Their handiwork is omnipresent, for all to see— ✗M A R K R. LEV I N 2 a centralized and consolidated government with a ubiquitous net- work of laws and rules actively suppressing individual initiative, self-interest, and success in the name of the greater good and on behalf of the larger community. Nearly all will be emasculated by it, including the inattentive, ambivalent, and disbelieving. The nation has entered an age of post-constitutional soft tyr- anny. As French thinker and philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville explained presciently, “It covers the surface of society with a net- work of small complicated rules, minute and uniform, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise above the crowd. The will of man is not shattered, but softened, bent, and guided; men are seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly restrained from acting. Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence; it does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupe- fies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd.” 1 Social engineering and central planning are imposed without end, since the governing masterminds, drunk with their own con- ceit and pomposity, have wild imaginations and infinite ideas for reshaping society and molding man’s nature in search of the ever- elusive utopian paradise. Their clumsy experiments and infantile pursuits are not measured against any rational standard. Their pi- ousness and sanctimony are justification enough. Tocqueville observed further, “It would seem as if the rulers of our time sought only to use men in order to make things great; I wish that they would try a little more to make great men; that they would set less value on the work and more upon the work- man; that they would never forget that a nation cannot long re- ✗T H E LIBERT Y A ME NDME NTS 3 main strong when every man belonging to it is individually weak; and that no form or combination of social polity has yet been devised to make an energetic people out of a community of pusil- lanimous and enfeebled citizens.” 2 Today Congress operates not as the Framers intended, but in the shadows, where it dreams up its most notorious and oppres- sive laws, coming into the light only to trumpet the genius and earnestness of its goings-on and to enable members to cast their votes. The people are left lamebrained and dumbfounded about their “representatives’ ” supposed good deeds, which usually take the form of omnibus bills numbering in hundreds if not thousands of pages, and utterly clueless about the effects these laws have on their lives. Of course, that is the point. The public is not to be informed but indoctrinated, manipulated, and misled. Congress also, and often, delegates unconstitutionally law- making power to a gigantic yet ever-growing administrative state that, in turn, unleashes on society myriad regulations and rules at such a rapid rate the people cannot possibly know of them, either—and if, by chance, they do, they cannot possibly com- prehend them. Nonetheless, ignorance, which is widespread and deliberately so, is no excuse for noncompliance, for which the citizen is heavily fined and severely punished. Not to be outdone, the current occupant of the Oval Office sees his primary duty as “fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” 3 By this, of course, President Barack Obama did not mean a fresh allegiance to the nation’s founding principles and a new respect for the Constitution’s limits on federal author- ity, but the converse. He is more blatant and aggressive than his twentieth-century predecessors, but faithfully follows the foot- steps of the most transgressive among them. The metamorphosis ✗M A R K R. LEV I N 4 of the executive branch into an immense institution exercising a conglomeration of powers, including lawmaking and decreeing, is clearly without constitutional origin, a quaint notion mostly derided these days. Having delegated broad lawmaking power to executive branch departments and agencies of its own creation, contravening the separation-of-powers doctrine, Congress now watches as the president inflates the congressional delegations even further and proclaims repeatedly the authority to rule by executive fiat in defi- ance of, or over the top of, the same Congress that sanctioned a domineering executive branch in the first place. Notwithstand- ing Congress’s delinquency, but because of it, an unquenched President Obama, in a hurry to expedite a societal makeover, has repeatedly admonished Congress that “[i]f [it] won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will!”—that is, if Congress will not genuflect to his demands, and pass laws to his liking, he will act on his own.4 And the president has made good on his refrain. On a grow- ing list of matters, he has, in fact, displayed an impressive ap- titude for imperial rule. With the help of a phalanx of policy “czars,” from immigration, the environment, and labor law to health care, welfare, and energy, the president has exercised his executive “discretion” to create new law, abrogate existing law, and generally contrive ways to exploit legal ambiguities as a means to his ends. He has also declared the Senate in recess when it was not, thereby bypassing the Senate’s constitutional “advice and consent” role to install several partisans in top federal posts. Today this is glorified and glamorized as compassionate pro- gressivism. The Framers called it despotism. In Federalist 48, James ✗T H E LIBERT Y A ME NDME NTS 5 Madison, considered the father of the Constitution, wrote, “An ELECTIVE DESPOTISM was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only be founded on free principles, but in which the powers of government should be so divided and bal- anced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.” 5 The third branch of the federal triarchy, the judiciary, is no better. Among the biggest myths is that the men and women of the judiciary, operating under monklike conditions, would duti- fully and faithfully focus their undivided mental faculties toward preserving the Constitution. They would apply their expertise, experience, and insight free from the political pressures and bi- ases of elections and the legislative and executive branches of government, and within a narrow scope of authority and purpose. Moreover, it was assumed there was little to fear from this part of government. In Federalist 78, Alexander Hamilton explained, “Whoever attentively considers the different departments of power must perceive, that, in a government in which they are separated from each other, the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution; because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure them.” 6 Yet, having seized for itself in the early years of the nation the final word on all matters before it, the Supreme Court with just five of its nine members can impose the most far-reaching and breathtaking rulings on the whole of society, for which there is no effective recourse. It turns out that justices are also God’s children; and being of this world, their makeup consists of actual flesh and blood. They are no more noble or virtuous than the rest of us, and in some ✙ ★ ✵M A R K R. LEV I N 6 cases less so, as they suffer from the usual human imperfections and frailties. And the Court’s history proves it. In addition to de- livering the routine and, in some cases, exceptional rulings, the Court is responsible for several notorious holdings, including Dred Scott v. Sandford 7 (endorsing slavery), Plessy v. Ferguson 8 (affirm- ing segregation), and Korematsu v. United States 9 (upholding the internment of Americans), among others. During the last eighty years or so, the justices have rewritten sections of the Constitu- tion, including the Commerce Clause (redefining noncommerce as commerce) and the tax provisions (redefining penalties as taxes), to accommodate the vast expansion of the federal govern- ment’s micromanagement over private economic activity. More- over, the justices have laced the Court’s jurisprudence with all manner of personal policy preferences relating to social, cultural, and religious issues, many of which could have been avoided or deferred. What was to be a relatively innocuous federal government, operating from a defined enumeration of specific grants of power, has become an ever-present and unaccountable force. It is the nation’s largest creditor, debtor, lender, employer, consumer, con- tractor, grantor, property owner, tenant, insurer, health-care pro- vider, and pension guarantor. Moreover, with aggrandized police powers, what it does not control directly it bans or mandates by regulation. For example, the federal government regulates most things in your bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen, as well as the mortgage you hold on your house. It designs your automo- bile and dictates the kind of fuel it uses. It regulates your baby’s toys, crib, and stroller; plans your children’s school curriculum and lunch menu; and administers their student loans in college. At your place of employment, the federal government oversees every- thing from the racial, gender, and age diversity of the workforce to the hours, wages, and benefits paid. Indeed, the question is not what the federal government regulates, but what it does not. And it makes you wonder—how can a people incapable of selecting their own lightbulbs and toilets possess enough competence to vote for their own rulers and fill out complicated tax returns? The illimitable regulatory activity, with which the federal government torments, harasses, and coerces the individual’s pri- vate and economic behavior, is the progeny of a colossal federal edifice with inexhaustible energy for societal manipulation and change. In order to satisfy its gluttonous appetite for program- matic schemes, the federal government not only hurriedly digests the Treasury’s annual revenue, funded with confiscatory taxes on a diminishing number of productive citizens, but desserts on the wealth not yet created by generations not yet born with uncon- strained indebtedness. And what havoc has this wrought. The federal government consumes nearly 25 percent of all goods and services produced each year by the American people.10 Yearly deficits routinely exceed $1 trillion.11 The federal govern- ment has incurred a fiscal operating debt of more than $17 tril- lion, far exceeding the total value of the annual economic wealth created by the American people, which is expected to reach about $26 trillion in a decade.12 It has accumulated unfunded liabilities for entitlement programs exceeding $90 trillion, which is growing at $4.6–6.9 trillion a year.13 There is not enough money on the planet to make good on the federal government’s financial obligations. Hence, the Fed- eral Reserve Board has swung into action with multiple versions of “quantitative easing,” which is nothing more than the federal government monetizing its own debt—or buying its own debt— ✵M A R K R. LEV I N 8 with a combination of borrowing, issuing itself credit, and print- ing money amounting to trillions of dollars.14 Of course, this has the eventual effect of devaluing the currency, fueling significant inflation or deflation, and destabilizing the economy at some fu- ture point. But like the laws of physics, there is no escaping the laws of economics. As these fiscal and monetary malpractices escalate, for there is no end in sight, the federal government will turn increas- ingly reckless and demanding, taking an even harder line against the individual’s accumulation of wealth and retention of private property. For example, when the federal income tax was instituted one hundred years ago, the top individual income tax rate was 7 percent. Today the top rate is about 40 percent, with propos- als to push it to nearly 50 percent. There is also serious talk from the governing elite about instituting a national value-added tax (VAT) on top of existing federal taxes,15 which is a form of sales tax, and divesting citizens of their 401(k) private pension plans.16 Even the rapaciousness of these policies will not be enough to fend off the severe and widespread misery unleashed from years of prof- ligacy. Smaller nations such as Cyprus, Spain, and Greece provide a window into the future, as their borrowing has reached its limit. Moreover, unable to print money, their day of reckoning is either looming or arrived. Therefore, bank accounts, other investments, and wealth generally are subject to governmental impoundment, sequester, and theft. The individual’s liberty, inextricably linked to his private property, is submerged in the quicksand of a govern- ment that is aggregating authority and imploding simultaneously. What, then, is the answer? Again, Tocqueville offers guidance. Looking back at the Constitutional Convention some fifty years afterward, he observed that “it is new in history of society to see ✵T H E LIBERT Y A ME NDME NTS 9 a great people turn a calm and scrutinizing eye upon itself when apprised by the legislature that the wheels of its government are stopped, to see it carefully examine the extent of the evil, and patiently wait two whole years until a remedy is discovered, to which it voluntarily submitted without its costing a tear or a drop of blood from mankind.” 17 It is asking too much of today’s governing masterminds and their fanatical adherents to reform the product of their own fatuity—that is, the continuing disassembly of the Constitution and society. After all, despite one credible source after another, both within and outside the federal government, ringing alarm bells about the nation’s hazardous track—describing it as unsus- tainable, desperate, and immoral—they are blinded to reason, ex- perience, and knowledge by their political DNA and ideological invincibility and therefore are intransigent to effective ameliora- tive steps. They long ago renounced by word and action their adherence to the Constitution’s confinements since the Statists’ utopia and the Framers’ Constitution cannot coexist. However, it is not asking too much of “a great people [to] turn a calm and scrutinizing eye upon itself ” and rally to their own salvation. It is time to return to self-government, where the people are sovereign and not subjects and can reclaim some con- trol over their future rather than accept as inevitable a dismal fate. Unlike the radicalism of the governing masterminds, who self-servingly oversee a century-old, perpetual counterrevolution against the American dawn, the people must have as their goal the reestablishment of the founding principles and the restora- tion of constitutional republicanism, thereby nurturing the in- dividual and preserving the civil society. This requires, first, an acknowledgment of the federal government’s unmooring from its ✵M A R K R. LEV I N 10 constitutional foundation; second, an acceptance that the con- dition is urgent and, if untreated, will ultimately be the death knell of the American Republic; third, the wisdom to rebalance the government in a way that is without novelty and true to the Framers’ original purpose; and, fourth, the courage to confront— intellectually and politically—the Statists’ stubborn grip on power. There is a path forward but it requires an enlightened look back at our founding. And what we find is that the Framers rightly insisted on preserving the prominent governing role of the state legislatures as a crucial mechanism to containing the power of the proposed new federal government. In fact, other than the limited, specified powers granted to the federal government, the states re- tained for themselves plenary governing authority. The debates during the Constitutional Convention and the state ratification conventions are unequivocal in this regard. During the ratifica- tion period, the Federalists repeatedly assured the Anti-Federalists and other skeptics of the proposed federal government’s limits. For example, Madison argued in Federalist 14, “In the first place, it is to be remembered, that the general government is not to be charged with the whole power of making and administering laws: its jurisdiction is limited to certain enumerated objects, which concern all the members of the republic, but which are not to be attained by the separate provisions of any.” 18 In Federalist 45 he insisted, “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.” 19 In Federalist 46, Madison asserted that “the powers proposed to be lodged in the federal government are as little formidable to those reserved to the individual States, as they are indispensably necessary to accomplish the purposes of the Union; and that all ■T H E LIBERT Y A ME NDME NTS 11 those alarms which have been sounded, of a meditated and con- sequential annihilation of the State governments, must, on the most favorable interpretation, be ascribed to the chimerical fears of the authors of them.” 20 Madison’s declarations were not unique among the Constitu- tion’s proponents but rather were commonplace. And without these assurances—and the additional pledge that the First Con- gress would offer amendments to the Constitution further ensuring that individual and state sovereignty would be safeguarded against the new federal government (what became the Bill of Rights, in- cluding the Ninth and Tenth Amendments)—the Constitution would not have been ratified. Thus, the Constitution, drafted by delegates who were sent by the states to Philadelphia in 1787 and ratified subsequently by delegates in the state conventions, pre- served the decisive role of the states in the American Republic. It requires emphasis that the states established the American Republic and, through the Constitution, retained for themselves significant authority to ensure the republic’s durability. This is not to say that the states are perfect governing institutions. Many are no more respectful of unalienable rights than is the federal gov- ernment. But the issue is how best to preserve the civil society in a world of imperfect people and institutions. The answer, the Framers concluded, is to diversify authority with a combination of governing checks, balances, and divisions, intended to prevent the concentration of unbridled power in the hands of a relative few imperfect people. Unlike the modern Statist, who defies, ignores, or rewrites the Constitution for the purpose of evasion, I propose that we, the ■M A R K R. LEV I N 12 people, take a closer look at the Constitution for our preserva- tion. The Constitution itself provides the means for restoring self- government and averting societal catastrophe (or, in the case of societal collapse, resurrecting the civil society) in Article V. Article V sets forth the two processes for amending the Con- stitution, the second of which I have emphasized in italics: The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Con- stitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States or by Conven- tions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress . . .21 Importantly, in neither case does the Article V amendment process provide for a constitutional convention. It provides for two methods of amending the Constitution. The first method, where two-thirds of Congress passes a proposed amendment and then forwards it to the state legislatures for possible ratification by three-fourths of the states, has occurred on twenty-seven oc- casions. The second method, involving the direct application of two-thirds of the state legislatures for a Convention for proposing Amendments, which would thereafter also require a three-fourths ratification vote by the states, has been tried in the past but with- out success. Today it sits dormant. The fact is that Article V expressly grants state legislatures ✷ ❁ ■T H E LIBERT Y A ME NDME NTS 13 significant authority to rebalance the constitutional structure for the purpose of restoring our founding principles should the fed- eral government shed its limitations, abandon its original pur- pose, and grow too powerful, as many delegates in Philadelphia and the state conventions had worried it might. The idea was first presented at the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787, by Edmund Randolph, governor of Virginia, as a proposal in the so- called Virginia Plan drafted by Madison. Resd. that provision ought to be made for the amendment of the Articles of Union whensoever it shall seem necessary, and that the assent of the National Legislature ought not be required thereto.22 On June 11, George Mason of Virginia—who had earlier drafted Virginia’s Declaration of Rights, the precursor to the Dec- laration of Independence—responded to some of the delegates who did not see the necessity of the proposal, by strongly advocat- ing for it. Col: Mason urged the necessity of such a provision. The plan now to be formed will certainly be defective, as the Confederation has been found on trial to be. Amendments therefore will be necessary, and it will be better to provide for them, in any easy, regular and Constitutional way than to trust to chance and violence. It would be improper to require the consent of the Natl Legislature, because they may abuse their power, and refuse their consent on that very account. . . .23 ■M A R K R. LEV I N 14 Later, when the delegates returned to the issue, Roger Sher- man of Connecticut—who had been a member of the Committee of Five, which helped draft the Declaration of Independence, and who coauthored the so-called Connecticut Plan, which served as the basis for our bicameral Congress—offered an alternative in which Congress would propose amendments and the states would ratify them. Madison suggested dropping the state convention al- together. On September 15, Mason, alarmed that Congress would have the sole power to propose amendments, continued to insist on state authority to call for conventions. Mason explained that an oppressive Congress would never agree to propose amendments curtailing its own tyranny: Col: Mason thought the plan of amending the Constitu- tion exceptionable & dangerous. As the proposing of amendments is in both the modes to depend, in the first immediately, and in the second, ultimately, on Congress, no amendments of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people, if the Government should become oppressive, as he verily believed would be the case.24 Mr. [Gouverneur] Morris [of Pennsylvania] & Mr. [El- bridge] Gerry [of Massachusetts] moved to amend the article so as to require a Convention on application of 2/3 of the Sts [states].25 Earlier, Pennsylvania’s James Wilson, among the most active participants at the Constitutional Convention, had “moved to insert ‘three fourths of’ before the words ‘several States,’ ” which was adopted and then ultimately added as a requirement for both ■T H E LIBERT Y A ME NDME NTS 15 amendment processes under Article V.26 Consequently, under both amendment procedures, the Constitution requires that three-fourths of the states ratify amendments, either by their state legislatures or state conventions. I was originally skeptical of amending the Constitution by the state convention process. I fretted it could turn into a run- away caucus. As an ardent defender of the Constitution who reveres the brilliance of the Framers, I assumed this would play disastrously into the hands of the Statists. However, today I am a confident and enthusiastic advocate for the process. The text of Article V makes clear that there is a serious check in place. Whether the product of Congress or a convention, a proposed amendment has no effect at all unless “ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States or by Conventions in three fourths thereof. . . .” This should extinguish anxiety that the state convention process could hijack the Constitution. After more research and reflection, the issue crystallized fur- ther. If the Framers were alarmed that states calling for a Conven- tion for proposing Amendments could undo the entire undertaking of the Constitutional Convention, then why did they craft, adopt, and endorse the language? In Federalist 43, Madison considered both Article V amendment processes equally prudent and judi- cious. He wrote, in part, “That useful alterations will be suggested by experience, could not but be foreseen. It was requisite, there- fore, that a mode for introducing them should be provided. The mode preferred by the convention seems to be stamped with every mark of propriety. It guards equally against that extreme facility, which would render the Constitution too mutable; and that ex- treme difficulty, which might perpetuate its discovered faults. It, moreover, equally enables the general and the State governments ❛M A R K R. LEV I N 16 to originate the amendment of errors, as they may be pointed out by the experience on one side, or on the other. . . .” 27 There are other reasons for assuaging concerns. Robert G. Na- telson, a former professor of law at the University of Montana and an expert on the state convention process, explains that “a con- vention for proposing amendments is a federal convention; it is a creature of the states or, more specifically, of the state legislatures. And it is a limited-purpose convention. It is not designed to set up an entirely new constitution or a new form of government. How do we know that it’s a federal convention? [It] was the only kind of interstate convention the Founders ever knew, or likely ever considered. Indeed, when they talked during the ratification pro- cess about conventions for proposing amendments, they always talked about them as representing the states.” 28 Moreover, the state legislatures determine if they want to make application for a convention; the method for selecting their delegates; and the subject matter of the convention.29 In addition, Congress’s role in the state application process is minimal and ministerial. It could not be otherwise, as the Framers and ratifiers adopted the state convention process for the pur- pose of establishing an alternative to the congressionally initi- ated amendment process. It provided a constitutional solution should “the [federal] Government . . . become oppressive.” 30 The text and plain meaning of Article V are inarguable. In Federalist 85, Alexander Hamilton—a leading advocate of a robust federal government—explained that “the national rulers, whenever nine [two-thirds] States concur, will have no option upon the subject. By the fifth article of the plan, the Congress will be obliged ‘on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the States [which at present amount to nine], to call a convention for proposing ❛T H E LIBERT Y A ME NDME NTS 17 amendments, which shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of the Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the States, or by conventions in three fourths thereof.’ The words of this article are peremptory. The Congress ‘shall call a convention.’ Nothing in this particular is left to the discretion of that body. And of consequence, all the declamation about the disinclination to a change vanishes in air.” 31 I have no illusions about the political difficulty in rallying sup- port for amending the Constitution by this process. After all, all past efforts have fallen short. And the governing masterminds and their disciples are more powerful and strident than ever. There is no doubt that their resistance will be stubborn and their tac- tics desperate as they unleash the instrumentalities of the federal government and the outlets of a corroboratory media to vanquish such a movement and subdue the public. Having rejected the Constitution’s limits, they will not be persuaded by references to its text and history. Their evasion has been their design. Others who self-identify as originalists, constitutionalists, and conserva- tives in asserting allegiance to the Constitution, as I do, might nonetheless be wary of or opposed reflexively to the state con- vention process for several reasons, including their unfamiliarity with its history and workings. Perhaps, in time, their high regard for the Constitution will persuade them of the judiciousness in resorting to it before there is little left of it. Still more may be re- signed to a grim future, preferring lamentation to the hard work of purposeful action. And, of course, there are always the unmindful and content. Whatever the reasons, there are also untold numbers of citi- zens who comprehend the perilousness of the times and circum- stances, and the urgency of drawing the nation’s attention to the ❛M A R K R. LEV I N 18 restoration of constitutional republicanism. This book is an ap- peal to them. The Framers anticipated this day might arrive, for they knew that republics deteriorate at first from within. They provided a lawful and civil way to repair what has transpired. We, the people, through our state legislatures—and the state legisla- tures, acting collectively—have enormous power to constrain the federal government, reestablish self-government, and secure indi- vidual sovereignty. What follows are proposed amendments to the Constitu- tion—The Liberty Amendments. It is my hope and aspiration for our country that these amendments can spur interest in and, ul- timately, support for the state convention process. In any event, should there come a time, sooner or later, when the states con- vene a convention, these amendments or amendments of the same nature—as I make no claim of unassailable knowledge— may prove useful and find their way into the debate. But a plan is what is needed, as is a first step. This is mine.

Crypto-Calvinism family split

That cross just isn't Lutheran.

Social Media

Engineering Your
Online Reputation
Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of—for
credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if
you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way
to a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.
—Socrates (circa 469 BCE–399 BCE), Greek Philosopher

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL
MEDIA MANAGEMENT

Can you remember a time when we did not have the Internet? Some of us can
remember when we had to rely upon the story or message that a business placed in
its newspaper advertisement. We may have seen a TV ad that embellished the ‘‘facts’’
about a product, but we had no way of knowing if those words were true.

Have you ever stood at the fax machine and impatiently waited for your 12 pages
to go through successfully? What about playing phone tag with an integral part of your
engineering team? Not too long ago, engineers had to fly to meetings, stay in hotels,
put up with unintelligible conference calling systems, be away from their families, and
hope that the important people made it to the same meeting.

In 2012, the Mckinsey Global Institute released a study entitled Unleashing Value
and Productivity Through Social Technologies, where it is estimated that social media
could add $1.3 trillion to the economy in the next six years. Of special note were the
fields of automotive, mechanical, and aerospace engineering. T


Introduction to Social Media Management

Quentin Hardy, states that ‘‘since they work with a lot of autonomy, but also in
consultation with others, [engineers] benefit the most from knowing such things
as which employees have the deepest knowledge in certain subjects, or who last
contributed to a project, and how to get in touch with them quickly.’’

Typically, engineering positions are a collaborative-type of work environment and
their communication efforts do not function well using the ‘‘one-way street’’ model
anymore. Now that social interaction venues are prevalent in the workplace, there is
no turning back to the old way of thinking—relying on word-of-mouth or believing
the company line. Employees and employers are diligently working proactively to be
informed, stay informed, and share vitally important data with others in worldwide
collaborations that bring startling results.

Of course, TV ads still scream as we passively sit on our couches and soak in the
information. And, consumers still largely base their opinions on the story that they are
told by whoever paid for the newspaper, television, magazine, or radio advertisement.
Some of that one-way information model will never be obsolete.

Historically, employees believed what they were told, and interacting with other
divisions within the same organization, or affiliate organizations was seen as somewhat
traitorous. Social media platforms change all that. ‘‘The proper use of social media
tools adds to productivity, an improved consumer focus as well as better-functioning
teams. Data and knowledge are exposed and shared instead of being hoarded,’’ says
Michael Chui, one of the authors of the McKinsey report.


Entering the Internet Age

The Internet has brought a virtual tidal wave of new possibilities, ideas, and methods
that engineers can use for communicating to the world and has blown the one-way
communication model to smithereens. The most profound change is that social media,
and the messages contained therein, are not owned by any business or organization.
Social media are owned by all of us. Engineers collaborating on one project, from all
over the world or in the next cubicle is what it is all about!

In her book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing, Shama Kabani states that social
media consists of ‘‘multiple online mediums all controlled by the people participating
within them—people who are busy having conversations, sharing resources, and form-
ing their own communities. Unlike radio, television, and print, it isn’t passive—users
don’t just receive content; they create it, too.’’
There is one element that historical marketing and social media campaigns have
in common. Both methods are designed to get consumers to take some kind of action.
Businesses still design and implement advertising campaigns to encourage consumers
totakeaction.TheInternetprovidesabroaderplatformforengineeringbusinessesand
1 Source: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/mckinsey-says-social-media-adds-1-3-trillion-
to-the-economy

2 Kabani, Shama, The Zen of Social Media Marketing, Dallas, TX: Ben Bella Books, 2012.


246 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation

organizationstopromotetheirwaresbyleveragingawell-defined,strategicallyplanned,
and open communication style that encourages online communities (composed of
consumers) to contribute to the message and branding of the product or service.
What the Internet and social media channels bring to the old marketing equation
is that consumers have stepped into the massively important role of using their own
voice to encourage or discourage other consumers to take action. Consumers use their
positiveornegativeexperiencestoinfluenceotherconsumers;thisprocessisapowerful
component of social media communities.

Conquering Your Fears of Social Media

Social media has become a source of fear and confusion for many. As with anything
new, there are fear-mongers and critics. There are also champions and evangelists. This
new method of communication can be wildly successful for engineering businesses, or
it can be an abysmal failure.
Thischaptershoulddispelsomeoftheconfusionassociatedwithusingsocialmedia
to promote yourself or your business. You will find a social media venue that fits your
needs. Discussed in the following pages are five of the most widely used social venues,
including WordPress blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Some experts believe that having no online presence is tantamount to having a bad
online reputation. Have you ever read a bad review of a restaurant online and then
decided not to go? What would you do if that restaurant’s manager had responded to
the bad review and helped the disgruntled customer? Would you give the restaurant
a second chance? Most of us would. This is one way that social media can benefit
businesses.

An umbrella that charges
a smart phone?

Vodafone’s Booster Brolly is an
umbrella that uses on-board solar
cellsandamicroantennatocharge
your phone and boost its 3G sig-
nal. Engineering students at Uni-
versity College of London worked
with Vodafone to develop this cool
technology.
For details, see the Preface for
the URL.
But social media is not just for
entertainment. Information Week Secu-
rityperformedasurveyof1,153engineers
in 2010 and found that, ‘‘of those who
work in the aerospace, automotive, and
commercial-vehicle industries, 55% of
respondents said they use social media
sites for work-related reasons, and that
over half are allowed access while at
work.’’ 3
Social media is not a get-rich-quick
scheme, and it does not transform your
life or engineering business overnight.
It is, however, necessary for success in
today’s digital world.
3 ‘‘Engineers Use Social Media for Business.’’ Information Week Security.
www.informationweek.com/news/security/management/225900054


Creating a WordPress Blog

CREATING A WORDPRESS BLOG
Chances are that you have read an engineering blog within the past month. You may
have visited that blog on purpose, you may have stumbled upon it by accident, or you
may have landed on the blog and never knew that it was a ‘‘blog.’’
Understanding What a Blog Is
A‘‘weblog,’’or‘‘blog’’forshort,isaspecifictypeofwebsitethatisinteractive.Thesite
is supposed to be updated frequently with new articles and information about specific
topics. Blogs contain information from lots of different sources. For example, blogs’
owners (called ‘‘bloggers’’) can write articles themselves, or they can post articles that
they found on other websites. The information can also originate in print, or it can be
contributed by the readers of the blog.
Thatisit.Thereisnothingmysteriousaboutablog.ThereareCEOblogs,celebrity
blogs, food blogs, travel blogs, graphic design blogs, architecture blogs and engineering
blogs. Actually, there are too many types of blogs to list. The most important thing to
remember about a blog is that it is interactive and should be constantly changing. This
characteristic benefits both the reader and the blogger.
Participating in a Blog
By viewing and participating in a blog, engineers can be educated, drawn in to a
worthwhile conversation, join an online community of like-minded people, help build
a branding strategy, shape ideas by giving their opinion, or give advice to product
designers. Therefore, readers benefit by receiving information, ideas, or the chance to
get their opinion out there.
No matter what the reason is for creating the blog, the blog’s creator must
remember that the blog reader is a partner in the success of that blog. Perhaps some
bloggers want to become engineering experts in the ‘‘Bending Moment.’’ If that is the
case, their blogs will reflect their expertise in the elements involved in the Bending
Moment. Those bloggers would use titles and searchable keywords to funnel traffic to
their blog about the Bending Moment. This will allow the engineering blog to be found
by those who are searching for this topic.
Using a Blog for Professional Advantage
Engineers oftenusetheirblogsasameans ofcollaborationandnetworking withintheir
field. Blogs are an excellent platform to give and receive advice and expertise from
others engineers in your field. Who knows—you may end up getting an engineering
job from a blogging contact! For example, a small group of engineers has created a

248 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation

blog and the tagline for their site is ‘‘Engineers writing about the workplace, common
engineering problems, and lessons to share with the world.’’ 4
Here is an example of using a blog to build a reputation as an engineering expert:
1. Blogger A (an engineer) needs advice from experts about a faulty modeling
process. He finds several blogs that discuss this topic, and he poses some
questions on the blogs. By posting his question on a well-known blog, he
increases the visibility of his own blog.

2. Blogger B, an engineering expert in the area of faulty modeling processes, sees
the post (by Blogger A). Because she is trying to build her online reputation
as an expert in faulty modeling processes, she posts a reply to Blogger A’s
question. She has just ‘‘advertised’’ to the world that she is an expert in faulty
modeling processes.

3. After several online (and highly visible) conversations, Blogger A takes the
advice of Blogger B. He follows the steps advised by Blogger B, and the issue
with the faulty modeling process is resolved!

4. Blogger A thanks Blogger B (again, online for all to see) for the great advice
and tells her that her advice resolved his issue. Blogger A looks good to his
clients or employer because he resolved the faulty modeling issue.
5. Blogger B has furthered her efforts at building her reputation as an expert in
faulty modeling processes. Her advice contributed to a real-life project.
6. Six months later, a person (prospective new client) conducts a search about
‘‘faulty modeling process.’’ The related engineering blog comes up in the search
because Blogger A’s and Blogger B’s posts used searchable keywords. The
person sees both sides of the conversation on the blog and sees that Blogger B
resolved the issue for Blogger A. The person sees Blogger B as an expert and
contacts her to help resolve a similar issue.

7. Blogger B scores some new business because of her online reputation!
In the above example, all the engineers win via the use of this blog. Blogging brings
people together even if they live in three different countries and never meet each other
in person.

See www.electricalengineeringonline.net/engineering-blogs for a list of the 50 top
engineering blogs found on the Internet.

Choosing Your Blog Software
Engineering students and professionals alike can benefit from creating their own
blogs. You might think that the example about Blogger A and B was make-believe.
Fortunatelyforyouandotherprofessionalengineersthroughouttheworld,thescenario
happens every day. The sky is the limit when it comes to the usefulness of blogging for
engineers.

4 Source: www.engineeringblogs.org
.
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Creating a WordPress Blog 249
Currently, the most user-friendly and intuitive blogging software available is
WordPress. Visit its site at: http://wordpress.org

WordPress has some excellent characteristics:

• It can be used to set up a free blog, although you can set up a custom URL for
as little as $17 per year.
• It does not require a single bit of programming knowledge.
• It comes with countless tutorials and technical support.
• It can be used for e-commerce by adding a shopping cart just in case you ever
decide to monetize all of your expertise!
• It can be updated or reorganized easily by a complete novice.
• It offers almost limitless graphic themes to promote yourself as an individual
or for your company brand, including custom colors, layouts, widgets, and
graphics.
• It provides constant updates for free.

Exploring Engineering Blogs

If you are to understand blogging, you will have to visit a few. To find blogs that are
relevanttoengineering,itisassimpleastyping‘‘engineeringblog’’intoanysearchfield.
TherearewebsitesthatrankthebestengineeringblogsontheInternet,too.Thatis
the best place to start your search. For example, type the following in to your browser:
www.invesp.com/blog-rank/Engineering
Once you see the list of the top 25 engineering blogs, choose several to view. While
you are viewing each blog, consider the following:

• Is the blog visually attractive or distracting?
• Is the content relevant and up-to-date?
• Is it easy to see what specific areas are discussed on this blog?
• Is there an easy way to interact with the blog’s creator?
• If needed, does the blog provide evidence of professional engineering clout?

Turning body heat into energy?

Nowthereisanewsourceofpower
that could be put to use; human
body heat. Engineers in Stockholm
are the first to use the body heat
of 250,000 daily commuters in one
train station to heat a building next
door. Wow.
For details, see the Preface for
the URL.
After reading a few blogs, you will
begin to understand the differences in
style, content, and professionalism. You
will also see the big difference between a
traditional information-only website and
the interactivity of a blog.
Remember, the main point to keep
in mind is that a blog gives you the ability
to interact with the blogger and others
who view the blog. When thinking about
designing your blog, make sure that the
conversationalstyle,communityfeel,and
content are all open and inviting.
.

250 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation
You can visit my blog at: http://jillbrockmann.com
What will you write about on your blog? Visit the companion website to see step-
by-step instructions for designing and implementing your own blog. (See the Preface
for the URL.)

BUILDING A FACEBOOK PAGE

FOR A BUSINESS
If you have never heard of Facebook, then you have probably been living under
a rock.
Here are some factoids about Facebook’s worldwide reach:
• Facebook is used by 70% of automotive and aerospace engineers to exchange
information on technical issues, according to a survey of SAE International. 5
• Facebook had over one billion monthly active users at the end of December
2012.
• On average, it had 526 million daily active users.
• In March 2012, there were 488 million monthly active users who used Facebook
mobile applications.
• Facebook had more than 600 million mobile monthly active users as of
December 5, 2012.
• DuringDecember2012,onaverage500millionuserswereactivewithFacebook
on at least six out of the last seven days. 6
Harnessing the Power of Facebook
Ifyouwereofferedacustomizedadvertisingcampaignforyourengineeringbusiness—
and it promised to reach millions of people, worldwide forfree—would you bite? What
if you were offered unlimited access to a panel of 10,000 civil engineering experts (from
all over the world) that could help you unravel an issue with a traffic pattern—again,
all for free?
Consider this:
Did you know that every single person who interacts with your company or
organization via social media inadvertently becomes your cheerleader or critic? You
may have heard the old adage that if you like a business, you will tell three people. If
you don’t like it, you will tell ten people.
This phenomenon is what makes applications like Facebook such great venues
for engineers. Originally, Facebook was created to allow college students to connect
5 Source: www.informationweek.com/news/security/management/225900054
6 Facebook statistics, http://newsroom.fb.com/content/default.aspx?NewsAreaId=22
.

Building a Facebook Page for a Business 251
and share ideas, stories, events, and generally ‘‘socialize.’’ Now, people from all over
the world and from all professions use Facebook in order to share information, be
heard, and make connections. Instead of verbally telling ten people they didn’t like a
business, they are telling millions of people via Facebook. Instead of having one or two
aeronautical engineering experts to consult with, there are now thousands of them at
their fingertips.
For example, a Facebook page called ‘‘Interesting Engineering’’ has almost half
a million followers. Figure 12-1 shows a screenshot of what the home page looks like.
You can find this site by typing in the following URL in your browser:
www.facebook.com/interestingengineering
Interesting Engineering’s Facebook page says, ‘‘If engineering is a headache for
you, join us. We will change the way you feel.’’ 7 How cool is that? They are using
Facebook to demystify engineering and target a younger audience.
As of this writing, the Facebook page in Figure 12-1 has 489,000 individual
‘‘likers,’’ and 337,060 people are talking about the content (a ‘‘liker’’ is an individual
that has subscribed to the news posted on this Facebook page). This is an example
of how Facebook creates a community of like-minded people who share an interest
in engineering, opinions, and ideas. The people in this community can connect, share
ideas, vent their frustrations, seek advice, talk about their successes, post project ideas,
and discuss all kinds of engineering-related subjects.
Figure 12-1 Facebook business page or fan page named ‘‘Interesting Engineering.’’
Source: www.facebook.com/interestingengineering
7 Source: www.facebook.com/interestingengineering/info

252 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation
Here is an example of how engineering students and professionals can harness the
power of Facebook:
1. An engineering student is lurking around a classmate’s Facebook page and
sees that her classmate has ‘‘liked’’ a page titled ‘‘Interesting Engineering.’’ She
decides to click the live link and visit that page.
2. As she scrolls through the engineering-related articles and posts, she stumbles
across an article that discusses the subject of her thesis, wind turbine grid
development.
3. The student reads the article and scrolls through the reader comments posted.
One of the participants, an engineering expert in the topic, has an unusual
opinion about wind turbines. The student clicks on the expert’s name and
immediately lands on the expert’s Facebook page.
4. The expert’s Facebook page has an About section that lists an email address,
phone number, website, blog address, professional associations, education
details, and current employer information. The student emails the expert
to ask for a telephone interview in order to get some quotes for her thesis.
5. The expert writes back, agrees to the interview, and schedules it for two days
hence.
6. Two days later, she gets her interview and obtains valuable information from a
well-known engineering industry expert. It adds immeasurably to the content
of her thesis.
7. The expert is so impressed with the passion and insight of the student, he offers
her an internship that turns in to a full-time engineering position after she
graduates.
In the above example, both the engineering student and the expert benefit from
the connection they made via Facebook. This type of collaborative connection and
sharing happens every day on Facebook. Let us not forget that all of this interaction,
conversation, learning, and community building happens all across the world, seven
days a week, 24-hours per day—for free.
Using Facebook to Build Your Brand
You can use three methods to create your online presence (also referred to as your
‘‘brand’’) and display information on Facebook. Luckily, Facebook provides step-
by-step instructions to help you create profiles that can be customized to spotlight
engineering professionals.
Note Remember that every friend made, page liked, photograph posted, group joined,
event created, or comment left is a reflection of who we are or who we want the world
to perceive us as being. If you are creating your social media presence to reflect your
engineering business, choose your moves carefully. Visit the companion website to see
step-by-step instructions for designing and implementing your customized Facebook page.
.
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Building a Facebook Page for a Business 253
The three ways to create a profile on Facebook that presents your engineering
business are as follows:
1. Individual profile. This is referred to as the ‘‘human being’’ profile. It is for an
individual person, not a business. Anyone with an email address can build one
of these pages. An example of an individual Facebook page is shown below in
Figure 12-2.
2. Fan page. This is also referred to as a ‘‘business page’’: it could be for a product,
service, organization, club, politician, or any other business-related entity. In
order to create this page, you have to have an individual profile first. See
Figures 12-3 and 12-4 for an example of a fan page for the engineering company,
Structures, PE, LLP.
A Facebook fan page comes with some useful features for businesses. One
feature is a ‘‘People’’ page. This allows businesses to create a page that shows
off the expertise or specialization of their employees. Figure 12-4 shows an
example of the engineers at Structures PE, LLP.
3. Individual fan page. This type of page is a hybrid. It is just like the ‘‘business
page,’’ but it is used for an individual who is an engineering professional. In
order to create this page, you have to have an individual profile first.
Figure 12-2 Individual Facebook page for Jill Brockmann.
Source: www.facebook.com/jillbrockmann

254 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation
Figure 12-3 Structures Fan Page on Facebook.
Source: www.facebook.com/Structures, PE, LLP.
Figure 12-4 Structures PE, LLPs People page on Facebook.
Source: www.facebook.com/StructuresPE/app_7146470109
.

Building a Facebook Page for a Business 255
For example, an individual engineer may have two Facebook pages:
• One page for his or her private life. This individual page includes family,
friends, hobbies, political views, music preferences, jokes, religious affiliations,
and vacation photos. This page is fun, relaxed, family-oriented, personal, and
private.
• The other page lists the person’s name as the business name, and it contains
professional and engineering-related information only. This fan page is created
to promote the person’s engineering expertise or specializations. This page
contains no personal attributes that could be controversial such as political or
religious views. This page is strictly a method of promoting one’s engineering
expertise on Facebook.
The advantage of creating a Facebook fan page is that you can see demographic
data about the people visiting your page. You do this by analyzing Facebook traffic
using a tool called ‘‘Insights.’’ It enables you as the page owner to plan successful
content and interactions. Again, Facebook provides all of this data free of charge to
business (fan) pages. Visit the companion website to see instructions about how you
can use the Insights data to make your Facebook fan page more attractive to readers.
(See the Preface for the URL.)
The image shown in Figure 12-5 is an example of what one of the Insights pages
looks like.
Figure 12-5 Facebook Insights demographic page for Business and Technical
Communication at Austin Community College.
Source: www.facebook.com/BTCMACC
.


When creating and building your brand via a Facebook page, consider the
following:
Want to live forever?
Wait until 2045.
Dmitry Itskov, a wealthy Russian,
is creating ‘‘Avatar.’’ First, he
will transplant human brains into
robots and then reverse-engineer
the brain to effectively ‘‘download’’
human consciousness onto a com-
puter chip. He estimates that by
2045 humans can buy immortality.
For details, see the Preface for
the URL.
a
• Will you create a personal page
and a professional page?
• How can you spotlight your field
of engineering?
• Can you visualize how you could
use the commenting functions
available on Facebook to gain
credibility and become known as
anexpertinyourengineeringspe-
cialization? For example, when
youcommentonarticlesfoundon
Interesting Engineering’s Face-
book page, you will be seen by
half a million people.
• How will you make the design of your Facebook page look consistent with your
blog, website and other social media platforms?
• Subscribe to me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jillbrockmann for tips and
tricks about using Facebook pages to promote your personal brand online.
Visit the companion website to see step-by-step instructions for designing and
implementing your very own Facebook pages. (See the Preface for the URL.)
USING TWITTER TO CONNECT
AND SHARE INFORMATION
If you have never heard of Twitter, then you have probably been living under
another rock.
Here are some interesting facts about Twitter:
• Many engineering companies, large and small, now use Twitter to communicate
with existing and potential customers. Also, many professional engineer-
ing publications post the latest news and links to their online articles on
Twitter. 8
• Even though it is a young social media venue, it has 500 million registered users
daily, and 33 billion tweets sent worldwide—daily. 9
• Anyone can read, write, share, or re-share messages about a field of interest, as
long as the message is 140 characters or less.
8 Source: http://blog.prosig.com/2011/02/24/how-can-social-networks-help-engineers/
9 Twitter Facts and Stats, by Bran Friedman, March 14, 2012. Source: http://socialmediatoday.com
/bradfriedman/469107/twitter-facts-and-stats

Using Twitter to Connect and Share Information 257
• ‘‘Tweets,’’ or typed messages, are posted in real-time and can be read by
anyone, from anywhere, regardless of whether they are logged in to their
Twitter account.
• Twitter is fast becoming the ‘‘go to’’ medium for engineering information,
according to Bosch Rexroth, cited below.
After launching a pilot project to study how engineers used social media, Kevin
Gingerich from Bosch Rexroth (see Figure 12-6) stated, ‘‘We were astonished by the
vibrancy of the engineering and industry communities on Twitter. It’s become our
engine of choice for communicating to a broad audience, from recent innovations and
upcoming exhibitions to new technical references on our website.’’ 10
Using Twitter to Connect with Other Engineers
Why should you or your business join those who swear by Twitter for connecting to
others in the engineering field? Here are a few reasons:
• Ifyouareinterestedinspreadingthewordaboutyourownengineeringexpertise
or the specialty of your company, why would you ignore a virtual database of
opinions, trends, messages, stories, and networking opportunities?
• In the engineering context, Twitter is an environment that is rich with ideas,
conversations, and content from influential industry leaders. Don’t forget that
Figure 12-6 Twitter account home page for Bosch Rexroth Corporation.
Source: https://twitter.com/boschrexrothus
10 Machine Design.com. Twitter for Engineers. Source: http://machinedesign.com/article/twitter-for
-engineers-can-social-media-play-a-role-in-the-design-community-0302

258 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation
all of this sharing, communicating, and brand-building activity is available 365
days a year, 24 hours per day—for free.
Figure 12-6 is an image of a successful engineering home page on Twitter.
Businesses can use Twitter # (hashtags) to corral participants at a company-
sponsored event, for curating crowd-sourced data about product research, and for
connecting directly with engineering clients and customers. More information about
the importance of hashtags and crowd-sourcing data can be found on the companion
website. See the Preface for the URL.
• Engineering professionals can use Twitter to funnel traffic to special events,
online design contests, interactive websites, new blog entries, product launches,
and other information-rich connections with consumers.
• Individual engineers can use Twitter to foster strong networking relationships
with other engineers by listening and gathering industry intelligence about
competition, market trends, and employment opportunities.
Imagine you are a graduating engineering student; here’s how you can use
Twitter:
1. You are about to graduate from a small college with a mechanical engineering
degree and have arrived at the International Manufacturing Technology Show
(IMTS) 2012 in Chicago. You are to visit the booth of the internationally known
company that paid for your flight, hotel, and admission to this event. You have
been told that it is located in Booth #10602. Only, they are not actually at that
location. No other information is available. Hmm. What to do?
2. Enormous Engineering Company (EEC), the company that paid for your
dream trip, had to move its booth to a different building because of mechanical
‘‘issues’’ with Booth #10602. EEC is worried that attendees will not be aware of
its last-minute location change. The company tweets immediately about its new
building location at IMTS.
3. You are following EEC on Twitter. You quickly scroll through your tweet feed
to see if there is any word from them. Bingo! They have moved to a different
building three blocks away.
4. You inspire and amaze EEC’s booth members by arriving early to express your
hearty thanks for the great trip, and you make sure that their mechanical issue is
fixed at the new location. They are grateful for your arrival at the new location
and glad that Twitter helped route you to the new location.
5. Upon returning home from your trip you find a letter from the president of
EEC, thanking you for your help with the booth and inviting you to dinner to
talk about your plans for after graduation.
In the above example, Twitter moved mountains for you and EEC. When a
company invests thousands of dollars setting up plans for an enormous event like
IMTS, it can be derailed quickly by a sudden event like changing a booth location.
Since Twitter is known for instantaneous communication, it is a perfect platform for
this occurrence. EEC could have missed a few thousand booth visitors, and you may
not have found them to say ‘‘thank you’’ for your trip. You would have missed the free
dinner invitation, too.
.
        
Generating Your Interactive Résumé on LinkedIn 259
Customizing Your Twitter Account
When creating the account for you or your engineering organization on Twitter,
consider the following:
• Make sure others can find you easily on Twitter. Customize your Twitter user
name, profile photo and design, bio, and online appearance by maintaining
brand consistency with colors, images, and logos. Use keywords in your bio to
help people find you.
• Don’t worry about how many followers you have. Instead, concentrate on
following engineering industry leaders, cutting-edge companies, and experts in
engineering. Read their tweets, place comments, re-tweet them, and actively
seek information that will bring you new information and ideas. Your own
followers will come eventually.
• Use customized searches and hashtags to filter out everything except the
information you need.
• Attach hashtags to photos or videos you upload so they are easily found in
searches. Remember to use authentic keywords whenever possible.
• To find people, companies or engineering organizations to follow, use
Twellow.com and WeFollow.com directories on Twitter that are categorized
by interest and industry.
Does adding sound to cars
increase safety?
Engineers have developed a vehi-
cle warning system that improves
safety for bicyclists. The system
consists of a GPS-enabled device
mounted to the dashboard of an
electric car (which are dangerously
quiet). It warns bicyclists of the
approach of a quiet car.
For details, see the Preface for
the URL.
Follow me on Twitter:
@JillBrockmann
Who will you follow on Twitter?
How will you manage the information
and communications you receive on
Twitter? To get answers to these ques-
tions and others, visit the companion
website to see step-by-step instructions
for designing and implementing your
very own Twitter account. (See the
Preface for the URL.)
GENERATING YOUR INTERACTIVE
R ÉSUM É ON LINKEDIN
In a recent Wall Street Journal article titled ‘‘No More Résumés,’’ Rachel Emma
Silverman stated that ‘‘Instead of asking for résumés, a New York venture-capital
firm—which has invested in Twitter—asked applicants to send links representing their
‘Web presence.’ ’’ 11 What? No résumé?
11 Rachel Emma Silverman, ‘‘No More Résumés,’’ Wall Street Journal, January 24, 2012.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203750404577173031991814896.html
.
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260 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation
Tech-savvy employers are acquiring evidence of people’s web reputation and
searching for their online interactions as a means of finding better-quality candidates
—especially for engineering companies or organizations that rely heavily in the
Internet and social media to build their brand, enhance employee collaboration, and
reach their customer base.
Increasing Visibility for Engineers
When it comes to actively participating in various social media platforms, the Society
of Automotive Engineers International (SAEI) has determined that ‘‘engineers are
apparentlyjustashipastherestofus.’’SAEIhasdrawnthisconclusionaftercompleting
a survey that revealed 61% of engineers polled use social media sites like Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. 12
LinkedInistheperfectplacetoincreaseonlinevisibility,showcaseyourengineering
expertise, and network with other professionals in your field. Even though LinkedIn
is considered a ‘‘social’’ media site, the purpose of creating and maintaining a profile
on this platform is solely for professional networking, connecting, and building career-
oriented associations.
Figure 12-7 shows a typical LinkedIn profile of engineer, author, and speaker
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED, AP.
Completing your LinkedIn profile can be time-consuming, but the benefits are
enormous. The tools provided allow space to include all phases of your professional
life including your work experience, education, business associations, personal and
company websites, other social media accounts, volunteer activities, areas of special
expertise using keywords, and other ways to enhance your professional message to
other LinkedIn members.
Creating your LinkedIn Profile
When creating your profile on LinkedIn, consider the following:
• Complete your entire profile. A sparsely completed profile is almost as bad as
having no profile at all. Your profile should be compelling, interesting, accurate,
and complete. Include as much engineering-related information as possible.
Remember to use keywords.
• Actively participate in LinkedIn Answers. The answers feature helps nur-
ture professional engineering connections and gives you a chance to show
your expertise by answering questions posed by others. Participate by posing
questions yourself, too.
• Join groups. Find groups related to the engineering profession, join them,
and actively participate in ongoing conversations to get your name seen in the
forums. If there are not any groups about your specific area of engineering,
create one!
12 ‘‘Mobility Engineers Big Users of Social Media.’’ Society of Automotive Engineers International.
Source: WWW.SAE.ORG/JSP/JSPS/MKTWHITEPAPERFORM.JSP?PUBL=SOCIAL
.
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Generating Your Interactive Résumé on LinkedIn 261
Figure 12-7 LinkedIn profile home page for
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED, AP.
Source: www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyjfasano
• Use Advanced Search. The basic search function is great, but Advanced Search
has all sorts of ways to fine-tune your results, including engineering keywords
and product names in all your posts.
• Treat your LinkedIn profile similar to a website. Make sure your pro-
file is up-to-date, organized, well-formatted and contains lots of interest-
ing engineering-related information. It goes without saying that misspellings
are a no-no!
• Populate your profile with keywords. Use keywords that reflect your back-
ground, education, professional field, or expertise. Use variations of those
words, too: for example, use engineer, engineering, engineered.
• Increase the chances you will be found with search engines. Make sure that
your profile is marked as ‘‘public’’ so that you will show up in searches for your
profession.
.
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262 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation
Giving and Receiving Recommendations
One of the best features offered to LinkedIn members is the Recommendation section.
This is a profile portion designed to highlight your achievements and the exceptional
work of other LinkedIn members.
You may politely ask an engineering colleague for a recommendation for any
collaborative work you performed. You may receive a request for a recommendation
from another LinkedIn member.
First algae-powered car?
The world’s first algae fuel-power-
ed vehicle, dubbed the Algaeus,
was revealed in San Francisco.
The plug-in hybrid car, which is a
Prius equipped with a nickel metal
hydride battery, runs on green
algae.
For details, see the Preface for
the URL.
People in charge of making hir-
ing decisions commonly review LinkedIn
profile pages. It is important that you
request recommendations that are rele-
vant to your engineering specialty. Make
the most of the section by requesting rec-
ommendations from colleagues you have
collaborated with and by giving accurate
and detailed recommendations to those
colleaguesyoufeelshouldbespotlighted.
Figure12-8showsanexampleoftheengi-
neering recommendations section on the
home page of an engineer’s LinkedIn
profile.

Visit the companion website to see step-by-step instructions for designing and
implementing your very own LinkedIn account. (See the Preface for the URL.)
TARGETING EXPERTS WITH GOOGLE+
Have you ever heard the word ‘‘google’’ used as a verb? Usually people say, ‘‘Google
it!’’ That is probably because Google is the largest search engine on the Internet.
Wouldn’t it be terrific if your engineering business came up at the top of the list when
someone searched, ‘‘expert chemical engineer’’?
Google+, Google Plus or just g+, is the brain-child of Google, Inc. Google is not
just a search engine. It has developed many collaboration-based applications that are
widely used throughout the engineering field. In an attempt to gather all of these
cutting-edge applications into one place, Google engineers created Google+. This
platform integrates many of Google’s products to create a broader social experience.
The result is a platform for professionals who want to increase their online visibility
and personal brand identity.
Figure 12-9 is an example of the Google+ page for the engineering program at
Stanford University.
Figure 12-9 Google+ profile page for Stanford University Engineering program.
Source: https://plus.google.com/u/0/102383602041872018960/posts
.

264 Chapter 12 Engineering Your Online Reputation
Creating Your Google+ Profile Page
If you do not have a Google+ account yet, it is easy to create. Type the following text
in your browser: http://plus.google.com
Google+hasanintuitiveuserinterfacethatwalksyouthroughcreatingyourprofile
in minutes. Visit the companion website to see step-by-step instructions for designing
and customizing your own Google+ account. (See the Preface for the URL.)
Circling Engineering Experts
The main functions of Google+ are bundled to include a search engine, an email client,
an Internet browser, friend streams, circles of specialized contacts, group video chats
with a new feature called Hangouts, personalized and automated search functions,
the ability to target engineering industry experts, and the community-building feature
called Circles.
The Circles feature of Google+, at first glance, may look the same as ‘‘friending’’
people on Facebook. However, Circles is a much more intricate way to organize lists
(circles) of engineering industry experts, colleagues, and friends. The streamlining
of these circles of contacts allows you to create entirely separate groups (circles)
for family, friends, college alumni, colleagues, civil engineering experts, aeronautic
engineers, mechanical engineers, sports fans, and more.
The main point to remember about Google+ Circles is that it allows you to read
what you want, share what you want, share it when you want, and share it with whom
you want. It also allows you to filter out the noise from everyone in your circles and
drill down to reading only the content posted by the engineering experts you choose.
This ability to focus on a specific topic is a huge time saver. For example, if you want
to read about new developments in wind turbine grid engineering, you simply click
the circle (that you created and filled with experts) named ‘‘wind turbine experts’’ and
scroll through the posts of those experts.
Figure 12-10 shows an example of a Google+ Circles page.
Creating, adding, deleting, and modifying your Circles is as easy as a click or two.
You can also invite people who are in your circles to participate in a live online session
called a ‘‘Hangout.’’ These hangouts can be recorded and replayed via YouTube.com.
This function enables you to conduct online meetings with others. There is no more
flying to meetings. You can sit in your home office in your pajamas! You can join other
Hangouts as an active participant or simply observe and listen.
Maximizing Your Online Visibility
A useful feature of using Google+ in an engineering business is that your Google+
page content is part of Google’s web search integration and the ability for consumers
to ‘‘direct connect’’ to your page. Through this connection ability, consumers or clients
are directed to your website or other online venues, such as your blog.
.

Playstation 4 runs FreeBSD 9.1!

PlayStation 4 (PS4) is an upcoming video game console from Sony Computer Entertainment. Announced as the successor to PlayStation 3 during a press conference on February 20, 2013, it will launch on November 15, 2013, in North America, and November 29, 2013, in Europe and Australia,[9][10] and will compete with Nintendo's Wii U and Microsoft's Xbox One, as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles.

Moving away from the complicated Cell architecture of the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 will feature a simpler AMD processor, in hopes of attracting a broader range of developers and support for the system. Sony also plans to place more focus on social gameplay, incorporating a "share" button on the new controller and making it possible to view in-game play streamed live from friends. The console will focus on interactivity with other services and devices, including Gaikai, a cloud-based gaming service that will offer streaming video game content; PlayStation App, which will connect smartphones and tablets into a second screen to enhance gameplay; and PlayStation Vita, which will be able to play a majority of the games through Remote Play.
Contents

According to lead architect Mark Cerny, development on Sony's eighth-generation video game console began as early as 2008. Less than two years earlier, PlayStation 3 had launched after months of delays due to issues in production. The delay placed Sony almost a year behind Microsoft's Xbox 360, which was already approaching 10 million units sold by the time the PS3 launched. PlayStation Europe CEO Jim Ryan said Sony wanted to avoid repeating the same mistake with PS3's successor.

In 2012, Sony began shipping development kits to game developers consisting of a modified PC running the AMD Accelerated Processing Unit chipset.These development kits were known as Orbis. In early 2013, Sony announced that an event known as PlayStation Meeting 2013 would be held in New York City on February 20, 2013, to cover the "future of PlayStation". Sony officially announced PlayStation 4 at the event. They revealed details about the console's hardware and discussed some of the new features it will introduce. Sony also showed off real-time footage of games in development, as well as some technical demonstrations. Sony released more information about the console and presented the device itself in June 2013 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

The company revealed release dates for North America, Central America, South America, Europe & Australia as well as final pieces of information at the Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany on August 20, 2013. The console will be released on November 15, 2013 in the United States and Canada, followed by further releases on November 29, 2013, in Australia, Europe, North America, Central America & South America. The PS4 has also been scheduled for a December 2013 launch in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, ahead of the console's Japanese début on February 22, 2014.
Hardware

The console design was not revealed at the press conference revealing the console, since the design and specifications were still being finalized. However, some technical specifications about the console were announced. The technology in PlayStation 4 will be relatively similar to the hardware found in personal computers. This familiarity should make it easier and less expensive for game studios to develop games for PS4. The physical console was finally unveiled by Sony at E3 2013.

According to Eurogamer, Sony will make a loss of $60 per unit sold for $399 at launch, but expect to immediately recoup the losses through PlayStation Plus subscriptions and game sales.
Technical specifications
Main article: PlayStation 4 technical specifications

PlayStation 4 will use a processor developed by AMD in cooperation with Sony. It will combine a central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU), as well as other components such as a memory controller and video decoder. The CPU consists of two quad-core Jaguar modules totaling 8 x86-64 cores. The GPU consists of 18 compute units to produce a theoretical peak performance of 1.84 TFLOPS. The system's GDDR5 memory is capable of running at a maximum clock frequency of 2.75 GHz (DDR equaling 5500 MHz).[32][33] The console will contain 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, 16 times the amount of RAM found in the PS3 and is expected to give the console considerable longevity. It also includes secondary custom chips that handle tasks associated with downloading, uploading, and social gameplay. These tasks can be handled seamlessly in the background during gameplay or while the system is in sleep mode. The console also contains an audio module, which can support in-game chat as well as "a very large number" of audio streams for use in-game.

Its read-only optical drive is capable of reading Blu-ray Discs at speeds of up to three times that of the PS3's. The console will feature a hardware on-the-fly decompression module boosting optical disc reading speed and buffer unread data when a game is not actively accessing the optical drive, forming part of Sony's PlayGo strategy. Like PlayStation 3, the Blu-ray Disc drive should be capable of reading 16-layer 400 GB discs. Although the console will support photos and videos at 4K resolution, the system is not expected to be able to render games beyond 1080p. The console will include a 500 gigabyte hard drive for additional storage,[44] which can be upgraded by the user.

PlayStation 4 will feature WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, Bluetooth, and two USB 3.0 ports. An auxiliary port will also be included for connection to the PlayStation Camera, a motion detection digital camera device first introduced on the PS3. A mono headset, which can be plugged into the DualShock 4, will come bundled with the system. Audio/video output options include HDMI TV and optical S/PDIF audio. The console does not have an analog audio/video output.

Although not available on the system at launch, the PS4 will feature a 'Suspend mode' feature. This places the console in a low-power state, while allowing users to immediately resume their game once the console is awoken. The console will also be able to download content such as game and OS updates while it is in this state.[49][50]
Controllers
Main articles: DualShock 4 and PlayStation Move
PlayStation Move controllers

DualShock 4 will be PlayStation 4's primary controller, retailing at US$59/€59/£54. Similar to the DualShock 3, it will connect to the console via Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The DualShock 3, however, will not be compatible with PS4. The DualShock 4 will be equipped with several new features, including a built-in two-point capacitative touch pad on the front of the controller, which is clickable. The controller will support motion detection via a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer and improved vibration, as well as being the first PlayStation first-party controller to feature official support for the Windows PC platform. It will include a non-removable,[55] rechargeable lithium-ion battery tentatively capable of storing 1000 mAh. The tentative design weighs 210 g (7.4 oz), has dimensions of 162 × 52 × 98 mm (6.4 × 2.0 × 3.9 in), and has a rubber or etched plastic backing to enhance grip. The design shown at Sony's launch event was "near final".
DualShock 4 controller

The controller will feature several output connectors. Its stereo jack (3.5 mm TRRS connector) will support the connection of a headset to allow a user to speak and hear audio simultaneously. A micro-USB port, an extension port, and a mono speaker will also be included. The controller can be charged via micro-USB, a dedicated charging station, or the console (even when the console is off).

DualShock 4 will feature the following buttons: PS button, SHARE button, OPTIONS button, directional buttons, action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, square), shoulder buttons (R1/L1), triggers (R2/L2), analog stick click buttons (L3/R3) and a touch pad click button. These mark several changes from the DualShock 3 and other previous PlayStation controllers. The START and SELECT buttons have been merged into a single OPTIONS button. A dedicated SHARE button will allow players to upload videos from their gameplay experiences. The joysticks and triggers have been redesigned based on developer input. The joysticks now will feature a concave surface.

DualShock 4 will also feature a light bar that can display different colors. The colors will help identify players and alert them with critical messages such as low health.[46] It also will interact with a camera attachment that perceives movement and depth by using the controller's light bar. It is based on the existing technology used in the PlayStation Move. Existing PlayStation Move controllers will be supported on PS4.
PlayStation Camera
PlayStation Camera device

PlayStation Camera, initially named PlayStation 4 Eye, is a motion sensing input device for PlayStation 4. It will include two 1280×800px cameras. The lenses will operate with an aperture of f/2.0, with 30 cm focusing distance, and an 85° field of view.[46] The dual camera setup will allow for different modes of operation, depending on the target application. The two cameras can be used together for depth-sensing of objects in its field of vision, akin to the Xbox 360's Kinect peripheral.[59] Alternatively, one of the cameras can be used for generating the video image, with the other used for motion tracking.

PlayStation Camera will also feature a four-channel microphone array, which helps reduce unwanted background noise and may even be used to issue commands.[57] It is tentatively set to be 186 × 27 × 27 mm (7.3 × 1.1 × 1.1 in) (width × height × depth), with a weight of 183 grams (6.5 oz).It will record video in RAW and YUV (uncompressed) formats and will connect to the console via an auxiliary port.[46] The PlayStation Camera will be released as a separate, add-on accessory,[44] priced at US$59/€49/£44.
Companion devices
Main article: Remote Play

Smartphones, tablets, and PlayStation Vita can interact with PlayStation 4 as second screen devices. Companion devices can also wake the console from sleep mode.

PlayStation Vita can be used for streaming video directly from the console to the handheld, allowing supported games to be played remotely.[62] Sony hopes to make all PS4 games playable on PlayStation Vita. Developers can add Vita-specific controls for use via Remote Play.

The PlayStation App will allow mobile devices to interact with PlayStation 4, similar to Xbox SmartGlass. It will be available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.[24] Gamers can use this application to, for example, purchase PS4 titles while away from home and have them remotely downloaded to the console, watch live streams of other gamers, and view in-game maps while playing games.
Software and services
PlayStation 4 system software screenshot shown at the 2013 meeting

PlayStation 4 runs an operating system called "Orbis OS." The current prototypes are based on the FreeBSD operating system. Although the console does not require an Internet connection to function, it will provide "richer" functionality when it is connected to the internet. The PlayStation Network (PSN) will allow players to access a variety of cloud-based services from PlayStation Store, including Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited subscription services. Customers can browse titles and stream games via Gaikai to demo them almost instantaneously. Online multiplayer access requires a subscription to PlayStation Plus, a policy new to PlayStation consoles, but free-to-play titles such as DC Universe Online, PlanetSide 2 and Warframe will be playable without a subscription, and asynchronous functions such as online leaderboards can still be accessed.[68] Furthermore, owing to the need to subscribe for online multiplayer, Sony will not allow online passes to be used on the system by any publisher. Sony intends to expand and evolve the services it offers over the console's lifespan.
User interface

PlayStation 4 will replace the XrossMediaBar with a new customizable interface titled PlayStation Dynamic Menu. The user profile for players will show recent activity, their full name, and other details in addition to their unlocked Trophies. The PS4 home screen will feature personalized content from friends. Services from third-party vendors, such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, will also be accessible within the new interface. It will be possible to multitask during gameplay, such as opening a web browser while playing a game.

Social features

Sony is focused on "social" aspects as a major feature of the console. Although the console will have improved social functionality, the features are optional and can be disabled. Gamers will have the option to use real names with friends, in addition to a nickname in other situations when anonymity is important.
Sharing

The DualShock 4 controller includes a "share" button, allowing the player to cycle through the last 15 minutes of gameplay to select a screenshot or video clip appropriate for sharing. Media is uploaded seamlessly from the console to other PSN users or social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

"Ustream's integration within PS4 consoles will put gamers on a new media field. They will have the ability to direct, produce, and star in their own video game production, simply by being an awesome (or not so awesome!) gamer."
—Ustream co-founder Brad Hunstable

Live broadcasting

Gamers can browse live video of titles their friends are playing through the PS4 interface, with cross-game camera and microphone inputs, spectate or assist in their game to help them overcome difficult obstacles, and broadcast live video of one's own gameplay via public services Twitch and Ustream, allowing friends to view and comment on them from other web browsers and devices.
Games
See also: List of PlayStation 4 games

Sony Computer Entertainment of America chief executive officer Jack Tretton said games for PlayStation 4 will range in price from US$0.99 to $60.00. Games on PlayStation 4 will not be region-locked, so games purchased in one region can be played on consoles in all regions. Additionally, gamers can trade, lend, and re-sell their games, as buying a game means it is owned by them forever.

Sony hopes to make it easier for independent game developers to develop titles for PS4.[29] At the 2013 E3 Sony event, the company revealed that they will allow developers to self-publish their titles on PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3, 4, and Vita systems.[80] The company further announced at least ten indie titles that will make their console debut on PlayStation 4 by the end of 2013.

In addition to the physical media available at retailers, all PlayStation 4 titles can be purchased online.[82] Additionally, every game can be test played for free.[83] Players can sign into any PS4 console to access their entire digital game library. Sony will not prohibit the trading of disc-based games and will not require the console to periodically check in online to validate game legitimacy.

The system will feature downloadable content similar to what is available on other PlayStation platforms.
PlayGo

PlayGo will allow quicker access to supported games. When a title is selected online, only a portion of the game data has to be transferred to the system before it can be started (e.g. the first level), with the remaining parts downloading during play, reducing waiting time. If users prefer to play their game directly from disc, PS4 will install data to the hard drive during play, eliminating loading times. This is accomplished via the system's secondary processor. Similarly, system updates are downloaded seamlessly in the background without interruption. PS4 also features technology that attempts to determine trends, including titles a gamer is likely to express interest in next, and then automatically download a small percentage of those games in the background, even in sleep mode, in order to save time.
Backward compatibility

Sony has confirmed that PlayStation 4 will not natively support PlayStation 3 games. While the company has yet to also rule-out on-console emulation of some previous generations, the company has detailed plans to explore cloud-based emulation of previous generations as a long-term solution to the challenges of backwards compatibility.

Sony is planning to launch a cloud-based streaming service through Gaikai, a company acquired by Sony in July 2012. The service will emulate and render previous generations of PlayStation games, streaming them to the PS4 and the Vita, over the internet.
Reception

Reception to the console from developers and journalists has been positive.

Mark Rein of Epic Games praised the "enhanced" architecture of Sony's system, describing it as "a phenomenal piece of hardware".[92] John Carmack, programmer and co-founder of id Software, also commended the design by saying "Sony made wise engineering choices", while Randy Pitchford of Gearbox Software expressed satisfaction with the amount of high-speed memory in the console.

Eurogamer called the graphics technology in the PS4 "impressive" and an improvement from the difficulties developers experienced on PlayStation 3.[35] Ted Price, president and CEO of Insomniac Games, said: "As a longtime partner of Sony's we've enjoyed some pretty awesome console tech over the last couple of decades and it looks like the PS4 will continue that trend. I think most of us in the console development world are always looking for more horsepower, more memory, more storage, faster load times... Sony showed clear evidence that we're getting those boosts with this console. However since we at Insomniac love creating new IP, what seems particularly cool is the Gaikai streaming which should allow you to experience console IP on different types of devices."

After Sony's E3 2013 press conference, IGN responded positively to Sony's attitude towards indie developers and trading games, stating they thought "most gamers would agree" that "if you care about games like [Sony] do, you'll buy a PlayStation 4." PlayStation 4's removable and upgradable hard drive also drew praise from IGN, with Scott Lowe commenting that the decision gave the PS4 "another advantage" over the Xbox One, for which the hard drive cannot be accessed.

GameSpot called PlayStation 4 "the gamer's choice for next-generation", citing its price, lack of restrictive digital rights management, and most importantly, Sony's efforts to "acknowledge its consumers" and "respect its audience" as major factors.
Sales

As of August 2013, SCEE has been quoted as saying that over one million preorders have been placed for PlayStation 4.
Brazil

On October 17, 2013, Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 will cost R$3,999. The cost was explained by a Sony Brazil representative to be largely due to the Brazilian government's high import charges, which were estimated to make up 60-70% of the cost. Mark Stanley, Sony's general manager of Latin America, released a statement on October 21 with regards to the price of the PlayStation 4. The included chart shows the Brazilian government's taxes and import fees are 63% (R$2,524), which in addition to other fees, raised the price of the PlayStation 4 to R$3,999. Stanley also stated that Sony is in discussions with Brazilian officials to reduce the import taxes and fees, and will try to begin locally producing the PlayStation 4 to reduce the price, as it did with the PlayStation 3.
After Sony's E3 2013 press conference, IGN responded positively to Sony's attitude towards indie developers and trading games, stating they thought "most gamers would agree" that "if you care about games like [Sony] do, you'll buy a PlayStation 4." The PlayStation 4's removable and upgradable hard drive also drew praise from IGN, with Scott Lowe commenting that the decision gave the PS4 "another advantage" over the Xbox One, which has an inaccessible HDD.

GameSpot also states that PlayStation 4 is "the gamer's choice for next-generation", citing the price, the lack of restrictive digital rights management, and most importantly, Sony's efforts to "acknowledge its consumers" and "respect its audience" as major factors. GameSpot editor Tom McShea wrote that "by saying no to the used game restrictions and always-online that Microsoft is so happily implementing on the Xbox One, Sony has elevated the PlayStation 4 as the console to grab this holiday season."