{"id":4340,"date":"2021-06-22T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=4340"},"modified":"2021-10-04T16:03:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T20:03:00","slug":"88-i-thought-id-heard-it-all-before-texting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/88-i-thought-id-heard-it-all-before-texting\/","title":{"rendered":"#88\u2014I Thought I\u2019d Heard it All\u2026 Pre-Texting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Who said, \u201cIf you do what you love, you\u2019ll never work a day in your life.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>
  2. In what movie (and who said it), did we hear, \u201cWhen you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>
  3. In what song (and who sang it), did we hear the following lyrics?
    It was back in nineteen forty-two,<\/em>
    I was a member of a good platoon.<\/em>
    We were on maneuvers in-a Louisiana,<\/em>
    One night by the light of the moon.<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n
    <\/div>
    Blog #88 (Audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>

    Listen to the audio of this blog, read by Andy Adkins. Click the \u201cAudio<\/strong><\/em>\u201d button below.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    Published: <\/span>October 4, 2021<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>1<\/span> Download<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    A Short Navy <\/em>Resume…<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    While in the US Navy, my rating was Aviation Boatswain\u2019s Mate-Handler<\/a><\/strong> (ABH2). My first duty station was NAS Agana, Guam<\/a><\/strong> in Crash & Rescue<\/strong> (\u201973-75), then aboard USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong>, CV-63 in V-1 Division<\/strong>\/Crash (\u201975-77)<\/a>. During the Westpac \u201975<\/a><\/strong> cruise, I worked on the flight deck. In both my duty stations, I was an aircraft Crash firefighter. Later, after our year in the Bremerton Shipyards<\/a><\/strong>, I became a Fly-3 Yellow Shirt director, moving aircraft about the flight deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah, I\u2019ve “been there & done that.<\/em>” Like so many us, I gained that <\/em>veteran confidence through experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Last week<\/a>, I shared a short story about my post-Navy life with references back to what I learned during my 4-year \u201ccareer.\u201d Several of you commented about your <\/em>post-Navy life, too, and things you\u2019d experienced that surprised you. Things that fall into that category of, \u201cI thought I\u2019d heard it all\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This week, I\u2019ll share another story\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Brief Background<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    With a Bachelor\u2019s (\u201982) and a Master\u2019s (\u201989) Degree in Engineering from the University of Florida, I worked as an electronics design engineer for several years in the late 80s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Legal
    Legal Technology Institute<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    After working several years “in industry,” I decided to launch my own computer consulting business, primarily working with lawyers. My dad had been a lawyer in Gainesville and my uncle had been a Florida Supreme Court Justice\u2014the “name thing” worked for me for a bit, but I also knew that I needed to prove my own worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I musta done something right, because I had a long, successful 30-year career in legal technology, including establishing the Legal Technology Institute<\/strong> at UFLaw. Most of that was as an independent legal technology consultant, working with over 300 law firms all over the country as well as government agencies, law schools, and software companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Life as a Computer Expert Witness<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    After being in the technology business for a while, I found I could call myself an \u201cexpert.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I mean, why not? Right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"IBM
    IBM PC Computer
    circa dark ages
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Lawyers often pay well for \u201cexperts.\u201d Over my 30-year career, I worked about 15 cases as a computer or technology expert. Every project was unique, and I soon became selective about which cases I\u2019d accept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “Send me the legal complaint and $500 and I’ll take a look at it.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One particular case I remember all-too-well\u2026 it involved a local physician, a patient, and<\/em> his wife. I won\u2019t go into the juicy details, but let\u2019s just say that I believe there was a little m\u00e9nage-a-something<\/em> going on\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The older and spectacled 60-year-old physician and his 45-year-old patient had an affair\u2014that\u2019s an ethical nightmare, by the way. I only met his wife once, who was in her late 50s; I never met the \u201cpatient.\u201d The physician’s hair was gray and thinning like a horseshoe bald spot on his head with fringe, but he looked much older<\/em> than 60. A question in the back of my mind… “How much of it had grayed since “working” with this patient?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Despite the circumstances, the physician struck me as a compassionate and extremely smart (well, sort of) man. He cared deeply for his patients\u2014that was obvious. Unfortunately, IMHO, he cared a little too much<\/em> for one in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Days of DOS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Aside from these minutiae details, this was in the early 90s and <\/em>the early pioneering days of DOS\u2014way before the Internet. It was rare (email hadn\u2019t become a mainstay), but some computer users wanted to communicate with each other, point-to-point using a computer, so to speak. This, as opposed to picking up the telephone and simply having a conversation (UNRECORDED)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Procomm<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re as old as me, think in terms of the old BBS (Bulletin Board Systems<\/strong>)\u2014those dial-up host services that allowed you to upload\/download files, use message boards, and exchange messages with other users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah\u2026 I\u2019m that<\/em> old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Back then, to connect your computer to another user’s computer via telecommunications, you\u2019d use a dial-up modem (300-, 1200-, or if you had money, a 2400-baud modem) and a simple software application called ProComm<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yes, I know that\u2019s eons ago, but stay with me here\u2026 this is about to get interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2026 In the Navy<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \"Sound<\/a>
    Seaman Jillian Brennan speaks into a sound-powered phone on the navigation bridge aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington<\/em> (CVN 73).
    Photo credit: MCS2 William Pittman.
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Back in the Navy in the mid 70s aboard a ship, telecommunications consisted of a rotary dial telephone\u2014calling department to department. Or it could be a \u201csound-powered<\/strong>\u201d phone set, calling person-to-person over a single hard-wired point-to-point circuit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As an example, this communication was required when operating the flight deck elevators\u2014one Elevator Operator on one end of the phone and a Machinist’s Mate in the machinery room on the other end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A sound-powered phone is difficult to picture in today\u2019s modern technology world. Imagine two young kids playing outside in a field, each with a tin can connected by a string, talking to each other: one talks into the can while the other holds the can up to his\/her ear. Hence, “sound-powered.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah\u2026 I\u2019m that<\/em> old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, when in port, you could always use a pay phone on the pier to call someone off the ship. Anyone remember those?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During Westpac ’75 when I made a long-distance telephone call from PI (Philippines<\/a><\/strong>) to Florida, I\u2019d use a base pay phone and either call \u201ccollect\u201d (my parents would pay the long distance charge) or I\u2019d have a pocketful of quarters. In 1975, a 3-minute call from PI to Florida was about $15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yeah… you learn to talk fast and listen well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2026 In an Expert Witness Case<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Today\u2019s technology allows us to communicate in real-time using video (FaceTime<\/em>, Zoom<\/em>, etc.). And it\u2019s significantly improved during this past year, because of COVID and people working remotely. We\u2019re doing things now with technology that haven’t been done before and that continues to amaze me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But back in the early 90s, to communicate with another person in real-time using your computer, you\u2019d first connect to their computer with a dial-up modem and simply type your question, response, or whatever. The computer would transmit it through the modem, through the telephone lines, then to the other user’s modem to their computer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    All in real-time, not much different from today, albeit much slower. It\u2019s similar to today\u2019s texting, except you\u2019d use two hands instead of your thumbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Well\u2026 except for the case I\u2019m about to relay to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of my \u201cprojects\u201d in this case was to analyze the data traffic and communications between the physician and his patient; and I use the term “patient” loosely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The attorney who hired me had already acquired the communications transcripts (i.e., the \u201ctyped messages\u201d) as well as the log on\/log off times via legal discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The transcripts and the log on\/log off times may not mean much to the general public, but for a computer guy like me, that information told me two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2026 I can\u2019t make this stuff up<\/strong>.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    First<\/em>, the \u201cdiscussion\u201d between the physician and his patient. It made for some… let’s just say… interesting reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Just for grins, the nickname for his\u2026 how do I say this gracefully?<\/em>\u2026 tallywacker was \u201cFred.\u201d The nickname for hers was \u201cAlice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Oh yeah\u2026 it gets better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Part of me wishes I had saved those documents. But in a legal case like this, those are things you don\u2019t want to keep around the house for someone else to find, especially with young kids around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Besides the obvious telecommunication \u201cdiscussions\u201d in the ProComm<\/em> transcripts (“Fred” and “Alice” seemed to have a good time <\/em>“experimenting” with each other and… very detailed<\/em>), from a professional analytical perspective, they also provided me with the number of words typed by each person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Time for a Serious Side note<\/strong>… Seriously<\/em>!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Let me pause here and perhaps introduce a new \u201cterm\u201d to parents of pre-teens and teens: \u201csexting.\u201d If you haven\u2019t heard that term before, please (I\u2019m serious here) look it up on Google. You\u2019d be surprised at what you may learn. And if you don\u2019t think your pre-teen or teen knows about it, think again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But, I digress\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2026 Back to the Case<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Second<\/em>, I could analyze the length of time for these \u201cdiscussions\u201d between \u201cFred\u201d and \u201cAlice\u201d by the log on and log off times. Combined with the number of words typed by each user, it was fairly easy to analyze the number of words typed per minute. It wasn’t rocket science or brain surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I gained all kinds of interesting information from those two sets of documents\u2026 actually, more than I care to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Long story short, when I testified, I was a little embarrassed. I knew the judge personally; she’d clerked for my dad when she attended law school. I think she about lost it when I made the following comment… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI found it difficult to believe that \u2018Fred\u2019 could type that fast with one hand\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Think about it\u2026 or don\u2019t<\/em> think about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ll just leave it at that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wrapping Up…<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I actually used this “true-ish” case many times as an example when I taught Law Practice Management<\/strong> at UFLaw<\/strong>. Besides getting a giggle or two, it also provided my students with an insight into the “early” electronic discovery methods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Funny thing is, at the time, I made the comment to my 2L & 3L law students, “Never <\/em>email or post something online that you don’t want to appear on the front page of the Wall Street Journal<\/em>… or the Gainesville Daily Mullet Wrapper<\/em>” (as my dad used to call the local paper). That’s still true in today’s world, only the tools are sharper and the attorneys are smarter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With today’s technology tools, experts can not only extract data from multiple sources (phones, computers, social media, video surveillance, etc.), but they also have the tools to combine the data and build graphical timelines of that data, their sources, and perhaps, the location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here’s a simple example: you’re downtown at an intersection, using your cell phone (either texting or talking), and you witness an accident. There are tools available now to track down your phone number via GPS (location services) and… eventually place you in the vicinity of the accident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One such technical term is “geofencing.” But then… I’m way off topic for this post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    OK… one more, only <\/em>if you’re interested. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Got a Twitter account? Go to it and type the following into the Search field (no spaces): geocode:32.713789,-117.17494,3km<\/strong> then press the “Enter” key – Twitter will gather the Tweets from that geo-location (within 3km) and list them in chronological order, newest Tweet at the top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Twitter<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    BTW, these GPS coordinates are for the USS Midway, CV-41<\/em><\/strong> in San Diego. If you want to have fun, expand the 3km out to 5, 10, or 15km and capture all Tweets from San Diego Padre stadium, Balboa Park, and the San Diego Zoo. Who knows what or who you may find…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You’re welcome!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Previous Posts Mentioned in this Blog<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n