This issue:
* Immigration in the American Enterprise Magazine
* A Common Language for Us All: Are Humans Like Computers?
* Industry Insights: Does PricewaterhouseCoopers sound intimidating?
* Hoffman Spam Index
* Summation Push Picks Links

--------------------------------
Immigration II

Pick up the July/August edition of the American Enterprise magazine available at any large book store or magazine shop nationwide. In it you will find my most recent article entitled "Don't Starve US Businesses for Skilled Workers."

The American Enterprise magazine is one of the foremost policy magazines in the United States.

--------------------------------
A Common Language for Us All
Are Humans Like Computers?

By Auren Hoffman

Computers always try to imitate human behavior. But they may be imitating us more than we think.

Higher level computer languages like C++, FORTRAN, JAVA, and others are compiled to run on computers. They are written in a language that is understandable to humans using words like "IF" and "FOR" and "LOOP". For a computer to run a program written in C++, or "understand" C++, the program must first be compiled into a language native to the computer.

When a program gets compiled, it gets transformed into assembly language which has no words and then into machine language which is just 1's and 0's. Thus a computer can compile a foreign language into its native language.

Machine language is the basis for all computers of a certain type. It spells out exactly what a machine is supposed to do and how to do it. The millions and trillions of 1's and 0's mean little to most humans but are the only language that many computers can interpret.

The same might be true of humans. Humans around the globe speak thousands of different languages. If you are reading this article, you probably speak English and might think in English, but others think in Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, ... -- you get the picture.

But our understanding of languages like English and others still translate into similar actions. For instance if someone says "jump" in English -- I know to jump. In France, you might get the same reaction by saying "saute" and in Germany one might say "sprung." They all mean the same thing.

Language, for humans, elicits a reaction. When someone says "jump," you brain translates this into a more native language that it can understand. English, in a sense, gets "compiled" by your brain into this inherent code. That native language might not be in words but could be in electric impulses or vibrations. But everyone, including Americans, French, and Germans all inherently understand the phrase in the same way.

Maybe there is some sort of machine code for humans that everyone understands. It might function as a universal language that could be translated to everyone in the world. In the UN, instead of world leaders wearing headphones with translations, one language could be translated that everyone could comprehend.

SUMMATION: With the advent of technology, that old thought of a universal language might not be so far behind. Science fiction? Maybe.

--------------------------------
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS: Does PricewaterhouseCoopers sound intimidating?

Q: What's 22 characters long with no spaces and names one of the largest accounting and consulting conglomerates in the world?

A: "PricewaterhouseCoopers"

After spending a-whole-lotta-cash to a marketing form to come up with its new name, the new combined company of Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand will be named PricewaterhouseCoopers. I would really like to know what marketing firm came up with this trademark so I can be sure to never use them myself.

Over the last month I've got 5 serious e-mails, 3 calls, and 2 e-mail jokes telling me how dumb the name combo is -- and all this communication came from partners or consultants at Coopers or PW.

Imagine typing in their URL (http://www.pricewaterhousecoopers.com/) -- your hands might go numb before you reach the ".com".

(all rumors and insights sent to auren@summation.net will be kept confidential)

--------------------------------
HOFFMAN SPAM INDEX:

Check out what's happening with Spam at:
http://www.summation.net/spam.html

The Hoffman Spam Index is updated weekly.

--------------------------------
THIS WEEK'S SUMMATION PUSH PICK LINKS:

* NewWork Press (http://www.newwork.com/Todays_news.html) - About work, trends, HR, etc.
* Refer-It (http://www.refer-it.com) - cool way for sites to make money and other rewards by promoting other sites
* PricewaterhouseCoopers (http://www.pricewaterhousecoopers.com/) - the new web site for the company with the weird new naming scheme

Past Summations