Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Blog Post 4: Online Privacy
This article about online privacy caught my attention immediately. The article starts by listing all the purchases a random man has made within the past few days. This information was obtained through a website called Blippy which shows every purchase you make with a designated credit card. The article goes on to discuss many aspects of online privacy including a statement from the creator of Facebook that lack of privacy has become the social norm. One person interviewed stated that, “The only reason privacy ever existed is because Facebook didn’t. People have always liked talking about what they’re into and the more people share information with one another, the more comfortable others are joining in.” Besides these points, the article discusses how the things that you post online could come back to haunt you.
There is a lot to think about after reading this article. First of all, I was completely shocked that there was a website that posted your credit card purchases. I was even more shocked that people actually used it. Although, the more I thought about this the more I realized that people post this information frequently on social networking sites. People may not post the monetary value of the items they purchase but they will tweet, "Just bought the new Gucci boots!" I wonder if this could be a form of bragging for some people. We all know those people, the ones that list the price of each new item they have to an uninterested listener. Maybe the website Blippy is paradise for these people but I do not see why anybody else would want to use it.
The article also talks about a woman who was a student teacher and posted a picture of herself apparently drunk on Facebook. This woman was denied her teaching certificate because of this incident. In my personal opinion, I wonder how many times young people have to be warned about this before they will start to realize that privacy is a valuable thing. How could posting a picture of yourself drunk on Facebook possibly get you ahead in the world? Drunk pictures do not help anybody and Lindsey Lohan is an excellent example of this. Maybe this is why the rich and famous are fighting so hard for more privacy rights as the article mentions. Perhaps these people have had so much of their lives exposed that they learned the value of privacy.
In general, I think privacy is completely undervalued among members of my age group. I truly believe that what drives younger people to expose their lives to the world is the hope of becoming famous. If they can make their lives seem interesting enough then maybe people will care. Drunk pictures are posted to show off that they are invited to the "best" parties where everyone gets wasted and has a great time. Peer acceptance is the most important issue in their lives at this time and so they give up their privacy to gain more attention. Unfortunately, this can come back to haunt them all too soon when the issue of peer acceptance is overshadowed by getting a job.
I do not really believe that it is right for a social networking site such as Facebook to archive and make information that is supposed to be private accessible to third parties. However, if that is the way it is then people are exposing themselves at their own risk.
There is a lot to think about after reading this article. First of all, I was completely shocked that there was a website that posted your credit card purchases. I was even more shocked that people actually used it. Although, the more I thought about this the more I realized that people post this information frequently on social networking sites. People may not post the monetary value of the items they purchase but they will tweet, "Just bought the new Gucci boots!" I wonder if this could be a form of bragging for some people. We all know those people, the ones that list the price of each new item they have to an uninterested listener. Maybe the website Blippy is paradise for these people but I do not see why anybody else would want to use it.
The article also talks about a woman who was a student teacher and posted a picture of herself apparently drunk on Facebook. This woman was denied her teaching certificate because of this incident. In my personal opinion, I wonder how many times young people have to be warned about this before they will start to realize that privacy is a valuable thing. How could posting a picture of yourself drunk on Facebook possibly get you ahead in the world? Drunk pictures do not help anybody and Lindsey Lohan is an excellent example of this. Maybe this is why the rich and famous are fighting so hard for more privacy rights as the article mentions. Perhaps these people have had so much of their lives exposed that they learned the value of privacy.
In general, I think privacy is completely undervalued among members of my age group. I truly believe that what drives younger people to expose their lives to the world is the hope of becoming famous. If they can make their lives seem interesting enough then maybe people will care. Drunk pictures are posted to show off that they are invited to the "best" parties where everyone gets wasted and has a great time. Peer acceptance is the most important issue in their lives at this time and so they give up their privacy to gain more attention. Unfortunately, this can come back to haunt them all too soon when the issue of peer acceptance is overshadowed by getting a job.
I do not really believe that it is right for a social networking site such as Facebook to archive and make information that is supposed to be private accessible to third parties. However, if that is the way it is then people are exposing themselves at their own risk.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Blog Post 3: Israel is looking into Cyberwarfare
So I found an article here that talks about how Israel is preparing for cyberwarfare. In December of 2008, during the winter war in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, there was an Arab attack on the Israeli Internet infrastructure. Israel fought back by hacking into an Arab television network with a message that said, "Hamas leaders are hiding and they left you on the front line." The article goes on to talk about how cyberwarfare can shut down a country's economy and military by attacking its computer systems. Israel's chief of Military Intelligence announced that Israel is becoming a world leader in cyberwarfare. Apparently, he was not lying because according to the article, "In 2008 the Technolytics Institute, a private U.S. consultancy, rated Israel the sixth biggest 'cyberwarfare threat' after China, Russia, Iran, France and 'extremist/terrorist groups.'"
This article gives the impression that cyberwarfare could be a revolutionary change in the way countries fight. I agree with this to some extent. This kind of warfare could literally shut down a country without bloodshed. However, it depends on how a country chooses to use their cyber power. If the country uses it to hack into military systems it could cause more deaths by crashing planes, shutting down strategic defensive bases, etc. On the other hand, a country could choose to just hack into an enemy's computer system and shut down their economy. This would cause the enemy to be extremely crippled without shedding any blood.
The article does mention that cyberwarfare could be a great opportunity for small countries to gain more power. If small countries were extremely technologically advanced they could compete against bigger countries without having to worry about the difference in population size. It seems to me, though, that advances in technology have always given countries the upper hand in warfare. So in this respect, I do not believe cyberwarfare is really a revolutionary change. Nevertheless, I do think cyberwarfare can give very small, militarily weak countries a new opportunity to gain more power than ever. Cyberwarfare could be important for small countries because it is much cheaper than a traditional war. A small country that could not afford to buy military equipment could easily afford a cyberwar. Therefore, small countries could be very empowered by cyberwarfare because they do not need large numbers of people or a lot of money to be successful.
After reading this article, I hope that the U.S. is as advanced in terms of cyberwarfare as Israel. The fact that Israel made such a public announcement seems to imply that they are pretty confident in their cyberwarfare capabilities. I would like to see more media and government attention to this issue in the very near future. With other types of warfare countries have to spend time creating strategies and training their military. Cyberwarfare could easily take less time to execute and could be done in very secretive manner. Basically, as Americans we need to make sure we are not caught by surprise. I truly do believe that superior technology is the most important factor to being a powerful country I think cyberwarfare is something to watch out for.
This article gives the impression that cyberwarfare could be a revolutionary change in the way countries fight. I agree with this to some extent. This kind of warfare could literally shut down a country without bloodshed. However, it depends on how a country chooses to use their cyber power. If the country uses it to hack into military systems it could cause more deaths by crashing planes, shutting down strategic defensive bases, etc. On the other hand, a country could choose to just hack into an enemy's computer system and shut down their economy. This would cause the enemy to be extremely crippled without shedding any blood.
The article does mention that cyberwarfare could be a great opportunity for small countries to gain more power. If small countries were extremely technologically advanced they could compete against bigger countries without having to worry about the difference in population size. It seems to me, though, that advances in technology have always given countries the upper hand in warfare. So in this respect, I do not believe cyberwarfare is really a revolutionary change. Nevertheless, I do think cyberwarfare can give very small, militarily weak countries a new opportunity to gain more power than ever. Cyberwarfare could be important for small countries because it is much cheaper than a traditional war. A small country that could not afford to buy military equipment could easily afford a cyberwar. Therefore, small countries could be very empowered by cyberwarfare because they do not need large numbers of people or a lot of money to be successful.
After reading this article, I hope that the U.S. is as advanced in terms of cyberwarfare as Israel. The fact that Israel made such a public announcement seems to imply that they are pretty confident in their cyberwarfare capabilities. I would like to see more media and government attention to this issue in the very near future. With other types of warfare countries have to spend time creating strategies and training their military. Cyberwarfare could easily take less time to execute and could be done in very secretive manner. Basically, as Americans we need to make sure we are not caught by surprise. I truly do believe that superior technology is the most important factor to being a powerful country I think cyberwarfare is something to watch out for.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Podcast on Net Neutrality
Hey! Check out my podcast on the issue of net neutrality...an important issue that doesn't get enough attention.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Blog Post: 2: The Digital Divide
While searching the internet for recent news on the digital divide issue I found this article from the Denver Post on a website called Usability News. The article is called "The Digital Divide.” It's a lighthearted article by Bridgette Cassidy that focuses on her mother's relationship with technology. Specifically, Cassidy writes about the senior generation of Americans and their use of the Internet and technology. Cassidy writes that, "According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, seniors are the fastest-growing age group going online. The most significant increase was with 70- to 75-year-olds, who went from 26 percent online in 2005 to 45 percent online in 2008." While talking about the reasons for the divide, the article implies that socioeconomic factors are not as important in dividing seniors as their lack of technological knowledge. Cassidy quotes her mother saying "Why take the time to peck out a response when I can just pick up the phone and call you?"
I liked that the article focused on seniors in the U.S. because I feel that they are a group often overlooked when it comes to the digital divide issue. The people I talk to seem to always focus on the importance of children around the world getting on computers and learning about the Internet because it will improve their lives. This is, of course, an important issue. However, when people talk about their grandparents getting on the computer and online they roll their eyes and use a negative tone. In a college student’s eyes it is embarrassing to get a friend request from your grandmother on Facebook.
According to Cassidy, usability is part of the issue that some seniors hesitate to embrace new technology and cross the digital divide. Perhaps more seniors would get online if they had better support from the younger generation of Americans. In fact, my grandma did recently add me on Facebook and it has been nothing but a pleasant experience. Now, I know when to call her for her Birthday and I get nice comments from her. Usability was not an issue for her because she works in a professional setting.
However, I believe in addition to not knowing how to use the Internet, many seniors simply do not know what the Internet offers. They hear about email and Facebook and YouTube but they do not have any idea what benefits and entertainment they offer. They offer faster, easier communication and also entertainment for hours. My grandfather refuses to get online because he just does not understand what he would be able to do on the Internet. I think about how my grandfather would enjoy what the Internet has to offer. He would especially enjoy the car racing videos on YouTube that my boyfriend, unfortunately, is obsessed with watching. Instead of sitting in front of the TV, my grandfather could interact with people online who have similar interests. The seniors of America have many years of life experience and having their presence online is not a negative thing for us younger generation Americans or them.
After looking at my grandfather's situation I really agree with Cassidy's implication that for seniors the digital divide is not so much about socioeconomic issues as it is their lack of knowledge on how to use the technology. Also, I would add that they do not have knowledge on what the technology can do. I think there would be great changes for my grandfather if he could learn how to use the internet. Plus, he would be able to gain and give more knowledge. I believe because of these reasons that younger generation Americans should provide as much support as they can to help the seniors of America cross the digital divide.
I liked that the article focused on seniors in the U.S. because I feel that they are a group often overlooked when it comes to the digital divide issue. The people I talk to seem to always focus on the importance of children around the world getting on computers and learning about the Internet because it will improve their lives. This is, of course, an important issue. However, when people talk about their grandparents getting on the computer and online they roll their eyes and use a negative tone. In a college student’s eyes it is embarrassing to get a friend request from your grandmother on Facebook.
According to Cassidy, usability is part of the issue that some seniors hesitate to embrace new technology and cross the digital divide. Perhaps more seniors would get online if they had better support from the younger generation of Americans. In fact, my grandma did recently add me on Facebook and it has been nothing but a pleasant experience. Now, I know when to call her for her Birthday and I get nice comments from her. Usability was not an issue for her because she works in a professional setting.
However, I believe in addition to not knowing how to use the Internet, many seniors simply do not know what the Internet offers. They hear about email and Facebook and YouTube but they do not have any idea what benefits and entertainment they offer. They offer faster, easier communication and also entertainment for hours. My grandfather refuses to get online because he just does not understand what he would be able to do on the Internet. I think about how my grandfather would enjoy what the Internet has to offer. He would especially enjoy the car racing videos on YouTube that my boyfriend, unfortunately, is obsessed with watching. Instead of sitting in front of the TV, my grandfather could interact with people online who have similar interests. The seniors of America have many years of life experience and having their presence online is not a negative thing for us younger generation Americans or them.
After looking at my grandfather's situation I really agree with Cassidy's implication that for seniors the digital divide is not so much about socioeconomic issues as it is their lack of knowledge on how to use the technology. Also, I would add that they do not have knowledge on what the technology can do. I think there would be great changes for my grandfather if he could learn how to use the internet. Plus, he would be able to gain and give more knowledge. I believe because of these reasons that younger generation Americans should provide as much support as they can to help the seniors of America cross the digital divide.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Blog Post 1: Online Identity Suicide
I found an article at TechCrunch.com that takes an interesting look at online identity. The article is entitled "Wipe The Slate Clean For 2010, Commit Web 2.0 Suicide." Besides sounding extremely morbid this article talks about a new Web 2.0 suicide machine that will permanently delete your online identity on social networks. The article even cautions "Warning: This will really delete your online presence and is irrevocable." The article continues and assures the reader that "Unplugging from your social life online will leave you more time for your real life, which you’ve probably been neglecting." According to the article, which was written on December 31st, only 321 people so far have committed online suicide.
At first I wondered why anyone would want to commit "online suicide" so to speak. I am aware that some college students' online identities can very well be more important than their real life identities. I know many college students who have online identities that make them seem more popular, glamorous, and important than they really are. I myself enjoy an online identity that I feel is more humorous and lighthearted than I tend to be on a typical day. So why would you want to destroy a version of yourself that you have taken the time to painstakingly create? Of course there is the common fear of having an online identity viewed by potential employers, current employers, professors and parents. We have all heard the warnings, "Be careful what you post online!" I have personally been stalked by an over-involved aunt who believes it is her moral duty to report to my parents any questionable photos. So I could understand the reasons why someone who was applying for a professional job or was in the public eye would want to permanently delete all less than professional records of themselves.
The article gives a different reason for committing online suicide. It seems to imply that people are so obsessed with their online identity that they don't have time for a real life anymore. I would have to say that I believe they have a valid point. I think that people usually create an online identity as an escape from an otherwise mundane life. The more I analyze the Facebooks and Twitters of my fellow students, the more I realize that the people who have the most pictures, status updates, comments and appear popular are actually not. It is really the people I know who have relatively boring Facebooks and Twitters that have better grades, jobs, relationships, and they still go out and have fun. These people just pay more attention to the conversation than trying to get in as many pictures as they can. For me, working an average of twenty-five hours a week, going to school, and maintaining a relationship is enough. I can't imagine having to worry about a whole other identity. Maybe if I were unhappy with aspects of my life it would be a relief to turn to my computer which leads me to believe that those people with a strong online presence are either bored or not as happy.
Also, maintaining and online identity can be exhausting. You have to be constantly uploading photos, or updating your status to keep up your image. With the internet connected to your phone you can never be free of the comments which you must reply to. An online identity could actually be a lot of pressure. I blogged constantly over the summer and obtained a lot of followers. I had horrible feelings of guilt when I stopped blogging because school started. I'm scared to visit my blog and get comments asking where I've gone. Web suicide would have sounded like a relatively good option. At least, maybe the creation of the Web 2.0 suicide machine is showing a shift in number of people that think updating their status every two seconds is cool. I'm not ready to commit Web 2.0 suicide yet but it is certainly something I will consider for the future.
Here is a creepy video about online suicide. It is long and moves slowly.
At first I wondered why anyone would want to commit "online suicide" so to speak. I am aware that some college students' online identities can very well be more important than their real life identities. I know many college students who have online identities that make them seem more popular, glamorous, and important than they really are. I myself enjoy an online identity that I feel is more humorous and lighthearted than I tend to be on a typical day. So why would you want to destroy a version of yourself that you have taken the time to painstakingly create? Of course there is the common fear of having an online identity viewed by potential employers, current employers, professors and parents. We have all heard the warnings, "Be careful what you post online!" I have personally been stalked by an over-involved aunt who believes it is her moral duty to report to my parents any questionable photos. So I could understand the reasons why someone who was applying for a professional job or was in the public eye would want to permanently delete all less than professional records of themselves.
The article gives a different reason for committing online suicide. It seems to imply that people are so obsessed with their online identity that they don't have time for a real life anymore. I would have to say that I believe they have a valid point. I think that people usually create an online identity as an escape from an otherwise mundane life. The more I analyze the Facebooks and Twitters of my fellow students, the more I realize that the people who have the most pictures, status updates, comments and appear popular are actually not. It is really the people I know who have relatively boring Facebooks and Twitters that have better grades, jobs, relationships, and they still go out and have fun. These people just pay more attention to the conversation than trying to get in as many pictures as they can. For me, working an average of twenty-five hours a week, going to school, and maintaining a relationship is enough. I can't imagine having to worry about a whole other identity. Maybe if I were unhappy with aspects of my life it would be a relief to turn to my computer which leads me to believe that those people with a strong online presence are either bored or not as happy.
Also, maintaining and online identity can be exhausting. You have to be constantly uploading photos, or updating your status to keep up your image. With the internet connected to your phone you can never be free of the comments which you must reply to. An online identity could actually be a lot of pressure. I blogged constantly over the summer and obtained a lot of followers. I had horrible feelings of guilt when I stopped blogging because school started. I'm scared to visit my blog and get comments asking where I've gone. Web suicide would have sounded like a relatively good option. At least, maybe the creation of the Web 2.0 suicide machine is showing a shift in number of people that think updating their status every two seconds is cool. I'm not ready to commit Web 2.0 suicide yet but it is certainly something I will consider for the future.
Here is a creepy video about online suicide. It is long and moves slowly.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
