Although we live in the technology age I think society should know the upsides and the downsides of the internet and all its capabilities. The internet is continuing to change and improve and some of the examples of what has helped the internet to change include that the PC has become common in households, the development of high-speed digital connections, communication via satellite, as well as the increase use of the internet by business, organizations, and/or the general public. With all these advancements in the internet are many downsides and some may wonder if many cases it may be doing more harm then good. Our society has grown to depend on the internet in so many ways. It is already changing the way we bank, work, shop, and even the way we live.
I know as a college student I am forced to use the internet inside and outside of the class room, whether it’s to print notes from online, an online course, research, or even this blog. The internet is a must and there is no way around it. Although in the college setting the internet is very beneficiary, with all the information available plagiarism has become a bigger problem. For children and young teens some may wonder whether they spend too much time on the internet. As well as what they are exposed to. Respondents from a UCLA study agreed that children are exposed to a lot of inappropriate material on the Net (Net does not impact society negatively).This is why many parents have a parental block, protecting their kid from material of sexual or violent nature, language that is rude and the advertising of children’s products. According to the same UCLA study, many parents had no problem with their children using the internet, as well as it didn’t affect the amount of time family bonding time, the amount of time children spend with their friends, or their children's grades. The major upside to children using the internet is the educational games and programs readily available.
I know many have wondered how the internet has effected communication. Do those who use the internet lose the ability to interact and communicate person to person or do they benefit by interacting over the internet? If you look at it from each point of view a person may be less personable over the internet but on the upside with social network sites a person can interact and meet more people. Electronic mail is one thing many of us could not live without, especially since there is an estimated 1.1 billion e-mail users worldwide and approximately 171 million e-mails sent per day (Fun fact). With social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, in many cases have helped improve communication skills. I used MySpace and Facebook not as a way to meet new people but as a way to keep in contact with family members, as well as old friends. The internet has allowed me to stay connected. The online social networking sites allow the feeling of community and “without communication there can be no action to organize social relations” (J. Fernback & B. Thompson).
The internet has made research and the availability of information for all so much easier. We can find almost anything online. In many cases this has caused a problem with copy right laws, which are designed to regulate how many times information or an idea is used (Copyright). Many internet users have committed copyright infringement, a violation of copyright, or simply using someone else’s work without permission. In many cases committed copyright infringement involves music. Music down loaders use P2P or peer-to-peer file-sharing programs such as Kazaa, Limewire, iMesh, Morpheus, and BearShare which is illegal. With the crimes committed towards music, many peer-to-peer file-sharing programs have adopted change, by just charging a monthly fee but still allowing music downloading.
Not only has copyright become a huge issue, identity theft has as well. Internet users are able to find out so much with just a little research and a couple clicks. Identity theft is known as a catch-all term for crimes involving illegal usage of another individual's identity Individuals need and should have the opportunity to decide and control what personal information about their lives or personal affairs is in public view (Wikipedia). It seems to be that in today’s world of computers and the Internet people are more willing to give up their privacy or simply less careful. Since the development of the internet, all our stepped can be traced and what privacy we have is at its limit.
As much as we accepted the internet for all it’s worth it’s hard to look past its downfalls. The internet has helped in so many ways and will continue to improve and make our lives that much easier. Individuals themselves need to choose what is right, either by places a parental block on young children’s computer or by protecting their privacy better. The internet is here, and it is here to stay.
J. Fernback & B. Thompson. Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure?
Monday, December 3, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Net Neutrality
For those of us who weren’t aware apparently there is a huge debate on network neutrality. The debate involves new economy companies like Google and Yahoo but also the old economy companies like AT&T, Verizon Communications, Time Warner and Comcat. Congress is attempting to decide how much control the new and old companies should have involving the Internet pipelines (Wikipedia). To understand net neutrality we may think of it as no discrimination which is prevents Internet providers from speeding up or slowing down Web content based on its source, ownership or destination (SavetheInternet.com). Network neutrality is what allows us the ability to “access any Web site we want, whenever we want, at the fastest speed,” and watch “online video, listening to podcasts, sending instant messages anytime we choose” (SavetheInternet.com). Net neutrality is the “principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content they want, post their own content, and use any applications they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by their Internet service providers”( www.commoncause.org). Network Neutrality is what makes all of those things possible. Net neutrality is what allows economic innovation, democratic participation, and free speech online, something many of us take for granted. The reason for the debate is that the oldest and largest economy companies like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner want to decide which Web sites go fast or slow and which won't load at all, acting like a “gatekeeper” (SavetheInternet.com). Basically these companies want to tax content providers to guarantee their own speedy delivery of data and “discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services, and streaming video, while also slowing down or blocking their competitors” (SavetheInternet.com).
Many may just believe that this just involves the corporations but it affects many others. Think of small business owners. They benefit from an internet that allows them to compete directly small business owners’ and Net Neutrality ensures that “innovators can start small and dream big about being the next EBay or Google without facing insurmountable hurdles”(SavetheInternet.com). Not just small business owners will be affected by the larges companies taking over the internet, everyone who uses the internet will be affected. Consumers are the ones ultimately in control. We decide what content, applications and services to use. The website Save the Internet says that without net neutrality the “Internet will look more like cable TV,” with network owners will deciding which channels, content and applications are available; consumers will have to choose from their menu.” Also decisions would be made by corporate boards, not the consumers. Without network neutrality, we would lose innovations, competition would be limited, and access to information restricted. Above all and the main reason to support network neutrality is that consumer choices and the free market would be sacrificed to the interests of a few corporate executives.
A major reason to support net neutrality is because it affects many of us. It determines what information if available to us and allows us all to have equal access to the internet. When comparing the internet to telephone providers, consumers are not told who they can call or what they can say. Broadband carriers should not be allowed to use their market power to control activity online as well. Many of us are unaware of the issues revolving network neutrality and those who may have heard of it are may be unaware it involves us, the daily consumers of the internet. The idea of an open internet is at stake.
(September 2006). A Battle for control of the web. The Wall Street Journal Savetheinternet.com Wikipedia.com
Friday, November 9, 2007
Virtual Economies
Learning about virtual economies is a completely new topic for me and one that I find overwhelming. It’s hard to fathom the idea that millions of people invest hours, upon hours of their time playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games and for many “it is more than just a game- it’s an escape, an obsession and a home” (Levy, 2007). A virtual economy is “an emergent economy existing in a virtual persistent world, usually in the context of an Internet game” (Wikipedia). The millions who play these games create new economies that for the participants involved are as good as real and in cyberspace, economies seem to mirror the real world. These virtual worlds also show a comparison to real life in that participants interact one-on-one socially. Wikipedia states that “people enter these virtual economies recreationally rather than by necessity; however, some people do interact with them for "real" economic benefit.”
Two of these virtual economies include Second Life and World of Warcraft. Second Life is considered an “open” virtual economy, while World of Warcraft is considered a “closed” virtual economy. Second Life was launched in 2003 with a downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer. The program enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. For those who do not know, metaverse is widely used term to describe the vision behind current work on fully immersive 3D virtual spaces (Wikipedia). Second Life is a user-defined world in which people can interact, play, do business, and otherwise communicate .Virtual worlds allow real people to live some of their lives through made up characters. Similar to the real world residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items and services from one another(Wikipedia). Second Life also had its own economy and a currency referred to as Linden Dollars. The virtual economy allows players to participate in an economy that features aspects of the real world. Residents are able to create new goods and services, and buy and sell them in the Second Life virtual world. Within the virtual economy there are also currency exchanges where Residents can exchange real world currencies for L$. Second Life allows for legal trading of in-world currency. Also one major point I learned is that although Second Life is considered a game, technically it does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games, though it can be thought of as a game on a more basic level because it is "played for fun".
World of Warcraft run by Blizzard Entertainment, is its fourth game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994. (Wikipedia.com) The virtual game has more than seven million players and is considered the most advanced and popular (Levy, 2007). The online role-playing game, World of Warcraft takes place within the world of Azeroth, four years after the events at the conclusion of Blizzard's previous release, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Other aspects of the game include players going on quests and slaying mythical beasts, massing virtual wealth, gaining power as well. Unlike the game Second Life, World of Warcraft takes place in a fantasy world where there is “interaction between guilds and individuals relies on human choices and moral” (Levy, 2007). Players control a character avatar within the game world and game rewards player who succeed with money, items, and experience, which in turn allow players to improve their skill and power. Players can also participate in duels which are fought between members of the same or opposing factions, although these do not provide tangible rewards (Wikipeda.com). The game was designed to be an open environment where players are allowed to do what they please alongside optional quests that players can complete to advance further in the game. Blizzard has also created a way for members to become members of the virtual community. World of the Warcraft also believes that using real money within the game to gain an edge violates the game’s “egalitarian spirit” (Levy, 2007). Contrary to Blizzard there is an industry making tons of real dollars, by “gold farming,” which is the accumulation of in-game currency and selling it and also “power leveling, borrowing someone’s avatar and grinding through the game to gain experience (Levy, 2007).
Between Second Life and World of War craft are two completely different virtual economies, where one encourages, the other discourages. Both are two of the most popular online games available, with millions of members. Each game allows players to live their life through someone else, an avatar and whether I understand the ever increasing popularity of virtual games is beyond me.
Giles, J.(2007). Life's A Game. Nature.
Levy, S. (2007). World of Warcraft: Is It a Game. Newsweek. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from
Friday, November 2, 2007
Asssignment 10- Print news vs. Online
A topic that was given much attention in both a newspaper and an online news source is the story of a mother, Theresa and father Roger Liao searching for a cure for their two sons, Jake and Nate. Although it is a graphic story, it seemed to me an important one. A news column by Anita Manning from USA Today called “An experiment to save a son” uses up a majority of the cover page of the Life section, as well as the entire second page. The article basically shares with the reader a mother’s struggle to find to a cure for her son’s disorder, epidermolysis bullosa. It also speaks about the trial and error treatment used on Nate Liao and that until now had only been tested on mice (Manning, 2007). I also found an article on the internet from an online paper, the Examiner called “Family waits for cure for son’s rare disorder.”
The Liao’s son has a rare disorder, epidermolysis bullosa, or EB. According to Wikipedia.com epidermolysis bullosa is a “rare genetic disease characterized by the presence of extremely fragile skin and recurrent blisters formation, resulting from minor mechanical friction or trauma.” The USA Today describes that the rare disorder is due to the lack of protein that is needed to keep skin attached to the body (Manning, 2007). Although I’m sure a majority of us have not heard of epidermolysis bullosa, an estimated one out of 50,000 births of males and females of all races and ethnic groups are affected with some type of EB, the worst form being Hallopeau-Siemens disease, which is lifelong (Kohlhepp, 2005). In the case of the Liao’s two of their sons carry epidermolysis bullosa, one of them in fact carries the worst from of EB, Hallopeau-Siemens disease.
After comparing the USA Today’s article, “An experiment to save a son” to the online article, “Family waits for cure for son’s rare disorder” I did notice one major difference between the two sources, the USA Today wrote more about the disease itself and the transplant experiment while the article online wrote more about the family and carrying for two children who live with EB. The online article also seemed to show how much the disease affects the children who carry it. The Examiner explains that because of Jake’s illness, his body does not adapt well to temperature changes, he spends little time outdoors and won’t be able to attend public school due to fear of him getting severally hurt and causing infection. And although the news print source goes into some detail, the online article explains in detail a major concern for parent’s whose children carry EB is the fact that their hands and feet can critically be damaged due to the fact they are used the most. The mother is quoted saying “He could live without toes, but it would be difficult for him to live his life without the use of his hands” (Kohlhepp, 2005).
I also noticed that the two articles focused on different children, the story in USA Today spoke more about the youngest boy Nate, while the article online spoke more about Jake, both sources choice to focus on one child over the other. Each source however used several pictures to illustrate how the boys are affected by the disorder physically showing the boy’s covered in bandages, their newest blisters, along with their several other healing sores.
Although I don’t necessarily keep up with current events, I prefer and believe news papers and online news papers sources are more informative when compared to looking to a blog for information about current events. Regarding the article “An experiment to save a son” and the article “Family waits for cure for son’s rare disorder” I believe both articles to be informative in different aspects. In the USA Today I learned more about the future cure for ED and in the online article I learned more about living with the disorder itself. I found that they each balanced each other out and what I did not get from one source I got from the other so in that case I find both online sources and the traditional print source important and valuable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidermolysis_Bullosa
Manning, A. (2007, November 1). An experiment to save a son. USA Today, pp. D1, D2.
Kohlhepp, J. (2005, April 5). Family waits for cure for son’s rare disorder. Examiner. Retrieved November 2, 2007,
from http://examiner.gmnews.com/news/2005/0420/Front_page/001.html
Friday, October 26, 2007
Writing Assignment 9- Politics
Blogging has steadily become popular, although a blog wasn't always necessarily known in the format we know it today. Similar to blogs were Usenet, commercial online services such as GEnie, BiX and the early CompuServe, e-mail lists and Bulletin Board Systems(Wikipedia). By the mid 1990’s blogging seemed more like an online journal. Soon by early 2000’s blogs become more about politics. Blogging allowed politicians and political candidates a way to express their opinions on war and other important issues. By 2004, “the role of blogs became increasingly mainstream, as political consultants, news services and candidates began using them as tools for outreach and forming” (Wikipedia).Blogging may also be seen as a means of "getting around the filter" and pushing messages directly to the public. Politicians who use internet technology are able to reach out to their supports. The internet allows for people to have social debates online regarding their views and while also learning more about their favorite politician. The internet simply provides an alternative way for people to get involved in their nations politics.
Some are asking “Does the internet create Democracy?” Communication technology is continuing to develop and improve; the internet for example has helped to expand knowledge and freedom, democratizes culture (Thornton, 2002). I believe along with many others that the internet is doing just that, helping to create a more democratic nation as well as maintain what democracy we have left. One individual who is a small part of creating Democracy via internet is Elizabeth Benjamin, a citizen blogger. Benjamin has created a blog on NYDailyNews.com, called The Daily Politics based on the New York’s political scene. She simply provides information to the readers, allowing the readers to comment and voice their opinion. The internet allows citizens both internal resources for participation in political discourse as well as external resources in order to give voice to their opinions (Thornton, 2002). The site officially began on April 4, 2006. Her most recent blog is called Ron Paul Flies First in NY, featuring information about the ‘libertarian-leaning Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, an anti-Iraq War congressman” and his trip to Albany trip along with his conclusion with stop in New York, where Paul also included several NYC fundraisers.
The quality of the blog “Ron Paul Flies First in NY” is mainly objective. It discusses Ron Paul’s campaign and him trying to be placed on the ballet. Several people have even written comments about the blog, illustrating their support for Ron Paul even by going as far as saying “Dr. Ron, we patriots, are behind you” (nydailynews.com). One person who comments on the blog is clear with his opinion of the internet has helped and what it has done towards politics, he states “Ahhhh, media coverage the way it should be: just the facts, AND printing a useful photo sent in by a Johnny-on-the-spot, AND even a link to dailypaul.com” (nydailynews.com)! Other’s who have commented on the blog are simply making corrections, while also sharing the information they have learned. Internet technology has certainly helped in creating and/or maintaining democracy. Blogging and other forms of online communication allow individuals, whether they are supports or not, a chance to voice their opinions and be heard, as well as know the truth. The internet has helped create a link between politicians and the people. People are no longer in the dark and have a way to learn the truth.
Thornton, A. (2002). Does Internet Create Democracy? Retrieved October 23, 2007 from http://www.ublearns.buffalo.edu/com125
Benjamin, E. (2007). Ron Paul Files 1st in NY. The Daily News. Retrieved October 23, 2007 from http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2007/10/ron_paul_files_first_in_ny.html
Some are asking “Does the internet create Democracy?” Communication technology is continuing to develop and improve; the internet for example has helped to expand knowledge and freedom, democratizes culture (Thornton, 2002). I believe along with many others that the internet is doing just that, helping to create a more democratic nation as well as maintain what democracy we have left. One individual who is a small part of creating Democracy via internet is Elizabeth Benjamin, a citizen blogger. Benjamin has created a blog on NYDailyNews.com, called The Daily Politics based on the New York’s political scene. She simply provides information to the readers, allowing the readers to comment and voice their opinion. The internet allows citizens both internal resources for participation in political discourse as well as external resources in order to give voice to their opinions (Thornton, 2002). The site officially began on April 4, 2006. Her most recent blog is called Ron Paul Flies First in NY, featuring information about the ‘libertarian-leaning Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, an anti-Iraq War congressman” and his trip to Albany trip along with his conclusion with stop in New York, where Paul also included several NYC fundraisers.
The quality of the blog “Ron Paul Flies First in NY” is mainly objective. It discusses Ron Paul’s campaign and him trying to be placed on the ballet. Several people have even written comments about the blog, illustrating their support for Ron Paul even by going as far as saying “Dr. Ron, we patriots, are behind you” (nydailynews.com). One person who comments on the blog is clear with his opinion of the internet has helped and what it has done towards politics, he states “Ahhhh, media coverage the way it should be: just the facts, AND printing a useful photo sent in by a Johnny-on-the-spot, AND even a link to dailypaul.com” (nydailynews.com)! Other’s who have commented on the blog are simply making corrections, while also sharing the information they have learned. Internet technology has certainly helped in creating and/or maintaining democracy. Blogging and other forms of online communication allow individuals, whether they are supports or not, a chance to voice their opinions and be heard, as well as know the truth. The internet has helped create a link between politicians and the people. People are no longer in the dark and have a way to learn the truth.
Thornton, A. (2002). Does Internet Create Democracy? Retrieved October 23, 2007 from http://www.ublearns.buffalo.edu/com125
Benjamin, E. (2007). Ron Paul Files 1st in NY. The Daily News. Retrieved October 23, 2007 from http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2007/10/ron_paul_files_first_in_ny.html
Friday, October 19, 2007
Writing Assignment 8- Flickr
Flickr
The web application Flickr is where anyone can manage and share their online photographs. Flickr works with Microsoft and uses the Windows Live Photo Gallery. The Windows Live Photo Gallery makes it an easy way to get your photos off of your camera, tag them, make simple corrections, and then upload them to Flickr. Flickr has two main goals, the first goal is to help people make their photos available to the people who matter to them and as a way to do this Flickr get photos into and out of the system in as many ways as it can. The second goal of Flickr is to enable new ways of organizing photos. Like photo albums Flickr allows you to organize your photos in a collaborative way. In Flickr, you can give your friends, family, and other contacts permission to organize your photos along with adding comments, notes and tags.
As a person who has never used Flickr my first impression was that I liked the site’s design. The site's design is very simple with no clutter. It helps first time users and account holders to find things easily. There are only a couple of advertisements on site pages which is also nice. I don't enjoy being bombarded with advertisements. One important aspect of the site is that it can give you a tour of the different applications Flickr is capable of.
The main social aspects of Flickr are that it is a community of many types of people, and the creators of Flickr want users to share. One aspect of this is that Flickr categorizes photos as a way for people to come together according to their interests. Groups can either be public, public (invite only), or completely private. Every group has a pool for sharing photos and a discussion board for talking. Flickr allows account holders to share blogs that contain pictures and captions. The site also allows outside views to get an idea of what the web application is like by showing some of the most interesting photographs found on Flickr.
I found the site to be very interesting and it could be very beneficial for someone who took hundreds of photographs. Flickr also allows users to be creative; you can simple print your photographs or create calling cards, photo-books, slide show-DVDs, postage stamps, etc... Flickr is definitely a useful and creative web application.
Writing Assignment 7:Community
All of us belong to communities; in fact most of us belong to several. Communities are important aspects of our lives. Similar to offline communities, online communities allow us all to meet with people who share similar interests. The internet acts as a mediator within groups or communities. According to the article, Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure? , the authors agree that the idea of "community has been long recognized as having a central place in our social fabric.” The main structure behind a community is communication and without communication there can be no action to organize social relations within a community. With the popularity of the internet today, virtual communities have become an even bigger part of the online world. A virtual community is a group of people who interact via Internet Web sites, chat rooms, newsgroups, email, discussion boards or forums; also called know as a online community (Dictionary.com). Online social networks have provided a new and organized method for social networking.
Sites like Facebook and MySpace allow us to network by using the Friend process, choosing people first and interests second (Boyd). Facebook is a social networking site I use frequently and it allows us to find friends as a way of networking. Facebook allows people to communicate and connect with new and old friends and exchange information. Facebook profiles allow us to gain information about people without actually meeting them first. When compared to offline communities, online communities also allow us to choose what people know and what information is present in their profile. Facebook profiles contain basic information about a person like a name, sex, religious and political views, interests, and activities. Facebook originally began in the college setting and so a profile can also list a student’s college along with their course load. A profile allows you to see how much you have in common with others, helping to establish or improve your social network. We can get to know a person without even speaking to them.
Online communities differ from the type of communication a person uses when face to face, for example expanding your social network. We can choose to associate ourselves with someone or not.Those of us who have Facebook or MySpace accounts understand that we are able to choose our friends. Belonging to social networking sites allows for individuals to pick and choose how they want to be presented to others. In face to face communication it is much harder to pull off. We are allowed to choose our friends by searching through our interests, college or school, or even by deciding who to accept as a friend. Offline social settings don’t necessarily allow us to pick and choose. Also internet communication allows us to be friends with people we necessarily wouldn’t be friends with in real life.
Communication within social networks is also different when you compare online to offline communication. Facebook allows people to message and comment on each other’s walls. Or for other online communities it may be blog comments, bulletins or simple Instant Messaging. Online communities allow us to send and receive messages and we decided whether we want to respond or not. Communication over the internet is convenient ways for most of us and unlike offline communication, individuals online don’t necessarily have to address or respond back to their friends and visa versa. Communication online also allows us to express how we feel more freely. With the lack of face to face communication people are more willing to say how they really feel about something, often times effecting social ties within a group.
The basic principle of a community is that it is a shared environment between people with common interests. A virtual community is a social network with a common interest, idea, task or goal that interacts in a virtual society across time, geographical and organizational boundaries and is able to develop personal relationships (Wikipedia). Socializing whether it is online or offline is a major part of our everyday lives. We all need to communication and to develop social ties.
www.Wikipedia.com
Virtual Communities: Abort, Retry, Failure?
Friday, October 5, 2007
Online Identity
Online identities are something we all have in common, whether it is e-mail, blogs, or instant massager. We are all part of the online world. These are all ways to establish a network on the online communities (Wikipedia). Many people have accounts with MySpace and Facebook, as do I. We create these accounts as a way to network. We network by sharing as much information about yourself or as little and as we continue using the different online identities we build a reputation, allowing others to decide whether you are trustworthy or not. The problem that corresponds with online identities is that that individual can give a distorted view of themselves. Meaning they falsely represent themselves online and offline.
An online identity I am most familiar with myself are social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. I carry accounts on both. However the MySpace network site allows for more than one way to create an online identity. MySpace allows account holders to write blogs, post bulletins, and even instant message with MySpaceIM. These are all ways of creating online identities. For the majority MySpace and Facebook are networking sites where anyone can create a profile describing them while also listing their hobbies, favorite music and movies, etc... It used to be that only college students were able to have accounts on Facebook but today it includes high school students as well. Account holders can customize their page however they like. Choosing to share what they want and don’t want to. The idea behind both of these social networks is to allow account holders to search and friend other members whether they know them or not. With both these social networking sites allowing almost anyone to join, the topic of reputation comes to mind. Are the people you meet online really who they say they are? Basically you could be anyone you choose to be. Wikipedia says the difference between blogs and social networks like MySpace and Facebook are that an individual must make their identity known; no pseudonyms or fictitious names are allowed. An online identity itself is described as being more malleable than a real life identity. On line identities allow for individuals to redefine themselves and in some cases an individual can create as many identities as they choose to. Wikipedia states that multiple online identities often arrive under circumstances that raise accountability questions.
A possible way of assuming someone else’s identity on MySpace are by using the custom pages uses create allow the injection of certain HTML which can be crafter to form a phishing user profile, keeping the myspace.com domain as the address (Wikipedia). Phishing is the attempt to criminally and fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit car details (Wikipedia). By assuming someone else’s identity you are then able to use their profile and information, putting your reputation in question. This is a primary concern of the online communities, whether or not a person is misrepresenting themselves. The point is you can choose what kind of identity you have online, either it can be very open and revealing or you can keep personal information to a minimum. You build your own reputation, but so can everyone else.
An online identity I am most familiar with myself are social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. I carry accounts on both. However the MySpace network site allows for more than one way to create an online identity. MySpace allows account holders to write blogs, post bulletins, and even instant message with MySpaceIM. These are all ways of creating online identities. For the majority MySpace and Facebook are networking sites where anyone can create a profile describing them while also listing their hobbies, favorite music and movies, etc... It used to be that only college students were able to have accounts on Facebook but today it includes high school students as well. Account holders can customize their page however they like. Choosing to share what they want and don’t want to. The idea behind both of these social networks is to allow account holders to search and friend other members whether they know them or not. With both these social networking sites allowing almost anyone to join, the topic of reputation comes to mind. Are the people you meet online really who they say they are? Basically you could be anyone you choose to be. Wikipedia says the difference between blogs and social networks like MySpace and Facebook are that an individual must make their identity known; no pseudonyms or fictitious names are allowed. An online identity itself is described as being more malleable than a real life identity. On line identities allow for individuals to redefine themselves and in some cases an individual can create as many identities as they choose to. Wikipedia states that multiple online identities often arrive under circumstances that raise accountability questions.
A possible way of assuming someone else’s identity on MySpace are by using the custom pages uses create allow the injection of certain HTML which can be crafter to form a phishing user profile, keeping the myspace.com domain as the address (Wikipedia). Phishing is the attempt to criminally and fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit car details (Wikipedia). By assuming someone else’s identity you are then able to use their profile and information, putting your reputation in question. This is a primary concern of the online communities, whether or not a person is misrepresenting themselves. The point is you can choose what kind of identity you have online, either it can be very open and revealing or you can keep personal information to a minimum. You build your own reputation, but so can everyone else.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Assignment 5: Privacy!!!!!
We live in a society where we are dependent on technology and what it can do for us. We welcome new, more advanced technology without giving it any thought. Society rarely thinks about how technology can work against us. Protecting our privacy or what little privacy we still have should be a major concern in today’s world of new and developing technology. And although it is on the minds of some, for others it is not. Individuals need and should have the opportunity to decide and control what personal information about their lives or personal affairs is in public view (Wikipedia). Our privacy as it is is already limited. Everything we do can be traced back to us. We should all be able to set boundaries on what people know and don’t know when it concerns us. It seems to be that in today’s world of computers and the Internet people are more willing to give up their privacy or simply less careful. Internet privacy allows individuals to choose what information is exposed about them but also lets individuals to decide who has access that information. The Internet is a place where anyone who is anyone can be found and where personal information can be stolen. Some things deserve to be confidential. Here are twelve tips I found for protecting your online privacy include:
1. Do not reveal personal information inadvertently.
2. Turn on cookie notices in your Web browser, and/or use cookie management software or infomediaries.
3. Keep a "clean" e-mail address.
4. Don't reveal personal details to strangers or just-met "friends".
5. Realize you may be monitored at work, avoid sending highly personal e-mail to mailing lists, and keep sensitive files on your home computer.
6. Beware sites that offer some sort of reward or prize in exchange for your contact information or other personal details.
7. Do not reply to spammers, for any reason.
8. Be conscious of Web security.
9. Be conscious of home computer security.
10. Examine privacy policies and seals.
11. Remember that YOU decide what information about yourself to reveal, when, why, and to whom.
12. Use encryption!
It seems that with today’s youth or the younger generations we are more willing to share our personal information. Boyd (2007) describes how “today’s teenagers are being socialized into a society complicated by shifts in public and private.” Teenagers are joining Social Network Sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo. Along with so many others, I have accounts on both MySpace and Facebook. I do worry about my privacy online so I try to limit who I allow to be my friends. I only allow those people I know and have met and I never list my address or my telephone number. I think it’s very important to minimize what you share. So many people are capable of taking advantage of personal information and there are certain things that people just do not need to know. I personally have not encountered any privacy problems online but that doesn't mean I never will. This is one of those issues that could happen to anyone. We need to learn how to protect our privacy and in order to do so we all need to be more responsible. Technology will only continue to improve and we need to protect what little privacy we have left.
YouTube
Boyd, D. (2007). Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?. Retrieved September 28, 2007, from http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au.tkt2007/?page_id+28
Stanton, M. (2002). EFF's Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy. Retrieved September 28, 2007, from http://www.eff.org/Privacy/eff_privacy_top_12.html
1. Do not reveal personal information inadvertently.
2. Turn on cookie notices in your Web browser, and/or use cookie management software or infomediaries.
3. Keep a "clean" e-mail address.
4. Don't reveal personal details to strangers or just-met "friends".
5. Realize you may be monitored at work, avoid sending highly personal e-mail to mailing lists, and keep sensitive files on your home computer.
6. Beware sites that offer some sort of reward or prize in exchange for your contact information or other personal details.
7. Do not reply to spammers, for any reason.
8. Be conscious of Web security.
9. Be conscious of home computer security.
10. Examine privacy policies and seals.
11. Remember that YOU decide what information about yourself to reveal, when, why, and to whom.
12. Use encryption!
It seems that with today’s youth or the younger generations we are more willing to share our personal information. Boyd (2007) describes how “today’s teenagers are being socialized into a society complicated by shifts in public and private.” Teenagers are joining Social Network Sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo. Along with so many others, I have accounts on both MySpace and Facebook. I do worry about my privacy online so I try to limit who I allow to be my friends. I only allow those people I know and have met and I never list my address or my telephone number. I think it’s very important to minimize what you share. So many people are capable of taking advantage of personal information and there are certain things that people just do not need to know. I personally have not encountered any privacy problems online but that doesn't mean I never will. This is one of those issues that could happen to anyone. We need to learn how to protect our privacy and in order to do so we all need to be more responsible. Technology will only continue to improve and we need to protect what little privacy we have left.
YouTube
Boyd, D. (2007). Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?. Retrieved September 28, 2007, from http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au.tkt2007/?page_id+28
Stanton, M. (2002). EFF's Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy. Retrieved September 28, 2007, from http://www.eff.org/Privacy/eff_privacy_top_12.html
Friday, September 21, 2007
Com 225- Assignment 4 Gift Economy
What is a gift economy? According to Wikipedia, a gift economy is an economic system in which goods and services are given without any explicit agreement for immediate or future quid pro quo (“Latin for something for something”). In other words, a gift economy is a transaction or even more so an agreement that involves an unstated obligation to repay the gift in the future. The article by Peter Kollock defines a gift as “(1) the obligatory transfer, (2) of inalienable objects or services, (3) between related and mutually obligated transactors.” Kollock also differentiates between gifts and commodities. He uses the example that gifts are unique; it is tied in an indisputably to the giver. As for a commodity, it is the complete opposite. Other distinctions include that gifts are exchanged between individuals who are part of an ongoing interdependent relationships; commodities are primarily based on self-interest. Also gift economies are driven by social relations while commodity economies are driven by price.
One gift economy that we should all be aware of and acknowledge is the free software community which supports the free software movement. Free software helped impact the Internet, the World Wide Web, and dot-com companies. Wikipedia also goes on to explain that the basic purpose of the free software movement is to defend the right that “individuals, groups, and companies should be allowed to use free software because they believe that the freedom to help yourself and to collaborate with others should be fundamental human rights, and it includes those who see free software as a way to make money.” More importantly to college students, Markus Giesler has developed music downloading as a system of social solidarity based on gift transactions (Wikipedia).
Programmers of free software communities allow their source code available; allowing anyone to copy and modify or improve the code. Not only are the programmers recognized, the community benefits as well. However, don’t confuse the free software community with Software Corporation. Jem Matzen describes a software corporation as an exchange economy which is like an isolated community where ideas are passed around and improved upon internally before being developed and sold as a licensed software product. In a gift economy of the Free and Open-Source Software world, the community is larger, more open and non-exclusive, thus being a larger reserve of intelligence and experience to formulate and cultivate ideas and implementations. Matzen also goes on to say how “gift economy approach is more conducive to the formulation and development of new ideas and technologies, and in that respect it is beneficial to both the consumer and the developer.”
One of the most major examples of free software available is Linux. Linux has been used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktop computers, supercomputers, video game systems and embedded devices such as mobile phones and routers. Many of us may not have even known we were part of a gift economy or that it even existed. It’s hard to believe that a gift economy would still survive in our materialistic world. A gift economy doesn’t just have to even technology either. Our whole lives we were a part of an economy that gave us so much, our family. It’s hard to imagine that we aren’t expected to give something in return.
Kollock, P. (1999). The Economies of Online Cooperation: Gifts and Public Goods in
Cyberspace.
Matzen, J. (2004). The Gift Economy and Free Software. Web site:
http://www.linux.com/articles/36554
Wikipedia. Gift Economy. Retrieved September 21, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wik/Goft_economy
One gift economy that we should all be aware of and acknowledge is the free software community which supports the free software movement. Free software helped impact the Internet, the World Wide Web, and dot-com companies. Wikipedia also goes on to explain that the basic purpose of the free software movement is to defend the right that “individuals, groups, and companies should be allowed to use free software because they believe that the freedom to help yourself and to collaborate with others should be fundamental human rights, and it includes those who see free software as a way to make money.” More importantly to college students, Markus Giesler has developed music downloading as a system of social solidarity based on gift transactions (Wikipedia).
Programmers of free software communities allow their source code available; allowing anyone to copy and modify or improve the code. Not only are the programmers recognized, the community benefits as well. However, don’t confuse the free software community with Software Corporation. Jem Matzen describes a software corporation as an exchange economy which is like an isolated community where ideas are passed around and improved upon internally before being developed and sold as a licensed software product. In a gift economy of the Free and Open-Source Software world, the community is larger, more open and non-exclusive, thus being a larger reserve of intelligence and experience to formulate and cultivate ideas and implementations. Matzen also goes on to say how “gift economy approach is more conducive to the formulation and development of new ideas and technologies, and in that respect it is beneficial to both the consumer and the developer.”
One of the most major examples of free software available is Linux. Linux has been used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktop computers, supercomputers, video game systems and embedded devices such as mobile phones and routers. Many of us may not have even known we were part of a gift economy or that it even existed. It’s hard to believe that a gift economy would still survive in our materialistic world. A gift economy doesn’t just have to even technology either. Our whole lives we were a part of an economy that gave us so much, our family. It’s hard to imagine that we aren’t expected to give something in return.
Kollock, P. (1999). The Economies of Online Cooperation: Gifts and Public Goods in
Cyberspace.
Matzen, J. (2004). The Gift Economy and Free Software. Web site:
http://www.linux.com/articles/36554
Wikipedia. Gift Economy. Retrieved September 21, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wik/Goft_economy
Friday, September 14, 2007
Copyright this!
Today, the topic of copyright has become extremely controversial .Copyright is a set of exclusive laws regulating how many times information or an idea is used (Copyright). Copyright infringement is a violation of copyright, or simply using someone else’s work without permission. As college students we are all guilty of copyright infringement. A few more common terms associated with copyright infringement include bootleg, piracy, or theft. Some of the most common methods of copyright infringement and are common to us include unauthorized downloading of videos, music file sharing, and bootleg recordings.
Many of us are common with Napster, a file sharing service that set the stage for other decentralized P2P or peer-to-peer file-sharing programs such as Kazaa, Limewire, iMesh, Morpheus, and BearShare(Napster). Illegal file sharing and music downloading has caused a series of law suits because the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA) claimed that this practice was damaging the music industry. Many of the networks were shut down and I know for a fact the government is continuing to crack down on individuals who violate copyright laws. I used LimeWire my freshman year at SUNY Oswego and after a short time using it received a letter that my internet would be shut off for two weeks and I would have to meet someone concerning the situation. Luckily I didn’t get into any more trouble than I did and there was no further punishment. This just goes to show that copyright infringement is being looked at more and more and that it is a serious crime and yes it is stealing!
Copyright holders and pro-copyright organizations have release statistics showing their expected lost profits due to copyright infringement. For example, the MPAA estimated the global cost of the unauthorized copying of films in 2002 was $3.5 billion and recently in 2005 the MPAA estimated that the global cost of unauthorized copying of films was $18.2 billion (Copyright Infringement). Copyright holders are joining to fight copyright infringements. You can click, but you can't hide is an advertising campaign being mutually run by several international associations, most notably the MPA, the MPAA, and the GVU, as part of the larger "Respect Copyrights" campaign against peer-to-peer filesharing of motion pictures .
As ways of helping our copyright holders, certain companies like Apple have designed a way to help prevent theft. By creating the iPod and iTunes, Apple allows you to connect to the iTunes Store in order to purchase and download digital music, music videos, television shows, iPod games, audiobooks, various podcasts, and feature length films (iTunes). ITunes Library songs can be shared over a local network using the closed, proprietary Digital Audio Access Protocal(DAAP), created by Apple for this purpose. As a way to prevent copyright infringement only computers on the same subnet can share music. LimeWire is also a peer-to-peer file sharing client which also encourages users to pay a monthly fee which will then give the user access to LimeWire Pro.
With the help of companies like iTunes and Limewire music stealing has become less common. All the protection software has made it almost impossible to steal songs without at least paying some kind of price. For me it was losing my internet for two weeks but for others it could be fines or even jail time. I feel fortunate that I only recieved a slap on the wrist, compared to what I could have recieved. Musicans are pressuring the companies to help them crack down more to help protect the music that they made from being stolen and used for free.
Many of us are common with Napster, a file sharing service that set the stage for other decentralized P2P or peer-to-peer file-sharing programs such as Kazaa, Limewire, iMesh, Morpheus, and BearShare(Napster). Illegal file sharing and music downloading has caused a series of law suits because the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA) claimed that this practice was damaging the music industry. Many of the networks were shut down and I know for a fact the government is continuing to crack down on individuals who violate copyright laws. I used LimeWire my freshman year at SUNY Oswego and after a short time using it received a letter that my internet would be shut off for two weeks and I would have to meet someone concerning the situation. Luckily I didn’t get into any more trouble than I did and there was no further punishment. This just goes to show that copyright infringement is being looked at more and more and that it is a serious crime and yes it is stealing!
Copyright holders and pro-copyright organizations have release statistics showing their expected lost profits due to copyright infringement. For example, the MPAA estimated the global cost of the unauthorized copying of films in 2002 was $3.5 billion and recently in 2005 the MPAA estimated that the global cost of unauthorized copying of films was $18.2 billion (Copyright Infringement). Copyright holders are joining to fight copyright infringements. You can click, but you can't hide is an advertising campaign being mutually run by several international associations, most notably the MPA, the MPAA, and the GVU, as part of the larger "Respect Copyrights" campaign against peer-to-peer filesharing of motion pictures .
As ways of helping our copyright holders, certain companies like Apple have designed a way to help prevent theft. By creating the iPod and iTunes, Apple allows you to connect to the iTunes Store in order to purchase and download digital music, music videos, television shows, iPod games, audiobooks, various podcasts, and feature length films (iTunes). ITunes Library songs can be shared over a local network using the closed, proprietary Digital Audio Access Protocal(DAAP), created by Apple for this purpose. As a way to prevent copyright infringement only computers on the same subnet can share music. LimeWire is also a peer-to-peer file sharing client which also encourages users to pay a monthly fee which will then give the user access to LimeWire Pro.
With the help of companies like iTunes and Limewire music stealing has become less common. All the protection software has made it almost impossible to steal songs without at least paying some kind of price. For me it was losing my internet for two weeks but for others it could be fines or even jail time. I feel fortunate that I only recieved a slap on the wrist, compared to what I could have recieved. Musicans are pressuring the companies to help them crack down more to help protect the music that they made from being stolen and used for free.
Friday, September 7, 2007
COM 125 -Assigment 2 The evolution of E-mail
Thinking of a topic for this assignment was pretty easy since I don't really use the Internet for too much and don't really understand computer talk. So it was either chatting online or e-mail and the one thing I do use on a regular basis is e-mail. Although I don't think it's the best way to keep in touch it's convenient.
Since the last decade or so electronic mail, the exchange of messages over an electronic communication system, has become extremely valued. Our society today depends on e-mail, whether it be for work or pleasure. I know for myself and most others e-mail has become our primary way of contact. Some may disagree but e-mail is the one thing I value the most on the web. E-mail definitely has it's down sides. For one it isn't as personable as face-to-face contact. It doesn't take the time and effort of writing a letter or sending a card. But we still do it. Keeping in touch has never been easier. It is fast and easy. It's a short cut. We no longer need to depend on snail mail. We know within a matter of seconds we can send and receive mail; letters, forwards, cards, pictures, etc.
Growing up in a Technology Era we know that what may be in one day is out by the next day. Regardless of what all the World Wide Web has to offer, e-mail we know will never grow out of style. We know this because there is an estimated 1.1 billion e-mail users worldwide and approximately 171 million e-mails sent per day (Fun fact). So many people in our culture depend on e-mail. We can check our e-mail accounts where ever we may be.
The first development of e-mail dates back to 1965 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They referred to the electronic mailing system as MAILBOX (History of e-mail). The early stages of e-mail allowed multiple users of a time-sharing mainframe computer to communicate but only allow messages to be sent to the same computer which was until Ray Tomlison. Tomlinson was officially credited with inventing the e-mail in 1972. He created the way to address or represent sending e-mails from one computer to another with the symbol @.
With the help of the ARPANET computer programming system and the hundreds of military users, e-mail expanded and things steadily developed.Eventually e-mail helped towards creating the Internet. In 1975 John Vital developed some software to organize email and by 1976 e-mail had taken off (History of e-mail). Today anyone can use the Internet, as well as e-mail. It's hard to imagine our lives any different.
Since the last decade or so electronic mail, the exchange of messages over an electronic communication system, has become extremely valued. Our society today depends on e-mail, whether it be for work or pleasure. I know for myself and most others e-mail has become our primary way of contact. Some may disagree but e-mail is the one thing I value the most on the web. E-mail definitely has it's down sides. For one it isn't as personable as face-to-face contact. It doesn't take the time and effort of writing a letter or sending a card. But we still do it. Keeping in touch has never been easier. It is fast and easy. It's a short cut. We no longer need to depend on snail mail. We know within a matter of seconds we can send and receive mail; letters, forwards, cards, pictures, etc.
Growing up in a Technology Era we know that what may be in one day is out by the next day. Regardless of what all the World Wide Web has to offer, e-mail we know will never grow out of style. We know this because there is an estimated 1.1 billion e-mail users worldwide and approximately 171 million e-mails sent per day (Fun fact). So many people in our culture depend on e-mail. We can check our e-mail accounts where ever we may be.
The first development of e-mail dates back to 1965 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They referred to the electronic mailing system as MAILBOX (History of e-mail). The early stages of e-mail allowed multiple users of a time-sharing mainframe computer to communicate but only allow messages to be sent to the same computer which was until Ray Tomlison. Tomlinson was officially credited with inventing the e-mail in 1972. He created the way to address or represent sending e-mails from one computer to another with the symbol @.
With the help of the ARPANET computer programming system and the hundreds of military users, e-mail expanded and things steadily developed.Eventually e-mail helped towards creating the Internet. In 1975 John Vital developed some software to organize email and by 1976 e-mail had taken off (History of e-mail). Today anyone can use the Internet, as well as e-mail. It's hard to imagine our lives any different.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Everything you need to know about me.
Hey there! My name is Joelle Jaconski and you can check me out on Facebook or Myspace. I am from a very small town in New York called Jasper, where a common occurrence is to see Amish. The closest major city you may have heard of is Corning. Or some may have even heard of the Corning Glass Museum.
I graduated with only 46 students in my high school class. So you could imagine actually how small my town is. You knew everyone and everyone knew you. It was the perfect place to grow up.
I transferred to UB last year from SUNY Oswego and for those of you who don't know, Oswego is near Syracuse. I have enjoyed the Buffalo area very much, especially after coming from a small town but I don't see myself living here after I am all finished with school. Right now I living in an apartment off South Campus with some of my friends and I just got a job at Bath and Body Works in the Boulevard Mall. I am very excited to be on my own and out of the dorms.
I really haven't met too many people in the Buffalo area, just friends I already had from high school. They were the main reason I transferred to Buffalo. I would definitely still enjoy making some new friends though. I am a very approachable person and definitely easy to get a long with.
I am taking COM 125 and several other communication courses because I am intending to be a Communication Major. I'm not sure what I want to do with it yet though. That is one of my goals for this school year, as well as a join a group or two. Have any ideas? I've never had a blog before so this is very new to me. I barely use the Internet and when I do it is only to check e-mails, Facebook, and of course for school purposes.
If you'd like to know anything else just ask:)
Link back to Derek
I graduated with only 46 students in my high school class. So you could imagine actually how small my town is. You knew everyone and everyone knew you. It was the perfect place to grow up.
I transferred to UB last year from SUNY Oswego and for those of you who don't know, Oswego is near Syracuse. I have enjoyed the Buffalo area very much, especially after coming from a small town but I don't see myself living here after I am all finished with school. Right now I living in an apartment off South Campus with some of my friends and I just got a job at Bath and Body Works in the Boulevard Mall. I am very excited to be on my own and out of the dorms.
I really haven't met too many people in the Buffalo area, just friends I already had from high school. They were the main reason I transferred to Buffalo. I would definitely still enjoy making some new friends though. I am a very approachable person and definitely easy to get a long with.
I am taking COM 125 and several other communication courses because I am intending to be a Communication Major. I'm not sure what I want to do with it yet though. That is one of my goals for this school year, as well as a join a group or two. Have any ideas? I've never had a blog before so this is very new to me. I barely use the Internet and when I do it is only to check e-mails, Facebook, and of course for school purposes.
If you'd like to know anything else just ask:)
Link back to Derek
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