Issues in Contemp. Society

Thankyou!

2009-12-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

Professor Hendron, Just wanted to say thanks for a great class. I really enjoyed the topics, I loved writing my own blog for the first time,he and most of all-it was really interesting to read and learn about all these different perspectives. I definately think this is one of the most interesting classes I have taken at JMU and it has been the subject of many of my conversations haha. And I know I made this clear before, but I especially loved learning about the flash mobs which I had never heard of before! In fact, I shared the idea of the flash mob with my mom. She loved it! And now, she has coordinated a flash mob for a convention that her company is hosting next week at the Gaylord Opreland Hotel in Nashville Tennessee. Pretty cool stuff. Anyways, thanks agin for the class-really enjoyed it!

Epilogue: "Unlearning"

2009-12-02T07:23:00.000-08:00

Well a simple but classic example: If you had to send a message to someone far away, you use the postal service. Now you can send messages through email, facebook and aim chat. Probably one of the first things that my generation learned in seventh grade was that you could have conversations with the opposite sex (and remember, in seventh grade when boys and girls are shy to talk to eachother-this was a big deal) through instant messenger. I am willing to bet that 90% of my generation LOVED instant messenger becuase it gave you an easy, unintimidating way to talk to your crushes! This may seem like a childish example, but Im willing to bet that this realization to my generation was like the discovery of the cell-phone to the modern day businessperson! In addition to this, you can have "pen-pals" through the internet. Anytime you enter a chatroom-it's like having a pen pal! Someone you don't know, but you can talk to about yourself and/or about your common interests.

Chapter 11; Merchants

2009-12-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

The rating systems that Amazon and EBay uses are real. They are real people giving real testimonies; it is not a thought-out commercial. The comments are "nuts-and-bolts" straight up feedback. Although this system, which in many ways reminds me of folksonomy, is probably not 100% representative of the true characteristics of a product, I think that for the most part, it works. For instance, my Dad bought a playstation off of EBAY from a seller who was rated by others as a legitimately reliable seller-unfortunately, even though my dad had that suppossed re-assurance....we had problems with the Playstation. However, what makes me look past his example? Well, the reason is because EBAY is a very recognized term. Pretty much anybody you run into on the street is going to know what you are talking about if you mention the word EBAY. Why? Because EBAY is well-known because alot of people use it because nine times out of ten, it works!!! The same philosophy holds true for Amazon.com. If people are posting comments and testimonies to this website, most of them are probably accurate or Amazon.com would not have the success that it has. I have personally had great success with Amazon; I used it to purchase my Shirky and my Abelson Books for a lower price than Barnes and Noble!

Chapter 11; Shirky; Wisdom of Crowds

2009-12-02T06:44:00.000-08:00

I would caution them to double-check the source itself. Crowds can be very persuasive. People generally like to get along with one another and be included; sometimes though, you have to step back and use your own thought and judgement to make sure that whatever you are taking part in or whoever you are taking advice from is aligned with your philosophies. Take for instance the infamous "kool-aid" incident...those people just went along with whatever Jim Jones and everybody else there was doing without logically thinking through it. Now granted, that is an extreme example, but it does point out the danger of going along with everybody else and not thinking for yourself. However, one the other hand, when you are a part of a good crowd that is interested in benefitting eachother and somehow adding value to society, amazing things can be accomplished! Take for instance groups who form to raise money for cancer by participating in marathons. The overall objective of the group is adding value to society and doing good for people who are sick: it's a pretty safe bet that gathering information from a "Walk for Leukemia" website is going to be a healthy place to speak with others and gather information concerning this topic. However, even in groups that do good, it is always best to re-evaluate and think for yourself. Sometimes people get so caught up in something that it can impair their better judgement. We are given our reasoning skills and judgement so that we can not only help ourselves, but also help others.
When looking to a socialized website or resource, I would pay attention to the values, philosophies and objectives of the group in general and I would especially pay attention to thier overall repuatation. Reputations are often very telling.

Shirky Chapter Nine FOAF-Style Network

2009-11-21T18:44:00.001-08:00

Professional benefits of a FOAF Style Network? You are able to make so many more connections online than you could possibly make in person. This will provide for getting your name out there. People can become familar with your professional activity and accomplishments before they even meet you. It will connect you to many more people, giving you more opportunities for networking and professional experiences. As long as you are professional of FOAF network, the benefits will be significant!

Chapter Ten: Try and Fail

2009-11-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

Shirky talks about how most websites that are invented or launched will ultimately fail, mostly because there are so many other websites being created that serve similar or same purposes and the competition is intense for who will come up with the best website.

The internet is a good example of where a "try and fail" theme is laced throughout the internet and its millions of websites. In middle school, I know that during Physical Education classes we were given different games or exercises that we had never done before: every student had to try whether they succeeded or failed. I specifically remember a physical education class my sophomore year of high school where we had to run a 5K around the track. EVERYONE had to participate, no matter how skinny, fat or athletically challenged you were, sitting out was not an option. It was o.k. if you had to walk, but regardless, you had to participate. I think this is a great example of "try and fail" because we werent graded on our performance but rather whether or not we started and completed the task at hand. For those of us who had never run a 5K, now we knew where we stood in the scheme of things when it came to running, stamina and speed.

Middle schools and high schools should design more classroom exercises to encourage kids to try things. Their grade should not be based on their ability but on whether or not they tried the task at hand. Dont get me wrong, there is certainly a time and a place for being graded on ability-that is inevitable. But if you want people to try more things, minimize the consequences there will be for failing, instead focus on the positives generated from trying in the first place.

Print vs. Online Media

2009-11-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

I generally feel more inclined to trust print media more than online media. I enjoy it more as well. Most of the time, I spend so much time looking at a computer screen that the last thing I want to do is read off of the computer to recieve my news. Ironically enough, my homepage is cnn.com. I probably trust print media more just because it has always been around whereas the internet and online information is a fairly recent development. Maybe it also has to do with the fact that printing companies must pay for their product to be distributed and consumers must pay to recieve the information. Whenever there is an exchange of money involved, products just seem more valuable; whether they are or not is a different story. In the course of my day to day life with how busy I am, I do get most of my news from online...but if I had all the time in the world I would prefer to recieve most of my news through a magazine such as Newsweek or Time. I also enjoy reading the Breeze. :)

Prisoner's Dilemma

2009-11-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

Sites like EBAY and Wikipedia are able to work because just as Shirky illustrates: "We all face the Prisoners’ Dilemma whenever we interact with people we could take advantage of, or people who could take advantage of us, yet actually manage to trust one another often enough to accomplish things in groups. The shadow of the future makes it possible for me to act on your behalf today, even at some risk or cost to me, on the expectation that you will remember and reciprocate tomorrow." The general idea behind this is that people have to trust eachother and have a some level of faith that the person they are interacting with will do what they are suppossed to. This is the case for not only websites but for day to day activities. We have to rely on eachother to get things done and in order to do so, we have to have some faith that whoever we are relying on is going to do what he or she says he will do. I think that people want to believe in eachother and I think that people want to trust eachother. To see that these websites not only function but flourish is refreshing.

Chapter 6 DRM Protected Content

2009-11-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

I think that the issue of going after illegal downloaders is simply a matter of the law catching up with technology. I personally cannot think of a technological way to catch these people-I dont know enough about the internet or computers to make an intelligent suggestion. However, I do think that untill we find something more efficient and cost-effective, we should continue with DRM. Better to stick with something that is taking us a step in the right direction, while we look to find new alternatives. These are completely different things, but I almost feel as though the situation of the law catching up with illegal downloaders and internet technology is like trying to find fuel alternatives. We are only scratching the surface right now, but I think that over time, we will come to a more highly intelligent and effective way to deal with these issues.

DVD'S fight back Chapter 5 Abelson

2009-11-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

Disney, Paramount, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros., and Viacom—have filed a lawsuit against RealNetworks. Real Networks recently designed software that gives consumers the technology to create a backup copy of any DVD. The software was put on hold before the courts came to a decision, but they found evidence to support that Real Networks software was actually a way of preventing illegal copywrights of DVDs. Whether this is truth or just a very good lawyer's arguement is debatable.

Back in 1998, a legislative effort was successfull for Movie Making Companies leading to the passage of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), making the production or distribution of any device, technology, or service that went around copy protection technologies a criminal activity.

One example that I remember in particular was a commercial that came out a few years ago. This commercial pertained to illegally copying and downloading digital music, but it's along the same lines of the topic at hand. The commercial included a bunch of famous singers and performers including Madonna all stuffed into an outdoor telephone booth. The point of the commercial was to show how their talent was being abused and taken advantage of when people illegally download music. Advertisements such as this one, do catch people's attention because of all the celebrities in them. However, how much sympathy does the average person have for celebrities like Madonna? It makes you wonder how effective these commercials actually are.

Chapter 5 WEP and WPA

2009-11-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

WEP has recently been replaced by WPA, since it is a more effective way of protecting the data stored during your wireless connection. My mom often gives me her credit card to purchase school-related items. It would be wise for her to use WPA so that her private information concerning credit card accounts will have a lower risk of being exposed and stolen.

Google Sponsored Ads

2009-10-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

I don't personally pay attention to google sponsored ads, I guess the reason is because they are sponsored. I feel like I can get better information from the order to the websites given to me through the google search. I don't have as much faith in the ads because in my head, they paid to be there...with the search it just happens naturally. Now that I have read about google sponsored ads, I see that my "default" interpretation is completely incorrect. It may be completely incorrect logic, but it is the way my head sorted it out.

I think google sponsored ads are great. They are pointing you in the direction of the most popular businesses. These businesses are popular because they probably do their job well! Therefore, it is a useful and efficient tool. If you are looking for something to get done, they are simply suggesting people who can do it, and who most likely, do it well!

Freeze Flash Mob!

2009-10-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

hahah this has got to be the wierdest/ most interesting thing I have ever seen or heard of! Upon doing more research on this flash mob concept I saw that the Black Eyed Peas performed for an outdoor audience for Oprah and all of of the crowd started dancing to "I gotta feeling" watch it! haha its unbelievable! i got chills!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9CmZXSSYmc it is absolutely amazing!!! I just sent this link to about 25 friends on facebook.

Im pretty sure it wouldnt be hard at all to get people to participate in something like this! I got tears in my eyes when I watched the "i gotta feeling" one with oprah...haha maybe I am a little crazy but it was so amazing!!! In terms of organizing it: you must A. think of an idea as to what you want to do (dance, freeze mob, pillow fight, etc.) then you must make a plan for where, when and what time you will do it adn then you must spread the word.

the way i would do it is through facebook or a social networking site. i would use a few key tag words to identify the concept of the flash mob...then if ppl. were really interested they would have to join a group. if i were going to do a flash dance mob, i would post the song and dance in a youtube video so everyone could learn it.

I seriously have added being a part of flash mob to my bucket list!!!

Olanzapine: Abelson Ch. 4

2009-10-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

If a drug company is honest about the side-effects of the drug it manufactures, it establishes itself and the drug as more credible. In the example with "The Official SYPREXA Olanzapine Site," Eli Lilly and Company damage their credibility when other websites attack Olanzapine, and expose its harmful possibilities, when the official olanzapine site doesn't even mention these side-effects. If we were talking about a website that sold vacuum cleaners, it should not be required for the website to describe thier product's potential defects or shortcomings. (Consumers who are really interested in the quality of the vaccuum cleaner can find this information anyways simply by looking at online blogs and sources such as the Consumer Report.) However, drugs are more serious of a product than vaccuum cleaners. They have the potential to do a great amount of good, but they have the potential to do a great deal of harm as well.

Drug companies should be required to reveal harmful side-effects; if they fail to do so, they will only end up damaging their reputation as a reliable company. I don't agree with doing illegal things to obtain confidential documents (such as the way that the Olanzapine-Blood glucose changes was assummed to be obtained unethically), but companies such as Lilly should be aware that exposure in this day and age is almost inevitable! It seems that this is a reoccuring theme in Abelson and Shirky's books; with a growing number of people who are skilled in technology, especially on the internet, people should make sure that if they have something to hide, they better set it straight before someone else does.

Ch. 7 Website Policy, Miller Test

2009-10-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

I tend to be pretty conservative in general, and I don't have alot of tolerance for what I deem to be stupid perverse activity on the Internet. If I were the judge in the case for Bob and Carleen Thomas, I would have been livid. I feel that the whole scenario involving their website and the content that they were spreading is a waste of time, energy, money and life. Therefore, my company website policy would come from a very "no-nonsense" stance. If my employees contributed anything of a questionable nature to the website, it would be grounds for termination. First of all, a company website is established to foster productivity and professionalism. If you post something that doesn't further or enhance the culture and climate of the company, why are you working for me in the first place?

The Miller Test takes into consideration three different points to evaluate content and deem it to be either acceptable or unacceptable. My website would simply state that anything of a questionable or inappropriate nature would be grounds for termination. There wouldn't be three points to consider, what appropriate and inappropriate for the work place is pretty black and white. If someone has a discrepancy on what is black and white...I would have to reconsider whether or not they have the intellectual capacity to intelligently carry out the responsibilities of their job.

Chapter 7...Ken Zeran

2009-10-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

When I read about Ken's predicament I was shocked. The story was so interesting I decided to google it for more information. Ken decided to issue two lawsuits: one against AOL, and one against Diamond Broadcasting (the radio station that announced the T-shirt slogans and giving of Zeran's phone number so people could give him a piece of their mind). Unfortunately, he lost both cases. It's not that AOL or Diamond Broadcasting did not feel sorry for Zeran, but they had no way of knowing that the ad was a hoax.

I would have done the exact same thing as Zeran. Damage to your reputation is almost always irrevocable. I can't imagine what this man endured during this time...he suffered significant unjustice. Although the law did not permit him to win either cases, I feel that considering his plight, AOL, Diamond Broadcasting, and Zeran's local community should have issued public announcements exposing the hoax and offering some sort of consolation and support to Zeran during this trying time.

The one good thing about Zeran suing these companies, is it brings attention to the massive damage you can do to another by fooling around on the internet. Hopefully people will be more cautious before gossiping publically about someone over something that they see on the internet. Reading about Zeran's situation made me feel very sorry for him, but also a little bit scared. No one broke into Zeran's home, injured him or his family members or said cruel things to him personally. The offender is untraceable, and he caused Mr. Zeran a tremedous amount of stress, money, heartache and probably the fight of his life....all through a few clicks on a keyboard and movements of a mouse...This really gives you something to think about. On a lighter note...it also makes you wonder....while all of this was unfolding...I would be willing to bet that Zeran took a closer look at the people he came into contact with during his past and present affairs...and asked himself...wow....i really ticked someone off!

Chapter 2 Abelson

2009-10-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

An AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding. It is a newer kind of audio file that has been promoted as a successor to the MP3. It offers higher-quality sound than an MP3, but takes up about the same amount of space. It is a standard that was developed by a group of companies.
On the other hand, the MP3 is the most common kind of digital music file. MP3s usually have no usage restrictions and can be used on as many computers or iPods as you want. Short for MPEG Layer-3, a digital media standard developed by the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG).
(source: http://ipod.about.com/od/introductiontoitunes/a/aac_mp3_choice.htm)

What it comes down to is while MP3s are compatible with virtually any type of audio and cell phone device, the AAC offers a higher quality sound. Apple probably chose the AAC because it is of higher quality than the MP3. Quality seems to be the dominating factor that Mac engineers perceive to be why Macs are better than PCs. They are more likely to choose something that may not be as widely compatible or used, but demonstrates a higher quality of sound.

In addition to this, the trend of technology is that it is constantly catching up. Apple probably reasons that eventually, technology will emerge that will serve the format of the AAC. When that day comes, itunes users will be able to have their cake...and eat it too...in other words, highest quality and universal compatibility.

Cause/Organization Communication

2009-10-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

I am both a member and a co-vp for fundraising for the JMU organization, MMA. Our organization provides students with resources to help them become more professional in resume writing and interview context. We also provide networking opportunities for students, and take part in community service. Through this organization we do have a lot of events. We keep track of communication through gmail and our website. Gmail includes contact information, a calender and gmail chat. The website provides information about MMA, contact info of exec. members, scheduled events with their time, date and place, and well as past sponsors of MMA.

We have meetings to decide what actions we would like to take part in, and those plans become written into gmail/ and our website. I found out about this organization through a fellow marketing major, and last year's MMA President, Heather Hancock. If you would like, feel free to check us out!!!! our website is http://orgs.jmu.edu/mma/ =)

JMU Hypothetical Wikipedia

2009-10-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this chapter due to the fact that I found it, (and this may sound strange) but heartwarming. The idea of a website that is not anyone's job to update, but that it does get updated, reminds us of the goodness in human nature. This may sound a little dramatic or cheesy, but the idea of people who are passionate about a particular subject, and want to share what they know with the world for no monetary compensation or recognition, demonstrates character and a desire to share good information with others.

In the case of JMU coming up with their own Wikipedia, I think it sounds like a wonderful idea! JMU has a strong school spirit and a sense of pride about the student body with which they belong. These attributes would motivate students to contribute to a website on subjects, places, things, ideas...just about anything, and because it was written by students and for students, it would have a unique quality about it. Everyone who was contributing to the website would be in the process of learning, and the process of growing up-so to speak, and I think the intellectual and informational contributions would be interesting to see.

Im not sure that the information would be of a higher quality than worldwide Wikipedia, but it would be a quality website. Students would contribute their ideas in the process of recieving good information from knowledgable professors and books on a daily basis; making the info they contribute pretty fresh and accurate.

Abelson Chapter 2

2009-09-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

I have one thing to say to this man who sued google: HOW DO YOU THINK CELEBRITIES FEEL???? Google is not unjustified in taking pictures of the streets. It's public territory and without it, we wouldn't have tools such as google maps. This man simply got caught while he was making an unfortunate choice. It would be unfair to make fun of him for this, considering we all make mistakes, and everybody gets in trouble sometimes. However, people must be more aware of how technology has the power to expose almost anything.

This goes back to the idea of watching what you put on facebook, who photographs you and who you trust. It's one thing to have someone take a picture of you walking on a public street; it's not like google put a hidden camera in your home! A public street is public property! You can't be too careful, and maybe this will urge people to think twice before they make their decisions. This man will probably think twice before judging someone like Mel Gibson, Hugh Grant and the long list of ladies and gentlemen who have been caught on camera doing something they were not proud of, only to have their personal flaws exposed to for all critical eyes to see.

Shirky Chapter 4: Communities of Practice

2009-09-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

Communities of Practice offer opportunities for learning to anyone and everyone who is interested. By means of the internet, individuals are able to put there heads together and work together on topics that are meaningful to them in a fast, easy, free way!! Twenty years ago, even fifteen years ago, this concept would be alot more time consuming and costly!

Take for instance those who wish to lose weight, but want to do so with others similar to themself. Before the communities of practice with which the world wide web provides, these people who have to pay to go to a Weight Watchers Meeting or pay to see their Jenny Craig Consultant. Now, if you go on the internet, there are hundreds of free weight loss sites provided that allow individuals who are overweight, to come together and offer one another support, advice, stories, help, encouragement, etc. all without leaving their seat or opening their wallet.

Communities of practice can allow chefs in NYC to share cooking tips with chefs in Seattle Washington through online blogs. Whereas a newspaper provides general information that is generally interesting to most people, communities of practice target your number one favorite interests. Its like a search engine that returns the exact information you were hoping to find. By means of communities of practice, people have access to information that they are most passionate about, and can learn something new everytime someone decides to contribute, which by means of the technology of the web, knowlege is continuously updated throughout the day!!!

Shirky Chapter Four "Invisible"

2009-09-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

The music, books, magazines, newspaper, DVDs etc. industries have taken a hit since the opportunities of things you can see and do on the web have exploded. I very much hope that people do not disregard the value of a physical book, the Sunday paper and a CD. I personally, certainly enjoy the easy accessibility that the internet provides in terms of accessing any information for free. I love listening to Pandora, watching free movies on Hulu, and finding just about information that a newspaper can provide on news websites. However, do you ever sit in front of your computer for hours, and after a certain amount of time, you simply never want to look at it again!!?? This happens to me quite often. After awhile of staring at a computer screen, I tire of the experience no matter what I am listening to or looking at via the internet.

One of my favorite things to do is go to Barnes and Noble. No internet experience can take the place of getting in my car, driving to the bookstore, walking in to smell Starbucks, I like the quite but chatty atmosphere, the layout of the store, and the ambiance. I also love renting DVDs. I like walking through the aisles of Blockbuster, looking at the covers, thinking about what movie I am in the mood for. Who says I want my movie delivered to my house? (no offense Netflix :) ) but really, part of the fun is the going to the store and taking the time to physically select the movie.

The world wide web and its services are wonderful, but I do not want it taking the place of tasks that I ENJOY. What seems to be a pain to some people, I take pleasure in and look forward to! I just hope enough people feel the same way as me, so that these industries do have a significant place in our culture for future years to come.

Shirky Chapter 3

2009-09-20T08:28:00.001-07:00

If I had a very personal question to ask, I would ask someone who I trusted completely; who was credible, honest and direct; someone who would be willing to tell me their honest opinion even if it wasn't the answer I wanted to hear. Most importantly, I would ask someone who I had built some type of repor with, so that they knew a little bit about me, and could take my personality and values etc. into consideration when they were evaluating my question and trying to answer it accordingly.

Transitioning from my answer to this question, to the topic at hand of credible journalism which is discussed in Shirky Chapter 3, I can draw one similarity. Just as you would choose a credible, trustworthy source to ask a personal question, you would also want to choose your news source accordingly. In the chapter, a man discusses his father's disdain for the newspaper, USA Today, due to the fact that it was "dumbed-down" and like "TV-on paper." Im sure this man's father was irritated with the paper also because it took sales away from the local paper he had been producing for quite some time. However, as technology becomes more advanced, we can expect to see news being mass produced through all faucets: newspapers, tv, youtube, websites, etc. It
is our job as a reader to sensor our news and just as we would do when asking a person question: take into consideration the credibility and trustworthiness of the source, we should do when considering who we believe when recieving information about the people, places, and events occuring around us!!! :)

Citizen Journalism

2009-09-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

Citizen journalism, a term used to describe the act of regular people like you and me taking on the role of reporting information through blogs, online videos etc. The act of citizen journalism through the use of technology-especially through use of the web specifically-has the capacity to spread like wildfire and multiply rapdily. Glaser's article mentions that professional journalists express disdain for the term "citizen journalism" because to be a true journalist, there are ethics and guidelines for how to report news. I feel this is a silly concern. Quality journalists have no need to get bent out of shape because citizen journalism uses the word journalism to describe what they are doing. A term is not going to change the perception of good ethical accurate journalism. Most educated rationale people can tell the difference between an article in the New York Times and some blog written by the everyday Joe Shmo. It's just a term, and if it were me, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

Now, speaking of Joe Shmo, thanks to him, we have footage of the assination of JFK, the beating of Rodney King in Las Angeles, footage of the jets hitting the twin towers, and tsunami coverage. Joe Shmo contributes real life, "down in the trenches" so to speak-real life perspective from your everyday person of what's going on around us-something I think we all can appreciate.
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On the other hand, when CNN used information from a citizen journalist that happen to be inaccurate, it caused a rather large problem. CNN reported that Steve Jobs had been rushed to the hospital after suffering from a severe heart attack and as a result, Apple stock plummetted. Now this is rather unfortunate, in a make your stomach turn kind of way. Presenting inaccurate news can really have its consequences. This is a strange and unusual example, but I cant help mention it as it comes to mind...I remember my mom telling me that decades ago a radio station thought it would be funny to report that aliens had been seen and a couple of people actually committed suicide. This type of inaccurate information can be catastrophic.

It all comes down to using your common sense to distinguish between inaccurate and accurate information. Obviously taking the source into consideration is a major part of making this distinction. No matter what though, citizen journalisms benefits overpower its negative effects.

Abelson: Google Search Engine Restrictions

2009-09-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

The idea of having no restrictions on a search engine is illogical. As mentioned in the topic at hand, Google has restrictions on the Chinese internet. Why? Because the Chinese government has very strict restrictions on what information their people can access. It is to my understanding that Google feels it would be better to provide a limited search engine to the Chinese people than nothing at all. This makes sense to me. Google can't take on the Chinese government; Google is providing a service in accordance with government laws. I certainly dont agree with Chinese laws or government, but if a search engine is better than no search engine. If somebody wants to take on google for restricting their search engine in China, thats not an issue to take up with Google, thats an issue to take up with the Chinese government.

Furthermore, in terms the information that the internet provides access to, it's certainly not all good. The overall objective in terms of internet restrictions should be to provide information that is useful and relevant, and block things that are useless and degenerative. In general, I think that rationale individuals would agree with this concept; the challenge is agreeing on what information is useful/useless...in other words...there is no easy solution.

Abelson Ch. One; Unflattering Photos/Videos

2009-09-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

This is a topic that I have actually given alot of thought to, ever since I considered the possibility of employers being able to access your facebook page. I certainly have a theory that future politicians may be taken down by dug up photos of unwise choices...perhaps during their college days. Take for instance, a more recent event, when a picture of Michael Phelps surfaced of him smoking a bong. One picture, and his entire image is tainted. I certainly think that as the amount of exposure that become technologically possibly increases, people must become more aware of how they are percieved and who they trust...espcecially when a camera or a cameraphone is involved.

Shirky CH. One...Main Role of Facebook...newly emerging groups

2009-09-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

Social networking sites serve as an easy way to gain support from others concerning any topic or cause. The story of the lost cellphone is living proof of this. Because the situation drew so much attention and support online, actions were taken that would have never been taken was it not for the ability for Evan to illustrate the situation through myspace. The NYPD's attention was directed to the cause as a direct result of the massive amounts of people in uproar over the stolen cellphone. Social networking sites allow for individuals to gain steam and accomplish great things because it serves as a forum for large amounts of people to come together and further their cause. As we all know, two heads is better than one, and thousands of people angry and aware of an injustice, proves to be powerful enough to take a case such as this one a whole lot further than a posting on a myspace page. As harmless or trivial as something like facebook or myspace may seem, in reality it is emerging as an extremely powerful tool for communication, collaboration, attention and in this case, organized action.

Folksonomy

2009-08-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Folksonomy was a foreign term to me before I read these articles. It's an interesting topic from the standpoint of how it effects the overall satisfaction of the internet user. Folksonomy can be a useful tool when a user is interested in gathering subjective information. Take for instance, a website where consumers are able to give their honest opinion about products they have used such as cars. Users can find subjective personalized opinions concerning products, comments and information they won't find on a website where information comes from a single source. Folksonomy has this similar effect. However, as mentioned in the NY Times Article, users are able to access Amazon's website, and tag books with phrases such as "Make Money," "Get Rich."
This may be problematic to users who differ in thier opinion of what could be considered a "Hot Commodity." Different labels may seem appropriate to some people, and completely inappropriate to others. There is significant value in information that is not only easily accessible, but also reliable, objective and accurate. The Dewey Decimal System may be antiquated, but it does produce reliable information that is easily accessible.

My definition of folksonomy:
The current trend of categorizing information on the internet according to personal knowledge, opinions, and ideas through acts such as tagging.

Tagging: The act of labeling anything on the internet according to one's own personal knowledge, thoughts, ideas and opinions.