Internet Censorship

I do not think that the internet should be censored or rated. I do feel however that there should be protections in place to protect children and underage people from viewing certain material. The internet is a wealth of information that should not be censored. That is what makes it great in my mind. People are allowed to speak their mind and share data and information freely. If the government gets involved to censor certain material, I feel that would be a huge loss.

We already see the censorship of the internet in many countries. In North Korea, all websites are under government control and only 4% of the population has internet access. In China the government filters searches, block sites and erases "inconvenient" content, rerouting search terms on Taiwan independence or the Tiananmen Square massacre to items favorable to the Communist Party.

In America, not having a censored internet keeps things transparent in my opinion. Could you imagine if no one could write articles, blogs, or news stories about our government? It would be much harder to find out truthful information about what’s going on in our government.

Thankfully in America we are protected by freedom of speech. I’ve seen many people’s opinions on our government or elected officials on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and news outlets. In many countries, you could be prosecuted for expressing your disdain for the government so freely.

We know that not everything you see on the internet should be believed or trusted. But that is what makes our internet great. We have a lot of information out there from facts to opinions to purely made up. But what’s great is that we can to view all the material, and form our own opinion. The content that is out there isn’t regulated or created just by the government.

Arab Spring

Arab Spring refers to uprisings that started in the Middle East in 2010 that demanded total change. Some countries where Arab Spring happened include Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria. Social media played a crucial role to the organization of Arab Springs. Social media was used to communicate and raise awareness and organize demonstrations, marches, and rallies.

Young people were a huge influence in the revolts by using social networking. Freedom of speech and the right to assemble are limited in Egypt.  For young people in Egypt, Facebook, which allows users to speak freely to one another, is an irresistible platform for social interaction but also for opposition. The Egyptian government actually attempted   to eliminate the nation's Internet access in order to inhibit the protesters' ability organize through Social Media. As of September 2012, Arab Springs have resulted in governments being overthrown in four countries. 

In countries where freedom of speech is limited, I can see how the use of Facebook is so appealing. It allows people to get their message out to a large number of people. It allows them to connect with other people that may have the same views of them. The only unethical thing I can see about Arab Spring by using social media, is the possibility of things turning violent by persuading someone’s actions. Otherwise, I don’t think there is anything unethical about using social media to organize uprisings.

Luddite

Support of the neo-luddite philosophy:

A lot of people are less active today because of all the technologies we have. Kids want to watch television or place video games instead of going outside and exploring and playing. Being distracted by technology makes people live less in the moment. I often find myself checking Facebook or emails on my phone instead of being present in the moment with my family.

Technology has put a dent in our wallets. Just think about how much money you could save on a monthly and yearly basis if you weren’t paying for electricity, cable or dish television, internet, cell phones, landlines, etc. I added up my monthly expenses, and having these modern technologies cost my family $415 a month. That is almost $5,000 a year!  

Opposition of neo-luddite philosophy:

Technology makes us more productive and thus makes many more products more affordable. Due to machines and electricity, jobs that use to have to be done by hand have now become automated. This allows for more products to be produced in a shorter amount of time and makes labor costs less. These savings are passed onto the consumers.

Technology allows us to communicate more efficiently. There are many ways that we can communicate with people across the globe and across different time zones. They include: telephone, texting, voicemail, email, and social media. Technology has made communication fast and affordable.

Education - pros and cons of online and face to face education

This is an interesting topic to me, one I have thought about many times. I got my first degree through traditional in class room learning. The degree that I am currently working on has been all online. So I have thought about the pros and cons of each many times.

Face to Face

Pro: You create more personable relationships with your peers and professors.

Pro: This could be a pro or con based on your attitude. But I found attending classes face to face made me study more and learn the material more. Most time in a classroom setting you can’t use notes or the book for tests. I’ll admit, I have taken some online classes, where I haven’t even read the book. I just use the book to take the test.

Con: Many times if you miss a class, you simply can’t log in online to get the lecture and notes.

Con: You’re limited to when you can take classes, which also may limit your choice of classes and or degree. You’re limited to the schools you attend.

Online

Pro: The biggest pro personally for me is being able to work on a degree yet still being able to work full time to support my family. Learning online means I do not have to actually attend class on campus. It allows for more flexibility.

Pro: With everything being online, you can attend class at midnight if you want! Basically it is anytime, anywhere! The flexibility of online classes really cannot be beat.

Con: It takes a lot of self-motivation to stay on track. Not having someone say you have to be in class on this day, you need to be driven to stay focused and meet deadlines.
Con: The biggest con for me is I really miss out on the peer and professor interaction. I have so many close friends that I met when I got my first degree. We still all talk and network about jobs and opportunities. It is a lot harder to reach out to someone online for help and advice about assignments and tests.

The great digital divide

Where I live, there is only one option for high speed internet. I think what I pay monthly for internet is very high. However, since there is no other option and no competition around, they can charge more, and I chose to pay it. I’m just happy that I at least have one option.

I live in a low income school district. I think the last statistic I saw was that 78% of our students get free lunch. Even though that is the case, our school is now trying to go paperless. So instead of sending home report cards, etc. – parents need to go online to see grades and teacher reports. It really got me thinking about how a lot of people in our district may not even be able to afford the internet, let alone a smart phone or computer. So if we want the parents to be more actively involved in their children’s educations – is going paperless such a good idea? 

I think that the Government’s National BroadBand plan is a good idea. According to the powerpoint – evidence suggests that some of the most significant resources that help people get out of financial dire straits are access to communication technology such as the Internet, cell phones, etc. Access to the internet allows people to complete on-line courses, job searches, submit resumes, and use LinkedIn. All things that can be used to find jobs, get education, and network – which can change someone’s financial situation.

I also think that the Government’s BroadBand plan is good because it aims at making broad band more affordable. One of the ways they plan on doing this is making sure there is robust competition in the area. Someone like me that only has the option of one provider, finds that very appealing. Also, someone can have access to broad band, but if they can’t afford to have it every month, it is not going to do them any good. 

One could argue that it is not the Government’s responsibility to make broad band available to people. However, I would disagree with that. According to the Government’s BroadBand plan – “broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness and a better way of life. It is enabling entire new industries and unlocking vast new possibilities for existing ones. It is changing how we educate children, deliver health care, manage energy, ensure public safety, engage government, and access, organize and disseminate knowledge.”

Keeping your privacy and identity safe

In this day and age our information is everywhere online. It is crazy how much information you can find out about someone online. By doing a simple google search on my name, I found links to my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages. But what was really shocking was the other information that is posted about me. My complete work history is listed on zoominfo.com. You can find my age, address and past addresses on whitepages.com. You can also find my grandparents’, my father’s and my daughter’s obituary. The amount of information just by one search is quite shocking.

I am an open book in most instances. I am not a private person by any means, and tend to share a lot of information about myself. I’m the kind of person that usually updates my Facebook status at least once a day. I used to use the app Foursquare quite a bit, but my husband actually requested that I stop using it for safety reasons. After I listened to his reasoning, it did make sense. When I was checking in at locations, I was basically telling anyone that wanted to know that I wasn’t home, and could make us an easy target for someone to break into our house. Also, if someone wanted to harm you – they easily could know where you were at any given time.

If our information gets into the wrong hands, it can be detrimental in many different ways.  According to (Milian, 2010) there are five easy things that people can do to help protect their identity on line. They are:

1.       Adjust social-network privacy settings

2.       Ensure personal data is sent over a secure connection

3.       Consider opting out of ad tracking

4.       Use private Web browsing features or install a VPN

5.       Think before you post

A person should be careful not to overshare on social networking sites.  Posting too much information about you can open yourself up to identity theft.  A potential identity thief can find information about your life, use it to answer ‘challenge’ questions on your accounts, and get access to your money and personal information. Never post your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number, or account numbers in publicly accessible sites.

According to (Consumer information - keeping your personal informaiton secure, 2012), the things you need to do to protect your identity are:

• Keep your personal information secure offline
• Keep your personal information secure online
• Securing your social security number
• Keeping your devices secure

A few ways you can protect your identity offline is by never carrying your social security card with you. If your purse or wallet gets lost or stolen, your social security card could end up in the wrong hands.  Make sure to always shred receipts, credit card applications, insurance forms, bank statements, and any other kind of document that reveals personal information.

Securing your information online as well as keeping your devices secure is also very important.  Never open email attachments or files where you don’t know the sender. You should always have up to date anti-virus software installed to avoid infections that can compromise your data. Make sure to log out of your programs, especially on-line banking and bill pay, when you are done with the program. Never share your passwords with anyone, and make sure they are different for each application or program you use.

Often times you’ll be asked for your social security number. Whether it is online or in person, many places ask for your social security number. To protect yourself, you can always ask if you can use a different kind of identification. If that is not an option, ask them how your number will be used, and how they plan to protect it.

Works Cited

Consumer information - keeping your personal informaiton secure. (2012, July). Retrieved from Federal Trade Commission.

Milian, M. (2010, December 13). 5 tips for controlling your privacy online. Retrieved from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/12/13/5.online.privacy.tips/index.html