Podcast 1

Click here to listen to my podcast on Net Neutrality.

Podcast 2

Click here to listen to my podcast about Copyright.

COM 340 Post 3

China has been hacking into other major corporations and businesses and using the stolen information to help them benefit. The U.S has done the same thing, but in contrast they are not using the information to their benefit. This assault was known during both the Clinton and Bush Administrations. Edward Snowden’s part in all this was also spoken about as well. When the Chinese hacking case intensified he pushed to disclose a number of classified documents about the NSA’s surveillance.

Based on what I read, the US is trying to say that the hacking that they are doing is justified. The Chinese are also hacking but into large systems and business and then using that data against others. Whether they are hacking for what they feel are good or bad reasons it is still being done. How do they expect to gain the trust of their people especially in the U.S if we know we are constantly being watched? On our end though the citizens are criticized by the government for wanting more transparency that has yet to happen. The government is invading our privacy, but the public is still closed off to what really is going on in the inside.

In reaction to this I do not think we should trust the government to the fullest extent. Yes, they are taking what information they can get for  “security reasons ” they so call it. I understand we have had terrorist attacks, but now they are using our fear against in some cases. 9-11 was very serious, but others not so much and they are abusing this right to privacy at times. We the people should work on filtering what personal information we give to just anyone. This is especially true online because you never know who is on the other end of that receiver.  Self-filtrations have to start with us if we continue to blame the government.

From the conclusions that I have made I think what needs to be done is that these classified documents shouldn’t be stored online. If you don’t want to leave a trail then don’t use any digital device. People hack into simple computers daily and what makes these government agencies or businesses think that they wouldn’t either. Yes, I know that we are part of a digital age than years before, but still there is paper. Everything does not have to be an electronic document because clearly this way of storing things is not working. 

COM 340 Post 4

Australians give fake information online to protect their real information from being misused. Young users are especially guilty of doing this as well as not reading the sites terms and conditions. This is listed on websites and you must verify that you read them before moving on. Customer confidence is lacking for these businesses which are damaging their trust as well as image to consumers.

If this is already happening in Australia I don’t doubt that people in the US are already doing this as well. Privacy online is a thing of the past and will continue to diminish as times go on. If people feel that they will not be punished or no one will find out they are providing false info they will continue to do so. Marketing questions have become more personal and giving information has become more instant than years before depending on the way they are asked. In reaction to this news, I think people should filter what they release online. It’s alright to fib if you feel your number will be given to marketers, but some of the time that data is useful to companies. That data could be used for their internal marketing department and possible hookups or promotions can be sent through email or phone number. It a personal decision to what information you choose to release though.

I think the web will never have the full trust of the public. On the flipside of that, they can start with small steps to gain some ground on that. This can possibly be done by ensuring that somewhere on the site their info won’t be sold to outside marketers. This must be visible so the site browser will read it instead of hiding it in the terms and agreements wordy text.

Sites that are https can give a sense of security, but how often are we checking for that in the web browser? This generation has grown up in an era where our business has now become everyone’s business online. Crying to the government about privacy is something we can self-govern. We have broken down those privacy walls ourselves when dealing with social media. If a change needs to be made for privacy we must take a set back and evaluate how we present ourselves online. If you don’t want your business out there then don’t post it for the world to see. Once your life is online it can never be erased.

 

COM 340 Post 2

Comcast and Pittsburgh Public Schools are teaming together to help under privileged schools get Internet access not only at home, but school as well. The mission goal of this project is to familiarize children with the Internet earlier so it will assist them in their educational careers later on. Some additional perks to this program is the $9.95 a month Internet fee and computer rentals for low income families.

Relevance and affordability are what should be targeted when working towards breaking down the digital divide. Non users are not getting connected because they feel no need to or it shows no relevance toward their lives. In fact, they are actually missing out on opportunities in education, health care, and employment. This can be from booking a simple plane ticket to filling out a job application online. The divide is not just about jobs, but that is mainly what drives our economy and people need jobs to survive.

This movement has to start in the US and work out the glitches before we can move to great barriers in third world countries. As of right now there is a 30 to 32 percent difference in the learning points between privileged and under privileged children in math and reading skills.

Learning these computer habits at younger ages can help kids when they get older since most of the work done in school is done during their time at home. Not knowing how to properly look for resources will hinder their learning and possibly lead to dropouts. Also, some may not enroll at all because they may feel discouraged to learn about the Internet or leap that barrier. The enrollment may be online as well and that can be another factor too.

Preaching to parents the importance of the Internet can be a start to help the children so long. They are still at a young age and more computers are at schools than home for the under privileged. Making a requirement to learn these tools is better than moving up letter grades with no understanding at all. That will just place another burden on them than as they grow older and out of touch with technology they failed to learn. So, parents are the key holders to their child’s success at the young ages and should take initiative with these types of programs. This will slowly start to break down some of the resistance people have towards learning about the Internet.

COM 340 post 1

We are always looking to protect ourselves, but we tend not to filter what we share with others online. The web is where thieves can gain access to your accounts the easiest. This article simply talked about what users can do to protect themselves.

Online identity theft has increased from 17% in 2001 to 24% in 2012. Social networking sites have become a primary source where your identity can be stolen.  A number of people tend to use the same password for a lot of their accounts. Yes, this does help you with not forgetting so easily, but also makes your very vulnerable to identity theft easily.

This means that people online need to be careful what they choose to share with the world. It is not just thieves that are looking for your information, also employers. If you have a social site whether it’s private or not, they can still access it. A few states have passed laws where this is illegal, but others can base whether they will or will not hire you on your online identity.

Some may not care what others think about them online, but there are some who do.  Others should take it upon themselves to self-censor. Look at your profiles online and see what you would assume from just looking though some of the posts you have made. Are you the person you really put out to be online? If the answer is no then you have to be real with yourself. Self-critic some of the things you write or publicly broadcast on twitter and Facebook. Not everyone needs to know every moment of your life.

Our virtual identities are what we see most of on these personal profiles. Some may read this article and still continue to post irrelevant facts about themselves. The reason behind this is because they have found a space where they can be who they truly wish they were.

Change would be good for the content that goes on these sites, but it can’t really be controlled. Since we don’t really know everyone personally we can’t really judge their content. Unless you do know someone then you can kind of tell whether they are telling the truth or not. It’s not up to the web to change it is up to the users. Our moral compass should play a factor in what type of image we are putting out.

305 Post 2

The internet may be second nature to some, but not to all. This may be because of how fast the digital divide is constantly growing. What that means it that even though you may or may not have access to a computer those indivuals still don’t know how to use it. Computers are a luxury that we take for granted in the states because they are so obtainable. In other countries others do not have this opportunity due to lack of resources, environment (social and economical) and language barriers as well. Having this equipment and being able to teach people to use it properly are the steps we have to take to close this digital divide. If not others who cannot translate this language feel left out and is susceptible to doing terrible things such as terrorism. They lash out in this way because they feel like outcasts.

In the Daily Beast, it is said that 90 percent of schools have computers, but older versions that are unreliable and slow. The minority schools have less internet access and computers than the schools that have Caucasians as their majority population.

This is unfair and is a main reason why the digital divide keeps growing. Students born into poverty potentially tend to have more parents that do not understand the importance of computers and education today. This can be due to their parents’ lack of education status and resources.

Since the internet is heavily influencing education more as the years go on there is another digital divide that is emerging. Would you rather have all of your school work, teaching, and learning done online? This is an issue that is sparking some attention. Educators and parents are debating whether to add a sort of newness to the way they teach their students in the 21^st century. The reason this is happening is because more students are being born into this technological era than ever before. Some teachers are against this even if the laptop the students do get will have built in internet access.

Not everyone is born into the best situations and America is trying to work around that with programs like Teach to One. To close this digital divide you have to not just provide the computers but teach the skills to educators as well as the students. This will help with expanding their learning of how to use the technology resources properly and what they were created for.