English II

One interesting piece of research I found was that the Dark Web was made accessible through a special software called TOR, which was made by the U.S Naval Research Lab. Interestingly enough, TOR is still the most popular tool to access the dark web. However, TOR and the dark web wasn’t intended to be a hub for criminals. TOR’s purpose was to mask the IP address and location of users, which proved to be useful when protecting the identity of American operatives and the identity of those who wanted to access the web in repressive countries, like China. This is relevant to my project since I will be providing a background on what the dark web was before becoming filled with criminal activity. This research allows me to pinpoint the rise of TOR and who made it. 

 

Another interesting piece of research I found was that the dark web also fueled the opioid crisis. The dark web has a large market for drugs, which include opioids and fentanyl. Drug users would order their drugs through the dark web and receive it through mail in an envelope. This is quite effective as a single standard first class envelope can contain enough fentanyl to get 50,000 people high. And among the dead are two 13-year-olds, Grant Seaver and Ryan Ainsworth, who died after taking a synthetic opioid known as Pinky. They received it from a local boy who purchased the drugs off the dark web. Although law enforcements have shut down the biggest dark web market, The Silk Road, in late 2013, imitators quickly rose, and these sites have generated far more business than its predecessor. And although the dark web accounts for a small proportion of the drug traffic, the synthetic drugs like the opioids, have assumed a much more prominent and frightening role. The leading dark web market, AlphaBay has more than 21,000 listings for opioids and 4,100 for fentanyl and similar drugs. This has led to drug operations being run across the U.S. Several near-death experiences were expressed on AlphaBay’s social forum: ‘I was injecting slowly got 1/3rd of the hit in, next thing I know I wake up with 3 paramedics above me,’ ‘If I hadn’t been found because I was making a loud snoring sound (tongue rolled back in my throat) I’d be dead no doubt.’ This is relevant to my project as this research allows me to explain how the dark web affects society.  

 

Another interesting piece of research I found was the way in which they steal information. Social Security numbers and birth certificates can be purchased here. Criminals can even buy a “wallet” with multiple forms of identification, handing over everything needed to create a new identity. Most people would use the same logon password for multiple services, like on social media, online store, email addresses, etc. This increases the chance of having your username and password compromised. “And unfortunately, most companies that have had their data sold on the Dark Web don’t know it until they have been informed by a third party — but by then, it’s too late.” This is relevant to my research since it shows how the dark web affects both society and businesses.  

1) How was the dark web evolved over time?

2) How has the dark web made it easier to scam people?

3) How does the dark web differ from clearnet?

4) How do banks respond to these scams?

5) What’s the process of stealing credit card information?

6) How do you access the dark web?

7) What has the government done about the dark web?

8) How does a person get scammed on the dark web? How does one become a victim?

9)How would a person who got scammed get reimbursed by the bank?

10) Are retail stores affected as well? How much money would small businesses and/or retail stores lose?

11) How many deaths as a result from the dark web?

12) How much money do businesses generally generate on the dark web?

13) What percent of the internet is the dark web?

14) How many victims of the dark web are there in a year?

15) How many illegal/legal businesses are there on the dark web?

16) How many people visit the dark web daily? Annually?

17) Do banks reimburse all victims of the dark web? Is there a limit on how much money they can reimburse?

18) How much money do banks lose from dark web scams?

19) Was the dark web always “evil?”

20) Is accessing the dark web illegal?

As President Donald Trump continues to make claims on how great the economy is doing under him, it is important to fact check and compare his economic policies to other Presidents, like Obama. On the surface, people speculate that Trump is doing well. According to NPR, civilian unemployment rate has decreased, the average earnings of employees have increased, blue collar jobs have grown 3.3%, and business investments are up more than $300 billion. Many economists give credit to Donald Trump for how well off the economy is, however ‘when you hear how great the economy is doing right now, let’s just remember when this recovery started,’ former President Barack Obama stated. This brings up a valid point as many question if Donald Trump is simply “coasting on the momentum of an already strong Obama economy” or if Trump is turning things around. In the NPR article, Scott Horsley acknowledges a few opinions and reports it in a left-centered political standpoint and displays a “fairness bias” to a certain degree. Horsley concludes that although Donald Trump and his administration did make slight improvements to the economy, the economy has been following the “steady upward glide path that began under Obama.”

On the other hand, Fox News reports Donald Trump’s economic policies differently. Andy Puzder wants people to stop overlooking Trump’s strong economy and job growth. Puzder points to Trump reducing tax burdens and improving business freedom as reasons for the growing economy. Furthermore, the Trump administration points out that they have had a 3% GDP growth rate. The article then continuously acknowledges how low the unemployment rate is and how there are millions of new job openings. Fox News is known for it’s far right political stance and this article isn’t any different. Towards the end of the article, Puzder essentially glorifies Donald Trump, “In the first two years of the Trump presidency, we’ve gone from economic stagnation to economic boom. We are a freer people and a more prosperous nation with a rising economic tide that is lifting everyone’s boat. This is the power of capitalism, the most dynamic economic system mankind has ever known, when liberated from the restraints of oppressive government. Thank you, President Trump.”

After reading two articles that addressed Trump’s and Obama’s economy, it is quite clear that your perspective can be altered by the media outlet you choose to get your news from. According to Neil Postman, newspapers were better at avoiding biases than television news. The newspapers had many stories to choose from, in a sense, “everyone reads a different newspaper, for no two readers will read (or ignore) the same items.” However, at a time where newspapers have grown obsolete, many stick to one news media outlet, such as Fox News or New York Times and are blinded to other perspectives.

The Blue Feed Red Feed project is quite interesting since I could pick which issue to compare feeds, then the project would also provide a link to the actual articles. The way they collected data from Facebook over the course of six months was also interesting.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/andy-puzder-trumps-economy-has-taken-us-from-stagnation-to-boom-thats-a-story-that-needs-to-be-told

https://www.npr.org/2018/09/12/646708799/fact-check-who-gets-credit-for-the-booming-u-s-economy

In the Time Magazine article, Joel Stein highlights how this generation has become more narcissistic than past generations. He displays several statistics that help support his claims, such as “according to the National Institutes of Health; 58% more college students scored higher on a narcissism scale in 2009 than in 1982.” Stein continues by stating how parents have instilled self-esteem in their children, which ultimately harmed the child’s chances of maintaining a job or relationship. In addition, millennials have also developed a sense of entitlement. However, Stein also speaks on behalf of the millennials and argues, “They’re not a new species; they’ve just mutated to adapt to their environment.” Technology has become faster, more accessible, and abundant. Through the introduction of smart phones and social media, information has become widespread and connecting with people, even internationally, has been made possible. Stein continues to support millennials by quoting Scott Hess, ‘Can you imagine if the boomers had YouTube, how narcissistic they would’ve seemed?’ This indicates that with the advancement of technology in the 21st century was one, if not the main cause, of Millennial narcissism. I completely agree with Joel Stein’s representation and I personally identify with a lot of the traits he put forth. “[…] lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow,” are traits that do or did define me at some point. “They’re earnest and optimistic. They embrace the system. They are pragmatic idealists, tinkerers more than dreamers, life hackers.” These are traits that also represent me. In addition, I definitely have a sense of entitlement as my parents still pay for rent and my health insurance. The article also points out that “millenials are nice” and more accepting of differences, which I identify with as well. However, in the work force, I expect to be in that entry level position for an extended time rather than being constantly promoted in the short span of 2 years, as stated in the article. There was also another quote in the article that referred to millennials not respecting authority, which is untrue for me. Furthermore, I don’t rely on my parents for financial advice and I unquestionably do not want to be “famous,” as the article mentioned.

In the Buzzfeed article, Anne Helen Petersen speaks about how lazy millenials are. Simple and mundane tasks are often pushed aside and often never dealt with, which is something I relate to, as I almost always push assignments, no matter how undemanding they are, to the last minute. Petersen states that, systemically, millenials have a difficult time dealing with similar hardships. Petersen also reveals that millenials are between the ages of 22 and somewhere around 38. Based on this, I would not be considered a millenial. Most millenials lag behind compared to when their parents were their age, “[they] have far less saved, far less equity, far less stability, and far, far more student debt.” Most millenials are focused on school as they are more studious, skip fewer classes, attend office hours, and seek guidance from their professor. “They were, in other words, scared.” This is quite relatable as I also fear that I will not do well in class or in the outside world, so I seek help and make sure I’m on the correct track. Petersen also speculates that,”these students [believe] that their first job out of college would not only determine their career trajectory, but also their intrinsic value for the rest of their lives,” which is true for a lot of people including myself. Since my intended major is accounting, I feel that once I graduate, I’m obligated to find a job in the accounting field. And, like the article states, the job should be steady and decent paying. Petersen also points out that “We put up with companies treating us poorly because we don’t see another option. We don’t quit. We internalize that we’re not striving hard enough. And we get a second gig.” This almost directly addresses my situation when I joined a restaurant business. I wanted to quit because of how miserable I was and the way I was treated there. Maybe one of the reasons I was miserable there was because I could’ve been doing something better with my time, like an internship in my field of study. The article also addresses the complaints to millenials, “But dumb, illogical decisions are a symptom of burnout. We engage in self-destructive behaviors or take refuge in avoidance as a way to get off the treadmill of our to-do list.” This then translates to millenials being bad at work simply because they do so much work. Although I moderately agree, this can also just be an excuse for millenials. Petersen also mentions how millenials’ work habits are also affected by “financial precariousness,” but I would just work harder and longer hours if I was financial unstable.

In short, after reading these two articles, I would consider myself a millenial. On one hand, I possessed most of the “positive” traits stated in both articles, while the “negative” traits spoke a lot of truth and I could relate to them.

My name is Austin Cheng and I live in Manhattan where my commute to Baruch is only 20 minutes. I am currently a freshmen at Baruch and my intended major is accounting. An interesting fact about me is that I can speak some Spanish. I chose this image because I spend a lot of time watching movies and T.V shows.