Category Archives: Assignments

I agree with Shirley when it comes to the addiction before the internet was TV.  This is because when ever you turn on a channel there is something new you never experienced  and turn to a different channel there is another side of life you didn’t experience and therefore got to.For example all the reality shows that came up in the 1990s right before internet became popular kept everyone glued to the TV because it was a way for people to see and experience how other people completely different from them lived.  Everyone was glued to the TV simply because it was “immediate satisfaction” and therefore got everything non stop because TV channels are on 24/7.

After the internet came around with all the instant communication abilities with other people no matter how far they are made the TV take a back seat as the instant gratification and constant entertainment medium.  Shirley talks about 2 different reasons how people have started using the internet: communal and civic reasons.  The communal reason people use the internet is not necessarily the most productive but it is positive because when shared with people it could have many applications for each different individual and the civic reason which we are all witnessing currently like the regime changes in Egypt was hugely in part because of people taking to technology to spread the word of rebellion which  ultimately spawned change in Egypt and also in other parts of the world.  There are a lot of people on the internet who post products on blogs which the general public gets to view through another person’s experience as opposed to just watching a commercial on TV which shows a very one sided point of view.  There are also people’s life experiences, news and all sorts of information that is available online which is much more attractive which lets the general public well informed.  Twitter and Facebook keeps the young generation up to date on news which they would not watch by watching TV and reading news papers.

The topic that stood out to me the most was Wikipedia and the freedom of information best it provides us.  The internet became a world where everyone can connect instantly with each other and share ideas instantly. Wikipedia is the best example of this because it allows people all over the world create and edit ideas and concepts about culture,people,animals and more for others to see.   The different inputs and sources that come from around the world give the reader a more diverse view of what others have to offer on the subject. I think the downfall of this type of website is the people that are editing it could be falsely putting information on the website and they could also be putting up half the facts making their point of view known instead of the full facts of the matter.

In chapter 6 the point that stood out to me was the fact that the author stressed the behavior of people was what sparked revolutions because Facebook was not the first social network but it is the most successful one because it started with a fierce revolution among college students and just spread like wildfire.  Therefore any new technology that comes out only goes as far the popularity and the usefulness of that technology takes you.

Chapter 1,

Some of the main points that stood out to me in chapter 1 are:

– When Evan says the whole ordeal was about “humanity” and not morals, I disagree with Evan because humanity is based on the morals we come up with as guidelines on how to treat one another because that’s what makes us humans, the fact that we can logically and rationally behave in certain ways.

– I think that the ethical theory: social contract is used best in this story because there is Evan who just wants what belongs to them and there is Sasha who knowingly goes against the social contract  of returning what does not belong to her.  In the community we live in today, Sasha went against the rules that keep everyone in the society in check and she had to deal with the consequences which was getting arrested.  I feel that this was a great example to show how the unwritten rules are just as important as the rules which are written.

– This chapter also shows the group networking can get almost anything done on the internet because without the internet, Evan would not have been able to accomplish he set out to accomplish.

Chapter 2

– There are so many new connections and groups being made due to the access to the internet.  This is the single most greatest connection humans can have with each other.  The vast amount of information and the ease of which we can communicate with each other is remarkable and I think everyone should make the best of this great communication tool we have at our disposable and make a change in the world.

– The first thing I thought about while reading this chapter was the Wiki Leaks and how that changed the way the public read the news and what the military actually does its business.  It also showed the world that just because the leaders say that everything is being treated ethically it is not.

Chapter 3

– This chapter shows some of the problems that come with the internet being as open as it is.

– I believe that the author is right when saying that there are some people who wish to report news online but they may be too inexperienced and therefore not doing any good to the society as a whole.

– Growing up with the internet means I should know when and where the sources come from on any given story because the fact that one person or website says its true does not make it so.  For example a couple of years ago there was news the Steve Jobs had a transplant (which was true) and the surgery did not go well (not true) that caused the Apple stock to tumble to 5 year lows.  This type of false information is toxic to our world in every facet because there are a lot of people the lost their money.