We have done many activities in this LIB 3040 class which can be utilized in many other courses at Baruch. We have done everything from class room discussions to hands on activities with the computers. As I look back to all the many activities we have done in class, the first thing that comes to mind is utilizing the Baruch databases. Before using these databases, I would do every research paper with the help of our good friend Google. Google would then direct me to Wikipedia. Now that I have learned how to navigate through the Baruch databases, I will definitely be able to use them in future courses that require research to be done. For example, I will be taking BPL next semester and from what I heard, its a difficult course which is research intensive. The knowledge on databases I have obtained from this course will definitely help me get through this difficult class, since it requires the research of various companies.

Something else I learned after taking this course is the different ways published works can be used as sources and the differences between these published works. For example, trade journals, newspaper articles, magazines, interviews, etc. are different in many ways and can all be used when doing research. The sources Pariser uses in the Filter Bubble are all very unique. He took sources which were scholarly works and are reputable. Reputation of the work plays a big roll in choosing the right source. That is something this course has taught me. This course went in to great depth on the differences and similarities of each published work. I can definitely use the knowledge I’ve obtained from the sources Pariser uses in selecting the proper sources for other classes at Baruch. Which brings me to the discussion of something that I would’ve liked to learn in this course. I would’ve appreciated learning more about proper citation when citing sources. I know this isn’t an English class, but I sort of forgot how to properly cite works. I mean I have some intellect of citation, but I’m pretty sure it’s not ideal.

The final thing which I recall learning in this class is the “Filter Bubble” itself. Taking part in this course and reading the Filter Bubble really opened my eyes to many things. It made me more conscious of where and who I give my personal information to. It made me think twice before handing out any information to websites or surveys. Before this class, I never took the time to actually Google my own name. When I did I was astonished by the amount of personal information was on the web for the world to see. Reading this book also made me want to get away from this Filter Bubble. In Chapter 8 Pariser gives readers various ways to get out of the Filter Bubble, which are somewhat difficult to follow. His “plan” is explained by providing guidelines for individuals, government, and companies to follow which would get us out of the Filter Bubble. Technology is vastly growing. From this course and book I’ve learned that we need to be able to grasp the information provided through technology, thus giving us full control of the Internet. I feel this course is very different and unique from any other course offered at Baruch since it went in to depth of something which can be utilized in all courses; the Internet. This course not only helped me in other courses which I have taken at Baruch, but life in general.