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Week Thirteen: Part Two

One of the topics we covered in class was the feeling of validation that some people seek when they use social media. It was an interesting topic in itself, yeah?

Let's say I'm feeling lonely, so I open up Facebook and post this, hoping to get some comments:

"Do you ever feel so lonely that you don't know what to do with yourself?"

Okay, maybe one or two people like it. No big. How about this:

"Been feeling down lately. Really need someone to talk to."

BAM. That might not get 100 likes or comments, but it's enough to worry some people. Let's try this:

"A penny for my thoughts, oh, no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar. They're worth so much more after I'm a goner."

This is a real life example, where I posted these lyrics because I thought they were catchy. Within five minutes, I had 20-something comments! WHAT?!

I wasn't seeking anything...okay, I'll admit, I post statuses to feel not as lonely anymore...Does that make me a bad person?

In terms of posting depressing statuses, here is an article on reasons to avoid it. There are some good reasons out there, but I would like to argue that sometimes, just having one person text you in response is all it takes to reduce some of the pain.

"But why couldn't you text them first?"

The answer? Validation of your feelings. You want the world (minus your parents) to see how you feel and gauge their reactions. Because for that one moment, it feels like someone is giving you a hug, even if all they've done is comment.

I admit, I have fallen into this before. Now, though, I hate posting sad statuses.

About the other stuff...Isn't it nice to get likes on a post? Feels wonderful, doesn't it? I honestly want to challenge myself in this upcoming week. I will not check Facebook or post anything to Facebook for one week and see how I feel.

Yes, K-Stew, really. I'm going to challenge myself. And I'm going to see if anyone on Facebook notices my absence, thus proving to myself that I spend way too much time on Facebook.

Maybe everyone should try it! Not all at once, though, because Tumblr users would pee themselves and probably wouldn't last an hour...myself included.

And to everyone out there looking for validation or for some support or even looking to not feel alone, I have something for you:

AAAAAAND

Have a wonderful day! <3

And enjoy this next GIF, which I am only posting because I fine it hilarious.

Week Thirteen: What a Great Time to be Alive!

Hello all! I think we're going to do the random post first this week, okay? I'm just so excited about this that I need to put it out there ASAP!

I was derping around on Facebook and found this great thing called Circuit Scribe. Before I go further, please have a look here. And if that wasn't enough, you can also check this out.

I have to admit, even though I'm not one for making electronics, I did one of these:

I mean, it's like someone said, "I want to be able to doodle. But I also want to be able to make something functional." And his friend said, "Why not both?"

And then, BAM! They made it. Holy crow! People really are so ingenious!

Anywho, that is not what I wanted to talk about regarding this remarkable work of genius. I wanted to bring up the fact that it only takes one person with a good idea (or a not so good idea, sometimes) and a computer to make that idea a reality. The Circuit Scribe was all over my Facebook to the point that I just wanted to see what it was all about. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

When my friend heard my excited squealing, she gave me one of these:

before groaning, "You don't even know anything about circuits."

But see, that isn't the important part! I can always recruit one of my friends to teach me or teach myself through the miracle of Youtube.

Which brings me right back to what I wanted to talk about! Social media helped the Circuit Scribe crew to get their product out there and in the public eye. Because of sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. and the use of Kickstarter.com, their product is well on its way to massive marketing.

How cool would it be to reinvent TechEd class from middle school? We wouldn't have to slave over a hot soldering iron and would merely have to draw out a circuit...

I could deal with that!

And apparently, so could Mr. Cosby!

With that, I will leave you all and decide what other inventions to explore on Kickstarter.com. (Which is a fantastic site, by the way!)

Until next time!

Week Twelve: Part Two

Today, we are going to talk about...wait for it...

CITIZEN SCIENCE!!

Here are some great examples of citizen science: liiiiiink!

Let's start with a definition of citizen science....

Well...

Correct! It is science and research that the average citizen can participate in. With technology, citizen science is a lot easier to participate in, because people from all over the world can get involved in the same project.

For example, EyeWire.org is a very fun site that I have recently joined. If you do not believe that these types of projects can be completed by people around the world, take a look at this:

You read that right: 80,000 people, 130 countries. And! It's a lot of fun!

Wait! Science? Fun? Technology?

Yes, yes, and yes!

Without sounding like a commercial, the best I can say is that technology has made it exponentially easier to collect data from a larger group. If we look at EyeWire, who doesn't want to play a video game to help map out neurons??

Based on the project and level of expertise needed, you may or may not have to deal with things like this:

I mean, if that's what you're into (and I really wanted to work that GIF in there somehow...). I, for one, am not a fan of bugs, so I would never study them...not even on a computer screen.

As a nursing major, I enjoy learning about the body, so the EyeWire project greatly appealed to me. As it turns out, EyeWire is exactly as advertised. It is a fun (and at times aggravating) video game. As a bonus, I know that I am helping to further the understanding of how neurons are connected.

(Bill Nye is a sassy scientist; let's be honest.)

So, if you are ever bored on a weekend and want to use your free time to help society, check out a citizen science project and get to work!

~Until next time!

Week Twelve: Part One

Our professor asked us to ask someone significantly older than us about how they feel about privacy on the internet. So, this week, I present to you my father's view on the situation (he's in computers at Aramark).

Growing up, we were always protected by a firewall and other big computer words I wouldn't have understood. I did not get a Facebook until I was 14ish (I think), and that was only because we had taken our laptops with us on vacation (it was a long train ride). Vacation meant a different network. A different network meant a different firewall system (if they even had one). A different system meant Facebook free-for-all!

Thank you, Mr. Gyllenhaal. Anywho, my dad has always been a protective person, but even he knows that one cannot hide forever. Still, he got upset when I showed him this.

After watching the entire thing, he started laughing and said that he would have been one of the people behind the screen, finding and exposing the people's information. He loves to show people that their information is not as private as they think it is. Hehe...people still think their information is private...

He does everything he can to try to keep our information protected, but even still, it rarely works. I remember a while ago, he found this site called WhitePages.com, which contains a lot of information about anybody you can imagine. He emailed the owners of the site to have our information taken down, but they never did.

I mean, I guess it's public information...whatever. That is the difference between my father and myself. I see it as inevitable and just a part of life, but he sees it as a major intrusion into our privacy.

I would love to ask around and see what other people think. Leave a comment if you so choose! How do you feel about your information and its availability on the internet? Please leave a comment!

~Until then!

Week Eleven: Part Two

Let's talk about protection!

Er...online protection, rather...heads out of the gutter, people!

Something to think about before we get into the real discussion: Check this out.

Even if you don't have their card, you have to admit this is a pretty well-put together commercial. Who protects us as we surf the interwebs?

Well? Anybody?

Fair enough. It is a difficult question, for sure. In class, we often discuss the possibility of an IPD (Internet Police Department) as well as how far said IPD's jurisdiction would extend. This is a very interesting concept, as the internet is a vast expanse...from every corner of the world...and...so many people...

It's a lot to think about, and I am fairly certain that the creators and innovators out there will eventually get around to it. Think about it: a department of people dedicated to policing the internet. Arguments could be made that this already exists, and I would love to hear what people think about it.

To be fair, we could talk about censorship on the internet and SOPA and PIPA and all of that nonsense. But that is a larger and more intense can of worms than one post can sustain.

Maybe in a later blog post, I will investigate those topics deeper, but I really wanted to throw the idea of an internet police department out there and see what people think about it.

Would it be a sort of Avengers of the Internet Initiative?

Okay, I'll leave you all with that.

Until next time!

Week Eleven: Part One

Alrighty, the topic for discussion today is fake profiles...or rather, my experiences with them. We talked for quite some time about this in class, but my story is a bit embarrassing I suppose. We're talking this kind of embarrassing...

Anywho, I want to start by saying that I hate talking about the person in question, my ex, for various reasons. When we first started dating, he had his "brother" friend me on Facebook. This was weird at first, because I had never met his brother or heard his parents talk about his brother...but okay, maybe he was estranged or something, right?

Well, it turns out "or something" was right. Here's what happened:

First we fell in "love."

And with any relationship, there will be disagreements, right? Right. So, we had a few mild arguments.

And every time we had an argument, his "brother" and his brother's "wife" would step into the picture and say all sorts of nasty things. One day, out of curiosity, I asked his sister what their brother was like when he wasn't upset with someone and she replied, "What brother?"

Wait just a hot second. Rewind and pause. What brother?! You mean to tell me that...he...but...and I...

So then, I asked his mother just to confirm, and she said that there was no such animal...

But...and...wait...

So the next time the two of us talked, I pretended not to know anything, but on the inside I was all:

We ended up breaking up for several reasons that I won't go into here, but the point is that it sucks to be on the receiving end of a fake profile. I thought I could trust him, especially after 10 months...but I guess not. Oh well! It sucks, but it's a reality, yeah?

I'm interested to hear what others think or what others' experiences have been with fake profiles or "catfishing" or anything similar.

~Until next time!

Week Ten: Part Two

A few posts ago, I talked about how I felt in regards to texting and driving. Remember that?

Ahem, on with the regularly-scheduled programming! So, I talked about possibly having a device that turns cell phones off in the car...and guess what I stumbled across the other day!

Here! I found a fundraiser for a device called SafeRide. Just in case you access the link after the funding process is over, here is the Vimeo site.

How weird is it that this pops up after I posted something like that?

Really quickly, SafeRide is a device that plugs into the cigarette lighter or charging mahoozy in the car. It links up to an app on the phone that turns it off essentially. I mean...it deactivates the phone for a time.

Here is an article that can explain it better than I can. It calls the device the "Nicorette for texting."

I thought this was a unique invention, and it is a shame that more people are not interested in supporting its development. I suppose texting in the car is more important...meh...

If more people were like my buddy Jake here:

there might be less accidents related to cell phone use in the car.

Of course that is all speculation...

I'm not saying that this is okay either:

But come on...hang up and drive! Your life and the lives of others are more important than a stupid text, yeah?

(You're supposed to say yes...did you?)

I am interested as to what people think! I mean, I think the device has a ways to go yet, but it has potential.

~Until next time!

Week Ten: Part One (For Real)

Alrighty! For my first actual blog post for this week, I'm going to talk about what's next. That's right...I'm...

A future-seer!

Pff...I'm really not; I promise. But it is fun to speculate, yeah? Think about it: We have gone from telephones to television to internet to Google Glass and everything in between. So what really is next?

I can't exactly figure out exactly what would be next, but I am willing to bet it will be something in the brain...go figure...

I thought I would put some comedic insight in this post, but I can't seem to find the quote or the video about it...to paraphrase it, what would it be like to have our cell phones built into our brains? (P.S. I am pretty sure it was Dane Cook...I just cannot seem to find the video.) We're talking...

Congratulations! With your new brain phone, you've just taken a picture! Yay!

Okay, that might seem a little bit far-fetched, but come on! Google Glass?! Pretty tech-y...pretty...okay. The brain phone might be a stretch. But when the world gets taken over by robots implanted in our brains, don't say I didn't warn you!

I don't mean to sound like a kook or anything either. That is simply the only "next big thing" I can think of...and I've mulled over it for a while now...

So...brain phones! Yeah!

Until next time!

Week Ten: Er...Week Nine Part Two

I want to start off by saying how incredibly sorry I am for neglecting my duties as a student and not posting a second blog last week. I am going to be honest and say that I had so much else going on that this class just fell by the wayside for a little bit.

Anywho, this week, I want to follow up on last week's blog about online dating. We'll start here.

Go ahead; I'll wait.

...

....

...

Done? Oookay!

That was a pretty neat article, was it not?

The whole concept of a quasi-prostitution website had me going:

I just don't feel like this is such a good idea. There is a difference between offering to take the trash out in exchange for allowance and getting someone to take you on a date in exchange for a shopping spree or dinner. Or is there? I would love to hear what you think!

So anyway, when this post popped up on my Facebook, I knew I had to read it and possibly share it. I mean, how could I not? It was so applicable to my previous blog. It was almost as if Facebook was reading my Tumblr...

Okay...it could have been coincidental... Back to the article, it is always interesting to see what kinds of new and odd dating sites are out there...some of them...I just...I mean, I...

There are dating sites for married people to have affairs, sites to meet fellow...farmers(?), sites to meet a "Sugar Daddy"...You name it, there's probably a dating site for it!

(Even this probably... ^)

Then there is the concept of negative press improving the membership of the sites. I find that this is not only true for the dating sites but also for actors and actresses, stores, restaurants, etc. If someone says something negative about a person or a place, it instantly becomes exponentially more appealing! Now, explain that! Do you think it is that the people want to see for themselves, a curiosity thing? Or is it something else?

What ever you think it may be, if you choose to date online, remember to:

Until next time!

~Krisztina

Week Nine: Attention Sprains! ...er...what??

I will be completely honest right now...

Presenting in class this past week was so much fun! I never knew it could be so entertaining to watch people's reactions to the various stimuli we were providing. My group was presenting up front, and I kept taking glances around the room and noticing three basic types of people:

1. Those who were completely distracted by the cell phone poll questions:

2. Those who were actively trying not to be distracted by the poll questions:

3. Those who were participating in an internal struggle over what to pay attention to:

I couldn't help but wonder if that is what it is like to be a teacher...it kind of sucks. Either way, we considered our presentation a success, because some people had no idea what we had been talking about. Guess where they were in relationship to the front of the room!

If you said the back:

You were right! Good job!

It was really funny to notice how people in the back really do not pay attention (especially if they are allowed to have their phones out).

Okay, so steering more towards the topics covered in class (and you'll see what I mean when I say no pun intended)... We talked a lot about distracted driving, anything that takes your eyes or mind away from the road for even a second.

What does the "d" in drama stand for?

Eeeeexactly! DISTRACTION!

We watched a little video on possibly creating technology that would disable the cell phones while in the car. I think that would be a great idea, as long as 911 would still be available. If your passengers cannot handle not having their phones (and actually having a decent conversation), then maybe they should not be in the car at all. The technology is here already...think about it: we have the technology to lock the doors of our car if we go faster than eight mph. So...what's the holdup??

I suppose I feel so strongly about this because I have seen it so many times. The very first crash I ever saw (I was 4) was because someone was changing their radio station and ran a stop sign. I can still see and hear it.

Also, my senior year of high school, some idiots decided to race out of the parking lot, and one of the drivers was on his phone. There was a huge accident right at the entrance/exit to the parking lot. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but it was because of the sheer idiocy of the drivers that it took forever to get home that day.

Every so often, I have a run-in with a car when I go for my 5AM runs. One particular morning, I was almost mowed down by someone who not only pulled too far ahead of the stop sign but also was texting. I almost wound up in the hospital because some moron decided that his cell phone conversation could not wait. If it's really that important, pull over and make the text back or take your phone call.

Okay, I'm going to get off my soapbox for now, but I want to really emphasize that it can wait. No matter what it is, it isn't worth risking your life as well as the lives of everyone around you.

And now, on a happier note, time for a funny little gif before I sign off for now.

Okay...I'm done! See you all soon!

Week Eight: We're Really Going There? (A story told mostly in gifs)

I promised I would be back!

And now...I'm going to talk about...

Wait for it...

ONLINE DATING!!

Now...before you go all:

let me remind you of a few details about myself...

1. I am a nursing major.

2. I am a CA.

3. I am a nursing major.

4. Did I mention I'm a nursing major?

And as a nursing major, one simply does not have the time to be farting around on public outings...no, sir.

So I signed up for ************.com, a dating site that appealed to me. I posted a picture, put up interesting and valid information, and completed my preferences. Less than an hour later, I had twenty-seven messages in my inbox...twenty-seven!

Of course, I eagerly went to read all of them...and I was so incredibly disappointed. Over half of them were guys like this:

Let me re-iterate that...OVER HALF! Seriously?! I had at least four that started with "Hey, sexy." More than half also had spelling mistakes out the bunghole. Really? Would it kill you to learn your own language?

Needless to say, my excitement quickly vanished, and I became more of a:

Which quickly made its way to a:

And ultimately lead to:

Which includes a failure to respond.

Some of them sent a second message that made sure I knew that they were upset about it. I received curses and very angry messages from these people, which left me a bit like this:

You know what I mean? If you cannot seem to comprehend the difference between then and than or to, too, and two, then I apologize...I cannot be in a relationship with someone like that (that sounds low, but I really cannot help it).

I just don't want another dead end relationship. Speaking of which, CollegeHumor made a great video that you can check out HERE.

Great video, yeah?

Anywho, I do not want to give the impression that I ignored all of them! There are some nice guys out there; it just takes forever to weed out the buttmunches. The rare nice guy came along, and I found myself no longer needing to be like this:

His first message wasn't super long, but it didn't start with "Hey, sexy," and it didn't have any spelling or grammar mistakes! Hooooo, boy! I was so happy!

I was all:

With maybe a tad bit of:

A whole heck of a lot of:

And just a dash of:

Phew! Okay, well we started talking, and it just kept getting better! And to this day, he is one of the only people who can make me smile via text. Hopefully one day, we'll get to meet up, but until then I cannot believe I actually found a decent guy online!

It's always a leap of faith:

And it might not always work out:

But if you stick around long enough and keep your standards in mind, you might be surprised!

Thanks for sticking around! :)

Here's a gif to reward those who made it to the end of my little ranty rant:

Until next time!

Week Eight: You Can't Go Back to the Real World

Before I get too into this, check out these videos!

HERE

and

HERE

...just so you can get an idea of what I'm going to be discussing this weekend. We talked a lot about social networks this past week: what makes them work, why they fail sometimes, etc.

We were assigned these two videos to watch in addition to our reading, and I must say that I greatly enjoyed the longer of the two. It was so funny to see how the newer sites picked on the more outdated sites before banding together to suck the main character in. That is definitely how it goes, though! You start on one site (maybe Facebook), which will inevitably lead you to a bunch of other sites (which may include obsolete sites), all in the name of foregoing homework. And, if you're anything like me, your life becomes something like this:

Yep...Eating, sleeping, blogging, crying (mostly from stress in school or fandom-induced feels). Right before hopping to this blog to start this entry, I found myself perusing Tumblr...for...only...20 minutes... Don't judge me! I had the right intentions (before I saw Tom Hiddleston on my dash). But you know what?

But then I saw this:

And figured I should probably get back to work.

Okay! Moving on! The first video, the shorter one, was kind of...interesting. I liked how they played it out to show the impact of this girl posting something online. It truly does encourage you to think before you post. Don't hit the post button and wind up going:

Because you will. And it will haunt you...

Next topic!

One of the topics of discussion in class was the whole Myspace/Facebook whatever-whatever. We pretty much agreed that something might just come along that will take over for Facebook, but it will probably be a while before something like that happens.

While we're on this topic, let's have another video break (just be prepared; this video can get a little...erm...foul...). Check it out here!

I thought it was rather pertinent to our class discussion, because in this video you see that a roast of Facebook quickly becomes a roast of Myspace. The video also gives you an idea of what the sites are about (even if it happens to be rather bleep-ful).

Alrighty, folks! I'll be writing another blog in about an hour maybe...

But for now, I'll leave you with the first ever round of "WTF and a Hug!"

(This is only because, I love my gifs, and I want to show them off)

First, the WTF:

And now...the hug, for anybody who happens to be feeling a little down today:

Until next time!

Week Seven: Holy What...

So I suppose this post is about technology if you squint reeeeeally hard.

I found out about half an hour ago that technology is more far-reaching than we think. I never imagined that technology could lead to a potentially failing grade on an exam (I like my A's...a lot).

You know when you study extremely hard for an exam, but when you get it and read the first page you go:

Yeah...it was kind of like that. And after a general consensus of my classmates, we decided that our wonderful professor may have been a wee bit confused. There were questions on the exam that no one (and I do mean no one) knew the answers to.

Just to clarify, I am not one to complain about a difficult test. (I studied xyz amount, and this is what it got me. I'll do better next time.) But this time, I had no idea what some of the questions were even asking! I mean, it's possible that our professor got confused and accidentally put in material that we have not learned yet, but...what are the chances of that?

That's when I realized that I am so glad for the amazing piece of technology we call the Scantron. Hopefully, by tomorrow afternoon I will find out just how badly I bombed this exam! Ah! The miracles of technology! Get your grades, good or bad, within 48 hours!

Okay...I'm done now. Hopefully I don't fail, but really...what are the chances of that?

Week Seven: Guess Who's a Failure?

Hello all! I've got a lot to say for this week's class; isn't that exciting?

This week,we tried something different and had class in an online classroom.

Last year, I took an Honors class where we had a few classes online via Skype, so I was excited to see how this would work out. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. There was little interaction to be had, and I felt as though I was pushed to the background...

Yeah...so I am curious as to whether or not we will be doing this again. It was a great idea, but when you can only interact with so many students at a time and that number happens to be less than the number of students in your class...maybe not such a great idea. I mean, I am not bashing the idea, but it might have been better in a different setting. Either way, we talked about some interesting concepts, one of which involved social capital. The way I define social capital, for the sake of argument, is as follows: "Social capital is any outcome that occurs through our interactions with others. This can be anything from emotional support to professional interactions that may be an asset later on. We can gain social capital through our online interactions as well as through our face to face interactions. Online, we often use our social networks to get emotional support when we need it. These communities are also useful for brainstorming and getting things off of our chests, because sometimes it is easier to write out exactly what we are thinking and look at it later or have an outside source glance at it. For instance, my friends and I like to plot out stories with each other, because it helps us to get our ideas in order and fill in the gaps. We can also use these networks to attract professional attention. If you ask the right questions, it is almost guaranteed that you have at least one friend who “knows someone,” and this someone can at least point you in the right direction for where you want to go professionally. As far as face to face interactions, we use these networks to do many of the same things. We gain emotional support through our friends and family when they are near us, and this can sometimes be better than the emotional support we receive online, because they are actually present in the room with us. In one of our nursing classes, we learned that one of the tools of the nurse is the nursing presence, the act of just being there in the room with the client. I think that this is also applicable to everyday life, because some situations do not require words. Instead, they merely require a hug or a friendly presence. We can use these interactions for professional attention as well, because we learn how to build and maintain relationships, thereby strengthening our skills for when we need to build more professional ties in the future." Okay, Krisztina...that was cheap. We had to write a definition for class...

Anywho, social capital is all around us, and I believe that everyone has some level of social capital based on their level of involvement with their communities both online and IRL. For example, I am an honors student who is also a CA, a Board of Governors scholar, and a nursing major. Because of my status as an honors student, I gain all sorts of benefits. These include priority scheduling, amazing trips, and delicious food...

Sorry...I love food. Back on task! As a CA, I get to know the people who work in ResLife rather well, and I have access to places that the lay college student does not. Board of Governors has opened up a lot of possibilities for me, which has greatly increased my level of social capital. The one thing sticking out in my mind right now is that I have met the President of the school on multiple occasions, putting a face to my name. Finally, I try to get to know my professors and visit their office hours, so I suppose some benefits would be that they get to know my face in the cluster of 70-some nursing majors.

Outside of school, I am a third degree black belt in Taekwondo. This opens up worlds of possibility as far as social capital, because I get to meet all sorts of people. One of my other jobs is solely because of my days as a teacher in the martial arts academy I went to. So, keeping that in mind? What is your level of social capital?

Week Six: Who Knew?

Wow! I'm finally getting the time to sit down and do this! Just so that I can keep myself in check, I promise to have week seven's blogs DONE by this weekend. Jeebus...okay, where was I...

So for our week six class, we talked a lot more about online communities and what makes them work. One huge example, which we actually got to see in class, was a man named Eric Whitacre. He had an idea for a virtual choir, where people form all over the world would send in videos of themselves singing the same song. The videos would be put together into a giant mess of voices known as the virtual choir.

Before I link it, I want to say that just seeing a few seconds of these videos gave me chills (in a good way!). There is a lot of beauty to be had here, and I definitely think that everyone should get to see these videos.

Alrighty, you can access his site here. Be prepared to be blown away, though.

Even if you don't click on the link, the statistics are pretty amazing. For his latest video:

This stuck with me more than any of the other information did. It amazes me that something this big could be born out of one person's idea. The virtual choir is a fantastic example of a virtual community that works. They have a common goal that they all want to achieve, and they seem to have fun doing working towards this goal.

If you have ever been a part of a virtual community, you will know how difficult it can be to get all of the members on the same page. These people, from all over the world managed to compile one of the greatest pieces of music I have ever heard.

Class is calling my name right now, but I promise to finish my thought later!

Week Five: I Know It's a Little Late But...

I know that we have class later on today, and I should have done this blog sooner, but I neede time to collect my thoughts...

The other day, I found out that we lost yet another member of our high school community. While this saddened most of us, it made me realize something else: Facebook is the most amazing tool for keeping in touch with high school friends in that way. Almost all of my friends had statuses about the person's passing and how amazing of a person he was. A quick glance on his Facebook page showed that people he was connected to were posting words of condolence and comfort for his family on his wall.

This is not the first time my hometown has experienced a hit such as this. Last semester, we lost an entire family to carbon monoxide poisioning. The members of the family who were plugged in to online communities had comments and posts on their pages that created an entirely new community among us. We further united through our losses, and even those of us away at college could help each other to heal. This particular occurrence sparked a "pink out" throughout my school district. College students from our district participated as well, even though we could not be physically present.

This is a very short post, but I wanted to make sure that I got it out there. Social media, such as Facebook and Tumblr, are exceptional tools for keeping in touch and up to date with things back at home. They are also outlets for us, where we can help each other to cope with our losses and try to start healing as a community.

Week Five: The Great Wikipedia Debacle

This past week, we talked about Wikipedia of all things. I mean, seriously...Wikipedia. As soon as I saw that on the agenda, I was transported back to my high school years (not that long ago, but still...). I had a history teacher who loved Wikipedia, and when I say loved, I mean he would have married it if polygamy was legal...and if marrying a website was possible. Weirder things have happened, but I digress.

Anyway, this teacher loved Wikipedia to no end! I always found it hilarious when he allowed us to cite Wikipedia as a source for our weekly essays. One day, for some still-unknown reason, our high school decided to ban Wikipedia without telling anyone. I watched one of my favorite teachers have a complete meltdown because of the inability to access Wikipedia, even from his teacher account. While this was one of the funniest things I have witnessed to date, it had a place in discussion during class. How could a history teacher be so unbelievably attached to something believed to be wrong a good amount of the time? It confounded me back then, and, before reading the articles assigned, it still boggled my mind. Now, I'm going to go back just a bit further to...let's say, middle school. We had a science class where we were allowed to test out of units if we so chose. My friend and I consistently tested out and spent time doing our own research projects, so long as they were science related (and did not involve blowing up a grape in the microwave). This friend decided one day to see what would happen if she deleted all relevant content of a page on Wikipedia and replaced it with a rather long entry about something else...entirely unrelated. She was almost immediately reprimanded and warned that, should she ever pull anything like that again, she would be banned from the site. Ouch. It was funny while it lasted, but I think I appreciate the response more now than I did at the time. The people behind Wikipedia are dedicated to their work and want to make sure that others get the most accurate and complete information that can be provided. We had to read a couple of interesting articles for class. One of them was an interview with Jimmy Wales, the creator of Wikipedia; another was in regards to the banning of Wikipedia as a research source. Both had a lot to say about the "knowledge community" on Wikipedia. The Mangu-Ward interview article focused on the aspect of "free access to the sum of all human knowledge." There was a lot of talk about Wikipedia being a self-policing community that keeps tabs on its pages to correct any errors as quickly as possible. The author did admit that Wikipedia does fail sometimes, but with the people (Wikipedians) policing the site as diligently as they are, mistakes do not last for very long. The author also asserted that it is hard to remember life without Wikipedia, which I agree with. Being a 19-year-old and having had Wikipedia for the last 12 years or so, I can say with some degree of certainty that it is difficult to remember life without it. On the same path, I cannot remember when it came out. All I know is that one day, it was magically there. Finally, the author talked about how, when there are gaps in knowledge, people rush in to take advantage of them, provide filling information, and make things better than they were before. This article showed that it really is a very slow process to get to expertise, because no article is perfect on the first try, and it is difficult to make a "perfect" article without having outside help from other academics. It takes many people to make a good Wikipedia article, and even then it is not perfect.

This is where the other article hopped in. Davidson, the author of the article, focused a lot on the Middlebury debate about a history department that banned Wikipedia as a research source. The author argued that errors do exist on Wikipedia, just as with any other reference source. However, on Wikipedia, the errors can be easily and quickly corrected, and all users can see it. With other reference sources, such as encyclopedias (remember those?), errors or gaps may not be caught, and if they are, it takes a while to get the revision out to the people who own the books. Davidson went on to say that Wikipedia unites anonymous readers, who can also edit and correct various points of the articles, all over the world. The knowledge on Wikipedia is shared and ever-growing. This author's bottom line was that Wikipedia should be used more as a springboard into more scholarly articles, but it should not be entirely banned. This article showed much the same ideas as the other. Good academics can take Wikipedia information and find a way into more scholarly research because of it. It also showed that expertise should not be in the hands of just one person, especially because Wikipedia connects readers from all over the world.

I find Wikipedia to be a valuable source, but I only use it as a lead into more complex and reliable sources. Also, I appreciate what the founder is doing by wanting to give everyone (with a computer) free access to as much knowledge as they can handle. Knowledge can be difficult to come by in the vast swarm of internet sites that clouds our computers, but Wikipedia makes it easier for us to direct our research and have our questions answered.

P.S. I'm not saying it's always right. Search "Wikipedia funny" or anything similar, and you get hundreds of pages of decently funny edits to various Wikipedia pages...

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