Kaylie's Culture & Communication's Blog

[katyiskelly]

Glass impacts its user negatively. Josh Lowensohn simply describes the product in his article about Google Glass, restating that anyone can buy it but failing to pause and wonder: what dreams may come? He fails to pause and consider the negative aspects of the tech tool in relation to ...

[kkay313]

Google Glass sold to the public can end up in the hands of those who do and don’t really know how to use it. For $1500 though, you’d assume that people who know how to use would be the primary buyers. Lowensohn does fail to ask “what dreams may come?” and while I see your views on business control by Google, privacy issues, and ads, I propose a rebuttal to your post.  

  A Price For Use

  Using Google services, like any other medium such as Facebook or Twitter, requires the user to understand that privacy is relinquished. That is a fact we must accept when using these services. Companies exist for profit. As Robert McChesney, author of Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism Is Turning The Internet Against Democracy states, media firms have no incentive to upgrade the tastes of the audience; they take the market as they find it (McChesney 75).

  Your notion of a nightmare or a dream (Kelly) is a valid concern but we need to influence the potential for Google Glass as positively as we can in order for it to succeed.

Look At It This Way 

Glass doesn’t need to exist; there’s plenty of other tools that we could use or that could be made one day. But it was a “dream” in a sense, of Google’s developers to make a product that people might want and might use. Google has led people into a world that’s reinforced their preferences and is expanding on those ideas to meet people’s needs (McChesney 9)

  Rather than condemn Google Glass for its invasion of privacy, we must hold it accountable and regulate how people use it (MacKinnon 173). It “may be brought to a whole other level” but what hasn’t already? All social media sites like MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook are intrusive. Online searches for public records and housing information are easily gotten as well by people who know what they’re doing.

  Ads Impose Because Marketing Is Valuable

  As irritating as ads might be, they promote a level of desire that gets our interest or snub. They are a part of life in every imaginable way. There is no escape from them. Ads are tailored yes, but if you were running a company and trying to sell a new product, how would you do that?

  If there were no ads for anything how could we get info and stay updated at all? They’ve become a necessary part of life in order for companies to sell and consumers to be interested. People grow and change over time and don’t want the same things. Google knows how much this is important to our interest and their survival.

  Google Glass may be new and popular now but what about the Oculus Rift that Facebook is hoping to launch or Amazon drone delivery system? There’s always something new that’s going to come into the picture.

  Urge Regulation To Combat Injustice

  Rebecca MacKinnon, author of Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom, emphasizes that accountability and concern go hand in hand because we need to protect ourselves. Google Glass isn’t a necessity for life but the rights of the people who do and do not use it must be equally protected.

  The injustice that can come from using Google Glass is negative but Glass impacting its users negatively, as you begin with, is not all there is.

  Glass Is Valuable For Public And Personal Use

Google Glass is not evil or negative itself; the intent by the user is what defines the product. It isn’t a spying tool as it sits right above the eye (Ulanoff). It has many practical uses like assisting in surgery, photography, video recording of memories, navigation, translating foreign languages, and even cabin crew information for flight attendants (Haworth).

  User feedback on Google Glass is what will determine the future of its tech life. Like cell phones and video game consoles, it is not entirely negative to the user experience. As more than just a tool built by a company, Google Glass offers the material to create change. Perhaps we could even use Glass to improve the human experience by uniting people rather than dividing.

  We aren’t just cogs in a machine because we choose to buy this product or not. Glass is just another example of a product that could convince someone to be this way. But fundamentally it’s no different from the other tech buys we’ve made that help us live or do something in our life.

Works Cited

Kelly, Katy. “Selling Google Glass to the Populace: What Dreams May Come?” Where Are We Headed? Tumblr . N. p., 14 May 2014.

McChesney, Robert W. Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism Is Turning the Internet Against Democracy. The New Press, 2013. Print.

MacKinnon, Rebecca. Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom. 1st ed. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2012. Print.

Ulanoff, Lance. “This Is Why Google Glass Is the Future.” Mashable. Op-Ed. N. p., 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 May 2014.

Haworth, Jessica. “From Filming Yourself Having Sex to Helping Your Golf: 7 Weird and Wonderful Uses for Google Glass.” Mirror. N. p., 9 May 2014. Web. 14 May 2014.

[kkay313]

What Dreams Come From Google’s Vision Of Sight Through Glass?

Google Glass has now become public and anyone can buy this eyewear for $1500 as long as it’s in stock. What will this wearable tech lead to? The dreams and potential ideas we have are infinite as digital and flesh selves operate virtually. What we can create and our futures through Google Glass reflects our imaginations that can lead to good and bad outcomes.

In Stock. Purchase Now?

Writer and photographer Josh Lowensohn from The Verge briefly covered Google’s pair of lenses that are now back in stock and open for anyone to buy.

“Google says it's built up its stock again, and wants to get the device in the hands of anyone who wants to buy it — as long as it's got the units on hand.” (Lowensohn)

$1500 is a lot of money for tech that’s only available in the U.S. This is not affordable for many people who are struggling in a tight economy. The glass experience becomes limited for those that can afford to pay.

Imagine What You Can Do

A/R with furniture, driving to the store, and even walking down the street are altered as you see the world in a different way. There is no limit to our imagination as we can see, talk, IM, and learn about the stuff around us. Social media consultant and Internet pioneer Pamela Lund believes that tech lets us create the world we want. Her book Massively Networked: How the Convergence of Social Media and Technology Is Changing Your Life is optimistic about what technology can and will do for us. We might lose a little bit of what makes us human but our imaginations let us live life in amazing ways.

“Closing the gap between what you can envision and having it in your hands has the potential to rewire the brain in ways none of us can yet foresee” (Lund, location 694).

Glass A Step Towards Losing Our Humanity?

Virtually experiencing the world is not the same as living it. Dreams change and if we move toward a world through Google Glass we could invade privacy and ruin lives. Lund would approve of using Glass for things like shopping and directions, but how about the police using Glass to spy on innocent people? This abuse of power in the hands of our protection system could make people even more critical of the good that is possible.

Wireless software programs in Glass that encroach on the rights of citizens (Webber) are a violation of not just our privacy but our image as well. We keep our secrets and ideas, some of which stem from our dreams. Would we dream that everything we know about is exposed and used against us?

Value Through Glass

To use Google Glass for rewarding purposes reflects the public value that Clay Shirky, web guru and author of Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity In A Connected Age talks about.

Public value is an interactive as communal value, but far more open to participation from and sharing with newcomers and outsiders. In contrast to communal sharing, public sharing allows people to join in at will, and the results will be made available even to those members of the public who are not participants (Shirky 174).

Not everyone is going to use Google Glass. Many might just hear about it and what it can do. Using Glass toward a common good, like the Apache project, go global and aid us all. Promoting this kind of involvement is worthwhile and society benefits (175) from these hard efforts.

Realize What Dreams May Come

Google Glass is a tool of the future that will shape how we live if we invest in it. The world will be available with a tap of the frame to talk to someone or guide us where we need to go. As Glass becomes available for all to use, it needs user responsibility in just what we do with it. With this amazing potential, we can create the kind of world we want with more open communication and interaction.

Works Cited

Lund, Pamela. Massively Networked: How the Convergence of Social Media and Technology Is Changing Your Life. 1st ed. PLI Media, 2011. Web.

Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity And Generosity In A Connected Age. 1st ed. New York: The Penguin Press HC, 2010. Print.

Lowensohn, Josh. “Google Glass now on sale to all in US, but still in beta.” The Verge. N. p., 13 May 2014. Web. 14 May 2014.

Webber, Chris. “#GoogleGlass Making #NewYork Streets Safer? Or Invading Privacy? #e8s4.” @cwebber99. Microblog. N. p., 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 14 May 2014.

[kkay313]

Businesses Confine Users With Consent Button: Democracy Must Live Through Activism

Clicking “Agree” to service terms ties us to the elite companies that see and know about everything we do. Activism costs privacy as people go public for change. We need to rethink how we use the web and what it does for and against us. Our open-source Internet only appears to represent freedom, but it has become a system of control.

Shared ideas can lead to action

In her book, Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom, author and journalist Rebecca MacKinnon focuses on how technology should be used to support people's rights and liberties. The “digital commons” like WordPress and Facebook are why the Internet is so revolutionary and disruptive (MacKinnon 16). When people come together over common concerns, they have the power as a civil society to combat corporations and governments (16-17).

But the Internet isn't the same in other countries, especially China. Heavy censorship by the “great firewall” vastly limits the facts, ideas, and news that people can get. MacKinnon tells us about blogger Guo Baofeng who was arrested after posting information online about a young woman who had been raped and killed by officials (40). Baofeng's S.O.S tweet moved his Twitter followers to speak out for his release and they banded together to make that happen. This network of bloggers met every year to reinforce the idea that it is vital for people to continue speaking their minds online (41).

Fight for a different outcome

In her blog post “Digital Media Revolution”, Allison Hanna says that our actions shape the future. Actively using digital media as powerful participants has the potential to create civic change (Hanna). One woman's petition on Change.org to restore funding for her disabled son spoke to over 7,000 people. She refused to accept the school council's ruling and fought for the rights of those who could not fight for themselves.

In my blog post “Civic Power: Social media weaves fabric of our lives together” I held the belief that our potential for change by using social media is fueled by our innate civic power (Krauzyk). After reading MacKinnon's book, I still feel this way. The Facebookistan and Googledom giants she covers work by exposing our privacy and identities.

“What's at stake now is not whether or not Facebook will become passe, but whether or not Facebook will become evil” (MacKinnon 158)

Activism by users and human rights groups and lobbying from outlets like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Committee to Protect Journalists moved Facebook to change its settings so people could protect themselves from surveillance and wrongful account deactivation (159).

These “nice” dictators make and break the rules

MacKinnon notes that our protests become invalid when we click accept and give our de facto consent to the sites that say and do whatever they want (148). It's always the idea that they are acting in our best interests. These “sovereigns” use a Hobbesian form of government where we give up our freedom for their promise of security and protection. How is democracy alive here?

We put our faith and trust in a force that is supposed to protect us but it just controls us. When that trust is broken, we are mistreated and our needs are not met (164). We need to move to a Lockean idea of ruling where identities are preserved and information is protected. This form of governance respects and reflects our consent.

Democracy is worth fighting for

Newspaper columnist Theodore Terpstra from UConn's The Daily Campus wrote about the Associated Press' recent discovery of a U.S.-funded Twitter-like website designed for Cubans called “Zunzuneo” (Terpstra). The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ran Zunzuneo where 40,000 Cubans were able to tweet without censorship. Rather than back these private networks, USAID was moved to create open-source tools for foreigners to engage online.

The U.S. State Department began a project using “mesh networking” through linked routers to make a free and safe Internet for oppressed activists. Being more secure than the World Wide Web (Terpstra), this tech has the power to connect dissidents in their areas. Terpstra believes that we can impact social and political change by making this tech free in the U.S. We can advance democracy this way by giving people the tools to educate themselves and others.

How do we create change?

Think big and start small. We can use our free time in smart and helpful ways. Use social media to create awareness and change views. Engage wisely with these tools to know what happens when “I Agree” is clicked without reading all that text.

What dreams may come for us?

I see people less dependent on technology and more active in the world. As naïve as that might be, real social interaction happens more and we moderate our web time. Clicking “I Agree” doesn't mean that I sign my life away; that I can be a private person if I want to. That we don't become obsolete from our own tech creations.

As netizens (MacKinnon 223) we need to unite on common ground and work for the changes we want to see happen. We must be strong in keeping the democracy we have left alive. Living in fear of our government and being enslaved by companies who track us everywhere isn't a natural and free way to live.

Technology is a tool. It isn't the whole answer to our problems. We won't have a democratic society until people take responsibility (MacKinnon 249).

Works Cited

MacKinnon, Rebecca. Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom. 1st ed. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2012. Print.

Hanna, Allison. “Digital Media Revolution.” Internet Communication & Culture: Allison’s ENL 368 Blog. Tumblr. N. p., 17 Apr. 2014. Web. 4 May 2014.

Terpstra, Theodore. “How Should the US Use the Internet to Spread Democracy?” The UConn Daily Campus. N. p., 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 5 May 2014.

Krauzyk, Kaylie. “Civic Power: Social Media Weaves Fabric of Our Lives Together.” Kaylie’s Culture & Communication's Blog. Tumblr. N. p., 4 May 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

[shannonenl368]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is looking to change net neutrality rules in order to allow internet providers to charge websites more to connect with users.

Net Neutrality

According to this article by the Huffington Post, the FCC may be gearing up to change net neutrality....

[kkay313]

Net neutrality not so neutral after all?

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's proposal is up in the air. If Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T get the right, they can start charging content providers more money based on what they stream. These extra fees aren't supposed to hit customers. But what if things go downhill and that happens?

Would the Internet really be a “free” place then?

Fast and slow lanes

According to David Brodwin of U.S. News, connection companies would put fees on websites and content providers would have to pay rather than customers (Brodwin). Fast lane service would apply to areas like video, music, and animation. Slow lanes include photos and text. We consume a lot on the web and it's very likely that we could be charged more to cover the costs from providers.

Have a favorite channel or network? It could be gone if content providers have to raise the prices to keep it going. Hulu and Netflix could start to charge more just because the top dogs promise less skipping and buffering times, starting a war between streaming services. These new FCC plans also kill ideas for the future because hosting becomes so expensive and content becomes selective.

A history of corporate censorship

In her book, Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom, journalist and author Rebecca MacKinnon comments on the net neutrality tug of war. Market competition keeps companies honest when choices are there and cost isn't too high. But in the U.S. that idea isn't close to real (MacKinnon 120). Without proper neutrality, other countries miss out on content and services (122).

Winner takes all?

In a place where you don't get the same content for each provider (Brodwin), you could miss out on the media from one network than another. Verizon Fios and Comcast Xfinity differ in areas of availability. How is that fair to the paying customer?

Caution about unneeded and harmful rules is important here (Schatz). Slow and fast lanes shouldn't be a separate thing. A corporate agenda that fuels the interests of the business over the people undermines democracy. The web is not “free” in this sense; access for all becomes biased and controlled.

Brodwin's solution allows for conditions that use content on all terms. Use only what you pay for. Seems simple enough. As long as we can still promote ideas and get a say in the matter, we can be active. A revised plan for net neutrality needs to think about the public in the most economically and politically healthiest of ways.

Works Cited

Brodwin, David. “There Goes the Internet: The FCC’s New Ruling Will Hurt Consumers and Internet Innovation.” U.S. News. N. p., 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

Schatz, Amy. “Does Anyone Like the FCC’s Proposed Net Neutrality Rules?” Re/code. N. p., 26 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

MacKinnon, Rebecca. Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom. 1st ed. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2012. Print.

[kkay313]

Valued Data: Web Users Power Social Media Giants

We know that privacy is lost when we use the web, but how far is too far? Blogger Olivia Gauvin's tweet about “Digital Shadow” paints an eerie picture for what the future holds on this dead word we call “privacy”. “Your life is measured in gigabytes. You are not an individual. You are a data cluster.” Tell us something we don't know.

Data Mining

Creating profiles about our collected info is nothing new. Guessing about our characters and the types of people we are or will be is weird. This isn't GATTACA. I don't want some marketing campaign to assess what it thinks my salary or job outlook is like. As Olivia has strongly stated before, are we measuring our lives or living them? (Gauvin)

This might be fascinating information at first but novelty can soon turn into obsessive behavior. People stalking one another's accounts, cracking passwords, and profile view bias between friends can go south quickly. Building files as if we're assassin's targets is unjust. Safety exists no where. Telling someone to be responsible about what they post just goes in one ear and out the other. 

Paradox Of Posting

To post or not to post? That's the web question. Just be aware of who's going to see it. For a service that wanted to connect people all across the world, it's done that and then some. Now it's getting too personal.

Can we rework the digital commons to remain active on the web or will it just be taken over by the government? (MacKinnon 16) I think I've become a skeptic. If we're given rights, why are they taken away the second we go check our email or look something up? Freedom of speech is dying too. 

Marketing to program our habits and actions has enslaved us. Manipulation is possible in the easiest ways. Show an ad to get our interest or indifference. Make us believe that we need to be connected and abide by the terms of service. While we stay connected to each other, can't we realize how controlled we really are?

Works Cited

Gauvin, Olivia. “#DigitalShadowproves That #Facebook Knows Everything About Us. #Humans or Data Clusters? #QuantifiedSelf #e8s4 Http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/22/watch-dogs-facebook-privacy-settings_n_5191237.html ….” @oliviavgauvin. Microblog. N. p., 22–24 Apr. 2014.

MacKinnon, Rebecca. Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom. 1st ed. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2012. Print.

[shannonenl368]

Tons of web devices are being used to get students actively engaged in scholarly pursuits. Whether it’s online talks or smart blogging, high schools and colleges alike are latching onto these methods to get students involved.

But what effect does this process have on schooling and the web as a...

[kkay313]

Tech in the classroom has become a more common way for teachers to engage students. Some classes have even gone just online while others combine web homework with class lecture to get people to learn and study. I see this as a good and bad thing. In my opinion, an even balance of both in the context of the subject can be very useful.

What I've Learned...

In past classes like physics, statistics, and chemistry, I've had to do online homework where the programs to input your answers and explain things ranged from irritating to helpful. Exact answers, even if you put in the right answer, weren't even accepted sometimes! We're tasked with teaching ourselves the material and that's a hard thing to do.

Videos, power points, and visuals through projectors can allow instructors to cover more material, save time by not having to write everything out, and visually display key points. We're all different kinds of learners. But it's easy to get distracted in these “interactive classrooms”. Taking notes on your computer turns into Facebook time or a ping on Twitter grabs your attention more than what you're learning in lecture.

Combination Is Key

I highly agree with bridging the gap between notes and students' understanding of what they're learning. Web tools can't fully replace learning. We miss small details and gain a more personal perspective when we learn in our classes. Taking notes, participating in discussion, and working with peers around you can create peer bonds and networking opportunities.

Jordan Shapiro, a contributing writer to Forbes, believes that we need more EdTech, but less technology in the classroom. An advocate of old-fashioned conversation, Shapiro is concerned that online learning might privilege particular kinds of knowledge (Shapiro). He refers to teaching the humanities and how the capacity to study these subjects could easily be overlooked in favor of learning just what you need to know online.

Learning in the classroom isn't just about disseminating and assessing but educating (Shapiro). Shapiro knows that not all of his students listen in class and he's okay with that. Ultimately, he wants to guide his students on a path to self-knowledge through discussion, debate, and interaction.

Moving Forward

Tech greatly helps us learn but it can also harm what and how we learn it. The potential to develop good and bad study habits is always there. Learning the material well enough to the point where you feel confident enough to teach it to another person is a good thing. If taking notes by hand helps you learn best, do that. If typing out notes on your computer is how you learn, then do that. Develop a perspective to use tech creatively without relying on it completing.  

Works Cited

Shapiro, Jordan. “We Need More EdTech, But Less Technology In The Classroom.” Forbes. N. p., 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. 

[kkay313]

Nearby Friends: Where You At?

Max Cohen’s recent tweet about the Facebook app “Nearby Friends” got me thinking about over-sharing and why we feel the need to do that. This new service lets users tell their Facebook friends when they’re nearby. It’ll show your location about half a mile away rather than where you are exactly. Users must be over 18 and give the app permission to run. But is this really such a great thing?

Blip On The Map

Frankly, this service kinda creeps me out. It allows us to keep tabs on one another if we all try to use it. It lets us use some degree of privacy because we’re dealing with friends, but why not just call or text someone instead? “It’s for the broader group of friends you enjoy spending time with but wouldn’t necessarily call” (Cohen). There’s more than one way to get in touch with someone.

I was also thinking about the ways in which your age is verified when you use such a system. It’s so easy to put in a fake birthday to see videos or access content online that’s restricted to 18 and older. Couldn’t this be the same situation?

Google+ And Location Sharing

Google Latitude used to be a location-sharing app but it’s been retired as of August 9, 2013. Its close comes from the efforts of Google to push G+ and its newer, updated GPS-sharing service for Android and iOS (Gesenhues). You can tailor settings to display how friends in your “Circles” will see where you are.

Collecting Metadata

Are you comfortable with accepting permissions on apps to use services letting people know where you are? Jeffrey Taylor, from “The Droid Lawyer", advises being cautious about your “geolocation” (Taylor) His screenshot of the metadata collected from one of his photos that was uploaded reveals some potentially useful information that prying eyes would love.

We’re walking billboards. That’s a fact that we don’t even think about anymore today. We display brands and logos mindlessly the more we consume. The persuasion to buy stuff doesn’t just come from a commercial; it comes from our own inherent desires and need for wish fulfillment.

The sites we visit, stuff we buy, and people we know all count towards this harvested data. 

Default Responsibly

Location sharing has its benefits of bringing people together, coordinating appointments, or even acting as a mini-carpool system (Taylor). But don’t say “yes” to this service right away. Be mindful of what you share and to whom. The potential for shady activity through collecting data could lead to bad situations.

There’s always more than one way to find friends and meet up. You can text, tweet, and email too. Smartphones let us play games, read books, and surf the web but they still retain one important main function. To make calls. Reserve your privacy by deciding what you choose to let people know!

Works Cited

Cohen, Max. “When We Post or Tweet People Know Our Location, but Is It TMI? Is It Need to Know If #FacebookFriends Are Near? #e8s4 http://goo.gl/UXdrDH.” @Cohenmax93. Microblog. N. p., 17 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

Gesenhues, Amy. “Google Retires Latitude, Pushes Google+ Location Sharing Features.” Marketing Land. N. p., 10 July 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

Taylor, Jeffrey. “Ditch Your Smartphone, Your Privacy Is Exposed!” The Droid Lawyer. N. p., 13 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

[kkay313]

Civic Power: Social media weaves fabric of our lives together

The web hosts and records the sites we visit, the words we read, who we chat with, and how we engage with one another. TV and radio aren't able to connect and consistently deliver information like the Internet. Web surfing now joins food, shelter, and clothing as one of life's daily to-do's. This necessity has created a strong dependence. But what we need to realize is that our potential to change is our strongest power to create the kind of world we want. 

Social media mixes private and public interests

Fellow peer and Tumblr blogger Shannon Jordan refers to the “brain candy” that companies use through ads to make us feel productive and rewarded for browsing (Jordan). Companies come to know us better than ourselves by finding out what we like and who we know. These targeted marketing tactics aren't just data. They're the people. Us.

The addiction of using social sites isn’t just what we'd called an addiction anymore. It’s a way of life.

Clay Shirky, author of Digital Disconnect, believes that social media is the connective tissue of our society (Shirky 54). As Jordan's post explores in "Technology Blues: The Psych of Social Media Marketing", the calming blue hue that Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all use is just one visual strategy that makes us feel at peace and happy. Blue is the color of our web energy. We don’t feel the need to stop and think about this manipulation because we’re too busy looking at status updates and new posts to notice. 

The greater the potential to learn about one another, the stronger the connections we can make. 

Use those resources to change your social presence

Putting yourself out there will cost you your privacy. It’s the price we each pay to be active web users. Uploading funny pictures or raising money for charity both carry different weights of online activity. Sharing is caring on different levels.

Validating our existence can happen as easy as one person “liking” our cat photos. But Shirky has the view of using our potential for larger scale projects. The developers of Apache are an ideal of this communal value that can come from shared efforts. Groups that work on such a large scale (118) started because of a few people who wanted to make a free service that anyone could use openly. 

Don’t think of a community as just a bunch of people sharing interests or a census of your hometown. It isn't just about alive humans either. A community is now the combination of our physical and digital selves.

What is the "future" of now?

Entrepreneur website's Jason Fell recently interviewed Toby Daniels, the founder of Social Media Week, a global week-long convention that gives presentations and host panels about communications tech. Connecting people and creating relationships in a single venue leads to ideas and discussion. Daniels believes that the more we're connected, the easier we access info and education, which leads to greater prosperity for all (Fell).  

Be active! 

Social media has become the new gin of our fixation often sedating us into complacency. But the opportunities to learn and grow are there. Social spheres on various sites create places of support and unity. This commodification of our time has evolved into a dependency that we cannot completely distance ourselves from. Using social media to our advantage on and offline exercises our civic power to change the world we live in. 

Small ideas can lead to big rewards

Writer Dan Cohen from The Christian Science Monitor recently covered a piece on activist Jeff Kirschner’s approach of using social media to clean up the environment. His “Litterati” app uses Instagram to get the job done (Cohen). Followers take a picture of the trash, use the hashtag #Litterati when they post, and throw away, recycle, or compost the litter. Kirschner hopes that he can educate people and change the minds of companies in how eco-friendly they could be with their packaging.

Protesting on group forums about issues important to you, forming charities and educating others through what you blog or tweet about is more of what our online communities need. Using web power in these ways exposes people to ideas and creates awareness. From awareness, concern. And from concern, change.

Speak your mind

Simple changes can happen when you speak your mind to another person or when you write a post that people read and comment on. In order to be meaningful, educate yourself and most importantly, care. Brainstorming ideas to meet personal and public goals is an intense but worthy task. Finding new ways to better our lives using social media is what will drive our future. Society wasn’t ready to take advantage of the opportunities out forty years ago (210), but the potential for success is here now. 

Works Cited

Jordan, Shannon. “Technology Blues: The Psych of Social Media Marketing.” shannonenl368. Tumblr. N. p., 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.

Cohen, Dan. “Jeff Kirschner Uses Social Media to Fight Littering.” The Christian Science Monitor. N. p., 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity And Generosity In A Connected Age. 1st ed. New York: The Penguin Press HC, 2010. Print.

Fell, Jason. “‘Future of Now’: The Convergence of Social Media, Crowdfunding and Tech.” Entrepreneur. N. p., 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. 

[allisonhanna8]

With smartphones in hand, we are always plugged into the digital media network. Our actions shape the future. We can engage as helpless individuals, or as powerful participants who create civic value.

Escape marketing media’s domination

Sometimes it feels like the media dominates our lives....

[katyiskelly]

Brisk growth of technology creates a narrow and fearful view of the world we live in because of personal outlooks. Shifting that view from isolation to communal allows for a more beneficial and hopeful view of the world through the Internet.

Optimism Begins Communally

One of my last blogs...

[shannonenl368]

Tons of web devices are being used to get students actively engaged in scholarly pursuits. Whether it’s online talks or smart blogging, high schools and colleges alike are latching onto these methods to get students involved.

But what effect does this process have on schooling and the web as a...

[oliviapepe2]

Using social media is a part of almost every 20 something’s day to day life. We have always been told that using these sites can hurt us when we are searching for jobs. A recent article by Franklin Morris from TheNextWeb.com begs to differ. “Technology can make us look more human” (Morris).

...

[kkay313]

Disclaimer on the freedom of speech?

Saying what we want online is a good and bad thing. Voicing our opinions is important and networking with people is cool, but what's the price for acting out? We exchange our privacy for our voice when it comes to being on the web. Once something is posted or published, it's gone public. Freedom of speech is great but it doesn't really feel free if you're cautious about really getting out there.

It's so easy to conduct research on businesses and people without ever actually talking to them. Through Facebook or third party sites, you can find out a lot of information. I like how you addressed the issue of the job search because social media can be a make-it or break-it factor sometimes when applying.

Is it fair to be judged by an employer because of your Facebook wall? No. But what you post says something about you and potential employers or current ones can take it out of context. Justified or not. In the long run, snarky comments or boozy photos can alert companies. Getting asked about it could be very awkward.

Landing an interview into the job

Forbes writer Jacquelyn Smith notes that if you're among the 89% that use social media in the job search, you'll want to be careful (Smith). CareerBuilder.com found that 37% of employers use social networks to screen candidates. That's interesting and scary. There's being qualified for the job. And then there's not getting an interview when you're qualified because your Facebook or Twitter looks unprofessional.

It feels restricted to use the web in this sense. How much is too much and when are we going too far?

Using LinkedIn is a great way to advertise your resume and connect with peers. But why should a firm looking to hire you scrutinize your Facebook wall? Because if it's there, they can. And probably will.

Watching what we say is best

The web is a great tool for showcasing talents and building profiles. But you must always remember to watch what you do. Gossip spreads like wild fire and the downsides you referred to are very real. I knew of someone who called out of work and then posted about it on Facebook. "Off to the beach It's a great day!" Fellow employees weren't too happy to pick up the slack because of it.

The extent to which technology can make us look more human is questionable; it's promising and unclear. Forming an audience through a blog is a great way to talk about issues that interest you and raising awareness than posting pictures of breakfast and Lolcats. But there's reason behind everything we do on the web. It's pretty incredible that Facebook has set up so many people with jobs and that kind of success is more of what we need.

Using social media for personal and public benefit creates jobs and brings people together. New ideas make discussion and relationships happen. Employers see people with documented habits and skills that could be useful to them. Using the web for a job search is a great thing. Promoting ourselves in the best possible ways using social media is the future. Cover yourself and post/tweet/blog responsibly. 

Works Cited

Smith, Jacquelyn. “How Social Media Can Help (Or Hurt) You In Your Job Search.” Forbes. N. p., 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. 

Flesch Readability-Score: 71

[kkay313]

Back Up: Which Cloud Do Your Files Float On?

A recent tweet by fellow blogger Patrick HawesDeFrias about cloud storage got my attention and made me think about how we store our digital goods in the virtual cloud. Photos, music, movies, documents. Which things are worth saving and which aren’t? I’ve used Google Drive along with Dropbox and it’s been interesting to read about Dropbox’s efforts to distance itself from the competition (HawesDeFrias).

Circulating Through Carousel And Syncing With Drive

Carousel for Android and iOS seems like a nifty idea to link our photos with social media. You can manage and share files and create albums and collections with themes of your choice. Google Drive, formerly Google Docs, lets users create word documents and folders, saving automatically every few seconds. Copies are kept in the cloud and off the physical disk by default; they're easily accessed through any computer. No need to worry about manually clicking save or hoping document recovery will restore the term paper you were writing.

Store It In The Blue Box

Dropbox used to be my #1 for school notes, homework, and pictures. When I didn’t have a flash drive that would fit years worth of assignments onto one stick, Dropbox became a solution. Recently we upgraded our family computer (which was really ancient by today’s standards) and didn’t have rewritable CDs or a working USB port. Dropbox was able to take all of our important family photos and store them.

We rely on what we know to get the job done and for a free cloud service giving its users 2 GB of free space to start off with, that’s pretty decent. It’s a good alternative if you don’t rely on Google Drive, iCloud, or another service. Despite the usefulness of Dropbox, Google Drive slashed prices even further to give customers 15 GB of free storage and even lower monthly service options (Brodkin). To get your money’s worth, find out how much space you use and what’s the best deal for you.

Keeping everything in the cloud is a helpful way to organize, keep, and use later. Saving files to your computer or loading them into a digital vault using cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox each offer custom options for storing what’s important to you.

Works Cited

HawesDeFrias, Patrick. “#Cloud Services Like #Dropbox Working to Be More Competitive, New Features Added http://goo.gl/JwD462 #e8s4.” @phawesdefrias. Microblog. N. p., 10 Apr. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

Brodkin, John. “Google Drive Slashes Storage Prices, Costs Way Less Than Dropbox.” Ars Technica. N. p., 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

Flesch Readability-Score: 62.2

[allisonhanna8]

For most students, toggling between social media sites, Wikipedia entries, and homework assignments is normal. But students rely on the Internet too much. The Internet distracts students and prevents deep learning.

Quick Information doesn’t build wisdom

In “Digital Distractions a Problem for...

[kkay313]

Relying on Google to get the job done

You caught me. I'll admit that I've relied on using the web for homework help. It's not always about the answer. But finding an easier way to teach yourself can really simplify things. I assume that everyone uses Google because they do. Bing, Yahoo, and Ask just don't do the same job as well.

All this information looks useful...

The amount of sources you can get on your subject is incredible. From stores to restaurants to beaches, you can find things from all over the world. We can even creep on people via Google Earth and see what their house looks like.

Easy to access, easy to use as an answer

Doing research the old-fashioned way probably doesn't happen much anymore. Dragging yourself to the library to search through old journals or publications is not as common. The Internet as an entire database has given us the world to sift through. What looks good and makes sense in the context of one's assignment could be the research that's used.

Wolfram Alpha is an amazing calculator that we can plug our equations into. Post a question on Yahoo Answers or Jiskha and it could be answered within thirty minutes of posting. Rather than hit the books and use examples, asking our virtual peers for homework solutions is such an easy method.

Jacob Linao from TechBread comments that although social networking can aid students with academic growth and peer to peer collaboration... it is also the distraction that prevents students from achieving academic growth (Linao). We have to think of our personal will power here. It's fun to hang out on a Facebook chat with a friend. But when it's 1 am and we remember we have a paper due for class at 8, suddenly everything just went south.

But we're not really learning anything

Sadly, we can only blame ourselves for not learning things the right way. Subjects are cumulative and if you skip the basics, you could be hurting later. We only think we're learning something because someone else explained it to us in a short and easy manner. And gave us their answer.

We only think we are

The digital distractions you talk about are alarming. If we're unable to focus because we can't close Facebook, that's not a good thing. We're choosing to look at profiles over writing our midterm papers. We procrastinate and get bad grades. Followed by lower GPA's.

Get back to the books!

The Internet is an amazing tool but it's also our own worst enemy. Take the time to figure out that chemistry equation before asking online. It's hard to focus on concepts you might not understand but life is all about trial and error. No one gets everything right on the first try. And when it comes to education, we make mistakes and learn from them.

And maybe the long way could just be the better way

When I was younger I used to have a real hard time subtracting numbers. I just couldn't figure out how you brought down one column and altered the other. Instead I tried to do it all in my head, working backwards. I was taught the long way and I'm better off for it. Through practice and going through the textbook, it started to make sense to me.

I feel like that's what we need to think about when we use the web for learning too. It shouldn't replace our books and notes but be an add-on to them. Not a full replacement. There's no harm in looking up background information. But relying on it completely isn't the best way to fully understand.

Works Cited

Linao, Jacob. “Are Social Networks Affecting Education?” TechBread. N. p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.

Flesh Readability-Score: 74.4

[kkay313]

Tech Obsessed: How Long Could You Stay Disconnected?

As I write this post, I’m retweeting. I’m checking Facebook. I’m looking through Tumblr. Reading an email about some homework for another class. And ordering some books from Amazon. It’s multitasking on my computer in the most basic sense, right? But would you say I’m really focused on any one thing?

Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplus: Creativity And Generosity In A Connected Age, reveals this:

“Our social media tools aren’t an alternative to real life, they are part of it. In particular, they are increasingly the coordinating tools for events in the physical world” (37)

Music, Movies, TV, Thoughts, Feelings...

These tools on our phones, tablets, and computers have become extensions of ourselves. There’s an app or site for everything. Want to get something off your chest? Try Whisper. Looking for the frontpage of the web? Head over to Reddit. And for some videos you’ve got Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix to choose from.

For about 8-½ hours a day, adults are exposed to screens - TV’s, cell phones, GPS devices (Stelter). That’s only a third of our day but who out there would say it’s more? On and off we click our power buttons in boredom or curiosity using social media or Google to look something up. We love our tech and we don’t want to give it up.

A Desktop in the Palm of Your Hand

With 24/7 access, today’s young adults barely remember what it was like without the web. The “whoa” of a cell phone with Internet seemed off at first but it’s everything now. We’re using our tech not only for fun and work but also as our crutch too. Being all alone together seems like a fact of life these days.

If the web means we’re finally being exposed to the full crazy range of what people are actually interested in (88) then I wonder how things can only go south or north from here. Our capacity to be outwardly social is already disappearing. Does posting “Happy Birthday!” on Facebook carry the same feel as saying it in person?

Try Something New!

I’d like to suggest that we break up with the web. Right now. Read a book or go out for a walk. Take a nap or find a friend and ask them about their day. Then come back and finish reading this.

Okay, I doubt anyone did any of those things. Popping over to Facebook or playing Candy Crush Saga was probably a reflex response after thinking “yeah right” to the above. That’s okay. I think I would’ve done the same thing.

Stuck In The Middle

A tweet from peer Tumblr blogger Katy Kelly from the Huffington Post about millennials’ view of tech clicked with me right away. I think we are caught in the middle and we’re at a divide between the old and new worlds (Kelly). The newer generation is learning much faster than we ever did with seven year-olds playing off of iPads and watching videos off cell phones. It’s become an instant silencer; maybe one of the best and worst ways to distract kids for just an hour at the grocery store? 

Has a quick fix for parents to keep their kids busy totally replaced real attention to their needs? I'm not a parent, but from what I've seen, I'd say yes.

Holding On or Letting Go?

They say breaking up is hard to do. If you deleted your Facebook account, how would that make you feel? In time maybe you’d just get over it, but the chances of that happening are slim. To be connected is to know. And to know means everything.

Two-thirds of all Internet users in the U.S. use Facebook (Webber) and that number is on the rise. Connecting billions of people is an amazing thing but harvesting marketing data is a part of the hidden agenda too. Getting to us through our tech and creating that dependence fuels our addiction. When will enough be enough?

Probably not for a long time.

The next Facebook or MySpace has a big hurdle to jump. Unity in everything we do will become important. I clicked it on my phone and I can pull it up on my smart TV. In a matter of seconds. Fighting the urge to connect will be almost impossible if we don’t learn how to disconnect earlier.

The web isn’t going away anytime soon.

So, I say disconnect every once in a while. Don’t feel like you’ll be missing out on everything. You won’t. We should try to appreciate the world as it is right now, today. Being one with the web like a fine-tuned robot isn’t living like a human.

Remember that it’s a tool we control; not one we should be controlled by.

Works Cited

Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity And Generosity In A Connected Age. 1st ed. New York: The Penguin Press HC, 2010. Print.

Stelter, Brian. “8 Hours a Day Spent on Screens, Study Finds.” The New York Times. N. p., 29 Mar. 2009. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.

Kelly, Katy. “Resentful or Appreciative of the Technological World We Live in? #e8s4 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nile-cappello/millennials-technology_b_5045572.html?utm_hp_ref=technology&ir=Technology ….” @katyiskelly. Microblog. N. p., 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.

Webber, Chris. “Facebook Coming to an End?  #Facebook #Capitalism #Politics #e8s4 Http://socialmediatoday.com/social_advocacy_politics/breaking-facebook-hard?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=hootsuite_tweets ….” @cwebber99. Microblog. N. p., 2 Apr. 2014. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.  

Flesch Readability-Score: 78.4

[generationdigital]

With new technology comes new threats. Though some threats that are old but evolving. In this particular case we are talking about predators. It is important to protect the children of tomorrow so now there is a new initiative.

“The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in partnership...

[kkay313]

Teaching younger kids about Internet safety as you emphasized in your post is very important. These are the minds of the future. They need to be educated about what's out there. The sooner they know, the better, I say.

Today, kids much younger than I was when I got my first cell phone are using smartphones and tablets at a fast rate. Ten year olds are texting and it's become the norm now. Sometimes I can't believe it but saying that's just the world we live in is a little hard to swallow. I feel like our society has become so tech-dependent that if you're not on social media and don't have likes and followers, you're left behind.

Seems like it's really gotten more cruel these days.

Worrying about Internet predators and strangers talking to younger kids wasn't always an issue. Sure you had to be careful about who you were talking to and who sent you a friend request. But having 500+ friends makes you seem like a popular person right? Bullying. Hate crimes. Text wars. Shameless photos. Kids are exposed to these terrible things at too young an age.

“Online predators are trolling social media sites looking for victims. Most scouting and recruitment of victims by human traffickers, or social media pimps, is now done online” (van den Hurk). Even teenagers in high school need protection and education from dangers on the Internet. Instagram. Whisper. WhatsApp. These might seem harmless at first but not everyone knows what they could be getting themselves into. Talking to kids and teens in a relatable way to get them to understand takes time and patience. Let's encourage discussion over making kids feel like they have no one to confide in.

Works Cited

van den Hurk, Ann Marie. “Help Teens Navigate Social Media and Keep Them Safe.” Kentucky.com. N. p., 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Flesch Readability-Score: 75.2

[kkay313]

Mind Power: Putting Our Brains To Good Use

When I think of cognitive surplus I’d say it embodies the multitude of ideas, dreams, and visions that comprise our mental states. This cognitive surplus allows us to push the edges of our thoughts and gets us to realize how we can extend what we know to other people and areas.

Web intellect Clay Shirky sees “media as the connective tissue of society” (Shirky 54). By harnessing our cognitive surplus, people are able to behave in more public, social, and generous ways, rather than as just passers-by and commenters (63). This idea loosely reminds me of cognitive behavioral therapy. By altering our outlook on a situation and how we first perceive it, we can change our perceptions and create new experiences.

Connectivity in a different way: the “other” Facebook? Google+

The need to be in touch with friends and family has become a daily thing. Texts. Tweets, IM’s. Emails. We have all these different outlets that let us express our opinions and share what we’re doing. We can promote a charity event for school, tweet about an author’s lecture, and garner support for a local theater all by using social media.

Personally I’ve gotten into using Google Plus (Google+) and I really like it. It’s easy to use, has a good chat feature through “Hangouts”, and connects you to the social circles YOU choose. Due to its Hangouts and Communities features, Google+ isn’t just another Facebook or updated MySpace. It’s how YOU choose to be connected and to whom.

Dorie Clark at Forbes writes about “Why You Should Be On Google Plus (Even Though No One Else Is)” in such a way that might hook me even if I wasn’t already using it. Her ideas encourage marketing and connecting to others via the above features. Even tips for building a social reputation by the content you share across platforms is helpful (Clark). We’re all very used to Facebook but giving something else a try might be rewarding too.

Shoes for a good cause

Besides social networking sites, Shirky’s mention of charities like the Grobanites (66) also had me thinking about the ways in which we use the web to help out. And as a more recent example, I thought of TOMS shoes; the stylish canvas footwear I’ve been seeing a lot around campus lately.

TOMS uses a one-for-one sale model (Park). Founder Blake Mycoskie has built his business to sell shoes and ensure that for each pair sold, a person in need will also get a pair. He’s branching out to sell eyewear and coffee too. By providing tools for sight and clean water to places like Argentina, one man’s vision was able to become a reality.

Support for one another

Using our surpluses can lead to great things. By finding the motivation to raise support or awareness, we promote hope for a greater community, and ultimately, a better world. Personally, I really enjoyed being a part of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life events when I was in high school. Raising money and meeting a lot of strong people were just two things I was lucky and very grateful to have been involved with.

Works Cited

Park, Andrea. “Tips for Entrepreneurs: Creator of Toms Shoes Talks Growing Your Own Business.” Metro. N. p., 23 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Clark, Dorie. “Why You Should Be On Google Plus (Even Though No One Else Is).” Forbes. N. p., 4 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity And Generosity In A Connected Age. 1st ed. New York: The Penguin Press HC, 2010. Print.

Flesch Readability-Score: 65.4