Artifact 8
Artifact 9
Artifact 10
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Artifact 10
I chose to do Internet Addiction for artifact 10. It is an article "Miss G: A Case of Internet Addiction" and the link is http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/miss-g-a-case-of-internet-addiction/?emc=eta1.
The article talks about how the Internet can be an addiction. Dr. Kimberly Young states that the Internet is addictive because of the fact that it allows use to make new personalities for ourselves, and use them in which ever way we may need. Dr. Young has now developed a test that anyone can take to see if they are addicted to the Internet or not. In a sense, I believe most of us are slightly addicted to the Internet because of how much we have to use it today.
Anything can be addictive. Whether it be video games, drugs, working out, it does not matter. If we like something, we are going to keep doing it. The Internet, however, is available almost anywhere you go. We can access the Internet from our phones, gaming systems, and obviously our computers. Having this much access to something almost makes it a must for people to use. We can use the Internet for so many different things now, I can see where it is addictive. As a matter of fact, it can be highly addictive to some people. People can check the weather, sports scores, restaurant menus, get directions, and many other things via the Internet. It is almost crazy to me to think of someone who does not use the Internet very much or maybe even not at all. In today's world you almost have to have access to it.
When I say I believe everyone is somewhat addicted to the Internet, I mean most of us get online to check a few things everyday. For me, I get online to check Facebook and ESPN, sometimes doing research for homework, and occasionally a few other things but that is about it. The girl talked about in this article has taken Internet addiction to a whole new level. I would not have ever thought that someone could be so addicted to the Internet that they even sleep with there computers. Even staying up until three or four in the morning just messing around on the Internet is a little extreme. I do not know what you could possibly be checking for that long.
Internet addiction can obviously be a problem. There are so many things out there today such as scams and predators that you really have to be careful what you are doing. Being online for an extended period of time only makes you more vulnerable for something bad to happen. There have been a lot of stories lately about people making fake Facebook accounts and scamming others with them. They either pretend to be someone or they hack into your profile. It is sad really to think about how all of this stuff can happen. People just take advantage of what we have in the Internet, and use other people through it. Someone addicted to the Internet especially should be careful with who they add on their social networks, or even what websites they go to. You just never know what is on the other side of the screen.
All in all I believe the Internet is a great thing for us. It allows us to do many things, a lot of which would be impossible without it. While it can be highly addictive I am still convinced that the Internet has definitely helped us in today's society. Someone that is addicted should be very cautious with what they do, and also should work on finding something else to get them away from the computer for awhile.
The article talks about how the Internet can be an addiction. Dr. Kimberly Young states that the Internet is addictive because of the fact that it allows use to make new personalities for ourselves, and use them in which ever way we may need. Dr. Young has now developed a test that anyone can take to see if they are addicted to the Internet or not. In a sense, I believe most of us are slightly addicted to the Internet because of how much we have to use it today.
Anything can be addictive. Whether it be video games, drugs, working out, it does not matter. If we like something, we are going to keep doing it. The Internet, however, is available almost anywhere you go. We can access the Internet from our phones, gaming systems, and obviously our computers. Having this much access to something almost makes it a must for people to use. We can use the Internet for so many different things now, I can see where it is addictive. As a matter of fact, it can be highly addictive to some people. People can check the weather, sports scores, restaurant menus, get directions, and many other things via the Internet. It is almost crazy to me to think of someone who does not use the Internet very much or maybe even not at all. In today's world you almost have to have access to it.
When I say I believe everyone is somewhat addicted to the Internet, I mean most of us get online to check a few things everyday. For me, I get online to check Facebook and ESPN, sometimes doing research for homework, and occasionally a few other things but that is about it. The girl talked about in this article has taken Internet addiction to a whole new level. I would not have ever thought that someone could be so addicted to the Internet that they even sleep with there computers. Even staying up until three or four in the morning just messing around on the Internet is a little extreme. I do not know what you could possibly be checking for that long.
Internet addiction can obviously be a problem. There are so many things out there today such as scams and predators that you really have to be careful what you are doing. Being online for an extended period of time only makes you more vulnerable for something bad to happen. There have been a lot of stories lately about people making fake Facebook accounts and scamming others with them. They either pretend to be someone or they hack into your profile. It is sad really to think about how all of this stuff can happen. People just take advantage of what we have in the Internet, and use other people through it. Someone addicted to the Internet especially should be careful with who they add on their social networks, or even what websites they go to. You just never know what is on the other side of the screen.
All in all I believe the Internet is a great thing for us. It allows us to do many things, a lot of which would be impossible without it. While it can be highly addictive I am still convinced that the Internet has definitely helped us in today's society. Someone that is addicted should be very cautious with what they do, and also should work on finding something else to get them away from the computer for awhile.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Artifact 9
Museums using technology is a great way to get people through their doors. Letting people view pictures or videos of popular things in the museum will help attract more people to come see what they have. There are many different things found in museums, and most people do not know what is in them until they go see for themselves. To me, I feel like if I do not know what I'm going to see, I automatically lose interest in it. Posting something to a website or to a social network can only help with business. If I would happen to get on a particular museums Facebook page and see something that I think is really cool, I would want to go see it in person. Getting things posted online does not only work for museums, but it can be a great business move for any kind of company or business.
I believe large and small businesses should have some type of websites or Facebook page. Even one with basic information and a few pictures can make a world of difference for any business. For example, my dad owns a cabinet building business and up until about 6 years ago he did not have a website. Now a days people google or try and search for anything online before they buy it. We finally made a website, and business instantly went up. Instead of just doing local jobs, we started getting more and more people contact us from larger cities like the St. Louis area. We are no currently working on a Facebook page to get our name out even further. We are choosing Facebook because it is usually one of the first things that pop up in a google search if you type in a specific name. Getting your name out there is the key. Being able to see pictures of cabinets can make a difference in thousands of dollars when you talk about cabinets, so any type of publicity we can get will do great things.
Social networking sites are a great way to get your business promoted. Museums making virtual tours and posting pictures are great ways for people to see what they have to offer before going to see it in person. I look at it as like watching a movie trailer. Who wants to go watch a movie that they have not even seen previews for? If the St. Louis Art Museum had a Facebook page, I would definitely look at it before I go just to kind of preview what I am going to see before I actually see it in person. It is just a good way to get more people to come to your place.
I believe all museums should have some sort of website or social network to promote themselves. It can not hurt you. People can write reviews or make comments on everything you have on your page. While it does open the door for people to give bad reviews, managers of the site can easily read the reviews and work to make the in person museum experience even better. Promoting your business is what it is all about. Social networks are one of the best ways that a company can do this.
I believe large and small businesses should have some type of websites or Facebook page. Even one with basic information and a few pictures can make a world of difference for any business. For example, my dad owns a cabinet building business and up until about 6 years ago he did not have a website. Now a days people google or try and search for anything online before they buy it. We finally made a website, and business instantly went up. Instead of just doing local jobs, we started getting more and more people contact us from larger cities like the St. Louis area. We are no currently working on a Facebook page to get our name out even further. We are choosing Facebook because it is usually one of the first things that pop up in a google search if you type in a specific name. Getting your name out there is the key. Being able to see pictures of cabinets can make a difference in thousands of dollars when you talk about cabinets, so any type of publicity we can get will do great things.
Social networking sites are a great way to get your business promoted. Museums making virtual tours and posting pictures are great ways for people to see what they have to offer before going to see it in person. I look at it as like watching a movie trailer. Who wants to go watch a movie that they have not even seen previews for? If the St. Louis Art Museum had a Facebook page, I would definitely look at it before I go just to kind of preview what I am going to see before I actually see it in person. It is just a good way to get more people to come to your place.
I believe all museums should have some sort of website or social network to promote themselves. It can not hurt you. People can write reviews or make comments on everything you have on your page. While it does open the door for people to give bad reviews, managers of the site can easily read the reviews and work to make the in person museum experience even better. Promoting your business is what it is all about. Social networks are one of the best ways that a company can do this.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Artifact 8
I was always aware of websites online that are beneficial to your health. Sites like WebMD have a feature where you type in your symptoms and then the "online doctor" gives you a couple of different options on what your symptoms could be. I personally am not a user of these types of websites, but it seems to me like it could be fairly accurate if you list all of your symptoms. The only problem is that the site is not an actual doctor, so it can not prescribe you with any medication.
The amount of people that actually check these kind of websites surprised me a lot. I did not think that many people would really take the time to type all of their medical problems out knowing that they will not be able to receive any medicine plus the website may not even be right in what it says is wrong with you. There have also been a lot of applications that you can download on your smart-phones that help with medical issues. There are some that are like WebMD, and others that have specific information about types of medicines. I think having apps like this is a very good thing considering the cost of a doctors visit.
If these websites really do help people then I believe we will see more and more people not going to see a doctor about any medical problems. Obviously this could pose a problem if the person needs some sort of medical assistance. People have to realize that going to the doctor is still going to be a lot more beneficial to a person than simply letting the Internet diagnose us with something that we may not even have. I also think if enough people get diagnosed with things that they do not have, we could see these sites die out, but I could also see the opposite side, being the websites work so well that the companies start charging a fee to receive answers about their medical problems. If it costs money to use the sites I think we will see a decline in the usage of them.
I'm not saying I do not agree with these sites, because I do see a lot of positives in them. I do, however, think if you have some sort of illness that it would be the best if you went to see an actual doctor, instead of relying on something that may not be as accurate. It is really your own opinion as to if you need to see a doctor or not, and I can understand that some people do not have the money to pay for a doctor visit and the medicine that could come with it. If they can figure out what their symptoms are, it could be a lot cheaper for people to use these websites.
The amount of people that actually check these kind of websites surprised me a lot. I did not think that many people would really take the time to type all of their medical problems out knowing that they will not be able to receive any medicine plus the website may not even be right in what it says is wrong with you. There have also been a lot of applications that you can download on your smart-phones that help with medical issues. There are some that are like WebMD, and others that have specific information about types of medicines. I think having apps like this is a very good thing considering the cost of a doctors visit.
If these websites really do help people then I believe we will see more and more people not going to see a doctor about any medical problems. Obviously this could pose a problem if the person needs some sort of medical assistance. People have to realize that going to the doctor is still going to be a lot more beneficial to a person than simply letting the Internet diagnose us with something that we may not even have. I also think if enough people get diagnosed with things that they do not have, we could see these sites die out, but I could also see the opposite side, being the websites work so well that the companies start charging a fee to receive answers about their medical problems. If it costs money to use the sites I think we will see a decline in the usage of them.
I'm not saying I do not agree with these sites, because I do see a lot of positives in them. I do, however, think if you have some sort of illness that it would be the best if you went to see an actual doctor, instead of relying on something that may not be as accurate. It is really your own opinion as to if you need to see a doctor or not, and I can understand that some people do not have the money to pay for a doctor visit and the medicine that could come with it. If they can figure out what their symptoms are, it could be a lot cheaper for people to use these websites.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Artifact 7
Cheating is something we see very common in high school and college today. With devices like cell phones and blue tooth, students find many ways to cheat, and they do it rather easily. However, I was not aware that some people go as far as they do to cheat. The article mentions students using labels from soda bottles and bills of their hats to write notes on. Student has also hid blue tooth pieces behind their hair and chew gum so no one could tell they were talking. These measures of cheating seem a little drastic to me, but they all are creative and I guess if they work then students will continue to use them.
Teachers are also becoming more and more creative with the types of anti-cheating software they use. There are now websites that students have to post their papers to and the website uses thousands of documents and journals and scans them for matches with the students paper. Teachers then log into the website, look at any highlighted marks on students papers, and determine if the highlighted section is plagiarized. Also, universities now have testing centers in which students are not allowed to bring any devices, food or drink, and hats must be turned around backwards. Another way mentioned in the article is that students must download a special software to their computers and get a 360 degree web cam, in which teachers can see the entire environment that the student is taking the test in. All of these ways seem to be helping with the cheating numbers, as percentages show cheating is going down in many universities that have been using these new anti-cheating methods.
One teacher at IUPUI has gone so far as to create fake websites that specifically answer her tests and homework wrong. Her websites usually are the first thing that comes up in a Google search if the student just copies the question and posts it in the search box. She also has created a fake email account as a student in her classes so she sometimes receives message that other students send out. It is an easy way to catch students sharing answers from her tests. Personally, I think this is a little extreme. Students will find ways of cheating to get good grades, and I do not think it is necessary for teachers to go this far with trying to catch people.
After reading this article I was not surprised that cheating numbers are very high in colleges. Students everywhere cheat, and I do not think anything will completely stop it. However, teachers using these new ways to prevent cheating are dropping the numbers, and making it extremely hard for students to cheat. Using these new methods will make the students who really do study shine, and those who rely solely on cheating fail. I think anti-cheating software is a big step for colleges in decreasing the number of students plagiarising, but again I do not think it will ever be stopped.
Teachers are also becoming more and more creative with the types of anti-cheating software they use. There are now websites that students have to post their papers to and the website uses thousands of documents and journals and scans them for matches with the students paper. Teachers then log into the website, look at any highlighted marks on students papers, and determine if the highlighted section is plagiarized. Also, universities now have testing centers in which students are not allowed to bring any devices, food or drink, and hats must be turned around backwards. Another way mentioned in the article is that students must download a special software to their computers and get a 360 degree web cam, in which teachers can see the entire environment that the student is taking the test in. All of these ways seem to be helping with the cheating numbers, as percentages show cheating is going down in many universities that have been using these new anti-cheating methods.
One teacher at IUPUI has gone so far as to create fake websites that specifically answer her tests and homework wrong. Her websites usually are the first thing that comes up in a Google search if the student just copies the question and posts it in the search box. She also has created a fake email account as a student in her classes so she sometimes receives message that other students send out. It is an easy way to catch students sharing answers from her tests. Personally, I think this is a little extreme. Students will find ways of cheating to get good grades, and I do not think it is necessary for teachers to go this far with trying to catch people.
After reading this article I was not surprised that cheating numbers are very high in colleges. Students everywhere cheat, and I do not think anything will completely stop it. However, teachers using these new ways to prevent cheating are dropping the numbers, and making it extremely hard for students to cheat. Using these new methods will make the students who really do study shine, and those who rely solely on cheating fail. I think anti-cheating software is a big step for colleges in decreasing the number of students plagiarising, but again I do not think it will ever be stopped.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Artifact 6
I was never aware of there actually being totally anonymous websites before I watched this video. Now that I think about it, I could see how something like this can be a positive. By having a social network site that is totally anonymous, obviously there would not be a need to enter any of you personal information into your profile. Without having all of your personal stuff like phone numbers, addresses, and various other things, it would make it harder for people to steal identities and it would reduce the need for people to hack profiles as well.
There are however, a lot of negatives that could come out of totally anonymous websites. Because there are no names or any personal information listed on your page, people can say basically say whatever they want and no one will know who they are. I think if everything is done anonymously, people will say even worse things then they already do, and they will also do it more often. When you do not have your name on things, it makes it a lot easier to say things that you would not normally say in person or if you had your name in front of it. Having everything anonymous just opens the door for people to do what they want and say whatever they want to.
After seeing this video I can definitely see both the good and the bad sides of having anonymous websites. It makes for easier communication between people and it also has no need for personal information to be on profiles, but it has the possibility of increasing some of the nasty things people say about others online.
There are however, a lot of negatives that could come out of totally anonymous websites. Because there are no names or any personal information listed on your page, people can say basically say whatever they want and no one will know who they are. I think if everything is done anonymously, people will say even worse things then they already do, and they will also do it more often. When you do not have your name on things, it makes it a lot easier to say things that you would not normally say in person or if you had your name in front of it. Having everything anonymous just opens the door for people to do what they want and say whatever they want to.
After seeing this video I can definitely see both the good and the bad sides of having anonymous websites. It makes for easier communication between people and it also has no need for personal information to be on profiles, but it has the possibility of increasing some of the nasty things people say about others online.
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