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.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Artifact 5
One of the most looked at things online is porn. The porn industry is one of the biggest money makers to date. This industry produces movies, they have specific stores, and it is available online at any time. This podcast talks about how the industry has developed since the early nineties.
Porn websites can be accessed from anywhere in the world. When online pornography first started, websites required users to put in there credit card number and subscribe to the site before they could view anything. The industry has made so much money that they now are putting out websites that are free for anyone, with no age restrictions and obviously no charge to a credit card. This makes it available to anyone.
The porn industry has recently gone down in how much it is being viewed, however, the only reason is because the new development of social networking sites. FaceBook and Twitter now are at the top of the most viewed list, but porn is still very high. I was actually surprised that it dropped. I believe this industry will remain one of he biggest money makers because of the fact that so many view it. The podcast said that most of the users of these sites are young males, which I can definitely see. Young males go through puberty and become interested in this kind of thing, so it is easy to see why they would be the people more prone to view these websites. So to me the number of views these websites get is not surprising.
Porn websites can be accessed from anywhere in the world. When online pornography first started, websites required users to put in there credit card number and subscribe to the site before they could view anything. The industry has made so much money that they now are putting out websites that are free for anyone, with no age restrictions and obviously no charge to a credit card. This makes it available to anyone.
The porn industry has recently gone down in how much it is being viewed, however, the only reason is because the new development of social networking sites. FaceBook and Twitter now are at the top of the most viewed list, but porn is still very high. I was actually surprised that it dropped. I believe this industry will remain one of he biggest money makers because of the fact that so many view it. The podcast said that most of the users of these sites are young males, which I can definitely see. Young males go through puberty and become interested in this kind of thing, so it is easy to see why they would be the people more prone to view these websites. So to me the number of views these websites get is not surprising.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Artifact 4a and 4b
In artifact 4a, the video showed a female figure sitting in a chair across from a man in a computer. The woman was moving her head and making certain facial expressions. She looked completely real. When the camera zoomed in you could she that she in fact was fake. She was a robot. The man on the computer was giving her various commands on what to do whether it be to shake her head or raise her eye brow. There was even a point in the video where she started to talk. To me it looked like an amazing development in technology.
I think as the years come we are going to see more of this. This is definitely something that I could see happening all over the world. The development of these droids are simply amazing. Like I said she looked so real. I mean after you knew she was a robot you could tell but at first glance it looked like a normal woman sitting there. In the future I think that we could even see these robots being able to funtion without having to sit behind a computer and command it. I could se them being able to use something like a cell phone to command these things and make them do more and more things. We may not see this in our generation, but as developments of these droids proceed to get more in depth, I think it is possible to be able to make these things do whatever you want. Maybe some of them could even do your job. It is unbelievable what we can do today with technology, and I believe developments will keep getting better and better.
In artifact 4b, they are showing one of those old pencil sharpeners. It is not like same kind of sharpener I am used to seeing as this one had two different holes, one for sharpening the wood to a point, and the other, to sharpen the lead. Both of these holes in the sharpener combine to make the perfect long point on a pencil.
My first thought about this video was who actually uses these pencil sharpeners anymore? We have sharpeners that are mounted on to the wall, although most of them just eat up the pencil anyway, and we also have electric ones which are a lot easier to use. I knew that they still sold these little plastic sharpeners, but when they guy in the video said they were one of the more popular items that the company sells, I was very surprised. You just simply do not see people using these types of sharpeners, much less those kind of pencils. Mechanical pencils have been around for quite a while and don't require any kind of sharpening. The only thing I have ever seen regular pencils used for is the ACT. Most college students use pens to write everything, so it just seemed to be that these regular pencils were extinct. I guess this is one of those things that will be around forever, no matter what new writing technologies are developed.
I think as the years come we are going to see more of this. This is definitely something that I could see happening all over the world. The development of these droids are simply amazing. Like I said she looked so real. I mean after you knew she was a robot you could tell but at first glance it looked like a normal woman sitting there. In the future I think that we could even see these robots being able to funtion without having to sit behind a computer and command it. I could se them being able to use something like a cell phone to command these things and make them do more and more things. We may not see this in our generation, but as developments of these droids proceed to get more in depth, I think it is possible to be able to make these things do whatever you want. Maybe some of them could even do your job. It is unbelievable what we can do today with technology, and I believe developments will keep getting better and better.
In artifact 4b, they are showing one of those old pencil sharpeners. It is not like same kind of sharpener I am used to seeing as this one had two different holes, one for sharpening the wood to a point, and the other, to sharpen the lead. Both of these holes in the sharpener combine to make the perfect long point on a pencil.
My first thought about this video was who actually uses these pencil sharpeners anymore? We have sharpeners that are mounted on to the wall, although most of them just eat up the pencil anyway, and we also have electric ones which are a lot easier to use. I knew that they still sold these little plastic sharpeners, but when they guy in the video said they were one of the more popular items that the company sells, I was very surprised. You just simply do not see people using these types of sharpeners, much less those kind of pencils. Mechanical pencils have been around for quite a while and don't require any kind of sharpening. The only thing I have ever seen regular pencils used for is the ACT. Most college students use pens to write everything, so it just seemed to be that these regular pencils were extinct. I guess this is one of those things that will be around forever, no matter what new writing technologies are developed.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
EPortfolio 1
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/artifact-3.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/artifact-2.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/unit-6-summary.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/unit-5-summary.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/artifact-1.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/snow-day-2211-cmc-3-4.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/artifact-2.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/unit-6-summary.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/unit-5-summary.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/artifact-1.html
http://csauercomp2.blogspot.com/2011/02/snow-day-2211-cmc-3-4.html
Artifact 3
Nicholas Carr's "The Shadows" asks us the question "What is the Internet doing to our brains?" His book explains how the Internet itself is in a way changing the way we think and the way our mind works. He says that the Internet is also changing how our memory works. He mentioned in his talk about how hyperlinks can "overload" our short term memory. With hyperlinks there are so many things going on in front of us on that computer screen that it distracts us from what our main purpose to be on the computer is. While using these hyperlinks are easy for us to multitask and make things easier to get to, we are losing our ability to have a deep thinking about things. If we sit in front of a computer screen and read a book online we are trying to focus on those words in the book. Off in the corner of our eye we may see advertisements, links to other websites, or shortcuts to other programs. Every time we see these things, our brains have to function to make us ask ourselves if we want to click on that link or not. So even if we do not use that link, our mind and our brain are still working like we do.
Carr mentions that it was difficult for him to focus on writing the book because of all the distractions. He had to close his programs, cancel social networks, and found himself craving to surf the web. He said he almost had to write in short spurts because he was getting so easily distracted by everything he had access to on the web. I believe that this happens to a lot of us. Even when I type papers on my computer I usually have something else open like Facebook or some other website, and it is definitely a distraction. Papers that should only take an hour could take days because I am not completely focused on it. I agree with Carr on the fact that the Internet is changing the way we do things. It is something we grew up with and we have created our own habits on how we use it. Yes, technology is one hundred percent necessary in today's world, but I think we have to calm the way we use it before it gets to the point where we completely rely on it to get us through the day.
Even now I have three other other pages open and its keeping me from staying focused on what I am trying to write. I can not imagine people who's jobs require them to sit in front of a computer screen all day. Their minds have to be going nuts with all of the distractions that computers and the Internet cause. As I said earlier technology is essential to the way we live, but if we do not calm the way we use it, our ability to participate in deep thought and focus will be gone.
Carr mentions that it was difficult for him to focus on writing the book because of all the distractions. He had to close his programs, cancel social networks, and found himself craving to surf the web. He said he almost had to write in short spurts because he was getting so easily distracted by everything he had access to on the web. I believe that this happens to a lot of us. Even when I type papers on my computer I usually have something else open like Facebook or some other website, and it is definitely a distraction. Papers that should only take an hour could take days because I am not completely focused on it. I agree with Carr on the fact that the Internet is changing the way we do things. It is something we grew up with and we have created our own habits on how we use it. Yes, technology is one hundred percent necessary in today's world, but I think we have to calm the way we use it before it gets to the point where we completely rely on it to get us through the day.
Even now I have three other other pages open and its keeping me from staying focused on what I am trying to write. I can not imagine people who's jobs require them to sit in front of a computer screen all day. Their minds have to be going nuts with all of the distractions that computers and the Internet cause. As I said earlier technology is essential to the way we live, but if we do not calm the way we use it, our ability to participate in deep thought and focus will be gone.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Artifact 2
William Powers wrote a book entitled "Hamlet's Blackberry." His book is about how to live in the "digital age." When speaking about his book, he mentions people constantly using there cell phones without even realizing it. He mentioned a specific time where he sat down on a bench and out of habit reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone, to do nothing on it.
This is something that happens a lot with our generation today. I know I do this every day. Everywhere you go you see somebody using there phone or using a laptop. Driving down the interstate you look over and someday is having a conversation on their phones. You walk into a Starbucks or McDonalds and people have there computers with them, using the free Wi-Fi these places have. When did restaurants become a place to use your computer rather than eat?
Powers mentions something that he and his family has done that would drive the normal American insane. He said he and his family decided to unplug the Internet on the weekends. Yes, this would obviously create more family time, but this sounds a little drastic. If my parents would have done this at my house we would not know what to do with ourselves. We use the Internet at my house for everything, just like a lot of people today do. It could be to check the weather, get caught up with the news, or check Facebook, whatever it is, we use it every day.
Powers said the first few months were miserable. After the first week he said they were going to take there son out to a movie, but did not know what movies were playing. They could not check the Internet because it was unplugged, so they checked the newspapers. He said they literally almost forgot how to look for these kinds of things because it had been so long since they had to do something like this. If you think about it, this could be the same for a lot of people in America. When everything is a click away, why waste time looking in newspapers for it. We can access the Internet virtually anywhere, so we take advantage of it.
Using this much Internet can take away from your family life. If you are constantly online and not communicating with your family, you can lose what you have with them. I do not think we over use the Internet, but I do think in some cases we abuse it. We all do. The first thing I do when I get out of class everyday is come back to my room and check Facebook, just out of habit. It does not have to be that way, but I am sure that other people do this as well. Right or wrong, this is how our generation grew up, and the habit will not be easy to break. The Internet will continue to grow and so will we. It is only a matter of time before the Internet does everything for us. I believe we have to realize just how much we use it and maybe tone that down a bit before we get so caught up in it we cannot get out.
This is something that happens a lot with our generation today. I know I do this every day. Everywhere you go you see somebody using there phone or using a laptop. Driving down the interstate you look over and someday is having a conversation on their phones. You walk into a Starbucks or McDonalds and people have there computers with them, using the free Wi-Fi these places have. When did restaurants become a place to use your computer rather than eat?
Powers mentions something that he and his family has done that would drive the normal American insane. He said he and his family decided to unplug the Internet on the weekends. Yes, this would obviously create more family time, but this sounds a little drastic. If my parents would have done this at my house we would not know what to do with ourselves. We use the Internet at my house for everything, just like a lot of people today do. It could be to check the weather, get caught up with the news, or check Facebook, whatever it is, we use it every day.
Powers said the first few months were miserable. After the first week he said they were going to take there son out to a movie, but did not know what movies were playing. They could not check the Internet because it was unplugged, so they checked the newspapers. He said they literally almost forgot how to look for these kinds of things because it had been so long since they had to do something like this. If you think about it, this could be the same for a lot of people in America. When everything is a click away, why waste time looking in newspapers for it. We can access the Internet virtually anywhere, so we take advantage of it.
Using this much Internet can take away from your family life. If you are constantly online and not communicating with your family, you can lose what you have with them. I do not think we over use the Internet, but I do think in some cases we abuse it. We all do. The first thing I do when I get out of class everyday is come back to my room and check Facebook, just out of habit. It does not have to be that way, but I am sure that other people do this as well. Right or wrong, this is how our generation grew up, and the habit will not be easy to break. The Internet will continue to grow and so will we. It is only a matter of time before the Internet does everything for us. I believe we have to realize just how much we use it and maybe tone that down a bit before we get so caught up in it we cannot get out.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Unit 6 Summary
Unit 6 in the book talks about "flaming" and embedded media. It also hits on the topic of normative-interactional framework. Basically what the chapter is dealing with is the aggressive interactions people come across in CMC as well as how embedded the Internet really is. In a way this unit sort of pulls together the other units of the book that we have read so far.
Flames in CMC are understood to be hostile or aggressive interactions between people. For examples flaming could be descibed rude or insulting messages, verbal attacks, or derogatory, obscene, or inappropriate language. The point in which a message is clearly some form of tension is when that message is considered a flame. Emoticons can also be considered flames if they are used in a way that makes the messages derogatory or sarcastic.
Normative-Interactional Framework focuses on interpretations of messages from multiple perspectives in the situated and evolving context of appropriateness norms.This principle is based on four main principles. Principle one basically says that everyones language is different. One person's "hostile" language could be another person's way of humoring something. Principle two says that an outsider to the conversation could take something differently than the people participating in the conversation. What seems to be rude or offensive to an outsider, could be a joke to the people in the conversation. Principle three states that people make judgement on what they read only based on the words that they see. An example they use in the book is swearing in messages. To some, swearing is bad, therefore it is always negative, but to the people involved in the actual conversation, it may be a way for them to make a point or even something in a joking manner. The last principle is that flamming doesn't only happen within CMC. It has happened to all of us at some point on the phone, maybe even in face-to-face contact, so it is not just limited to how people communicate online.
How embedded is the Internet? When we hear the term embedded media, it means the way that people use the media, in this case the Internet, in our daily life. We use the Internet for everything nowadays. We use it for shopping, school work, socializing with friends, and playing games or listening to music. I'm not sure there is anyone in our generation that does not use some form of the Internet daily, especially those living in the United States. While the Internet definitely gets abused, it is still part of our everyday activities.
In conclusion, unit 6 touches on how aggressive language is through CMC. They call this aggression flaming. The book moves on to explain normative-interactional framework, and its four main principles it is based on. Finally, the book explains the ways in which the Internet is "embedded" into our everyday lives. No matter what part of the country you are from, you use a form of the Internet every day. The Internet itself is something that I believe will be around for a very long time, and will be used for more and more things for the generations to come.
Flames in CMC are understood to be hostile or aggressive interactions between people. For examples flaming could be descibed rude or insulting messages, verbal attacks, or derogatory, obscene, or inappropriate language. The point in which a message is clearly some form of tension is when that message is considered a flame. Emoticons can also be considered flames if they are used in a way that makes the messages derogatory or sarcastic.
Normative-Interactional Framework focuses on interpretations of messages from multiple perspectives in the situated and evolving context of appropriateness norms.This principle is based on four main principles. Principle one basically says that everyones language is different. One person's "hostile" language could be another person's way of humoring something. Principle two says that an outsider to the conversation could take something differently than the people participating in the conversation. What seems to be rude or offensive to an outsider, could be a joke to the people in the conversation. Principle three states that people make judgement on what they read only based on the words that they see. An example they use in the book is swearing in messages. To some, swearing is bad, therefore it is always negative, but to the people involved in the actual conversation, it may be a way for them to make a point or even something in a joking manner. The last principle is that flamming doesn't only happen within CMC. It has happened to all of us at some point on the phone, maybe even in face-to-face contact, so it is not just limited to how people communicate online.
How embedded is the Internet? When we hear the term embedded media, it means the way that people use the media, in this case the Internet, in our daily life. We use the Internet for everything nowadays. We use it for shopping, school work, socializing with friends, and playing games or listening to music. I'm not sure there is anyone in our generation that does not use some form of the Internet daily, especially those living in the United States. While the Internet definitely gets abused, it is still part of our everyday activities.
In conclusion, unit 6 touches on how aggressive language is through CMC. They call this aggression flaming. The book moves on to explain normative-interactional framework, and its four main principles it is based on. Finally, the book explains the ways in which the Internet is "embedded" into our everyday lives. No matter what part of the country you are from, you use a form of the Internet every day. The Internet itself is something that I believe will be around for a very long time, and will be used for more and more things for the generations to come.
Unit 5 Summary
Unit 5 of CMC talks about a variety of things ranging from identifying groups to reduced social cues, and also something called the SIDE model. This unit explains how groups are identified within CMC, and also what the ups and downs are of these groups. It goes on to explain what the SIDE model is and how it works. All in all, I think this unit in the book is a crucial part understanding how people interact in CMC.
What is a group? The book defines a group as collective individuals who interact and form social relationships. We have these groups everywhere in our daily life, whether it be at school, where we live, or even online. With these groups that we have, we interact with them on a daily basis, and our actions reflect upon what the group as a whole does. The book list two ways of defining a group, the first called phenomenological (subjective), and the second called observational (objective). Both ways are very helpful in defining our groups.
Social cues communicate a sense of status, power, and leadership. These cues are either static, meaning what we wear, or what our hair style is, or they are dynamic, meaning what gestures or facial expressions we use. The concern that CMC has is that in our communication online, we lose this type of interaction. The reduction of these cues makes communication between people more difficult to manage, making conversation more difficult. By not having these cues online, it puts less pressure on people to behave properly and can make things much easier to say, which in some cases, is not always a good thing. The book goes on to say that we cannot place the blame on computers for aggressive behavior because it is still your own responsibility what you say to someone, online or not.
There are many different types of group dynamics in CMC today. All of which have their ups and downs. The book breaks down a select few of these different dynamics, some good, some bad, and I will explain them more in depth in my presentation tomorrow. They also have a few dynamics listed than are neither and up side or a down side. Together, these types of dynamics are tools that explain the nature of CMC.
The Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects or SIDE Model explains CMC in terms of the combined effects of social identity and anonymity. It is based on the idea that a person's identity is comprised with their personal identity, and their social identity. According to the SIDE Model, group interactions can be strong in CMC, so the negative effects of group dynamics do not often happen in the way that the Reduced Social Cues Model would have us to believe.
In conclusion, this unit in the book has explained to us what groups are and how to define them. It also tells us about our social cues, and what we lose from them when we communicate online. It then goes on to tell us some of the ups and downs of group dynamics, and then connects all of these things together through the SIDE Model. Our generation has experienced most of this from the beginning, so it is important for us to fully understand what happens with our everyday communication, whether it be in person, or through CMC.
What is a group? The book defines a group as collective individuals who interact and form social relationships. We have these groups everywhere in our daily life, whether it be at school, where we live, or even online. With these groups that we have, we interact with them on a daily basis, and our actions reflect upon what the group as a whole does. The book list two ways of defining a group, the first called phenomenological (subjective), and the second called observational (objective). Both ways are very helpful in defining our groups.
Social cues communicate a sense of status, power, and leadership. These cues are either static, meaning what we wear, or what our hair style is, or they are dynamic, meaning what gestures or facial expressions we use. The concern that CMC has is that in our communication online, we lose this type of interaction. The reduction of these cues makes communication between people more difficult to manage, making conversation more difficult. By not having these cues online, it puts less pressure on people to behave properly and can make things much easier to say, which in some cases, is not always a good thing. The book goes on to say that we cannot place the blame on computers for aggressive behavior because it is still your own responsibility what you say to someone, online or not.
There are many different types of group dynamics in CMC today. All of which have their ups and downs. The book breaks down a select few of these different dynamics, some good, some bad, and I will explain them more in depth in my presentation tomorrow. They also have a few dynamics listed than are neither and up side or a down side. Together, these types of dynamics are tools that explain the nature of CMC.
The Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects or SIDE Model explains CMC in terms of the combined effects of social identity and anonymity. It is based on the idea that a person's identity is comprised with their personal identity, and their social identity. According to the SIDE Model, group interactions can be strong in CMC, so the negative effects of group dynamics do not often happen in the way that the Reduced Social Cues Model would have us to believe.
In conclusion, this unit in the book has explained to us what groups are and how to define them. It also tells us about our social cues, and what we lose from them when we communicate online. It then goes on to tell us some of the ups and downs of group dynamics, and then connects all of these things together through the SIDE Model. Our generation has experienced most of this from the beginning, so it is important for us to fully understand what happens with our everyday communication, whether it be in person, or through CMC.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Artifact 1
The "Internet Surpasses Television" article states that people of the ages eighteen to twenty-nine have said that the Internet is their number one source for national and international news. This study does not surprise me due to most young adults using the Internet for everything. You rarely see an eighteen year old kid watching the news on television every day. It is simply easier to look up the news online at any time during the day as opposed to waiting until a certain time period in the day. It is also easy too look up the news on the Internet because many Internet homepages have news on them daily, so every time you get online it is right in front of your face.
The article also states that this "trend" is beginning to pick up in older Americans as well. Those who have jobs can get on their computers at work and look at the daily news instead of reading newspapers and magazines. Any news, international, or national, is just a click away for anyone.
I believe that as the years go by, the percentage of people using the Internet to get their daily dose of the news will continue to rise. The fact that it is easier to access the news from our computers is why the numbers keep rising. You can get access to almost every news station around the world through the Internet, which you cannot get with a television. Televisions limit you to a few local news channels, and maybe a few others like ABC, NBC, or CBS whereas the Internet allows to you get the news anywhere in the country, and even the weather in a completely different country if need be.
The growing number of Facebook and Twitter users is also mentioned in the article. Both of these social network cites have gained millions of users since the year 2007. Twitter posts have gone up an unbelievable amount since 2007, with almost 90 million tweets a day as opposed to the 5,000 daily in 2007. Facebook is becoming more and more popular with older adults as well as teenagers. Many older people have a Facebook account to keep up with distant family members or friends, whereas everyone that is in college has at least one Facebook account and maybe even a Twitter account. Both of these cites are just different ways to let people know what you do in your daily life and be able to keep up with everyone you have as a friend or follower.
The last thing the article mentions is something called Internet television. This is something that I mainly see with sports web cites doing a "web cast" type thing or maybe putting something like SportsCenter on a live stream for people to watch that do not have access to a TV. I know ESPN.com even puts highlights of the games online instead of the whole show so people can get their sports fix without having all of the added commercials.
In conclusion, this article does not surprise me in that the number of Internet users to access the news has gone up. It is a lot easier to get it online at anytime rather than to wait until your local news comes on at a certain time of the day. You are also able to access more news on the Internet than a TV. Social network cites are also becoming more popular because they make it easier for distant family and friends to keep in touch, while also letting all of your friends and followers know what you are doing at each point in your day.
The article also states that this "trend" is beginning to pick up in older Americans as well. Those who have jobs can get on their computers at work and look at the daily news instead of reading newspapers and magazines. Any news, international, or national, is just a click away for anyone.
I believe that as the years go by, the percentage of people using the Internet to get their daily dose of the news will continue to rise. The fact that it is easier to access the news from our computers is why the numbers keep rising. You can get access to almost every news station around the world through the Internet, which you cannot get with a television. Televisions limit you to a few local news channels, and maybe a few others like ABC, NBC, or CBS whereas the Internet allows to you get the news anywhere in the country, and even the weather in a completely different country if need be.
The growing number of Facebook and Twitter users is also mentioned in the article. Both of these social network cites have gained millions of users since the year 2007. Twitter posts have gone up an unbelievable amount since 2007, with almost 90 million tweets a day as opposed to the 5,000 daily in 2007. Facebook is becoming more and more popular with older adults as well as teenagers. Many older people have a Facebook account to keep up with distant family members or friends, whereas everyone that is in college has at least one Facebook account and maybe even a Twitter account. Both of these cites are just different ways to let people know what you do in your daily life and be able to keep up with everyone you have as a friend or follower.
The last thing the article mentions is something called Internet television. This is something that I mainly see with sports web cites doing a "web cast" type thing or maybe putting something like SportsCenter on a live stream for people to watch that do not have access to a TV. I know ESPN.com even puts highlights of the games online instead of the whole show so people can get their sports fix without having all of the added commercials.
In conclusion, this article does not surprise me in that the number of Internet users to access the news has gone up. It is a lot easier to get it online at anytime rather than to wait until your local news comes on at a certain time of the day. You are also able to access more news on the Internet than a TV. Social network cites are also becoming more popular because they make it easier for distant family and friends to keep in touch, while also letting all of your friends and followers know what you are doing at each point in your day.
Snow Day 2/2/11 CMC 3-4
CMC Unit 3 talks about the hype and hysteria with new technology. Every time a new form of technology comes out, it is talked about for days and maybe even months. This happens with anything new just hitting the market. People just get excited to get to use something new. I personally am the same way. If something new is coming out, I want to be the first to own it and try it out. Unit 4 talks about social interaction and technologyy. I think that by using all of these new ways of communication, it is damaging our generation of its communication habits. For example, technology allows us to talk to someone without seeing them. We lose that face to face contact if we spend a lot of time communicating through technology, therefore, we lose a personal aspect of life.
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