Final Blog Post: Me Online

Relationships with Technology

My relationship with technology is fairly poor and unhealthy, usually there are times when I struggle to remove myself from the internet or apps such as Tik Tok when I either have to go to class, or do homework. Having my cell phone on me at all times is also necessary, and when I am anxious, I tend to pick up my phone a lot and check it which can come off as rude. If I was forced to go a day without technology, I would have a hard time since I grew up with technology always at the tips of my fingers. 

                   

Technology such as websites allow for me to look up information that is on my study guides for classes when I am struggling to find the correct information in my notes or in the text book. So, in the sense of looking things up for educational purposes, I am learning and becoming smarter, but when I am looking into information on political issues, I can forget about using these search engines. Most of these sources are filtered so you are only able to see what the gatekeepers want you to see and not the full story. There is a lot of disinformation spread on the internet so it is hard to figure out information on topics that are not core subjects.

I do worry about how technology is affecting me in my daily life and if the information I am getting from the internet is reliable. I don’t spend all of my time invested in this though because If I did, then I would never use technology and become a laggard and not adapt to technology when it can be beneficial to me in many ways. I tend to do extra research on my internet findings because I want to try to make sure I get the most correct information rather than believing what one internet user said.

Looking into people such as friends and family, I think they all have a similar relationship as me. We could be at the dinner table and it is difficult to get through a dinner without someone, if not everyone picking up their phone.  Technology is positive for them especially during the Coronavirus Pandemic because we are able to communicate without seeing each other to promote quarantine and social distancing practices. Not only for communication but also for online work. My parents both would have lost their jobs during the Coronavirus Pandemic if there was no technology because they had to transfer their jobs online due to public order to stay at home. Technology can be negative because they have a hard time splitting home life from work life and also takes away communications in person since it can all be done online.

Online Footprint

When looking into my online footprint most of the information that can be found on me is my social media. This includes my Instagram or twitter account that I no longer use. If I were to apply to a job today, an employer that went to go through all my socials would see either my Instagram or Tik Tok. Neither of these accounts have bad information. My Instagram has some photos of me going out and enjoying my vacations or girl’s time.

I googled myself and most of the information that comes up is an author who has the same name as me. The only thing that pops up that is me is my Linkedin account. This only presents a professional picture of me since none of my social media comes up. My online presence is small because someone that is more important than me over shadows my presence. In this case there is nothing that I need to edit out of my online presence to make it more professional.

Blog #10: EOTO #2

EOTO #2

Tapping back into the EOTO’s for our class, I was choosing to do Net neutrality. This is a concept that I remember being brought up when I was about 7, so 12 years ago I remember me and my brother having a conversation on how this will affect our internet usage. At that time, I was confused on what this concept was, and until today I actually discovered the real definition, net neutrality in its most simplified terms is defined as the basic principle that prohibits internet service providers from speeding up, slowing down or blocking any content, applications or websites you want to use. Net neutrality is a subject that brings up many issues.

Issues

The biggest issue at hand is that net neutrality is how the internet has always worked, if it was snot existent then companies have the right to do whatever they want taking advantage of the average person, and violating our online rights.

Another issue is of how Net neutrality affects people of color, and how it become an issue of race. As of right now, the internet allows people of color and other vulnerable communities to bypass traditional media gatekeepers. This means that someone who is controlling the access of what can be seen through a process of filtration is unable to filter out messages that pertain to issues of race. Without Net Neutrality, internet service providers could block speech and prevent dissident voices from speaking freely online causing people of color to lose a vital platform.

Pros and Cons of Net Neutrality

Pros: 

- Eliminates fake news:

• The concept of Net Neutrality allows Internet Service Providers to filter out the disinformation that is spreading on the internet which will allow for a safer environment that is patrolled.

- No rise in prices:

• Any Internet Service Provider cannot charge extra because there is certain services or higher speeds associated with a service.
• This means that all content is created equal with no discrimination to cause a platform to not run at its best so that it creates more revenue.

- Criminal activities are monitored:

• Anything that relates to criminal activity that is posted on the internet is illegal.
• This includes:
• Buying and selling of drugs
• Posting illegal acts on the internet
• Soliciting sex on the internet
• With Net neutrality, it is increasingly difficult to find this stuff because it regulates this information to hide it off these platforms.

Cons:

- Questionable content shows up more:

• Since the internet is not regulated by government, more information that is unwanted can show up on your screen.
• Often these messages include information that can be considered:
• Offensive content
• Discriminatory content
• Racist content
• Obscene content
• Internet Service Providers can still regulate their own platforms, but if it is a monetary issue, providers will buy their way in. 

- Unwanted data mining

•  Data mining is a term which means that techniques are used to discover patterns of internet usage.
• This can seem like an invasion of privacy because every move you make on the internet is being tracked to produce more information that applies to you.

Blog #9: Diffusion Theory

 Diffusion Theory

While looking at diffusion theory and technologies, there is a clear graph that shows the different stages of who adapts to these new technologies and when. There will always be some laggards who never accept these technologies which means the penetration can only come up to 85%. 

Paper through Diffusion Theory

Paper caught on and spread because it was a cheaper version to write down thoughts on to. It also became revolutionary for the world of art and literature. People were finally able to purchase their own books and write their own thoughts. (For more information on paper, Explore Blog #6)

The pioneers would be those who founded paper such as Cai Lun who began creating paper because it was a cheap way to produce written information.  The early adopters would be people the Chinese people who used paper for documentation purposes for the government. Many became early adopters because it became an easier way to produce legal information that can be documented and filed for future reference. Then the Early Majority of people who began to use paper would be when products such as ink came out so artists and writers were able to use paper for their jobs. Next would be the late adopters, these people would be the ones who began to use paper when new technologies such as the type writer came out. Just about most of the population is now using paper.  However, there are still the laggards these are the people who will never use paper due to some reason. Some are later adopters of laggards because they did not or still do not see a use for paper in their daily life unless there was another technological invention that made paper to become necessary for their lives.

Pros and Cons

Back when paper was invented, he positives of paper such as having a recyclable cost-effective source that was easy to transport outweighed the negative such as cutting down trees to make it and it being fragile. Now, I would say the pros of paper do not compare to other technologies such as the computer it has the same effect without harming the economy. A computer is a costly choice up-front; however, it is more environmentally efficient and easier to communicate information through online platforms.

Blog #8: Presentations

 

EOTO PRESENTATIONS

Our class presented EOTO’s today (reference Blog #6 for what this is). There were four groups that each presented different types of technology and the history behind them. These EOTO’s taught me lots of new information on technologies and how they have advanced through society. The technology that stood out to me was the radio.

Radio

I think the radio is the most interesting piece of technology that we learned about in class today, this is because there’s a lot of information on the radio that I didn’t know about. When I think about radio, I immediately think of my car and playing music, this is the entertainment purposes of the radio. 

Originally the radio was used for communications. The first radio system was made for military use. The navy was most commonly equipped with this tool in all of the ships so that all the ships can easily communicate with each other. 

The radio has positives such as that information sharing has been made easier and ideas can be spread easily. The radio also offers many entertainment purposes such as music or talk shows. The navy still uses radio for communication in ships as well. The negatives of radio are minimal such as the political stations can project radicalized views of politics increasing the divide in the government.

I know first responders also have radios for communications along with the military, but personally, I don’t use the radio for communications. I only use the radio for entertainment purposes; however, these radio stations are still communicating information to me. I also know radio for entertainment is not the main go-to anymore either. This technology is now being replaced by Bluetooth or AUX cords in vehicles, the connection is just clearer since it is a direct connection rather than a local broadcast. Sometimes I still listen to the radio for a nostalgic feeling of my childhood and only having the radio for long car rides and it is sometimes nice to not choose what song I want next.

Blog #7: The Progressive Era

THEORIES AND ISSUES OF THE INTERNET

The internet is a place where there is plenty of information that is spread. You may think that when you google search an item it gives you all the results that match best; however, this is not always correct. Google and other search engines and website often filter out certain sites or links from their searches so that information on certain events is not easily accessible.

The Theories

Two websites, ANTIWAR.COM and American Conservative are both written by strong antiwar voices, but they are never heard of in the mainstream news. Most likely you may have never even heard of either of these websites. This is because the media is filtering or gatekeeping the information from the general public. This means that they are limiting our access to sites like these through general searches.  

The Issue 

Gatekeeping is a problem because it can lead a certain audience to believe something that is not correct, but it is the way the media wants the event to be portrayed. This theory also ties in with agenda setting. This means the media is able to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda.

These are such reasons that cause people to have to research obscure websites in order to hear these anti-war voices. The media and internet do not want to allow for all content to be provided because then it would not be able to choose select pieces of news to be most talked about.  A solution to this could be net neutrality, this means that there is something stating that all internet communications must be treated equally without discriminating or changing preference based on each user, content, website, platform, application, type of equipment, source address, destination address or method communication. This basically means nothing is geared towards you as a user and it would be easier to find information relevant to what you are searching.

Blog #6: EOTO 1

EOTO

 An EOTO assignment means Each One Teach One. Every person has a certain type of technology and they all had a chance to present what their research led them to discover to the class. This not only strengthens research skills but it broadens everyone’s knowledge on technology while also giving the class an opportunity to strengthen public speaking skills.

Technology

I am researching paper. It may be a surprise to many people that this is a technology, but before computers, and all this artificial intelligence stuff, technology began with a different meaning. Technology is not just machinery and equipment, but it is the study of techniques, tools, and machines that are created by humans.

Paper

Now that we understand what technology is, paper is a tool that originally was manufactured to strengthen communication. This tool helped people write down their thoughts and anything people have said to them to remember it and avoid playing a game of telephone where words get twisted and lost.

The very first documented account of the invention of paper was when Cai Lun created paper out of materials such as bark, hemp and rags of water which was mashed together pressed and hung to dry. This was in Lei-Yang China during the Eastern Han Era (25-220 CE).

What paper replaced

Paper is not a resource that has always been around, it is man-made and it was not the first tool that has been used for writing. Prior to the invention of paper, items such as wooden strips bamboo and silk were used. These items were not practical in the sense that they were expensive and not a good surface to write on.

Why Paper

Back then the materials paper was made out of were much easier to find and much cheaper to obtain than items such as silk. Today paper is mostly made out of fibers from wood and recycled paper products. 

It greatly improved the spread of literature and literacy along with making other items such as books more convenient and cheaper. As brush, ink and paper all combined it became an important hallmark in art. The creation of panting and calligraphy grew from paper becoming a new tool of technology.

Paper has evolved to have many uses. Other than writing and art, paper was needed when press was invented which created an unchallenged type of communication that would not be beat out until the computer was invented. During the tang dynasty in china (618-907 CE) paper was valued so much that it was used to pay tribute and taxes to the state. The color of paper was also important which created a code; white is for legal documents, yellow for government purposes, blue is for communications with Taoist temples. Paper was also used for map making, packaging for delicate items, hat-making, armor, screens, curtains, clothes and money.

Pros and Cons

Blog #5: In the Age of AI

 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a progressing system of technology that is important in our daily lives. As AI progresses, it becomes more and more frightening as it is taking over so much. This video opened my eyes and made me see many of the cons of this technology, more than just the fear of us being taken over by robots smarter than humans.

FEARS

I fear the fact that a machine can know everything about me. These machines can gather data in under seconds using information that seems to be unrelated such as battery life on my phone. A machine can know my face and in China this can be used as currency. Even our phones today use a facial recognition process. A machine can use a system to study our face and even come up with how old we are with a quick scan. This is the information that is terrifying because if this entire information system is studying our phones and what we look at, how many other people can see this information?

PRIVACY

All this information out there which is made so easily accessible especially by people who are talented in the field of hacking. These systems use 5,000 different personal features in just seconds to just assess someone’s credit score. Well after this information is gathered, where does it go? There’s a system like the cloud where this information is all stored so it can be used again. This bounces back to my fear of anyone being able to view this personal information. Although these systems can see so much, they make systems such as getting a loan almost instant. With this information assessed in seconds through this technological process.

SAVING LIVES

An important pro of AI is that with this progressive knowledge and technology, lives can be saved or surgeries can be prevented. When people are showing a concerning lump, it is early enough where surgery can be done to prevent it from being cancerous. However, many of these surgery’s don’t even have to be done to see if the lump is cancerous. Technology can be used and study the pixels to prevent the procedure on 90% of the people.

AI can be used to eliminate many car accidents. The video notes that many car accidents are caused by human error. With AI controlling these vehicles it can stop accidents from happening saving the world from these tragic fatalities.

JOBS

Lastly, I would like to note that with AI taking over, it is progressing faster than most human intelligence causing jobs that people could originally do to be taken by AI. May people say that blue collar jobs would be taken, but in reality, it is the white-collar jobs more likely to be taken. This is because white collar jobs are easier to replace with software because it is all a system and relies on analysis versus blue collar jobs which require hand eye coordination that many machines are not able to do.