Blogging is truly different than writing a formal 5 paragraph essay; it gives you the freedom on what you want to say without too many regulations to follow. Writing is about truly expressing not only your feelings, but your knowledge and understanding of the subject and to write how you want, can open up a new perspective in one's ability to write. Honestly, I really did not have a problem with anything about this blog, traditional essays have so many strict guidelines and personally I think they restrict what your mind truly wants to say.
It was simple to just look at a website and find a topic you were interested in and sit down and just write whatever you thought was best for the world moving forward. Even writing this and making it public can help me to see how I can progress as a writer and it is pretty fun to see that other people could look at your articles and say, hey I really never thought about that and then build off your ideas. Also posting pictures and videos can really help your article mainly due to the fact that it can give your words more meaning and give more insight to what the reader needs to understand.
When you are a student you tend to do a lot of research to find a topic or website that might relate to your opinion, but writing in this blog like I said before gives you so much freedom that you are able to express what others may not have been thinking before.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Net Neutrality
Money is a powerful tool that big companies use to strong-arm smaller companies to get what they want. The past decision to allow the telecom companies to control what they want sent through their networks has truly changed the idea of net neutrality. Basically, net neutrality is a principle that allows the freedom and application of openness on the internet.
If net neutrality is lost, bigger Internet Service Providers will be able to give special care to providers like Direct T.V., Comcast, or even Verizon at a higher price. Setting these high prices can result in a headlock between the big companies and small companies, in turn controlling the smaller ones.
As a consumer one has to be worried about the bigger companies controlling the market; prices will begin to rise, even for things that use to be "free" and "included." For example, if this law is changed these companies like Hulu could pay more money to get their shows out first before anyone else, allowing Hulu to gain ground on other companies and could potentially become the primary source of fresh new shows.
I tagged a video explaining Net Neutrality in further depth from the New York Times:
If net neutrality is lost, bigger Internet Service Providers will be able to give special care to providers like Direct T.V., Comcast, or even Verizon at a higher price. Setting these high prices can result in a headlock between the big companies and small companies, in turn controlling the smaller ones.
As a consumer one has to be worried about the bigger companies controlling the market; prices will begin to rise, even for things that use to be "free" and "included." For example, if this law is changed these companies like Hulu could pay more money to get their shows out first before anyone else, allowing Hulu to gain ground on other companies and could potentially become the primary source of fresh new shows.
I tagged a video explaining Net Neutrality in further depth from the New York Times:
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Are You Being Tracked?
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| Tracked |
Websites will know what ads to show you when you
search similar things on the internet, text messages and pictures are being recorded on your phone, and even apps on your phone can tell where you are at any time. Like it or not most of our technological devices are tracking our every move and could potentially get some people in trouble with items they thought were safe.
Applying for a job? Companies can spy on the individual they are willing to hire and could potentially see you religious beliefs, relationship status, and even political preferences. With access to this information companies now have an idea of who they may hire based on these things.
How can we fix this problem? Unfortunately with the technological society we live in, there won't be a simple fix solution, but we need to start somewhere. Herb Weisbaum believes that we need to establish a Do Not Track program that will in theory give you an option on whether it is okay for the particular website or item to track you and what you are doing. To enforce this rule would require the FTC to be willing to work with the consumers and new technology.
Don't look now; you may be being tracked right now.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
The Future Of Internet
The internet has taken large steps ever since the creation of Internet Explorer 1.0 in 1995. From a single web browser to now hundreds, the internet continues to defy what we think of as impossible.
Remarkably, the internet is no older than 30 years old and being that young calls for some growing up to do.
Many individuals have theories how the internet will change in the upcoming years, but with the help of a recent poll from Paw Research, I can shed some light on what you should expect in the near future. There truly is an enormous gap of what is currently possible and what is currently available, but there is no disagreeing that the internet will continue to grow, only how it will affect our lives.
Higher definition screens, global connectivity, and unprecedented web surfing speeds will be the highlight of what is to come, but why stop there? The future can bring things that could only be imagined like downloading a movie in a matter of seconds without any lag, or playing online video games where the servers never crash.
In a recent survey from the Census Bureau by the year 2020 there will be an average of 6.6 technological devices that you have and that are connected to the internet. Now not only are computers and smartphones connecting to the internet, but in the near future things like your new apartment can come equipped with things that monitor everything you manually do in the year 2015. For example, with a simple connection from inside of your apartment and your air conditioning unit it can sense if it has been snowing and right before you walk in could crank up the heat so it would be a more favorable temperature. Had a long day at work? With your speakers hooked up to your phone via Bluetooth it can determine what kind of mood you are in based on your events that happened and even your tone of your voice when talking to choose what song would be best to play when you finish that long day.
From the software side of things, there could be possibilities even from your refrigerator. Depending on what you have in your fridge, the fridge would be able to list what food is available and what kind of items you have to make a certain dish based on your mood, diet, or even preference.
Be prepared not only for groundbreaking technology but for a world of alternate realities.
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| Future of the Internet |
Many individuals have theories how the internet will change in the upcoming years, but with the help of a recent poll from Paw Research, I can shed some light on what you should expect in the near future. There truly is an enormous gap of what is currently possible and what is currently available, but there is no disagreeing that the internet will continue to grow, only how it will affect our lives.
Higher definition screens, global connectivity, and unprecedented web surfing speeds will be the highlight of what is to come, but why stop there? The future can bring things that could only be imagined like downloading a movie in a matter of seconds without any lag, or playing online video games where the servers never crash.
In a recent survey from the Census Bureau by the year 2020 there will be an average of 6.6 technological devices that you have and that are connected to the internet. Now not only are computers and smartphones connecting to the internet, but in the near future things like your new apartment can come equipped with things that monitor everything you manually do in the year 2015. For example, with a simple connection from inside of your apartment and your air conditioning unit it can sense if it has been snowing and right before you walk in could crank up the heat so it would be a more favorable temperature. Had a long day at work? With your speakers hooked up to your phone via Bluetooth it can determine what kind of mood you are in based on your events that happened and even your tone of your voice when talking to choose what song would be best to play when you finish that long day.
From the software side of things, there could be possibilities even from your refrigerator. Depending on what you have in your fridge, the fridge would be able to list what food is available and what kind of items you have to make a certain dish based on your mood, diet, or even preference.
Be prepared not only for groundbreaking technology but for a world of alternate realities.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
BEWARE! PRIVATE!
We live in a technological society that is controlled by devices such as the computer and the cell phone. Throughout the world, over 3 billion people are using the internet and of that 3 billion an alarming 26% of the United States does not use anti-virus software, which could potentially save vital information. Knowing this information, the number of cybercriminals has increased significantly over the years and is continuing to rise every day. The first step to becoming protected is to understand how these hackers are able to access your information and figure out what you can do to prevent this.
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| Are You Protected |
Despite heavy protection on computer software, hackers are still able to access your personal information with a couple of sneaky schemes and tactics. First, these hackers will hide illegitimate software in certain malware downloads so they can gain access to personal information like your email and websites. In 2012, trusted items such as Microsoft Word and Adobe were commonly sent in an email as an attachment, so when you open this attachment they gain access to your protected files. Even if you do have anti-virus software that is protecting your computer it can be disabled by these savvy hackers. For instance, pop-ups will be present saying that a credit card must be applied to keep your anti-virus software running or fake anti-virus software will appear saying there are problems and they need to be fixed; this is commonly known as scareware.
Unfortunately hackers aren't the only thing computer users must worry about, one of the most controversial topic are cookies. Yes you heard that right, but not the chocolate or sugar kind, the less appealing and edible computer cookies. Cookies are formed in many ways; for instance, whenever you go to a website that you look to purchase something and put that item in your cart or proceed to buy, you will generate a third party ad on different websites you use. A more hardcore example can be shown when you are on a website like Pandora, which breaks from time to time to advertise and allows them to play free music. Notice that certain advertisements may be similar to the things that you have been looking at on the internet, but it's no common occurrence it's the cookies on your computer.
Privacy laws have been put into place, but they will certainly have to be evaluated in the near future. With applications on phones such as Snapchat, this allows users to send pictures to other friends, and actually stores the pictures that are sent. Hackers could potentially gain access into this vault and release pictures that individuals never thought would come to head.
Be conscious of what websites you visit and always do not open something that you do not trust. One day at a time, we can keep our internet private!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Should You Pay For Music?
A big part about controlling the internet is learning what regulations that we can abide by and others where we can throw out the window. For instance, the regulation of downloading music for a free price has always been a hot topic so let's discuss reasons why it should be free and reasons why it shouldn't.
Why music should be free: artists make millions of dollars when they create their new songs and also when they perform so why does $1.29 on iTunes make such a big deal? Furthermore, with access to the radio in cars and now new apps like Spotify and Pandora downloading music to your phone for free shouldn't raise any eyebrows. Another reason why music should be free is that more people will listen to the music. With more people listening to the music the more recognition the artist will get which can lead to more fans and more money. Finally, paying for music is expensive. Not everyone in today's economy can afford to buy their favorite songs because of how expensive it is and over the years it has increased from $.99 to $1.29.
Why music shouldn't be free: imagine yourself creating something that a lot of people enjoy, even though you created it you see other people using it without your permission and are not receiving any retribution for all your hard work. Artists create music for consumers to enjoy and do expect a price to be paid because unfortunately not every artist does it for the love of the music. Another argument can be made that some current bands need support. Fame and fortune does not apply to all artists and for the ones that aren't spotted by a major record company yet. The music that is purchased not only will get help with the artist gain recognition, but it will also be able to help them financially. Finally, writing music is a job and if you are good at it you get paid for it, however when you listen to the music illegally and download it you are not only committing a crime, but you are taking opportunities for these artists in their job.
According to musical artist Michelle Phan she states, "In a primary internet society that we live in today, it is hard to know who owns what and if it's music, it should be free." It does seem to be interesting that even some recording artists believe that music should be free, yet it still seems to be split in half for people believing in to pay or not to pay.
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| Downloaded Music |
Why music should be free: artists make millions of dollars when they create their new songs and also when they perform so why does $1.29 on iTunes make such a big deal? Furthermore, with access to the radio in cars and now new apps like Spotify and Pandora downloading music to your phone for free shouldn't raise any eyebrows. Another reason why music should be free is that more people will listen to the music. With more people listening to the music the more recognition the artist will get which can lead to more fans and more money. Finally, paying for music is expensive. Not everyone in today's economy can afford to buy their favorite songs because of how expensive it is and over the years it has increased from $.99 to $1.29.
Why music shouldn't be free: imagine yourself creating something that a lot of people enjoy, even though you created it you see other people using it without your permission and are not receiving any retribution for all your hard work. Artists create music for consumers to enjoy and do expect a price to be paid because unfortunately not every artist does it for the love of the music. Another argument can be made that some current bands need support. Fame and fortune does not apply to all artists and for the ones that aren't spotted by a major record company yet. The music that is purchased not only will get help with the artist gain recognition, but it will also be able to help them financially. Finally, writing music is a job and if you are good at it you get paid for it, however when you listen to the music illegally and download it you are not only committing a crime, but you are taking opportunities for these artists in their job.
According to musical artist Michelle Phan she states, "In a primary internet society that we live in today, it is hard to know who owns what and if it's music, it should be free." It does seem to be interesting that even some recording artists believe that music should be free, yet it still seems to be split in half for people believing in to pay or not to pay.
Friday, July 3, 2015
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