Blog Post #6 (EOTO Presentations)

 I learned a lot of interesting facts about communication technologies during the EOTO presentations. I learned that bluetooth technology is used in hearing aids and pacemakers. I didn’t realize that cloud computing started as far back as the 50s, and there are different types of cloud deployment and service models. It was interesting to me that by 1993 the term “electronic mail” had been replaced by email. The first radio transmission was in 1906. Restrictions were put on radio broadcasts in 1917. I had no idea the first form of emoticons were used in a newspaper in 1881. Also, the first newspaper came out in 1605. These are all revolutionary kinds of communication technology.

Blog Post #5 (Antiwar.com)

  These are both websites that have strong antiwar views. You probably don’t often see articles with antiwar voices like these in the mainstream news because most news sites use clickbait or shocking headlines to attract attention. Also, the government will always try to censor antiwar messages. This is because the government likes to fight in wars, because of the economic and technological benefits that come with it.

Blog Post #4 (EOTO)

 

The creation of the internet and the world wide web is debatably one of the most important and impactful inventions from the past century. Nowadays, we all use the internet constantly; on our phones, computers, and even smart watches. However, we don’t usually realize how much we now rely on the internet and its instant access to information. The internet began back in the 1960s as a way for government researchers to share information. The Cold War accelerated the development of the internet. This led to the formation of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). ARPANET was a network limited to academic and research organizations that had contracts with the defense department. This ended up transitioning into becoming the internet we know today. The birth of the TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internetwork Protocol) is what is known as the beginning of the internet. This was on January 1, 1983. The TCP/IP allowed different computers on different networks to communicate with each other. 

This is an image of the UNIVAC I, one of the first commercially sold computers for business use. The creation of the internet had a large impact on the world and how we live our daily lives. The first survey of internet users in 1996 showed that about 40 million people used the internet. In 2013, that number grew to 2 billion. The internet changed how we would plan trips, get our news, do our jobs, and even how we learn. A 2013 survey also concluded that about 7 billion people use wireless devices. That’s nearly the entire world’s population. 

This is a chart demonstrating the number of internet users (in millions) from 2004 to 2018. According to an article written by Manuel Castells, the expansion of the internet from the mid 90s onward was a result of three factors: the code of the world wide web being open source, keeping the internet open to both commercial and cooperative uses, and major changes in social structure and society. Our society has changed to be formed around the internet. An academic resource has established that the internet does not isolate people, nor does it decrease sociability. Another study also showed that the internet increases people’s “feelings of security, personal freedom, and influence.” This shows that internet use overall has a positive effect on happiness. However, this is only when used in moderation. Using the internet too much, and letting it control your life; can lead to many negative effects. The internet can also be used to harm others. This includes: online grooming, cyberbullying, cyber racism, online scams, and internet addiction. 

Sources:

A Brief History of the Internet, https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_02.phtml. 

Development History of the World Wide Web - Researchgate.net. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karwan-Jacksi/publication/336073851_Development_History_Of_The_World_Wide_Web/links/5d8d1f8f92851c33e94064cb/Development-History-Of-The-World-Wide-Web.pdf. 

Diomidous, Marianna, et al. “Social and Psychological Effects of the Internet Use.” Acta Informatica Medica : AIM : Journal of the Society for Medical Informatics of Bosnia & Herzegovina : Casopis Drustva Za Medicinsku Informatiku BiH, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4789623/. 

Feldman, Sarah, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: Half of the World Will Be on the Worldwide Web.” Statista Infographics, 19 Dec. 2018, https://www.statista.com/chart/16467/internet-usage-worldwide/. 

Blog Post #3 (Speech Theories)

The speech theory that resonates most with me is "promote innovation." This is also what I feel is the most important of the speech theories. I feel like focusing on moving forward and promoting new ideas is very important in our society. However, I am also very interested in “protect dissent.” Preventing mob mentality and preserving the importance of unpopular views is also necessary for the development of our world. One of the speech theories that I see being practiced in our modern world is the “marketplace of ideas.” In Detroit, Michigan, schools have begun to consider removing certain books from their libraries. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan sent a letter notifying that this may be a violation of the 1st amendment. Jay Kaplan, ACLU of Michigan Nancy Katz & Margo Dichtelmiller LGBTQ+ Rights Project Staff Attorney, made a statement on the matter. “School libraries are places where young people should be able to learn about themselves and people who are different from themselves, not denied access to the diverse perspectives that books and literature offer us all.” He specifically mentions that all students should be able to have access to the “diverse perspectives” that books can offer. This directly connects to the idea of marketplace of ideas. Americans should have access to many different perspectives and ideas. Another example of this theory in action is in Texas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in their efforts to reduce censorship on social media, have created a ruling that bans social media companies from censoring users’ viewpoints. This would allow all kinds of different opinions to flourish on the internet. However, not everyone seemed to agree with this ruling. Andrew Oldham, a Donald Trump appointee who had previously served as Abbott’s general counsel, says “Today we reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say…”

Sources:

https://nbc25news.com/news/local/aclu-asks-michigans-public-schools-to-think-about-1st-amendment-rights-before-book-bans

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/16/5th-circuit-upholds-texas-law-forbidding-social-media-censorship-again-00057316

Blog Post #2 (Supreme Court Video)

 I learned that the supreme court gets about 100 cases a week, while they only accept around 100 per year. I also didn't realize that most of them were concerning certiorari. The most important take-away point about the supreme court is that it's their job to interpret the constitution and each of the judges do this in a different way. The most surprising thing I learned was that the justices try to have a rule where everyone must speak once before anyone speaks twice. The video changed the way I think about the supreme court by helping me realize that in the end the judges are still people. When looking at groups that have that much power in the world it's easy to forget that they're still just human in the end and most of the time have to solve issues the same way we do.

Blog Post #1 (Sources of News)

 https://news.google.com/home?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Google News

My primary source of news that I use is the Google News discover feed. I understand that this is not necessarily the most reliable source of news, but I prefer using it because it's personalized towards me. I don't like having to sift through news sites to find articles I would be interested in, so this is a good source that meets my needs.

https://www.youtube.com/

I also sometimes get news from YouTube. This is another source of news that uses personalization to show relevant videos. YouTube isn't technically a news source itself, as any content you watch will come from different channels.

https://www.huffpost.com/

When I was in high school, we used to do a bunch of assignments about finding news articles. During this time, I usually would use Huffington Post. I liked this website specifically because they separate all the articles into different categories, so it's easy to find stuff you're interested in.