COMM 303 Blog #10

I Will Never Leave You Love

 

Sweaty palms, rapid palpitation, twitching, headache, and nausea. I might have been exaggerating with my symptoms after losing my phone for over two weeks last month. Precisely a day before I received a new phone in the mail I began to experience mini anxiety attacks from not having a phone to cradle and protect.

Knowing that was my behavior from simply losing one of my communication technologies, makes me think I would be driven insane if I had no devices in my life that connect me to my networks. Let me state that the most tragic outcome of being “unplugged” would be the lack of immediate virtual communication between the people in my life—no social life. Then, the one that should be first, college would be chaotic without any communication technology. Face it, everything is becoming digital and how the university communicates with the enrolled is by email. If I did not have a computer I would be doomed. I would be like the grade I would receive for my courses, incomplete.

There is absolutely no way I could go natural on this aspect of life. I am connected and I will remain that way. I was forced to be partially unplugged for over two weeks, and at first it was not too bad, but when I realized I had to go to a computer every time I needed to talk to my friends, it became tedious having to trot up and down the stairs. I enjoy exercise, don’t misunderstand me, I mean with my phone, my thumbs probably sweat off a thousand calories a day.

This communication technology course has exactly taught me how connected we are, and that every day that passes we become more dependent on robots. Take by example the history of different innovation developments and the rate in which they were adopted. There is a trend that every new technology is embraced by the majority quicker than the last one.

What is it that is trending now? The iPhone 5? And Snapchat? Dear, I’ve said it enough on my blogs, I cannot keep up with all these new inventions, I might after all become a laggard.

I have to unplug evey time I go to El Salvador, because there is not Internet access everywhere, and my poor phone gets lost in time. I do take my companion abroad with me, it gives me a piece of mind to know it's there with me. Check out the article I had to read for this blog. Do you unplug when you go out od the States?

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8535.aspx

 We discussed in class displacement theory, which referred to the amount of time we have constrains the communication activities we perform. In other words, operating one communication technology takes time from another, most likely older. Communication technology is like fashion, or a teenage girl’s crush, meaning one day it is what all the focus and energy goes towards, and then the next there is a cooler new shirt or guy that takes time away from the vintage skirt and John I-Forgot-His-Last-Name.

Here is a brief listing of my likes and dislikes of new communication technologies. The tougher words are hyperlinked so you can see what they mean.

My Likes on Comm Tech	My Dislikes on Comm Tech
Asynchronous	Loss in ability to communicate face-to-face
Ubiquitous	Texting and Driving
All on the palm of my hand	Loss of privacy—just be smart on what you disclose

 This video makes me shake my head. That is not living! Get off Facebook, and stop stalking people you don't even see in real life. One thousand "friends", should be 986  strangers instead.

 

Because I have posted my blog on Facebook and Twitter I have gotten a total of 797 views as of right now! Positive exposure on the Internet can be a good thing for, and to a blogger. For the blogger, because future employers could look at the potential of a writer, and to the person because it makes them feel good someone cares enough to read it, besides the professor who has to read it. That being said, I appreciate all the support and comments from all of my readers.

Blog 10! Thank you for staying with me until the end. Happy Finals!

COMM 303 Blog #9

Suit? What Suit? I Rock My Pajamas

When I Report

New and alternative media…hmm I should know what this is now, after all I have been taking a class all this semester on the subject and I have been blogging more consistently than ever before.

Blogging is a form of citizen journalism, a person who may not be accredited as a journalist, but finds it in their civic duty to report the happenings of the world in a different perspective than mainstream media portrays them.

Thomas Jefferson was the one who said, “I would rather have a free press and no government, than a government and no free press.” In the U.S. today anyone can exercise this freedom by blogging.

The word publishing is broader than it used to be. What do you understand when you hear “to publish”? Not until this year did I discover this word is one of the most complex P words ever invented. You know that publishing is not necessarily written and read by a mass audience? It means anything written or said and read or heard by a third party is considered to be published. I have published nine pieces of information and thoughts thus far. You, the one reading, have been my audience and reader throughout the semester.

In the article we had to read for this particular blog, about blogging and the incorrect regards made on a blog about the governor of South Carolina are comical. Anyone can really go on the Internet and post anything about anyone. The particular article talked about the immediate reaction by mainstream media by a tweet posted alleging the governor was going to be indicted. The time it took for that to spread and for news outlets to verify if that was true, was faster than the selling of Justin Bieber concert tickets. The allegations were NOT true as the governor easily proved.

Twitter has become a micro form of blogging. The immediate thoughts, feelings and knowledge a person might have are published within the boundaries of 140 characters. Then you may look at a blog like mine and it elaborates more on the content and gives more information. Being true or not true what I say, I still have the freedom to post it.

A concern among classmates, as I have discovered throughout the term, has been that many of these students are concerned with the legitimacy of the traditional news sources, because they consider them to be too biased. But then, when you ask if they trust the blogging world or other alternative forms of media they are skeptical to go forth and trust them.

I kept hearing over and over this year the example of FOX News, and how conservative they are and how they only report on those principles. While that’s true, there are narrow minded people who get their information from that broadcasting station, just like those who only watch MSNBC.

Bloggers are usually biased too whenever they report. Therefore, do not always believe everything we post or say, check it twice before making an erroneous claim. While I have injected my opinion throughout the semester, I have left room for you to comment and let me know what you think and other facts I might have omitted. I am not narrow minded and I like to see an argument from all sides, even if I don’t agree in the end.

On the issue that we are “too free” as to what we are able to say in the world of the Internet, I will not blame the writer, or publisher of a work, because every single individual is responsible for their actions. If an insane person reads something or views something, it's all on them how they interpret things said or written. 

Now, that being said, as an educated citizen show some intelligence when posting blogs, comments or tweets. Offending another religion or the lack of is never okay, critique it eloquently, but do not be disgusting in how you treat others. Another important point rises up, bullying in person, or more cowardly, through the web, is never ever alright.

Things to take away from blogging are to not so naively believe everything posted is the sacred truth, and to check it before you fake it, and spread the lies or hatred even further.

Take a look at this State Farm commercial. I think it’s funny and relevant, not everything on the Internet is true!

If you want to be more than an opinion piece on the blogging world I recommend looking up the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. Click on the link below!

http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

As always, thank you for reading! One more to go.

COMM 303 Blog #8

Permission? What is That? Oh Well,

I See You!

“No Twitter, I do not want you to transfer my Gmail contacts. Wait, how do you know who my Gmail contacts are in the first place?” –Me.

Lately I have been noticing these notifications greeting me on Twitter, and I wondered how is it possible for them to know who my contacts were on my Gmail account? Well, I do use my Gmail to log in to my Twitter, so I suppose they are connected, but still that was kind of a creepy notification to find as I opened up my page.

Privacy is not as easy to guard as it was before the internet or mobile phones. The constant need to publicize what we do, where we do it, why we do it, when we do it, who we do it with, and how we do it may bring some unwanted consequences. Today, it is very easy to make all of that content public because of the social networks, but is it safe to put every thought out there? Is it okay to accept every friend request? Or let people follow you? Why would you want a stranger following you?

I think that these social networks have the capability of being used positively. Yet, there are people with over a thousand friends, who I really doubt know every single “friend.” I only accept people I’ve met, and I am constantly deleting people who I do not keep in contact with anymore. On Twitter, I refused to get one, but now that I have one, I still think twice before posting a thought. My Facebook is private, although, I found out my profile picture is not private, anyone can click on it and view it as any of my friends could. It becomes “private” when it’s no longer your profile picture. The Internet world can view all my tweets, because I’m not really being irrational with my thoughts, although, you might think that way. The point is, I am not irresponsible with what I post. I know for a fact employers will look at those networks, so I have to be intelligent to with the things I reveal.

Take a look at this video on social networks. This channel on YouTube has many other videos advocating the realities of privacy in our overly connected world today.

These networks when you sign up for them do not ask much information about you, it’s very easy to sign up. However, once you have one you realize there is a lot of information that ends up being needed to participate in certain applications. The more information one reveals, the less privacy one holds. When you Google your name, what do you find?

Besides the lack of responsibility when using a social network, privacy easily fades every time you sign up for some rewards program. Kroger customers get tracked on what they buy every time they swipe their Kroger card. Those coupons you receive at the check-out or by mail are not convenient every single time just by coincidence. The products that the customers buy are tracked and therefore they send coupons for the same items. Personalized coupons equal more probability the customer will go back to shop there again.

Check out the dad that found out his daughter was pregnant, before she even had the chance to say anything.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/

If these invasive social networks or large retailers are not enough there is the all encompassing government who keeps you safe while you aren’t watching. Safe? Yes, from terrorist and other threats, but for that they must look at every single possible suspect, and you might be one. The Patriot Act was signed into order in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. The act allows intelligence agencies to look into more detail than ever before citizens who might be infringing the law. To do so they are allowed to wiretap telephone lines, and look into their Internet history.

Recently, I had a rude awakening to the real world without a phone. Two weeks ago I lost my phone, and immediately there after I called my company to suspend services so no one else could use my phone. Even though my phone had every lock possible, I still worried that someone savvy enough could bypass those passwords and see all my open applications and phone number I had that phone. My phone was my life, and these past two weeks I have been checking all my bank accounts and all other networks that I had connected in that phone to make sure no one has accessed to any information that could harm me. Take a look at this video about cell phones.

I hope everyone reading will be more conscious on how they handle new communication technologies, because as much as they can be helpful they can also hurt you if we misuse or misplace them. Also, don’t accept every reward card! Where do you really shop? Stick to what you need the most. Big Brother is always watching, and as technology advances it will be a step ahead of what you even know about yourself. Be aware. Be smart. Log off.

Now I sign off with this appropriate song. "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.