JCOM 2160: Reading Three

I found the nobody knows you’re a dog comic to be quite funny. It’s true that the internet is full of anonymous people. And I believe three points can be raised from this fact.

1) Cyber bullying is a huge issue. The internet if full of rude and hateful comments. If you don’t believe me, check the comments on any video on Youtube video. Heck, even on this blog I’ve had people leave nasty comments.

So why is this? It’s because people are more likely to say mean things when it’s not directly to someone’s face -- the sad fact of the internet.

2) Credibility? Probably not. Anyone can write articles on the internet. Anyone. Trust your sources before citing them, but don't be over trusting.

3) A marketplace of ideas is a beautiful thing. The ability for anyone to use the internet is rather poetic. Everyone is connected to one another, even if that someone is five years old, or even a dog.

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Speaking as someone who refuses to use Myspace, I was reluctant to start a Facebook account last year. I mean, they’re the same things, right? Essentially, yes.

The whole concept of Facebook and Myspace is to stay in touch with people. And as this article points out,Face up to Facebook ,sometimes staying in touch means knowing too much about someone else.

In my opinion social networking sites are nothing but gossip central. Seriously, who needs to keep tabs on 500 “friends?” That’s a whole lot of information, on a whole lot of people. I simply don’t see the point.

On the other hand, I use Facebook to stay in touch with games industry folk. It's surprisingly a great tool to talk important people that I would likely not be able to talk to otherwise. So I suppose these sites have a legitimate purpose depending on the intentions.

JCOM 2160: Reading Two

Did you know search engines such as Google are tracking information on every query? In a way, Google has a digital fingerprint on nearly every American. Should search engines be allowed to do this?

According to U.S. law, Google is entirely within their right to maintain information on search results. Furthermore, the data collected from searches can be stored forever.

The thought of a huge corporation knowing so much about me is unsettling and I can’t imagine many others would be too keen about it either. Google may be within their rights, but it seems ethically wrong to keep all of that information. If knowledge is power, then Google has quite a bit of it.

To find out more about the privacy issues surrounding search engines, visit this link: When google is not your friend

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Right now, the internet is a marketplace of free flowing ideas. You have the freedom to choose whether you want to use Google, Yahoo, or you can even use your own custom made search engine. This freedom is all thanks to net neutrality.

But what if net neutrality didn’t exist? In fact, some internet service providers (ISP) are trying to change federal laws right now to abolish net neutrality. If these ISP’s are successful in changing the laws, companies such as Google and Yahoo will be paying the ISP’s a premium in order to use the internet.

If these ISP’s have their way, the internet may end up being a lot like cable television – the more you pay for a package, the more channels you get. I know we all hate paying for content on TV too.

Hopefully the net neutrality laws never change. Yet, this is a very real issue.

To find out more about net neutrality, visit this link: The coming tug of war over the internet

Email Etiquette (JCOM 2160)

People ask me all the time, "Tim, why is sending emails on the interwebs so hard?" I know, the internet can be a very tricky and complicated place, but don't stress over it, because I'm here to explain the do's and the don'ts of proper email etiquette.

Step 1 -Sending fan mail to your favorite celebrity can be fun, but remember, don't write every thought that comes into your head. Here's what I mean:

DEAR GEORGE CLOONEY,

I THOUGHT U WUR SO DREAMY N DAT 1 MOVIE!!!!!!111! LULZ ;) UR JES 2 KEWL. PLZ BE MY FRIEND. KAY?

YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN
-CUTECHICK897

Step 2 - Let's analyze what cutechick897 did wrong in this email.

First off, Cutechick897 used all caps. All caps implies that the writer is yelling. How rude! You should always use an indoor voice when sending emails.

Second, Using phrases such as "U, UR, PLZ," etc. are never okay. Ever. The same goes for emoticons. Unless you're, a highschool girl who just bought a cell phone -- always use proper grammar and spelling. Trust me, your boss won't be flattered.

Step 3 - This is the most important step -- be respectful and courteous no matter who the addressee is. Being nice is just as important as forming a coherent sentence.

If you'd like to find out more about proper email etiquette and proper internet etiquette in general, here are two links to start you off on the right foot:
Email Replies
Net Etiquette