Time Will Tell If Google's Privacy Policy Remains Private

            When thinking of Internet websites and search engines almost immediately the first thing to come to mind is Google. Yes, Google, the #1 search engine and unquestionably the most frequently used site has revolutionized people’s ability to find answers to questions or information on certain topics. Google offers just as its mission statement says, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” (Vaidhyanathan- Googilization of Everything). Google has become a constant part of daily culture to everyone who has access to the Internet. It’s programs under the Google name such as G-Mail, YouTube, as well as Google Chrome and Google Maps, display just how revolutionized search engines have become due to being more convenient for users. Though Google may seem to be more convenient for users it also has the ability to enter into ones private life. It claims to have privacy settings however, Google’s ability to manipulate users gives it “pretty much a lack of privacy.” Its ability to scam personal data from intimate networks reveal behavior that has not gone unnoticed by users all across the globe.

            Google’s manipulation and inappropriate behavior with its users came to boiling point with unsatisfied users in Germany and Google’s program “Street View”.  Minister Ilse Agner was quoting saying “Google has for years penetrated private networks, illegally”.  According to the report, only two weeks previous Google had been telling German consumer protections authority “that it was only recording the network’s names and addresses” when they were gathering even more personal data as well. Google’s rapid collection of personal information from Wi-Fi networks is simply an inappropriate behavior because they take advantage of users personal information. Due to uproars like this and several others that question the privacy claims of the search engine, Google said it will introduce an option that will allow “users to encrypt searches on its website as an added protection against unauthorized snooping”, however further personal information will need to be provided in doing so, causing many to question Google’s attempt at another user privacy claim.

            Google is a search engine that will continue to be used, however as it revolutionizes so do other search engines as well. It seems that only future use will show how stable Google and it’s user privacy is and will remain. Thus far its inability to affectively notify users for info and in turn hack into users personal information is clearly instability on the websites parts. It will be interesting to see if the encrypting of searches will have a positive or negative effect for Google and its users. The only thing one can do is continue to use the website hoping for improved privacy or use an alternative search engine. Time will tell if Google’s privacy policy will in fact remain private.

           

Online Sharing Aids Musicians

No matter who you are, each person in our digital cultures class is a pirate. We ourselves have all contributed to “every important sector of big media today-film, records, radio, and cable TV”, each being born by so-called piracy (Lessig-Free Culture). So what exactly is piracy and how does it make individuals a pirate? Well friends, piracy occurs when an individual, without permission, uses another’s creative property. Now can we all honestly say that we have not done this? (No hands go up…) Exactly! When a song is heard on the Internet that catches the interest of one person, they in turn inform others, who then inform others. This, yet a case of piracy, is an example of how online sharing can benefit an artist. The Internet is a main catalyst for allowing the public to hear new independent artists. The exposure that the artists receive from online sharing of music is definitely beneficial towards them spreading their name and gaining them fame. Though in the eyes of the recording company, the online sharing may seem detrimental, in actually it is an advantage for the recording artists themselves.

            The truth is that the free downloading of music by no means “destroys sales” or “ruins the music industry” as recording labels may claim. In fact, it helps sales, maybe not immediately, but in the future. It can be thought about though personal experience. An individual may hear a song from an artist through a friend, causing them to get a free download. Gradually they inform others, while also listening to other songs from the artist. Soon they find the artist is touring and they go see a concert, paying for a ticket and also possibly purchasing memorabilia at the concert. This doesn’t even include the iTunes purchases, or CD purchases from gained popularity after individuals continue to spread artist’s notoriety. In fact, Janis Ian, the recording musician who authored the reading from class stated that she found “every time we make a few songs available on my website, sales of all CD’s go up. A lot,” further detailing that free downloading is a clear benefit to the artist.

            Ian added that the main way an artist can become successful is through one thing, exposure. As she details, “without exposure, no one comes to shows, no one buys CDs”. In her experience she said she has had several encounters with fans who said, “they came to a show because they’d downloaded a song and gotten curious”, yet another testament to the benefit of free downloading (Ian-Internet Piracy).

            Ian’s articles, as well as similar artists accounts, clearly reveals that they artists themselves are not the ones negatively affected by free online sharing. They in turn are positively affected allowing their name to gain recognition, and their music to catch on with fans for years to come.

Flickr Fun

This past week, the class project was one that broadened technological horizons, for me especially. Having never truly used flicker until recently for the assignment, I was opened to several different things, which to me presented myriad opportunities for avid picture takers and photographers.  Our group gathered together and began to piece together what story we would be telling. After jotting down ideas and discussing what type of angles and pictures we were thinking of, our projected story finally was decided and the fun began.

The story Above the Influence summarized the first person view of the life of a college student, and the affects his decisions at a party would have on him. Through 2 sets of 5 pictures our group displayed a student studying, entering a party, accepting or not accepting a drink and joint, vomiting or helping a friend, and then waking up in the morning in bed or outside. From each picture, the story came to life. By using various lighting effects along with some color aspects the pictures greatly displayed what emotion or depictions we wanted to display. The fun of putting the story together and ultimately finishing it on flickr, made it look pretty cool.

Having never personally used flickr before at first it was adjustment, but after thorough navigation throughout the entire website it became clearer what the directions were, and how to upload photos. After finally figuring it out, use of flickr came rather easily. Uploading photos and creating sets was truly not difficult at all. Having the ability to easily upload pictures from users and successfully using flickr is a very effective tool in many different aspects. It can be used in political campaigning, journalism aspects, in showing support for a respective team or group, as well as being effective for showing family and friends photo’s of one’s family events such as a birth or wedding. Flickr’s easy maneuverable ability allows for not only regular users, but new users as well to share useful content amongst each other efficiently.

Though the familiarity with the website may not come as quickly as some may hope, there is no need to panic as several resources for flickr “aid” are across the internet. As noted in PBworks web page, Flickrfun, even when one struggles with usage of the flickr website, there is always support from other users who even give ideas and strategies to make fun in the flickr world more readily. In the words of the sombrero wearing young girl, “Flick is so much fun!”

The Aid of the Internet

The 2008 United States election was a historic event in all accounts. It was a promotion of change. It presented an opportunity for the youth to reestablish themselves as a powerful voice in the electoral process. It also provided the chance for an African American president to live in the White House. The progression of media from the first televised debate to the most recent 2008 election has brought a vast amount of new age technology. Most notably, that technology has to be the internet and the use of social networking.

The use of social networking in politics truly took off during the republican campaign of Howard Dean. Chronicled in Jenkins Photoshop for Democracy, Dean was running for the republican ballot and his campaign manager, Joe Trippi, found it essential to promote his candidate through the “grass roots” system. His campaign team used several online strategies such as “blogging to create a more intimate, real-time relationship with his supporters.” Additionally their use of “Meetup.com” enabled them the ability “to quickly launch rallies, drawing together thousands of people at a time,” clearly actively engaging supporters through an immediate online connection. This, as Trippi explains, is “where the politics of television gave way to the politics of the internet,” a tactic used mightily in the election of the 44^th president, Barack Obama.

Obama’s campaign, according to e-poltics, had four key moments where the usage of online networking willed him into the United States presidency.  First, Barack’s ability to fundraise online, allowed “the political professionals to take notice”. His ability to out fundraise his main democratic opponent, Hilary Clinton, turned the eyes of many. It vaulted Obama, helping him create “the network of grassroots organizers that would see him through the next pivotal time.” The networking increased as he gained supporters and momentum. Through his online organizations and via email to his supporters, Obama progressed through stage after stage, winning democratic caucuses due in large part to the online support. His campaign team organized the “MyBarackObama tool kit”, used by his key supporters. The “MyBarackObama tools were vital, since they let volunteers create the initial supporter networks” thus spring boarding him even more as he gained the name on the Democratic ballot. The volunteer organization “essentially built the campaign a structure in places where it didn’t exist”. Without this coupled with the continued online donations Barack could have frizzled out rather quickly.

As election time neared Obama’s campaign continued to progress, actively receiving donations and gaining numerous supporters. When eventually he had won the election, experts looked back at how each candidates teams help promote their respective candidate.  Statistics came back saying that Barack’s campaign contacted 27 percent of the voters, whereas McCain’s contacted roughly 19 percent. This, with great reason, was legitimately a result of email-forwarders, Facebook-status-changers” along with the millions of online donations used to fund the online organizations. Essentially, without the use of the internet and its social networking, Obama may have never won his caucuses, let alone out fund Hilary Clinton. The use of the internet and networking defiantly created a new chapter into the array of politics and its progression of campaigning.

Citizen Journalism- The Next Generation?

      As a reader of news, what do individuals want out of their stories? Is it a detailed description? A personal account? Live in depth coverage? Or audio and video footage? What if someone could report news with all of the above? Granted accuracy and legitimacy is always of high importance but what if it was the only available report, the only available on scene resource. This, friends, is citizen journalism. Having all of these abilities to contribute to mass media news is essential especially in today’s day and age. The resources to some may seem invalid, but in select scenarios the citizen journalist is quite beneficial. This is why Andrew Keen’s statement, in The Noble Amateur, that citizen journalists “simply don’t have resources to bring us reliable news,” and “access to information” is not entirely accurate.

            Matt Wisniewski, a citizen journalist, has a video that proves otherwise to Keen’s comments. Matt’s powerful 5 minute video chronicles the Budget Repair Protests at the Wisconsin Capital in Madison. Yes, the news teams can provide what was occurring throughout the day, but they could not provide the perspective that Matt shows inside the capital. This is merely only one example of the citizen journalist being effective. Others include Mr. Glenn Reynolds, the writer for Instapundt. His journalistic ability allowed him and his writings to gain much recognition post 9/11 and in 2004 he was awarded Web Technology’s Media and Journalism award, although he himself was not a news journalist. Citizen journalism has not stopped there. In some instances news stations ask the public for video, photo, or even audio accounts of key events that they want to report on. They accept these from the public; they accept these from the citizen journalist.

            Citizen journalists not only contribute to the daily TV news, radio news, newspapers, and web news. They go further, offering different perspectives that the public can relate to. They write on blogs such as Northwest Voice in Bakersfield, California. They send letters to the editor, possibly reinforcing a story, or even countering it. Citizen journalist’s role has changed over the year. Yes, some of their stories and input is not needed, but the citizen journalist is not a person who does not matter. They in select cases are essential in bringing news to the forefront. Sharing news to the public’s ear and eye.