Nicole Abbondanza
News Report #3
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
News Report 2
News Report #2
“How 'Innocence of Muslims' Spread Around the Globe and Killed
a US Diplomat”
Elizabeth
Flock, US News (usnews.com)
9/12/12
“White House ‘Innocence of Muslims’ Request
Denied: Google will not Remove Film from YouTube”
Gerry Shih
9/14/12
The anti-Muslim
film “Innocence of Muslims” triggered violent protests in the Middle East after
clips were posted on YouTube. The film depicted an image of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad and represented him as a pedophile. The film was uploaded onto YouTube with Arabic
dubbing some two months after the original English-language post. According to
US News writer Elizabeth Flock, an anti-Muslim individual by the name of Morris
Sadek posted “Innocence of Muslims” on his blog and later “promoted the film on
Egyptian television stations.” One influential station is Al-Nas, whose
broadcast of the film ultimately led to the anti-American protests. During
these protests, four Americans were killed. One of the people murdered was the U.S.
Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.
The fact
that a video like this was allowed to post to YouTube is shocking, considering
how extremely racist and controversial. I had read in another article that
Google refused to take down the video at the White House’s demand despite the
damage it is causing. They argue that the video is in not in violation of
YouTube’s terms of service. Personally, I think the removal of the video should
have been the obvious next step after the outbreaks of protests in Egypt and
Libya. The fact that a video initially posted on YouTube could cause
international debate is not new, but it shows just how dominant the Internet is
on us as a global society. In my opinion, the broadcast of “Innocence of
Muslims” has set back our relations with the Middle East. The Internet provides
us with an innumerous amount of information, much of it not always positive.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Reading and Activity 2
When evaluating information on
websites I usually check if the website is well known, such as a website for a
newspaper or magazine. I also look at the domain to see if the information is
credible. Another factor I check for is the works cited if the information
provided was obtained from another source. The same goes for publications; I
check the works cited section.
Wikipedia is the fastest, easiest
way to obtain information, because it is all there. However, the information is
not always reliable because anybody is able to edit it. There have been times
when I wanted to use Wikipedia as a means of obtaining information for an
assignment that needs to be cited but, because the information can be easily
changed, I couldn’t because the instructor did not permit it. I have taken to
using the source of a piece of information provided on Wikipedia (with
permission) instead. Having never used the Britannica website, and after
reading the essay by Mark Bauerlein, I decided that I wish to regularly use it
as a resource when the opportunity arises, as opposed to Wikipedia. The sources
are highly credible and it will most likely not cause any issues with
instructors who do not like their students using Wikipedia. I also used the
UNCW library’s online catalogue for a paper once, although it was difficult for
me to navigate. I will try to use it more in the future and I hope to learn my
way around it eventually. As for being required to find information from
non-internet sources, it is becoming more difficult. Students do not have much
time to be searching for printed publications and the internet is being more
heavily relied upon by those providing information. I feel that information
literacy should have been practiced more when I was in elementary school. We had
a “library” class in my school and the extent of understanding and obtaining
information that we were taught was tests library vocabulary and reading aloud paragraphs
from a book that explains how to write a research paper during class. We were
not engaged and the teacher was clearly not interested in making sure we
understood. When I reached high school, I had no idea how to research for or
write research papers, let alone citation without the instruction of my English
teacher. Despite this, I find it incredibly helpful that information literacy
is emphasized more today in college. Hopefully I can catch up.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Activity #1
Nicole Abbondanza
I interviewed my dad about what his life without the internet was like, as well as his experience with it and his opinions of it. He was a computer technician at a law firm, so the internet became a common entity where he worked.
Me: How did you accomplish school work without the internet?
Frank: By walking to the library and reading books and the newspaper. It took time to do these things
Me: How did you communicate with people before the internet?
Frank: I used the phone or walked to a person’s house if they were a friend or relative.
Me: What made you decide you wanted to work with computers?
Frank: I always liked the sciences. Computers were interesting to me.
Me: When did you use the internet for the first time?
Frank: At work, accessing on computer related information.
Me: What was it like using the internet for the first time?
Frank: It was simpler being able to access information without having to go somewhere to obtain it.
Me: What did you think about using the internet?
Frank: It was a major part of my job. It was like any other think I had to know about computers. I had to use it to order computer parts and check computer certifications.
Me: How else did affect your job?
Frank: When I wasn’t working I was on the internet. People at work relied heavily on the internet, like emails and instant messaging, to communicate.
Me: How do you think the internet is affecting people now.
Frank: People have access to too much information that they ordinarily wouldn’t if the internet didn’t exists. They become more paranoid as a result. Even bullying has become more complicated. Instead of it being face-to-face, bullying is occurring online.
The idea that the internet causes such negative effects on the human brain and personality disorders is disturbing. I, myself have depression (through genetics, though) and after reading this article, it makes me wonder if some of it has become fueled by my constant internet usage. I no longer know where the half of my depression that is genetics begins and the half that is the internet ends. I feel that people become so tired of actual human contact - because of how rude and selfish many behave - that they prefer to use the internet as a means of communication instead. In my opinion, this is a big reason behind an addiction to the internet and technology.
I interviewed my dad about what his life was like before the internet came around and the transition into using it. I already had an idea of how people lived without the internet, so it didn't really come as much of a surprise to me. I actually think that, although it was not entirely efficient compared to the internet, it was a better way of doing things. I also agree with my dad about the effect the internet is having on bullying. I know of people who believe that because they are not in physical contact with a person, that if they say negative things to that person, they don’t have to suffer the consequences. They rely heavily on anonymity. Tumblr, for example, allows a person to leave a message to someone as “anonymous.” Someone will abuse this feature to actually tell others to commit suicide, saying things like “You’re ugly,” or “You’re so annoying, nobody cares about you. Stop looking for attention,” and so on. Luckily, the “anonymous” feature can be removed by Tumblr users. If one doesn’t want to be spoken to that way, I suggest removing the availability of that feature immediately. People most likely won’t say those things when they know that they can be caught. The same goes for video games. People will vent their frustrations of real life on others in the gaming world, making playing wholly unenjoyable.
I interviewed my dad about what his life without the internet was like, as well as his experience with it and his opinions of it. He was a computer technician at a law firm, so the internet became a common entity where he worked.
Me: How did you accomplish school work without the internet?
Frank: By walking to the library and reading books and the newspaper. It took time to do these things
Me: How did you communicate with people before the internet?
Frank: I used the phone or walked to a person’s house if they were a friend or relative.
Me: What made you decide you wanted to work with computers?
Frank: I always liked the sciences. Computers were interesting to me.
Me: When did you use the internet for the first time?
Frank: At work, accessing on computer related information.
Me: What was it like using the internet for the first time?
Frank: It was simpler being able to access information without having to go somewhere to obtain it.
Me: What did you think about using the internet?
Frank: It was a major part of my job. It was like any other think I had to know about computers. I had to use it to order computer parts and check computer certifications.
Me: How else did affect your job?
Frank: When I wasn’t working I was on the internet. People at work relied heavily on the internet, like emails and instant messaging, to communicate.
Me: How do you think the internet is affecting people now.
Frank: People have access to too much information that they ordinarily wouldn’t if the internet didn’t exists. They become more paranoid as a result. Even bullying has become more complicated. Instead of it being face-to-face, bullying is occurring online.
The idea that the internet causes such negative effects on the human brain and personality disorders is disturbing. I, myself have depression (through genetics, though) and after reading this article, it makes me wonder if some of it has become fueled by my constant internet usage. I no longer know where the half of my depression that is genetics begins and the half that is the internet ends. I feel that people become so tired of actual human contact - because of how rude and selfish many behave - that they prefer to use the internet as a means of communication instead. In my opinion, this is a big reason behind an addiction to the internet and technology.
I interviewed my dad about what his life was like before the internet came around and the transition into using it. I already had an idea of how people lived without the internet, so it didn't really come as much of a surprise to me. I actually think that, although it was not entirely efficient compared to the internet, it was a better way of doing things. I also agree with my dad about the effect the internet is having on bullying. I know of people who believe that because they are not in physical contact with a person, that if they say negative things to that person, they don’t have to suffer the consequences. They rely heavily on anonymity. Tumblr, for example, allows a person to leave a message to someone as “anonymous.” Someone will abuse this feature to actually tell others to commit suicide, saying things like “You’re ugly,” or “You’re so annoying, nobody cares about you. Stop looking for attention,” and so on. Luckily, the “anonymous” feature can be removed by Tumblr users. If one doesn’t want to be spoken to that way, I suggest removing the availability of that feature immediately. People most likely won’t say those things when they know that they can be caught. The same goes for video games. People will vent their frustrations of real life on others in the gaming world, making playing wholly unenjoyable.
Monday, September 3, 2012
News Report 1
Nicole Abbondanza
News Report #1
“Job Hunting in the Virtual Age”
Stephen T. Watson, The Buffalo News (BufalloNews.com)
8/19/2012
http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article1011820.ece
For those looking for employment today, the internet is becoming the go-to place to do so. Companies use online applications as opposed to paper ones increasingly; mostly because of the number of applications they receive. Thanks to online applications and resume generators it is now easer for the unemployed to apply to multiple jobs in much less time than it would take them to drive from place to place and fill out applications by hand. There are those who argue that it online applications are difficult because of how generic the application process may be. Many companies provide a list of questions that take about 30 minutes to answer that determine whether one is right for the job. If one answers enough questions wrong, the application is simply denied. That is a lot of time spent entering employment history, wasted. Social networking sites are also used by companies seeking new employees. LinkedIn is an increasingly popular choice for job seekers and employers alike. Employers search sites like LinkedIn to find people to fill specific job roles. Other methods for employers to find qualified workers are personality tests, which they have applicants complete.
In my opinion, the resources provided by the internet can be beneficial for efficiency for employers and convenience job hunters. It can also be a hinderance for job seekers, as the process can be rather impersonal. I myself have applied to many jobs online and, although it is convenient, I find that I can be easily overlooked. The applications with generic “what would you do” questions can be very confusing to some people, often because of the wording of the questions. If you happen to fail that section of the application, you are not allowed to apply again for at least six months sometimes. I myself have recently looked into sites such as LinkedIn, in the hopes of a potential employer interested in hiring me. There are many possibilities in employment that the internet provides, and I believe that overall, it can be very helpful.
News Report #1
“Job Hunting in the Virtual Age”
Stephen T. Watson, The Buffalo News (BufalloNews.com)
8/19/2012
http://www.buffalonews.com/business/article1011820.ece
For those looking for employment today, the internet is becoming the go-to place to do so. Companies use online applications as opposed to paper ones increasingly; mostly because of the number of applications they receive. Thanks to online applications and resume generators it is now easer for the unemployed to apply to multiple jobs in much less time than it would take them to drive from place to place and fill out applications by hand. There are those who argue that it online applications are difficult because of how generic the application process may be. Many companies provide a list of questions that take about 30 minutes to answer that determine whether one is right for the job. If one answers enough questions wrong, the application is simply denied. That is a lot of time spent entering employment history, wasted. Social networking sites are also used by companies seeking new employees. LinkedIn is an increasingly popular choice for job seekers and employers alike. Employers search sites like LinkedIn to find people to fill specific job roles. Other methods for employers to find qualified workers are personality tests, which they have applicants complete.
In my opinion, the resources provided by the internet can be beneficial for efficiency for employers and convenience job hunters. It can also be a hinderance for job seekers, as the process can be rather impersonal. I myself have applied to many jobs online and, although it is convenient, I find that I can be easily overlooked. The applications with generic “what would you do” questions can be very confusing to some people, often because of the wording of the questions. If you happen to fail that section of the application, you are not allowed to apply again for at least six months sometimes. I myself have recently looked into sites such as LinkedIn, in the hopes of a potential employer interested in hiring me. There are many possibilities in employment that the internet provides, and I believe that overall, it can be very helpful.
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