Final Post

This class has really been very eye opening and interesting. Coming into the class I knew little of the new world of technology; coming out I feel I have a greater grasp on it. The most important thing I think I learned this quarter was about the digital divide. All these new technologies are developing and many people find them incredibly useful; however, there is another side to think about. I liked learning about all the new technologies and I thought it was very important to side step the benefits and see how it is definitely affected almost everyone differently. If we had more time to study a particular thing we learned during class, I would like to study more about VoIP. I know we got a glimpse of it during class and during a person's presentation but I would enjoy learning more about it. I think this was a very good use of classtime and I think VoIP will definitely be a big part of our lives very soon. There really was not anything that I did not enjoy throughout the quarter. Almost everything was new to me so I considered everything to be interesting and helpful. Thanks for a great quarter.

Voice IP

I think that VoIP will definitely impact the regulated infrastructure of cable and telephone networks. I think this new technology will become increasingly more popular and might make these infrastructures more obsolete. From the reading it sounds like VoIP is a more efficient way to communicate and why wouldn't society want to communicate in a more efficient way? An example I can think of is the switch from circuit switching to packet switching. I do also believe that cable and telephone networks will never be completely obsolete because not everyone has access to a computer. For those who do not own a computer, it is easier (and cheaper) to communicate using a telephone line. Just like the VHS is not completely obsolete, I don't think these networks will completely disappear especially because many of the older generations prefer to use a telephone than learn how to use VoIP. With many students, though, I think VoIP will become more and more popular especially in talking overseas. Many students study abraod and skype is definitely a cheap and easy way to communicate with friends who are many miles away.
Discussion Questions:
1. Is VoIP a fad or does it have longevity in staying with society?
2. Will VoIP become cheaper over time as many new technological tools do?
3. Is VoIP popular in other areas? Is it really as easy to set up this technology as the article describes?

Online Politics

I found reading these articles very interesting because it seems like gathering information is getting so much easier. One of the articles stated that television is the primary source of how we get information. I think, television, is the easiest medium to use and absorb information especially in the busy world that we live in. I think television's ease of use is the reason it is the primary source for so many people. With the growing popularity of the Internet, it is not surprising that political information is being gathered from it. Again, it is an easy source, but can be unreliable. I think it is important to screen political information on the Internet. Reliable sources can include online newspapers but sources like chat rooms should be flagged. Those sources can bring good opinions and spring questions but I would be wary of using these sources for factual information. The Internet is also interesting because it brings an interactive aspect that not found in traditional media. In the end, I agree with the article in that people ultimately make the decision on how to gather information.
Discussion questions:
*Does the interactivity of the Internet pose any risks to false information gathering?
*Will the Internet beat out television as the primary source of politcal information gathering considering the growth and ease of use of the Internet?
*What will be the primary source of information gathering in 25 years? Will it be more interactive than the Internet of today?

Online Politics

I found reading these articles very interesting because it seems like gathering information is getting so much easier. One of the articles stated that television is the primary source of how we get information. I think, television, is the easiest medium to use and absorb information especially in the busy world that we live in. I think television's ease of use is the reason it is the primary source for so many people. With the growing popularity of the Internet, it is not surprising that political information is being gathered from it. Again, it is an easy source, but can be unreliable. I think it is important to screen political information on the Internet. Reliable sources can include online newspapers but sources like chat rooms should be flagged. Those sources can bring good opinions and spring questions but I would be wary of using these sources for factual information. The Internet is also interesting because it brings an interactive aspect that not found in traditional media. In the end, I agree with the article in that people ultimately make the decision on how to gather information.
Discussion questions:
*Does the interactivity of the Internet pose any risks to false information gathering?
*Will the Internet beat out television as the primary source of politcal information gathering considering the growth and ease of use of the Internet?
*What will be the primary source of information gathering in 25 years? Will it be more interactive than the Internet of today?

Communication Scholars

Communication Scholars should continue to study this because it is an important step in electronic communication. Communication with groups is important and this technology, this free access for individuals is astounding. Open source software should continue to be studied also because it is the first form of its kind and many people are unaware of what it is and what it is capable of...
Questions:
1. What would happen if this wasn't studied?
2. What exactly does open source software involve--and how "free" can it really be (i.e. if you don't have a computer/access to one..)?

Man and the Machine

These readings really opened my eyes to society's dependence on machines. When I was reading the articles, in my head was 2 scenes from The Matrix that never left my head. We are completely dependent on machines. If I think about my daily life, most everything I do is in some way a "machine." Driving cars, listening to music, making food, using an exercise machine, using a telephone, using the Internet--all these things are made possible by machines. It got me thinking though. Are we going too far? Are all these machines around us too much? The articles brought up some controversial issues and I can't not think about how weird The Matrix and The Bourne Identity are. The concepts that these movies brought up are almost unthinkable but when I take a look around at our lives at this moment in time, it makes me wonder if we will ever get to that point. It also makes me wonder if one day, if humans were capable of implanting chips into someone or be able to absolutely control something like the character in The Bourne Identity, would we do it? It seems immoral and wrong and I can't think of anything or anyone that would benefit from something like that, but it is something to think about. So many people in this world are power-driven and thrive on controlling things. If someday these people were able to make something of this nature happen, would they do it? Would their morals hold them back from the machines? This gets back to the articles and how they were talking about the man vs. the machine and how different they are. Machines are, though powerful, incapable of emotion and that is something that man will always have on technology.

?Information Overload?

It is truly amazing the amount of information, and typically useless information, that a person can come across in mere seconds! Technology has brought us the ability to search amongst this information but it is not easy. It is frustrating. I experienced information overload today during my job. I needed to research a certain targeted market for possible sites/locations for their offices/stores. I was able to use only the Internet to come up with possible answers. Where to start? What tools to use? The Internet does provide some useful tools in the real estate world but many are not yet perfected (many have technological problems/errors, are unreliable, are (believe it or not) fake!, too much date to sort through, unoganized web sites etc). How would I sort through all this information?? It can be very stressful because of the volume of information the Internet provides. I do believe that people experience information overload on a very daily basis. The amount of informtion affects me daily not only in the office or in class but in daily life as well. It is amazing too the amount of good information that is extremely hard to locate. These "hidden" bits of information can be extremely informative but impossibel to locate (often because many do not even know they exist!!) There are times where I think my life is affected too because I think there is too little information. Researching a topic and getting "I have nothing for you." quote is discouraging and frustrating. Because of the Internet and the amount of ever-growing technology, I think that finding ANYTHING on the Internet show be fast, simple, and accurate. However, realistically, I know this is not the case. The amount of information around me in my life can be at times too much (information overload), at times too little (maybe because my expectations are too hight) and sometimes just enough ( I like to refer to this as when I get lucky.)

Week 2 Post

Reading about the Memex and what the author thought about technology in 1945 was interesting. I would have never thought that new science and new technology would increase our control of the material environment but it does make sense because new developments in technology have the ability to bring groups of people together. During that period was the start and expansion of communication technologies such as the telephone and the automobile. The author concluded that the development of these technologies "throws the masses against one another with cruel weapons" referencing WWII. It does make sense in the fact that people were able to see, record, and get places more easily than in past decades, especially internationally.
Another moment of "ah ha" that I found was in the Networks of Remediation chapter when the author comments: "Thus remediation does not destroy the aura of a work of art; it always refashions that aura in another media form." I believe this is true in the sense that a painting can be copied or photographed and not lose its aura. Since it is in a new media form, the piece of art work is different.
The Memex described in 1945 is different than the technologies of today. It is obvious that the degree and type of media has changed and bettered but I believe the development of new technologies will always go through similar processes. The development of personal computers and the Internet may be similar to the development of the telephone or television. All these developments happened over different time periods but had the same goal and purpose: to bring people together, make communication easier, and the such. The author questions technology developments when he asks: "Must we always transform to mechanical movements in order to proceed from one electrical phenomenon to another?" I believe that was true back in 1945 and still true today decades later. As far as the future, I believe that technology will better and science will continue to stun us with other media mediums. Perhaps in 40 years the Internet will continue to replace different forms of communication. Telephone and talking will be via Internet. Digital advancements will continue to make it easier for people to communicate and form groups.