Assignment 8: Privacy and the Internet

When I search my name online, it comes up with information about me from my senior year in high school, my ninth grade cross country results, a petition I started in 2007, and this blogsite, of course! It's amazing how information about yourself can get onto the Internet without you being aware of it until you "Google" yourself!



Privacy is a huge issue when it comes to the Internet. Anything you do online can potentially be monitored and seen by anyone else on the net, provided they know how to hack. Not only does privacy relate to your personal information, but also to what you search for and buy. A company can know everything you've ever purchased at their site, and search engines know everything you've searched for in the past. Creepy, huh?

Privacy on the Internet can be achieved. Websites are making a point to change their privacy policies to better serve its users. Facebook, for example, created three new settings regarding privacy back in December. First, you can control who can see the stuff that you share, such as status updates, photos, and videos. Second, you can choose who can see your personal information. Third, you can choose to keep your information off of search engines. According to the article, "unfortunately, most Facebook users likely opted for the recommended settings without really understanding what they were agreeing to. If you did so, you may now be surprised to find that you inadvertently gave Facebook the right to publicize your private information including status updates, photos, and shared links." So overall, you can control your privacy, but not everyone is aware of this, and may not know how to do it.



According to this article from Business Week, an Italian judge convicted three Google employees of trying to profit from an autistic child's bullying video. "Judge Oscar Magi said he believes Google employees bore responsibility because the Internet giant intended to profit by selling advertising on the site where the footage was posted." Personally, I believe Italy's prosecution of Google was fair. Sure, the video was "free information," but showcasing a child's misfortune for profit is unethical. Not only that, but the child had autism. Perhaps people who viewed this video would be offended because the child was bullied over an illness. This could cause major issues in the medical world, and upset parents of autistic children. I don't believe its censorship when a child's well-being is at stake.

Employers and companies can look through the Internet to find information about you. Most recently, employers have been searching social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to look for possible job candidates. This article from about.com discusses how employers can look at these websites to find information regarding yourself. You can post on your Twitter, for example, what type of job or position you are interested in. When employers search for those things, you can pop up on their list and possibly contact you for an interview. It's amazing how these employers use social networking sites to find potential workers. A majority of people using Facebook, for example, probably post information that they would not want employers to see. Whether it be inappropriate pictures or status updates, things like that can get you in trouble at your workplace, or get you immediately knocked off a potential employer's list.



Perhaps those who are new to the Internet don't feel as worried as those who have been using the Internet for years or decades. A brand-new Internet user may not have all the knowledge about privacy issues, and be more susceptible to fraudulent websites or emails asking for private information, such as entering user names and passwords. It's important to remember that, even if you are not new to the Internet, that privacy is a hot-button issue that must be dealt with. If you are not careful on the Internet, your privacy and identity can be hijacked and violated.

The issue of privacy is related to topics we've covered in the past. The Internet is a vast realm of information. When people sign on, they can access just about any websites known to man (there are billions of websites). This relates to the Long Tail, because even a website that no one knows about can be harmful, and figure out a way to gather personal information about yourself. Even if one "hacker" creates a website link that is infected and can steal personal information, it's too late. If you click that link from an email, for example, your privacy can be compromised right away. There are billions and billions of websites out there, and each one could potentially have the opportunity to steal private information about yourself.



It's scary to think of all the information different sites collect, and how, according to this article, people can combine all this information and basically recreate your identity. So are we really safe online? Who's to know? It's good to remember that some information should never be given out online, especially on non-secure sites. Information such as credit card numbers, bank account information, and social security numbers should remain confidential in order for your identity to be protected. Overall, it's easy to say that people give up more information than they should online each day. However, knowing the risks and taking precautions can save you a lot of trouble and keep your life semi-private, even if you use the Internet regularly.

The following websites were used in the creation of my blog:
http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2010/01/20/20readwriteweb-the-3-facebook-settings-every-user-should-c-29287.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/technology/17privacy.html?scp=1&sq=facebook%20privacy&st=cse
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/tech/D9F1NQJ03.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizjones/365098269/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hendry/3680043392/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12313953@N03/1791148805/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/4105726930/

All images are licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Assignment 7: The future of television

Ah, the good 'ol television. I remember my parents saying that they were so excited when their household got their first color television. Nowadays, it's unusual to find a household without one or more TVs. Tube television sets are on the decline, while massive and high definition televisions are becoming the norm. Not only that, but people are streaming their television shows from the Internet. Televisions shows are available from their affiliated stations or through personal-uploaded sites like MegaVideo. Either way, television is being intricated into the world of the Internet, the ever-expanding love of American's lives. According to my professor, Matthew Grocoff, "by distributing TV content through broadband internet, TV will soon be able to access any content, any time, from anywhere on the planet. TV brought to you through your internet signal and into your 52" LCD flat screen could allow users to interact with TV the way they interact with a website."

By June 2009, all televisions were changed from analog to digital broadcasts. Those who had analog TV had to buy a converter box in order to continue watching television.

According to this article from the New York Times, television could only be watched through a TV set for a stretch of 60 years. Now, people can watch shows through network websites such as ABC.com, or free websites such as Hulu.com. Not everyone is psyched up about these websites, however. "By giving away TV episodes online, 'the industry is literally tossing money and premium content away,' Barry M. Meyer, the Warner Brothers Entertainment chief executive, said in a speech in October."



The television will change drastically when a majority of people switch to Internet-aided television. People will be able to watch anything they want at any time.

According to this article from USA Today, "Big TV manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Vizio say that they're poised to revolutionize television this Christmas shopping season: They're about to launch the first major marketing push for a new generation of sets that can easily integrate Web content with traditional TV news and entertainment — without the fuss of connecting the TV to a set-top box." The realm of Internet TV is already in the works today.

It's amazing how popular Hulu has become. What's Hulu? It's an online video service that allows television shows to be watched by anyone with a Flash 10.0.22 enabled computer and a stable Internet connection. Everyone in America is looking for cost-cutting initiatives and watching TV online is a great way to do it.

Most people I know aren't totally switching to online television. Only a few people I know who are away at college use these websites to watch television. We are controlled by televisions regarding when we can watch certain shows. However, this personally is better for me. I'd rather tune in at 8pm to watch American Idol then be able to watch it ALL the time... I'd never want to stop! Personally, if I had access to television shows whenever and wherever I wanted, I think it would be bad for my health.



A great book called "The Television Will Be Revolutionized" covers the Five "C's" of the Post-Network Era. Even though they all stand for something different, they all work hand-in-hand:

CHOICE deals with how much variety you have when it comes to channel selection. Instead of getting the 24-hours worth of programming that is predetermined by cable channels, you can have thousands and thousands of options of what to watch through TV from an Internet signal.

CONTROL deals with not what you watch but when and how you watch it. With television through the internet, you have the option to watch any show at any time. You have the control to choose what and when you watch it.

CONVENIENCE results from viewers' experience of control and choice. When you can control when you watch it and choose exactly what you want to watch, it is very convenient. Television through the internet allows for control and and endless amount of choice, which in turn makes convenience possible.

CUSTOMIZATION also goes hand-in-hand with the three above C's. You can customize what you watch, when you want it... sort of the same as control. With customization, you can change settings any time you want, and can customize what types of shows you watch. When it comes to internet TV, there is a greater opportunity for customization.

COMMUNITY is the last important C. With television via internet, users can interact with one another and discuss information about certain episodes and television shows.




Revolutionizing television is connected to topics we have covered in the past. In compliance with the Long Tail, people will be able to watch any television show they want to at any time. Even shows that are not that popular will be able to watch their shows. Even if the show is watched only a few times, that's okay! The shows are out there for anyone to watch, and certainly each show will be watched. This ties in with the internet as a democratizing tool. Without the internet, we would have never been discussing this topic! It's amazing how something like television, a once separate electronic entity, can be incorporated into the Internet to provide a greater experience for all television go-ers. As for Creative Commons, people can upload their individual videos or homeade television shows or movies to sites such as YouTube and people can stream these to their own televisions. Television, together with the Internet, will provide a whole new experience for TV junkies.

In 10 years, I believe that more people will be using their televisions through the Internet. However, I don't think EVERYONE will be doing this. Of course, television will be popular for decades and decades to come. Whether or not they watch it the traditional way is up for debate. Perhaps they won't even have regular streaming television programs? It would be cool if stations could make television shows available through a cable box, for example, that you could watch certain episodes any time. Sure, this would cost a fee, but then again, American's are all for FREE. In the end, the only thing that matters is that television survives the next decade or two. I believe it will, because some people live for television. Personally, I will continue to watch television the traditional way. Now I have to go, it's almost 8 o'clock and Survivor is coming on! :)

The following sites were used in the creation of my blog:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hikingartist/3000884380/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29233640@N07/3434676343/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dailyinvention/497294952/
http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2009-11-13-1Awebtv13_CV_N.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/business/media/04hulu.html

Assignment 6: How digital distribution is changing journalism

When I read the introduction to this assignment, I was really excited to write about it. Journalism is the field I am going into... in fact, I just nailed an internship with a local newspaper over the summer! Anyhow, I believe that internet can be good and bad for journalism.

The Bad: Print jobs are becoming obsolete. Magazines and newspapers alike are turning towards online publications. Delivery prices are rising, and even being eliminated all together in some cases.

The Good: The job market for online journalism is there. Do people really believe that news stories, features, etc. just pop out of thin air because they are on the internet? NO! Someone still has to write them! Online journalism is gaining in popularity while print journalism is declining. Even if the internet is taking over print media, journalism is still needed.



According to this article from the Atlantic, two-thirds of the "prominent members of the national news media" who were surveyed believe that the Internet is hurting journalism. They believe that online news consumption is hurting journalism due to how it is changing reader habits. "The Internet has some plusses: It has widened the circle of those participating in the national debate. But it has mortally wounded the financial structure of the news business so that the cost of doing challenging, independent reporting has become all but prohibitive all over the world."

It's easy to see how some can believe that the Internet is hurting journalism, but I don't believe so. Without reporters gathering information and writing about it, no one would have news like they do today. People take for granted the information available through the internet. How many people go to the Yahoo! main-page each day for top news stories? Journalists still have to have the skills and ethical knowledge to write articles for publication on the internet.


Now where does citizen journalism fit into this? Well, citizen journalism is basically where any amateur, everyday person can go out and report on something. Take, for instance, the airplane that went down in the Hudson River last year. That video was caught by an amateur, yet was widely viewed on all major television channels across the world. Just because it is not a professional journalist reporting doesn't mean the information is unworthy of publication or recognition.

Companies around the globe are embracing the change from print media to digital media. The best way they are doing this is through advertising. Social networking sites, for example Twitter and Facebook, are places where teenagers and adults alike are lurking almost all day. There's this nifty little sidebar where people can advertise their "fan pages" along with articles and other things. On your Facebook home page these listings are available to explore. Personally, I have noticed a lot of writing companies and even news outlets advertising on Facebook to reach out to the potential readers.

News stations that are focused on broadcast journalism have also turned toward the Internet. Almost every major news station in the Detroit area (WDIV, WXYZ, WJBK) has a complimentary website that covers all news stories covered over the airwaves along with numerous amounts of stories not included in the broadcast. News companies are thriving by attracting visitors to their websites through online advertisements and also by mentioning it during their television broadcasts. Either way, news stations are attracting more viewers to their websites.

Also, newspapers are mostly online nowadays. Sure, print versions are still available, but most of the articles, and articles that are NOT included in print are available through these websites (for example, detnews.com and freep.com). Newspapers are drawing in online readers by targeting those who already have print subscriptions into switching to online subscriptions. Even though some feel that journalism will falter with the new Internet Age, it's apparent that companies are trying to attract everyday citizens to their digital media websites where their articles and other information can be found.



So how does this all tie into what we've already learned? Well, citizen journalism is a great example of the Long Tail. A normal citizen can go out and videotape something, or write a blog about something going on, and can distribute it to a few friends. These friends can then show their friends. Even if the videos or articles are only read by a few people, they are still out there on the Internet waiting to be discovered. The Internet thrives on the Long Tail in many ways, including when it comes to citizen journalism. What about digital convergence? Well, That's exactly what journalism is doing... it's going from primarily print resources to digital media outlets. Instead of picking up a newspaper, we now go to a news website like CNN.com to get our fix. And finally, there is Creative Commons. The great thing about citizen journalism is that people can lisence it under Creative Commons so other people can use it to accompany their own articles about the same subject. People's work can compliment other people's work, and get out there for the world to see (which ties to the Long Tail) on the Internet (digital convergence)! It's amazing how these all tie together.

In ten years, I believe that journalism will be almost entirely online. Sure, books will still exist, but I believe that magazines and newspapers alike will be all viewed online through digital versions available for download or purchase. According to this article from Reuters.com, "journalism will do more than survive the Internet Age, it will thrive." I totally agree. (Isn't that ironic? I found a news article ONLINE!) People are always going to need to get their news from somewhere. And where better than their favorite thing? The Internet!




The following websites aided in the creation of my blog. All images are covered under a Creative Commons license:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/04/media-insiders-say-internet-hurts-journalism/7410/

http://blogs.reuters.com/from-reuterscom/2009/12/11/how-will-journalism-survive-the-internet-age/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcogomes/3608283081/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/doingmediastudies/4317536426/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11304375@N07/2770328938/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tnarik/366393127/

How the convergence of technologies is changing the internet

Ring, ring! A phone call? Of course not, it’s just another text message. Who would have thought we could communicate with other people without actually talking?! Welcome to the world of digital convergence. According to the Center of Digital Convergence, digital convergence can be defined in three parts. First digital convergence the coming together, into a single application or service, of information content from sound broadcasting, telephone, television, movies, photography, printed text and money. Second, it describes the overlap of multiple functions that can be performed by different telecommunication networks. Third, it’s the connectivity of different networks and information in the home and office. In simpler terms, digital convergence refers to the means of communication coming together in one easy package. Whether it’s music, movies, television shows, social networking, or online banking, they can all now be accessed through one piece of electronic.

Instead of sitting down to read a paperback book, the newspaper, or something sent in snail mail, you can just pick up your cell phone and do it all. Browsing websites is now possible in the palm of your hand. Consumers are taking advantage of digital convergence by purchasing a smartphone, iPhone, Blackberry, etc. which can handle most of the forms of communication we're used to. Whether browsing websites, chatting on an intstant messenger, updating your Facebook, or "Tweeting," everyday citizens can do it all in one simple form.

With digital convergence, news organizations and corporations alike can now gain access to people when they are away from their home computers. Advertisements on news websites or social networking sites allows for companies to advertise their ideas, and perhaps even sell even more electronic devices that converge all digital formats of communication and entertainment.



Probably one of the most popular cell phone is the iPhone. Courtesy of Apple, the iPhone acts like a regular phone with a million possibilities extra. Sure, it makes phone calls, sends text messages, and takes pictures, but there are also thousands and thousands of applications available. Just like all the commercials state, if there's something you want to do, "There's an app for that!"

Not only cell phones, but there are also other innovative technologies currently on the market. Nintendo's new DSi. As video game consoles and handhelds get sleeker, the capabilities increase. The screen is 93% larger than the older DS Lite. Not only is there a larger screen on this new DS, you can take pictures with its two cameras, play hundreds of games, browse the Internet, and connect with other DSi users.

Companies, such as Sony, Microsoft, Apple, and Nintendo, are taking turns one-upping each other with their new inventions. Having the best, smallest, most innovative piece of technology is the goal of all these companies. Without digital convergence, the ease and comfort of having multiple services and applications in one device would not be possible.

A new innovative technology has been developed by Samsung Mobile. Swype is the newest innovative input technology created for text messaging. An employee of Swype recently set a new world record for fastest text message on a touch screen using Swype on the Samsung Omnia II smartphone. Since internet is already intricated into most cell phones, imagine what texting and communication will be like with the new Swype technology.

The newest digital convergence device, which is still in the works, has been unveiled by Intel CEO and President Paul Otellini. Together with Netgear, Intel envisions this device, which links computers and televisions together over a wireless network.



It just goes to show that companies are always creating new technologies to compete in the world of digital convergence. Once one company puts out a new gadget, rival companies come up with an even better idea and build on past devices to create the best gadget.

Digital convergence is closely related to the Long Tail. Without digital convergence, the Long Tail of the Internet would not be so massive. Since just about all technologies have come together on single devices, access is available to just about anything. Even if only one or two people listen to a song from an Inuit tribal musical group from the Yukon streaming on YouTube, the Long Tail will survive. Everyone's work can be put out there for viewing by anyone with a digital device. This also ties into Creative Commons. Say that Inuit tribal band decides to put multiple song tracks on YouTube. Under Creative Commons, they could allow other people to use their music and distribute it throughout the digital world. They can gain in popularity in this manner.

In ten years, I hope the growth of technology has slowed. At the rate we're going now, we'll all have little hand-held devices that can do just about anything... they are almost at that level, but not quite (they still can't make you breakfast!). With the creation of Swype mentioned above, it's easy to believe that speech-to-text messaging is on the horizon. Could you imagine if we could THINK a phrase and it would text out for us? But then why don't we just pick up the phone and say it? It's evident that digital convergence is going to have an impact on future generations and how they communicate. With more and more social networking and text messaging going on every day, face-to-face interaction is declining. What will happen when my future children have to go for an interview? Will they be burdened with the fact that they have never had any personal communication? At least, by then, they will probably be doing holographic interviews... In all, I think digital convergence is a great thing, but it may not have such positive effects in the future generations.

I visited these websites to help me create this blog post:

http://dcc.syr.edu/index.php

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100322005514&newsLang=en

http://www.macworld.com/article/145480/2010/01/otellini_ces.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_convergence


The photos used in this article are covered under a Creative Commons license.

Assignment 4: How Social Networking Sites are Changing the Way People Communicate

Goodbye to the days of land-line telephones and snail mail. Hello to the Internet, cell phones, and social networking. Instead of communicating by telephone or face-to-face, individuals around the world are turning towards the computer, where they can log onto the Internet and communicate in a number of ways, thanks to websites like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.


Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to update "what's happening" anytime, and just about anywhere. Twitter accounts can be updated at a computer or on a supported cell phone. According to the website, Twitter is a "real-time information network powered by people all around the world that lets you share and discover what's happening now."


Facebook, on the other hand, gets a little more in-depth. Facebook works towards their goal of, "giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." Facebook users can upload images, videos, and links on their "walls" and share information with family and friends instantly with status updates. There are also thousands of applications, fan pages, and groups for people to interact with while on Facebook.

Did I mention that both of these social network sites are free? Most of the social network sites that are popular (also including MySpace) are also free of charge. All they require is for you to enter some personal information (name, date of birth) to create an account and start searching for friends and family members. Rumors have surfaced that Facebook will be charging for use later in the year, but it is just speculation at the moment.

Not only are social networking sites for everyday people, but companies and organizations can advertise and post job listings on these sites to reach out to potential workers. According to a recent article in The New York Times, TwitJobSearch was created on Twitter to search Twitter for jobs. Basically, companies can create Twitter pages to advertise open positions, and anyone can search Twitter for a job through the TwitJobSearch application.

Likewise, on Facebook, companies and non-profit organizations can create fan pages or groups to list employment opportunities or to promote their cause. This article from The Wall Street Journal discusses how companies can also use their Facebook pages to conduct surveys on how to allocate donation money or goods. It allows customers and potential employees to engage in the companies' benefit organizations.

As a fellow Facebook user, I join multiple groups and become "fans" of pages almost daily. One company I became a fan of is called "Children With Hairloss," a local non-profit organization that takes hair donations to make wigs for children who may not have the means to purchase a wig from a company like Locks of Love. On their fan page they have information about their company, along with license numbers and other information regarding the legality of their company. Through Facebook, the Children With Hairloss company has been able to raise awareness of their company and to promote donations. Personally, I have donated my hair twice to this company, and they always make it a point to send you a thank you letter for your contribution. Individual users have posted pictures on the site showing before and after pictures of those who have donated. With 800 "fans" and growing, Children With Hairloss can promote their non-profit company without having to spend money to do so.

These social networking sites relate to what we've learned through previous assignments. Even small non-profit companies, like the one mentioned above, can get heard of using sites such as Twitter and Facebook. It relates to the Long Tail because even the smallest musician, band, or new company can create a group or page to promote their work or company, and gain notice from millions of users. With 300 million people actively using Facebook, imagine all the people you can connect to with your fresh ideas. Also, you can license your work (if it's music,a story, etc.) through Creative Commons before you post it so that the users who view your page can legally use your work to help promote it. Creative Commons allows other Facebook users to use your work without being able to steal any aspect of it.

It's really amazing how social networking sites have become mainstream so fast. Just a few years ago, people never heard of anything like Twitter or Facebook. Today, if you HAVEN'T heard of them, "where have you been?!" Social networking sites have definitely revolutionized how we interact with people, too. Since these websites are mainly informal, people could be missing out on gaining important interpersonal skills learned from face-to-face contact. Webcam-to-webcam interviews are becoming more and more popular, and these interpersonal skills are being jeopardized even more. Thankfully, people aren't forced to use these social network sites, so the option is still available to companies who prefer "old- fashioned" methods of interviewing.

Twitter and Facebook images used under Creative Commons license from Flickr

The links posted in my blog all aided in the creation of this entry.

Assignment 3: How Creative Commons is Changing Copyright

Creative Commons. You may have heard of it, perhaps not. What is it exactly? Creative Commons lets you share, remix, and reuse—legally. It’s a non-profit organization that increases sharing capabilities and increases collaboration between online users. It defines a boundary between copyright and public domain; basically, it allows you to say, “Hey, I created this, but you can use it for certain uses.” And better yet? It’s free.



Creative Commons is not a replacement for copyright; rather, it works along side it so you can modify your copyright to fit your own needs. Copyright can be strict—no one can use your work without your permission—but Creative Commons allows us to have some lenience when it comes to sharing and getting your ideas out there, without someone being able to steal your idea. Creative Commons allows you to go from All Rights Reserved to Some Rights Reserved.

Creative Commons is changing copyright by allowing less strict guidelines for claiming your creation without restricting it completely. For example, my professor, Matthew Grocoff, told us at our class orientation that he used Josh Woodward’s music for a Greenovation YouTube video, without claiming the music as his own. Who’s Josh Woodward? Exactly. He’s not widely known, but his work is now heard by more people because Mr. Grocoff used his music LEGALLY. Because of Creative Commons, Mr. Grocoff could use the artist’s music in his video while giving him credit for his work, but still adding some originality to his work. It allowed Mr. Woodward’s music to be heard by thousands of people. Creative Commons basically allows your creation to be heard—someone can distribute it, like in a YouTube video, and you can get discovered by many people. The Internet is a vast space of unlimited sharing—Creative Commons allows you to do it legally and safely.

Other people can take the information you provided (under the Creative Commons license) and build upon it. After reading an article by Lawrence Lessig (that’s actually covered under Creative Commons!) , it’s obvious that content producers are wanting to get their content seen or heard. By using Creative Commons, they are letting anyone take their work for non-commercial use and create something potentially extraordinary from it.



Even famous musicians are getting into Creative Commons. Nine-Inch-Nails, for example, is a heavy metal band that's been out for years. They released a 10-song CD called, "The Slip." It was created under their second Creative Commons license for absolutely free. According to the case study from creativecommons.org, the CD "has been proclaimed as a further challenge to the music industry, defining an alternative path for musicians interested in the self-promotion of works.”

The Internet has the ability to lift the careers of musicians, authors, or anyone who creates something. Putting a strict copyright on your work allows no one to use parts of your work to create new things that other people will view (like Mr. Grocoff and Mr. Woodward's music.) Having access to a picture, book, or song covered under Creative Commons allows their work to be seen, and possibly for discovering the next big thing.

I think Creative Commons is a great tool for independent content producers. Whatever type of media you create, you can have the ability to restrict its usage in some ways without having to put a full copyright on it. Creative Commons allows more flexibility in content sharing while protecting the creator's original idea.



Images and video provided are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

For more information, please visit these sites used in my blog:

Creative Commons. 2010. 9 Feb. 2010 http://creativecommons.org/

Kakutani, Michiko. "Taking Sides in the Digital Revolution, Where Copyright is the First Casualty." Books of the Times. 2009. 9 Feb. 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/books/19kaku.html?scp=4&sq=creative+commons+copyright&st=nyt

Lessig, Lawrence. “Free Culture.” 9 Feb. 2010 http://www.authorama.com/free-culture-22.html

“Free Culture” by Lawrence Lessig is available for free under a Creative Commons license.

Assignment 2- Censorship: Google v. China

"We love what China is doing as a country and its growth. We just don't like the censorship. We hope to apply some negotiation or pressure to make things better for the Chinese people," said Google's CEO Eric Schmidt today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

After browsing many articles about Google wanting to stop censoring its search results for China's Google, Google.cn, it is apparent that China's government is very strict on what their citizens are allowed access to. The Chinese government seem to censor just about anything deemed inappropriate, especially foreign sites. A main reason behind Google's standpoint is because a Chinese hacker broke into the Google e-mail (Gmail) accounts of Chinese human rights activists.



According to China Business News, Google.cn's advertisement sales are down 40% in January because Google has yet to make up its mind regarding the censorship issue. From what I've read, it seems that Google may decide to pull out of China since they no longer want to be censored.

In order for Chinese citizens to get around the censorship, they must be technologically savvy, and deal with proxies and firewalls (clearly I am not very internet-tech savvy!) Of the 300 million active internet users in China, the majority of these people do not know how to breach the censorship.

Instead, they are using cell phones to capture videos and pictures of events happening in their country. Not only is this true in China, but also in Burma. Capturing video and streaming it live through Bluetooth is now possible. Sure, the authorities can catch you and confiscate your cell phone, but it's too late--just taking your cell phone won't do anything--the damage has already been done.

I think the Long Tail of the internet is allowing citizens of strict-censorship countries to relay their own amateur videos and pictures. With the increased censorship of news and entertainment, the people need to become aware of information somehow. By posting these videos they are contributing to the Long Tail of digital distribution by posting original information that the country may never give out voluntarily. This is similar to YouTube Direct, which would allow amateurs to upload their videos directly to news websites for first-person views of a certain accident, tragedy, or whatever is happening. Contributing to the internet in this amateur video method is contributing to the Long Tail of digital distribution--allowing anyone to post videos to enhance a news article would make reading news so much more enjoyable (or that much scarier, in some cases.)

For more information, follow these links I used for my blog:

http://googlewatch.eweek.com/content/google_in_china/google_ceo_eric_schmidt_dings_chinas_censorship_in_davos.html

http://www.bongonews.com/layout1.php?event=1223

http://www.china.org.cn/business/2010-01/29/content_19331828.htm

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/can-google-beat-china/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/182362/youtube_direct_why_citizen_journalists_shouldnt_care.html

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/last-time-in-china-user-statistics-new-interface-new-instant-messenger/6691/