Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Random post
Thursday, April 23, 2009
assessing assessments
I believe to have assessed my resources effectively. Although some could have been assessed more thoroughly, the majority of the resources do seem promising in being able to prove my point. Although my point is undecided the resources are closely related to what my focus may be.
resources reflections
The research has altared my original idea by completely changing my topic. I had planned to write about security and pirvacy in social networking sites. Now i am considering something gears more toward how the sites themselves affect people and culture or how people are affected by the internet. I am still a little uncertain about the actual main focus.
-fosho
Monday, April 20, 2009
journal assessment
Publication: Journal of Mental Health Counseling
Publication Date: 01-OCT-01
Author: Hall, Alex S. ; Parsons, JeffreyThe Journal entry i would believe to be a credible source for the fact that the entry is in a journal but i do have some doubt as to the information provided.My doubts are based on the issues with the given information that is also stated by the entry itself. The entry states that the information i based off of "limited scientific research and competing or poorly defined constructs ". Another reason for doubt is also because of the publication date of 2001. The entry is old but none the less does provide useful information.
It speaks of disorders that are caused by internet usage. Not only does it provide a description of the disorder but also presents a list of criteria that an individual must meet in order to be diagnosed with one of the disorders. The info could be useful if i decide to do the essay on the subject of how sites affect our personality or our daily life, still undecided on my topic actually. ugh
Interview assessment
Juan Carlos Ulate: Which do you prefer Twitter or Facebook? Why?
Viet Nghiem: I do like Facebook better, but perhaps only because I've had more time to use it. Heck, it even has includes the same 'main' feature of twitter. That is, you can 'shout' what you want to other people. I think the distinct difference is that since Twitter makes these sporatic, nonsensical shout-outs to nobody in particular the showcase, it seems that much more important. Facebook, on the other hand allows a whole lot more interaction with people you choose to interact with. I think the viral YouTube video "The 'Twouble' with Twitter" really sums it up (in a rather satirical manner). You're basically just shouting into the internet and hoping that someone finds your random thoughts and musings about lunch interesting. No, I don't need to know about how rude the cashier lady was to you today, nor do I need to know how adorable your fwuffy-wuffy snoogly-woogly dog is. Yeesh.
JCU: For what reasons do you use Facebook and or Twitter?
VN: What, people don't just use things things to follow a trend? I'm (almost) ashamed to say that's why I even made a Facebook account. In the end, though, I keep using it because it's a way to interact with people I know and meet. It's a sort of 'level' of aquaintance with a person, like how you might add someone on facebook but not give them your phone number, or you might give them your phone number, but really only text them, etcetera etcetera. I suppose it's up to the degree of your personal... world? (I can't find a term that fits it right) that you're allowing them to enter. Facebook adds another layer.
JCU: What is your favorite thing about these sites?
VN: Since I'm particuarly biased against twitter, I'll just keep going on about Facebook. Facebook, in a way, lets you be almost-kinda-friends with someone. People go "okay here's how I'm going to describe myself in terms of pictures I post up, in terms of what I list as my "faves", in terms of fun or practical applications, in terms of how I'm commenting on other people". They say that, and on a certain level expect the same thing out of your facebook page. I think it boils down to "Facebook is a way of describing yourself to others without all the awkwardness of having to actually describe yourself to others. Here's all the shit I do and like. Ya wanna be my friend???" (Admittedly, Facebook allows me to compensate for my unrefined people skills).
JCU: Have you ever felt like your privacy has been compromised by using these sites?
VN: I don't think that my privacy is violated, per se. I very well know that I'm putting information on the internet, for cryin' out loud. It's like putting up a personal billboard on the side of the world's busiest interstate. People are voyeuristic on the internet, it's just the unpersonal and faceless nature of the web. Anyone using a social site should take heed of the fact that they're doing things and passing out things and saying things where anybody could find it if they looked hard enough. I mean, there is a whole internet subculture of finding people's personal information or emberassing materials and mocking them mercilessly. I'm not justifying being a creepy internet stalker, but people should always be conscious of what they're gonna put up on that giant billboard.
JCU: Would you ever consider discontinuing the use of these sites?
VN: Recently, Facebook made some visibly unpopular changes to things like their image and privacy policy as well as their data-gathering algorithms (they use information you put on your page and the apps you use to 'market' specific ads to your IP adress and facebook account). Specifically, a policy stated that any image uploaded by Facebook could be used by the company, effectevly saying that they 'owned' them. I know that a lot of people use Facebook to showcase their photographic work, and this was a serious problem in terms of "hey wait a minute, you're not allowing us to keep rights to our work simply because you're hosting our images?" Personally I found it offensive that they thought they could use user-made work as a way to make revenue. I think they did indeed adjust that by-law, but if they ever tried doing something like that again, I would definitely quit Facebook, or at the very least remove my work from it.
JCU: Would you say that Facebook distracts you from school work?
VN: Oh man, when DOESN'T it distract me from my school work?
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Magazine assessment
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1891111,00.html
This article is from a reputable magazine which makes it a source that i would trust. Magazines such as Time magazine are known to always give trustworthy and well research content. In this case the content is backed Surveys done by college professors who posted their finding publicly and could face ridicule and in the worst case be fired from their positions if the information was false. As for the usable content in this article is the results that show that students who use facebook have lower gpa's when compared to students who do not use the site. It can help me show how sites such as facebook affect youth by being a source of distraction.
Newspaper article assessment
BARRY, ELLEN. "Protests in Moldova Explode, With Help of Twitter." Protests in Moldova Explode, With Help of Twitter 07 Apr 2009 2. Web.18 Apr 2009.
This newyork times describes how youth in Moldova used twitter facebook and text messaging to begin a protest.
Although violence broke out during the protest, this shows how the youth is able to organize itself and make its
opinion heard. The site is trustworthy as it is the from the reputable New York Times newspaper. The article can be
used as an example in my essay.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
blog/ image assessment
Blog entry by Mathew Hurst, includes picture of web that shows how many people are connected to each other through twitter. The graph first caught my eye because of the size of the web of friends and mutual friends that one person would be able to contact. The information could come in handy by allowing to have an example as to how many people one could get to know if they really wanted to, through their friends and mutual friends. Its a ridiculous amount.....
As for the blog post itself I question using it but if necessary i would. It seems that people can easily have their identities stolen and someone can pretend to be someone else on a blog. Mathew Hurst the author of this post is a Scientist at Microsoft's MSN and co-creator of BlogPulse. Blog pulse is a site that tracks trends in other blogs. Such as to what topics people talk about etc. it also contains a search engine for blog along with other services. Though unable to find any names pertaining to the title or creator or co-creator on this site it seems like this individual has to back up his post with plenty of sources and therefore could be trusted. As for the blog itself it contains posts of others who are offering opinions about the graph, and a link to another site that may help Mr. Hursts research. Like stated before I will use this as a reference if necessary.
Video assessment
Twitter in Plain English
I would definitely site this video as my source for this project. After viewing the "about us" section of the website one is able to see that the two people who work on this site are legitimate. They have produced videos for many larger companies like intel, microsoft, ford, google and other companies. It seems they make many informational videos on many subjects. One can't help but trust a site that is trusted by large and well known corporations. The information provided is extremely useful. It breaks down the essence of the site, Twitter. It explains why people use the site and how people use the site. It also provides insight as to how the sight affects peoples relalionships with people they follow and who follow them, by allowing each other to get to know one another through the posts.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
research questions
- what are the downfalls of social networking
- who can see your posted information
- how private is it really
- can people still access your site even after being blocked
- what are some public public privacy issues that twitter or facebook has faced
- why am i not using question marks?
- how are sites protecting its users
- how are sites giving users more privacy options
- what are some of these privacy options
- can the government access your private information
- .........uhhhhh
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Privacy and Social networking thesis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter
http://epic.org/privacy/socialnet/default.html
wikipedia, twitter assesment
Some of the information that is useful for the upcoming report is found in the sections of the wiki, 2.1: Privacy and security, 4: Prominent Users, and 5: Usage. In these sections information is given as to where Twitter had holes in its "tweets" security. In the other sections it refers to as who and how twitter services are used. Not to mention the description included in the first paragraph, which is detailed and explains exactly what twitter is
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Twitter assesment
The social networking site twitter makes me picture someone twitching because they haven't posted on their blog for a week. The site itself appears to be very simple. Twitter is based off of micro-blogging which is basically short blogs limited to 140 characters. Unlike other social networking sites such as myspace and facebook, twitter's profile page is very simple, it consists of a picture of ones choosing, a screen-name, and any blogs you have posted. Myspace and facebook, allow you to put all of ones personal information on their profile pages and at sometimes even seem "stalker friendly" by updating on ones friends actions through out the day. The site also offers topics to blog about such as recent movies that are coming out and even an "Iloveyou" topic. The people who use it seem to be the same type of people who use other sites like facebook and myspace and seem to also have accounts on the previously mentioned sites. Many people here just post up on blog updates on how their day is going or to ask questions about random topics they need help with and of course to also keep in touch with frineds.Like mentioned before twitter is more private than other sites. Most people only have a name, location, a short bio, and a link to other websites. People can be more reserved and decide to not post these items about themselves and can also limit how much information about themselves they share by being able to remove previous posts. The site itself is useful to simply update on the status of your day and see how the day of people who one follows is going.It is a place to keep in touch with in a much simpler way than other sites. By limiting the blogs to 140 characters people have to decide what bits of information will be useful to their followers and to make themselves sound interesting.
Twitter is a social networking site that allows its users to update their daily "going's on" and keep in touch with others. Users are allowed to chose whom they will follow and who will follow them. It appears that this site is a lot more private towards the information given about the users of this service. Twitter can also be updated through mobile phones so that when something you simply must tell everyone about immediately happens you can.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
assessment of technology articles
by Jan Pots pg787-789
main ideas of article
The main ideas of this article are pretty much that although drugs have many good uses, such as curing illnesses or simply removing pain, they may cause more health complications.
The idea behind this article states that the good that new drugs and new advances in medicine are making may help us feel better now, but in the long run may actually cause more problems with the side effects the have.
... this reminds me of all of the drug commercials that are on T.V. They say they cure certain illnesses, but then in one breath towards the end of the commercial state all of the side effects that the drugs have. So one has to weigh the pros and cons of taking a drug, cure my migraine...or possibly have a heart attack? o_O
.....
assessing and evaluating
Critical Voice- opinion
avoid emotional reactions; remove all I believe, i think, etc. it is your blog you should not need to restate that
Writing without, I believe and such, makes your writing more confident
question the source, use details to explain why it is a valid or authoritative source
why are things good or bad
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Evaluation of Technology and Privacy Sources
2) In the smoking gun link (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0217092samsung1.html) which refers to the 14 year old being arrested, the story seems a bit possible. Except that the article seems to take things a bit too far. I would buy that a student would get in trouble for texting but have somewhat of a hard time believing that a student would be arrested because they would not stop text. Also the website is known for making up more than a few stories. Although a "rap sheet" is shown in the article, i have a hard time believing that a police station would make information like that public. The site seems to be making fun of people who text way too much and gives an extreme view of what may happen someday. Perhaps this story was inspired by the law that makes texting while driving illegal. I would not use this site as a credible source or at least think twice before using this as a source.
3) As i read through the Amanda L. French article (http://amandafrench.net/2009/02/16/facebook-terms-of-service-compared/) on the Facebook privacy issue i realize that, although on the top of the page it says that she is a "Ph.D.", how can i really trust her to not lie about being one. Of course this is just an assumption made by just viewing on of her sites pages. Surely if one takes their time to look through a website one can see if the source is lying about anything or if it in truth is a reliable source. The information on the article seems to really put down Facebook and its terms of service, but everything is reinforced by a lot of evidence. I agree that the terms of service that try to own your stuff are a bit much, but if i used this source for any reason i would have to keep in mind that this article really is opinionated, no matter how informative it is.
......Hopefully this is enough info for this assignment....
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
essay 3 brainstorming
-for humans and in turn allow human beings to communicate with each other no matter the distances between each human
-to communicate with eachother over long distances instantaniously
What does our generation think about what is private;
brainstorming technology
This technology can be represented with everyday items such as cell phones, laptops, and any other portable devices....
This technology is controlled by the individuals who maintain and or use said technology,
government plays a role in regulating the technology....
When one loses control of their personal information, identity theft may happen, people may learn things about you that one may want to keep private, people can take advantae of you....
Thursday, March 5, 2009
new interview
Juan Ulate: How will or have the economic troubles affected you?
Viet Nghiem: The economic downturn has affected me in that it makes it difficult to gain footing in financial responsibility. Finding a job becomes more and more difficult as employers slash employee count, and at the same time we have to pay more for goods and services. Most people want to have a sense of financial independence, I certainly want to hold up my end of the bargain in not having my parents pay for my needs (boarding, food, etcetera), all the while they have to pay more and more for it.
JU: Does the idea of rising tuition costs frighten you, why?
VN:The idea of rising tuition is quite possibly the most frightening part of higher education – am I going to be able to make the most of the two, three thousand dollars that the university demands? If I don’t, how will I ‘cut it’ in the real world? By definition, rising tuition usually means that universities are receiving less and less money from the government – signs that they don’t have the funds to support each and every academic activity on campus. Rising tuition, to me, signals that I have to work that much harder to squeeze out the value of my time here while simultaneously try to find a way to simply pay for that time.
JU: Would you or do you feel more stressed if you have to worry about paying off your classes while attending classes?
VN: It is a prevalent worry about paying for classes while attending them. Some situations exist where you can save up for college and then pay off, maybe supplementing it with some part-time work on weekends or the off months. Paying as you go is a theme that is stressing in college because, frankly, you don’t know how long you’re gonna be there – you just keep on paying until you’re finished, and keep on working until you’re finished. That sense of… endlessness is a serious stress in college while trying to study.
Monday, March 2, 2009
outline
I. Introduction
1. The California Budget cuts affect everyone but has a devastating effect on the California educational system, with these budget cuts tuition prices will rise and some CSU's will have to even deny entrance to students for the first time.
II. 1st paragraph
1. Major and minor effects of the budget cuts on California Schools
-Transition into Tuition Prices
III.2nd paragraph
1.By how much tuition prices will rise for CSU's, how will this affect students...
-Talk about class sizes and class availability if not already mentioned in the first paragraph or touch on it again....
-Use source for tuition increase percentage
IV. 3rd pragraph
1.Denial of students into CSU's
- Mention that this would be a first, how many students would be denied entrance,
-how will the denials affect students, education, economy...
-tie it all together? if possible
V. Conclusion
1. Restate thesis
2. emphasize the importance of education
- restate how this will affect students now and in the future(less educated, possibly)
- California should try to increase the education budget not reduce it
........ first time I have created an outline for an essay so I apologize if it the outline does not seem like much.........
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Thesis statement
Monday, February 23, 2009
CA budget crisis interview
Juan Carlos Ulate: How is the California Budget Crisis affecting your life?
Xavier Hidrogo: To me, I don't have as much money to spend as i used too. We have to watch the money we spend.
JU: What changes in your lifestyle have you made because of this crisis?
XH: Trying to get a better education, I am studying for my Real Estate license; trying to get ahead now that people need to have certificates or titles.
JU: What is your opinion on the proposed budget cuts?
XH: If we need them we need them. We should cut where ever we need to cut the budget in order to get the budget where it is supposed to be, including hiking the taxes.
JU: What do you believe is the correct course of action that California should take?
XH: Government should stop spending money they don't have on programs we don't need. We should spend money on education and on health care. We waste too much money on things that we don't need.
Authoritative source
California budget cuts spread the pain: By Jennifer Steinhauer The New York Times
In this article Steinhauer states some of the effects that may be created by these budget cuts. First of all the price on a lot of things we use everyday will rise, another thing is that school are going to be under-budget and more than likely lack the funds for new books and will have to increase class sizes, college students can expect their tuition to rise by about 9 % which is harsh to those of us who work to pay for our tuition and books. I can understand that in times like the ones we are faced with the government will increase taxes and what not to create a larger revinue, but to seriously cut the funds of the educational system seems to be a serious mistake. What bothers me more is not that we would pay more taxes but that we would be 42 billion in debt. I suppose we will just have to wait and see how all of this plays out, the article states that California is also one of the first states that are faced with these problems and that the rest of the states are soon to follow. We should as a state try to deal the with this the best we can. In the end the voters of California will call the shots and in the words of Steinhauer "it will be up to voters to keep the budget package from unraveling."
Article was retrieved from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008764833_calbudg20.html ,and the image from http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/greenberg/archives/qqxsgChainsaw.jpg
Friday, February 20, 2009
quote of the day
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Rhetorical Strategies
article uses:
- point of view
- tone
- persuasion
- assumptions
Politics summary
This article was a speech read at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
Obama speaks of his parents and grandparents efforts to better their own life's and better the lives of their children. He speaks of where he comes from and how all this has affected his life and made him see how America really is a land of opportunity for everyone, no matter what the race. He then goes on to say that he supports John Kerry because of his believes and what he would do to better the country. He states that John Kerry will do what ever is necessary to move America forward and will not stagger when the time comes to defend ourselfs from our enemies or any threats. Overall Obama gives his support of John Kerry being chosen as the presidential candidate in 2004. I chose this article because it was the most interesting out of all of the other long, dry, and boring articles that we read..... don't know what to write for the last 30 seconds so yeah.....
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Response on Obama's inaugural address
-- Yeah I am not to sure as to how much I am supposed to respond to on this blog. haha
--I like this though it gives us a little more freedom in our responses or in the least makes it feel like it.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
reflection on class changes
Journal 2/12/09
- major world events
- status of the economy
- advancement in the automotive sector (i.e. concept cars)
- anything interesting that comes up on the news......