The democracy reference as part of the assignment is the most important part of the issues in "cyberspace" that we have discussed so far. It's great that shelf space and inventory are not an issue when selling some products on the Internet and it's wonderful that we can get most any product we desire. Democracy is where the Long Tail provides the ultimate benefit to Netizens. In non-democratic nations, including Burma, China and Iran (and even in U.S.)freedom to have conversations ultimately without censorship is the desire. At what cost? Is there a cost?
Bill Gates on ABC's Good Morning America said censorship happens around the world at different levels but the Internet "has proved a consistent success at promoting openness and the exchange of ideas." We knew that.
I have to think about the tools that "Netizens" are using to combat limits on free speech. Cell phone comes to mind. Reporting events by cell phone camera when your own camera is stolen away from you.
I have some articles to read and will be back to blog later.
Grains of information on a variety of topics researched.
Kathie, I agree it is great that the internet has everything at our fingertips! But I also think that the internet is taking away from communicating in other ways, such as the phone, or just getting together with a friend that you havent seen in a long time. I would like to see less internet is that sort of way but more internet in the business aspect (i.e shopping).Good post so far!
ReplyDeleteI know it is taking away from the personal contact and I have a friend who complains about that constantly. I say well if it were not for the internet we wouldn't even talk to one another right now and that's simply because our schedules don't work well together to get together or to talk on the phone. I don't like to talk on the phone with her because it is hard to get off of the phone. With the Internet I can just stop writing or stop reading. :)
ReplyDeleteBack to the freedoms issue. I watched "The Last Day" today. Stephen Spilberg's. It was tearful. I like to imagine that the jews when they learned things were happening and the Nazi's were on their way to Hungary - that they had conversations via the Internet to other countries to make them aware of what was going on. Then all of that horrible history may not have happened. That's in my imagination. The China government, the Burmese government, Iran and all of the other places with censorship (including in the U.S.) need the open and free conversations via the Internet - for personal freedom. No nation can be trusted entirely.
The Barcelona, Spain article for the 2nd assignment talks about how the Internet is powerful for both the government politicians and also for civilians. People have to be able to get their beliefs, thoughts, ideas across to each other. Via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube organization takes place that impact everything within the processes of life.
Protesters and activists use these tools to fight for the human rights of people as well as getting their local roads repaired.YouTube Direct is a tool for amateur videographers, reporters and others to get their news out there to the websites.
This is a great tool for the media industry. For the Journalist it doesn't do much except put your name out there for a "15-second video". The availability of this tool provided by YouTube is where amateur newscasters can blog and give their opinions, show their films and photos and the glory is all theirs. Reporters can take these and use them in their own stories, so the article points out that there are reasons "citizen journalists" may not want to use this tool.
Closer to home
Good post Kathie. I agree about the effect the long tail has on democracy. That is where the importance of the internet and all of its capabilities come into reality.
ReplyDeleteHello Kathie, Bill Gates also made another speech about a year ago in the Middle East that because women were so oppressed by some of the Islamic countries that the countries were wasting half of their GDP; and therefore, their human potential for the growth of technology without having more women and girls educated. The "Long Tail" is exactly what you stated that the internet is so vast and the shelspace too, that people (netizens) will always find away around the censorship.
ReplyDeleteKathie, I read another person's comment to "Communications in Cyberspace" above; and I am a non-traditional student (older), and I agree with the post from Cyberspace that too many young people are not social to each other face to face. I feel that when i was young meeting my friends at the mall or hanging out at the park was a way to personally connect to people. I feel that the internet is a wonderful innovation, but it has gotten out of control and now we are seeing children as young as seven with cornary heart disease! That is due to lack of exercise because of computers, and XBOX games! what happened to playing outside until the street lights turned on; and what about a natural imagination which inspires children to become more innovative adults?
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