Internet Passports

How would you like to be able to scan one card or type in a single password for every action you take on the internet? Signing into Facebook, checking your email, transferring money, buying a case of ammo from Cabela’s (guilty), or anything else could be done with the swipe of a card. Well, the government wants to make this hypothetical convenience a reality.

Advocates point to the convenience such a system could offer, and to claims of a system making our internet activities more secure and more private. Those working on the system also claim that there will be no sort of “centralized database”.

An internet ID system would certainly have many skeptics, and I’m one of them. Most internet security experts agree that it’s best to have separate passwords for each website you use that requires a password. Those who wish to use a single password for everything are already free to do so. There are also concerns about the government’s ability to keep any information it receives classified, and the fact that Wikileaks still exists does not ease those concerns.

So what are your thoughts? Would you like the convenience of a government-issued internet passport, or would you prefer manage your cyber security yourself?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20027837-501465.html

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/13/obamas-internet-passport/

Educate yourself

What is the Internet? In 1994, most people didn’t know. Check out this ancient clip from the Today Show:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/katie-couric-and-bryant-gumbel-have-no-idea-what-t

Could you give a better explanation? I find it interesting that there are few who could do so, despite daily usage of the enigma. We do everything online. For many people I know, the Internet is their air. Everything they do has been integrated into an online system somehow. Isn’t that scary? Especially when control over this “air” is being used as a political tool. Governments and other systems of rule always want to gain this “Power of Control” over anything and everything they can. I’m not saying all governments are evil- they may or may not believe their choices are for the welfare of their people. But if control of the Internet is something that can be taken, shouldn’t we know exactly what it is that’s being held over our heads?

There are so many of us who take the power of the Internet for granted. I think it’s important that we spend more time understanding what the Internet really is. This is how connected we are: Not knowing certain “computer/Internet” terms (like the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web) is like going your entire life without a full understanding of the workings of your own body.

More and more I’m noticing there are two types of people. Everyday people like us, and the people who develop NASA’s wish list:

http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/future-space-technologies/1

Does Internet education matter?

Do you believe people want or care to understand the Internet or computers?

Is MTV’s New Series Showing Too Much?

When I first saw the commercial for MTV’s new series, Skins, I thought it was an ad for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign - you know, the “above the influence” ads? I anticipated the party scenes to subside and “above the influence” to appear in white text. Instead, promotional information for the series appeared in fluorescent green.

The commercial for Skins is marketing genius, though. If the synthesized rhythm of “Kids” by Sleigh Bells doesn’t get your attention, the mature content of the scenes playing on the screen certainly will, but not necessarily in a good way.

The premise of Skins is not new to TV. The concept of a brazen teen drama turned soap opera, interlaced with sex scenes, alcohol, and drug use, seems commonplace today with the emergence of One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

Journalist James Poniewozik labels the series a “parental nightmare.”

Without a doubt, Skins has spurred much controversy with adults. A myriad of articles and news reports have been published and are centered around the controversy, and can be found online - all you have to do is Google Skins.

In his article, “Generation XXX: MTV Tries to Get Real with Skins,” for Time, Poniewozik writes, “On Skins, the characters do drugs and have sex and have a deep core of sadness. But they don't have a core of sadness because they do drugs and have sex. Nor, necessarily, is it the other way around."

“For all its cheekiness and raunch, Skins has more sweetness than snarky teen soaps like Gossip Girl."

He adds, “This is the secret of this unsettling, flawed but ambitious show: it wears its heart on its skin.”

What you see is what you get, I guess.

In conclusion, Poniewozik asks, “How realistic is the show?”

So, if you’ve seen the show, how realistic is it? Is it sensational?

If you haven’t seen the show, what do you think of the commercial? Based on it, do you think the series is realistic or sensational?

How do you think shows like Skins affect youth?

Share your thoughts!

Wikileaks Rampage

So this has been around for quite a while now, so I'm sure you've heard of them, but there is an organization that goes by the name of Wikileaks. Their main function in life right now seems to be to undermine the United States government in every possible way they can by hacking into news and government databases, hijacking classified information and releasing the information to the worldwide public, such as a video of U.S. soldiers killing iraqi people, 251,287 confidential files about the U.S. government's foreign activities (AKA how the U.S. feels about foreign countries and their top secret affairs in other countries, amongst other things. Things that could cause serious problems, in other words.), and war diaries that show where our soldiers are, where they've been, and pretty much everything you can know about the military's involvement in the war in Iraq.

Regardless of your opinion about the organization, no one can deny the terrifying delivery and use that media can have if placed in certain hands. Not only that, but because of they way they rout their systems, they, so far, cannot be stopped no matter how much the government tries to shut them down. Truly frightening. That's enough of me, though.

What are your thoughts?

Cite: http://wikileaks.ch/

New Normal Music

I'm not much of a radio listener. I haven't been for several years now. It has to do with the limited genres available, none of which are exactly what I want to listen to. So if I'm ever driving, I'm almost always listening to my ipod or a cd instead of the radio because if I want music, that's the best means for me. I've pretty much given up on radio. So imagine my surprise when I ran across New Normal Music.

New Normal Music is an internet radio station that plays mostly indie rock that isn't played on normal radio and isn't more than a year old. Created by Tom Leykis, a veteran radio personality who hosts his own shows, and Art Webb in early July, the website boasts of being created "in protest of radio stations who claim to play 'new music' but only offer safe, market tested tunes-- often 10+ years old." Currently, there are no advertisements between songs except for those advertising the station, another difference from normal radio. Which might be why Leykis asks for people to not New Normal Music a radio station, stating that "radio doesn't have the guts to do what we do."

So my question is, yay or nay? Granted, indie rock may not be what you like to listen to. But, in your opinion, is the theory of an internet radio station like this a good one, or should we just stick to the tried and true method of current radio?

References:
http://www.newnormalmusic.com/
http://newsblaze.com/story/20100624122205zzzz.nb/topstory.html

"Ohio pastor living in van aims to aid the homeless"

Ted Williams, a former homeless man living on the streets of Dayton, Ohio, literally became a superstar overnight. An inspirational story to all, it proves that nothing is impossible. What helps makes this seemingly impossible situation into a one-of-a-kind, life-changing story? What else but the lovely YouTube website. After a videotaped interview of Ted (on the streets) was posted on YouTube, his life from that moment on has not and will not ever be the same. He has since has been offered to be the voice of commercials, a spokesman for the NBA team the Cleveland Cavaliers, and others.

Ted's story has inspired many people, including Pastor Ryan Rydell. Rydell is taking the month of January to raise awareness of homelessness. In the article, "Ohio Pastor Living in Van Aims to Aid the Homeless," it states, "He's using social media to bring home his message in creative new ways. He's constantly updating his website, tweeting and posting on Facebook to let followers know when someone he's encountered on the streets needs a pair of long johns, overnight housing or a pair of shoes."

Cited from USA Today.

I wonder how Pastor Ryan would communicate with people if he were homeless and had no access to internet, phone, etc..??

Groups for "Good Night & Good Luck" Project

So, here are the groups for the radio/podcast project associated with "Good Night & Good Luck." Get with your team (and I'll try to have you all huddle the first session we watch the movie) and start to map out roles within the project...more on that as we get closer to watch dates...

Group 1: Laura Baronet, Courtney Covert, Sarah Flynt, Matt Hamann, Dekotah Moreno
Group 2: Grayson Akerly, Courtney Bishop, Cherice Hereford, Tia Runion, Rachel Wilder
Group 3: Larkin Briley, Jacob Early, Christina Morris, Ayla Rinkenberger, Alyssa Wittmaier
Group 4: Lexi Adams, Monica Boes, Scott Boughner, Marie Lemma, Elizabeth Vorholt
Group 5: Beth Goforth, Julie Harmon, Katie Kendall, Kiah Rinehart, Amanda Zelenak
Group 6: Whitney Cooper, Jordan Korn, Tori MacDonald, Jared Patterson, Missy Peters

Texter Sues

Throughout the past week or so, this YouTube video has circulated through many different forms of mass media.  Radio stations, television stations and the Internet are all discussing this woman's fall into a fountain (while texting).  After realizing that the video she starred in went viral, this women decided to sue the mall because of her high level of embarrassment.

My first reaction to her lawsuit was disgust.  I have daily texting fails (among many other fails) and I would not want them posted over the internet, but I am sure that there are other ways of going about fixing the situation without suing.  If you haven't seen it before, Scarlet Takes a Tumble was a much more embarrassing video than the fountain texter's, and I never heard of her suing anyone.  

All of this to say, it is amazing to me how much mass media affects our day to day lives.  We are surrounded constantly by other people's ideas and actions through books, magazines, radio stations, televisions and the internet.  Of course, most people would find this video very comical but it could serve as a warning for future videos that are not very comical.  A video on YouTube could ruin somebody's life.  Now that a normal computer user can contribute to the mass media (via the internet), all of us should be personally responsible for what we post on this medium.

College Student Hero

I’m assuming that many of you have heard about the shooting of the Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford. But have you heard about the young man who possibly saved her life?

Daniel Hernandez is a 20 year old student from the University of Arizona and had been interning for Gabrielle for only 5 days. As soon as Gabrielle was shot, he ran to her side to help her and told people how to help the other 20 people who were injured.

This article caught my attention because Daniel is a college student just like us. It brings up the question, what would you do in a situation like this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110109/ts_yblog_theticket/meet-daniel-hernandez-the-intern-who-likely-saved-gabrielle-giffords-life

Over the past few days...

Nashville has experienced the worst rainfall in recorded history. We all know that.

But also over the past few days, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have given hundreds of people the ability to share photos and videos from their areas that news photographers are not able to reach.

So perhaps this is one instance where the existence and obsession with sharing things instantly has allowed the public to realize exactly how bad the damage is.

In the Facebook group "I survived the Great Nashville Monsoon of May 1st", 35,820 people have already joined. 1,373 photos have been added. (As of May 4 at 9:05 a.m.)

Lowe Finney, a TN Representative tweeted that he was with Gov. Bredesen when Pres. Obama called pledging to help. (http://twitter.com/LoweFinney/status/13321679080)

About four hours later, the official White House twitter-er tweeted (?) the same news. (http://twitter.com/whitehouse/status/13330665338)

So perhaps, social media is actually more than social media... maybe, in times like this, it allows strangers to connect through photos and videos and ask for help.