9/8 Class...

The process of writing down original ideas based on our thoughts, feelings and the work of others is what effective writing is all about. I asked you to think about four things after last class:

1. Recall what you wrote in class about the object in your life you value.
2. Think about how is this object connected (or not) to what you wrote in your "A day in the life of my Internet Usage" assignment?
3. Read United Nations Declares Internet Access a Basic Human Right  
4. Watch and the Youtube video Humanity Lobotomy - Second Draft.

How are these four very different (yet similarly related items) connected? This is not an easy question to answer. However, these are the sorts of questions we have to learn to answer. Below are three responses from our blog. (Thanks everyone!) Please pick one and look for how your classmate attempted to connect these ideas together. Please write a response to your classmate's post. Make sure to highlight their connections and to expand their answers to include a synthesis of these four bits of information. Please save this writing for your midterm portfolio. 

[1.]
1) My computer is the greatest source i get internet i receive from.

2) They portray altercations between each other. One regards internet as a human right. Showing freedom of expression religion,press,and speech. The video shows control over what can be shown and said in the internet. Basically, controlling human rights and being fed of what we can see from companies such as At&t and Verizon.

3)The ideas and opinions i see developing are about critics. Weather there are traditional critics or not in this internet society. I believe that there are traditional critics out there and the only reason why Rebecca blacks song had over 29million views only for the sheer boredom people. I think the age of inspiration has slowly dying out and the age of entertaining has come in play. 

 

[2.]

The item that I picked, which was my phone is in a lot of ways connected my daily Internet usage. I use the Internet daily for social networking, homework, and media. All of these things come from my phone because I’m not home all the time. The Internet on my phone is very convenient and saves a lot of time.

After reading the article about United Nations declaring Internet access a basic human right i was very surprised. I thought to myself how people lived for thousands of years without it. There are many people today who don’t use Internet or any kind of web for anything. I don’t think the Internet can be a basic human right if you have to pay for it. After watching the YouTube video about humanity lobotomy I think of how the Internet would be if it was privately owned. There wouldn’t be any sites that users contribute to. If there are no sites that humans contribute to the Internet wouldn’t be the same, there would not be as much demand for it. If there isn't any demand for the Internet the companies who own them wouldn’t be making any profit from it, so ultimately i don't think it will ever happen.

I think the Internet did not kill a lot of critics, but made them used for better. If your video gets a lot of critics it just gains popularity, which is ultimately what you wanted. For every critic there is someone who agrees with it. People can put whatever they want online and not get judged. If there is no one like you in your city there is one in the world and the Internet helps you find them, so you feel more comfortable with the way you are. The Internet makes everyone an author and people feel more special when they can express their feelings to millions over the Internet.

We are beginning to connect what we use, which is the Internet, to how we’re being used, which is the Internet changing the way we think and our minds without us noticing, to how we can use web 2.0, which is for using the Internet for basically anything we could imagine.

 

 

[3.]

 In class I did write about one object in which has a huge significant in my life, my car. Although the internet barely plays a role in how my most valued object it does help me out on occasion. Google maps, and other GPS applications I have on my phone help me get every where, because I am terrible with directions. If it wasn't for the basic concept of GPS, every trip I take would last way longer. So even though it only plays the most minor of parts, it is relevant. That is what I love most about the internet, no matter where you are or what your doing the internet is almost always applicable in tons of situations, such as driving your car.

After reading the "Untied Nations Declares The Internet A Basic Human Right", I have mixed emotions. Immediately I felt, yes absolutely the internet should be a basic human right, but then oppositional ideas started to settle in. In reality internet should be a basic human right, but this will never be. As Elissa said, government will always intervene and get involved in certain situations regarding user-generated content. Although this may strike you as a problem, we need rules and regulations for usage of the internet. Otherwise it will be a breeding ground for many criminals, offenders, and even terrorists. The internet makes it so easy to learn how to do destructive things and to conspire with others when it comes to doing this things. So by declaring it a basic human right, it should be understood that every person should have access to it, but there will still be guidelines and rules. The way I understand this, is by comparing it to driving a car. Driving is a basic human right, but even though it is a privilege to all, there are still rules and there are still consequences to not following those rules.

Going along with the idea about the internet being a basic human right, a controversy has developed and the video "Human Lobotomy-Second Draft?" was made. In this video it discusses the fact that certain companies are trying to buy out the internet, and whether or not that is okay. Personally I feel, it should not be another pawn of capitalism. Everything that these companies are fighting for are only to bring more money to their pockets. The internet has been and still is based off of user-generated content. It is the only thing that is not based on how a huge corporation would like to do things. It is finally something that give people every where the chance to share their ideas, thoughts, comments, concerns, and problems quicker and more efficiently. By stripping everyone of this, it will kill the future of the internet and the great things it has in store.

Finally, the last discussion about user-generated media killing critics. I love this idea, I know so many people who refused to watch a movie or play a game due to the bad reviews of a critic. I think this is ridiculous every person has different ideals then that of a critic who thinks they know better then anyone else. I feel this will even help out some people who's songs or video or game flopped because of a couple bad reviews. I feel people should decide what's good and what's not for themselves. I feel critics are not gone, but critics who really influence people are. I encourage everyone to be a critic, because its starts conversation, it gets things going. Everyone has an opinion why miss out on the opportunity to be one because of a specific person or "critic" says it isn't worth your time. One last question, What qualifies a person as a critic?