Monday, September 10, 2007
Yeah...
I guess it will be kind of cool writing a collaberative blog page thing together. See everyone in class today.
"The Growing Importance of Blogs"
Hey, guys. I found an article on the web that relates to what we were talking about on Friday. Here's a link for it if you're interested: http://www.southernct.edu/organizations/rccs/news/blogs.html. This article was written by Terrell Ward Bynum, and speaks to the significant impact blogging has had on our society in recent years. In it, Bynum discusses some pros and cons of the blog, or 'Web Log'.
"Some blogs...can be very influential if the persons who create them are interesting personalities with important or provocative things to say... [and] can be effective means for people to promote themselves and their pet interests; and some people find them to be psychologically fulfilling tools for self expression."
I found this next little story particularly interesting in that it shows what a tremendous influence blogs can have on world events:
"During the 2004 United States presidential election, Gov. Howard Dean was the first presidential candidate to make very effective political use of a blog devoted to his campaign. Bloggers from all across America flocked to his blogsite, making comments, volunteering to help with his campaign, contributing money to his cause. Dean surprised himself and all his political opponents by raising over 50 million dollars and becoming the Democratic front runner until the primary elections were held."
The next excerpt could be considered a pro and a con:
"...some blogs have become “news sources,” publishing stories like newspapers, radio stations and TV stations. Some of these blogs are very partisan, publishing highly “slanted” stories as if they were genuine news. People working for these blogs began to call themselves “reporters,” and some were even allowed into the White House Newsroom with nationally known reporters from the major networks."
To me, this suggests that if you're going to get your daily news from a blog, you might also want to consider comparing it to and/or contrasting it with another news source to see if there are major differences, and to make sure you are getting your information from a reliable news source.
In the final paragraph of his article, Bynum relates a story from March of 2005, in which news bloggers in California leaked inside information of the Apple Computer Co. When they were taken to court, the bloggers claimed to be reporters and demanded to be protected by laws which state that a reporter does not have to disclose information about a source. The courts are now grappling with the question of whether or not to treat these bloggers as reporters protected by the shield law. Whatever their decision, it promises to be a landmark one that will affect internet users for years to come.
Sky
"Some blogs...can be very influential if the persons who create them are interesting personalities with important or provocative things to say... [and] can be effective means for people to promote themselves and their pet interests; and some people find them to be psychologically fulfilling tools for self expression."
I found this next little story particularly interesting in that it shows what a tremendous influence blogs can have on world events:
"During the 2004 United States presidential election, Gov. Howard Dean was the first presidential candidate to make very effective political use of a blog devoted to his campaign. Bloggers from all across America flocked to his blogsite, making comments, volunteering to help with his campaign, contributing money to his cause. Dean surprised himself and all his political opponents by raising over 50 million dollars and becoming the Democratic front runner until the primary elections were held."
The next excerpt could be considered a pro and a con:
"...some blogs have become “news sources,” publishing stories like newspapers, radio stations and TV stations. Some of these blogs are very partisan, publishing highly “slanted” stories as if they were genuine news. People working for these blogs began to call themselves “reporters,” and some were even allowed into the White House Newsroom with nationally known reporters from the major networks."
To me, this suggests that if you're going to get your daily news from a blog, you might also want to consider comparing it to and/or contrasting it with another news source to see if there are major differences, and to make sure you are getting your information from a reliable news source.
In the final paragraph of his article, Bynum relates a story from March of 2005, in which news bloggers in California leaked inside information of the Apple Computer Co. When they were taken to court, the bloggers claimed to be reporters and demanded to be protected by laws which state that a reporter does not have to disclose information about a source. The courts are now grappling with the question of whether or not to treat these bloggers as reporters protected by the shield law. Whatever their decision, it promises to be a landmark one that will affect internet users for years to come.
Sky
Boobs, Bubbles, and Business!
Hey! Well, we get to post our first posts!
I have no clue what to write about because I am composing this blog on such short notice, but I think I have decided to tell you guys about some new music that is dominating my iPod's repeat feature. And they are...
1) "Everything" by Michael Buble
2) "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat
3) "Misery Business" by Paramore
You might not have ever heard of these artists, or you might be sick of them. But I don't care! These songs all have different sounds that are unique to the artist. Michael Buble's "Everything" resurrects the music of the late, legendary Frank Sinatra. With his smooth, deep tone, Michael's voice grabs your attention the moment you hear it. Listening to "Everything" is like going back in time and becoming lost in a more relaxed world. Its simple, upbeat melody immediately lifts your mood. Definitely check this song out, but don't be surprised when you catch yourself frequently humming the tune throughout the day.
Browsing on Myspace Music one night, I came across a song called "Bubbly". The song's relaxed nature drew me in at once. Most of the songs I hear today blast verses at me, blare choruses, and then replay the less-than-ten-word-chorus that I've already endured eight times, but Colbie's "Bubbly" does the opposite. When you listen to the song, its subtle, down-to-earth lyrics will actually make you want to listen to the words, not ignore them. The song is so very personable. The lyrics, written by Colbie herself, describe the feeling everyone has experienced when they are around someone they adore. This song is perfect for anytime you are with your boo.
Unlike the first two songs I have reviewed, Paramore's newest hit "Misery Business" screams punk rock! Frontwoman and singer Hayley Williams belts out a delivery accompanied by the band's three other members resembling a Riot! Her edgy voice is bold, but not too screamo. She keeps her sound controlled and just punk enough to make you feel like punching someone in the face. The song is about a girl who "Never meant to brag!" about snagging boy she has long been waiting for. If you are looking for an upbeat song that will pump you up and more than likely make you feel like a badass (with a little fem-twist), then "Misery Business" is your pick.
I have no clue what to write about because I am composing this blog on such short notice, but I think I have decided to tell you guys about some new music that is dominating my iPod's repeat feature. And they are...
1) "Everything" by Michael Buble
2) "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat
3) "Misery Business" by Paramore
You might not have ever heard of these artists, or you might be sick of them. But I don't care! These songs all have different sounds that are unique to the artist. Michael Buble's "Everything" resurrects the music of the late, legendary Frank Sinatra. With his smooth, deep tone, Michael's voice grabs your attention the moment you hear it. Listening to "Everything" is like going back in time and becoming lost in a more relaxed world. Its simple, upbeat melody immediately lifts your mood. Definitely check this song out, but don't be surprised when you catch yourself frequently humming the tune throughout the day.
Browsing on Myspace Music one night, I came across a song called "Bubbly". The song's relaxed nature drew me in at once. Most of the songs I hear today blast verses at me, blare choruses, and then replay the less-than-ten-word-chorus that I've already endured eight times, but Colbie's "Bubbly" does the opposite. When you listen to the song, its subtle, down-to-earth lyrics will actually make you want to listen to the words, not ignore them. The song is so very personable. The lyrics, written by Colbie herself, describe the feeling everyone has experienced when they are around someone they adore. This song is perfect for anytime you are with your boo.
Unlike the first two songs I have reviewed, Paramore's newest hit "Misery Business" screams punk rock! Frontwoman and singer Hayley Williams belts out a delivery accompanied by the band's three other members resembling a Riot! Her edgy voice is bold, but not too screamo. She keeps her sound controlled and just punk enough to make you feel like punching someone in the face. The song is about a girl who "Never meant to brag!" about snagging boy she has long been waiting for. If you are looking for an upbeat song that will pump you up and more than likely make you feel like a badass (with a little fem-twist), then "Misery Business" is your pick.
News for nerds, stuff that matters
Even among those who are proficient with computers, citing the name "slashdot" is a geek alert. Located at http://slashdot.org, the name itself is a geeky joke. If you don't get it, try saying the name out loud. If you still don't get it, please remove yourself from the internet and study that url until it makes sense. With the subtitle "News for nerds, stuff that matters," Slashdot exists as a source of news about technology, math, science, and actually anything else that happens to be interesting. Slashdot is different from the traditional news site in that it relies on submissions from users which are filtered through Slashdot's editing process, and at least in theory, the result is interesting news.
However, reading the articles on slashdot is hardly what makes it interesting. The format of Slashdot allows users to comment on articles, and to comment on the comments of other users. Reading these discussion threads is all-too-often much more interesting than the article in question. The Slashdot community predominantly consists of Linux users and advocates for open source software(possibly; no one REALLY knows how many users use which operating systems), many of whom are programmers as well. This leads to in depth discussions on various programs, philosophies of software companies like Microsoft(a company that is well-hated by /.ers), and of course, endless inside jokes.
That's what makes /. so fun, actually. At first, it can be hard to pick up on, but /. has its own culture, full of references that make non/.ers' heads whirl. For example, in this article about Italian research that may lead to artificial life, comments include a Russian Reversal and the obligatory, "I for one welcome our glowing green overlords." Of course, no /. discussion would be complete without some contrarian attempting to ruin everyone's fun, a couple Douglas Adams references, and at least one association with programming languages or Unix commands. None of this may seem funny to the Average Joe out there, but to nerds, it's a glorious cestpool of humor.
However, reading /. will occasionally be tedious. The elitism of the users can be overbearing. In the Linux community, the most common response to a problem someone identifies in Linux is "Fix it yourself." Since most Linux users are also C++ programmers, they commonly assume that everyone can and should write the code that makes their operating system work, and they're unhesitatingly critical of those who don't. That kind of haughtiness transferred to a discussion on an article can be annoying to read. It's very common for /.ers to completely disregard MySpace, Facebook, and other such sites on the internet entirely, and many /.ers absolutely hate the term "Web 2.0." Arguments about Google, Microsoft, and Apple are common, as one camp of users sees Google and Apple as the shining gateway to the future, another thinks both are overhyped, evil corporations, and everyone on /. hates Microsoft and Steve Ballmer(watch out for thrown chairs). But as long as one doesn't get too into the discussion, /. is usually safe for the average nerd.
In this blog, I've completely failed to mention the /. interest in the RIAA, Russians, Polonium 210, privacy, copyright law, and many other topics. But I think you get the gist, and if you visit the site, you'll see what I mean.
However, reading the articles on slashdot is hardly what makes it interesting. The format of Slashdot allows users to comment on articles, and to comment on the comments of other users. Reading these discussion threads is all-too-often much more interesting than the article in question. The Slashdot community predominantly consists of Linux users and advocates for open source software(possibly; no one REALLY knows how many users use which operating systems), many of whom are programmers as well. This leads to in depth discussions on various programs, philosophies of software companies like Microsoft(a company that is well-hated by /.ers), and of course, endless inside jokes.
That's what makes /. so fun, actually. At first, it can be hard to pick up on, but /. has its own culture, full of references that make non/.ers' heads whirl. For example, in this article about Italian research that may lead to artificial life, comments include a Russian Reversal and the obligatory, "I for one welcome our glowing green overlords." Of course, no /. discussion would be complete without some contrarian attempting to ruin everyone's fun, a couple Douglas Adams references, and at least one association with programming languages or Unix commands. None of this may seem funny to the Average Joe out there, but to nerds, it's a glorious cestpool of humor.
However, reading /. will occasionally be tedious. The elitism of the users can be overbearing. In the Linux community, the most common response to a problem someone identifies in Linux is "Fix it yourself." Since most Linux users are also C++ programmers, they commonly assume that everyone can and should write the code that makes their operating system work, and they're unhesitatingly critical of those who don't. That kind of haughtiness transferred to a discussion on an article can be annoying to read. It's very common for /.ers to completely disregard MySpace, Facebook, and other such sites on the internet entirely, and many /.ers absolutely hate the term "Web 2.0." Arguments about Google, Microsoft, and Apple are common, as one camp of users sees Google and Apple as the shining gateway to the future, another thinks both are overhyped, evil corporations, and everyone on /. hates Microsoft and Steve Ballmer(watch out for thrown chairs). But as long as one doesn't get too into the discussion, /. is usually safe for the average nerd.
In this blog, I've completely failed to mention the /. interest in the RIAA, Russians, Polonium 210, privacy, copyright law, and many other topics. But I think you get the gist, and if you visit the site, you'll see what I mean.
Class Blog
Hey everybody!
I think it will be interesting to see how this blog goes. We tried to have one in one of my clasess in high school, but it didn't work out very well. I think this one will work better though! Anyway, I'm excited about using it to get to know everybody and to create our own little online community! See you in class!
Sara
I think it will be interesting to see how this blog goes. We tried to have one in one of my clasess in high school, but it didn't work out very well. I think this one will work better though! Anyway, I'm excited about using it to get to know everybody and to create our own little online community! See you in class!
Sara
Class blog? Indeed.
Fun stuff right here. It should be interesting to see what everyone contributes to this bad boy. Can't wait. See everyone in class.
-WK
-WK
Identity Protection
I do not go through YouTube a whole lot, but I do surf the internet for general information. Well I was looking up something on Cyber Identity I came across an article at this site:
http://www.gsa.gov/gsa/cm_attachments/GSA_DOCUMENT/13-MexicoCIdentity_R2GVIV_0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR.htm
It was written by a Dr. Raymundo Herrera. He suggests that basically everything on the net sent between people should be encrypted because online communication as it is now has no real security. He states that there should be a central server that assigns these encryption keys to users so that they can keep track of which keys are being used and by whom. Further, he states it can help other users keep messages confidential if they send their messages encrypted with the wrong recipients key. The key won't be able to decrypt the message, so the original user knows he sent the message to the guy.
You guys can read the rest. It is my opinion Dr. Herrera's ideas are overkill for their intended purposes. First, not many of the people who use the internet would want to take that much time to send a message or access information (and some do not know enough about computers to be able to handle all the encryption and decryption necessary). Second, a central server keeping track of everyone will let governments know what people are speaking about online. The internet, to me, is supposed to be a place filled with information and where a person's identity is ambiguous except to just a few other users. And last, while the legal ideas are good, if someone does not want to worry about the works they post online being taken, they do have options. They can chose not to put their work online, or if they do, make sure their work appears in a special window where certain commands, such as copy and paste or print page (or any similar commands), are not allowed to function.
It is my opinion, while Dr. Herrera's ideas are good, they are overkill for the job and have a great potential to go beyond simple identity protection.
-Chase
http://www.gsa.gov/gsa/cm_attachments/GSA_DOCUMENT/13-MexicoCIdentity_R2GVIV_0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR.htm
It was written by a Dr. Raymundo Herrera. He suggests that basically everything on the net sent between people should be encrypted because online communication as it is now has no real security. He states that there should be a central server that assigns these encryption keys to users so that they can keep track of which keys are being used and by whom. Further, he states it can help other users keep messages confidential if they send their messages encrypted with the wrong recipients key. The key won't be able to decrypt the message, so the original user knows he sent the message to the guy.
You guys can read the rest. It is my opinion Dr. Herrera's ideas are overkill for their intended purposes. First, not many of the people who use the internet would want to take that much time to send a message or access information (and some do not know enough about computers to be able to handle all the encryption and decryption necessary). Second, a central server keeping track of everyone will let governments know what people are speaking about online. The internet, to me, is supposed to be a place filled with information and where a person's identity is ambiguous except to just a few other users. And last, while the legal ideas are good, if someone does not want to worry about the works they post online being taken, they do have options. They can chose not to put their work online, or if they do, make sure their work appears in a special window where certain commands, such as copy and paste or print page (or any similar commands), are not allowed to function.
It is my opinion, while Dr. Herrera's ideas are good, they are overkill for the job and have a great potential to go beyond simple identity protection.
-Chase
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Happy Blogging!
Hey Guys, I just wanted to say that I think the idea of our own blogging site is awesome. I'm really excited about it. To me, it's like a way of getting to know one another better and another way of being closer outside of the class room. I can't wait until we get this site going; it's going to be one of a kind. Happy Blogging! Mercedes
OmegaPatten
Hey Guys,
Well I guess I'll start us off. We had been talking about online identities, and I think Ryan mentioned Lemonette. Have any of you heard of OmegaPatten? He is essentially a cult icon for his renditions of some popular songs.
Here's a link to his rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tUrTa8AAsSQ
Here's his YouTube profile:
http://youtube.com/profile?user=omegapatten
Take notice to the number of subscribers, friends, and comments (check the video for comments)
There used to be a facebook group for him, but I think it got deleted.
Anyway, it's pretty funny, so I hope y'all enjoy it.
-Nick
Well I guess I'll start us off. We had been talking about online identities, and I think Ryan mentioned Lemonette. Have any of you heard of OmegaPatten? He is essentially a cult icon for his renditions of some popular songs.
Here's a link to his rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tUrTa8AAsSQ
Here's his YouTube profile:
http://youtube.com/profile?user=omegapatten
Take notice to the number of subscribers, friends, and comments (check the video for comments)
There used to be a facebook group for him, but I think it got deleted.
Anyway, it's pretty funny, so I hope y'all enjoy it.
-Nick
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