Reaction Post

In this post, I will be discussing my reaction to the EOTOs that were seen in class. Unfortunately, sickness kept me away from seeing all the presentations, but I would like to share my thoughts on Sarah's presentation on the history of YouTube.YouTube is a well-known name when discussing streaming in the modern age. In the presentation, she discussed the founders and their reasoning behind starting the popular YouTube site. 

Before we can discuss YouTube's impact, we have to discuss the history and the beginning of the idea. Three men, Steven Chen, Jawad Karim, and Chad Hurely, had the idea to create a platform for one to pick specific content you wanted to see. Television does not offer the same choices that we have now when it comes to choosing what we want to watch. They were not the first website to try to accomplish this. The original sites were incompatible with the software or were not the right file size, so by the time you actually picked what you wanted to watch, the process had already consumed a significant amount of time.

YouTube became popular in the 2010s and 20s through the video tutorials that they offered. Youtube always had a wide variety of options that would help guide you in any activity that you decided to try and conquer. This became popular through the ease of sharing videos. 

Many influencers, or creators, were inspired by this platform and gained great followings through creative freedom. People began to have access to a community that they felt they belonged to through the users that followed them. If you are not aware of influencers, it's okay! You can access other channels on YouTube, too. There are no limits to what you can find. If you are not interested in the platform influencers, you have access to all news channels. Every News channel has a YouTube platform that you can access later broadcasts if you miss something 

It was most interesting to learn about the roots of the website, which has brought me much comfort over the years. It was intriguing to understand the history of how this small idea became one of the most utilized websites. If you go on YouTube today, you still find thousands of videos that offer anything you could want. You can even see historic videos from the beginning days of the website. Although YouTube was not the first attempt, it was the most well-received attempt and has stood the test of time still.

Youtube will probably continue to have a huge impact on the future of society. We have already seen how invested people are in the platform, and I believe that will only continue to grow despite that in recent years we have seen an influx of users leaving the platform due to revenue issues. That is a blog post for another day, though. I hope through this post you have learned about the impact of YouTube on society 

EOTO #2 Blog post 6

Throughout the world, there are many forms of news. It is constantly being thrown at us. The test is to know if the news we are receiving is true or not. With the increase of social media, we have seen an increase of disinformation. If you are like me and are not super familiar with this, that's okay. In this post, I will be breaking down exactly what disinformation is and how to combat it. 

Disinformation is not a new concept. In fact, it has been around as long as stories have been told. You may be asking yourself, What is disinformation? Disinformation is the sharing of information that you know is not true for the purpose of determining someone's opinion. Before we continue talking about disinformation, we also need to understand misinformation. These two concepts sound similar but are different. Misinformation is the sharing of information that you think is true but is not. I think it is important to distinguish the two because they are not the same but often used as the same word. 

The first recorded use of disinformation was in 1620 by Ben Johnson. Ben decided to create a play described as a masque (dramatic entertainment in the 16th and 17th centuries). His play was used to make fun of his community and the audience's gullibility and hunger for fake news. The play was News from the New World Discovered in the Moon. Even in today's time, disinformation is used as a form of satire. 

With the increase of social media. There has been an increase of disinformation. Especially in the recent years with the 2016 election. People who spread disinformation use the gullibility of the reader to help promote whatever story they want to spread. We live in a fast world where things are rapidly and constantly changing. That means that the uses and the ways that disinformation is shared increases with these developments. You can see the use of this phenomenon, such as trolls and the use of AI. Also, the increase in social media has caused an increase in hackers. 

You may be wondering why this is so appealing, but there are many reasons for this. For starters, disinformation DOES unite people in some way. It removes the feelings of shame people may have about their views and opinions. This would lead people to feel more connected in the communities that spread disinformation. It can also help explain situations that may be unexplainable, maybe even confirming beliefs about a situation you have already experienced, giving a sense of power as your opinion aligns with someone else's. Ultimately, it is most appealing because it allows one to voice their opinions, allowing a release of strong emotions. 

Of course, with the good, there is always bad, and disinformation is ultimately bad. Disinformation takes away the valued trust of the person and the source. Trust is the most important asset when it comes to getting information. Obviously, when opinions are abused, division is created, making the recipient of this information emotional. These are also negative attributes of disinformation. When you have conflicting information, it leaves you feeling uncertain about a topic. The ultimate issue is how dangerous it is when disinformation is given. It can make tensions high or be bad advice that could cost you your life. 

You may be freaking out, or maybe you are calmly asking yourself, "How do I combat this?" There are ways you can spot and possibly combat disinformation in many ways. First, look at who is writing or publishing the information. Sometimes, there are sites that you already know may be producing incorrect information. The next thing that would be beneficial is digging deeper into the topic. Do not just rely on one source or person's opinion as gospel. Many sources should be reporting the same idea if it is accurate. Remember to check websites for trustworthiness. Another thing you should do is always keep your bias in check. Evaluate yourself and make sure that your own biases are not getting in the way of your belief in something different. You should also make sure that the article was published recently. Information could have been true at some point, but new developments can make that information inaccurate. You can also find people to ask. If you are surrounded by those who are more educated on a topic than you, ask their opinion and get all sides. You should also ask yourself if it was written as satire. Ultimately, the best thing you could do to combat information is to be educated about disinformation. 

Disinformation can be hard to spot, and with a rapidly changing world, it is only going to become more rampant. Although people do not commonly trust social media, it is becoming harder to tell the truth from fiction. I hope through this blog post you have learned something new to help combat the spread of disinformation. 

*Privacy Online and Off #5

Social media has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I feel certain others my age can say the same thing. My philosophy is to never post anything you would not want the whole world to see. The question is, "How do you avoid living a life on social media when it's all around you?". For some, that would be simple; just do not download an app and create an account. For people like me, who have had social media around them all their lives, it would not be so simple to just deactivate an account. Everything posted is somewhere in the world. So how can I protect my privacy? How can I become less known for my carbon footprint? 

The issue of privacy has affected me personally. I have had hacked accounts in the past where I had someone contacting me and holding it hostage. It was not fun and quite scary that someone had access to all of the pictures and messages I had sent on that account. I eventually gave up trying to get it back. I am not the only one to be affected by this. Many people all across America experience this. The biggest platforms hacked are Instagram and Facebook. 

 

Although these numbers are small, they show that a huge portion of the world is on the internet in some way. This means that all these people are susceptible to having their information stolen. 

It is not just strangers on the internet that leak private information and photos. Sometimes, the people that you think love and care about you the most are the people that post pictures when you are asleep or because it's funny and many times just taken out of context to make it appear suggestive when the picture or comment was totally innocent. A more recent issue that has taken prominence in social media is the idea of revenge pornography. Revenge pornography can ruin lives and careers. Social media platforms are being used for this horrible act, regardless of intent.

The next question is, "How can we protect ourselves online?". A few things you can do to ensure privacy and security are to create strong, strong passwords that are changed frequently and that the two-factor authentication is turned on. Most phones automatically offer this now as a way to protect ourselves from hackers. Keep your phone and platforms updated with security to ensure maximum benefits.

A phenomenon that people need to be aware of is "phishing". This is when our information is willingly handed over to hackers, and someone reaches out to you through a bogus account. When you respond, they capture your information. Phishing schemes can usually be easily spotted, as they will have misspellings or weird links taking you off the platform. These are all great indicators for a fishing scheme. 

A few more ways you can protect yourself are by turning off the personalized ads that may show up on your phone. You can manually turn these off in settings or deny access in the app you are using to personalize ads. You should also begin using a browser to use some of your platforms. Simply having the app on your phone gives the company access to use your data. In the end, the biggest thing you can do to protect yourself is ask yourself what you are protecting. 

Social media is an ever-changing space, and with constant developments, it will be hard to keep up with everything. New platforms coming out mean more ways for our data to be accessed. which also means new developments to protect ourselves. The ultimate thing you can do is educate yourself on data security and privacy. I hope that this post has been a good starting point for you to continue your research. 

*#1 EOTO The Ballpoint Pen #4

Throughout life, there are many subjects to be learned and taught. New ideas that are springboards for future inventions and designs. There is a common belief that knowledge makes you expand your thoughts, and the only way you can achieve new knowledge is to seek out learning. So on that note, I have decided to take a moment to teach you as a reader something you may not have known about. You never know; this knowledge could inspire your next great invention. 

In this blog post today, I will get to teach you about a wonderful creative instrument that has been adapted to many forms throughout the years. This instrument has seen many designs and many changes. You may be asking yourself what this wonderful instrument is... Well, dear reader, it is the ballpoint pen. 

The First Pen

Before we can talk about the ballpoint pen, we have to start with the invention of pens. The first pen in history was the Reed pen, which was created in 3200 BC in Egypt. This pen became the prototype for the pens we use today.

The next pen was the feather and ink method, followed by a calligraphy pen. The common problem with these pens was the mess created. Ink would get everywhere, ruining clothes, paper, and everything the ink came in contact with. 

With the mess and inconvenience of liquid ink, something had to change. People needed a pen that could solve the ink-related tragedies. This need would be met in 1888, when the first ballpoint pen patent began to take form. 

Small beginnings 

The ballpoint pen began its journey in 1888 with the great inventor John J. Loud. This great inventor planned to have a pen that could write on things other than paper but decided that the original pen design was not suitable.

There were many successful designs made, but the ink would not distribute properly, making the new pen design a failure. Clogging of the ink kept the pen from functioning at all. It seemed like this poor design would never be seen by the masses, and the ballpoint pen was laid to rest.

Taking Off

Two brothers continued this invention's tale. Lasio Biro designed a new patent, except instead of changing the design, he decided to change the ink. The ink he decided to use was the same as the newspaper ink at the time, which was extremely quick-drying. Lasio asked his brother Gyorgy, who was a chemist, to help him bring his design to life, and he agreed. They later went into business together in Argentina. 

After the brothers got the patent for the pen just right, they decided that they could make money by selling their patent. And that's what they did. Marcel Bich, who owned the Bic company, purchased the patent. Marcel Bich decided to make this product the main sale of his company, and sales took off. So much so that we still see Bic today in pen sales. 

Although this small device seemed to have a rough start, it became a mighty device. Many people will probably ask, "Why the ballpoint pen? Why did she pick that?" Well, I can answer that question pretty easily. The pen, although not the ballpoint specifically, changed the future of communication. So many wonderful pieces were written using the pen. This is why I believed it was most important to write on. I hope that this post enlightened you the way it did through my research process. 

*The Value of Free Expression #3

In our society today, there is animosity over the right to speak out openly and freely in public. Many of these debates are filled with frustrations, concerns, outrage, and the demand for justice over acts deemed unjustifiable. In today's post, we will talk about free expression and why it is so important, especially in today's society. 

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic set off a surge of events that left humanity feeling isolated and fearful of the future. All over the world, suicide rates increased, looting became prevalent on the news, and many were feeling the weight of impending doom! There was outrage around the world over the lack of simple, clear communication and honesty. It is never fun to feel like the punchline to a joke, and that's what 2020 felt like to so many. 

How did this involve free expression? Well, during this time, because we were held captive in comfy beds, we were drawn to places where we could find human interaction; for most, that was social media. Through social media, you can feel connected to other people without even having to be near them, one of the plus sides of social media. We get to see individual self-fulfillment through social media platforms.

Consequently, when you have good, there must be bad. We began to see division between people on what they believed. Everyone has the right to believe something. This is a value of expression called Protect Dissent. You have the right to have an opinion and question anything, no matter how big or small. And we are lucky to have the right to voice that. 

Now, let's go back to the beginning of the pandemic. We began to see data that did not make sense involving Covid cases. Unfortunately, many people lost their lives. It is also unfortunate that the government lied to us. It took many years for the facts about doctors being forced to support failing data, and if they did not comply, they would receive harsh punishment, even being labeled as criminals. This takes away a value of speech known as the check on governmental power. It also takes away protect dissent. This is where we can question everything, even the government. As you can see, this freedom being taken away leads to lies being spread and false hope being given. Not only were they being forced to give the vaccine, but if you complained or refused, you were fired. This is what inevitably led to a doctor suing Pfizer. 

Just in the past few days, President Trump signed an executive order to abolish the right to birthright citizenship. This has caused outrage among people who believe that this is unconstitutional. Speaking out is an example of protect dissent and stable change. We should speak out about the government doing things we do not believe in. In fact, it is our right to do so not only through the Constitution but also through our value of checking on government power. 

Throughout this post, you can tell that I have mentioned protect dissent many times. This is due to the fact that I believe it is the most important value. If we do not utilize protect dissent, then the other values become nonexistent. Protect dissent gives us the privilege to be able to question everyone, including our government. Even in a court of law, you can question and debate your views. Without this value, I would not be able to continue in the professional degree I hope to achieve. I would not be able to have access to social media platforms. Something that, in turn, would not give me individual self-fulfillment. 

Throughout this blog, I hope to have enlightened you about the values of expression, and hopefully, you can analyze your own values of expression!

*The Founding Era and the Ideals of America #2

As an American, it is important to understand your government. This can be hard to do sometimes. There are lots of branches and many changes that happen; it's so hard to keep up! In this post today, though, I will be breaking down some super important things about the one branch of our government that we see today, the Supreme Court, and our history! 

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. It ensures that our government is run the way it was intended and everyone is protected to be free from overbearing rules. 

The year is 1776, with wide possibilities. Through the Revolutionary War, we were no longer bound to England and its beliefs. America could write our own rules now. This is a time for freedom to be brought forward, but we cannot do that without the birth of the Declaration of Independence. During this time, each state got to write its own Constitution and Bill of Rights. I never knew this and thought this was an interesting historical fact. Now I have something else to add to my cool random facts file!

Years later, in 1783, the dreaded Revolutionary War was over, and America won! Yay! The Treaty of Paris was signed, which made America completely independent from the English grasp. Not so yay was the fact that any war causes debt, which means America started off in debt. 

With the government in debt and the country being in disarray, there was a failed attempt at the Constitution, known as the Articles of Confederation. This would later be revised and become known as the Constitution that we have today. 

 A special form of government was made, which is the Supreme Court. This court ensured that people in America had rights that were protected and enacted by the government. With no freedoms in England, we decided as a country to protect certain freedoms for everyone. 

You may be asking yourself why this is important. I know I did. This is important because we see our first set of new governments. The Constitution was made to establish our government and how our government is run.

Unfortunately, in 1801, the Supreme Court was weak, which meant that change had to occur. The change that occurred was that John Marshall reluctantly became the chief justice. This changed our path with the future of our government forever. 

John Marshall 

Now, with this small history lesson I have given you, I think it is important to discuss why all of this history impacts us today. The most important thing about the Supreme Court is its ability to protect our rights and freedoms. Many of the rights written in 1776 still hold power to this day. Surprisingly, in history, we see Americans agree on one thing: we don't want to be told how to live. The power of the people to stand against England for our values is what brought the most change. I love to see in our history people standing together against something. My thoughts about the Supreme Court were not many. I had some knowledge of the Supreme Court, but I was never really educated on its history. I think my view has changed through this by seeing the struggle America went through to establish itself.

After a lot of debate and a somewhat negative outlook on who the Supreme Court was and what they did, I think I am more positive now and understand that the Supreme Court tries to protect us more than harm us; it's easier to understand some crazy rules that they make. The rules were written at a time when many things we have were not prominent or known to them. The Supreme Court does its best with the material it has. They are trying to apply a constitution in a time that is not current with today's way of life. The Supreme Court has to rearrange in some ways, but in others, many of our founding principles have still stood the test of time. 

Current Supreme Court Justices 

As we can see today, the government still tries to push the boundaries. With the recent TikTok ban discussion, we see that the government still tries to enact policies that do not make sense. Throughout this entire discussion, we have seen our government firsthand fail at multiple things. Watching the videos of the discussions that were had, they have failed to enact diversity, inclusion, and representation. Trying to silence the voice of many American users directly goes against the First Amendment. Something our forefathers fought for us to have. 

I hope that this post has enlightened you in some ways and has given you new information about something you may not have known. 

*#1 Sources and Such