Why blog?

If anyone were to ask the latest fad in communication, the easy answer would be the internet. More and more, people flock to the Internet each day. They create spend time on myspace, facebook, and just about any other site they can find that will let them type something. Among the favorite things to do on this site is blog. For some reason, we feel the compulsion to tell entire world what we are doing or how we’re feeling and why. My simple question is “Why blog?” Why does the whole world need to know what you did last weekend? Honestly, the main people who are going to care will be people you actually see in real life. Why do we go through the effort?
As newcomer to facebook and all this blogging junk, I quickly got exited a few weeks ago and yet now the glamour seems to have faded. My facebook is fairly stagnant with only a few posts going to people and the occasional poke. When does this poking thing end! Lots of people put up pictures from vacations and such, but, hey, I don’t even own camera. A blog sounding like it might be worthwhile, but it’s already frustrating me. You’ve probably noticed my name is here twice and there’s a perfectly good reason for that. When I tried to sign-on to this site, I quickly realized that I had forgotten my password. I tried to use the password recovery system, but apparently no user with my email exists so I my only option was to create a new account. There are way too many passwords to remember online and it only serves to add to my confusion.
So here I find myself, posting a blog. But, truly, what about does the world need to know so badly that I must post it. Do my friends and family who know not suffice? What should I tell the world? Do they want to know my first car? My favorite toy as a kid? My favorite TV shows? Who I’m voting for? I just can’t grasp what the world needs to know from me. Perhaps I’ve looking too far into this. It’s certainly true I’ve been feeling absolutely terrible for the past few days and my thoughts have suffered as a result. It took all my strength to crawl out of bed and go to class. Perhaps that’s what they want to know.—how I’m feeling. Well, I’m sick. I started coughing up a storm on Thursday and my voice disappeared for all intents and purposes Friday. As I had scheduled earlier, I went home last weekend where I took some cough drops and mucinex which helped me feel better. My mom tried to find Vicks 44, but someone figured out how to use it to make meth so you can’t really find it anymore. I felt a little better after the layers of mucous started to dissipate and my voice came back. Upon arriving at my dorm, my roommate offered some tea which served to help with cold, cough, and flu problems which helped more. Fortunately, I have gotten better throughout the day and should be pretty much back to normal by either Wednesday or Thursday.
So, there you have it, something about me.

Why I hate the Internet

I know the title of this blog post seems quite harsh, but I am going to look at the Internet from the other side of the fence. Most of the following are quotes or paraphrases from "Why I hate the Internet," written by an anonymous writer on geocities.com. To clarify, I do not agree with everything he writes; however, he does bring up several interesting points which I would like to discuss. First, he complains that "There's too much information." This is so true. People surfing the web are constantly inundated with pop-up ads, advertisements, links to other sites, search engines spewing out information, junk e-mails- the list goes on and on. Its simply an information overload. Our brains are only meant to process so much information at one time. When we try to process all of the information the Internet gives us, we spend a ridiculous amount of time in front of a monitor. The author also touches on the effect this has on schoolwork. Although the Internet makes research and citations a million times easier, it has a negative reciprocal effect on our study habits. Instead of reading an entire selection from a book to get some background on the topic,we simply copy and paste. It makes us lazy, and we completely forget how to research a tangible document. To be fair, I know there are upsides to having a mass of information. Instead of talking to an Indian telemarketer for the better part of an hour, i can compare vacation spots online. Then I can get directions there, rent a car, book a hotel, get tickets to shows and reserve a table at a fancy restaurant all online.

The second thing the author discusses (and the most annoying thing to me) is Internet junkies. People who have nothing better to do than to sit in front of a computer screen and live online. They meet friends online, they shop online, they read online, they play games online, some even date online. It is comical at times to see them- pale skin that hasn't seen the light of day in a long time, messed up hair, eyes bloodshot from playing to level 24 on World of Warcraft- you know the type. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is no longer limited to those people. It has spread to mainstream culture. Most people have myspace, facebook, youtube, and yahoo accounts. Not to mention they are frequent visitors to Google, eBay, news and gossip websites, and an online dating site. I critique this subject very lightly, for I am guilty in some areas. However, I have learned to manage my time online- a practice very few have achieved. All in all, I cannot say "I Hate The Internet." I can say that of all the means of communication and technology we have available, the Internet lends the largest helping hand to those who wish to misuse it.

Identity Theft/ Online Stalking

Through all of our discussions of internet identity, we haven’t really discussed the issues if identity theft and cyber stalking. After researching these subjects I realized that they are very real and very dangerous. I learned that there are many different versions of theft and stalking online such as false posting on message boards, AIM/AOL harassment, threatening emails, fake websites, and so forth. I realized how serious these issues can be when I visited a web site called www.toxicpink.net. This web site tells the very real stories of people who have been stalked on the internet and had their identities stolen. The web site gave me some cautions to think about when blogging. It suggested that you get a LiveJournal account to ensure your privacy. It also suggested keeping your hotmail account active, knowing your online friends, realizing that emails can be deceptive, and not giving out last names. Until I got on this web site, I had never heard the actual story of someone whose identity has been stolen. I had never realized how serious and hurtful it could actually be. Not only does it affect the person whose identity is stolen, but it also affects that person’s family and friends. What’s really scary to me is that this web site gives the actual names of certain identity thieves and online stalkers, yet they are still out there and have not been caught. They are still very active in their pursuits to ruin peoples’ lives. I think that everyone who is going to be involved in blogging should visit this web site so they can prevent the same thing from happening to themselves.

Why is everything on-line?

Today everything can be done on-line. Most of my mail is on-line. You can order anything you can think of just by doing a casual search and it will be delivered to you in as short of period of time as you want it to be. The internet has really taken over our society. The world as we know it is now wireless. The more technology we create, the more we rely on it. The internet is a wonderful tool, but we use it for everything. Our homework for classes is even on-line now. In subjects like calculus and chemistry it just seems like an excuse for our teachers not to teach or grade any work. The students have to become their own teachers. You can find anything now on the internet. Some people just stay at home and run their own on-line business for a living. It all just seems too impersonal. Why do we flock to the internet for our every need? Need a map? Internet. Looking for textbooks? Internet. Want to know how your friend is doing? Internet. Why? Because we can?

Too much information?

In our past few assignments, my class has discussed the issue of online identities versus real-life identities. We have talked a lot about web blogs and the keys to writing better on the Internet. Most of the articles I have read about web blogs say that you should write passionately, about things that matter to you. Articles also say that authors should write often to avoid losing reader interest. In 10 Tips on Writing on the Living Web, Mark Bernstein writes, "if you don't write for a few days, you are unfaithful to the readers who come to visit." I agree that regularity is needed in a web blog, but how much is too much information? If you really do not have anything new to write about that is noteworthy, is a new post necessary? Many web blogs tell of insignificant personal events that no one, aside from the reader, cares about. Do we really need to know who you talked to at the store yesterday? Or what your mother said to you on the phone last night? When I read web blogs that contain unimportant personal information, all I can think about is how I could be using my time more productively. Don't get me wrong, I love to read articles that have a purpose. But blogs that bear no significance to readers bother me. With that said, I will try not to ever write about things that I feel are unimportant to readers. Because you should always practice what you preach.

You're not hiding as much as you think

Lately we have discussed different ways any person can hide his or her identity behind a virtual mask. Many people carefully edit online profiles to display a personality that may or may not be their actual personality. They could be doing this for fun, curiosity, or to fool others. Sure, you may post pictures of yourself purposefully so that a certain person will see them, but it is surprising how many other people will see those photos -- and who those people are.
Since their openings, such networking sites as Facebook and Myspace have brought about many arrests, punishments, and expulsions in numerous towns, schools, and groups. Police and investigators have had an easy time finding criminals via postings on sites like these. Many times, people have shown photos of themselves participating in illegal activity, practically inviting a prosecution. During the summer before my senior year in high school, a friend of mine was expelled because a parent found a picture of him holding a gun, which he could not legally own.
A couple years back, churches in Alabama were being burnt to the ground. Police would not have been able to apprehend the criminals had the criminals not had a public discussion on Facebook about the activities. It is said that police are not allowed to search Facebook with the intention of looking for any discussion of misdeeds, but can use profiles to investigate after a complaint. It is incredible how easily anyone’s personal information can be seen or stolen. Just a few days ago, a friend of mine sent me an instant message telling me exactly the IP address, model of computer, operating system, and version of firefox I was using. For years, federal investigators have used false identities on Myspace to lure and capture “cyber stalkers.”
Just like those “cyber stalkers” found out that their would-be victim was a law enforcement officer, those people fooled into believing in a false personality will eventually meet the face behind the mask.

Anonymity and the Internet

Since the beginning of school, our English class has been discussing the Internet. What is the Internet and how does it influence our lives? Issues such as personal identity, social networking, and anonymity have been discussed. Where does one draw the line with anonymity and the Internet? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? I believe anonymity on the Internet can breed both positive and negative effects.

In a blog entitled "Engineering Ethics Blog," a man who recently kept his identity a secret, decided to reveal his name. After explaining his reasons for revealing his identity, he asks his readers, "Should we throw up our hands and say that cyberspace anonymity is neutral? Absolutely not. It depends on how it's used. If anonymity encourages otherwise shy people to risk more in the way of human encounters, then it may be a benefit. If a criminal uses it the same way he'd use a mask, then it's wrong." I totally agree with the blogger's assessment of anonymity. Anonymity on the Internet is both good and bad depending on one's reason for anonymity. Many people use the Internet to create a completely new self. People are often embarassed to express their opinions or beliefs unless they do it anonymously. The Internet allows people to express themselves in ways they never thought possible. It enables them to meet people and create relationships that otherwise never would have happened. Although the relationships are superficial due to anonymity, it allows the person to step out of their comfort zone and try new things. Anonymity also enables people to express their true opinions. Many people often worry about criticism and failure. Due to their anonymity, these individuals know that their opinions will never be traced back to them. The anonymous Internet users can often teach others about politics, religion, and other debatable issues that otherwise never would have been posted on the Internet.

I am not saying that anonymity always breeds positive effects. Anonymity on the Internet can often lead to negative effects as well. Criminals often hide behind anonymity or create an entire new person online. They often use anonymity to create relationships with others. They trick people into believing that they are actually the person they portray themselves to be on the Internet. This can often turn into a stalker relationship or sexually abusive relationship. Many men use the Internet to stalk or even meet young women. He might portray himself to be an attractive, young man, when actually he is a sick, old man with filthy desires. Anonymity on the Internet is used for numerous reasons. While some users use anonymity for positive reasons, others use it for dangerous reasons. Although there are many harmless anonymous Internet users, it is never safe to trust anonymous Internet users, for we do not know their reasons for anonymity.