Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Are Pirates No Longer the Enemy?
Software industries continue to view computer pirates as enemies. However, the article titled, “So You Want To Be a Pirate?” offers a different perspective on computer pirates and how they function in the online world.
Pirates enjoy finding and collecting new software programs that are found on the web. It is thrilling for them to “crack programs [and] race to see who can be the first to upload the latest version.”
They deny committing computer piracy even though their ‘job’ seems to be just that. Instead the author claims that computer piracy involves “the copying and distribution of copyright software (warez).” This form of piracy is not conducted by these so-called pirates because they share software programs that are found amongst each other. That’s right. These pirates are a part of a large of people who share similar interests in warez. They share software programs like warez so that each of them could learn from it and provide feedback to other pirates within this group. Pirates collect this information and disperse it on the web so that it is made available to the masses. These “experienced pirates” compare themselves to tutors because of their ability to help those who may have purchased warez. They even consider themselves to be excellent promoters of a software company’s merchandise because of the information they provide regarding the software systems they had ‘cracked.’
But the software industry may refuse to “acknowledge” their so-called “contributions” especially since they lose over $4 billion dollars annually because of computer piracy.
They, in fact, “challenge the claim that pirates cost software manufactures any lost revenue, and will argue that they spread the word for high quality products.”
Despite this evidence, the author continues to insist that pirates are not bootleggers or criminals. The author reassures that pirates are people who do not engage in selling stolen merchandise for their personal gain.
Pirates enjoy finding and collecting new software programs that are found on the web. It is thrilling for them to “crack programs [and] race to see who can be the first to upload the latest version.”
They deny committing computer piracy even though their ‘job’ seems to be just that. Instead the author claims that computer piracy involves “the copying and distribution of copyright software (warez).” This form of piracy is not conducted by these so-called pirates because they share software programs that are found amongst each other. That’s right. These pirates are a part of a large of people who share similar interests in warez. They share software programs like warez so that each of them could learn from it and provide feedback to other pirates within this group. Pirates collect this information and disperse it on the web so that it is made available to the masses. These “experienced pirates” compare themselves to tutors because of their ability to help those who may have purchased warez. They even consider themselves to be excellent promoters of a software company’s merchandise because of the information they provide regarding the software systems they had ‘cracked.’
But the software industry may refuse to “acknowledge” their so-called “contributions” especially since they lose over $4 billion dollars annually because of computer piracy.
They, in fact, “challenge the claim that pirates cost software manufactures any lost revenue, and will argue that they spread the word for high quality products.”
Despite this evidence, the author continues to insist that pirates are not bootleggers or criminals. The author reassures that pirates are people who do not engage in selling stolen merchandise for their personal gain.
The Hobbyist Market
A letter by Bill Gates co-founder of Microsoft talks on how the hobby market is lacking on creating good software and how users of these programs love to steal their hard work. He and his partner Paul Allen had understood that the price of computers would soon drop to the point that selling software for them would be a profitable business. Gates believed that by providing a BASIC interpreter for the new computer they could make it more attractive to hobbyists. Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code is one of the earliest and simplest high-level programming languages. For example, Microsoft Word and Excel both come with a version of BASIC with which users can write programs to customize and automate these applications.
“Most of these "users" never bought BASIC (less than 10% of all Altair owners have bought BASIC).”
He mentions on how people just like to steal and use their program but do not even have the dignity to go out and buy it.
"What about the guys who re-sell Altair BASIC, aren't they making money on hobby software? Yes, but those who have been reported to us may lose in the end. They are the ones who give hobbyists a bad name, and should be kicked out of any club meeting they show up at.”
He mentions on how people just like to steal and use their program but do not even have the dignity to go out and buy it.
"What about the guys who re-sell Altair BASIC, aren't they making money on hobby software? Yes, but those who have been reported to us may lose in the end. They are the ones who give hobbyists a bad name, and should be kicked out of any club meeting they show up at.”
An open letter left somewhat unread
"Don't kill the messenger," has been a long used cliche to remind people of the importance and relevance of the message over the person delivering it. "Don't kill the messenger" as a phrase is a comment on how it is almost a natural human reaction to place the deliverer of the message under a certain spot light of unspoken questions. These subconscious questions about the messenger, in effect color our otherwise black and opinions on the message itself.
Enter young Gates circa 1976. Before his 13 consecutive Forbes richest person on earth awards and before his net worth 53 billion dollars. Now in hindsight the reactions to anything Gates has to say concerning software and money will be heard with an ear tuned and colored by his current economic standing, and needless to say, his role in founding, developing and running the ever successful Microsoft company. Nevertheless Gates had in 1976 identified an industry problem that really drew the line between the software developer and the consumer. The problem is one that is still present and even more so than ever drawing a definite line between the yay and nay sayers.
In a vintage article from 1976 Gates takes aim at the growing trend of stealing software for the personal pc (which at the time was more poplularly referred to as the hobbyist computer). In the beginning of the article Gates attempts to gain the sympathy of the reader by disclosing the tedious year or so spent on developing and testing a quality bug free program(Basic) that he and his partners essencially spent over $40,000 dollars to bring to the market. His grip so to speak is outlined much better by Gates himself:
"The feedback we have gotten from the hundreds of people who say they are using BASIC has all been positive. Two surprising things are apparent, however, 1) Most of these "users" never bought BASIC (less than 10% of all Altair owners have bought BASIC), and 2) The amount of royalties we have received from sales to hobbyists makes the time spent on Altair BASIC worth less than $2 an hour.
Why is this? As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software. Hardware must be paid for, but software is something to share. Who cares if the people who worked on it get paid?...Is this fair?
The answer is no Bill, no it's not fair. Although it is almost impossible to not take into account how stupidly wealthy Mr. Gates is lets keep one thing in mind,Don't kill the message on account of the messenger. The message not the massenger is what hold the weight in this article.
I myself am part of the vast majority of misguided youth who had downloaded free music, movies and programs from sight like Limewire, Imesh and the once popular Napster. I never took into the account the effect it would have on business and the personal lives of the programmers. Sadly when we think of who is effected our minds default to corporate fat cats like Gates and forget about that hardworking struggling programmer from Banglador or places like it who really need those royalties to support themselves and a family.
Cry me a river you say? Two tears in a bucket? Well lets examine Gates argument of taking the wind out of the programmers sails:"One thing you do do is prevent good software from being written. Who can afford to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free? The fact is, no one besides us has invested a lot of money in hobby software. We have written 6800 BASIC, and are writing 8080 APL and 6800 APL, but there is very little incentive to make this software available to hobbyists."
This argument can be mirrored in the music industry. How many Music stores have you seen closed down in your area in result of burning friends cds, stealing them off the internet and the growing popularity of the mp3 format. Tower Records, once a music retail Mecca has announced the closing of all stores. Virgin records, a multimedia giant closed a once successful location at the source mall in the tidal ripping effect of ripping/stealing. Will the software industry be next on the chopping block. Not really, in contrast to the music industry software is much more rooted in commerce and day to day life so in the end the power of the industry still remains in the programmers court and the catch 22 is that by stealing software you may be effecting the life of a not so well off up coming programmer. The ripple will reach the fat cats you don't think you are hurting and they as in huge companies like Microsoft will possibly retaliate with less development of "hobby" programs. This in effect will prevent the movement forward in ease of use in programs that, if kept current and on the cutting edge make tasks like doing taxes easlier(turbo tax anyone) A well crypted well protected program may be priced higher because of the fact that if it is needed and not easily ripped people will pay for it, a good example is Profits a commerce solution company that developed software for retail stores.
In all what may be thought to be harmless can really end up hurting an industry which one way or another will effect your job and how you do it, your everyday personal life and maybe even....gasp, your wallet.
Enter young Gates circa 1976. Before his 13 consecutive Forbes richest person on earth awards and before his net worth 53 billion dollars. Now in hindsight the reactions to anything Gates has to say concerning software and money will be heard with an ear tuned and colored by his current economic standing, and needless to say, his role in founding, developing and running the ever successful Microsoft company. Nevertheless Gates had in 1976 identified an industry problem that really drew the line between the software developer and the consumer. The problem is one that is still present and even more so than ever drawing a definite line between the yay and nay sayers.
In a vintage article from 1976 Gates takes aim at the growing trend of stealing software for the personal pc (which at the time was more poplularly referred to as the hobbyist computer). In the beginning of the article Gates attempts to gain the sympathy of the reader by disclosing the tedious year or so spent on developing and testing a quality bug free program(Basic) that he and his partners essencially spent over $40,000 dollars to bring to the market. His grip so to speak is outlined much better by Gates himself:
"The feedback we have gotten from the hundreds of people who say they are using BASIC has all been positive. Two surprising things are apparent, however, 1) Most of these "users" never bought BASIC (less than 10% of all Altair owners have bought BASIC), and 2) The amount of royalties we have received from sales to hobbyists makes the time spent on Altair BASIC worth less than $2 an hour.
Why is this? As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software. Hardware must be paid for, but software is something to share. Who cares if the people who worked on it get paid?...Is this fair?
The answer is no Bill, no it's not fair. Although it is almost impossible to not take into account how stupidly wealthy Mr. Gates is lets keep one thing in mind,Don't kill the message on account of the messenger. The message not the massenger is what hold the weight in this article.
I myself am part of the vast majority of misguided youth who had downloaded free music, movies and programs from sight like Limewire, Imesh and the once popular Napster. I never took into the account the effect it would have on business and the personal lives of the programmers. Sadly when we think of who is effected our minds default to corporate fat cats like Gates and forget about that hardworking struggling programmer from Banglador or places like it who really need those royalties to support themselves and a family.
Cry me a river you say? Two tears in a bucket? Well lets examine Gates argument of taking the wind out of the programmers sails:"One thing you do do is prevent good software from being written. Who can afford to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free? The fact is, no one besides us has invested a lot of money in hobby software. We have written 6800 BASIC, and are writing 8080 APL and 6800 APL, but there is very little incentive to make this software available to hobbyists."
This argument can be mirrored in the music industry. How many Music stores have you seen closed down in your area in result of burning friends cds, stealing them off the internet and the growing popularity of the mp3 format. Tower Records, once a music retail Mecca has announced the closing of all stores. Virgin records, a multimedia giant closed a once successful location at the source mall in the tidal ripping effect of ripping/stealing. Will the software industry be next on the chopping block. Not really, in contrast to the music industry software is much more rooted in commerce and day to day life so in the end the power of the industry still remains in the programmers court and the catch 22 is that by stealing software you may be effecting the life of a not so well off up coming programmer. The ripple will reach the fat cats you don't think you are hurting and they as in huge companies like Microsoft will possibly retaliate with less development of "hobby" programs. This in effect will prevent the movement forward in ease of use in programs that, if kept current and on the cutting edge make tasks like doing taxes easlier(turbo tax anyone) A well crypted well protected program may be priced higher because of the fact that if it is needed and not easily ripped people will pay for it, a good example is Profits a commerce solution company that developed software for retail stores.
In all what may be thought to be harmless can really end up hurting an industry which one way or another will effect your job and how you do it, your everyday personal life and maybe even....gasp, your wallet.
Ethiopia's Dreamland
I found this article not very surprising. After reading Thomas Friedman's book, and journeying through Bangalore, I expected most of these dire countries to be on their way to the top of the technological turning point. Ethiopia is one of Africa's poorest countries, yet they spend 1/10 of their GDP on information technology. Although I do not know what GDP stands for, I know it is consuming a bulk of the countries income.
This technological boost is not just to put them on the playing ground with the rest of the competitive world. This change is being made to upgrade their entire lifestyles tremendously.
Meles Zanawi, the Ethiopian prime minister talks of IT providing a short cut to development. "I want to see ICT pervade all our activities as a government, not just in the urban areas. WE want to connect all our villages in two to three years. All education services, likewise. We would also like to provide telemedice".
I never even heard of telemedicine, much less expect a country so far behind to have it apart of their vocabulary. Since the 1980's, only 1.2% of the country owned telephones and less than 0.1% goes online. Technology never seemed to be as important or pressing to their lives. However, it is starting to prove that no matter where you, what country you are from, technology is the determining factor in a life of success. So over the next 5 years, the Ethiopian government plans on spending over 100 million dollars on public sector computers.
Meles (prime minister) says, "IT is no luxury... but rather a crucial weapon to fight poverty".
School-net and Woredanet are some of the upcoming enhances Ethiopia hopes to conquer. School-net will overcome the desperate shortages of teaches. They also plan to use video lessons, enables teachers and students the same to endure 8 hours of straight education. Woredanet is the country's first step in e-government. "For the first time the network connects all 600 of Ethiopia's local councils (woredas) to 11 regional capitals through internet telephone and video-conferencing. Half the links are by cable, and half by satellite. The broadband infrastructure also offers the chance for small towns to install their first payphone."
"The capital, Addis Ababa, looks so changed that it is easy to fall intro the trap of over-optimism about an IT-enabled future. But Ethiopia is not Addis Ababa. So long as the vast majority of its people are subsistence farmers scraping a living from a hostile environment, IT can only be part of a bigger package of slow and painful reform.
That doesn't mean it is not a good investment. In any case, Ethiopian's don't regard themselves as second-class human beings: no outsider is going to persuade then to have second-class ambitions".
This technological boost is not just to put them on the playing ground with the rest of the competitive world. This change is being made to upgrade their entire lifestyles tremendously.
Meles Zanawi, the Ethiopian prime minister talks of IT providing a short cut to development. "I want to see ICT pervade all our activities as a government, not just in the urban areas. WE want to connect all our villages in two to three years. All education services, likewise. We would also like to provide telemedice".
I never even heard of telemedicine, much less expect a country so far behind to have it apart of their vocabulary. Since the 1980's, only 1.2% of the country owned telephones and less than 0.1% goes online. Technology never seemed to be as important or pressing to their lives. However, it is starting to prove that no matter where you, what country you are from, technology is the determining factor in a life of success. So over the next 5 years, the Ethiopian government plans on spending over 100 million dollars on public sector computers.
Meles (prime minister) says, "IT is no luxury... but rather a crucial weapon to fight poverty".
School-net and Woredanet are some of the upcoming enhances Ethiopia hopes to conquer. School-net will overcome the desperate shortages of teaches. They also plan to use video lessons, enables teachers and students the same to endure 8 hours of straight education. Woredanet is the country's first step in e-government. "For the first time the network connects all 600 of Ethiopia's local councils (woredas) to 11 regional capitals through internet telephone and video-conferencing. Half the links are by cable, and half by satellite. The broadband infrastructure also offers the chance for small towns to install their first payphone."
"The capital, Addis Ababa, looks so changed that it is easy to fall intro the trap of over-optimism about an IT-enabled future. But Ethiopia is not Addis Ababa. So long as the vast majority of its people are subsistence farmers scraping a living from a hostile environment, IT can only be part of a bigger package of slow and painful reform.
That doesn't mean it is not a good investment. In any case, Ethiopian's don't regard themselves as second-class human beings: no outsider is going to persuade then to have second-class ambitions".
Brazil giving away free software. Good Idea? Bad Idea?
The brazilian government is going to switch from costly operating systems made by Microsoft and others to free operating systems, like Linux. Brazil recieves government financing to be able to give their people free software. Their government is also going to make computers very cheap so the low income, and working class people can buy a computer at a reasonable price. The Brazilian government is really trying to help their people become computer literate.
"Walter Bender, the executive director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose opinion was solicited by the Brazilian government, replied in a recent letter that "high-quality free software" has proved more effective in stimulating computer use among the poor than scaled-down versions of proprietary software.
Though he said he did not oppose giving consumers a choice, he concluded that "free software provides a basis for more widespread access, more powerful uses and a much stronger platform for long-term growth and development."
Whatever the government decides, most industry analysts agree that the program will probably help combat software piracy, which is widespread in Brazil".
"Walter Bender, the executive director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose opinion was solicited by the Brazilian government, replied in a recent letter that "high-quality free software" has proved more effective in stimulating computer use among the poor than scaled-down versions of proprietary software.
Though he said he did not oppose giving consumers a choice, he concluded that "free software provides a basis for more widespread access, more powerful uses and a much stronger platform for long-term growth and development."
Whatever the government decides, most industry analysts agree that the program will probably help combat software piracy, which is widespread in Brazil".
The Tragic $100 Laptop
"In case you haven't heard, Nicholas Negroponte, the founding chairman of
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, is pushing ahead with his
plan to make a $100 laptop that will be distributed to millions of young people
in poor countries around the world."
The intial thought of a laptop that only costs a $100 dollars is WOW, I want one! However, when you look into the logic of the people who oppose this idea, it is not hard to agree with them. The plan of producing this laptop that will sell for $100 is genius but when you think of the "hows" and "to whos" it kind of changes that.
"Many people in those poor countries -- the vast majority, I suspect -- would
not be willing to spend even close to $100 on laptop. What that means is that
they would prefer to spend $100 on other items -- food, iodine pills for water,
DDT to protect them from malaria, basic generic drugs, maybe even a sewing
machine."
It is common knowlegde that not everyone can afford a computer. It would be amazing if that were possible. However, the idea of trying to produce a PC that will be affordable is more than that. The technicalities are challenging such as, who is poor enough for this $100 laptop, how will you distribute this to the "poor" and who is actually going to value the true worth of affordable computer access? And if the goverment chooses to hand them out for free, the value of the laptop is gone because in reality, not everyone really cares about computer access and when you are more concerned about your health issues than your educational issues a laptop is not going to matter to you.
"So what started off as a completely innocent, let's-help-the-poor-in-poor-countries proposal will end up, with government involved, as just one more way of government using force against its own people to buy goods for them that they regard as luxuries, preventing them from buying the goods that they need to make it to next year. That's a tragedy"
An iPod Serves Educational Purposes?
The Brearly school district requires students in grades 7 through 12 to have an iPod in order to complete their homework and classroom assignments. It is an expensive hand held device that most people use to listen to music. This school district will sell iPod's to students for $269 or allow them to rent it from the school for $50 per year or simply use the ones that they already own.
Many foreign language teachers find this device to be extremely helpful. The iPod enables students to download audio files of the chapters in their textbooks from the school's academic server. Teachers also enable their students to use this device to “upload songs and audio books in foreign languages to supplement the audio materials that come with their textbooks.”
A student named Samantha Green agrees “that the iPod has helped her foreign-language skills” because she gets a better sense of how the language is spoken when listening to it on her iPod. This reveals that iPods help keep students engaged in the lessons and help them understand the languages better.
Teachers decided to implement iPods as a part of classroom instruction because students would be able to listen to “real-world content [which] could encourage students to use their iPods more often. The hope is that if students are interested in this, they'll download and explore on their own without being told to."
It seems that iPods are the new instructional tool of the future because universities are also catching onto this trend. For example,
This proves that iPods are a helpful instructional tool that many teachers are using in their lessons.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Brazil: Free Software's Biggest and Best Friend
Now in this day and age it is clear tot see the only way to have a staple market is through communication. Now how do individuals communicate? Ah.. Simple through the world wide web. Now a country such as Brazil is giving their people a chance to grasp a piece of the technological age and educate themselves a bit more. In this New York Times article Brazils government is allowing their people to get a chance to receive free software.
"For this program to be viable, it has to be with free software," said
Sérgio Amadeu, president of Brazil's National Institute of Information
Technology, the agency that oversees the government's technology initiatives.
"We're not going to spend taxpayers' money on a program so that Microsoft can
further consolidate its monopoly. It's the government's responsibility to ensure
that there is competition, and that means giving alternative software platforms
a chance to prosper."Now iisn'tnt every day a person in Brazil has aopportunityty to have the capability of interacting in the world wide web. This will all be made or at least tr to work without the help of Microsoft, who will not participatdudeed to the refusal of the government who is trying tcreateat competition, instead of cosolidatinMicrosoftts monopoly. The company that is working on the soft ware is called ConectadPCPc. Now this is a clear form of self educating, allowing a country as Big as Brazil to get a chance to advance in this fast pace world of technological advancements. There are even talks about allowing computers to be available at schools. And even if they do not reach their goal, they would just like to have the computer software market moving. "It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than nothing."
$100 Laptops
Would people in poor countries buy $100 laptops out of their own money?Some of them would. And if the goal is to get the computers into their hands, then no government program is needed other than to abolish government-imposed trade barriers. Many people in those poor countries -- the vast majority, I suspect -- would not be willing to spend even close to $100 on laptop. What that means is that they would prefer to spend $100 on other items -- food, iodine pills for water, DDT to protect them from malaria, basic generic drugs, maybe even a sewing machine
This article bothered me a bit, I don's see the point of offering people in these poor countries laptops for $100. For some reason I dont think they are too worried about keeping up with the latest technology. Instead of spending money to create such an inexpensive laptop, they should think to use the money to build housing, to donate food or even clothing. Theres so many other things that can be done for these people that will be much more useful.
Friday, October 27, 2006
i love on star
In the article called "Take my privacy please" the author Ted Koppel feels that we have no privacy anymore and that big brother is always watching. He points out in this quote "There is no end to what we will endure, support, pay for and promote if only it makes our lives easier, promises to save us money, appears to enhance our security and comes to us in a warm, cuddly and altogether nonthreatening package. To wit: OnStar, the subscription vehicle tracking and assistance system. Part of its mission statement, as found on the OnStar Web site, is the creation of "safety, security and peace of mind for drivers and passengers with thoughtful wireless services that are always there, always ready." I think On Star is a great invention because it can help locate a person or people that could be in a serious accident and may not be able to call for help all they have to do is prwess the button or for somebody to report them missing. I think the only people who would have a problme with On Star are people who have bad tendencies. These are also the people who are paranoid about being monitered online or with EZ-Pass.
i love on star
In the article called "Take my privacy please" the author Ted Koppel feels that we have no privacy anymore and that big brother is always watching. He points out in this quote "There is no end to what we will endure, support, pay for and promote if only it makes our lives easier, promises to save us money, appears to enhance our security and comes to us in a warm, cuddly and altogether nonthreatening package. To wit: OnStar, the subscription vehicle tracking and assistance system. Part of its mission statement, as found on the OnStar Web site, is the creation of "safety, security and peace of mind for drivers and passengers with thoughtful wireless services that are always there, always ready." I think On Star is a great invention because it can help locate a person or people that could be in a serious accident and may not be able to call for help all they have to do is prwess the button or for somebody to report them missing. I think the only people who would have a problme with On Star are people who have bad tendencies. These are also the people who are paranoid about being monitered online or with EZ-Pass.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Peek-A-Boo I See You
There are many accessories out there that people think they need. The media points out all of the features that you have to have and not telling you what they get in return. for example: TiVo. This will let you record all of the episodes that y0u are not going to be home for and you are able to watch them later on when time is best for you. But did you know that TiVo is also keeping a diary of what you are recording and watching. OnStar is a great feature that is installed in the car and if an accident occurs, OnStar is there to help. But did you know that OnStar is tracking your car everywhere you go? Recently chips have been placed in dogs in case they get lost or run away, and not only dogs but in humans for Alzheimer's patients also.My cousin has a dog that has the VChip. Did they really need it? No, but were encouraged to get it. What does that mean? Supermarkets are now telling everyone to get their own savings card. Eventough if you do not have one they give you one anyway. Basically the only thing you get by having your own card is the fact that you receive coupons for items that you buy most often. so the supermarket is keeping a track of what you buy. Why? so we can get that $0.50 coupon on the next 12 rolls of toilet peper we buy on our 'next visit'. Are they really trying to keep me from shopping at another store? They keep track of my items to give me coupons, but no matter what, i get the sales they promote that day from the store 'savings card'. Maybe thats how they conduct their big sales? For all the people who do not have a card and use the store card, they found out what people are buying and put it on sale. usually the sale is the day after you just supplied your entire pantry or the day after thanksgiving. Now, that i was suckered into getting the "free savings card" when i put my keys on the counter the next time im at Micky D's, the woman taking my order can know where i shop? Im a walking advertisement. What do you know. I personally feel that the government is making up things to have more control over us and in ways that we don't realize it.I have used many ideas from an article By TED KOPPEL called, "Take My Privacy, Please!" In this article he also explains that by taking some of your information, it sometimes gets lost and not one person it affects but THOUSANDS.By law, companies have to tell you everything about their product. Its all there but if you look really close, maybe even with a magnifying glass, you can read it. Next time that you are out and would like to get something for yourself, make sure your read the fine print.
12-6-06
After reading the paper this morning i have something else to report. Nassau Community College has 'misplaced' all the students private information. Over 21000 student records are missing. Was it becuase someone was careless or maybe someone stole the records? How can someone be SO careless of the entire bodies student records. All the students phone numbers, dates of birth and SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS are no where to be found. (As of late Wednesday) With all the technology that we have today, by tomorrow it will be on the internet somewhere.
12-6-06
After reading the paper this morning i have something else to report. Nassau Community College has 'misplaced' all the students private information. Over 21000 student records are missing. Was it becuase someone was careless or maybe someone stole the records? How can someone be SO careless of the entire bodies student records. All the students phone numbers, dates of birth and SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS are no where to be found. (As of late Wednesday) With all the technology that we have today, by tomorrow it will be on the internet somewhere.
A Net of Control
"Picture, if you will, an information infrastructure that encourages censorship, surveillance and suppression of the creative impulse. Where anonymity is outlawed and every penny spent is accounted for. Where the powers that be can smother subversive (or economically competitive) ideas in the cradle, and no one can publish even a laundry list without the imprimatur of Big Brother. Some prognosticators are saying that such a construct is nearly inevitable. And this infrastructure is none other than the former paradise of rebels and free-speechers: the Internet." --Steven Levy
The Internet, until most recently has been open to anyone, relatively free of restrictions. Can we really afford to operate on today's Internet without security? A friend of mine--who at one time spent countless hours on the computer hacking, figuring out HTML codes, and learning other computing tricks that were not known by the masses--told me that the era of Internet freedom had already come and gone long ago with the end of dial-up access and AOL being the #1 online service provider. "You used to be able to do almost anything if you knew the commands. Now there's all this software that takes the fun out of it," he said.
"The best-known implementation of this scheme is the work in progress at Microsoft known as Next Generation Secure Computing Base (formerly called Palladium). It will be part of Longhorn, the next big Windows version, out in 2006. Intel and AMD are onboard to create special secure chips that would make all computers sold after that point secure. No more viruses! And the addition of “digital rights management” to movies, music and even documents created by individuals (such protections are already built into the recently released version of Microsoft Office) would use the secure system to make sure that no one can access or, potentially, even post anything without permission." --Steven Levy
But who really wants an insecure Internet? While we deserve our privacy, don't we need our protections as well? We could think of it as the equivalent of locking up the house while we're in the shower, and no none else is home. No intrusions into our space. However, those people who were the first on the Net and are witnessing the progression toward restrictiveness are not happy, I'm sure. As for me, I like my computer as clean and secure as possible, even if that means restricted access. "Unfortunately, our increasingly Internet-based society will get only the freedom it fights for." But anarchy can't work, and freedom comes with a price...
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3606168/
The Internet, until most recently has been open to anyone, relatively free of restrictions. Can we really afford to operate on today's Internet without security? A friend of mine--who at one time spent countless hours on the computer hacking, figuring out HTML codes, and learning other computing tricks that were not known by the masses--told me that the era of Internet freedom had already come and gone long ago with the end of dial-up access and AOL being the #1 online service provider. "You used to be able to do almost anything if you knew the commands. Now there's all this software that takes the fun out of it," he said.
"The best-known implementation of this scheme is the work in progress at Microsoft known as Next Generation Secure Computing Base (formerly called Palladium). It will be part of Longhorn, the next big Windows version, out in 2006. Intel and AMD are onboard to create special secure chips that would make all computers sold after that point secure. No more viruses! And the addition of “digital rights management” to movies, music and even documents created by individuals (such protections are already built into the recently released version of Microsoft Office) would use the secure system to make sure that no one can access or, potentially, even post anything without permission." --Steven Levy
But who really wants an insecure Internet? While we deserve our privacy, don't we need our protections as well? We could think of it as the equivalent of locking up the house while we're in the shower, and no none else is home. No intrusions into our space. However, those people who were the first on the Net and are witnessing the progression toward restrictiveness are not happy, I'm sure. As for me, I like my computer as clean and secure as possible, even if that means restricted access. "Unfortunately, our increasingly Internet-based society will get only the freedom it fights for." But anarchy can't work, and freedom comes with a price...
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3606168/
For Homework Listen To Your iPOD
It’s actually kind of funny how requirements for school use to be just pencils, pens, notebooks, and text books necessary to keep up with the lessons. To see the ipod actually being incorporated into many schools curriculum is interesting. I don’t really see a big deal with this, its just like having students type their homework instead of writing it out.
Pencils, Pens, Notebooks, & An Ipod!
In Brearley School, a private school for girls on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, 8th graders were required to purchase an iPod as a required supply for their classes.
It was not long ago when the only requirements for back to school supplies consisted of only pencils, pens and notebooks. And sometimes the fun supplies like markers, crayons, etc. However, probably the most expensive supply i've had to buy as a student ( before college ) was the graphing calculator in high school, which the teacher sold to us for 90 dollars. Now in Junior High School, students are required to purchase an iPod as must have supply for the year.
I would have neer imagined that schools would actually require their students to make such a purchase. But this proved to me how serious this iPod revolution has become! Before completing my reading i was pretty amazed and felt that this requirementw was somewhat ridiculous. However, after reading Mark Glassman's article i've changed my mind and feel that adding the iPod to the back to school shopping list is actually a great idea. ( Plus its a good way to make your parents buy you an iPod!)
www.apple.com
"The 20-gigabyte iPod required by the school sells for $299 at stores but
was made available to students for $269 through Brearley with Apple's education
discount. Nonetheless, only 117 students purchased the device through the
school, and 95 rented it from the school at a cost of $50 per year. The rest
owned them already"
It was not long ago when the only requirements for back to school supplies consisted of only pencils, pens and notebooks. And sometimes the fun supplies like markers, crayons, etc. However, probably the most expensive supply i've had to buy as a student ( before college ) was the graphing calculator in high school, which the teacher sold to us for 90 dollars. Now in Junior High School, students are required to purchase an iPod as must have supply for the year.
"While Apple says Brearley's mandatory-iPod program is the first it has
heard of at the secondary-school level, there have been comparable efforts at
universities. This fall Duke issued an iPod to each of its 1,650 incoming
freshmen and has tried to incorporate the device into several courses, including
music, language and engineering. Last year, Georgia College & State
University began lending the devices to students for use in several humanities
courses."
I would have neer imagined that schools would actually require their students to make such a purchase. But this proved to me how serious this iPod revolution has become! Before completing my reading i was pretty amazed and felt that this requirementw was somewhat ridiculous. However, after reading Mark Glassman's article i've changed my mind and feel that adding the iPod to the back to school shopping list is actually a great idea. ( Plus its a good way to make your parents buy you an iPod!)
www.apple.com
Maroon 5 Makes Room on the wiped for Schoolwork
By the looks of this title a person would think that Maroon 5 had something to do with the article, well that doesn't seem to be the case. In this article by Mark salesman the practice of using I-pods for something more than just killing time listening to music, but more for a higher form of education seems to be the vocal point. In a private school students have been blessed with the technology and teachers who actually understand that this new wave and fad can be used for a better good. In their foreign language courses students are being asked to buy a 20 gigabyte I-pod which could go for an estimate of 300 dollars. If that seems to be too much then students could rent it for 50 bucks from the school. Now this seems to catch the interest of students and teachers alike. Now when looking at it from a different perpective or should I say a more underprivileged persepective, this form of learning and technology isn't available to certain schools. Though its a something new and very interactive I dont believe that this form of learning will spread. It may be something that many private schools will be experimenting with but the belief that it could spread to Public schools is looking bleek.
Maroon 5 Makes Room on the IPod for Schoolwork
"The 20-gigabyte iPod required by the school sells for $299 at stores but was made available to students for $269 through Brearley with Apple's education discount. Nonetheless, only 117 students purchased the device through the school, and 95 rented it from the school at a cost of $50 per year. The rest owned them already".
The new phenomenom when it comes to electronical music devices is definetly the Ipod. There are different types that can fit any family member no matter the age. Now they are putting them in schools to help people learn. Some schools like University of Duke,Georgia College & State University and now Brearley private school for girls is using this.
"In Jian Gu's Mandarin course that afternoon, one student played snippets of her Chinese diary entry, while another student translated it aloud. Three advanced students transcribed the recording in Chinese characters. As the class ended, they all listened to Chinese rhythm and blues.
Ms. Gu said she asked students to record diaries in Mandarin because there was educational value in stumbling through awkward moments when speaking. "To learn a language," she said, "you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes." Jacques Houis, a French teacher at Brearley, said the iPod kept his students engaged. "The ability to vary what you're doing is important for maintaining interest," Mr. Houis said".
These are two examples from Brearley that say this new form of teaching is working. It keeps people interested because this is something that everybody loves music. By trying te relate to these kids they will definetly stay interested because this is something they find as being fun. It's not the same old teaching method. The students are learning different languages alot easier because they are hearing the way there suppose to be speaking.
One of the main things these educators wanted to try to do was
"Ms. Ayala said that sort of real-world content could encourage students to use their iPods more often. "The hope is that if students are interested in this, they'll download and explore on their own without being told to," she said".
One concern was is all of this legal, with people not being able to download songs as much as they use too.
"The school developed internal rules to comply with usage laws. Students are asked not to share their school materials with people outside the classroom, and must delete audio files when they are done with them".
The Ipod is a great invention. I got one a couple of weeks ago and i don't leave my room without it. I own about 50 CD's, before when i wanted to hear a different artist i would have to change the cd now i just change the artist on my ipod. It saves so much time and room, because now everywhere you go you have your whole music library with you. Everywhere i go i have my headphones on listening to music. Im happy i got an Ipod if you don't have one i recomend you buy one.
The new phenomenom when it comes to electronical music devices is definetly the Ipod. There are different types that can fit any family member no matter the age. Now they are putting them in schools to help people learn. Some schools like University of Duke,Georgia College & State University and now Brearley private school for girls is using this.
"In Jian Gu's Mandarin course that afternoon, one student played snippets of her Chinese diary entry, while another student translated it aloud. Three advanced students transcribed the recording in Chinese characters. As the class ended, they all listened to Chinese rhythm and blues.
Ms. Gu said she asked students to record diaries in Mandarin because there was educational value in stumbling through awkward moments when speaking. "To learn a language," she said, "you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes." Jacques Houis, a French teacher at Brearley, said the iPod kept his students engaged. "The ability to vary what you're doing is important for maintaining interest," Mr. Houis said".
These are two examples from Brearley that say this new form of teaching is working. It keeps people interested because this is something that everybody loves music. By trying te relate to these kids they will definetly stay interested because this is something they find as being fun. It's not the same old teaching method. The students are learning different languages alot easier because they are hearing the way there suppose to be speaking.
One of the main things these educators wanted to try to do was
"Ms. Ayala said that sort of real-world content could encourage students to use their iPods more often. "The hope is that if students are interested in this, they'll download and explore on their own without being told to," she said".
One concern was is all of this legal, with people not being able to download songs as much as they use too.
"The school developed internal rules to comply with usage laws. Students are asked not to share their school materials with people outside the classroom, and must delete audio files when they are done with them".
The Ipod is a great invention. I got one a couple of weeks ago and i don't leave my room without it. I own about 50 CD's, before when i wanted to hear a different artist i would have to change the cd now i just change the artist on my ipod. It saves so much time and room, because now everywhere you go you have your whole music library with you. Everywhere i go i have my headphones on listening to music. Im happy i got an Ipod if you don't have one i recomend you buy one.
Excuse me... I cant hear you over my I-pod... class assignment!
what's funny about this article is that one time, i was hanging out with my colleagues. and one of them says to me, "hey man, turn that dam ipod off... those things make people anti social." so for a while i thought that was true. everyday you see all these people walking around like zombies. that notion is basically dead at this point. usually ipods hold music and videos which dont have much to do with socializing or networking for that matter. but now, i cant believe that there actually making ipods a tool for learning. from poems to lectures, its crazy to see that they even come in different languages. the only thing i cant quite figure is why? why not stick to old tradition. but as time goes on i guess we'll see the true benefits of this ipod revolution???
Ms. Gu said she asked students to record diaries in Mandarin because there was educational value in stumbling through awkward moments when speaking. "To learn a language," she said, "you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes." Jacques Houis, a French teacher at Brearley, said the iPod kept his students engaged. "The ability to vary what you're doing is important for maintaining interest," Mr. Houis said.
Ms. Gu said she asked students to record diaries in Mandarin because there was educational value in stumbling through awkward moments when speaking. "To learn a language," she said, "you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes." Jacques Houis, a French teacher at Brearley, said the iPod kept his students engaged. "The ability to vary what you're doing is important for maintaining interest," Mr. Houis said.
Project to Build Broadband for Low Income Homes
In this very short article written by Shawn Young, its outlines the plans to build rental homes for about 100,000 people with low incomes. Local Initiatives Support Corp. is the company that has proposed this plan, which is call Access@Home. The chairman is the former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. This program will also train the people that rent these homes in computers, such as how to use the internet, how the use the computer for word processing and other applications. It also helps them get up to date computers in the rental homes for the people.
I believe that this project is very important and helpful. The world is become techonoligically advanced and computers are heavily relied on. With the availability of computers and education in the applications these people will be able to have a better chance at getting better jobs and also more sources of information. In the article it talks about how the children will also benefit by having the internet as an extra resource for learning even though they might have access at school now they will have access at their home. It also talks about how more anbd more jobs are only available online and if they have the access and the education they will have a better chance at better jobs.
I believe that this project is very important and helpful. The world is become techonoligically advanced and computers are heavily relied on. With the availability of computers and education in the applications these people will be able to have a better chance at getting better jobs and also more sources of information. In the article it talks about how the children will also benefit by having the internet as an extra resource for learning even though they might have access at school now they will have access at their home. It also talks about how more anbd more jobs are only available online and if they have the access and the education they will have a better chance at better jobs.
A net control
The idea that the world wide web being watch over by the government and being stripped from its Freedom of speech was a little far fech, but now it seems to be the big issue that Steve Levy bring out in his article A net control. A good point was brought out in this article, the internet does grant people total freedom, though there may be some negative aspects to such freedom, such as identity theft. Idnentity theft has been an issue in this country and with the power of the internet it allows the crime of fraud to be done a whole lot easier. Though the internet introduces all sorts of negativity Levy agrees that it is a small price to pay for all the liberites that it does bring to the people. But these liberties are being threathed to be stripped from the people.
Monitor cyberspace...? It does sound unfair and a total flip of reality but it does bring some advantages. This new system would eliminate identity theft, any of that unwelcomed spam that we all seem to get so frequently, and computers programs will also be stamped this will allow people to know whether programs are uncorrupted and cleared to run the computer.
"Developments in technology, law and commerce seemed to be directed toward
actually changing the open nature of the Net. And Internet Revisited would
create opportunities for business and government to control and monitor
cyberspace."
Monitor cyberspace...? It does sound unfair and a total flip of reality but it does bring some advantages. This new system would eliminate identity theft, any of that unwelcomed spam that we all seem to get so frequently, and computers programs will also be stamped this will allow people to know whether programs are uncorrupted and cleared to run the computer.
"Intel and AMD are onboard to create special secure chips that would make
all computers sold after that point secure. No more viruses! And the
addition of digital rights management” to movies, music and even documents
created by individuals (such protections are already built into the recently
released version of Microsoft Office) would use the secure system to make
sure that no one can access or, potentially, even post anything without
permission."
No more viruses and potential risk to your computers. This sounds great; security and guarentee to a better and safer way to serf the web, but at what price?
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
THE Hundred Dollar Laptop!
In the article The Hundred Dollar Laptop Tradegy, by David Henderson. "Nicholas Negroponte, the founding chairman of the Massachusets Institute of Technology's Media Lab, is pushing ahead with his plan to make a $100 laptop that will be distrubuted to milloions of young people in poor countires around the world". Although, he states it is a hardship to come. I think that its sounds like a great idea a computer at 100 bucks. He states that it would be a great benefit even if they didnt distriute them.
"What seems implicit in the above, and was explicit in an earlier Wall Street Journal news report, is that govenenments of various poor countries are expected to buy them for their young people. And therein lies the tradegy becuase govenments are notorioisly bad at getting resoucres into the right hands". Its hard becuase their are so many people to give computers to you would in a way have to pick and choose who should get one and that is hard and unfair. Do you give it to the kid who will be an economist or to someone who is going to not do anything with their lives. It seems that these countries are run by the govenements who tend to have lots of power. They feel in order to stay in power they need to keep them poor and not let them succed. "In fact, these bureaucrats are likely to give the computers to their friends or to others who are politically powerful". "In many countries, the bureaucrats may even try to sell them and poket the proceeding". On the other hand there is one good thing a person who might think that the computer is useless and use it as a doorstop but a friend might like it and purchase the laptop at a good price and will put it to good use. They stated that if a person who doesnt need a laptop sells it at 30 dollars it is alot of money for them. In fact it is 5 % of their annual income. Another issue that was brought up in the article is that would people in these poor countries spend $100 on a laptop? They state that most would not spend the money or even clost to the $100 dollars. They would rather spend it on clothes, food, and water instead. In reality most of the money that is spent on these countries comes from the govenement but they are taking it from the poor people and in a way forcing these people to not get what they really need to survive for the year. While the laptop that is only a 100 dollars sounds good in reality its not a good idea for these people.
"What seems implicit in the above, and was explicit in an earlier Wall Street Journal news report, is that govenenments of various poor countries are expected to buy them for their young people. And therein lies the tradegy becuase govenments are notorioisly bad at getting resoucres into the right hands". Its hard becuase their are so many people to give computers to you would in a way have to pick and choose who should get one and that is hard and unfair. Do you give it to the kid who will be an economist or to someone who is going to not do anything with their lives. It seems that these countries are run by the govenements who tend to have lots of power. They feel in order to stay in power they need to keep them poor and not let them succed. "In fact, these bureaucrats are likely to give the computers to their friends or to others who are politically powerful". "In many countries, the bureaucrats may even try to sell them and poket the proceeding". On the other hand there is one good thing a person who might think that the computer is useless and use it as a doorstop but a friend might like it and purchase the laptop at a good price and will put it to good use. They stated that if a person who doesnt need a laptop sells it at 30 dollars it is alot of money for them. In fact it is 5 % of their annual income. Another issue that was brought up in the article is that would people in these poor countries spend $100 on a laptop? They state that most would not spend the money or even clost to the $100 dollars. They would rather spend it on clothes, food, and water instead. In reality most of the money that is spent on these countries comes from the govenement but they are taking it from the poor people and in a way forcing these people to not get what they really need to survive for the year. While the laptop that is only a 100 dollars sounds good in reality its not a good idea for these people.
Wiretapping our Phone Lines
In the article Critics Slam Net Wiretapping Rule by Ryan Singel, he talks on the issue of wiretapping. The FCC is now making a rule that all phones should have wiretapping in their phones. Although, some can argue that this is violating our civil liberties. The FCC also insists that all old fashioned telephones get built in wiretapping into their telephones as well. "The FBI already has the necesary capabilites to conduct survelliance of interent activities, and the FCC'S order runs contrary to Congress' intent when it passed a law". This shows how they even want the interenet to be monitored. It seems like we live in a new world where everyone is always thinking about what the govenment plans to do next. I think that in a way wiretapping is good if we are giong to ctach bad people and put them away. On the other hand it does violate our civil liberties. In a way its a hard to think about, but in our lives today the govenment believes that this is the best way.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
The Downfall of Cybercafes in Italy
The article entitled, Italian Law Hits Cybercafés, describes how Cybercafés in Italy are suffering because of the new Italian law that was issued. This law mandates the owners of Internet cafes to ask clients for their identification before accessing the Internet. These business owners are required to record their client’s personal information and document the web sites they accessed on the Internet. This law was issued as a safety precaution against terrorist attacks since London was a subject to terrorist bombings in July.
According to one Internet Café owner, "fifty percent of the people who come for Internet don't want to show their document.'' His registry books listed the names of a few clients who used the computers. However, their passport numbers were not written down because of their refusal to comply with the law. Supposedly, Italy is the only European country to issue this law which seems completely pointless especially if people can hide their true identity by not writing down their passport numbers, issuing false passports or by simply avoiding this hassle by not going to cybercafés.
Because of this law Cybercafés have become unpopular among citizens that Internet cafes are no longer a thriving business. It is known that “seven Internet parlors in Florence were temporarily closed last month for not complying with the law.” This quote reveals the importance of privacy. People want to maintain their rights of privacy and will therefore refuse to comply with the law or avoid this infringement of their rights by not going to cybercafés. Unfortunately, Internet café owners are at a loss since the Italian governments issued this law.
According to one Internet Café owner, "fifty percent of the people who come for Internet don't want to show their document.'' His registry books listed the names of a few clients who used the computers. However, their passport numbers were not written down because of their refusal to comply with the law. Supposedly, Italy is the only European country to issue this law which seems completely pointless especially if people can hide their true identity by not writing down their passport numbers, issuing false passports or by simply avoiding this hassle by not going to cybercafés.
Because of this law Cybercafés have become unpopular among citizens that Internet cafes are no longer a thriving business. It is known that “seven Internet parlors in Florence were temporarily closed last month for not complying with the law.” This quote reveals the importance of privacy. People want to maintain their rights of privacy and will therefore refuse to comply with the law or avoid this infringement of their rights by not going to cybercafés. Unfortunately, Internet café owners are at a loss since the Italian governments issued this law.
lick this...please...
wow... i got to say there is nothing like the future. Come on, right? I mean right now in the world there's this epidemic if you will, about identity. Not just identity theft, but identity in general. Questions like... What form will it come in? card or perhaps a chip? What type of information does it give away? And if so, what's the limit to the amount of information being given away? Nonetheless, this notion of the government having total control of the internet or the cyber world if you want to call it that; is becoming true. I say this because of a piece I read titled "A Trail of DNA and Data"...
"Could you lick this please?" the officer asks, passing you a nanofiber blotter. You comply and then slide the blotter into the palm-sized gizmo he is holding, which reads your DNA and runs a match against a national genomic database maintained by a consortium of drug companies and credit agencies. It also checks half a dozen metabolic fractions looking for everything from drugs and alcohol to lack of sleep.
Lack of sleep! Come on, that's it! That's when I got the idea that maybe the government is planning on using not only the internet (Myspace.com... get it now), but is also planning on using technology to control the world. But back to reality... On the other hand, maybe the grass is greener on other side. The positive about this, is that it will cause a dramatic decrease to the level of identity theft crimes. But it's almost like we got to give our freedom up. The real question is... is that a price we all want to pay, to live and fit-in in to the new world?
"Could you lick this please?" the officer asks, passing you a nanofiber blotter. You comply and then slide the blotter into the palm-sized gizmo he is holding, which reads your DNA and runs a match against a national genomic database maintained by a consortium of drug companies and credit agencies. It also checks half a dozen metabolic fractions looking for everything from drugs and alcohol to lack of sleep.
Lack of sleep! Come on, that's it! That's when I got the idea that maybe the government is planning on using not only the internet (Myspace.com... get it now), but is also planning on using technology to control the world. But back to reality... On the other hand, maybe the grass is greener on other side. The positive about this, is that it will cause a dramatic decrease to the level of identity theft crimes. But it's almost like we got to give our freedom up. The real question is... is that a price we all want to pay, to live and fit-in in to the new world?
Italian Laws Hits cyberspace
All over Europe and many other countries across the globe, people might have access to the Internet by going to the InternetCafes. This is a place were people can use the internet and telephone services while they are having a cup of coffee and a dessert. The cost of the Internet service is between $2.00 and $3.00 an hour. Italy is the only country in Europe that implemented a new law, Maria Sanminiatelli explains,
"A new Italian law requires businesses,like Sohel's, that offer Internet access to the public to ask clients for identification and then log the owner's name and the documents they look at"
This law had caused a tremendous impact to the cybercafes businesses because the clients do not want to show their passport and many of their customers do not carry such identification, many Internet booth in Italy has been temporary closed due to this new law regulation.
"A new Italian law requires businesses,like Sohel's, that offer Internet access to the public to ask clients for identification and then log the owner's name and the documents they look at"
This law had caused a tremendous impact to the cybercafes businesses because the clients do not want to show their passport and many of their customers do not carry such identification, many Internet booth in Italy has been temporary closed due to this new law regulation.
The age of sousveillance
"However, if technology continues to evolve along current lines, then Big Brother will end up being far more powerful than Orwell envisaged (in the sense that we will have far less individual privacy). In a world of matchbox-sized MPeg4 camcorders and cameraphones, of always-on broadband and RFID, your next-door neighbours will be the nemesis of privacy".
Technology has changed in the last 20 years extremely. The surveillance on anything has also increased. With the new technology of cell phone cameras and small digital cameras people can take pictures of you doing many things. The government encouraged people to take pictures if they felt somebody or something was suspicious dealing with terrorist acts. The government could soon know what everybody is doing at anytime with all their new equipment.
A terrific word for all of this, invented by Steve Mann, a professor at the University of Toronto, is "sousveillance". The reason sousveillance is such a concern is that it is not under control and there are no transparently obvious ways it could be brought under control.
This is something we are not thinking about now, but it is definetly something that will be an issue in the future. This is suppose to be the land of the free, how free will we be with the government knowing everyone of our moves and actions.
Technology has changed in the last 20 years extremely. The surveillance on anything has also increased. With the new technology of cell phone cameras and small digital cameras people can take pictures of you doing many things. The government encouraged people to take pictures if they felt somebody or something was suspicious dealing with terrorist acts. The government could soon know what everybody is doing at anytime with all their new equipment.
A terrific word for all of this, invented by Steve Mann, a professor at the University of Toronto, is "sousveillance". The reason sousveillance is such a concern is that it is not under control and there are no transparently obvious ways it could be brought under control.
This is something we are not thinking about now, but it is definetly something that will be an issue in the future. This is suppose to be the land of the free, how free will we be with the government knowing everyone of our moves and actions.
Do I have ANY Privacy?
The thought of my every move being tracked down and given out to third parties "if neccessary" is quite frigtening. I never paid much attention to the fact that many of our new technological devices have GPS tracking devices or other computerized systems that allow the company to be informed of basically your every move. This is not news to me, but what was are all the little things that are planted with these surveliance devices that i and most people use everyday. For example, when i make a call from the new nextel fone , NEXTEL Co. knows who i am speaking to and where i am speaking to them from.
If i was lost in my car and a company like Onstar could find me instantly, i would love it. If the person on the other end of the phone was threating to kill me and NEXTEL could save it, amazing! However, if the people behind the magic of TIVO are aware of everything i am recording, MIND YOUR BUISNESS! I just think this is getting out of hand!
"No one is suggesting that TiVo tracks what each subscriber records and
replays. But could they, if they needed to? That's unclear, although TiVo does
have a privacy policy. "Your privacy," it says in part, "is very important to
us. Due to factors beyond our control, however, we cannot fully ensure that your
user information will not be disclosed to third parties." "
If i was lost in my car and a company like Onstar could find me instantly, i would love it. If the person on the other end of the phone was threating to kill me and NEXTEL could save it, amazing! However, if the people behind the magic of TIVO are aware of everything i am recording, MIND YOUR BUISNESS! I just think this is getting out of hand!
"We cannot even begin to control the growing army of businesses and
industries that monitor what we buy, what we watch on television, where we
drive, the debts we pay or fail to pay, our marriages and divorces, our
litigations, our health and tax records and all else that may or may not yet
exist on some computer tape, if we don't fully understand everything we're
signing up for when we avail ourselves of one of these services."
Another Reason Why Couldn't Live in Cuba!
"Getting online is not easy in communist-run Cuba, where the state strictly
controls all Web servers and recently announced plans to crack down on illegal
Internet access."
I could not imagine living without the internet. So for that reason alone, Cuba is definately not the place for me. However, on a more serious note, after reading an article about the the lockdown on Cuba's internet, i was in awe that the internet is so highly secured there. Surfing of the web is not available at all to Cubans. They are allowed to exchange emails at a very costly price. A question that came to mind while reading, was if Cuba is completely communist, how is it that only some people can afford to go on the internet and not everyone?
" "The Internet is for foreigners. The Intranet is for Cubans," said Miguel
Perez, managing the cybercafe in Havana's International Business Center where
Cubans have to show identification and sign a contract to get an e-mail
account."
Of course there are those who go against these internet laws, and steal passwords and hack into computers in order to surf the web, However, government officials are "cracking down" on the unauthorized internet users. I say that the Cubans should fight for their right to the open world wide web , however i think they should also be safe in and use the internet legally before it is taken away from them completely.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Net Control
Now Cuba has been introduced to the internet, but not for long, its
suppression and fear of a revolution has turn the world wide web away from the Cubano.." They also have to pay 8 cents a minute for the internet.
We as Americans don't realize the simple things we take for granted, something as simple as logging on to your computer and surfing the net is not as easy in other countries. Cuba has been banned from free internet acces due to the government being afraid of a revolution. Seeing how the internet gives you access to so many different things the government feels this is the only way to protect themselves .
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Cubas Lockdown
Now Cuba has been introduced to the internet, but not for long, its suppression and fear of a revolution has turn the world wide web away from the Cubano.." They also have to pay 8 cents a minute for the internet.As aresult of the efforts of hundreds of specialists, Cuba will have access from nowon to some 34,000 databases of the most ample spectrum of social, political,economic, scientific, and sports information." - Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Cuba which is a country that has been looked down for a long time by the U.S is going through some more issues. They are not able to use the World wide web in their country without paying a good amount of money. This will now stop the average person from being able to check email, dus assignments, and just have fun online. The cuban government is scared that there people will rebel due to the internet. I feel like they should let the people in Cuba use the internet because this is something that everybody in the world is sharing. It can make your people smarter and it will keep u up in this new age of technology.
Cuba which is a country that has been looked down for a long time by the U.S is going through some more issues. They are not able to use the World wide web in their country without paying a good amount of money. This will now stop the average person from being able to check email, dus assignments, and just have fun online. The cuban government is scared that there people will rebel due to the internet. I feel like they should let the people in Cuba use the internet because this is something that everybody in the world is sharing. It can make your people smarter and it will keep u up in this new age of technology.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Restriction in China’s Internet
This event has led to several arrests in the past. People like “Lin Haiyin, [who]was imprisoned for instigating subversive actions in 2000 to the recent arrest of writer Shi Tao, more than 100 independent intellectuals have been imprisoned for expressing their views.”
The web is a tool used daily by a lot of people and companies. This is one of the biggest communication systems in the world since cell phones. Therefore, by not being able to have freedom in the web just takes part of your rights. This would mean that everything said over the web most be limited and cannot be expressed freely.
Cuba's lock down on the internet..
"Cuba has been connected to the Internet since last Friday, turning into
a reality what had been a dream for so long: having access to an international
patrimony of knowledge used by some 36 million clients of 160 nations. As a
result of the efforts of hundreds of specialists, Cuba will have access from now
on to some 34,000 databases of the most ample spectrum of social, political,
economic, scientific, and sports information." - Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
October 11, 1996 "Cuba the Lost and deserted Island, Patrick Symmes wrote "the island of Cuba sits slightly to the past of the present" Here in our nation we are at the turning point of digital revolution, a time when children are being taught how to use programs at a very young age; and 90 miles away from Florida there's an island that suppresses these skills. Now Cuba has been introduced to the internet, but not for long, its suppression and fear of a revolution has turn the world wide web away from the Cubano. Capitalism is what Cuba needs, Fiedel now this, though his currency now flows through international investment and tourism. These form of investment thrive through communication and precision, only the internet could provide that. Now this could be good for Castro financially or politically devastating. The internet has arrived since 1996 10 years now;"on an island with 11 million people, there are roughly 200 lucky (and politically approved) scientists, medical researchers, and government officials with access to the World Wide Web from their desktops, plus another 5,000 or so email addresses." The form of Cyber freedom is weak... There's no real information being passed to these people. In a society so suppressed from other nations and states, where the government controls society in a whole, what would happen if the full freedom of the world wide web were to be exposed..? Maybe no more Castro, a Cuban Revolution? Cuba is at war with the internet. A fight that must be won and controlled if Cuban wants to continue its regime. The fight for Cuba is on... The thought that technology itself as being the one thing that liberates Cuban is amazing.
China
Centuries after the construction of the Great Wall of China for the purpose of preventing foreign intrustion, similar contruction still exists. In a Thursday, May 05, 2005 article by Michael Geist, internet restrictions in China are evidence that the governments of the world have the ability to prevent the influx of ideas that pose a threat to political stability and authority. Geist discusses his experiences in China when using the internet:
"While these events seemingly affirm the notion that the Internet is beyond the reach of governments and courts, my recent trip to China provided a powerful reminder that unfettered Internet access is far more fragile than is commonly perceived. China, which boasts the world's second-largest Internet user base, is currently home to more than 94 million Internet users, yet their Internet is far different from ours."
With restrictions ranging from email access to accounts outside China's borders to searching for news articles sensitive to government interests, China's internet is seemingly more controlled by the government than one might have thought was possible. Our own government has proposed wiretapping laws that would enable the surveilance of phone calls made by citizens of the U.S.; suggestive of a world in which Big Brother is constantly watching. Are we destined to fall under similar restrictions by our own government?
The article continues in describing how most Chinese are unphased by these regulations imposed by the Chinese government. The intentions of the government are to allow businesses to use the internet to China's advantage in fostering commercial globalization efforts as the country's economy continues to grow, while preventing the Chinese public from outside influence that is detrimental to their society as a whole. In certain regards, this might not be so bad across the globe. Without any regulation, Islamic extremists are able to promote their cynical ideologies over the web--a media that is easily accessed and extremely advantageous to the intentions of terrorist organizations in the unification of networks globally.
"Having experienced limits in accessing both news and email, it came as little surprise to find that the search engines were subject to similar restrictions. Searches for articles on circumventing the Chinese filters yielded a long list of results, none of which could be opened. Moreover, inputting politically sensitive words such as the "Falun Gong'' cut me off from the search engines completely."
As the WWW continues to grow, creating apotential threat to the governmental powers already well established, should we believe that the future of the internet is one without regualtion? Should the internet even be an anarchy? How can the people of the world unite to find a happy medium of privacy and security that can promote globalization that is necessary for the progession of the world into the 21st century? It would seem as thought there is an online battle forming between those who are watching and those who are watched.
"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to."--George Orwell's '1984'
http://www.liferesearchuniversal.com/1984-1.html#one
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/resc/html_bkup/may22005.html
"While these events seemingly affirm the notion that the Internet is beyond the reach of governments and courts, my recent trip to China provided a powerful reminder that unfettered Internet access is far more fragile than is commonly perceived. China, which boasts the world's second-largest Internet user base, is currently home to more than 94 million Internet users, yet their Internet is far different from ours."
With restrictions ranging from email access to accounts outside China's borders to searching for news articles sensitive to government interests, China's internet is seemingly more controlled by the government than one might have thought was possible. Our own government has proposed wiretapping laws that would enable the surveilance of phone calls made by citizens of the U.S.; suggestive of a world in which Big Brother is constantly watching. Are we destined to fall under similar restrictions by our own government?
The article continues in describing how most Chinese are unphased by these regulations imposed by the Chinese government. The intentions of the government are to allow businesses to use the internet to China's advantage in fostering commercial globalization efforts as the country's economy continues to grow, while preventing the Chinese public from outside influence that is detrimental to their society as a whole. In certain regards, this might not be so bad across the globe. Without any regulation, Islamic extremists are able to promote their cynical ideologies over the web--a media that is easily accessed and extremely advantageous to the intentions of terrorist organizations in the unification of networks globally.
"Having experienced limits in accessing both news and email, it came as little surprise to find that the search engines were subject to similar restrictions. Searches for articles on circumventing the Chinese filters yielded a long list of results, none of which could be opened. Moreover, inputting politically sensitive words such as the "Falun Gong'' cut me off from the search engines completely."
As the WWW continues to grow, creating apotential threat to the governmental powers already well established, should we believe that the future of the internet is one without regualtion? Should the internet even be an anarchy? How can the people of the world unite to find a happy medium of privacy and security that can promote globalization that is necessary for the progession of the world into the 21st century? It would seem as thought there is an online battle forming between those who are watching and those who are watched.
"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to."--George Orwell's '1984'
http://www.liferesearchuniversal.com/1984-1.html#one
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/resc/html_bkup/may22005.html
Iranian Blogger Returns From Exile for Vote
In the article Iranian Blogger Returns From Exile for Vote by Nahid Siamdoust this article describes the use of being able to blog. Hossein Derakhshan, is an Iranian who started a blogosphere, from Iran. He was a writer for a newspaper and authorities shut it down. “Derakhshan influenced Iran’s media culture by creating his Web log titled “Editor, Myself, and by helping other Iranians set up their own blogs”. Blogs are a very helpful fact in this country and a lot of people are following his blogs.
“Derakhshan has been critical of the Islamic Republic policies, especially in the English version of his blog, the English site gives me more protection, the authorities care about the influence that I have on Iranians inside, most of whom read the Persian site”.
“His blogs are blocked inside the country by Iranian authorities, but many users have figured out how to get around the filter“. This shows how they don’t want Iranians to know about his blogs because then they might feel different about Iran and might start to blog to him about the issues that might be going on in Iran. Another thing is that Derakhshan is afraid to go back to his country because of what he had wrote on his web log. “He later announced his trip to Iran on his English blog, asking readers not to write about it in Persian, warning in a June 13 entry”. One can see that he has to protect himself by asking people who read his blog to not write in Persian but only in English so that Iranians could not understand it. There are also no restrictions on weblogistan, so one can write about personal issues or politics and it won’t matter.
“One prominent blogger, Sina Motalebi, was arrested in 2003 and soon after fled to the Netherlands. Last fall, Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi ordered the arrest of more than 20 bloggers, all of whom were imprisoned for several weeks. So far, at least 2 have been sentenced to long jail terms“.
“Web logs are not like newspapers that you can just shut down easily, there are ways to circumvent filters, and if they shit down your blog, you can just open another one, Mazroui said”. This is a great way for Iranians to be able to express how they feel and if they shut one blog down they can open up a new one just as easy showing that they could express themselves and they can’t really do too much about it. Lastly, (Derakhshan)“He said he received a government message that if he respected the Islamic Republic’s unwritten publication guidelines, the filter on his site would be lifted and he would be able to travel to and from Iran freely, without the fear of arrest”. This states that he has to obey by their rules in order to travel to and from Iran as much as he wants with out being afraid of getting arrested. “In effect, most Iranians live two lives, the private and the public. One can see how Iran tries to limit people and to not express their true thoughts because if they do they could be arrested. Derakhstan’s web logs definitely help out with allowing people to express their feelings by blogging on his web page.
“Derakhshan has been critical of the Islamic Republic policies, especially in the English version of his blog, the English site gives me more protection, the authorities care about the influence that I have on Iranians inside, most of whom read the Persian site”.
“His blogs are blocked inside the country by Iranian authorities, but many users have figured out how to get around the filter“. This shows how they don’t want Iranians to know about his blogs because then they might feel different about Iran and might start to blog to him about the issues that might be going on in Iran. Another thing is that Derakhshan is afraid to go back to his country because of what he had wrote on his web log. “He later announced his trip to Iran on his English blog, asking readers not to write about it in Persian, warning in a June 13 entry”. One can see that he has to protect himself by asking people who read his blog to not write in Persian but only in English so that Iranians could not understand it. There are also no restrictions on weblogistan, so one can write about personal issues or politics and it won’t matter.
“One prominent blogger, Sina Motalebi, was arrested in 2003 and soon after fled to the Netherlands. Last fall, Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi ordered the arrest of more than 20 bloggers, all of whom were imprisoned for several weeks. So far, at least 2 have been sentenced to long jail terms“.
“Web logs are not like newspapers that you can just shut down easily, there are ways to circumvent filters, and if they shit down your blog, you can just open another one, Mazroui said”. This is a great way for Iranians to be able to express how they feel and if they shut one blog down they can open up a new one just as easy showing that they could express themselves and they can’t really do too much about it. Lastly, (Derakhshan)“He said he received a government message that if he respected the Islamic Republic’s unwritten publication guidelines, the filter on his site would be lifted and he would be able to travel to and from Iran freely, without the fear of arrest”. This states that he has to obey by their rules in order to travel to and from Iran as much as he wants with out being afraid of getting arrested. “In effect, most Iranians live two lives, the private and the public. One can see how Iran tries to limit people and to not express their true thoughts because if they do they could be arrested. Derakhstan’s web logs definitely help out with allowing people to express their feelings by blogging on his web page.
Cubans Tighten its control over the Internet
In the article Cubans tighten its control over the internet it talks about how cubans are not getting acess to the interner very easily. "Getting online is not easy in communist-run Cuba, where the state strictly controls all web servers and recently accounced plans to crack down on illegal internet access". The article also states that cubans can go to the postal office to see their e-mail accounts, but if you want to write to a friend abroad it is expensive. "A three hour prepaid card costs $4.50, one third of the average Cuban monthly wage". This shows how expensive it is to use the internet(e-mail). In Cuba the domain is .cu and has multiplied a 1,000 times and most cases they use it to check their e-mail. They are 750,000 Internet sites but most are used to let the world about cuba and to attract tourists. "Cuba has more than 480,00 e-mails accounts, roughly the number of users, but only 98,000 users can legally surf the Internet according to the government officials". It seems that the only way they can really surf the web is through their jobs. For instance a govenment office, college university, writers, or hospitals. It shows that they can surf it but only at work where we have the internet in our homes and most people have at least one computer in their homes. "He argued that regualting the Internet usage was a democratic way to share limited resources in developing countries". This shows how other countries have limited resources and here in the United States we take out resources for granted. "The main ISP in Cuba --E.net-- announced that home users could connect if paid in dollars, at a prohibitive rate for Cuban Web surfers of 8 cents a minute". I think that it is a crazy amount of money to pay a minute to use the web. This statement shows how they are limited but can use it if they paid the money, this examines how the state has control and limits their use to the internet. "The new measures which limit and impede unofficial use, constitute yet another attempt to cut off Cubans' access to alternative views and a space for discussing them". This article was really interesting and I did not know that they are so limited to the access of the web. In our society we have at least one computer in the home that has the internet and we dont think about not having it. I think that most people spend at least one hour a day on the internet to check mail, shop, and talk o people online. I dont know what we would do if we had limited access and had to pay 8 cents a minute to use it. Lastly, I also thought it was interesting that they could use the internet but only at their work place and they could e-mail but have to go to the postal service.I thought this was a great fact to know. This article allows us to see what goes on in other countries that we might of not known otherwise.
LOCKDOWN in Cuba
"A three hour prepaid card costs $4.50, one third of the average Cuban monthly wage… The main ISP in Cuba --E.net-- announced that home users could connect if paid in dollars, at a prohibitive rate for Cuban Web surfers of 8 cents a minute"….
What do these figures add up to….Control….Basically it’s a modern form of taxation without representation. This information highway is closed for repairs in
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
An Internet with Limits
The article entitled, “Face to Face with the Great Firewall of China,” revealed how far some governments are willing to go to control the Internet and what its users can access.
The Chinese government monitors Internet traffic and restricts people from accessing certain Web sites. Michael Geist had difficulty accessing common news sites like Google News and even his email messages during his visit to Beijing. It became clear that the Chinese system was blocking these sites with a “filtering system that employs 30,000 people to regularly monitor Internet traffic and content” thereby cutting off the connection. In addition to censoring the Internet, the Chinese government has “shut down thousands of Internet cafes.” It seems that the Chinese government feels threatened by the Internet and imposes many restrictions to prevent its people from accessing information that could potentially ruin the Chinese government’s reputation.
Unfortunately it seems that Canada also views the Internet as a threat and is beginning to follow China’s lead. It is known that “Canadian law enforcement officials are actively lobbying for a series of ‘lawful access’ reforms that will provide authorities with dramatically increased Internet surveillance powers.”
This article should make Americans thankful for their freedom to access anything on the Internet without the restrictions that China has imposed on its citizens.
The Chinese government monitors Internet traffic and restricts people from accessing certain Web sites. Michael Geist had difficulty accessing common news sites like Google News and even his email messages during his visit to Beijing. It became clear that the Chinese system was blocking these sites with a “filtering system that employs 30,000 people to regularly monitor Internet traffic and content” thereby cutting off the connection. In addition to censoring the Internet, the Chinese government has “shut down thousands of Internet cafes.” It seems that the Chinese government feels threatened by the Internet and imposes many restrictions to prevent its people from accessing information that could potentially ruin the Chinese government’s reputation.
Unfortunately it seems that Canada also views the Internet as a threat and is beginning to follow China’s lead. It is known that “Canadian law enforcement officials are actively lobbying for a series of ‘lawful access’ reforms that will provide authorities with dramatically increased Internet surveillance powers.”
This article should make Americans thankful for their freedom to access anything on the Internet without the restrictions that China has imposed on its citizens.
Internet Dictators
China's control over its' peoples internet can be compared with America during slavery. Since the internet is a boundless resource of information that is being withheld and restricted, I am reminded of slave owners forbidding their slaves to learn to read or gain any knowledge what so ever. The reason for both of these situations of control are to keep the victims from becoming more knowledgeable because knowledge = power.
"Internet "gateways" mainly supervise and filter political information in
China. Their technical functions include blocking overseas Web sites,
filtering content and key words on Web pages, monitoring email and Internet
cafes, hijacking PCs, sending out viruses, and inter-connecting with the
monitoring systems of the Public Security Bureaus. Rather than heralding a
new era of freedom, the Internet is enabling Chinese authorities to perfect
totalitarian control in a way that puts the rulers in George Orwell's 1984
to shame."
People should not only have the right to information but it is innate in humans to crave it. I dont believe China can "hold their poeple down" forever. By the government monitoring every word typed in the country it will be fairly easy to find these so called criminals who are merely searching for info. The jails in China will be filled with these "low-lifes" who seek the truth, but atleast the totalitarian government will be safe.
"Since the first Chinese Web criminal, Lin Haiyin, was imprisoned for
instigating subversive actions in 2000 to the recent arrest of writer Shi Tao,
more than 100 independent intellectuals have been imprisoned for expressing
their views. Internet monitoring is also behind the constant rise in the number
of Falun Gong practitioners executed by the state - a total of 1,692 as of April
18."
Tunisia
Tunisia is located on north of Africa, between de Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Arabic is the official language of Tunisia, but French is used widely, particularly by the educated people. The principal religion is Islam, but there are small Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish minorities.
There are some organizations such as the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH),and the World Organization against Torture (OMCT). These organizations have serious concern about systematic repression of freedom of expression related with human rights and online censorship. There are cases in which the internet users have been detained for their on line activities in Tunisia and across the region including, Iran, Syria, and Egypt. These attempts to control the flow of information online contradict governments' national and international legal commitments to freedom of opinion and expression. These facts are based on an examination of thousands of Web sites from Tunisia and the Middle Eastern countries and interviews with dozens of writes, blogggers, computer experts and human rights activists.
Antoine Medelin,secretary for the Mission in the United States believes that there is a clear atmosphere or repression and he said, "We are trying to engage with the Tunisia authorities, but there is some dissatisfaction with the way they are responding to our efforts. We remain concerned about the capacity of all of Tunisian civil society to participate in the summit; we fear that there are some groups that will not be able to participate." (Madelin.)The entire citizen in Tunisia including lawyers has been effect by the repression of freedom of expression. "One lawyer was convicted last week for three and a half years for publishing information on torture cases, and another was sentenced to four months imprisonment for defending the first," (Madelin) Mr. Madelin said. These issues of freedom of expression is definitely affecting the Tunisia population.
There are some organizations such as the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH),and the World Organization against Torture (OMCT). These organizations have serious concern about systematic repression of freedom of expression related with human rights and online censorship. There are cases in which the internet users have been detained for their on line activities in Tunisia and across the region including, Iran, Syria, and Egypt. These attempts to control the flow of information online contradict governments' national and international legal commitments to freedom of opinion and expression. These facts are based on an examination of thousands of Web sites from Tunisia and the Middle Eastern countries and interviews with dozens of writes, blogggers, computer experts and human rights activists.
Antoine Medelin,secretary for the Mission in the United States believes that there is a clear atmosphere or repression and he said, "We are trying to engage with the Tunisia authorities, but there is some dissatisfaction with the way they are responding to our efforts. We remain concerned about the capacity of all of Tunisian civil society to participate in the summit; we fear that there are some groups that will not be able to participate." (Madelin.)The entire citizen in Tunisia including lawyers has been effect by the repression of freedom of expression. "One lawyer was convicted last week for three and a half years for publishing information on torture cases, and another was sentenced to four months imprisonment for defending the first," (Madelin) Mr. Madelin said. These issues of freedom of expression is definitely affecting the Tunisia population.
China's Internet Dictatorship
The battle of free access of information through the internet versus the ideas and beliefs and restrictions of a communist country. In the article it talks about how the Chinese government is monitoring and using the internet and technology from the western countries. They block out web sites from other countries and that they don't approve of and when certain key words are searched for those are blocked as well. If the American public thought that when their government wanted to monitor phone calls to try to weed out terrorists, they would be enrage if the American government did any of the other things the Chinese government does.
The Chinese government is basically controling all of their citizens moves when they go on the internet. It seems to me a like the government is brainwashing the entire population. But the whole concept of the internet being the most vast source of free flowing information is untrue for the people of China.
All information comes from Ma Jian's article, "China's Internet Dictatorship".
Their technical functions include blocking overseas Web sites, filtering content and key words on Web pages, monitoring email and Internet cafes, hijacking PCs, sending out viruses, and inter-connecting with the monitoring systems of the Public Security Bureaus.(Ma Jian)
The Chinese government is basically controling all of their citizens moves when they go on the internet. It seems to me a like the government is brainwashing the entire population. But the whole concept of the internet being the most vast source of free flowing information is untrue for the people of China.
All information comes from Ma Jian's article, "China's Internet Dictatorship".
Monday, October 16, 2006
Business as Usual
Everyday I start to realize how much of an impact the internet has on the world... "Out of every clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies oppurtunity". Albert Einstein
This is certainly true about the convergance of business and the internet. Friedman explains how there are rules. Its crazy because a business can slowly diminish if the rules are not obeyed. Rule number one of his rules is very true. Sometimes I almost feel like I'm prone to upgrade my facebook page everyday. Maybe its because of addiction. Or maybe I use it as a way to vent out. sometimes I feel flattened and tend to build walls. but Friedman suggests that we need to dig inside of us. I agree with that. I guess its good, just as much as it is bad. Businesses got it good on the other hand. thanks to the internet and triple convergance, businesses are going to increase in size and quality over the next couple of years. I myself am thinking of opening up my own business. and now I have to consider how can I incorporate the internet with my business. just the thought alone, makes the theory of the flattening world even broader. The only thing that I dont really agree with is outsourcing . Maybe if your company is one that requires people with specific talents or skills. but if your outsourcing to save money, then your taking the online world for granted. its amazing to see how collaberations are growing between businesses. I think its great how businesses can learn and prosper from each other. I'm starting to see the big picture. Soon there might be this notion that some of these companies will eventually merge and become these huge mega corporations. I dont know, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.
This is certainly true about the convergance of business and the internet. Friedman explains how there are rules. Its crazy because a business can slowly diminish if the rules are not obeyed. Rule number one of his rules is very true. Sometimes I almost feel like I'm prone to upgrade my facebook page everyday. Maybe its because of addiction. Or maybe I use it as a way to vent out. sometimes I feel flattened and tend to build walls. but Friedman suggests that we need to dig inside of us. I agree with that. I guess its good, just as much as it is bad. Businesses got it good on the other hand. thanks to the internet and triple convergance, businesses are going to increase in size and quality over the next couple of years. I myself am thinking of opening up my own business. and now I have to consider how can I incorporate the internet with my business. just the thought alone, makes the theory of the flattening world even broader. The only thing that I dont really agree with is outsourcing . Maybe if your company is one that requires people with specific talents or skills. but if your outsourcing to save money, then your taking the online world for granted. its amazing to see how collaberations are growing between businesses. I think its great how businesses can learn and prosper from each other. I'm starting to see the big picture. Soon there might be this notion that some of these companies will eventually merge and become these huge mega corporations. I dont know, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.
The World is not Flat Afterall
Thursday, October 12, 2006
bangalore, entrepreneur or low cost supplier?
In the article called Bangalore by Richard Rapaport, it is basically asking if Bangalore can ever really compete with the U.S and European Information Technology markets. Bangalore pays it IT employees a typical monthly starting salary of Re10,500 (US$300), which is nothing compare to the U.S. The Indian IT's work for so little, but work very hard. The article says that even in their off hours they are still chained to their computers.
"It's been called the Silicon Valley of India. But does it really have the entrepreneurialism and creativity of its namesake, or is it destined to remain the low-cost supplier to American and European IT giants?"
Indian software has been competing only on low price up until now. Can they create the kind of added value, creativity, and brand identity without which - many Indian IT executives agree - before some other before a different country comes into the picture?
The workers have to come up with new ways to be more creative and should be paid more for their hard work and for being so dedicated.
"It's been called the Silicon Valley of India. But does it really have the entrepreneurialism and creativity of its namesake, or is it destined to remain the low-cost supplier to American and European IT giants?"
Indian software has been competing only on low price up until now. Can they create the kind of added value, creativity, and brand identity without which - many Indian IT executives agree - before some other before a different country comes into the picture?
The workers have to come up with new ways to be more creative and should be paid more for their hard work and for being so dedicated.
The WalMart Revolution
According to the video, Frontline on Wal Mart; Wal Mart is actually the biggerst employment of retailers business in the United States. This company provides the American consumers with thousand of numbers of articles in just one store. Not only Wal Mart is providing Americans with items at a very low price, but also is creating employment for many Americans an may people overseas. What is keeping these prices so low is actually the Digital Revolution which is one of the unique facts in the 21st century. On the other hand, Wal Mart is pushing out the small businesses. They are changing the American economy because the small manufactures in the USA cannot compete with a company with such tremendous power. Wal Mart has influenced the American society, but also the global economy. Is Wal Mart good for North America?
by N.Michaaels
by N.Michaaels
The Power House
"The assumption that because America’s economy has dominated the world for more than a century, it will and must always be that way is as dangerous as an
illusion today as the illusion that America would always dominate in science and
technology was back in 1950 ?"
America the Powerhouse nation, a nation that will live up to it’s expectations and always be a dominant if not thee dominant force in the world. We have the resource, the money, but have we lost the will, the hunger to excel and adapt to the new world that seems to be flying at us one minute at a time…? This is not a Test… Chapter nine the author states that we as Americans have all the tool we need to excel and strive to advance it this technological world but we haven’t been tending to these tools as we should.
The idea that more Americans are relatively looking into professions that wouldn’t advance the world is absurd to me. Maybe there are a bit too many politicians sure, but in order to run a country with so much power, these politicians must exist. Does it matter that China may have more engineers and scientist, maybe; they have brought the N.B.A (National Basketball Association) superstars that the U.S markets and collects through Jersey sales, T.V ratings and even everyday products. Enough joking though, the U.S will remain a thee dominant nation, as this Flattening World continues to grow and advance so will the people of this country. I have no doubt in my mind that the U.S and its representatives in this technological race will be side to side with its competition; that my friend is the power of the dollar. We as a country need to be more worried about global warming than anything else.
wow... the world really is flat!
The first four chapters of the book speak of such interesting views of the world we live in. the notion of the ten flatteners is one thats never even been imagined. its true though; when the internet became this all access place, people didn't realize that the world was flattening. with people now able to work from there computers it makes almost unimanigable to think that were not facing something new and big here. competition is uprising in the online world and big business is becoming bigger business. but i dont understand why doesn't everyone see this. i guess thats what Friedman means when he sais that he was sleeping. im not fully awake but my eyes are starting to open up to this new reality. As I was reading, I found myself more intrigued. to jump a little further one then observed chapters 9 and 10. i just want to say whoa! there is definitely a revolution brewing right now, and it will not be televised. but it might be webcasted. its crazy how major corperations are already involved in flattening the world too. IBM and UPS play such a major role in flattening the world. i think its more a question of how do we educate tomorrows society. thats right... we have to go harder at shaping the young minds on what is to come. i enjoyed reading the section on parenting. i compared the reading to that of how i was really raised. i was raised just fine, but i now know that im going to have to work harder at parenting than my own parents did. in chapter ten in mentions that even if your on the right track, you can still get run over. even though he was referring to mexico, he's speaking to everyone out there. personally, i feel that i have to educate myself more on this; mainly because when the revolution hits... its going to hit hard.
Thomas L. Friedman
Thomas L. Friedman
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Frontline: Is Walmart Good For America?
Gimmie a "W" Gimme a "A" Gimmie a "L" Gimmie a "Sqiggly" Gimmie a "M" Gimmie a "A" Gimmie a "R" Gimmie a "T"..... Thats the cheer for the fabulous WalMart. Have i shopped there before..Yes. i think that their prices are low and it is easy to go to this one store to get many of the things i need around my house. Toys, Auto Care, Needlework and Basic household items like windex and paper towels is really what i go there for but instead of going to 4 stores im only going to one. It does have a bad reputation, i think. watching the frontline video was quite interesting. In this episode it showed that walmart had made over $250 BILLION dollars in one year and an estimated 1 million shop at a walmart each day. That to me, this is insane! But, because of the low prices, many factories and maunfactures are losing buisness and actually is putting people out of work. It never stated how many people or what manufactures are losing the most buisness. When it was said, it was very breif. They have a device that scans the item, and tells the employee how many are in stock, how much its on sale and how often it has been selling. as frontline mentioned it was like a little 'computer' in the upc. Walmart judges the price for the item based on how it will sell and the demand of the item. I think that Walmart is getting out of hand in the way that eventually some stores will go out of buisness. The first Walmart opened in 1962 and only recently became more popular (to long island) because of the many stores they have put on the island. A spokesman for walmart said that because of the low prices its actually giving us a chance to save money and become rich. What do you think?
Indian slum-dwellers create magazine
Victims of injustice are in need of a media outlet probably more than most people. Their lifestyles are not relatable to people in the higher social classes, and those in the higher classes (actually the highest social class) are the people holding government jobs and all of the power. Some Indian slum-dwellers have united and developed a magazine that incorporates their lives and the vast majority of poor in he slums. The magazine is gaining readers and doing quite well for itself. I think this is a great step for these people who remind me of the 19th century African Americans like Frederick Douglas who paved the way for the early Black press.
"It is not just a magazine. It is a voice echoing the struggle of
slum-dwellers," says Isaac Arul Selva, editor and publisher, himself a school
drop-out. "Our ultimate aim is to inspire a movement to fight for our basic
rights and amenities."
M.B.A. Students Bypassing Wall Street for a Summer in India
The pssoiblities are endless when educating young ambitious minds. Entering an internship allow these endless oppertunities a bit easier to reach. The young minds who do bypass wall-street to enter a program in India encounter a new experience and a new culture as Saritha Rai saids in her article. It begins with the tale of two students who declined a much easier or shall i say more convient way to travel, live and work to a whole new world in India, where they work at an "outsourcing company in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi."
"The two men said they came prepared to find inadequate infrastructure, but
were not prepared for the daily frustrations of Gurgaon. There is no mass
transportation system, and shopping, even for something as basic as an umbrella,
can take hours. They rumble to work in an auto rickshaw - a motorized
three-wheeler that seats two and is a ubiquitous form of transport in Indian
cities."Though inconvient the oppertunites and experience were great.
"But the sophistication of the work being done in Copal's Gurgaon office contrasts with the chaotic city outside. Mr. Simonsen said he was amazed. "I came expecting to see number-crunching and spreadsheet type of work; I didn't expect American banks to farm out intricate analytics," he said. The two students are working on a project that analyzes investment opportunities for clients across 23 countries."
A program as this is not easy to come by, according to the article only
students with a 3.6 or better were chossen, from the top business schools, and from then on they may have to go on to two rounds of
interview. Though it may look good on the resume students say it
is the experience that catches their eye to such an oppertunity.
Long Road to Bangalore
Richard Rapaport writes, "over the last quarter century, as hundreds of corporations have moved in to take advantage of Bangalore's temperate and dust-free climate, cheap housing, and work force educated in information technology (or IT, the popular shorthand here), economic growth has bred a new set of woes. In that time, the city has quadrupled in size, real estate prices have quintupled, and a once gracious metropolis has begun to choke on its own pollution and gridlock."...
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The Rise of China
According to the chapter entitled, The Virgin of Guadalupe, developing countries need to create the right environment for entrepreneurs and their companies to thrive in a flat world. Friedman argues that development is a voluntary process that begins with a country’s positive decision to take the right steps. Underdeveloped countries need to look within themselves and examine where it stands, economically speaking, in relation to other countries. Introspection is a country’s ability to ask itself, “to what extent is it advancing or being left behind by the flattening of the world, and to what extent is it adapting to and taking advantage of all the new platforms for collaboration?” These questions allow countries like China to rise in this economic hierarchy where its success has benefited China but for countries like Mexico as well
China’s entry into the world market is the most important for developing countries, and for many developed countries. China can do high quality low cost manufacturing better than any other country, and increasingly, it also can do high quality higher cost manufacturing.
For example, China’s success in the world market has led to the domination of Mexico in 2003. This was a major step for China because Mexico was one of the leading nations to export the most goods to the United States. China surpassed Mexico in areas such as computer parts, electrical components, toys, textiles, sporting goods, and tennis shoes. It has become too advanced for other countries to compete against which has caused Mexico to ‘throw in the towel’ and accept the challenges that China has imposed.
China has displaced some Mexican companies within Mexico by occupying store shelves with their merchandise. However, Mexico was not the only country who has been dominated by the Chinese. Egypt has also discovered the power of China and Lamees El-Hadidy seems angry and saddened by this fact.
Lamees El-Hadidy discovered the world was flat a few years ago during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which dates back to the Fatimid period in Egypt.
During Ramadan, “Egyptian schoolchildren traditionally carried a burning candle inside colorful lanterns…. Kids swing the lanterns and sing songs, and people give them candy or gifts, as in America on Halloween.”
Because of China’s determination to rise as the leading nation to dominate the market, its success has proven itself worthy of this accomplishment. They developed plastic Ramadan lanterns that had a battery powered light instead of a candle. Their new innovative creations have flooded the markets, “crippling the traditional Egyptian workshops.” Lamees argues that the Chinese are “invading our tradition and [Egyptians] are doing nothing about it… These lanterns come out of our tradition, our soul, but [the Chinese versions] are more creative and advanced than the Egyptian ones.” It is true that these plastic Chinese-made lanterns are much safer than the traditional Egyptian ones which are made of metal. But these Chinese versions are more appealing to children because ‘they feature flashing lights and have an embedded microchip that plays traditional Egyptian Ramadan tunes.”
China’s entry into the world market is the most important for developing countries, and for many developed countries. China can do high quality low cost manufacturing better than any other country, and increasingly, it also can do high quality higher cost manufacturing.
For example, China’s success in the world market has led to the domination of Mexico in 2003. This was a major step for China because Mexico was one of the leading nations to export the most goods to the United States. China surpassed Mexico in areas such as computer parts, electrical components, toys, textiles, sporting goods, and tennis shoes. It has become too advanced for other countries to compete against which has caused Mexico to ‘throw in the towel’ and accept the challenges that China has imposed.
China has displaced some Mexican companies within Mexico by occupying store shelves with their merchandise. However, Mexico was not the only country who has been dominated by the Chinese. Egypt has also discovered the power of China and Lamees El-Hadidy seems angry and saddened by this fact.
Lamees El-Hadidy discovered the world was flat a few years ago during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which dates back to the Fatimid period in Egypt.
During Ramadan, “Egyptian schoolchildren traditionally carried a burning candle inside colorful lanterns…. Kids swing the lanterns and sing songs, and people give them candy or gifts, as in America on Halloween.”
Because of China’s determination to rise as the leading nation to dominate the market, its success has proven itself worthy of this accomplishment. They developed plastic Ramadan lanterns that had a battery powered light instead of a candle. Their new innovative creations have flooded the markets, “crippling the traditional Egyptian workshops.” Lamees argues that the Chinese are “invading our tradition and [Egyptians] are doing nothing about it… These lanterns come out of our tradition, our soul, but [the Chinese versions] are more creative and advanced than the Egyptian ones.” It is true that these plastic Chinese-made lanterns are much safer than the traditional Egyptian ones which are made of metal. But these Chinese versions are more appealing to children because ‘they feature flashing lights and have an embedded microchip that plays traditional Egyptian Ramadan tunes.”
“The Egyptian [fawanis] Industry believes china has a clear advantage over
Egypt. With its superior technology, China can make mass quantities, which
helps to keep prices relatively low. Egypt’s traditional [fawanis]
industry, is characterized by a series of workshops specialized in different
stages of the production process. Glassmakers, painters, welders, and metal
craftsmen all have their role to play. There is no way they can ever
compete with things made in china.”
Indian Digital Revolution?...
I think its a good thing that America is giving away 14,000 jobs, but it's not okay that at the same time, 14,000 jobs are also being taken away. nonetheless, India is doing relatively better than they did before. one has to keep in mind that India is just as poor as it is rich.
It might soon have the world's biggest middle class, but it also has the world's largest underclass. A quarter of its one billion people live below the poverty line, 40 percent are illiterate, and the child malnutrition rate exceeds that of sub-Saharan Africa.
its interesting how they say that indians would work more for less... hello!... these are people that have been oppressed by European colonists for over a hundred years. So when asked, yes its probably one the best things that this country has done in a long time. sure people here are losing there jobs but hey you know what? there are plenty of job oppurtunities in America. there businesses that there main purpose is to help people find work. this is a chance for a country to rise up and possibly play a huge role in what is known as the "digital revolution".
"If you can't get paid in a earth this big... you worthless kid..."- Camron (Music Artist)
for more on India and the digital revolution...
It might soon have the world's biggest middle class, but it also has the world's largest underclass. A quarter of its one billion people live below the poverty line, 40 percent are illiterate, and the child malnutrition rate exceeds that of sub-Saharan Africa.
its interesting how they say that indians would work more for less... hello!... these are people that have been oppressed by European colonists for over a hundred years. So when asked, yes its probably one the best things that this country has done in a long time. sure people here are losing there jobs but hey you know what? there are plenty of job oppurtunities in America. there businesses that there main purpose is to help people find work. this is a chance for a country to rise up and possibly play a huge role in what is known as the "digital revolution".
"If you can't get paid in a earth this big... you worthless kid..."- Camron (Music Artist)
for more on India and the digital revolution...
Students bypassing Wall Street for India?
I would of never thought i would be reading about this. Certain students are deciding to choose internships in India over the well known New York companies. This is a shock to me because New York is the "Big time" it is the hardest place to make it, and you know if you made it here you can make it anywhere. So if all of this is true why are so many students traveling to India to go do internships? Some people said they wanted to get a different view of the way bussiness is being run, your able to get a feel for their culture as well. You get to understand how the other side of the world does things.
" Georgetown University, Stanley D. Nollen, a professor of international business at the Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business, said India was of growing interest to students.
"No longer is India thought of as a land of snake charmers and bride burnings," he said. "Now India means the world's best software services, and increasingly, pharmaceuticals and auto parts."
Many people want to try and be the first to succed over in this new economic powerhouse. They want to go before everybody hears about it and does the same thing. There are some flaws though.
"India can be a jolt to a first-time American visitor. In Gurgaon, a small town despite its tall office complexes and shiny new malls, Mr. Maldonado and Mr. Simonsen share an apartment where the power fails several times a day. Temperatures are regularly above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
The two men said they came prepared to find inadequate infrastructure, but were not prepared for the daily frustrations of Gurgaon. There is no mass transportation system, and shopping, even for something as basic as an umbrella, can take hours. They rumble to work in an auto rickshaw - a motorized three-wheeler that seats two and is a ubiquitous form of transport in Indian cities. "
So which one do you prefer the new powerhouse, or the lights and sounds of the big city. If i had the choice i would pick the BIG CITY.
" Georgetown University, Stanley D. Nollen, a professor of international business at the Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business, said India was of growing interest to students.
"No longer is India thought of as a land of snake charmers and bride burnings," he said. "Now India means the world's best software services, and increasingly, pharmaceuticals and auto parts."
Many people want to try and be the first to succed over in this new economic powerhouse. They want to go before everybody hears about it and does the same thing. There are some flaws though.
"India can be a jolt to a first-time American visitor. In Gurgaon, a small town despite its tall office complexes and shiny new malls, Mr. Maldonado and Mr. Simonsen share an apartment where the power fails several times a day. Temperatures are regularly above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
The two men said they came prepared to find inadequate infrastructure, but were not prepared for the daily frustrations of Gurgaon. There is no mass transportation system, and shopping, even for something as basic as an umbrella, can take hours. They rumble to work in an auto rickshaw - a motorized three-wheeler that seats two and is a ubiquitous form of transport in Indian cities. "
So which one do you prefer the new powerhouse, or the lights and sounds of the big city. If i had the choice i would pick the BIG CITY.
Watch out for Bangalore
In June 2005, Bangalore opened a world-class incubation center which was part of the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI). In this center, it would create opportunities for entrepreneurs without capital investment and could work on innovative projects. Basically here they would work on large world wide ideas instead of small ideas. For example: just for India. Of all the exports, one-third come from this center. In 2005 alone, their software exports reached $24 billion (US) and are headed to reach $60 billion (US) within the next three to four years. Karnataka chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy said, "STPI is known for its entrepreneurial spirit in the country. And in Bangalore, STPI is like a serial entrepreneur where one venture after another has become successful."
Link:http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4507/945/
Link:http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4507/945/
Bangalore
http://wirednews.com/wired/archive/4.02/bangalore.html?pg=1&topic=&topic_set=
Bangalore:
"Over the last quarter century, as hundreds of corporations have moved in to take advantage of Bangalore's temperate and dust-free climate, cheap housing, and work force educated in information technology (or IT, the popular shorthand here), economic growth has bred a new set of woes. In that time, the city has quadrupled in size, real estate prices have quintupled, and a once gracious metropolis has begun to choke on its own pollution and gridlock."
--Richard Rapaport
The article details--with intricacy--one man's journey through the streets of a bustling Bangalore, India in his exploration of the high-tech revolution that is taking place. With the influx of major corporations to the city, due mostly to the underpaid--by American standards--and newly educated workforce that is driving the creation of infrastructure and commecial enterprize there, Rapaport leaves the reader in question as to whether this dramatic change in the city's social structuring can sustain well into this decade.
The article could have also been entitled "Outsourcing--Bangalore", and Rapaport goes into extreme detail that might not have been necessary in conveying his point, whatever that point really was...
From my understanding, the point of the article was to convey to the reader that America is now in competition with places such as Bangalore that are experiencing a hightech revolution unseen before, and unless the US can adjust to the outsourcing of high-tech labor to places like Bangalore, our nation will not be able to compete in the global technology market.
Perhaps our labor wages are too high, along with our expectations from employers. But articles such as are evidence suggestive that the US has already experienced its greatest moment in the climax of our technological achievements. Unless there becomes a reason for corporations to set up shop here in America, it seems likely that we will continue to lose our status as the innovative country that we once were in the age of the Industrial Revolution, the Space Race, and the beginnings of the Internet.
Bangalore:
"Over the last quarter century, as hundreds of corporations have moved in to take advantage of Bangalore's temperate and dust-free climate, cheap housing, and work force educated in information technology (or IT, the popular shorthand here), economic growth has bred a new set of woes. In that time, the city has quadrupled in size, real estate prices have quintupled, and a once gracious metropolis has begun to choke on its own pollution and gridlock."
--Richard Rapaport
The article details--with intricacy--one man's journey through the streets of a bustling Bangalore, India in his exploration of the high-tech revolution that is taking place. With the influx of major corporations to the city, due mostly to the underpaid--by American standards--and newly educated workforce that is driving the creation of infrastructure and commecial enterprize there, Rapaport leaves the reader in question as to whether this dramatic change in the city's social structuring can sustain well into this decade.
The article could have also been entitled "Outsourcing--Bangalore", and Rapaport goes into extreme detail that might not have been necessary in conveying his point, whatever that point really was...
From my understanding, the point of the article was to convey to the reader that America is now in competition with places such as Bangalore that are experiencing a hightech revolution unseen before, and unless the US can adjust to the outsourcing of high-tech labor to places like Bangalore, our nation will not be able to compete in the global technology market.
Perhaps our labor wages are too high, along with our expectations from employers. But articles such as are evidence suggestive that the US has already experienced its greatest moment in the climax of our technological achievements. Unless there becomes a reason for corporations to set up shop here in America, it seems likely that we will continue to lose our status as the innovative country that we once were in the age of the Industrial Revolution, the Space Race, and the beginnings of the Internet.
