Prof Larson's Presentation

Professor Larson's Speech

I thoroughly enjoyed Prof Larson's presentation in class on Thursday. I already take one of Prof Larson's classes this semester and I'm learning so much already, for example, we had to create a powerpoint presentation and I used features on there that I didn't know existed. I also had my first experience with photoshop because of her class. Due to that previous experience with her, her presentation automatically sparked my interest in other classes she is teaching. As a comm major, all comm classes seem interesting, but specifically I'd like to take her Motion Graphics class, the student's project she showed was pretty cool. She also made me excited to see what other comm classes were available and which ones would help me with the career I want to go into. Overall it was a very informative presentation and perception of how wide the comm department really spreads.

Introducing Me

This is ME

Hi, my name is Nikki and I'm a Sophomore. I transferred to Shepherd from Potomac State College last Fall. I'm first generation in my family to go to college and, hopefully, finish. I'm originally from Martinsburg, WV and I'm a communications major. I hope to go into Public Relations and become a Social Media Manager for a cool organization. I work at the Shepherd Library so you'll probably always see me in there either studying or working at the front desk. I'm excited to see what I learn in this class this semester because being a comm major, naturally, I'm excited about any comm class I take.

The Internet's Cost of Free

The cost of free is a contradicting statement, how is something free if it has a cost? Well that just what the inter-webs is. I'm sure all of us noticed parts of the internet that were questionable; like why is there an advertisement for allergy medicine on your favorite blog site when you don't have allergies. It's just one way the internet redefines our privacy.

Privacy

You visit your favorite website, the one that you visit everyday, and on the side is an advertisement for a potential University that you never even thought about attending. However, you did search up a University that you were interested in the other day. This happens because, shocker, the internet tracks everything you do and creates ads that they feel will appeal to you based on things you've searched.

You can look at this as a cool, interesting asset of the internet, but what happens when they pull up your personal searches. This happened with an old lady, all of her AOL search queries were distributed and she wasn't even aware that people were keeping track of it.

There is no privacy when you're on the internet, everything you search and post is being monitored. Everything you do on the internet is being taken in and giving websites new ways to feed you advertisement without you even knowing.

Personal Space

In ways, we make it easier for our privacy to be invaded by the internet. Social media is a huge part of the internet in the 21st century. It's also a big part in putting all of our personal business out there; Twitter, Facebook, Youtube etc are huge contributors to people putting out personal information. If they're monitoring your personal browser searches then what do you think they're doing with the personal information you're posting on your social media?

Example of oversharing on the internet

Along with privacy, personal space also doesn't exist on the internet. Just a simple picture you post can be seen by anyone, doesn't mean people are interested in seeing it, but they can. Also, once it's on the internet, it can't be deleted.

Who We Are

In a lot of ways the internet is shaping who we are today, instead of being consumers we are being consumed. I look at the internet as a business, although it's neat and handy it has become a market. We've become so consumed with it that we don't even mind that we're trading in our lives for the internet. That's the price we pay for the internet. Yes we can browse freely, however, we're paying for it mentally.

Connecting to the Internet or Dividing Humanity

Connecting through the Internet causing Division?

As I mentioned before, all of us across the world are connected through the web thanks to this thing called the "internet." The internet allows us to have access to knowledge and each other; it's a form of communication like we've never seen before. Everyone at least has the means to participate in online communication and the opportunity to express their thoughts.

In a political sense, the internet has made openness easier because it eliminates the fear of being judged; it's sort of anonymous. When you meet people on the internet, through these various forms of social media, that share the same views as you it opens up a discussion and builds a relationship with the person or people.

However, with shared views comes the oppose position aka people who don't agree with these views and it could cause a clash. Topics, such as politics, are a touchy subject on the internet, which is why such things like warfare can arise in the midst of internet communication. 

For example, Iran's riots after a presidential election that they felt was rigged. Because of the spread of information through Twitter, in which a user named "Oxfordgirl" played a big role in, the riots built quickly. 

It definitely relates to whats going on today, as I type this there are riots going on now due to the election of President Donald Trump. 

Ultimately, the internet brings us together because even though tragic events may occur, we're all going through the same thing. However, the division part comes in to play when views on political matters start to clash into each other and in the end causing us to fight each other. 

What does this mean for our future?

Internet is allowing people to filter their world view; and this is where the problem would lay in our near future. Internet is a quicker way to spread ideas, giving people a quicker and easier way access ideas that may be deceiving. This could blind people to reality since we're making the internet our main source for information and communication.

In a political sense, it can threaten single-handily harm a whole country, such as Estonias whose government system got hacked into. This ultimately caused and economic crisis for their country and all at the finger tips of....cyber bully's? 

Some may say the internet is even more dangerous than having weapons, it could be a weapon in its own. In the near future we can expect it to be used as such because while it does give us ALL a voice, doesn't mean ALL of our voices should be received. In the wrong hands, the internet can be damaging. But will internet advances change for the better or the worst? I just don't know.

The concept of the Web's Great Leveling of Humanity

How the Web can provide Great Leveling of Humanity

How many of you use the Web? Everyone does, we're using it right now. But what does it mean to be using "the web." You could be watching music videos on Youtube to using WebMD to figure out what your diagnosis is for your sore throat and slight cough. No matter what you are doing on the web, there is a great chance someone else either next door to you or 12,000 miles away from you is doing the same. Using the web to be entertained, get informed or share an opinion. This could be explained as the web's "great leveling of humanity." Everyone across the globe has equal access, equal voice and equal potential because of the web, it connects us all no matter what part of the world you reside.

How the concept has evolved since it's starting point

The web's original motive was to rebel against what people thought to be "normal' during the time it was created. People wanted a sort of resistant's to authority, a safe haven of sorts. The web was suppose to be a place where people could say/do whatever they wanted and not be penalized for it. The first website that allowed this was named "The Well" created by a man named Stewart Brand. It gave people a taste of the web and that's where Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler and other web outlets stemmed from. However, the web is known for much more than rebelling in today's society. It has become a bigger form of communication for today's world, while back then people still had a sense of personal communication. The web has become more spread than it ever was and it's taking over the society as a whole, so instead of putting the middle finger up to society as they did back when the web was being created, today it IS our society. It has evolved into much more than an outlet to express ourselves, sometimes we use it to define ourselves. And that's scary!