TED/NYBooks/WIRED

It may be ironic that a talk about the way the internet censors your content, on the internet, but the TED talk about online filters was able to convey an intriguing point about how search engines seemingly censor your search results based on rankings of sites with the most hits. This takes away from what you’re really interested in, whether or not the search results are relevant to you and help you resolve your inquiry, and learn more.

            The Wired magazine article provided an interesting contrast, arguing that this sort of alteration to your search results exposes you to the newest and freshest pages that you could want. I find this take fairly ignorant, and disagree with it immensely. These sort of changes to search results restrict the information we could be learning on a diverse list of subjects, and unfairly polices the information that we receive online. It is unfortunate that certain resources are pushed to the top of the list, while more educational content may remain at the bottom. 

Obama '08: A lesson in Social Networking

            The Technology Review article, “How Obama Really Did It,” tells an interesting tale of how President Barack Obama’s campaign utilized the internet and social networking to raise funds for his campaign and spread the word of his candidacy. Taking inspiration from the failed campaign of 2004 democratic candidate Howard Dean, who raised $27 million in online donations, Obama’s campaign used online technology to fund his campaign, recruit volunteers, and create databases to distribute important information to all of his staff, volunteers and employees.

            The unprecedented MyBO databases described in the article allowed volunteers in specific communities to view which of their neighbors were undecided, and then take the canvassing process to the desirable parties. One of the founders of Blue State Digital, which worked on MyBO, spoke about how the new technologies allowed the campaign to reach unprecedented levels of volunteer participation, giving those with a will to help a chance to participate in their community.

The article also discusses how Obama’s opponent in the democratic primary, Hillary Clinton, also made a less-heralded effort to incorporate similar technologies into her campaign. The Clinton campaign, which did make an effort to use social networks, placed less of a premium on them during the election. Andrew Rasiej, founder of the Personal Democracy Forum, says that even though Howard Dean raised a large amount of money, he did not win, and therefore campaigns (other than Obama’s) had less faith in social networks during the ’08 election. That forum, is a website which discusses the connection between technology and politics. 

Response to Frontline: Growing Up Online

The PBS Frontline program, Growing Up Online, brought to life some of the startling realities of how teenagers and all youth interact on the internet. Through social media networking sites like Facebook, myspace or twitter, teens can now operate their social lives from the comfort of a desk chair in front of a computer, without ever having to engage in any sort of social activity or interpersonal communication.

I personally view my generation as one of the earliest to be exposed to the world of socializing via social media. I have felt some of the symptoms described by students and observed by parents in their children such as trouble focusing in classes and lectures. This is a symptom that I know many of my friends and peers have also acknowledged suffering, and one that may be tied into our generation’s need to be connected at all times. We rely on our cell phones and laptops to communicate with others, often substituting actual human interaction completely by utilizing the technology.

            While I generally view the internet in a positive light, this segment has shown some serious issues plaguing the youth in the United States. I noticed that the narrator and many of the parents interviewed used words like “frightening” or “startling” when describing what impacts they learned internet use had been having on their children. While I don’t often associate these words with internet browsing, the Frontline segment shows how harmful this media can be to unsuspecting youth.