Data Mining and Searching Questions (Group 4)

A Deep Dive into Facebook and Datalogix

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/09/deep-dive-facebook-and-datalogix-whats-actually-getting-shared-and-how-you-can-opt

1.) I know Facebook has a lot of advertisements on the side that say "click here", but what about when users don't use that direct link but still purchase something because of Facebook? How can we make a direct link or measure this?

2.) IS THIS LEGAL?! This is all extremely (what I thought to be) confidential information... It is scary how many things can be monitored that I do that I am completely and utterly unaware of. How am I supposed to feel safe now knowing I am being monitored even when I don't know what I am being monitored for?

3.) We have the constitutional right to privacy... So then why doesn't Datalogix ASK us before giving this information instead of making opting out the exception to the rule? PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE THIS IS HAPPENING, so how can they possibly know opting out is even an option?

Viral Media & Crowd Sourcing (Group 3)

http://www.neoscenes.net/teach/cu/2012_2/atls2000_mit/pdfs/Bilton-2010-Has_Viral_Gone_Viral.pdf

1.) How can we attribute Chatroulette's exponential growth to the usage of social network sites?

2.) If "the speedy clock of Internet time is running faster than ever," what does that mean for us in the future? What negative or positive things will change because of this?

3.) If everyone has the potential to deliver news at all times, how do we know who is  a trustworthy source? Will we even need newspapers and journalists in the future if everyone is technically a journalist from their smartphone?

Asides: Street Ghosts Project

Street Ghosts Project is an art project that took images from Google Maps of people walking their everyday routes, and printing off pixelized pictures of them and placing them where Google Street View found them. The website itself is really interesting because it is interactive and lets the viewer look at a map of the possible locations these “ghosts” were planted. It also lets you use Google Street View to find your own favorite ghost and suggest that their location be pixelized! In a way, the concept of this site is like stealing from a thief. The people photographed on Google did not give their consent to be there, so the artist did not use Google’s consent before using these same people to decorate the streets where they were filmed. Yes, the images on Google are copyrighted, but if they didn't seek the permission of their subjects, how can that be fair? What right does Google have over innocent peoples privacy? From up close, the pictures just look like blurry pixilations; but from afar, you can see characteristics and the shape of a real person. The artist also chose the pictures in the creepiest, most desolate and prime artistic locations for his work to add the emphasis that these people are ghosts or even victims of a war they didn't realize they were a part of. Using the spooky, ghostliness of the pictures, the artist emphasizes the fact that nothing is private and that people can be watched at any time or place. What a scary thought it is that walking down your street at home or on vacation, there is a picture of you at this location that anyone in the world can see. The author says, “By remixing and reusing this material, I artistically explore the boundaries of ownership and exposure of this publicly displayed, privately-held information about our personal lives.” This sentence perfectly sums up how nothing is really private anymore and our personal lives may not be so personal after all.

IT & Politics Questions (Group 2)

http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/social_media/review.pdf

1.) The article talks about how things you post on Facebook can be seen on Twitter or other social networking sites, so couldn't we say that this is a bad thing? It is great that everyone can be so easily connected,  but isn't it also dangerous? These easy linkages could lead to people knowing way too much about your life, especially with the minimal privacy settings. Why are these risks not discussed? Do people not care that strangers can easily access their entire life?

2.) If social media can lead to protests and upheavals, is it possible that this all leads to violence? If one person gets an extremely radical idea and posts it socially, it can escalate into one big chaotic and violent ordeal since they have the support behind them...

3.) I have read a lot about the bans on certain websites and applications or programs in the Middle East, how are the people there coping being cut off from the world? Are they still able to communicate and access information with all the censorship occurring?

Readings from Week 8

1.) From http://tech-no-mad.net/blog/archives/380
I find it really interesting that this blog was written in 2008, and even back then there was talk about what technological advancements could POSSIBLY come next?! I wonder what they would have though of the mass amounts of available data we have today.. Is it a good or bad thing how saturated and media-savvy we are all becoming? If everyone is capable of creating netart, does it lose its appeal?

2.) From http://tech-no-mad.net/blog/archives/4835
I like the concept of filtering through our "spam-filled days", comparing the human body to a computer network... How do we know or decide which information to keep and which information to discard?

3.) From http://tech-no-mad.net/blog/archives/4835
Given the definitions of digital art and net art, is there really a difference between the two? Aren't both art done on digital platforms?

Simulation and Gaming Questions (Group 13)

Timeline: The Future of Videogames

1.) What will become of society when/if the line between reality and augmented reality become blurred?

2.) How much of this article can we actually believe? I understand the points that are made and that there are facts to support their guesses for the future, but that's all they are: guesses. I remember when 2000 was the year we were "supposed" to have flying cars... So how much can we rely on these predictions?

3.) How will the way humans socialize with one another change? With the blending of reality and video games becoming the norm, will the human race still value social interactions as much?


Does Game Violence Make Teams Aggressive?

1.) Why is there so much focus on computer games instead of other platforms such as the internet, music or television in which kids are exposed to the same amount of violence?

2.) From my limited video game knowledge, I know there are other types of video games that are still "violent" (such as World of Warcraft) while the article focuses on more extreme games like Call of Duty... Can researchers really make the distinction or could it just be that ALL video games create this similar arousal in the brain?

3.) Just because certain areas in the brain are more active or aroused than others at times, does that necessarily mean that the gamer will have violent tendencies? Are these arousals merely temporary?

My Personal Network

I am truly astounded by the amount of time during the day in which I am consuming media. From the second I wake up in the morning until the second I go to sleep, I am using media. My iPhone alarm wakes me up, and after that I immediately check the weather app and my text messages. I then go to class, and instead of wearing a watch to see if I am on time I always check my phone. When I had to go to a meeting at an unfamiliar campus building, I plugged it into the map app and am guided step by step to my destination. After all this technology at school, I then go to work where it is my sole job to work on the computer. I do everything from entering data to making copies to researching academia, and my eyes are sore by the end of the day from the glare of technology. I haven’t even mentioned how many times throughout the day I am checking Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook for live information or entertainment during my five minutes of free time. I find myself so easily distracted from everyday tasks and craving to check my phone for new information inputs from friends. I can’t remember the last time I sat and just twiddled my thumbs, any down time I have is spent on technology in some way or another!

 So much of my attention is focused where it shouldn't be, honestly. Before starting my homework, I sometimes check Facebook for a “little bit.” That little bit then turns into hours from click to click my attention is being drawn from pictures to funny videos to stalking someone all the way back to 2008. I think it is sad how consumed I am by technology, but I feel that there is nothing I can do to stop it. In such a technology-centered society, not having a cell phone or instant access to the rest of the world is unheard of. Why is it SO important for me to be texting my friend I saw an hour ago about the kid in my class’s weird hairdo? I am so wired it scares me.

It is unreal to think about how truly dependent I am without technology. Without a simple cell phone, I wouldn’t wake up in the morning, keep myself entertained, or know what time it was. With an iPhone, the world is literally at my fingertips. I can get an app for any and every thing imaginable. There are apps for ordering food, paying your parking meter, keeping track of bank accounts and so much more. I don’t even have to use my hands anymore, I can just yell at Siri to get me any information I desire.

Asides: Twitter Use 2012

http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Twitter-Use-2012/Findings.aspx

As a personal Twitter aficionado, I am surprised at the low number of Twitter users! The statistics say that only 15% of adults use Twitter with only 8% using it daily. My mom asked me the other day if she was “out of the loop” since she doesn’t have an account. And the truth is yes, she is out of the loop! Twitter is not just a social media site. Twitter is where I get all the breaking news, gossip, get to see pictures of my friends as well as celebrities,  I get to follow famous people who inspire me and read their firsthand thoughts, politicians to learn about their standpoints, my favorite brands to get deals, and so so much more. Social media networking is becoming so necessary in business and society nowadays, it’s almost unheard of not to have a Facebook or Twitter account. The article says that the most popular demographic users are African Americans, young adults, and urban and suburban residents. It’s clear that rural people who aren’t as attached with society wouldn’t have the extreme urge to be connected and informed all the time like urban residents. Young adults probably use Twitter more because they are tech-savvy as well as interested in learning and being informed about society as much as possible. Both men and women use Twitter equally, similar to other social network sites. I think with or without all of the graphs, charts and statistics of who uses Twitter, the main focus is that social media sites are essential and people want to be up-to-date. The easy and quick access to information makes it almost impossible not to be informed. Take for instance, a football game. If I am curious to who won the game or what horrible calls were made, I will check my twitter feed before I check the news or ESPN or the newspaper. I can’t even imagine how people functioned without information in their immediate grasp. Our society thrives on instant gratification and won’t settle for anything less. With Twitter available on all smart phones, I predict its usage to rise immensely among people of all ages, races, social statuses, and education levels.