Below find the prompt for e-journal #10, due Monday 11/8.
After reading Braden, consider any lines of thought presented in the following prompt when responding: Many would argue that the Internet is merely another window through which the public may be spied upon by “big government” or by secret agencies. Do you feel that Braden and Westlake share a similar argument regarding this issue? According to these authors, and in your opinion, what are the weakest points (literally, sites) of the Internet? What are some potential results of the Internet’s ability to replicate and publish information? Do you feel that you participate in citizen-surveillance? Do you contribute to content on the web? If so, what kind? What of the Internet are you most wary about? Use at least two, properly cited textual examples in your response.
In article, "Is The Internet the Harbinger Of Orwell’s Nightmares?" Braden argued that "In 1984, one of the chief methods of controlling the population was the constant surveillance of every citizen- the fear that they were being watched enslaved the population into the servitude of Big Brother" [4]. I agree with him I believe that we live in a society in which information about our lives is gathering by all types of organization. The government kept detailed information about each people. People are spying on regularly either by secret police or by “big government.” Both writers Braden and Westlake share a similar argument regarding this issue. Both Braden and Westlake argued about concept of Surveillance. Both argued that the private life of society has become public. With the help of social networking such as facebook, twitter, or my space anybody can get information to anyone, which could be harmful.
ReplyDeleteI do contribute to content on the web. I do use blog for posting comments; you tube for free video sharing, facebook to connect with friends and Google for searches. As Westlake stated that After logging in to Facebook, a user will encounter the homepage, where news feed resides. I agreed with him, whenever I open facebook after a long time I encounter a lot of pending messages, friends request, comments etc. I am wary from spyware when I access internet. Mostly, internet users are facing problem due to spyware. It is so infectious. It has several malicious formats such as sneakware, browser hijackers, trojan, worms etc. These are very dangerous for internet users.
Both Braden and Westlake argued that many people (network users) life has become public. It is true that the internet is merely another window through which the public may be spied upon because of sites like facebook, and MySpace, where many may put out their personal information such as their likes, dislikes, and favorites. In” Friend me if you facebook”, Westlake brings up a point where even in the 1970s people had something like a facebook. “Slam book […] the spiral notebook that circulated within a group of friends with specific queries and opinions […] on particular people or topic (Westlake 25). It still exists in its physical form and even online. In Braden article “is the internet the harbinger of Orwell’s nightmares” he states that our “private life came to an end” (Braden 4) and it is completely true no one’s information is safe with these websites for example “it is now known that before hiring new employees, many companies do a background check on their internet presence which can often include an examination of their facebook profile” (Braden 4). The issue of surveillance is questioned by both of these authors because of sites like facebook, MySpace, and other blogs. Nothing is ever safe on the internet because there will always be someone watching everything that you post and can ultimately use it against you. I do contribute to the web because I do have a facebook account, I “surf” the web when I’m bored and I use YouTube to watch videos and listen to music, I tend not to have blogs because of privacy issues, I feel that you should keep a personal diary instead(handwritten). What I’m most wary about when it comes to the internet is all the viruses , and especially the hackers, you could never be to sure with what you post on the internet because once it is up it is there forever.
ReplyDeleteBoth authors Braden and Westlake both have slightly different views on the usage of social networks. One of the issues that Braden brings across is how so much publicity of a person’s life may be spied on. In his essay, “ Is the internet The Harbinger of Orwell’s Nightmares?” he restates the words of George Orwell and the surveillance that the government has over citizens and yet we are either blind to see it or we do not have knowledge of it. Braden states “Orwell’s ideas, about government surveillance … have become uncomfortable reminders of today’s political climate and the threat of terrorism”. (Braden 1) In my opinion, this is quite true, after 9/11 anything that is set up on the web can be accessed without owners permission. The government does have a surveillance over what is on the web, but how much surveillance is the question. From knowledge, I know that because of threat of terrorism they have a surveillance over those people who are suspects. As Braden states, “ Private life came to an end”. (Braden 4) Everyone has access to everything that is posted up on the internet. He also describes how even companies are now doing a background check on new employees, and it often includes an examination of the employees Facebook profile.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Westlake, this author provides a Facebook homepage, in which provides newsfeed. This newsfeed illustrates and informs you of all the action that your “friends” have made. For example, comments made on pictures, new pictures added and so on and so forth. In my opinion, the weakest points of the internet is the public itself. In my opinion I feel like it is not the social network that is at fault but the users. If the social network users put their limit on what should be posted up on those sites, things would be much easier. Westlake describes the reason why Facebook was created and entails that it has grown to not only keep in contact with old friends but to also make new ones. Which I agree it can be a potential result of having an account. I do not feel like many citizens are part of the citizen surveillance. In my opinion, I feel that the government only uses citizen-surveillance when someone threatens an action to be placed.
I do have a Facebook, but it does not consist of much context. I do provide my full name, who I am currently dating, my date of birth and the high school I attended. In correspondence to that information I do post up pictures. But there is a catch, I do not add or request anyone who I do not know. I feel that there is a lot of crazy people out there. What worries me most is to encounter myself with a picture that is not the person that I thought it was. A lot of people try to be someone they not so that they can do harm, and I do not want to be one of those people to be tricked. The internet has its negative and positive, but it all lies between what the user does and how smart they are with the choices they make on any social network.
Some people are “hooked” on TV and some on internet. Popular websites such as Myspace.com, Facebook.com or Youtube.com are enticing their users into a net, but it can be a trap. Two essays called “Is the internet the harbinger of Orwell’s nightmares?” and “Friend me if you Facebook” by Peter Braden and E.J. Westlake provide arguments that citizens can be under surveillance by a government or by any private company. Therefore, personal information is under thread of being available to anyone. A main difference between their opinions about this issue is that Braden points out government surveillance while Westlake mostly talks about monitoring by companies and other users. In his essay Braden argues that “Today’s internet is filled with threads to privacy and freedom of expression. With demonstrable censorship occurring in more and more countries and social networking being linked to government surveillance…” (p.1). Relying on facts from George Orwell’s novel he made a connection between censorship and social networking. In author’s political view regarding this problem by excessive communication on the internet people will not have their privacy and freedom to express thoughts and feelings anymore. For a government it became very easy to look up for censorship and a person who wrote it. In contrast, Westlake opines using a Facebook.com website. Originally, it was created for Harvard students to communicate with each other, but it expanded up to about 207 countries (“The social network” movie). The author worries that its’ users put a lot of their personal information and data. Companies and organizations can buy it from Facebook and use it. There also can be surveillance and even stalking by other users of this social website. In 2006 the Facebook added a feature called “News Feed” that allows users to write about feelings, activities, thoughts and events which was available to everyone to read it. One of the users complained about this new option: “It makes stalking way to easy […] it scares me!” and “Facebook was creepy enough before […] this is definitely crossing some sort of line” (p. 22). For example, a guy will never have privacy, because his girlfriend can easily monitor his life through Facebook. Personally, I never trusted these online conversations and that is why I always think before typing a message or registering for an account. My biggest wary about internet is putting personal info when applying for something. Even when the website states that it’s secured, I will not put my address or social security number. For instance, recently I applied for a credit card in Chase Bank. I had an option to do it online, but I preferred the safest way to come in branch and do it in person.
ReplyDeleteBraden and Westlake share similar arguments about the issue of the public being spied on by “Big Brother.” Their arguments are actually one in the same. The weakest points of the internet would be most social networking sites. During the time both articles were published (2008), the biggest sites were MySpace and Facebook. Currently the biggest “surveillance” site would be Twitter. Twitter allows you to speak your mind in one-hundred-forty characters or less. The problem with Twitter is the geo-tracking option, the option to display your location at the time of each “tweet” (message). Though it is available for you to disable this option, I believe that there is still a way to tell where you were at the time and one already tells what one was doing at the time in the content of the tweet. Peter Braden states in “Is The Internet The Harbinger Of Orwell’s Nightmare?”, “[…] genuine fears have been expressed that these technologies will lead to the breakdown of privacy and freedom of expression.”(1). Google made an agreement with the Chinese Government to filter out some of its search result. This is a great example of governmental censorship. “The dangers of abuse such as a censorship tool by unknown parties far outweigh the benefit it provides.” (2). There is also the problem with Wikipedia (the online encyclopedia), where users are allowed to edit the content of history which would make the information not credible. In “Friend Me if You Facebook”, E.J. Westlake explains the many problems that the Facebook social network poses. “[…] the new feature certainly made me more conscious of the way I behaved on Facebook –the way I performed- particularly since many in my audience would be my students.” (22). The News Feed feature on Facebook allows users to view every update, friend acceptance, relationship status, etc. of one’s many friends. This feature allows peer-surveillance so “Big Brother” must most definitely be able to see what’s going on in citizen life. I feel that everyone participates in citizen-surveillance whether one is a part of a social networking community or not. I myself am not a part of any of these sites, but I do, however, own a cell phone. Phone companies monitor text messaging, therefore allowing police officers the opportunity to pull text message records as far back as sixth months, if necessary. If this can be done with text messaging, can it be done to monitor ones cellular and computational web browsing? The thing that worries me the most about the web is the privacy that it may or may not provide. I would not be made aware of who is viewing my personal profile, whether I have privacy settings or not.
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ReplyDeleteMany individuals may feel as though the internet is another means of communicating; while on the other hand, it may also be an excuse for the government to watch over the public. Braden, author of, “Is The Harbinger Of Orwell’s Nightmares?” and Westlake, author of, “Friend Me If You Face book Generation Y And Performative Surveillance” both agree upon the fact that the internet is another way the public is being watched. Braden said, “In the United Kingdom, a program known as Cleanfeed is now required by law to be implemented by all ISP’s. Ostensibly a protection against child abuse website and paedophilia, Cleanfeed works by filtering blocking access to sites on a block list […], Cleanfeed does not notify the user when a blocked site is requested”. This shows that the government control’s some aspect of what the public has access to. Weslake says, “This is perhaps the motivation behind Facebook’s latest moves to allow developers such as Microsoft, Warner Brothers, and Barak Obama’s presidential campaign to launch mini-applications within the Facebook platform for free, which enhances users’ agency by allowing them to modify content and create an even greater volume of traffic […]”. This indicates that big company and the government are involved with our everyday networking. I participate in citizen surveillance just by owning a Face book and MySpace account. By doing so I am giving the government the right to watch over my actions while online. I am careful with the personal information I share on the web and my pictures because the world does not need to know too much about my personal life. I also think it is creepy that the government is watching.
ReplyDeleteMost of us spend a lot of our time on the internet on social networking sites like facebook, myspace, twitter, and so much more. We share personal information without thinking about who can see it.
ReplyDeleteIn E.J Westlake article “Friend Me if You Facebook” and Braden “Is The Internet The Harbinger Of Orwell’s Nightmares?” they both argue that the lives of network users are being spied on by the government and secret agent. In Westlake article she emphasize the display of personal information on face book for example “I read time-stamped list of who had friended whom, who changed profile picture, who had written on other people’s Walls and what they wrote, and who had posted new photographs, joined or left a new group, started dating, broken up, written a public note, or altered their lists of favorite books and movies”. Facebook has let people share personal information with the world and the information maybe be exposed to government or secret agent. Many people post information on face book without thinking about how public it might be. I can even say I do it without thinking about how private it might be. Even though on face book you have the option of setting your page private there is a chance someone that you don’t want to see it can. In Braden article he stated “ with such close ties to the government intelligence agency, it is no wonder that many people are so suspicious of face book, but the dangers of privacy violations may lie elsewhere” most jobs search the web to see who they are hiring and face book is one of the sites they look into. I actually do participate on citizen-surveillance. I spend a lot of time on face book looking at family and friends pages leaving comments and so much more.
Braden and Westlake share the same points of views; all thought their opinions may not be exactly the same their Global issues focus on the same points. “ Increased Internet use by Generation Y will result in their lacking the socialization needed to function in society”(Westlake 30). Although Westlake’s argument may seem substantial, her implications of Internet social networking affecting the latest generation arguable. In my opinion socializing has increased amongst kids, parents are always bickering for teens to get off of there cellular phones or to get off the computer. If the majority of kids are on facebook or twitter they are socializing. If Westlake were to argue how kids socialize Internet vs. person to person she would’ve produced a stronger argument. “Wikitality: …any user can change any entry and if enough other users agree with them it becomes true..”(Braden 3) The ability of the Internet to publish and replicate information is stronger that word of mouth. Many people send information through the Internet knowing that it would travel faster. With the Internet's capabilities I participate in “citizen surveillance” I have accounts on two of the most popular websites. Considering my safety I don’t worry about the Internet much. The Internet only shares what a person puts it on there. If a person is worried about their safety then they should not release that information on there. The Internet is only as dangerous as you make it.
ReplyDeleteBraden and Westlake both share ideas when it comes to the thought of us being watched over the internet. Jobs, schools, and even certain prestigious groups are more than likely spying on your facebook, making sure your not putting things that would be deemed "socially unrespectable" and look bad on their organizations. It would make sense that these institutions would do such a thing because you can tell much about people by what they like to include in their "About Me" or other interests and like they say "A pictures worth a thousand words". Over the past week a new "App" has surfaced that many people believe is under heavy government surveillance. Kik, a messenger application that is rumored to be a little too good at telling the user who it is they should know. People feel they hadn't put enough information on it for it to determine so many people they really do know, and feel there must be something up. The weakest point of the internet would have to be Google, the search engine that will give you perhaps too much information or unneeded information for a topic when you do a search. The internet has great potential to replicate and publish information but I feel at this point that it is crowded with too much rubbish and constant distractions, such as pop-ups or spam and advertisement. I do actually feel I participate in citizen surveillance, by using websites such as Facebook and Twitter, but I try my best not to put too much information about myself on these social sites. I put a lot of foolishness in my profiles about me, so the reader wouldn’t be able to really feel they know me unless they speak to me. The government won’t be that bold. “Private life came to an end”(Braden 4) but I wont sit around like a caged animal just because I feel the government is watching.
ReplyDeleteI do feel that Braden and Westlake share similar arguments. I feel that the weakest points of the Internet are Facebook and other social networking sites. Mainly because they allow strangers access to your information, through any location. I myself contribute to the Internets social networks, however i am always aware of the dangers that come along with opening these pages. Not only can people steal my information but , Future employees may have access provided to them directly by the social network. In Braden’s essay, “Is The Internet the Harbinger Of Orwell’s Nightmares?" , Braden states, “but the dangers of privacy violations may lie elsewhere. It is now known that before hiring new employees, many companies do a background check on their internet presence which can often include an examination of their Facebook profile. “ (Braden). Not only are our identities at stake of being stolen but also our personal lives are at risk of being spied upon by our employers and/or our future employers.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Braden's article, I feel as if the government is quietly watching us even though it is illegal. Many people fear that they are being spied upon, because the internet is very open and even normal people can view another persons internet history. Both authors argue that surveillance is an issue on the internet. both agree that sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites are too public and once information is put on these sites, the owners of the website control that information.
ReplyDelete"When Facebook was set up in 2004, one of the first investments in the company was from venture capital firm Accel Partners, whose manager James Breyer previously served of a company specializing in data mining, alongside the CEO of a venture capital company set up by the CIA. WIth such close ties to a government intelligence agency, it is no wonder that many people are so suspicious of Facebook; but the dangers of privacy violates may lie elsewhere." (Braden p.4)
With this being said people should be concerned with what they can put on the internet, because a joke implying illegal activities can turn extremely serious when dealing with the government. I rarely contribute to content on the web, but if i do, it is through Facebook and Wikipedia. "China's internet censorship is a demonstration to the West of the way such power can be abused" this quote represents how easily information can be abused and corrupted if in the wrong hands, and can be used to mislead/persuade people.
Both Braden and Westlake discuss surveillance via the internet, but Braden focuses globally on government and Westlake focuses locally on companies looking at employees' personal information online and on other users of social networking sites stalking people. Both of the authors declare that people now deal with far more public scrutiny based on their online lives.
ReplyDeleteBraden discusses how governments try to censor the content online such as China's deal with Google and programs like Cleanfeed to block certain websites. He states that "the technologies are not to blame for this abuse. This evil, as always, comes from corrupt men"(6). Braden suggests that the weakest sites on the internet might be Wikipedia and Facebook since people can vandalize the information on the former and people lose some of their privacy on the latter since Facebook reveals users actions on other websites through "Beacon" and employers can observe their workers' profiles and that can influence their job status. Westlake mentions "that the people of Generation Y are choosing social cohesion over privacy challenges outmoded notions of individual freedom versus state intrusion"(38). This means that Westlake thinks Facebook is ultimately negative since people lose their appreciation for personal apsects of their lives meant to be selectively shared with whomever they choose. In my opinion, sites like Facebook, Youtube, etc. are pointless since people don't really accomplish anything worthwhile on these sites and the majority of the relationships established on Facebook are weak or nonexistent and most videos on Youtube seem like they've almost criminally stolen the viewer's time with hollow content. As a result of content being replicated and published, it might lead to a dissolution of privacy. I don't feel that I participate in citizen-surveillance and I don't contribute content on the web other than on Facebook. On the web, I'm most wary of accidentally downloading a virus and having my computer become extinguished.
Both the Braden and Westlake share the same idea in which "big government" and "secret agencies" are spying on us. Westlake mostly focuses on the idea of Facebook being to open. Westlake describes how she felt when Facebook introduced “New Feeds” “[…] I also remember feeling a little strange knowing that my every move (well, almost every move) would be seen by all of my Facebook friends.” (Westlake, p.22) Westlake describes how uneasy she felt that every one of her friends knew every move she made. While Braden talks about the dangers of people losing their privacy. Braden believes there is a “Big Brother” event going on and that Wikipedia is changing our history. He compares Wikipedia to how the protagonist Winston Smith in 1984 rewrote history for the Ministry of Truth. “By letting the people freely modify their own knowledge, the bias and trends that affect public opinion will pollute social knowledge.”(Braden, p.3)
ReplyDeleteThe internet’s ability to copy and regenerate information is a very good thing, but it came at a cost that people can lie and make up certain information to a bias opinion. I feel that I don’t participate in Citizen-surveillance, due to the fact that I have a life and I don’t need to know what every single one of my friends are doing. I really don’t contribute anything to the web beside what I post up on Facebook. I am most wary about the fact that the governments can spy on us and see what we are doing.
Social networks like Facebook were originally created to catch up and keep in touch with old friends. But that is not the only use now; Facebook has become a way of making new friends, which may be a good thing, but can also lead to disaster. Braden, the aurthor of "Is The Internet The Harbinger Of Orwell’s Nightmares?" and Westlake, the aurthor of "Friend Me if You Facebook," both dicuss how social networks have become a problem because of the amount of personal information that one shares on their profile.
ReplyDeleteIn Braden's article, he points out government surveillance issues, while Westlake's article he talks more about profiles being monitored by companies and other users. I agree with both aurthors that there is a major issue of personal information being exposed. Someone can easily obtain persnal information and use it against others. Braden states, "Today’s internet is filled with threads to privacy and freedom of expression. With demonstrable censorship occurring in more and more countries and social networking being linked to government surveillance…” (Pg 1). He also states in his atricle, “genuine fears have been expressed that these technologies will lead to the breakdown of privacy and freedom of expression.”(Pg 1). I believe that people should be more careful of what information they release on the web for others to see.
Braden and Westlake make these opposing arguments that the individual's personal life is being to publicized and way too "out there". From the social networking sites to the government being even more protective over the lives of citizens in America. Facebook, being one of the largest social networking sites in the world, has reached million upon millions of users, and what even goes on in their lives. Updating statuses, posting pictures and even tagging friends and family, has this network become a little too social? In Westlake's article, she suggest Facebook should have stayed a college website, and that individuals should be more aware of the information they post on sites like MySpace and Facebook.
ReplyDelete"Facebook was founded as a way yo enhance face to face contact i=on university campuses, and so is virtual and physical life are unique on the internet...as people offer themselves up for surveillance, they also resist being fixed as rigid, unchanging subjects.
I believe that these social sites and blogging sites are made to be watched or looked at. And if you don not feel comfortable placing information for everyone to see, then I suggest not getting into the online networking "life".
The internet allows people to explore the many different facets it offers. The way people use the internet and the information they offer to it is each person’s personal responsibility. Both authors Peter Braden and E. J. Westlake share similar ideas of how people can be publicly spied upon by “big government” or “secret agencies” through the internet because of the information they post about themselves. Because privacy on the internet is limited, it becomes easier to track a person’s activities. Both authors agree it is what people post that makes them vulnerable to invasion. Braden states, “although the information on the internet is considered public, many people do not realize the implications of leaving sensitive data in this arena” [p.4]. Westlake blames people’s online performance saying, “as people offer themselves up for surveillance, they establish and reinforce social norms”[p23]. Braden and Westlake doesn’t only notice the personal information people post of themselves, but also text that is posted or altered by people that may not be accurate or factual. Personally I do not post any sort of information on the internet besides school work. My participation in social medias is limited to none. I find it absurd that people take their cyber freedom to the next level and post illegitimate content on the web.
ReplyDeleteOver the past few years, social networking sites have been grown increasingly popular. After reading the article “Is The Internet The Harbinger of Orwell’s Nightmares?” by Peter Braden and another article “Friend Me If You Facebook” by EJ. Westlake, I feel that both writers are arguing about the secret agencies. Public are becoming spied by “big Government” through the social networking. Barden stated, “With the development of television, and the technical advances which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end” [4]. As the technology continues to advance and we become more reliable on social networking. Most popular social networking sites are; Facebook, MySpace, Hi5, twitter. People put their information, like, dislike, contact no. and pictures on the social networking sites which is harmful sometimes. Both writers argue that, because of the networking, Personal life is become more public. In my opinion, although there is a option to post the comment on Facebook or status, but also there is option that who will be watch the status, like if anyone blog the status for outsider and open only for friends. Outsider cannot watch you. It is depends on the users, like me personally accept those friends whom I know. I do not response the strangers. I do feel that I am participating in citizen-surveillance by commenting in the Facebook. I most wary about the virus.
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