Final Blog Post: Our Relationship with Technology

The good, the bad, and the ugly. There's really no better way of describing our relationship with technology. It has helped us in accomplishing so much. We have begun to advance at such a rapid rate that it almost feels unreal. On the other hand, the bad. Technology has hurt us before and it will do so again and again. Sometimes this hurt is just us becoming lazy, other times it is the disconnected-connected social media world we experience everyday. And lastly, the ugly side of technology. It lives right under our noses, but we choose to look past it every chance that we get. We don't like confronting it because it makes us feel uncomfortable. We love our technology, and rightfully so, for it is a great thing. This great thing that we love does come with its ugly traits that we have to acknowledge. The ugly side of technology is that sometimes it ruins people's lives. Sometimes people are hurt in ways that could never happen outside of that virtual space. Sometimes people find themselves lost inside of their technology and become disconnected from reality and from those that are right next to them. As Professor Smith himself pointed out, youth suicide rates are rising. When people's troubles follow them wherever they go, it weighs on them. So yeah, there's definitely the good, the bad, and the ugly, and we have to face all of it.

Now after all that, you're probably wondering why there is a picture of Harvey Weinstein in this blog post. What does he have to do with any of this? Well I would like to go more specifically into the good, the bad, and the ugly of technology. Harvey Weinstein was, what I would consider, patient zero for the Me Too movement. He was the first one to fall, and rightfully so, in this wave of cancelling and/or punishing people who have "gotten away with it" for too long. He hurt many people, most of them being women, and finally it caught up to him. Granted, this only really happened because of the brave women who came out and spoke against him, but technology surely helped in this fight. Their messages were broadcast to a world and before you knew it, Harvey Weinstein was imprisoned. This is what I would consider the good of this tech-assisted movement.

Now, onto The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly All-In-One Extravaganza! If you haven't at least heard about the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial, then you have been nearly living under a rock. It seems to be everywhere at the moment, and it encapsulates all aspects of technology. This is where social media can spread people's personal lives like its the news, oh wait, because it is now! Now yes, I do understand that this is somewhat the nature of being a celebrity, but this trial is something personal to both people involved. It has nearly ruined Depp's Hollywood career and has left Amber Heard generally disliked by the people. Personally, I would call that both bad and ugly. Although an ugly trial, there are good sides to this circus show. This trial's social media presence has been one that has allowed Johnny Depp to share to the world that men can be victims of domestic violence as well. On top of that, it seems that the entire world is supporting him in this endeavor. This trial has really shed light on the tragic truth of domestic violence and ugly relationships, it goes both ways. Technology has also been used within the trial itself multiple times. Recordings of their fights and other pieces of evidence were captured with the use of modern technology.

Technology can be a great thing, and I do believe that overall it is, but we have to be careful of how we use it and how we indulge in it. Too much of it, and you'll most likely disconnect from the real world. Too little of it, and you're not taking advantage of its beautiful advantages. We all have to find that sweet middle ground where we enjoy what it has to offer, without it dragging us to the bottom.

Post #8: EOTO False Flags

    I chose to do my second Each One Teach One on the topic of false flags. False flags have been surrounded with a history of deviousness, conspiracy, and overall a whole lot of deception. So what is a false flag anyway? A false flag is when an individual or group of people commit an act and cover it up by making it appear to have been committed by another individual or group. This is usually a tactic for war but it can be utilized on a much smaller scale.

    The first historical uses of false flags were privateers and pirates during the 16th century. These groups would fly the flag of another group to lure in ships associated with that group. They would then wait for the enemy ship to come close enough and attack. This is how the name false flag came about for this tactic.

    Modern uses of this tactic are more-so for wars and disputes between countries. In the 1950's, the U.S. and the U.K. began to bomb mosques in Iran. They then went on to blame these attacks on communist who were sympathetic to the government of Iran. This false flag campaign was set in motion because Iran's Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, had nationalized the country's oil industry. Mosaddegh was taken out of his position and the nationalization was reverted.

    What exactly are the implication of false flags? Are they a good or bad thing? Well, the implications are very tricky. When used, false flags can severely misrepresent reality, leading hundreds of thousands of people to believe a lie. This is just one of the reasons for why false flags are ultimately a morally bad tactic. Another reason for why the morals of false flags do not stand is that it usually targets a group of people that will suffer for the gain of another group or individual. This tactic is only good for one reason and that reason is that it is immensely useful for those who wield it. It is a sound tactic that will usually yield favorable results. This reason does not justify the negative effects that it places onto the world.

    As we have seen in the past, false flags are an incredibly powerful tactic that can sway the opinion of the masses and grant you what you wish. The granting of the wish comes with a price that is too high to justify morally. This horrible tactic negatively affects the entire world to the point of certain historical moments being questioned with conspiracy and innocent people unjustly paying a price. While effective, this tactic does nothing but hurt innocent people for the gain of those who wield it. 

Blog #7: Online Privacy

     

    Our privacy is something that we all hold dear. Even those of us that are more casual with our privacy still wish to have it. So obviously, when this privacy is violated or ignored, we become irritated and uneasy. With technology having such a large impact in our modern lives, it is upsetting to learn just how often they are used to violate our privacy.

    While watching these TED Talks on online privacy, there was one that shocked me the most. Learning how police officers are using cameras to track certain people was shocking and scary. Unfortunately we live in a time where we almost expect for big tech companies and the federal government to invade our privacy, but learning how your local police force may know when and where you go anywhere is truly terrifying. We discussed in class how this could lead to cases of sensitive information becoming shared. Examples such as going to a mosque and being put on a watch list simply because of practicing your religion. That example is mild in comparison to some of the possibilities.

    When it comes to government interference in these matters, sometimes they would have to interfere with themselves and their own actions. This leads to nothing happening because they know what they're doing and want to continue their actions. Besides that point, I do not believe that, in the current state of outdated laws, the government can do much of anything on these issues. Most of them lie within areas like the terms and conditions when downloading an app. Technically, we agree to our privacy being violated and there is not much that the government can do about that.

    What we can do to help ourselves stay safe in our technologically advanced world is decently simple. A very easy way to keep our information safe is to use pseudonyms instead of entering our real information on the internet. Staying anonymous through fake information is a very valid way of staying safe. This is just one way of keeping your information out of the hands of those who don't need to know it. While there are many who wish to use our lack of privacy for their own gain, we can combat them with good habits that keep our information safe.

Post #6: First EOTO Reaction

    From a casual hobby to professional cinematography to military use in wars, drones are an integrated portion of modern society. In class, we listened to everyone speak about a technology as they taught the class something new. One that stood out to me was the drone. I own a drone myself that I fly from time to time. I have also watched videographers on YouTube make short films and other media with drones. While I am not the most knowledgeable in the topic of drones, I know more than the average person. Because of this I was intrigued to hear more about drones.

    While we know the everyday drone that you can fly around and most likely record video with, the drone extends that by a decent margin. The military use modern unmanned planes to attack the enemy. The main point of focus for my interest in this presentation was just how far back in time the "drone" has been used and what its early uses consisted of. The use of hot air balloon "drones" that would carry a bomb far away from the user and drop it on the enemy was especially fascinating to me. The idea of the unmanned vehicle has been in humans' minds for more than a century now, and that is quite a crazy thought. When I think of the drone, I think of modern technology that was not around even 20 years ago. This simply is not the case, as drones have been around since at least the late 1800's.

Post #5: Anti-War

    The world has seen its fair share of wars and conflicts between countries. Wars are fought for many different reasons, but sometimes it is simply out of hatred. I would be willing to bet that most people are anti-war. When I say this, I do not mean that they are anti-America or anti-veterans, but instead that they do not support the wars themselves.

    War, for the most part, hurts the countries involved. Not only are a countless number of lives lost in these wars, but the economies of countries that fight in wars, usually decline. War is not a flattering or glamorous thing to be involved with. It is incredibly messy and harmful so obviously there are going to be a multitude of people that speak out against these acts.

    Although most people are anti-war, we rarely hear anything about it. These speakers that fight against the wars are often hard to find. To seek them out you must look further than normal and find their websites. You will not see too much anti-war speech on your big network news outlets like Fox or CNN. Unfortunately, this is not all that surprising. Anti-war voices have historically been silenced or punished. I honestly do not know why governments are resistant to listening to anti-war voices in countries of the people like the United States of America. It is a saddening truth that we like to stick our nose into other countries' business and make it our own. Looking back through history, this much is evident. But with almost every single war that the U.S. has fought, its people protest it. They only want for it to end and our soldiers to get sent back home. Unfortunately, I do not have a concrete answer because I do not believe that there is a good answer. I think that governments of countries find themselves in competitions for who is "bigger and badder and meaner and better". They get so caught up in this that they forget about reality. That is my best answer for why governments are so pro-war, even when their people preach the exact opposite.

Post #4: EOTO Video Games

    Video games make up such a large portion of our modern culture. Whether it be an Xbox, a Playstation, or some other platform of gaming, your house probably has one of them. Sixty-four percent of adults and seventy percent of those under eighteen years old play video games regularly in the United States. Although they are a massive entertainment and media source, video games were not always played on a large scale like they are today.

    With the first video game ever created, titled "Tennis For Two", the history of video games begins all the way back in the 1950's. Tennis For Two was the most agreed upon "first video game" according to definition. The game was designed by Willy Higinbotham and built by Robert Dvorak. Tennis For Two's name said it all. The game featured a net in the middle of the screen and a ball that could be "hit" back and forth by two players. This game was pretty impressive for its time and could simulate wind strength and gravity. For many, this marked the beginning for the history of the modern ideology behind video games. Most of the "video games" that came before Tennis For Two were simply computer scientists trying to show off their coding skills and were not meant for the casual entertainment uses that we usually think of for gaming. Tennis For Two was specifically made to entertain people rather than to be a computer science achievement.

    While Tennis For Two was the first recognized video game, it pre-dates the first home console by fourteen years. The very first home gaming console was the Magnavox Odyssey and was released in 1972. This console would most certainly be unique if it was released today. This console came with physical items that would usually be seen with a board game or card game. Paper money as well as dice would accompany this console. The items were meant to enhance the odd "video game" experience that it provided. The console could not produce any sound. The only thing that the machine produced was a few white squares and a vertical line. These visual elements mixed with the physical overlays allowed players to play different games.

    The impact that video games have on the world is much bigger than anyone would have thought. Especially not those who witnessed the industry struggle to stay afloat in the 1980's. Nowadays, the video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that reaches more than sixty percent of adults in the United States alone. Through these games, developers are able to tell stories, bring people together, and give us a way to simply relax and wind down after long days of obligations. It truly is the most interactive entertainment media in the world, and it is only growing from here.

Post #3: The Value of Free Expression

I have always loved our country's value of free speech. Whether it be the ability to publicly criticize the government or to simply share our thoughts on any topic, this freedom, that I see as an absolute human right, is integral to our society. As Americans, we can often look at our own government and our own country and be critical of it. Sometimes, I think that we do not truly appreciate the freedom of speech that we have. I look at other countries that do not have such freedoms, or at the very least do not have the extent of such freedoms, and I do not see their people treated with respect. Their governments will silence them, sometimes in horrible ways, to maintain control. Freedom of speech is non-existent in certain countries. An example of this would easily be North Korea. You will either die or most likely be tortured if you speak out against the "Dear Respected" Kim Jong-Un, as a citizen of North Korea. 

To any American, that reality seems so unreal. This is because our right of free speech, that even I call a "human right", is not seen that way everywhere. We are incredibly fortunate to be in a land where we have the ability to check our government and our own citizens as we the people.

There are many values of free expression, but I think that the hardest one for us to swallow is promoting tolerance. What this means, at its core, is that we the people have to allow the First Amendment to protect things like hate speech. It protects people's rights to be racist, sexist, and many other terrible things under government law. At first glance especially, this seems like a terrible thing to do. Why allow people to act this way in the first place? To me, it is their choice to be horrible to others in these ways. I think that under the First Amendment, as long as they do not incite violence upon those they discriminate against, their hate speech should be protected. It doesn't feel right, but in the end this method produces the most just course for society. 

I say this because I truly believe it. I think that allowing hate speech, in the legal sense, is the best course of action. Now allow me to explain why. Without government interference in this matter, we come to a path where we the people have to punish these speakers ourselves. Now obviously we cannot simply throw them in jail or deal out any consequence such as that, but I think that the people actually wield a much more powerful weapon. We as individuals have the power to tell our fellow citizens that there will be consequences if they do not stop their actions and change their ways. If you have a friend that begins to make constant racist remarks, you have the power to tell them that you will not be their friend anymore. If someone makes a scene by discriminating against another in your establishment, you have the power and the right to ban them from your establishment. 

Because of the lack of government involvement in this matter, it falls into our hands. We have the power to state what is acceptable and unacceptable in our society. For me, when it comes down to it, this formula of tolerance is the best way to handle hate speech and other vulgar actions. We see terrible acts committed by our own everyday, and everyday we punish them because the power lies within our own society.