Reading the Military Blogs was much more beneficial than I thought it would be. Having a chance to read what some of the soldiers are feeling and what they are going through puts into perspective what they are really doing while in Iraq. It helps to keep in mind that we still have MANY soldiers over in Iraq and that we should be constantly thanking them and praying for their safety.
Having a chance to then respond to their posts left me with a great feeling as well. It made me feel good to think that when those soldiers I responded to get my message, they may feel better. They will think people care about what I have to say and maybe continue to do so.
This is a great example of how blogging can be so beneficial.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Facebook and Myspace: Friend or Foe?
It is the same as it has always been, ever since preschool the minority of kids that misbehave are ruining it for the rest of us.
Personally, I believe that Facebook and Myspace are just two ways teens and young adults can express their individuality. Sure there are some pros and cons, but you would expect that. Being only a user of Facebook, I can say that I chose this particular site due to its privacy settings. Only people that are my friends can read any of my information or see any of my pictures. I use Facebook to keep in contact with my friends from high school and college and family members that live far away. It is an easy way for all of them to see vacation pictures and learn about the things I am in to.
Some people believe Facebook and Myspace are not good because of the things that are being posted by certain people, such as the bragging about drinking, doing drugs, who they have had sex with, or posting risqué pictures. This is not the problem of the websites’; it is the kids’ faults who are posting this stuff. It is all about personal convictions. They don’t feel that it is wrong, so they do it. If kids are willing to post these things, it is their own fault, and if it causes them a job because of what employers are reading, then that is something they will personally have to deal with. Parents are also concerned about peer pressure making it to the web and their children being subjected to things their kids don’t ever want to see. I have never felt even a little peer pressure to write about what I have done over the weekend, let alone make up something. Sure, I read offensive things but I have been taught right from wrong, so ignore it. Plus, Facebook has an option that allows any member to report something that is offensive and the web staff will take care of it.
It is hard to regulate what teens are putting onto websites mainly because of the phrase “freedom of speech” written in the first amendment. As long as it is not libel or child pornography, then parents and school administrators have to face the reality that it is legal and there is nothing they can really do about the whole operation. They can put restrictions against using the site on their kids or students, but ultimately, the kids are free to do as they please.
Parents should just have a little more faith in the morals they taught their children and let them have a little fun on Facebook.
Personally, I believe that Facebook and Myspace are just two ways teens and young adults can express their individuality. Sure there are some pros and cons, but you would expect that. Being only a user of Facebook, I can say that I chose this particular site due to its privacy settings. Only people that are my friends can read any of my information or see any of my pictures. I use Facebook to keep in contact with my friends from high school and college and family members that live far away. It is an easy way for all of them to see vacation pictures and learn about the things I am in to.
Some people believe Facebook and Myspace are not good because of the things that are being posted by certain people, such as the bragging about drinking, doing drugs, who they have had sex with, or posting risqué pictures. This is not the problem of the websites’; it is the kids’ faults who are posting this stuff. It is all about personal convictions. They don’t feel that it is wrong, so they do it. If kids are willing to post these things, it is their own fault, and if it causes them a job because of what employers are reading, then that is something they will personally have to deal with. Parents are also concerned about peer pressure making it to the web and their children being subjected to things their kids don’t ever want to see. I have never felt even a little peer pressure to write about what I have done over the weekend, let alone make up something. Sure, I read offensive things but I have been taught right from wrong, so ignore it. Plus, Facebook has an option that allows any member to report something that is offensive and the web staff will take care of it.
It is hard to regulate what teens are putting onto websites mainly because of the phrase “freedom of speech” written in the first amendment. As long as it is not libel or child pornography, then parents and school administrators have to face the reality that it is legal and there is nothing they can really do about the whole operation. They can put restrictions against using the site on their kids or students, but ultimately, the kids are free to do as they please.
Parents should just have a little more faith in the morals they taught their children and let them have a little fun on Facebook.
James Sosnoski: The Hyper-readers and their Reading Engines
When I finished reading the article, I got the sense that Sosnoski was embracing the fact that reading texts online is going to become a common habit. He did not bury himself in the debate of whether it was going to happen or not. He merely looked at the evidence around him and came to a conclusion.
Once Sosnoski came to the conclusion that online reading is going to be common and is common, he went in to detail about hyper reading and how it differs from reading a print-text. He discusses things such as skimming, imposing, filming, etc. He describes each of these elements as “techniques” used to read the information needed when searching for something specific on the web. For example, when someone uses a search engine to locate specific information, they are in all reality filtering, as you would when looking up something in a index of a print text. When you realize this, it is just one of those things were you think, “Huh, Sosnoski is right. We are doing that.”
Reading this article has enlightened me on techniques I use, sometimes blindly, while on the internet researching something or looking for particular information. Such as using a search engine, which I discussed above.
Once Sosnoski came to the conclusion that online reading is going to be common and is common, he went in to detail about hyper reading and how it differs from reading a print-text. He discusses things such as skimming, imposing, filming, etc. He describes each of these elements as “techniques” used to read the information needed when searching for something specific on the web. For example, when someone uses a search engine to locate specific information, they are in all reality filtering, as you would when looking up something in a index of a print text. When you realize this, it is just one of those things were you think, “Huh, Sosnoski is right. We are doing that.”
Reading this article has enlightened me on techniques I use, sometimes blindly, while on the internet researching something or looking for particular information. Such as using a search engine, which I discussed above.
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