Does Online Privacy Exist?
Is there such a thing as online privacy? That is today’s question.
In class, we decided that no, there was no such thing as online privacy which seems to be about right.
As teenagers our lives are constantly being thrown onto the internet. We post where we are at all the time on Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace. We blog about every event of our lives, share pictures of our family and friends on the web, and chat with complete strangers if we feel like it.
Online privacy is not always something that is in the forefront of our brains considering how much of our lives we allow the world to see.
In an article by the New York Times, author Steve Lore talks about how online privacy has vanished.
As we discussed in class, Lore re-covered the issue of computers storing cookies and all of the information about what sites we visit to better figure out what our interests are, invading our privacy.
Yes, there are privacy settings when sharing personal information about our lives on sites such as Facebook and Myspace, but when it comes down to it the privacy settings are a little defense against the vast world of the internet.
Jon Kleinberg, a professor of computer science at Cornell University who studies social networks said, “when you’re doing stuff online, you should behave as if you’re doing it in public -because increasingly, it is.”
Privacy expert Steve Rambam said during a public speaking session, ‘Privacy Is Dead – Get Over It’ that, “Online privacy doesn’t exist because we put every private thing online.”
The only way to protect ourselves and our privacy online is to limit what information about our lives we put online.
Conflict in The digital Age- The War on Cyberspace
Using the internet for war purposes is probably not something a students thinks about in their free time. For people concerned with politics and the economy, it’s a big deal.
Before this class and specifically learning about the internet and cyber espionage, I never viewed the internet as a weapon, especially not one that could cause war. In class, we talked about cyber espionage, gathering secret information over the internet and why that is useful:
-For political or economical advantages
-Equipment disruption – use computers to interfere with communication (preventing orders to go through the chain of command).
-Counterfeit hardware
-Web vandalism
-Propaganda vandalism
-DOS attack – denial of service attack
‘Pentagon to Consider Cyber attacks Acts of War’ shows the world that the possibility of our nations computers being attacked by a foreign nation is not such a foreign idea. As we discussed in class, the tricky thing about cyber attacks is not knowing where they are coming from, and who is going to be targeted next.
All of this information about the conflicts with the internet and computers in this age makes me wonder, are we prepared if our internet and computers were attacked?
From the article, it doesn’t sound likely. If American computers were attacked, administration officials say that options from the U.S.
The question is, what is a military strike? And how would we implement a retaliatory cyber attack? In class discussion we learned that US has a cyber security zhar (advisor on the internet activity and keeps cyber security in check), and many statements have been said that we are unprepared in case of such an attack on our cyber world.
The New York Times article says that National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Homeland Security are all working on cyber-related issues that fit with the international cyber strategy (the Obama administrations proposal for international computer security standards with penalties for countries and organizations that fall short).
It is slightly reassuring to know that people are working to protect our computers and technology.
“The effort to build trust in the cyberspace realm is one which should be pushed in capitals around the world,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, the soon to be ambassador to China
What we need is a nation without conflict in cyberspace. We can only aim for that goal with trust, taking precautions, and awareness of what is going on in our digital age.
Bridge The Gap
The digital divide is a big issue our generation is facing.
According to Nick Couldry, the digital divide is “a widely used label for a range of policy debates since the mid 1990’s about the spread of access to the internet and other forms of ‘digital’ media.”
According to Nick Couldry, the digital divide is “a widely used label for a range of policy debates since the mid 1990’s about the spread of access to the internet and other forms of ‘digital’ media.”
Pippa Norris, a political scientist has categorized it into the ‘global divide’ and the ‘social divide’. The global divide according to Norris is concerned with the large differences between different countries telecommunications infrastructures, number of computers, website hosts, etc. The social divide concerned with one nation and the gap between those who have access to that societies web resources and those who don’t.
On Live Trading News, an article was recently published on bridging the digital divide in Asia .
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon is working on bridging the gap that separates the rich from the poor depending on their access to modern telecommunications. “Let us promote multiple languages in new media, and let us ensure free access to the Internet and social media tools everywhere” said Ban Ki-moon.
Problem is, they have been working on this goal for over a decade now. In the class readings Couldry wrote that the global inequalities in information resources made the vision for bridging the social gap difficult. This proved to be true for Asia .
In July 2000 the G8 Summit was in Okinawa , Japan
Now, 11 years later, the 8th Asian Media Summit has occurred and the digital divide is now a stronger issue than ever. The news article says that “Ministers, General Directors, policy makers, leading experts and scholars in the fields of broadcasting and press took part in the 2-day summit, under the topic “Broadcasting in the Digital Era,”
In class and from our Web Studies book we learn that the United States
Computers, websites, media and the internet together have led to the development of many ideas and innovations that would not have been imagined without access to internet and information transmitters.
In Asia the digital divide is quickly becoming more of a prominent issue to focus on, let’s hope it continues strong in that direction and the United States
The Danger Of Virtual Identity
Our identity comes from two areas. Our reflexive identity, who do I think I am? Or our ascribed identity, who do they tell me I am? Outside forces & inside forces interact to help shape our identity.
The internet allows for greater potential of anonymity, and a high level of self disclosure because you can share things online without people knowing you or seeing you.
Your online identity can make or break you.
Either you have a great online identity and when Googled the search engine spits out information filled with informing blogs, a clean Facebook, and possibly a witty Twitter, or you have an identity online that shows you as someone you really don’t want the world to see.
You’re virtual identity, how you present yourself online, is sometimes different from the person you are when interacting in person. The dangerous thing about having an online identity and posting your personal information and life online: there’s no going back. Once it’s online it’s out for anyone and everyone to see.
The New York Times ran an article last fall about online identity and how it can effect your chances at finding and landing a job. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/jobs/10search.html?scp=1&sq=online%20identity&st=cse
It is very common now for companies to run a Google search of a job applicant online to see what comes up. If it’s a Facebook account that shows a picture of you dancing on a table, your chances of getting hired may have lowered a bit. (Unless you were aiming for a job at a strip club, in that case you might just be hired!)
“Do not mistake the fact that you’re a decent person for the notion that you’ll look that way online,” said Michael Fertik. Fertik is the founder of ReputationDefender, a company that helps people improve their online profile and maintain privacy.
Sam Grobart, an editorial writer for the New York Times recently wrote a piece about online identity on Facebook.
“When so many things are virtual and the actual effort to accomplish things is so low, all that’s left is the perception,” said Grobart.
Grobart criticizes himself and how judgmental and sometimes uncaring we can be online, and how we let other peoples opinions of us alter who we are online.
A challenge that I have made for myself, and encourage for you too, is to remain the same person on and offline.