1. The “power law distribution” or “long tail” phenomenon, as seen in behavior online on the Wikipedia, suggests that the concept of an average user of wikipedia is meaningless. Support your answer: how do you think a local, “JMU only” version of the Wikipedia would compare to the worldwide version? Would it be very similar? Higher quality? Less quality? Why?
To have a JMU only version of Wikipedia I think would be successful, but not at the beginning. It takes time for any new trend to pick up speed and that is what would happen with the JMU version. This new version of Wikipedia would consist of current JMU students, faculty members, alumni and perspective students can join as well. Anyone can write on the website, which leads to concerns of people writing incorrect information on the website. Also there would be a limited number of users and the amount of users would vary depending on student enrollment. I think that students might post information that is not important or could be hurtful to others so that could be a negative effect of the JMU only version of Wikipedia. Overall I think having a JMU only version of Wikipedia would be an interesting experiment and most likely successful.
2. After reading the article about Scratch and exploring the Scratch website, what are some observable benefits in creating a space to share student work?
There are several benefits of creating a space to share student work. For example the Scratch website was created initially to focus on an area where students can be interactive and share their work with other peers. Students are able to share, evaluate and discuss each others projects posted on the website. This allows students to learn how to communicate effectively together, collaborate their ideas and help others. It is important for the younger population to learn the new technologies because they are the future and technology is the future. Scratch not only allows academic growth, but it gives younger students the opportunity to learn a new website and new technology. This website allows them to be innovative and creative. With the website students are allowed to demonstrate their work without having to talk to people if they feel uncomfortable in a large setting. Some students may feel more comfortable posting their work online and working together that way. Scratch is a great idea and will be popular and successful in the future.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wiki Summary
The main points of the Wiki Presentation:
1. A wiki promotes meaningful topic associations between different pages, is not a carefully created site, and invites all users to create and edit their own pages.
2. Ward Cunningham created the first wiki by creating the software the Hypercard stacks. This is a Mac software which allowed the users to build stacks on their own computers by linking information.
4. Other leading wiki services are Wikispaces, PB Works, Google Sites, and Media Wiki.
5. On Wikipedia the blue links are to pages that exist and the red links are links that have yet to be written.
Week Eight
1. If your mother uses wifi at home to send you e-mail, and your home network is not protected by WEP or WPA, what reasons would you suggest to her for enabling one of these two protocols at home if the liability of reading those e-mails still exists once her message leaves your home, on it’s way to school?
Having a WEP ( Wired Equivalent Privacy) or the better system WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) system protects the sender's computers as well as the receiver's computer. If you do not have a secure network on your computer than it is easy for someone to steal your private information including e-mails as well as passwords. In addition to having private information stolen from a non secured wifi system, you are the one paying for the internet. If your internet service is unprotected then anyone can gain access to your server therefore they are getting free internet while you are paying for it. Yes there is still a risk when it enters the internet and follows me on my way to school. Even if you have a secure network nothing is one hundred percent guaranteed secure so any valuable information should probably not be sent over the internet.
2. Some news reports have suggested that the Bush administration used the USA Patriot Act to look at the e-mails of American citizens without a warrant. What’s your position if this was indeed the case? Should citizens be willing to give up their privacy? Does it bother you to know that your online communications are very potentially semi-private instead of private?
I think that somehow the United States government always finds a way to gain more information about the citizens. The USA Patriot Act was created to fight against terrorism and reduce the government's involvement with intercepting phone calls and e-mails and other records. I do not think that the government has the right to look through my private e-mails to search for information. If they do not have a warrant or probable cause then the government has no reason to search through my private information. Since the United States was founded on freedom and liberty I do not think that the government has the right to search through people's private information. If the government has the right to search through e-mails then people will lose their freedom. Online communication regarding e-mails should be private. However, websites and other public information posted online such as facebook is open to anyone who wants to read the information. Therefore this information can be considered semi-private because it is available to the public.
Having a WEP ( Wired Equivalent Privacy) or the better system WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) system protects the sender's computers as well as the receiver's computer. If you do not have a secure network on your computer than it is easy for someone to steal your private information including e-mails as well as passwords. In addition to having private information stolen from a non secured wifi system, you are the one paying for the internet. If your internet service is unprotected then anyone can gain access to your server therefore they are getting free internet while you are paying for it. Yes there is still a risk when it enters the internet and follows me on my way to school. Even if you have a secure network nothing is one hundred percent guaranteed secure so any valuable information should probably not be sent over the internet.
2. Some news reports have suggested that the Bush administration used the USA Patriot Act to look at the e-mails of American citizens without a warrant. What’s your position if this was indeed the case? Should citizens be willing to give up their privacy? Does it bother you to know that your online communications are very potentially semi-private instead of private?
I think that somehow the United States government always finds a way to gain more information about the citizens. The USA Patriot Act was created to fight against terrorism and reduce the government's involvement with intercepting phone calls and e-mails and other records. I do not think that the government has the right to look through my private e-mails to search for information. If they do not have a warrant or probable cause then the government has no reason to search through my private information. Since the United States was founded on freedom and liberty I do not think that the government has the right to search through people's private information. If the government has the right to search through e-mails then people will lose their freedom. Online communication regarding e-mails should be private. However, websites and other public information posted online such as facebook is open to anyone who wants to read the information. Therefore this information can be considered semi-private because it is available to the public.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Week Seven
The official website for the drug Olanzapine probably didn’t mention the fact it might cause diabetic symptoms in patients. Another website obviously did. Commercials on TV now are required to mention possible side effects. Should drug companies be required to come clean about situations like the one with Eli Lilly’s Olanzapine in their commercial websites? Why or why not?
Drug companies like Eli Lily's Olanzapine should be required to state the side effects of their product because some drugs can be harmful to people. If someone has a reaction there is usually a reason why and having the side effects listed is an easy way to find the source of the reaction. If a person is taking several drugs at the same time it is crucial that the side effects are stated because the drugs could be counteracting each other thus creating a dangerous situation. Consumers have the right to know about all of the side effects and the drug companies should be forced to share all of the information. After all it is their social responsibility to reveal information because if something happens to the person taking the drugs there could be a negative result such as a law suit.
Drug companies like Eli Lily's Olanzapine should be required to state the side effects of their product because some drugs can be harmful to people. If someone has a reaction there is usually a reason why and having the side effects listed is an easy way to find the source of the reaction. If a person is taking several drugs at the same time it is crucial that the side effects are stated because the drugs could be counteracting each other thus creating a dangerous situation. Consumers have the right to know about all of the side effects and the drug companies should be forced to share all of the information. After all it is their social responsibility to reveal information because if something happens to the person taking the drugs there could be a negative result such as a law suit.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Week Six
Some companies have gone on the record against open source software. Explain some of the advantages of using proprietary software and cite your advantages with websites that take or mention these positions.
Open proprietary software is software that is licensed and registered to a certain owner. This is also referred to as public domain software. The owner is the only person who has legal rights to this software and is allowed to change or fix the software. Other people are not allowed to post or create their own information and put in on your website, which is the opposite of the popular Wikipedia that is an open source software. For example people who use any type of instant messenger are allowed to say whatever they want in their chat and this does not reflect poorly on the creator of the software because they were not the people talking in the chat. iTunes and Adobe Photoshop are examples of proprietary software because someone owns the software. Other people are not allowed to change the layout and design of these software programs, but you are allowed to purchase songs or create different images in photoshop. To find a list of sources I went to google and searched and a list of these websites appeared.
Sources:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9789275-16.html
http://software.ivertech.com/_ivertechArticle13894_OpenSourceSoftwarevsProprietarySoftware.htm
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/node/1446
Open proprietary software is software that is licensed and registered to a certain owner. This is also referred to as public domain software. The owner is the only person who has legal rights to this software and is allowed to change or fix the software. Other people are not allowed to post or create their own information and put in on your website, which is the opposite of the popular Wikipedia that is an open source software. For example people who use any type of instant messenger are allowed to say whatever they want in their chat and this does not reflect poorly on the creator of the software because they were not the people talking in the chat. iTunes and Adobe Photoshop are examples of proprietary software because someone owns the software. Other people are not allowed to change the layout and design of these software programs, but you are allowed to purchase songs or create different images in photoshop. To find a list of sources I went to google and searched and a list of these websites appeared.
Sources:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9789275-16.html
http://software.ivertech.com/_ivertechArticle13894_OpenSourceSoftwarevsProprietarySoftware.htm
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/node/1446
Friday, October 1, 2010
Week Five
1. If Shirky is right, and we’re headed to a period where social media tools like YouTube, Flickr, and social networks like Facebook become “invisible,” what’s the impact on things you spend money on as consumers? Books? Movies? Music?
Social media tools have made a large impact on society today so I do not know how these tools can become invisible. Youtube specifically deals with music and television clips and without this website it would be much harder to determine what new song to buy on itunes. Also Youtube provides movie trailers and television clips. Certain social media tools such as Facebook and Myspace have applications where you can share some of your favorite songs, book, television shows and movies with your friends. On these websites you can join groups with other people who share the same interests as well. On Facebook you are able to create a status of what you are doing, which often is an opinion about a song or an event in popular culture. Now buying products online is the new fad, which seems to be gaining interest not losing interest. People buy music online, a large majority through itunes, and now you can download books online to your computer. I think if these media tools disappeared then the buying industry would drastically change.
2. Consider the concept of a “community of practice.” How can such a community offer opportunities for learning?
Clay Shirky the author of "Here Comes Everybody" defines community of practice as a groups that are cooperative and supported by social tools where they are able to find other people who have similar interests (101). An example of these communities of practice is Flickr which is described in the book when he talks about describing the quality of a picture. Flickr is a website where photographs can be shared and people are able to comment on the pictures creating a community. Shirky also claims that all websites attract people who are interested in the same topics and are willing to talk about these interests (102). Being able to comment on someone else's work allows people to learn about another person and see a different perspective on the same issue. People can agree or disagree with opinions, but at least there will be several opinions.
Social media tools have made a large impact on society today so I do not know how these tools can become invisible. Youtube specifically deals with music and television clips and without this website it would be much harder to determine what new song to buy on itunes. Also Youtube provides movie trailers and television clips. Certain social media tools such as Facebook and Myspace have applications where you can share some of your favorite songs, book, television shows and movies with your friends. On these websites you can join groups with other people who share the same interests as well. On Facebook you are able to create a status of what you are doing, which often is an opinion about a song or an event in popular culture. Now buying products online is the new fad, which seems to be gaining interest not losing interest. People buy music online, a large majority through itunes, and now you can download books online to your computer. I think if these media tools disappeared then the buying industry would drastically change.
2. Consider the concept of a “community of practice.” How can such a community offer opportunities for learning?
Clay Shirky the author of "Here Comes Everybody" defines community of practice as a groups that are cooperative and supported by social tools where they are able to find other people who have similar interests (101). An example of these communities of practice is Flickr which is described in the book when he talks about describing the quality of a picture. Flickr is a website where photographs can be shared and people are able to comment on the pictures creating a community. Shirky also claims that all websites attract people who are interested in the same topics and are willing to talk about these interests (102). Being able to comment on someone else's work allows people to learn about another person and see a different perspective on the same issue. People can agree or disagree with opinions, but at least there will be several opinions.
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