Thoughts on Network Neutrality

Net neutrality is the concept that allows all internet access to be equal to all people for the same price, instead of ISPs charging more to certain customers for a higher quality connection. Without net neutrality, the ISPs would be able to have much more control over our internet use, including the ability to monitor our activity and sell it, apply unwanted restrictions and censorship, slowing down high data transfers, and favoring sites with pay the provider more. Net neutrality is a good thing because we are given unrestricted internet use with no bias towards sites that may pay more for their service, giving everyone a level playing field allows start ups to compete with big names. It has been in the news recently over a dispute in which Netflix tried to fight to save neutrality and lost, and is actually beginning to pay ISPs such as Verizon and Comcast for better service. This outrages the company and its customers because eventually the additional cost will be affecting the Netflix subscribers. As a Netflix user, this affects me because my monthly fee could increase to cover the additional costs that they now have to pay the service providers. Or, if Netflix chooses to stop paying, it could slow down the service.
This topic is similar to freedom of speech because if an ISP were to take away the neutrality on the net, they gain the ability to control and censor many things that are said by their users on the web. This takes away people's ability to share exactly what they want, whenever they want. If a company can manipulate that, they may be able to remove any harsh criticisms of their service while promoting anti-competition posts. It leaves people with a propaganda-esque view on things because it would be very biased.
I think that we need to keep net neutrality in tact in order to protect the freedom of speech and the equality between all sites. If big name sites begin to pay for their service, there is no way any small start ups could catch up with them because they just don't have the means. It's important that we trust what we are reading on the internet as true or at least an opinion because, otherwise, we are just reading the opinion of a single company.

Other Sources:
http://www.savetheinternet.com/sti-home
https://www.aclu.org/net-neutrality

These sites seem valid because they are unbiased and both published, copyrighted websites.

Social Media and Privacy

I do see that social media has helped in court to spread videos and charge rapists with their crime, but it is definitely a double edged sword. Putting myself into the shoes of these women, I would be absolutely humiliated and disgusted if photos or videos of myself being assaulted were broadcasted. You have to imagine that it isn't only teens and high schoolers seeing this (which is bad enough) but also coworkers, parents, grandparents, teachers, and community members. How embarrassing. I really can't think of a more traumatic incident than a young girl being raped and then to have it shown to the world like a feature film. I think rape has no place on social media. I do think if there is evidence, it should be turned over to authorities but never posted publicly, unless the victim chooses to do so. It should not be someone else's decision to post such a compromising video of someone. Social media wouldn't allow videos of people being murdered online, so why are other violent crimes being featured on news feed? I don't think this is at all justified, and whoever is posting these types of things needs to really step back and reevaluate their decisions and think twice about the effects it could have on a recovering victim.

I Have Nothing To Hide

I think we all should be weary of what we post online. Especially in today's world, many potential employers will look up applicant's Facebook and Twitter profiles. College kids often post pictures of themselves at parties or drinking, or use inappropriate language in status updates or tweets. Although this information isn't necessarily 'private' and you may not feel like 'you have nothing to hide,' there should still be some boundaries of what you post online because you don't know who could be looking at it. It would not be worth losing a potential job over a Facebook photo or status update.

I'm concerned about my online privacy because I have heard many horror stories about predators finding young girls online. I try to be careful about who I accept as "friends" and only allow in people that I know. However, I do like having my Instagram profile and Twitter profile public, which may seem contradictory. I just feel like to fully get the benefits of both apps, its more convenient to have them open. I try and be more careful about what I post on these sites for that reason. One instance in which I was concerned about my privacy was when Instagram created a "photo map" on your profile, and it geographically tagged each of your photos on a map of where you were when you posted them. Naturally, most of my photos were posted in my house and so on the map all of my tags showed a pin right where my house is on a map. This was unsettling because my profile is public and I felt like any stalker could easily decipher my address. I disabled the photo map setting after this, but I felt Instagram was not smart in adding this new feature.

Hi! I'm using this blog as a means to post and share assignments with my professor and classmates in a class that explores both the good and bad consequences of social media.