Blog Post #5 Privacy, Online and Off

I’ve always heard that privacy was an issue when using the internet, email, texts and social media but watching these videos really shocked me! I did not realize how much control I was losing over my privacy through my everyday online activity.

One of the things that was surprising was how anybody can use a picture I may have posted of myself or someone else, highlight it and search for detailed information on that person using a tiny square of a photo. Then how that information and photo could be used without permission—a company directing ads at customers or even something crazy like someone trying to steal my identity. All of this from an innocent post on social media or a text. It doesn’t seem right and legal that this is ok. I know from my own use that Google Lens which just about everybody has on their phones is a fast way to identify objects but I didn’t think about it for other uses—and here even Microsoft gives easy instructions on how to start a search with the help of AI!

So much of what was mentioned in these videos has the potential to affect me, my family and friends. We send emails and texts everyday. We post photos and share information including sensitive data like credit card numbers and other things that we wouldn’t expect anybody else to see. But that’s not what’s happening according to these videos. When the video said our emails are like postcards that really made me realize how easy it is for the wrong people to see my information. It’s also surprising how our activity lives on basically forever and is immortal like an electronic tattoo. Outliving even ourselves. Surveillance on our phones was also terrible to hear about.

Another disturbing thing is how there are surveillance cameras and mass location trackers all around that can track us and our car license plates. A few years ago my family couldn’t find our car that we parked on a NYC street. We went to the police station, gave the license plate number and they were able to show us photos of where we had driven our car over the last few days. This was a big wake up call. The good news though is that our car wasn’t stolen—it was parked a block over from where we were looking. 

I believe the government should set up more regulations about how information is collected and used. This article reviews some of the regulations that currently exist like The Federal Trade Commission Act, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and others. But even with these there is abuse of people’s privacy. Online tracking systems have become so sophisticated and can go around a lot of the safety features in place. The government should be employing the companies that make cutting edge systems like the encryption systems shown in the video to keep up with technology and stay ahead of the crazy minds of hackers. But there needs to be a balance because government, as shown in the videos, can also abuse its power. They should also require that the terms and conditions that we quickly approve be more clear to the average person who is not taking the time to read it.

We as individuals need to be more responsible to protect ourselves and our privacy. Even though it may take a few minutes longer we should read what we are signing about data collection and privacy. We should also use encryption and authentication wherever we can because it will be worth it in the future. We should also make sure that our everyday posts and online activity is something that if it actually was seen by strangers would not result in harm to ourselves or our privacy. 

Blog Post #4 EOTO The Ballpoint Pen

 As I type this post on a computer “writing” out words and ideas, I’m going to take us back to a long time ago when there was an exciting new technology being invented that was to make it easier to write out words and ideas. I’m talking about the ballpoint pen!

HISTORY

The ballpoint pen was originally invented in 1888 when John J. Loud was given a patent for his design. But it was only good for writing on rough surfaces and not paper and wasn’t a successful tool. In the late 1930’s a better version was made by Laszlo Biro who was a Hungarian journalist. He was frustrated with the fountain pen which at that time was the main writing tool. It leaked and smudged and needed constant refilling. Since he was a journalist and needed a good and reliable writing tool, he worked with his brother Gyorgy who was a chemist to make a better option. Their pen was patented in 1938. 

The key to their successful pen was a tiny ball bearing in the tip of the pen that would rotate as the pen moved. The ball bearing was made of steel, brass, or tungsten carbide. Ink would then go from the cartridge of the pen to the paper with no leaking. The ink was evenly transferred onto paper. The ink was thick and oil based so it didn’t leak but was smooth because of the ball rotating. Gravity and friction made the ball roll and the ink go out. This was a turning point in writing technology.

The ballpoint pen was first made and sold in Argentina then eventually copied by a manufacturer in the United States. The price of the pen started as very expensive but then dropped when it was mass produced. Over the years the pen has improved and changed. It doesn’t need refilling and most get thrown out when the ink is done.

IMPACT 

The ballpoint pen changed communication in our world. This article explains that when the ballpoint pen first came out it was like when the smartphone first came out. Before the ballpoint pen any person that wanted to write had to be in a still place on a desk with tools that allowed you to write with the fountain pen and a bottle of ink. Just like before the invention of the smartphone, we could only use a phone inside and it was attached to an outlet. Now you could write anywhere and on different surfaces. This was a huge change in everyday life and communication for all people not just journalists. I think that even though today we consider it "just a pen", it was a form of early technology with the ball bearing concept.

The ballpoint pen was even a big product for the military because it could be used at any altitude compared to the fountain pen which would leak.

PROBLEM SOLVED!

People could now write quickly and anywhere and they didn’t have to wait for ink to dry. A writing tool like a fountain pen with its pen and separate ink which was a luxury item was no longer needed. The ballpoint pen took its place and at a lower price than fountain pens which made it accessible to masses of people. It was an easier writing tool to use and the writing that came out on paper was nice and smooth. Students, professionals and just everyday people loved this new portable technology. I can't imagine being limited to where I could write something and not being able to just grab a pen and quickly write.

NEGATIVE EFFECT

An issue however with the ballpoint pen is that the disposable ones are just as they are called “disposable”. People use the pens until they run out of ink and then throw them out. These are usually made of plastic and end up contributing to waste landfills. This has led manufacturers to now use recycled materials for their pens.

Another issue that some people think is bad about the ballpoint pen is that it contributed to the decline of people doing cursive writing and other artistic techniques that the fountain pen was known for. I agree with this-I never learned cursive and it wasn't that long ago it was required in schools.

FUN FACT

A person from India created the largest ballpoint pen in the world and it is 18 feet and weighs 82 pounds. And it really works!

   

Blog Post #3 8 Values of Free Expression

Freedom of expression is key in society. Just like freedom of speech it is every individual’s protected right. I can relate to all 8 values of free expression but the value of stable change resonates most with me. While the ability and importance of allowing people to speak their mind has been around since the ratification of the First Amendment, the growth of so many platforms of social media in recent years has created ready spaces and channels to allow for speaking and also venting that are literally at your fingertips. 

Here’s a great article which mentions that the Supreme Court referred to social media as “the modern public square”. For me that was a great visual of imagining the old days when people would stand in a park or somewhere and preach and vent and crowds would form around them. People then and now want to express their viewpoint or even their anger on issues and the public square and now social media allows them to easily do that.

It’s a little different now though since nobody has to leave their home and they can have an even bigger audience while also speaking out to make themselves feel like they’re taking action. Instead of keeping opinions to themselves, by going on social media I believe people feel they are not sitting quietly and accepting something they don’t agree with. By voicing their viewpoints they are being proactive. Using their voice and speaking out has now taken a new form.

TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and other platforms are filled with people who are passionate about different causes, reacting to groups or political issues or just about anything. It is a fast and efficient way to get a message out. The discontented people are hopefully using their voice though in a way that’s consistent with the original intent of the stable change freedom and, as government hoped, will not result in any other bigger or even violent actions.

 

I think a great example is the recent New York City mayoral election. I’m very aware of this topic since I’m from New York City. Mayor Mamdani’s campaign before the elections was definitely helped by social media platforms and that’s where many younger voters learned of him and his positions. He definitely took advantage of this technology to reach a big audience. Once he was elected though a huge amount of people have been speaking out against him and his policies through social media channels. Communities have also formed and this is a way for the dissatisfied people to voice their opinions and find other like minded people. So the same platform that helped bring him success is now full of people venting their strong views against him and his policies.

The same article from above refers to social media platforms as classrooms and battlegrounds. I agree with that but also remember that not everything may be true. But I appreciate that people are able to express themselves especially if they’re not happy about something. I feel very lucky to live in the United States where I am protected and allowed to freely express myself and activism is allowed compared to many other countries where it is not.

Blog Post #2 U.S. Supreme Court

 After watching the video The Supreme Court of the United States, I have a new respect for the justices and the responsibilities they have to interpret the Constitution and uphold the rules of law. One of the facts I learned is that there are over 7000 cases or petitions per year sent to the Supreme Court and of those only around 100 per year are accepted for consideration. Some of the petitions are written by high priced lawyers and some could be written by prisoners in jail and they all get the same attention and consideration. 

I believe the most important take-away point is as the video said-the power of the Court is the trust of the American people in the Supreme Court and it upholding the laws of the Constitution. The Supreme Court and the people have an unspoken contract and this is a key to our freedom. If the court ever stopped defending the Constitution or the people ever stopped listening, then our free nation wouldn’t exist. 

The most surprising thing I learned is when Justice Thomas answered a question from the interviewer about whether their views about a case change after they hold a conference. Justice Thomas said that he will go into a conference with an outline and views of the cases and he usually does not change his view after the conference discussions. That really surprised me—I thought most would be more open to having conversations and maybe changing their views. I thought he would say we have a back and forth open discussion. It was hard to tell because of the video filming but it looked like some of the other justices were going to say their views do change. 

This video changed the way I think of the Supreme Court in a more positive way. First, I see that their job is really difficult and it’s not just simply ruling on a case. The justices have a huge responsibility to review cases that have already been to a lower court and to interpret the Constitution and apply it to their cases. The video also made me understand that when the news reports that the Supreme Court upheld a decision of an earlier case or affirmed a ruling of the lower court it actually may not really mean that. It means that they just decided not to take that case for certiorari and the public is interpreting it that they’re upholding the lower court’s decision. This made me change my thinking that the Supreme Court had re reviewed the case and was agreeing with the first ruling.

Blog Post #1: Top Five Sources of News and Information

 FOX News

One of my favorite sources of news and information is FOX News. It gives good information on what is going on with world news, local news, government news, politics, sports and even entertainment news. I would recommend it because it gives a broad range of information and they cover stories that may not be on other news sources.

The Daily Skimm

Another source of news I like is The Daily Skimm. This is a daily email that I subscribe to that gives me a good summary of important things going on in the world. It covers different topics like politics, world news, specific local events, information about different types of everyday products and other general interesting stories. I like it because it explains things in an easy to understand way even if I’m not familiar with the subjects and the email doesn’t overwhelm you with too many stories. I would recommend this to anybody that feels like they want information about daily world events and other interesting stories but want a good summary and not have to read too much

Google News 

Another source I like is Google News. I like that I can quickly get news from the app on my phone or laptop. They cover all kinds of news and stories like politics, world events and entertainment news and they also post headlines that you can then choose from to get more articles on the same topic. I would recommend it to people since it’s so easy to access and gives so much information faster than many other news sources.

ESPN

I also like to get news and information from ESPN. I love sports and this gives me all the current information on different sports, teams and players. They always have up to the minute scores of games, how to tune into a game, news about players, trades and even information if games are delayed. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in knowing what is happening in sports and games that are being played.

SNY

I also like to get news and information from SNY. Since I love sports and am from New York this gives me all the current news and more detailed information about what’s going on with all the NY sports teams and players. I would recommend it to people who would like to learn more about NY sports specifically.