Blog Post #5 Anti-War Websites are Non-existent in Mainstream Media

After reading and doing some research on the two websites, Anti War and The American Conservative I have sought out their views and why they are anti-war. Website views like this are Anti-war views are rarely if ever shown on mainstream media in the United States because the government is against anti-war. Anti-war goes against American beliefs and is not a good representation of our country. This is why it is hard to find websites like Anti War and The American Conservative.

One major reason we do not see these anti-war sites often is because the government controls the media. In today's world, the government controls the media and news so they have the ability to block content. This anti-war information is deliberately hidden from us by the government in order not to harm the reputation of America. If other countries saw us as against war then it would make us look weak and that is the last thing the government wants other countries to perceive us as.

Another reason for the lack of ant-war websites is that America is pro-war and pro-military. Because of this they want to keep websites like these hidden from the people so we do not get any ideas or perceive America in a negative way. If more Americans start to believe in the anti-war beliefs, such as the ones on the website then it would be harder for America to declare war which is not what we want. The government wants its citizens to be pro-war and pro-military.

America is pro-war because war is good for the economy and keeps our country running. We also have an extremely strong military with bases in many other countries. America wants to keep our country pro-war and pro-military so keeping the anti-war websites hidden helps. Keeping Americans from anti-war beliefs helps our economy and country run.

Blog Post #6: EOTO Technology Presentations

After listening to my peers' technology EOTO’s, I became much more knowledgeable about the history and inventions of different technologies that we use in our everyday life. Two topics that were touched on that helped me deepen my understanding are Caleb’s presentation on search engines and Katie’s on Facebook.

One thing I did not know much about was search engines. My classmate Caleb spoke on the topic teaching the class about the history behind search engines and how they have evolved over time. Search engines are something that we use everyday to our own convenience from our phones and computers.

First, Web Crawler was created to search for keywords which sparked the creation of search engines. Web crawlers are internet bots that symptomatically browse the whole wide web. All search engines need to have crawlers, some examples are: Amazon Bot is an Amazon web crawler for web content identification and backlink discovery.

Then I learned that Google was created in 1996 which was built off of existing platforms. Eventually over time Google made a deal with Apple making Google the primary search engine for all Apple products. Apple is a very popular technology company so making Google their primary search engine made it even more widely used. Nowadays most people go straight to Google to look up anything they need information about.

A negative impact that search engines have had on society stated by Caleb is that people don't remember specific things because search engines are so easily accessible. Since we all have the capability to quickly look up information when necessary, no one knows specific facts or dates anymore. An example Professor Smith stated in class is how each one of us does not even remember our own passwords because our search engines keep them stored for future so we don’t even have to remember them. This can be a positive and negative aspect of search engines.

Now after Caleb’s presentation I am much more educated on search engines and know why I use Google along with many others.

Another EOTO presentation that stood out to me was Katie’s presentation on Facebook. I knew what Facebook was because I have an account but I did not know the history behind the creation of social media.

Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in 2003 and it was called “Facemash.” It was first created just for Harvard students to connect with each other using their .edu email address.

Katie educated the class that Facebook was the first major social network that had ever been seen. It was a way to directly communicate and broadcast.

Facebook had a huge networking effect because people joined facebook solely because they knew other people with accounts. Facebook has had a huge impact on social networking today and communications as we know because of the amount of people with accounts.

EOTO Blog Post #4 Netflix

Goodbye Blockbuster, Hello Netflix! NETFLIX is a subscription-based streaming service that allows our members to watch TV shows and movies on an internet-connected device. However, Netflix was not always an online streaming service, the history of the streaming service goes back to 1997.

1997 – It all started in a small town called Scotts Valley, California, when Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph had a spectacular idea to rent DVDs by mail. Hastings and Randolph met working at Pure Software together and they used to carpool to work, which is where they came up with the idea for Netflix. Hastings had forgotten to return a copy of the film Apollo 13, which led him to wasting money on late fees. Out of frustration this sparked their imagination to create the famous Netflix.

1998 – Netflix.com, the first DVD rental and sales site, was established. The subscription they created offered members unlimited DVD rentals without due dates, late fees, or monthly rental limits. This made life easier for their customers which led to growth in their business.

2000 – Hastings and Randolph designed a personalized movie recommendation system to recommend movies to their customers based on past film ratings.

2007 – 10 years later, the Netflix we all know of today, was introduced allowing customers to view shows and movies 24/7 using the internet. At this point in business, Netflix has approximately 7.5 million total subscribers which resulted in their revenue being $1.2 billion. Then a year later in 2008 Netflix partnered with Xbox 360, Blu-ray players and TV set-top boxes.

2010 – Netflix starts to only focus on streaming and in addition they launch in Canada. Reed tells investors, "Three years ago we were a DVD by-mail company that offered some streaming. We are now a streaming company which also offers DVDs by mail." This shows the enormous and fast growth because of hard work and dedication.

2012 – As we know of it today, Netflix started making original TV shows and movies. It started with Lilyhammer and then House of Cards in 2013. Now, Netflix is known as one of the best streaming services for original content.

Overtime, Netflix launched in many other countries making it worldwide. Due to this they had to add languages to the user interface, subtitles, and dubbing. In 2017 they had 100 million members globally. Today, Netflix is available in 190 countries for streaming.

Seeing from the history of Netflix it has evolved over just a few years into the huge service that it is known as today. There are not many people out there without a Netflix subscription. “According to the company-reported data, Netflix has 209.18 million subscribers worldwide” (Netflix Subscriber and Growth Statistics). The huge selection of movies and TV shows on Netflix, including old and new shows, has changed the world and made it so popular.

Netflix in COMMUNICATION. Communication is actually one of the nice values that Netflix promotes. Netflix mainly communicates through social media and they do this by posting polls. By doing so, Netflix engages users and encourages them to watch the newest Netflix shows.

Netflix has made streaming media a little too convenient. Netflix basically created the term “binge watching” which is “the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television program in a rapid succession” according to Merriam-Webster. Binge-watching, a negative effect of Netflix, decreases physical activity, enhances sleep fatigue, creates social isolation, and more. Even though Netflix wasn't designed for hours of watching, people can't resist.

The history of Netflix and how its benefits shows how prevalent the streaming media is in society today. At High Point University, the students have the opportunity to be mentored by Co-Founder Mark Randolph because he is High Point Universities Entrepreneur in Residence. During one of his talks at HPU he said, “The art of connecting with other people is probably the most important life skill I have ever learned,” said Randolph. (High Point University).

Blog Post #3: Eight Values of Free Expression

The First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This has helped the United States of America emerge and evolve into the country that it is today. The freedom that has been given to us as American citizens sets America aside from other countries. 

The five freedoms that we possess are religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, according to what we talked about in class. The first amendment allows us to speak, be heard, and to listen which is important for each and everyone of us. As citizens of the United States we should treasure the First Amendment and put an effort into knowing, understanding, and valuing our freedoms for not just ourselves but others.

There are a total of Eight Speech Theories that scholars use to describe why freedom of expression is so important to us as Americans. These speech theories are so relevant in our life today because they represent the freedom that has been given to us just by being a citizen of the United States. The idea of free speech allows us to share our beliefs and opinions without fear. Although there have been struggles with this, most of the time we do have this free speech. After reading each of the speech theories, I believe that #4, Individual Self-Fulfillment is the most important because it correlates to an individual themself.

Individual Self-Fulfillment has a great deal of importance in our world today because we each create our own identity in different ways. The theory states. “ Free speech enables individuals to express themselves and thereby create their own identity — and, in the process perhaps, find kindred spirits. Freedom of speech thus becomes an aspect of human dignity, human agency and autonomy” (Eight Speech Theories). This allows each person the ability to create themselves and their own identity which I believe is a very important part of society. Each person's uniqueness molds us all together as a community. Freedom of speech allows each person to be their own self.

This directly correlates to the world we are living in today with social media at the core. The creation of social media has allowed those the opportunity to to share their thoughts to the world without receiving consequences. Social media is a way for people to voice their opinions and be heard by others. Although many people use social media to spread negativity including hate and misinformation, I think that the positives outweigh the negatives. Social media platforms are private companies so they can censor specific posts from their sites which removes the negative speech. 

This theory connects to a prevalent example from this past week, Kanye West’s social media accounts being locked due to his antisemitic and offense posts (Politico - Kanye West). For a person to express themselves effectively, social media should only be used in a positive manner. Being an American is all about freedom and right of expression, choices, and our life which we should not take for granted.

Blog Post #2: Supreme Court

What did you learn about the Supreme Court that you didn't already know?

Before watching the videos (Part 1& Part 2) I did not know much about The Supreme Court but now I am much more educated. The videos have helped me develop a deeper understanding about what exactly the Supreme Court is and how it operates. The information strengthened my knowledge on the history behind the United States government. I learned that the Supreme Court has become a model for the high courts throughout the world and it remains the “most powerful body on the earth” (Part 1). The Supreme Court interprets a 200-year-old constitution which develops the law that we live under each and every day.

What is the most important take-away point about the Supreme Court?

One important takeaway that stood out to me from the two video is that the Justices are normal people that are highly trained in the law. I think it is important to know that the people running our government are humans just like everyone else. In the video it mentioned there have been over 100 Supreme Court Justices serving an average of 16 years and many stay longer than that. I find this fascinating because it must be a difficult job serving in government at such a high level. Justice Souter said that he was told to give it many years to get used to the job because it is overwhelming and strange at first (Part 1). I liked hearing the perspectives of the Justice’s throughout the video because it reminds us that their job, although it is very important and well known, is still just a job. The protection of our freedoms is one of the ways in which it maintains our country. Our Constitution is upheld by The Supreme Court, which is a very important part of our government and shapes how our country runs.

What was the most surprising thing you learned?
One surprising thing that I learned from watching the video is that The Supreme Court receives hundreds of cases per week which is around 7,000 a year but they only choose to accept 100 cases to work on per year. This is considered as the option drafting process which takes weeks or even months to complete Although they only take 100 cases they still take the time to look at each case from a similar lens to be just and fair. I did not realize how many cases they brought to The Supreme Court. At the end of the video a justice explained that everyone must speak once, before any of them can speak a second time. This makes it fair so that each Justice has a say in the cases that they are working on. Learning about the amount of cases they receive versus how many they take has enabled me to gain a deeper understanding on how The Supreme Court runs.

How did the video change the way you thought of the Supreme Court?
The video changed the way that I view The Supreme Court because I realized the crucial role that it plays in our country's government. It was interesting seeing what different Justices said about their jobs and their views on the way The Supreme Court works. It has played a huge part in developing our nation and building the United States into the country that it is today. It was fascinating to learn more about The Supreme Court and how it is the most powerful branch of government in the United States.

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

Having access to news from different sources is important to me in order to be knowledgeable and versatile. Different sources express various opinions and viewpoints. By using multiple sources of information I am able to gain a better understanding of certain people's views and develop knowledge about what is happening in the world. As I get older I definitely have certain news sources that I use on a daily basis to get information which include, Snapchat, Apple News, TikTok, Youtube, and The Denver Post. I notice that I gravitate towards news sources that I can get information about quickly because as a college student I do not have time to sit down and watch the news or read the newspaper.

SNAPCHAT. I use snapchat as a way to get my news because it is an app that I use everyday.
It is a fast way for me to see what is happening in the world. Snapchat automatically shares
breaking news stories. I mostly get news about pop culture and celebrities on snapchat
because snapchat was created for the younger generation which is more interested in pop
culture. Each story that is posted is a short snippet which makes it a quick and easy
way to stay up to date with the news. Everyday I tend to look through the featured page to
look for stories that are of interest to me.
https://www.engadget.com/2018-10-16-snapchat-popular-source-news-college-students.html

APPLE NEWS. Another news source that I use on a daily basis is apple news because I get the notifications from them every day. Apple news does a great job of keeping their posts up to date. Each weekday morning I get a notification about something important that is happening in the world today. Each story is usually short and can be read in a short amount of time which makes my life easier so I can be educated in a timely manner. If I have more time in my day, I am also subscribed to their daily email newsletter which often is longer and is sent out in the morning to start your day with important reports and information. I particularly like apple news because they do not have a basis in what is mentioned on their app.
https://appleinsider.com/inside/apple-news

TIKTOK. Another app that I use everyday is TikTok and I involuntarily receive my news from TikTok because I go on TikTok almost everyday. I do not particularly go to watch TikTok to receive the news but when I am scrolling through my for you page I often get videos that have a correlation to popular news stories or certain things that are happening in the world. If I watch a TikTok that is of interest to me connecting to a news story then I will go and do more research to educate myself on the topic. I also follow a few news source accounts on TikTok including @abcnews and @cnnnews to stay up to date with their viewpoints about certain topics.

YOUTUBE I watch YouTube videos to receive my news because it is a way for me to understand news stories in an easier way. I am not a big reader so I like watching my news rather than reading it. I often watch YouTube which is something that is easy to watch in the background when I am completing tasks like doing laundry and cleaning. The one downside of receiving my news from YouTube is that it is usually not as timely as other news sources because most videos are created after the actual story comes out. YouTube does have live news stories but I usually don’t have time to watch it when it is live. When I am getting news from YouTube I always make sure the person or account posting it is credible and knows what they are talking about.

THE DENVER POST. I am from Denver Colorado so living far from home I like to know what is happening in my hometown so I follow The Denver Post. I usually just open their website to keep me up to date with things that are happening in Denver, Colorado. I can educate myself about the newest stories and action in Denver. Another big reason I read The Denver Post is to stay informed about our sports teams, Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanches, and more. I love watching sports and when I don’t have the time to watch the games on TV I read about them on The Denver Post website. They have a section dedicated to sports on the website so it is easy for me to find which teams I want to read about and stay updated. There are not many people here at High Point from Denver so even though no one around here is talking about Denver news I can get all my information from The Denver Post.
https://www.denverpost.com/sports/