Assignment 4: Thoughts on Network Neutrality

Some of the positives of net neutrality is that it opens doors and pathways to information to everybody without restraint or priority. It gives people the opportunity to search for different opportunities and get involved in different interests without fearing a bill after attaining this information. This allows people to continue retrieving information from a multitude of sources without being held back by providers. This can allow for new products and services to be born and gives everybody a level playing field for getting data. Some of the cons of net neutrality is that there is no commercial benefit coming from the people that stream large amounts of data. Also, some people need to be protected from some information that can be accessed so regulating this can filter out data that could be potentially harmful or obscene that has no legitimate benefit for the public. Some people support net neutrality mainly because they believe that all information should be viewed as equal and everybody should have equal opportunity for accessing this data. Also, without it many small companies could suffer. On the other hand, some are not in support of net neutrality due to the lack of commercial gain, and they feel that more regulation on the Internet could be beneficial for some people trying to access certain types of information.
Net neutrality has been in the news recently because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to make it so that they can regulate distribution of data and decide what speed certain types of data can be accessed. The court said that the FCC does not have the power to regulate data in this way. However, the FCC may be trying to appeal the court ruling.
Net neutrality allows for free speech on the Internet. If net neutrality was no longer ensured, Internet providers would control the things we see and how we see them. By only allowing certain access it may prohibit people from contributing on certain sites or forums that allow them to share their opinions openly. Information is free, all of the information that people post for access should be able to be viewed by those that are interested. Freedom of speech can be defined as having the right to express an opinion without censorship or restraint. By taking away net neutrality it is restraining people's ability to speak freely on the Internet.
Net neutrality could affect me in a lot of ways. This could prevent my access to videos or other sites that I frequently use. Either it would take longer to access this information or I would potentially be charged for this. Also there would be much less public use of the internet such as at school or in libraries. If these establishments were being charged for the data that is being accessed, I'm sure that people would either be charged for the use or have to sacrifice the efficiency of their web browsing. As a college student, a great deal of my work is done on the internet, and since my education and the cost for living in general is so high, another expense would be outrageous. As a result of this I probably would not use the internet as much as I do now, which would effect the amount of information I have access too along with making developing new interests independently more difficult.

Overall, I believe that net neutrality is crucial. I think that in this age, the more information we have readily available, the better. I think that having to sacrifice the amount of data I have access to would be devastating. As a population, we would be effected socially, intellectually and personally, the internet is a place for free expression and is currently an infinite domain of resources. Without net neutrality small companies would suffer making a tough economic time even more difficult for certain people. Also, taking away net neutrality could inhibit the development of new products and ideas if people no longer have access to certain types of data due to regulation. The internet was based off of the idea that it would be a resource for all without priority or restraint of information and I believe that that is how it should stay.

Two other sources that I referenced were:

https://www.aclu.org/net-neutrality

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~raylin/whatisnetneutrality.htm

I decided that these sites were valid because they were posted by legitimate organizations (The American Civil Liberties Union and Berkeley College). Also, they both have reliable sources (.org and .edu). After comparing the information in the sites they seem accurate and up to date. Finally, they note the sites that they referenced, which all seem equally as legitimate. 

Social Media and Privacy

In the article "When Rape Goes Viral," many good points are brought forth regarding the effects of social media on rape victims. Although social media can be helpful in identifying perpetrators, is it truly helpful to the victims of these crimes? Not only have they been physically violated, but with the information about their situation being so public, they experience an emotional blow as well. This can make moving on from a traumatic experience much more difficult, along with prolonging their healing process. Is public humiliation an even trade off? Although social media can raise awareness about crimes like these, it is important to consider whether or not their presence on the web is numbing the people that are exposed to it? If videos of crime are posted, there must be a large number of people that do not report them. Is creating more and more bystanders helping the public or hurting it? Sure, we think that rape is horrible, and it is. It's disgraceful and disgusting, but what if its true nature is being covered up by booze and familiar faces? 

Also, for rape victims, I have to imagine that they would want this information to be at their own disclosure. By having it on the web, anyone who searches them could potentially have access to this information. Since much of the information can be pursued through the web, it takes away the option from the victims to come forth on their own. It's important to note that often times, rape can occur when people are not in the right state of mind or under the influence of some kind. Much like the story told in the article, the 16 year old girl did not remember being raped. If there were any repercussions of the sexual activity such as STDs or pregnancy, she would have absolutely no knowledge of it if it weren't for social media. 

Overall, I think that in some cases the web can be a helpful tool in gaining access to certain criminals, and can help spread awareness. However, is it worth putting the victim through emotional stress and humiliation? By creating more witnesses, is it helping the public or hurting it? The topic yields many discussions and questions. But think about the victims of these crimes. Is it worth it for them to be violated both emotionally and physically in a public forum? I can't be sure..

I Have Nothing to Hide

Although some people feel that they don't have to worry about their online privacy because "they have nothing to hide," it's important to understand that the information that is linked to you on the web can be harmful when accessed in the wrong way. Everything that we do is recorded in one way or another. One of the risks that A Gift of Fire by Sara Baase discussed was the threats that come along with new technologies. One of the major problems come with unknown access or personal information through downloading smartphone apps. By allowing certain functions (such as location or access to photos) on the app, you open up doors for more information to be acquired by these systems. This information can be tapped into by hackers, given to various companies or may be subjected to government access. Although some may not be phased by this, it's important to understand the possible effects this could have. The fact that many people trust public servers to keep their information private, it still may be given to other companies or hacked by criminals without your consent or knowledge for secondary use.

Another issue to consider is the fact that taking our personal information violates the fourth amendment. Imagine if people came into your home, went through your belongings, and compiled all of the information they could find about you without your knowledge. Our privacy is one of our inalienable rights, and I believe that that should hold true in both the physical and cyber worlds. Since most of our information is digitalized on our computers or phones, this means that a majority of our private information is not in our control. Personally, I keep my school ID number, my account numbers, and other personal information in my technology. The fact that these important pieces of data could be at risk, makes me reevaluate whether keeping track of my personal information in this way is okay. The risks that we take make online privacy even more crucial in this technological age.

Finally, if all of these potential outcomes don't concern you, think about your personal life. If you're a parent, think about your kids. Since social media has become such a huge part of everybody's lives, it's pretty safe to say that tracking people has become a piece of cake. If you think about location services, tools that parents use to locate their kids, or "checking in" to your favorite restaurants or businesses, you can find out your habits, interests, and can even open doors for stalking or break ins. An example of this happened in my hometown. One of my friends posted on Twitter that he was going on vacation for a week in the summer. While he was gone, the house was broken into and there was thousands of dollars of damage done to his property. It's easy to say that "that will never happen to me," but the risk is still present. For all of these reasons, I believe that online privacy is vital to the our safety and wellbeing.

Assignment 3 Part A

Hello,
My name is Maddy, I'm very excited about the curriculum of CS408. I'm hoping to learn a lot about the effects that technology has on the social and ethical parts of our lives. Technology has become such a natural part of our day to day, and I'm interested in hearing the arguments about whether or not it is a good thing or bad thing for our community as a whole.