We Live In Public and The Revolution

Last week we watched the documentary called “We Live in Public.” This documentary made me think about things that I never really considered before. I never would have thought about how I would act in an environment where EVERYTHING I did was being recorded and people were purposely trying to break me. I probably never considered this because I would not choose to put myself in a situation like this one. I like my live to be private. Therefore, living it in public would not really make sense.

I think that Josh Harris is a very smart man. I also believe that sometimes people are too smart for their own good. Sometimes people are so smart that they are strange. These strange people have brilliant minds and create brilliant things, but there comes a point where the brilliance gets lost in the insanity. I believe that that is the case with Josh Harris. He had great ideas and he was always doing things before the rest of the world was ready for them. He was innovative and creative and he was always ready to start something new. I also believe that sometimes you can be so smart that you do stupid things. Sometimes you’re so smart that you forget about the value of other human being and you begin to purely see how you can use them for your own gain and benefit. I think that when someone gets to this level, it needs to somehow be contained and controlled.

I don’t think that his experiment with everyone living in public should have been legal. This was an environment where people were pushed to their mental and emotional limits and they had access to guns 24/7? That does not make any sense to me. At any time, someone could have snapped and killed every person in there. I also do not understand how the people doing the evaluations and providing security felt morally right doing the job that they were doing. I could not make myself do those types of things to another human being. It was sad. There was no value for human life. People began to lose their self respect and dignity. In addition, in this experiment, there was a child under the age of 13. I do not agree with this at all. In class, Dr. R said how is it different from a child being on the internet or on a social networking site. It is different because parents can control what their children see online. They can monitor them and place restrictions on certain websites. When everything is being broadcast, from sex to defecating, there is no control over what the child is exposed to. This should have been considered child endangerment. Seeing these types of things at a young age can cause serious psychological problems for the child in the future and they could have trouble having normal relationships with people. This was supposed to be a short entry so I will stop my rant on that topic now.

On the topic of The Feminist Movement, I was enlightened hearing about the debate between Dr. R, her colleagues, and Shayne Lee. I was surprised by Shayne Lee’s lack of professionalism and tact. I was embarrassed that this intellectual black man would stoop to such a level. I was impressed with the way Dr. R handled things and I was proud that she was my professor. Many times people get so caught up in emotions that they cannot have a truly intellectual debate or argument without attacking the other person or people (i.e. Shayne Lee).  Dr. R was able to do this in a very tactful way. I also enjoyed hearing Sarah Jones’s “Your Revolution.” It is amazing that the things she was talking about then are still an issue today. It makes me wonder…is it ever going to change?

Make-Up Post for March 23

I missed class on March 23 because I was in St. Louis for the National Society of Black Engineers National Convention. I missed the speaker that we had that week so I am going to post about my trip and how it relates to what we study in class.

Technology was used in several ways on this trip. To get to the convention, we had to register online and pay our money online. We left for St. Louis at 5 in the morning, and to get everyone coordinated we used cell phones to call and text one another. During the convention, we kept up with everyone using Twitter, texting and mass text messaging. Also, when we met new people we told them to follow us on Twitter. One of us would give out our Twitter name or receive a Twitter name and we would all find everyone from there. One night, we wanted to go to IHOP, but we didn’t know where it was so I looked it up on Google Maps on my phone and got the directions from there. After a session one morning we were hungry but did not know where to go and get food. One of the guys used his phone and found a deli that was not far from where we were. This location was great because it was very cold and it even snowed two days that we were there

Not only did we use technology for social networking and getting directions, but also during the different informational sessions, PowerPoint and Excel were used to explain things and provide information in a format that was easy to comprehend.

While in St. Louis, I had an English paper and assignment due. The only way that I could turn them in was online. The internet in the hotel was not reliable, however. So I emailed my professor from my phone and asked if I could turn my assignments in when I got back on campus because I was having technical difficulties at the hotel. Luckily my phone has email and I could use the 3G connection instead of relying on a wireless frequency.

This shows how much we depend on technology in our daily lives. We use our cell phones not only for social reasons, but also to get directions, do homework, and find the resources that we need to survive. We will be able to keep up with the different people we met because we added them on FaceBook and followed them on Twitter. When we go to the convention next year, we will be able to find the people we met and meet up with them again by using social media. Obviously, without the internet I could not complete my assignments for school either. There is a strong dependence on the internet to do our daily activities and keep up with the way the world is evolving socially. 

Copyright in the Digital Age

I enjoyed watching "Copyright Criminals" in class last Wednesday. It elaborated on many things that I already knew about and some that I had never though of before. Some of my opinions and positions will we expressed in the answers to the questions below.


1. In your opinion, is sampling a form of copyright infringement? Explain your position.

No, in my opinion, sampling is not a form of copyright infringement as long as the person whose work is being sampled receives payment. If the person does not receive any sort of compensation, then I do not think it is fair. The artists should be honored that someone felt their work was so good, or influential, that they want to use parts of it over again. 

4. Does repurposing a piece of music always have a detrimental effect on the way the original recording is perceived? Does it always cut into the profits of the owner of the original recording? Why or why not?

No, repurposing a piece of music does not always have a detrimental effect on the way the original recording is perceived. In fact, repurposing a piece of music would likely have a positive effect on the original recording's perception. For example, in 2003, Kanye West released a song called "Through the Wire."

In this song, he sampled Chaka Khan's song "Through the Fire" that was released in 1985. 

Most people already knew Chaka Khan's song, but if you did not, after finding out about it, people listened to it. In addition, when the original song comes on the radio, it feels like you know that song too because you have heard different parts of it before. As a result, people are singing along to songs that they never would have known without another artist sampling the song. Many times, when people figure out that part of a song came from an older song, they download it or YouTube it so they can hear what the original sounded like. This would actually increase the profits of the owner the original recording. In addition, if the song was not that good before, someone else using it is not going to hurt the sales because the sales were not good in the first place.

7. Do legal actions against sampling limit the exposure of artists whose work is sampled or do these actions protect the artists’ interests? Explain why you feel that way.

I feel that legal actions against sampling limit the exposure of artists whose work is sampled. I feel this way because when an artist samples another artist's work, he or she brings popularity to it. If a song is sampled that was once popular, but has since been forgotten about, then that song will regain some popularity. If people never mentioned old songs, sampled old songs, remixed old songs, or remade old songs, then the songs would likely be forgotten about as a whole. Sometimes, when an artist even mentions another song it makes the listener go find that song and listen to it again. Legal actions against sampling are not helping artists; in many ways, they are hindering them.

Sources for Final Assignment

Sources:
1. Friedman, Megan. "How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Tweet The Ways - 10 Ideas That Will Change the World
- TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews -  TIME.com. 17 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2059521_2059716_2059709,00.html>
Thesis and key quote: "Yet technology can smooth the course of true love, whether it helps find it, nurture it or, if need be, end it."


The argument was supported by telling how technology makes it easier to find love. It states that the internet cuts out the small talk. It also talks about how you can be picky with the different people and look them up online before you really decide to talk to them. In addition, it talks about how online dating makes dating easier for people who do not have a lot of free time.

"Before you even go on your first date, you can Google and Facebook your potential love to your heart's content to make sure she's not hiding any skeletons."


"Technology just cuts out the small talk, letting you know if your partner is the right one for you."

2.Baker, Brandon. "Brandon Baker: Use of Online Dating Sites Makes Ritual Less Romantic." The Temple News. 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://temple-news.com/2011/03/22/brandon-baker-use-of-online-dating-sites-makes-ritual-less-romantic/>.
3. Pracz, Alyssa. "Internet Dating Has More Potential Risks than Benefits - Northern Star Online: Columnists." Northern Star Online: The Future of News Now. 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://northernstar.info/opinion/columnists/article_1e6b893e-54f0-11e0-ab2c-0017a4a78c22.html>


Thesis and Key Quote: "Just because you can now shop, order food, work and talk to your friends online does not mean you should also start using the Internet for dating."


This article says that the internet dating is overrated and is unsafe.It states that most people lie about their height, income, sexuality, and they use misleading pictures of themselves. The article goes on to state that people might not be that concerned about your income, but they will be upset that you were lying to them from the very beginning of the relationship and it will be hard to establish trust in the relationship. The article presents an example of internet dating gone wrong, where a woman is scammed out of money, as another reason people should stick to face-to-face interaction. It also says that dating online can be the cause of mixed signals because you cannot read the other person's body language or facial expressions.


" But in a world that is becoming increasingly reliant on technology and communication happens less and less in real life, the traditional way of meeting people remains to be the best way to form long-lasting, meaningful romantic relationships."


"The whole idea of dating someone is to get to know that person well enough to establish a real connection that could possibly develop into a relationship."


4. Yadegaran, Jessica. "Study Says Cyberspace Is Segregated, but Interracial Couples Still Thrive."Vancouver Sun. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Study says cyberspace segregated interracial couples still thrive/4477262/story.html>
5. Rivas, Jorge. "Cyber Dating: Whites Get Messages; Blacks and Latinos Get Split Verbs."COLORLINES. 16 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/03/online_dating_users_like_to_flirt_with_their_own_kind.html>.
6. Zyga, Lisa. "Online Dating: Where Technology and Evolution Collide." PhysOrg.com - Science News, Technology, Physics, Nanotechnology, Space Science, Earth Science, Medicine. 26 June 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://www.physorg.com/news133696958.html>
7. "The Evolution of Dating: Match.com and Chadwick Martin Bailey Behavioral Studies Uncover a Fundamental Shift." The CMB Research Blog. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://blog.cmbinfo.com/press-center-content/bid/46915/The-Evolution-of-Dating-Match-com-and-Chadwick-Martin-Bailey-Behavioral-Studies-Uncover-a-Fundamental-Shift>
8. "About EHarmony -- #1 Trusted Relationship Site." EHarmony #1 Trusted Singles Online Dating Site – More than Personals. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://www.eharmony.com/about/eharmony>
9. "About Match.com Dating." Match.com® | The Leading Online Dating Site for Singles & Personals. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://www.match.com/help/aboutus.aspx?lid=4>
10. Taussig, Alex. "Why Isn't Higher Education More like Online Dating? - Fortune Finance." Fortune Finance: Hedge Funds, Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Wall Street, Washington. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/03/21/why-isnt-higher-education-more-like-online-dating/?section=magazines_fortune>

The Internet's Impact on the Dating World

The article “Digital Dating and Virtual Relating: Conceptualizing Computer Mediated Romantic Relationships” talks about the internet’s “striking evolution from its modest beginnings in the 1960s as a medium to connect academic institutions and eventually American defensive facilities in the event of war.” “What was once understood as a valuable component of American national security has blossomed into an international social microcosm, where online communities are created, social networks thrive, business transactions occur, future marital partners are found…” (Wysocki). The internet has truly changed, or evolved, from what it was first meant to be. It can accomplish so much more than what was originally thought.

The article’s main point is to show the different ways that technology is influencing how people relate to one another in building romantic relationships. Also, the article introduces computer mediated relationships, or CMRs, by providing the history of the internet, explaining the difference between CMRs and face-to-face relationships, explaining the trouble that practitioners might have with this new generation of relationships and things they need to look for, and it suggests that further research be done on the topic. The author supports the claim about practitioners by stating, “family professionals should be aware that those who primarily engage in CMR may lack the life skills necessary to maintain a long-term face-to-face or marital relationship” (Merkle 2000). The claim about the history of the internet it supported by the facts stated about the Cold War and by telling that, in the year the article was published, more than half of the households in the US had at least one computer in their homes. The statement, “…it is probably not surprising that, in many respects, such relationships [CMR’s] could be viewed as being at variance with the face-to-face relationship because they represent a developmental and behavioral sequence far removed from customary methods of finding attraction and intimacy with another person.” supports the claim about face-to-face relationships and CMRs. Some quotes that I think will be beneficial to me in the future are:

“As Western society continues to accelerate its pace, free time becomes more of a scarcity, and individuals strive to balance multiple roles and responsibilities, people are finding themselves thrust into a position where they must find non-conventional avenues for social interaction such as the Internet” (Merkle 1999).

“Relationships that previously were established and sustained primarily through face-to-face interaction have come to be complemented by a social technology that is creating a new genre of interpersonal relationships.”

and

“Americans are, in general, a very affable people who are among the most technology-loving cultures in the world. Because of this mutual interest in technology and socializing, he believes that American Internet users have exploited the Internet (as well as other modern technological devices) as a social medium as much as a technological innovation.”

Merkle, E. R. and Richardson, R. A. (2000), Digital Dating and Virtual Relating:

Conceptualizing Computer Mediated Romantic Relationships. Family Relations, 49: 

187–192. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2000.00187.x

Merkle, E. R. (1999) Romance in the era of technology: An examination of the effects of

propinquity and self-disclosure on intimacy within computer mediated relationships. Unpublished master's thesis. Kent State University.

Wysocki, D. K. (1998) Let your fingers do the talking: Sex on an adult chatline. 

Sexualities, 1, 425–452.

Catfish

After watching the movie Catfish, I found it very odd that Nev did not find it strange that everyone had the same 15 friends. Angela created 16 profiles. I assuming that each of those 16 profiles had many, if not all, of the same 15 friends. I would have found it strange. When someone adds me on Facebook and they do not have very many friends, I tend to see that as a red flag. Not that there aren’t people who do not have a lot of Facebook friends, but I find it unusual that someone I do not know that only has 35 friends would also know me, a girl from a small town and a small private school. Maybe Nev was not thinking this way (but I bet he does now). Maybe Angela added random people on Facebook to get her friend count up on the different profiles. If she did, however, she risked her lie being found out. If she friended someone who actually knew the girl in the picture she used, she would have been found out.

I do not feel that Nev necessarily had to be desperate, lonely, or desperately lonely for him to like Angela’s “daughter.” He did not go out intending to find a girl to love on Facebook. But even if he did, so what!? We cannot control whom we love or how we fall in love. I do not think it is fair to label him in these ways. Just because he was attractive, it does not mean that the women he attracted were what he wanted in a companion. Attractive people do not meet other attractive people and say, “Hey, let’s fall in love because we’re both very attractive.” Attractive people are looking for substance just like most other people. There are plenty of good-looking single people in the world. There are also plenty of good-looking people on online dating sites. I do not see anything wrong with that. If the people you have met and who you are around do not meet your standards, why settle for less? I would rather find love online than never find love at all. I am not saying trust everyone you meet online blindly because that just does not make sense. Use discretion. Nev probably thought he was doing so, but because Angela’s story was so elaborate, he just got caught up in it.

Random Thought

I always write my blog posts in Microsoft Word before I post them on here, and I have noticed that Word recognizes the word MySpace, but not the word Facebook. I just found it ironic that the platform that is no longer used is the one that Microsoft recognizes as a legitimate word. Below is an example from my blog post last week: