The BBC's Virtual Revolution

I learned a lot from watching episodes three and four of The BBC’s Virtual Revolution and I found a lot of interesting things. I was not aware that West Point makes learning about the world wide web a part of their curriculum. I thought that was very interesting and did not think about the fact that the people in the military need to be especially aware of the dangers lurking on the web. I also liked the point that was made about how a company might be named one thing today, but tomorrow it might by something entirely different. Things happen so fast online that your bank can be at wachovia.com one day and the next it can be wellsfargo.com.

Episode three also allowed me to get a better understanding of what a cookie is and does. Cookies pretty much tell companies what I search for and what I am interested in so that they can target me with specific ads for my taste. I do not mind this, but I can see how some people would think that was an invasion of privacy.

Another point I thought was interesting was that Google made their money by offering customers a free service, whereas companies like Microsoft made a profit by selling products to users. I like that Google uses their ads in a noninvasive was and they are related to your search terms.

Episode 4 poses many interesting questions, for instance, the true value of our Facebook friendships. When offered free food, people were willing to get rid of 10 friends instantly. Why be friends with someone if they are that expendable? You would rather have a free sandwich than a friendship. Yes, the friendship dissolution is virtual, but it speaks to how you feel about a person in reality.

The issues that South Korea are having are very interesting and seems very extreme. I did not realize people were becoming so obsessed that they were developing psychological problems and needing to be hospitalized and receive medication. It is a scary thought that they could be the future of the United States.

The most striking quote that I heard was about how my generation and the generations younger than me are growing up. The man says we grow up expecting to find information at a moment’s notice. What does that do to our ability to internalize information? This is a very interesting point. Do instantaneous answers hinder us, or help us. Only time will tell.