Reflective Blogging Assignment #7

Should SMS be accepted as a new language and taught in schools?

Its amazing to think how popular SMS messaging has become in the last decade.  It has become so popular, that it is now causing huge problems with texting and driving.  So a big question is, where will texting go next? And will it be accepted or even taught in schools?

When I was in high school 3 years ago, SMS was NOT allowed in my high school by any means.  I got caught texting several times, and each time my phone was taken away. There was a rule that if you got caught texting more than 3 times, then your parents have to come in and get your phone.  I have a younger brother who is now in high school, and I asked him about the rules on texting in school.  You are now allowed to use your phones during class, only if it is to do something related to class.  However, he said that they aren't very strict.  He also said that they can text in the hallways and during lunch time.  This is a HUGE step from when I was in high school, and I am now wondering if the next step is to start teaching SMS in schools. 

I personally believe that SMS doesn't need to be taught in schools.  Kids are smart enough where they can figure it out on their own.  However, I believe the acceptance of SMS in schools will continue to grow, as long as it isn't a disturbance in classrooms.  

In the future, I plan on becoming an educator, and I will be curious to see the environment of SMS in the classroom.  Personally, I wouldn't want to teach it in my classrooms, but I plan on accepting it, as long as it isn't much of a distraction.  (Im sure not all teachers feel this way though!) 

Reflective Blogging Assignment #6

To what extent do relationships that are formed online and remain virtual differ from ones that are formed as a result of meeting in person?

As social networking sites have become more popular, so have online friends.  Before social networking, the only way to form friendships was by meeting in person.  However, now this is definitely not the case.  People can meet new friends in many different ways online: Facebook, Twitter, dating sites, and blogs.  When people meet online, it seems as though it is usually pretty hard to start meeting up in person.  For example, the new MTV TV show called CatFish explores this problem.  Many of the people in this show meet someone online, and one person is reluctant to meet in person.  Sometimes this is because they are insecure, or another reason is because it is actually a different person than who they say they are.  

Online friends differ greatly from friends that are actually formed in person.  When friends meet in person, then they generally spend there time together, in person.  Compared to when online friends meet online, they generally stay in touch online.  Another difference between the two is the ability to open up and share information.  Many times people are reluctant to open up and fully show their personality in person, especially if they don't know their friend very well.  In comparison, when people are behind a computer screen, there is a sense of protection.  People are then generally more willing to open up and share information and feelings.  This is one of the problems with online friends, because then when it comes to meeting in person, people may feel shy and not be able to build new connections or friendships.  

Skype is becoming significantly more popular, and this is a great way of combining both meeting online and meeting in person.  As social networking and online friends become more popular, I hope to see in-person friendships stay just as popular.  I personally feel that having an in-person friendship is much safer, and is the natural way of have a friendship. 

Reflective Blogging Assignment #5

Describe how using social networking technologies changes how you communicate with your family and friends.

I started using social media technologies to communicate with family and friends when I was in middle school.  It first started with MSN Hotmail, then to Myspace, and now I use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  When I first started using social media, I basically used it to have short conversations with friends.  As I started using social media more, it turned into a way to stay in touch with many of my friends and family.  Social media is also a nice way to be more open and outgoing, since everyone has the privacy of being behind a computer screen.

Other than my parents and siblings, most of my family lives a few hours away.  Therefore, I use Facebook to stay in touch with many of my cousins and aunts.  Most of the communication is small talk, however with the progression of social media, I am now able to see many pictures of them and their families.  Social media has been a nice way to stay in touch with my family since I am unable to see them very frequently.

I also use social media to stay in touch and meet new friends.  Most of my interaction with my friends is done on Facebook and Twitter.  I have recently started using LinkedIn, which is a professional social networking site that allows me to network and build new connections.  This will hopefully be beneficial in my future when I am looking for a full time career.

As a general theme, social networking technologies have allowed me to stay in touch with family and friends, and it has also allowed me to meet new people.  I plan on continuing to use social media technologies for these same reasons, and I am excited to see some of the new features that will be coming out in the future.  (I like have the ability to use Skype software of Facebook...more friends and much more convenient).

Reflective Blogging Assignment #4

Consider the impact of personal networking devices, in terms of the environment.  What do you think are the biggest areas of immediate impact?  How about long term impact?

The topic of personal networking devices effect on our environment is a fairly controversial topic for a few reasons.  First, the signals produced to connect to the internet makes an unnatural signal that might hurt our environment over time.  But another aspect is the materials that these devices are being made from.  There are currently some devices being made that are made from renewable products, however when comparing this to the total number of devices being made, it is an extremely small percentage.  
     
When someone wants to buy a phone, most likely they want the best phone for their money.  Of the people I know, very few people will want to buy the product that is made from renewable products because it is better for the environment.  This simply may be one of the biggest problems, is that people don't really care enough to make an impact.  So to benefit our society and environment, I think one of the only ways this can be done if most of the phones that are being made are from recyclable products.  Imagine if Apple made the next iPhone out of recyclable materials, and it didn't degrade the phone.  This would be a huge step and im sure many customers would buy the phone.  
In the short term, it is ultimately up to the companies that own the devices to decide to start making these products out of renewable materials.  Until this is done, there isn't too much we as customers can do.  It would be nice to see this happen in the future, but unfortunately I don't really see this happening in the next few years.    

Reflective Blogging Assignment #3

"Nothing is really secure, GET OVER IT!"

For this weeks blog post, I will discuss the idea that, "Nothing is really secure, GET OVER IT!"

The fact that someone can even make this statement frustrates and scares me.  For many people, almost everything is done on some-soft of computer and unfortunately, if not handled properly, can be dangerous.  In the past decade, identity theft has become significantly popular, and with the growth of online EVERYTHING, identity theft has become an even bigger problem.  Online shopping is growing rapidly, and this may be one of the biggest causes for identity theft.  People are giving away their credit card information to the businesses online.  I personally am a big fan of online shopping, and especially on Amazon.  I make sure to buy from reliable seller's, however I am always a bit suspicious of who I am buying from.  

Another problem that we discussed earlier in class, is the idea of webcam hacking.  This can be extremely dangerous because webcams can pick up both images and sound.  If someone is discussing important information over the phone, this information could potentially be hacked.  As we talked about in class, having a sliding bar that covers the webcam is a nice feature.  It would also be nice if this could block sound.

And for the quote, get over it, I completely disagree and will not get over it.  The fact that these problems are happening so often is absurd.  In order to prevent this, people need to be much safer with giving out their information.  Also, individuals who are doing the hacking need to be punished with strict consequences.  It would be nice to see these problems decrease, however as stated earlier, with the increase in technology use and information given, this may be a hard task.  Therefore, individuals need to be extra safe with their information and valuables.     

--Shane Leadholm

Reflective Blogging Assignment #2

In this blog I will discuss what I think is meant by, "While the price of acquiring a cell phone and associated service is going down, the cost of using a cell phone and associated service is going up."

When cell phones first came out, they were incredibly expensive.  This was the first technology of its kind to allow someone to communicate on a mobile device.  For this reason, cell phone companies could market the product at a relatively high price.  And as time goes on, I can see cell phones becoming even cheaper. However, as cell phones have become more popular, the price of cell phones and their service charges have changed significantly.

First, I feel that one main reason cell phones are now much cheaper is because everyone has one.  The technology isn't as rare as it once was.  Another reason the price has gone down is because the price of the service has gone up.  When cell phones first came out, there sole purpose was to make a phone call.  Today, cell phones are now smartphones, and are used for making calls, connecting to the internet, sending emails, playing games, and much more.  With these abilities comes a price.  As users we pay much more for the service because we are not only paying for service to make a call, but also to connect to the internet.  As time goes on, I would not be surprised one bit if the price of these services continues to rise.

The invention of cell phones was huge for our society, but I feel that the progression to smartphones is an even bigger accomplishment.  Overall I agree with the statement that the price of cell phones is going down, and the service is going up; and I feel that this will be continued to be proven true in the future.

Reflective Blogging Assignment #1

Technology to "stay in touch"

In today's tech savy world, it is important to stay up to date with technology in order to keep in touch with news, friends, family, and communication.  If people don't use technology systems to communicate, they may then fall behind the times with the growth of technology.  In the past 10 years, communication has grown from simply using a telephone to the expanded forms we use today.  In today's society we use Smartphones, laptops, desktops, tablets, and smartwatches to communicate.

The main forms of technology I use to stay in touch include my Smartphone (Samsung), Laptop (Mac), PS3 and Xbox.  More specifically, to stay in touch I text, skype, use FaceBook/Twitter, Blog, and email.  My most common device I use is my Smartphone, but I also use my Laptop constantly throughout the day.  Unfortunately, my smartphone is extremely slow so I am somewhat reluctant to download tons of apps because it is almost more of a pain to use them because to the lack of speed.  I plan on getting an iPhone 5 in May.  It will be extremely nice to have an Apple phone and laptop so I will be able to synch all of my stuff together.  

Recently, my PS3 broke down, so now I am looking for a plan for the future.  The PS4 and XBox 720 will probably be out in the next year and I am excited to see the growth of these video game systems.  I have read some blogs and heard that the PS4 may contain recyclable materials, 3D features, and will synch with other Sony devices.  (Similar to Apple's synching feature).

I look forward to seeing where things will go in the future.  (I hope to buy a smart-watch in the next year).