Too Powerful to Be Held

The internet is too powerful to be held in the hands of a few internet providers. Back in the day companies like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast "declared war" on the internets founding principle: networks should be neutral and users don't need anyone's permission to create, broadcast, communicate, invent, or share online. This has empowered all of us with the freedom to express ourselves online (whether that be good or bad.) With this permissionless innovation we are allowed to innovate our online world, which in turn has recreated our world today; both in technology and in culture.

But today our freedom is in danger. If the federal court strikes down the nation's net neutrality law we can kiss our WorldWideWeb freedom goodbye.

Originally AT&T introduced the idea of Google and Yahoo paying companies like AT&T for reliably reaching users on their networks. Which is just another money grubby way to increase their profit. Users already pay their fees for internet access, as do search engines like Google and Yahoo, who pay to other telecom companies.

The internet is a luxury and a right that should not be withheld from the american public. Else wise we could fear of having our internet censored just like China.

How can we expect our nation to continue to grow if we don't allow the users to have freedom of their internet? Even for what would seem like simple uses, Nexus Mods (an online free Skyrim mod website) has allowed users to create extensive mods, some adding hours 35 hours of gameplay, to skyrim. One user created a mod larger than both of Bethesda's original two DLC's combined and held 35+ hours of gameplay for PC users. The free internet has allowed that user to use his mod as a resume for his application to Bethesda.

Without our right to freedom of the internet how can we expect our great nation to stack up to other
countries who allow this freedom to their users? If the federal court chooses to rule in favor of the large companies plotting to monopolize against the users our nation will be reduced to a non reticulate nation.

So Apple did something

Apple is always tricking its customers into buying their latest and greatest new products. One way apple does this is through their updates. Once you buy one of their products apple will send out updates. Which sounds great right? Wrong! Think of it this way. Say you have an apple product like the iPhone for two years, or the average time between upgrading your phone based on a cell plan. If an cell phone continues to update the software it can destroy the hardware in the phone.

But I must say "Thank God!" Apple has finally decided to make updates free! It use to cost $99 for an update from Apple. On a PC the updates are not only more frequent but they are free. It only makes sense that updates now be free with the mobile devices taking over.

It does make purchasing an apple more appealing now that the updates are free. But this does lead me to believe Apple will be charging more elsewhere to make up for their 25% loss.

Welcome to Google, Bing Users

It comes as no surprise, Google is more favored than Bing. Google even became a commonly used verb after its first few years of operation. Got a question? "Google it". Even the employees at Microsoft, the creator of Bing, prefer to use Google as their search engine. 

Microsoft also created Internet Explorer, the lesser know 11th plague God put on this earth. If I couldn't trust Microsoft to make a semi-half decent browser then what faith would I have in their search engine? But hey at least got Microsoft Word right.

Personally, I prefer Google. I use Google Chrome as my web browser so Google is my default search engine. But even before the times of Chrome I have prefered the nearly effortless experience I get with using Google. I don't know if its the cute interactive logo during special occasions, like when the Google logo became a keyboard one day and you could play mary had a little lamb. I don't know if its the broadness when I type in a search that helps me find the result I want. I don't know exactly what it is that keeps me as a devoted Google user, but I do know that I never want to switch.

Years ago I recall using Bing and hated it because its searches were too narrow and didn't have as many choices as Google. I decided to do a side by side comparison of Google and Bing searching "Mountain Goat". Bing has a nice clean modern style to it, but its logo is

quite frankly stupid. What is that? An arrow? Initially I don't like the suggestions Bing gives me to search, Google at least keeps track of where I like to go and remembers. Bing was competent enough to find my search but suggested about a million other animals as "related topics" and showed up with pictures first.

When I typed "Mountain Goat" into Google I got the most relevant websites to my search first, then pictures. Now I don't know about you, but when I am using a search engine 7 out of 10 times I'm searching for a website. Google also doesn't try to get me off topic like a child with ADD. Google owns two-thirds of the U.S. search market, that means it will find you what you're looking for. It does not have to distract you and attempt to pull you off topic like Bing.

Google already does all of the functions needed in a search engine. Google is familiar and user friendly. Google is so well known and used that Google, unlike Bing, does not have to advertise their search engine to users. Why switch to Bing when it has no specific advantages over Google? Plus who could resist the adorable graphical interfaces Google creates?

The New iWipe

Earlier last week Apple released its two new iPhones, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Three short days after launch Apple had sold over 9 million iPhones. That is quite large number, considering the differences from the previous iPhone 5 are miniscule. 

Do we really need a new iPhone each year? No! At least not while they continue to make piss poor advancements to the technology. Oh great, my phone has slightly higher resolution than my last phone. Thats worth $299 each year for a new phone. And on top of  paying $299 you can get either a better camera OR have your iPhone in one of five colors. For that price, it better have not only the amazing camera, but all five colors on it, and the capability to wipe my ass; I call it iWipe. 


Especially since Apple is secretly destroying your older iPhones with its updates.

Have you noticed that every time your older iPhones updates more and more things become inaccessible? That's because the new software "updates" eventually shut your phone down, forcing you to purchase the new model. 

With the new iPhone products not much has changed; if doctors and scientists were to make advances at the same rate as Apple we'd still be curing polio. 

As it stands, a new iPhone customer should expect greater technical changes to their iPhones. As of right now the technology is controlling our society rather than society controlling the technical advantages the iPhone gives us. The iPhone caters to what Apple wants people to have rather than what the people need.

What if technology took over?!

On September 9th of 2013 the Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology was awarded $25 million grant from the National Science Foundation "to study how the brain creates intelligence and how that process can be replicated in machines." This was brought upon by the technological advances we have made in the past recent years. Google's self-driving car, [IBM's] Watson, and [Apple's] Siri are all examples of technology with human personification. They can all do specific things that the normal human being can accomplish. For example: Apple's Siri can take orders, "listen" when spoken too, then respond to tasks given to her or to what is said. Its almost like she can cognitively think for herself then respond to the user, which can be seen in this Zooey Deschanel iPhone 4S Siri commercial. 

With this technology we could see creations like C3-PO, R2-D2, or other intelligent self thinking droids come to fruition and be integrated into our everyday lives. Which would be really cool! Who doesn't want their own personal droid? Heck with this technology maybe we could take Walt Disney's frozen brain and put it into an android! Hooray for more Disney princesses! 

But when embracing this new technology we should remain cautious. For what if an event occurred where the technology gained too much intelligence? How would we know when enough intelligence is enough to give to a computer? What will happen if we decide to give the technology free will and it takes over causing the human race to be terminated?! Oh the humanity! 

Then again, what if we keep technology at arms length? What if we only program them with the intelligence they need to perform the task they were created for? What if we turn all technology into our personal slaves and create a automaton for every meaningless task?! Humanity could become lackadaisical and float around in hovercraft chairs eating cheese puffs and watching tv causing us to become fat and antisocial! Then we would become to heavy for the earth to handle! 

Truthfully with this technology at any extreme it probably wouldn't have a very good outcome. But with that said I believe we should progress with technological advances. How else could we grow as intelligent humans? Maybe my opinion is bias because I like Star Wars and would love to have my own R2-D2. 

The NSA Leak

After reading the Article 'The US government has betrayed the internet. We need to take it back' I found myself agreeing with the writer Bruce Schneier. I do believe that our government has betrayed us and that they are now untrustworthy more than ever. How can we live in a free country where we are treated like criminals before we commit the crime? 

Yes, I do see and understand the "perks" of the US government seeing everything we have in our possession and innermost thoughts.

However, that does not make it right. When SOPA came out everyone was up in arms about the unfairness of this issue and even though the public clearly responded negatively to the internet restrictions and rules the US government felt we would be okay with them invading our privacy. I'm sorry but don't you need a warrant with probable cause to search through my stuff? Not when you're the US government you don't! 

I'm glad someone like Snowden stood up and said "No this is wrong!" and risked everything to speak up and warn the public of the government we have so blindly trusted. It also pleases me to see someone like Bruce Schneier ask for the insiders to give their stories and collect them. With enough stories and information behind this movement there is no way the government, or the public, could ignore the betrayal and anger left behind by not only Snowden but the countless others who are brave enough to speak up. We are not China, we are not communist, we are a democracy and reserve the right to surf our internet freely. 

Comm352 Intro

Hello! My name is Kelly Dempsey. I am a junior comm major here at Shepherd University and Captain of the Shepherd Debate and Forensics team. I like video games like League of Legends and Skyim. In my spare time I am a comic book model for dc and marvel characters. Last summer I actually met the famous George Perez, who is a famous comic book artist. In the future I hope to just have a job I love that also makes me enough money to live comfortably.