simply stunning.

uhhh…after reading the Diploma Mills article, I was actually speechless. As a college student at a reputable college, I have never bought into the idea that online courses should ever be a substitute for the real thing. Considering my own issues with rising tuition, however, I do realize that online degrees are the only option for many people and as such, they should take the responsibility of making sure the school they choose is accredited. I think that making a list of these “institutions” is a productive step in the process, but perhaps other steps like creating legislation to ensure non-accredited online programs advertise themselves as such would also be helpful. I was blown away that high-level government officials were duped into these degrees and perhaps more uncomfortable that an online degree was sufficient to get a high-level government position. I know I sound rather condescending, but I don’t think there is an adequate substitute for attending an actual college for both undergraduate and masters programs.

Rebecca's pocket is full of...

After reading the blog from Rebecca’s pocket I couldn’t help but think that the entire premise of her article was off. I think if people want to be taken seriously as journalists, posting a weblog is not the appropriate way to go about it. For me, blogging is and should be based on personal knowledge and opinions. I find it hard to believe that people who want to be serious journalists are using a blog to showcase this work. Granted, sources like Wikipedia are useful and meaningful, but I doubt that people are using that type of site to get noticed as an expert on the subject they were writing about. If you want to be considered an expert in a field, publish something in hard print and then put it on the internet, not the other way around. I agree that people should be ethical in any public arena, and especially in the sense of respecting other people by not slandering them. In terms of the plethora of information on the Internet, although Rebecca’s suggestions are useful and are good guidelines, it is ultimately on the user’s shoulders to prove the worth of the sites they use for research.

GooglePrintThis

The situation with GooglePrint and the Author’s Guild is that the AG is upset over Google’s use of copyrighted works without the author’s permission and is suing for damages resulting from the infringements on individuals’ works. Google is putting portions of the works in digital form for users to search through, but will not put the entire work in the database without the author’s permission. According to a CNN article, authors are able to opt out of their works being put in the database, but the AG claims that this is inappropriately “switching the burden of upholding copyright from infringers to copyright holders.” I agree with Google in that they are doing a good thing by making information accessible to the public. I also think that copyright laws are a bit strict depending on the type of material it is covering, but that does not give Google the right to make it available in digital form without permission from the author. If authors are willing to allow Google to incorporate their work into a database, then they should be allowed to do so because it is helpful, but Google isn’t above the law and a copyright is a copyright

There is a statement in the article "Survey: Searchers are Confident, Satisfied & Clueless," that I really agree with and that is "as people gain experience with search engines, they also develop critical thinking skills that can help them avoid low quality or deceptive information." I think this is extremely important because it doesn't really matter if people are cluelessly confident in their ability to use search engines, all that matters is that they are able to find what they want to find. The validity of the information on the website is a problem of its own entirely, but if users use a search engine and are unable to find what they are looking for, they obviously have to adapt their search and eventually most people will come to understand how they can make their searches more effective. I don't think it matters how "elementary" people are in their ability to use a search engine if they are able to find the information they set out to find, even if it isn't the most efficient or time-saving way to do it.

cannot, triple stamp, no erasies.

I couldn’t find anything about myself on the internet other than through people search at http://www.umw.edu/people_search/default.php which gave out my email address and the website provided to students through Mary Wash. I searched the white pages online through http://www.whitepages.com and I wasn’t listed, but my parents were. I tried simply searching through Google and that didn’t come up with anything either, except that a lot of people have my name. I also tried looking through the website for where I work (http://www.claytimecafe.com) to no avail. I’m not terribly surprised that there wasn’t much about me on the Internet because I’ve never had a website aside from keeping an account on http://www.livejournal.com which seemingly protects the identity of its users fairly well.

In regards to Free Speech and the Internet, I agree with the Supreme Court’s decision to declare the Communications Decency Act of 1996 unconstitutional. Freedom of speech is an essential part of the democracy we live in and although the Internet is an exceptional form of communication in that it gives users access to so many things, both positive and negative, its use must still adhere to the First Amendment of the US Constitution. To bring in another hot button issue, parents are able to use filters for their children if they are concerned about the types of information they can access, but otherwise there should be little limitation as to what is put on the Internet. I think the opinion of the Supreme Court made an excellent point that both television and radio media are censored (to an extent) and that we need to have one medium that is an open forum for discussions and information of all kinds. As an IA major, I think freedom of speech is crucial to the success of a democracy and often see how this liberty is taken away in other countries such as Russia and other Eastern European countries and how that creates a whole new set of problems. As a definite fan of free speech, I really appreciate the fact that I can write that I think President Bush is doing a terrible job with American foreign policy and I don’t have to worry about government officials banging down my door.

-- Catapulting the Propaganda, PoliticalHumor.about.com

copywrong.

I found the article " The Tyranny of Copyright?" to be intriguing because I didn't realize that certain information is suspended from the public domain for as long as 95 years depending on the material. The Copy Left has a valid point in requesting shorter copyrights on "intellectual property" because 95 years is a long time and a lot of things can change in that period of time. I think that length of time is a bit excessive, especially the fact that, according to Robert S. Boyton, "copyright protection for individuals lasts for 70 years after the death of the author." Let's examine this concept. For example, if an author published an article and it was accessible online and therefore protected by a copyright. Just to be practical, the author obviously wanted the information in the public eye to begin with, or s/he would not of written it down and published it. While they are alive, they should and will receive due credit for their work and ideas. Once they die, however, it probably doesn't matter to them if they get credit for their "intellectual property" or not. Monetary compensation for said idea is a completely different situation, but at the simplest level of analysis, I don't think that a post-mortem 70-year copyright protection is anywhere close to necessary.

The Copy Left is not trying to completely banish the idea of a copyright, but is instead being more reasonable about what the public should have free access to. I also thought that the point raised in the article about alteration to the 1909 Copyright Act in 1976 which essentially made everything on the internet "automatically copyrighted the moment it was 'fixed in a tangible medium'"was interesting. I think this is an excellent example of why laws in general, including copyright law, should be changed to adjust to current technology especially if the last alteration was made prior to the creation of the internet as we know it. The adjustment to the Copyright Act is a prime example of slippery slope legislation.

computer security

Fortunately I have not had the privilege of being part of a computer security event, but I do realize the risk being run as a user of wireless internet. In the article Wireless Web Puts Personal Data at Risk Daniel Sieberg reports how easy it is for Richard Rushing, an "ethical hacker" to break onto user's computers that are within a "hot spot" of the network. These spots are wireless cafes and parks where personal information is easily accessible, whether you are checking your bank accounts or simply sports scores, hackers can gain access to these unsecured wireless networks. Hackers can even create a fictitious network for you to log onto and then they have completely open access to all your information. Rushing says that internet users should keep their wireless use limited to that which excludes personal information, including emails. Rushing also states that "people need to imagine that nothing is truly private at a wireless hot spot." I found this article to be interesting because my internet access in my apartment is through an unsecure wireless network and someone could easily log onto it from outside the building, especially because my room is on the corner of the building. That being said, I have few other options considering Greenbrier refused to fix our broadband connection and now that I'm using DSL, there isn't a phone jack in my room and running wires throughout the apartment is a little extreme. I guess I'll continue to take my chances.

piracy...yar.

Victory For Music Industry on Piracy
Written by Simon Hayes, September 5, 2005 for the Austrialian IT

This article is about how Kazaa, a large music file-sharing company, was found guilty of letting users "download and swap" pirated music over the internet. Sunday's verdict "gave Kazaa two months to install filters to stop users [from] downloading pirated files." Kazaa was up against major record labels including Universal, EMI, Sony BMG, Warner and Festival Mushroom. Kazaa was targeted because it was not protecting copyrighted music and also because it ran advertisements that spoke to young users, implying that sharing pirated music files was "cool." Kazaa must now encourage users to participate in a program where they must pay to listen to copyrighted music if they want to survive as a company. Internet experts say that the music download industry "is the single biggest use of internet service provider sites," so the piracy issue is of huge importance to those financially invested in protecting copyrights, including record labels and musicians. The article also comments on how important this ruling is because it sets a precedent for other file sharing companies, with the Music Industry Piracy Investigations spokesman Michael Speck commenting "Now is the time to get legal, or get out of business." It is noteworthy that the record labels will not be building a case against individual users of Kazaa because they are more concerned with those who make it possible.

a website: purevolume.com

One of my favorite websites, and the one I probably spend more time at other than CNN, is www.purevolume.com. This website is devoted to music from new and undiscovered talents in a number of music genres, but mostly in the emo-punk-hardcore range. Although some of the featured bands don’t exactly suit my musical tastes, it’s still refreshing how much talent people have and the enthusiasm these kids put out about what they do. It’s awesome to see a band on this website that no one has ever heard of and watch as their tracks gradually pick up some listeners and fans and people start buying their CDs and going out to shows. I’ve always thought that music is an unparalleled form of self-expression and is so personal and real that it’s truly admirable for people to put their hearts on the line doing what they love to do and share it with complete strangers. Purevolume is a great way for musicians to get a feel for their audience and how people react to them, which is excellent for their growth and development as a band. Free downloads are limited, but just listening is unlimited and free, which is how music on the internet should be. I’ll be the first person to say that a lot of musicians, movie stars, and athletes are getting paid far too much for what they do, but these fledgling bands which are truly talented and can honestly contribute to the music scene with original work and not cookie-cutter pop songs should be recognized and paid for their hard work (not to mention that LPs and CDs are inexpensive when you buy them from the un-discovered). So after descending from my soap box, I’ll just say that Purevolume.com is definitely worth a visit.

event on campus: buying parking decals...

Upon our return from our nice summer vacations and relaxation, students at Mary Wash must go through the hassle of buying parking decals. There are numerous problems with the current system that make this process much more of an event than it should be. To begin with, selling parking passes for only two days and for six hours a day is rather ridiculous. Students should be able to purchase decals from the police station as soon as campus opens for freshmen and athletes. By allowing athletes and commuter students in the area to buy their decals ahead of time, lines would be cut down immensely and there would be no need for five or six police officers to waste an entire day selling students decals in un-air conditioned facilities. I understand the need to have people organized and ‘decaled’ early in the first week of school, but by opening the window of opportunity by a couple of days it would help alleviate the inevitable frustration of waiting in line for two hours. Secondly, I can see how Mary Wash needs funding for future parking situations, but don’t add insult to injury by making us pay $150.00 without providing us a guaranteed spot (especially since the graduating portion of the Mary Wash population will never reap the benefits of said additional parking). Furthermore, students should be able to pay by the semester if they are graduating in December. Maybe I’m just taking this one personally, but there should be a mechanism in place to provide us with a decal and then if we don’t end up leaving after graduation in December, make us pay the remaining $75.00 before we can register for the next semester’s classes. As a monetarily challenged and impatient college student, I wish buying a parking decal was not so much of an event.

Students and the Internet

From my experience with my friends and peers here at Mary Washington, I do not agree that students fail to understand that the Internet is an “unmonitored source of information.” Providing students with a large number of databases on numerous subjects and online access to resources through the library system, that are monitored and authentic reproductions of articles, books, etc., students do not necessarily need to be randomly searching for information on the web. I think that by growing up with computers, students of today should be able to easily identify the difference between a true and reliable source of information, such as articles on Lexis Nexis® and something on a personal homepage that someone wrote after reading a book on the subject. The problem with authenticity comes in when students are lazy and do not particularly care if the information is exact because they think that teachers will not verify their sources. Oftentimes it is time consuming and burdensome to wade through the searches for books and articles through an authentic database on the library website, so by just going on the internet it potentially cuts down on hours of research time, so it is by far a much smoother route to finding information. I do believe that some students merely lack a concern for the authenticity of information rather than not being aware they cannot trust everything they see on the internet.

back to the daily grind

Back at Mary Wash for my final semester which is awesome...i'm only taking 15 credits this semester so should be relatively easy to my last one of 18 credits, inclusive of the 32 papers i had to write. the hard part will be finding a job for after grad, but i'm looking forward to it. i'm missing Italy though, spending a month there really gets you attached and i hope that i can return sometime next year and maybe i can find a job that will pay me to go...who knows...

This picture is of a town on the Italian Riviera (Manarola) where we spent our last free weekend and it was taken as we left at 7am to do a five mile hike from town to town up the coast. definitely one of the most beautiful places i've ever seen. i'm still in the middle of uploading pictures...but you can visit http://community.webshots.com/user/gasolinekisses to see some of the other stuff.