Journal 3: May 31

article used:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10252154-38.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

Terrorism is a big concern is America, especially after September 11, when terrorists attacked to take down the World Trade Center. Well now it is becoming evident that physical attack is not the only way to commit terrorism. Cyber-terrorism is possible because of how huge the internet and technology is becoming in everyday life and in the use for the government.

Well President Obama said that America is “not as prepared” as it should be to respond to cyber- terrorism and he has now created a new position in the White House for a cybersecurity coordinator. However, many people are worried about the government regulating the internet and if it will cut into “privacy”. Nevertheless, President Obama made it clear that it will not harm people’s privacy. He stated that "Our pursuit of cybersecurity will not -- I repeat, will not include -- monitoring private sector networks or Internet traffic." The fact is that the internet has become a huge part of society and can be away for terrorists to undermine America. Senator John Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe, members of the Commerce and Intelligence committees, said that “no other president in American history has elevated this issue to that level and we thank Obama for this leadership.” There are many sections of this five hundred page bill. Section 3 of the bill calls for the establishment of an advisory committee to the president of the cybersecurity issues and says that they “shall advise the President on matters relating to the national cybersecurity program and strategy.” This part of the bill will allow President Obama to keep up to date with all the cyber threats being used to get to the government (Bellovin 1).

I believe that this new position in the White House will be very beneficial because the United States needs someone to be able to manage the Internet when it comes to government issues and be able to respond to an attack on the cyber. Also, President Obama is expected to sign an order to create a military cybercommand because America already has many computer weapons that must be prepared for use. The author of this article did a good job covering the topic and stating some issues people might have with the new cybersecurity plan. Nonetheless, President Obama’s plan I think is very wise and will help the government protect our society from harmful terrorist attacks.

References:
Bellovin, Steven. "The Cybersecurity Act of 2009." CircleID. 13 Apr. 2009. 31 May 2009 . http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090413_cybersecurity_act_of_2009

Journal 2: May 31

article used:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10248017-36.html?tag=newsLeadStoriesArea.1

What hasn’t Facebook done? When Mark Zukenburg created Facebook in his Harvard dorm with friends, I don’t think he knew how big Facebook would become. And now that Facebook is a huge success and makes a huge profit for not only him but advertisement agencies, more people want to make more money and are creating new ideas for Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg 1).

So, what’s next for Facebook? Well now instead of Facebook having “Gifts” to give to your friends now they are “credits”. And not only are the credits away to buy gifts, they also have promotional items as well. David Swain, a spokesperson for Facebook said "We think enabling developers to accept these credits as a form of payment has the potential to create exciting new use cases for users and developers.” Shifting strategies to a virtual goods platform seems to a good move on Facebook's part and its platform has changed and matured immensely. This new and improved virtual currency seems to not only be good for Facebook but as well as for the app developers because they are getting money without even given Facebook any.

Nevertheless, the virtual currency is a good way to reach the globe because Facebook is now not only connecting millions of Americans but connecting many people overseas. This new virtual currency deals with the issue of currency in other countries. “Now by accumulating as little as 10 credits, you can buy a gift to add more significance to a friend’s birthday, celebrate a special occasion or simply have fun,” Facebook says (“Facebook to Adjust” 1).

I believe that Facebook will be able to succeed in virtual currency as long as privacy is protected. I think that this will better for connecting overseas with the United States and allowing people to give each other gifts in a more sophisticated way. I believe that Facebook is a very creative way to keep our society connected with one another using creative and beneficial ideas.

References:
Mark Zuckerberg. 27 May 2009. 31 May 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg.

"Facebook to Adjust Exchange Rate for Facebook Credits." Inside Facebook. 22 May 2009. 31 May 2009 .http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/05/22/facebook-to-adjust-exchange-rate-for-facebook-credits/

Journal 1: May 31

article used:
http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/60307

Is there anything you can’t do with technology? After reading this article, I believe not. Bob Tedeschi, a reporter for the New York Times wrote an article about how he tracked his wife using an application he downloaded on his G1 phone from T Mobile called Glymspe. Nevertheless Glymspe is becoming available on other phones, such as, iPhones and Blackberrys.

While reading this article I was wondering about privacy and thinking what is the creation of more advanced technology doing to our society? However, after reading more of the article I realized that Glymspe makes sure that tracking is granted by the one being tracked and it could be stopped at any minute or even put on a timer. The person being tracked can be tracked by people who do not have the application; Glymspe allows them to send an email so they can be tracked from a home computer or another cell phone with internet capabilities.

I believe this can be beneficial to our society; however, if not used carefully it can damage our society as well. It can be beneficial say if you wanted to keep a lookout for your family at a big amusement park if the family were to be split up from one another. However, like other advances in technology this tracking mechanism can also cause our society to communicate less and become more dependent on technology. It is said that reliance on mobile phones therefore can lead to a reduction in general competence in an ever increasing population of specialists (“Powering Down” 1). Our society already has lost communication skills because of texting. Glymspe could further impact our society’s communication and trust because now instead of calling your wife before you leave work and your wife believing that her husband is leaving work; she can just track him instead of communicating and trusting him. Derek Westra, a senior from BYU conducted a survey on the effects of technology on communication said, "Research has shown that if a person feels his or her likelihood of being rejected for a date is high, there is a better chance he or she will ask through a text rather than a higher risk way, such as over the phone or in person" (Kasallis 1). This really does not set a good impression for the next generation because it will be teaching that trust and communication is not important anymore because technology can do it for you.

This article did a wonderful job of examining both the positives and negatives of Glymspe. I really enjoyed reading about it and I think Glymspe can be very beneficial to our society and the way we interact if handled properly and making sure it does not hinder communication and trust.

References:
Kasallis, Theresa. "Text messaging affects student relationships." BYU NewsNet. 5 July 2006. 28 May 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/technology/personaltech/21smart.html?_r=1&ref=personaltech
"Powering Down: The Negative Effects of Cellular Communication Technology on Human Behavior." Weblog post. 7 Mar. 2007. 28 May 2009 .. http://poweringdown.blogspot.com/2007/03/negative-impacts-of-cellular.html