News Report #3

“U.S. Tries to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet”

Charlie Savage, The New York Times

09/27/2010

<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27wiretap.html?_r=2&ref=technology>

     As people communicate more frequently online, the United States federal law enforcement and national security are becoming progressively more worried about their capability to wiretap criminals and terrorism suspects. They are seeking the ability to wiretap order all services that allow communication, including Facebook, Skype, Blackberry emails, etc. This bill will be presented to lawmakers next year. Some argue that this mandate is challenging the very fundamentals that the internet was built upon. They feel that it would take away from the uniqueness that the internet offers. However, officials argue that the bill would simply be upholding national security and public safety. They believe that something has to be implemented to protect their ability of surveillance of criminals and terrorism suspects. There are many challenges and aspects of this bill that are still being figured out before it can be proposed.

     This article was extremely interesting to me because I never thought about this aspect of national security. I really never considered the effect that the development and change in our communication styles would have on it. I am torn on which side of this issue I relate more to. I understand the reasoning behind government officials wanting to pass some form of bill regarding the ability to wiretap these communication services. Communication has definitely shifted from phones to other various communication services. People are more consistently communicating through Skype, Facebook, and emails. I do feel that, to some degree, federal law enforcement and national security should have the ability to wiretap the internet. However, I also can see how some people would argue that this is taking away from the fundamentals the internet is based upon. I understand how people would be worried about the implications this bill would bring with it. It will be interesting to see what happens concerning this issue as the year goes on.

News Report #2

“Choosing Wine at the Touch of a Screen”

Kevin Sack, The New York Times

09/13/2010

<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/dining/15ipad.html?_r=1&ref=technology>

                Atlanta’s most esteemed steakhouse, Bone’s, the newest upgrade is 30 iPads that contain the restaurants substantial wine list. There is a comprehensive description and rating for each label.  Wines can be searched for by name, region, price, and varietal. The restaurant has seen an increase in wine purchases since the introduction of the iPad. Additionally, other restaurants who have invested in this new use for iPads have experienced similar increases. Most people are fans of this upgrade, as they feel that this empowers them to make wiser and more educated decisions when choosing a wine. Some even believe that gradually leather-bound paper wine lists will become extinct due to this new technology. However, some people remain skeptic and worry that iPads will depersonalize fine-dining.

                I think this article is extremely interesting and I am definitely a fan of this upgrade. As I could see to some degree how people would feel that iPads would depersonalize the dining experience, I disagree. As long as customers are not sitting there playing games on the iPad during dinner, I do not feel that it would depersonalize the experience. If anything, I feel that it would bring the table closer together as they sift through various wines and select the one that they would like to try. Choosing a wine from an extensive wine list can definitely be confusing. The fact that customers can receive all of this educated information while they are actually making the decision about what wine to choose is incredible. I feel that it will help customers confidently find what they are looking for to drink paired with their meal. Also, I believe that this will help people branch out when trying wines. I feel many people do not try new wines simply because they do not want to spend money on a new wine that they may not like. With the iPads, there are detailed descriptions and ratings about every wine that could help people feel more assured in making a new choice. I believe that this is a step for technology in the right direction.

Reading Report #2

Reading Report #2

     In summary, the article “Is Wikipedia a Victim of Its Own Success” expands upon Wikipedia and the cessation of its growth. Also, it talks about the pretty limited range of contributors to the website. That being young, educated men who live in wealthy countries. The article also touches on Wikipedia being monitored by administrators to increase the level of its reliability. There are multiple theories as to why Wikipedia’s growth has stunted. Some people feel as though the effort to somewhat control Wikipedia has actually aided the hindering of its growth. Others believe that there is not much else knowledge to be added to the site which leaves only formatting to be done. Lastly, some deem that Wikipedia has experienced an ecosystem downfall. Wikimedia foundation is working on ways to expand and increase the Wikipedia population of contributors. They have many goals set in place.

     First of all in Wikipedia’s peak years on the internet, I used them pretty often for reports and projects in school. However in the past couple of years, I have actually not used them nearly as much. The fact that the knowledge comes from all over actually halts some people’s belief in the accuracy of Wikipedia. Some of my professors would not even accept it as a true source. Secondly, I can definitely see how Wikipedia would be contributed to by a small range of people. I, myself, would most likely never post information on Wikipedia. For some reason, I feel that I am still in a learning phase of my life and would not want to post any inaccurate information on there. I believe that a lot of people probably feel the same and would agree with me on that reasoning. This may be why there is a struggle to expand the range of contributors. Thirdly, I agree with people saying the attempt to increase Wikipedia’s reliability has decreased its growth of contributors. I feel that this would hinder people from posting false or biased information on Wikipedia, which in return, could stunt the growth. However, I feel that Wikimedia foundation doing this is essential to the website’s longtime survival. It will not last long, unless they make sure to hold on to the website’s trustworthiness. Lastly, I have to disagree with the people who feel that there is no more knowledge to be added to the site but just maintenance work. As our world continues to grow so will knowledge. I do not think that in our lifetime there will be a cap on the amount of knowledge that is to be shared. I really do hope that the Wikimedia foundation can continue to make and accomplish goals to keep Wikipedia a top website of information. I honestly believe that it is a unique asset to the world today.