Lisset's Blog

Extra Credit: Online Dating and Relationships

lisma2 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:52:18 +0000

The first article I read about online dating is how these dating sites are trying to find ways to advertise themselves as scientific. One website claims to put you into a category such as “explorers” and “builders” and you search for others that are in the same category. There is another that uses genetics to find people relationships. I am skeptical about these sites that claim success based on proven “science”. It makes me wonder if the rest of the country has been doing it wrong and we should all just online date. However there are experts quoted in this article that claim that these sites are lying. I don’t understand how people are supposed to limit themselves to what the site thinks work for them instead of choosing themselves. Is there really a scientific way for people to find compatible partners online or is it just another marketing scheme?

Another article on Internet dating that I found on the effect the Internet has on how people date in real life. The rapidness and instant gratification that the Internet provides make humans seek the same feeling in dating. People want instant chemisty and joy in the first date and if they don’t get it quickly after knowing a person for a while then they move on. I think its asking too much for a person that you choose to date should be perfect from the beginning. Most successful relationships need to be worked upon and a person as to take the chance to know a person fully before deciding to keep them around, fully doesn’t mean three dates. Does online dating make a person feel that they have to recognize the “love of their life” faster than usual?

This article asks if it online relationships when transferred to reality have the accompanying chemistry. The writer has examples of when the Internet couples who meet in real life move faster than they would if they met each other face to face from the beginning. I think that the spark you feel online is harder to replicate when you physically meet the person. However, I believe in the idea of mind over matter and if you keep thinking of the emotion you felt for the person on the Internet than maybe you can get over any disappointment you feel when you see them. I don’t agree that couples should move faster in the real world just because they already know each other online. I think that it is taking to much of a risk and putting yourself out there to get hurt because you become too emotional instead of logical. Is it smart to move faster when a couple meets online and then goes into a real life relationship?

Surveillance: Have We Become the Thought Police?

lisma2 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:26:23 +0000

Introduction

“Big Brother is Watching You” An infamous line according to a 1984 George Orwell film. When most of us read this, we take it to a extreme case scenario; telescreens everywhere watching every move you make and nowhere to hide. The truth is that as time passes by, this theory gets closer to reality than fiction. Technology has given citizens the ability to keep their lives on track by transferring it to transportable devices such as cell phones and laptops. The problem with this is that it is easier for others to get access to our lives through these devices. They are not impenetrable, seeing that they have hard drives that save everything we do and give off signals that can be tracked. While a large amount of individuals would think that their lives are not interesting enough to be surveyed, surveillance does not have to be warranted by reason nowadays. Humans are naturally curious and suspicious by nature. For this reason, surveillance isn’t only about the government ensuring our safety, but about those in our lives that feel they have a right to look at our lives through technology.

The Public Space

The U.S. government has been the ultimate example of unwanted surveillance since the McCarthy era. Since the 9/11 terrorist acts, governments have felt it necessary to make sure that we are safe by monitoring our activities through advanced technology. They have the ability to access computer hard drives, monitor our telephone conversations, and thanks to the Patriot Act and Electronic Surveillance Act, it has become legal to invade our privacy. Even though they claim to use this power only for those that are under suspicion, it is hard to believe that they do not bend the rules a bit to fit their agenda. They have better safe than sorry policy by keeping an eye on everyone.

There are those that claim we have become too paranoid of the government and their power. The truth is that we do not have enough evidence to signify that our privacy is being invaded. However our government has the power and intelligence to know how to cover up their tracks and prevent the public from realizing the extent of their surveillance abilities. In the end, we just have to hope that as long as we keep ourselves from being involved in suspected terrorist activities, our online activities will remain untouched by government officials.

The Work Space

The work place has also become another environment where a person’s computer is the target of unwanted attention. Companies, that have their employees work mainly off computers, have inserted software to view what their employees are doing online. They track emails that are written and sent out or access that browsing history of a computer. It is understandable that employees do not want company time to be wasted on trivial things however there is still the question of how far is too far? There have been cases where companies issue phones that are monitored; calls and text messages are viewed. They are the property of the company but they are not used during the work days so what is an employee supposed to do. Everyone has a moment of boredom at and strays online but how does that warrant constant supervision.

As social networking sites have become more popular, employers find it necessary to take action regarding them as well. The BBC and NY Times have sent out guidelines for employees as to what they can post on their personal webpage. They want to make sure the company does not face embarrassment and lawsuits but does not a worker have to say and do as they please on MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, etc. And if they do commit an act that does not follow guidelines, not actual rules, should they be fired? I think workers have a right to have their own personal life outside of work. Work computers and cell phones are company property but human beings are not so they should be free to do as they please on social websites.

The Home Space

All the previous examples of surveillance while still invasive have a sense of logic behind it, being monitored at home by your partner does not. Couples buying software to see what each of them does online have risen exponentially. It is all about trying to uncover whether or not cheating is occurring. The main question that comes to mind is, is it legal? The answer is that it depends on the state. In most states you need a person’s permission before you can monitor them. Since most that take part in the practice aren’t necessarily doing it for legal reason, the law does not matter to them. The purchasers of this software want to have control over the relationship. This is one of the main reasons, it is dangerous to have this software, it can lead to abuse because of what is found. Those that take part in spying practices could use it as reason to be abusive towards their partner. Also, the person keeping track of you may not be the one are currently in a relationship with. They could be a past lover who is not ready to let go. This type of technology should not be made available to the general public; there is no real reasoning as to why they should need it. A person may not need software sometimes; cell phones are another source of contention amongst couples. There are are programs that can be used to follow cell phone use. But the device is programmed to document received and dialed calls and text messages. Partners constantly go through each others phone thinking they are preventing themselves from getting hurt or humiliated. We are too driven by emotion for us to have the power to have constant surveillance over another person.

Conclusion

Surveillance technology has made leaps and bounds in the past few years. The trouble is when is it alright to stop watching someone. If not in the public, work, or even home spaces then when? We have turned into people who feel entitled to know what everyone around is doing. We think we have a right to the actions of others. This in turn backfires because than we become paranoid of who is watching us. We don’t feel safe because we know that anyone can be surveying and judging our lives. There needs to be a point where we stop and learn to trust each other again. There are too many, whether it is the government, companies, and spouses that believe humans are naturally inclined to trouble, that is why they need to be monitored. We have become each others “Thought Police”, like in 1984, regular citizens who watch every move and are willing to use information against one another.

Sources

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/is-the-government-tracking-us-through-our-cellphones-lawsuit-seeks-answers/?scp=17&sq=surveillance&st=Search

http://www.businessweek.com/careers/managementiq/archives/2009/05/whats_the_right.html

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/technology_at_work/archives/2009/05/workers_social.html?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_technology

http://marital-conflict-negotiation.suite101.com/article.cfm/is_my_partner_cheating_on_me_1

http://www.cdt.org/publications/digital-search-and-seizure.pdf

Readings 13: Democracy, Politics and Technology

lisma2 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:48:18 +0000

I knew there was going to be a time when political candidates would use the internet to propagate their agenda. These articles were about how in this recent election, candidates like Obama and McCain used sites like Twitter and YouTube to reach out to the voters. I like the fact that candidates are trying to attract younger voters by becoming more technologically advanced. The reason that there were so many young people who voted, more than in previous elections, is because they were more aware of the issues and the candidates’ stances on them. There were so many technological options such as the internet and cell phones for the younger generation to take part in the advancement of their country. Do you think that by spending most of their time reaching out to the young people through technology that candidates are ignoring the older and less advanced generations?

Readings 12: Spacetime

lisma2 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:35:14 +0000

Virtual life has changed our society permanently. Virtual environments like Second Life have become an obsession with its users. In the “Virtual Life” article, the author writes about the makings of Second Life. He explains how people have businesses and create a real income off what they do online. You can see that these users take what happens in this world seriously by the confrontation the writer had with another person that transferred from Second Life to reality. I think that being dependent on virtual creations for things like treating PTSD is a positive but when there are individuals that try to profit off it in a negative way like in the hunting article there are going to be problems. Do virtual creations and environments have more positive qualities than negative ones?

Assignment 9: Narrative

lisma2 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:42:34 +0000

Delysia thinks that the guy in her History class is awesome

Delysia became friends with Max Gallagher.

Delysia received a flower from Max.

Delysia sent Max a teddy bear.

Delysia feels all happy after talking to her favorite person!

Delysia in now In a Relationship with Max Gallagher.

Delysia thinks that her life has gotten so much more exciting.

Delysia poked Max.

Delysia had a great time at the fair with Maxipad. Lol

Delysia is attending Max’s 22 B-day Bash.

Delysia ready to celebrate the day my babycakes was born tonight.

Delysia is so angry that she got betrayed by the two people she cared the most.

Delysia hates backstabbing slorebag friends and jerky boys.

Delysia removed Watching movies with my bestie, Lilykins from her Interests.

Delysia threw a sandwich at Lily Spencer.

Delysia and Max Gallagher are no longer in a relationship.

Delysia is so glad to be single and rid of toxic waste in her life.

Lecture 4: Technology and the Body

lisma2 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:34:29 +0000

In this lecture, there was the showing of how new technology is used to transform the human body into art. At the beginning, it was the simple motion pictures of a naked human walking down the stairs but now it has turned into pictures of inside the body. The fascination with the structure of a person’s parts and the way it all comes together is understandable to me as a nursing student. I enjoy seeing the human body in action being portrayed as art, it shows that it as not as simple as it seems. Another interesting piece of art was Keith Obadike’s Blackness for Sale, this was about using a website as a form of declaration against the racial prejudices in the world. He wanted for the public to know what it means to be black and how the world views you. This piece was not about Obadike being aggressive or bitter but it was about him showcasing his theories in a simple and clean cut fashion by using an eBay page which is a format that his audience is familiar with. I learned that the body and technology has always been used in a creative fashion even during the more archaic times.

Readings 11: Technology and the Body

lisma2 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:42:17 +0000

There is now an addiction related to the Internet and all it has to offer. Duncombe, Alter, and Fackler write about how humans have developed an emotional attachment to their computers. The one that affected me the most was the one pertaining to Second Life. Ric Hoogestraat chooses to ignore his real life wife to be with his online one. It would be one thing if he was alone but he has someone who loves him and chose to marry him legally. He spends almost all of his free time to talk to people that pretend to be someone else. Is it having real social connections if you can’t see the other person and aren’t sure if they are who they say they are? It is the same with Grand Theft Auto, you aren’t dealing with the real world. You are choosing to live in this digital world that isn’t going to change the parts of your life that you don’t want to deal with.
It doesn’t surprise me that with the allure of what the online world has, that there those that have become addicted. In the Fackler article, there is an insight into the mentality of those that can’t be separated from their computer. There is the same thoughts as having a problem with alcohol or drugs, being online makes a person feel good, it gives the relief. While I am glad that there is help for the children in Korea, I wonder how it can be stopped before it becomes too serious. At least with an addiction to drugs and alcohol, there are legal and physical repercussions if it gets too serious but with web addiction, there is no way a a person knows when they have a real problem. There are so many that spend a large amount of their time with their technology but aren’t seen as addicts. What is the difference between them and the kids at the boot camp?
Girl Games: Would you buy one these games for your (hypothetical) daughter? Is there a way to play these and not be negatively influenced?
Knowing Thyself: What is the attraction to monitoring all of your body’s functions? Will a person really change their lifestyle because these numbers?

Readings 10: Privacy, Surveillance, and Exhibitionism

lisma2 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:40:06 +0000

Technology surveillance has crossed the line from being a safety precaution to almost Big Brother extremes. The Facebook, Math Class, and GPS articles all discussed various ways that person’s privacy is being invaded. It never ceases to amaze me how big time companies find different ways to manipulate the public. It is one thing for a person to choose to give their information but it is another to be completely unaware of what exactly your online profile is being used for. The articles that dealt with parents’ surveillance of their children were a bit worrisome. I view these parents as being over-controlling. Other people do not have the access to the same technology get along fine with raising their kids. Also, the only way one learns is from their mistakes. How are these supervised adolescents supposed to grow into independent adults if all their choices are taken out of their hands? Would you be upset if your parents used this technology when you were younger?

Even though with all the complaints about unwanted exposure, there are individuals who put themselves out there to be judged. The Twitter articles focused on the phenomena of Twitter and celebrities obsession with it. I don’t see the point of Twitter other than a way for its users to to be self-absorbed. A large quantity of tweets are filled with innate details rather than anything of substance. Most celebrities voice their want for their lives to be off limits but when they have all this information disclosed online, I don’t have a sense of pity for them or any other people who get burned online. The “On the Record” reading made me wonder about how hypocritical we can be. The subjects in this article are recording all parts of their lives for a reason I don’t really understand. Most of them complained about how most of their recordings were those that they didn’t want others to here or insignificant. I agree with Jill Lepore who talked on how the reason that history is fascinating is that we never know for a fact what really happened. It is through research and some imagination which seems like more fun to me.

A Load of Twitter: What is the attraction of Twitter? Do you think it has real purpose as a social networking site?
When Stars Twitter: Do you believe that celebrities are being hypocrites when they have a Twitter account that documents everything they do?

Readings 9: Mobile Tech

lisma2 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:49:25 +0000

It is amazing to think how exactly this new era of technology has affected our brains. Most of us would like to think that even though we have become more impatient, there is no reason to believe that we have changed that much. The truth is very much otherwise. Sam Anderson and Alina Tugend have the same theme in their article; our attention span has become almost non-existent. Everyone is always doing more than one thing at a time and not just to try and save time but because they are incapable of sitting and concentrating on one time. Even though I am proud of being able to maintain a distance from technology unless it is necessary, I always am doing multiple things online. I can’t even get through a school assignment without feeling the urge to read miscellaneous websites and watch YouTube videos like Anderson. These articles present solid evidence that as much as we feel we are competent at multitasking, we are spending more time correcting mistakes instead of doing it properly the first time around.

While there are positive outcomes out of our increasing attachment to technology such as those in the World of Witnesses articles, there can also be negative outcomes. In “Always on…”, you can see how people have become too dependent on technology. I don’t mean just physical but emotional as well. Individuals are beginning to see these devices as real live things. They get emotionally upset when their cell phones or computers malfunction. This article made me think that we are slowly losing our touch with each other. While we can communicate, I don’t think we emotionally connect as much anymore.

A World of Witnesses: Do you think the increasing number of cell phone functions other than calls are mostly helpful or cumbersome?

Always On: Do you feel as if you are overly attached to your technology? Do you think as a whole that humanity’s relationship with technology is evolving in a positive direction?

Multitasking: Is being able to multitask a good thing or is being able to focus on one thing properly better?

The Benefits of Distraction: Is it possible for humans to go back and learn to concentrate for long periods of time without getting distracted or have we reached a point where we can’t change our thinking processes?

Assignment 8: Remix

lisma2 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:33:21 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–uKQDlCVvM

This is a song mashup between Katy Perry’s “Hot n Cold” and Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance”.