Final Week

As our group completed our final project, I've been thinking a lot about internet privacy and the issues that will continue to worsen as technology develops and we are forced to place more trust in outside "hosts" in order to achieve the ease and speed of instant, anywhere access to our information. Users are increasingly relying on wireless or mobile devices and applications. While this allows unprecedented freedom and flexibility by not being tied to a desktop computer plugged into the wall, it brings about new problems with storing information at a remote location. Experts agree that cloud computing will become much more prevalent in the next decade, either exclusively or in combination with desktop PC use, and the legal aspects of protection and privacy are still lagging behind. There is little protocol in place for how information storage companies are supposed to protect sensitive information. Many users are enticed by the ability to access their information from anywhere and fail to read or understand the user agreements that offer them little privacy or protection. What happens when a host company hires an untrustworthy employee? What happens if the company goes out of business without notifying its users? What about mechanical malfunctions that could erase volumes of data? I see two avenues to take:
1. Best case scenario-- a person is aware of the risks of remote data storage and backs up every piece of important information locally (safe, but removes the ease and convenience that cloud computing is supposed to provide)
2. Worse case scenario-- a person relies on the "cloud" for everything at the risk of losing important data and privacy (convenient, but not as safe)
There will always be a trade off as we continue to develop new technology and applications. This is supported by the experts who say that we will not be "living in the cloud" entirely any time soon. They present a more realistic hybrid where we store the most important and private information locally (where we maintain control), while using the cloud for easier access to other data and applications. We will never have it all--we have to choose between convenience and control.

Michelle's AHA

My aha for the week is a shout-out to the classmates that I've worked with during this class. I have been lucky to be paired with great partners and teammates, and I've learned a lot from you all!

Angela's Aha Moment

I have to say I learned a lot from taking this class. I was introduced to Xtranormal and Wordle. I had never seen either one of those sites before. This class also made me open my eyes to maybe try and look at politics in a different form. Maybe the next election I'll actually try and form my own opinions by catching up on the campaign happenings on the web.

Even though I learned a lot from this class I don't know that I will ever take two classes at the same time again. Even though the information was entertaining for this class the time for all the searching and reflecting took more time than I think I spend in my classroom classes. I found it hard to take two classes and maintain my family life as I like it. I know my kids are glad this class is over so we can focus on Christmas. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. It's been great getting to know everyone even if it wasn't face to face.

Angela's Final Thoughts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37OLJPjoews&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcc85yBqOZ0&feature=related

Here is a couple of cute cartoons I found that helps sum up what we have learned in this class.

The first cartoon shows how family life has changed with technology. Watch the dog. I like how at first he's eating along with the family and then his bowl changes to an automatic feeder and then he changes to a toy robot dog. The big homemade meals turns to pizza out of a box. I do believe some families have let technology take over their family life. What do you do with your family?

The second cartoon shows how everyone is so focused on computers and socializing with technology. When it is taken away do you know what to do? I urge everyone to have a family night without technology. Shut off the TV, pull out the cards or board games and enjoy old fashioned conversation with your family.

Week 8

      The week I have reflected on what I have learned and how it can and will help me in the future. Learning and using multiple communication methods like Blogs, XtraNormal, YouTube, and Social sites will help me connect to others in the future. 

      With wanting to get into management, connecting with others will be key to performing well. The variety of communication methods will also make for more interesting meetings. While one communication method will work, having knowledge of a variety of tools is never a bad thing.

      The video is interesting because I have never thought about how deaf people would use something with volume like YouTube. But after watching the video, I noticed myself picking up on things that I would normally not pick up or pay attention to on a video, like her lips mouthing the words as she signs them, as well as her facial expressions. I am interested in how many other sites are devoted for different circumstances. While deaf could still read words, how would someone blind use social networking?

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd2gw88FOro&NR=1

Websites:
http://www.xtranormal.com/
http://www.youtube.com/

Week 8 Aha

My Aha came this week, its just starting to hit me that I'm almost done with college, each assignment is one step closer to being done with each class. May can't get here fast enough, although it seems like not long ago that I was just starting on this adventure.

Amanda Week 8 AHA moment

My AHA moment for the week is that we are at the end! It's been a long ride and I am glad it is done but found the information I learned invaluable.

Amanda Week 8

The question was brought up on Moodle, where do we go from here? I have copied my paper in:
I would not have been able to predict this type of digital age ten years ago. Mainly I believe I would not have been able to because I was only in my young teens. What our digital world might look like it ten years is really beyond me but no doubt it will be even greater than what it is now with all of the technology changes and great innovations that have gone on and will continue to happen. In the next five years I doubt there will be huge changes but there will be changes. Technology changes so quickly that innovations that happen within these next 5 years will allow applications and people to be better, faster and stronger than what we are now. I think we will become even more connected than what we are now, or at the very least the capability to do so. I think that people will reach a point that they will understand that they need some unconnected time so perhaps the future is actually getting rid of all the extraneous information and sites and really making our lives more efficient and increase the ability to be accessible. I think people are getting to a data overload point and unless things change in the future, people will actually be less intelligent then they are now. The way we use the internet and social sites need to start fostering intelligence and capability not allowing people to be stupid and take what they read for granted, not checking the facts to verify what they are reading, teaching, speaking about is actually a truthful statement. I think the language of the internet either needs to change or be separated from real life. Children coming up in this society see something written on a billboard or document or text that says R U going 2 C me tmorrow? All that does is foster stupidity for the people now and for the children that are up and coming and learning. Education needs to become the importance again and teachers need to balance the cool factor of the internet and what is on it with what they need to be teaching. Teachers need to vet the information they are teaching and showing to students, especially those that are younger and very impressionable and don’t have the background knowledge of how to critically think and answer questions, write and speak appropriately and how to act. My hope is that ten years from now we are focusing back on that and have a nice well balanced learning curriculum that allows people to truly learn book information and life information. The more that we can help teach those that are young now the better off our children’s future will be and the future of this world. Our children need to learn from the mistakes made in our generation so that when they are the CEO’s of companies, they don’t cause the same problems for their children that have been caused for our children currently.

I am sure there are people who don't agree and that is their opinion and I would be very interested in hearing those!

http://mashable.com/2010/09/07/next-5-years-social-media/
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/the-future-of-social-media-being-everywhere-a-steve-rubel-interview/ (article and video in one)