Final Exam

A digital footprint is a very real thing, and the idea of a digital footprint is just as important. From the readings we read, information digitally has very different privacy issues than publicly. Once something is put up on the internet, its data remains there forever and its public unless if the settings for this information are disabled. While I do not use social media very often, it is not because I do not want to post things, it is simply because I do not have many things to post online. That being said, I do still have my phone information, email account and othe rbasic information that is usually kept private but I will state that my opinion on this matter varies in my point of view.

Most of the time, I don't mind the stuff I post online, as normally I am not just posting that for my friends to see, but things that I simply do not mind that the public sees. I am mostly open about my life, and if people that know my friends that see the pictures of me they are posting, I mostly do not mind as for the most part I trust them if my friends trust them. While yes, these images stay with me forever, they also showcase memories that I do not mind people knowing about.

"But what about people you do not know posting images of you?"

The people do not know me and my name and if they were to look me up, chances are they would not know where to look. On facebook or instagram they will not tag me as they will not know who I am. Furthermore, How I act online and how act in person are one in the same, and most of the time they should stay like that as being online should not change me as a person let alone showcase I am a different person.

In regards to getting a job, I do not have any information on my facebook that would cause issues with this but let's say that I did. If I am unable to get a job because of some pictures that were private and only meant for a few friends, then I do not see that business lasting long and see that it may come across some controversy related to this. I am a strong believer that something that I said five years ago should not come back to haunt me just because I had different beliefs back then. If I said a satirical joke online, first of all I would not say this publicly and it would only be said via text, in person, or online chat, but if I said this publicly on facebook or instagram or whatever, I should not be judged for it as it was meant to be something in my personal life, it does not replicate my beliefs. What matters to a business should be the person you are in the workplace, the person you are at the interview, and the person you are in reality. Digital and private information should not be the only determining factor.

As such I feel a strong issue with the idea of privacy is partially done by mishandled information and understanding what should be public and what should be in your private scrapbook. You should not be judged for your internet self but should be judged for your real self and I think that is another large issue in the whole digital information age. We start straying from who we are on our personal digital information page rather than an official and formal business one like linked in. It makes us escape the reality of the world and who we really are and I think it is one of the largest issues in a digital information age.

Here is an article that exemplifies this issue and truly shows what this online self vs. real self has become nowadays.
http://www.emilymagazine.com/?p=741

Week 11

The internet is such a strong form of communications. With people from around the world to contact each other, it has become a strong topic for both technology and communication. Because the internet is such a vast ocean of information, people who are on the internet have a greater value of both privacy, and creativity. They can speak freely without having to have some sort of KGB knock on their door and have them in handcuffs in five seconds.

Because of the advancement of the internet, It has truly created its own culture and society and is associated largely with promoting innovation amongst its citizens. Using forum posts like reddit or social media gatherings like Facebook, users can craft their own ideas and speak freely without ever being questioned. As such the safety behind a computer screen is a large part about keeping free expression safe. It is why a large part of games, movies, shows, etcl are on the internet as it is a safe haven for creativity and ideas alike. 

The internet is an amazing place to share and make creative ideas, many companies even use it to help with group projects. People aspiring to be news reporters will even use it as a way to blog about local issues just so they can speak out in their own way. As such I feel the internet is almost the embodiment of the promotion of innovation.

EOTM Pt 2

A hoax is a falsehood that is meant to mask the truth. Most of the time it is used to prove something exists and reinvigorate the ideas of urban legends and rumors. They have been used time and time again, and have been progressively more clever than the last. Hoaxes have been a form of deceptions that confuse both researchers and society to this day. The term hoax comes from the old english word hocus, which means to cheat on. Although hoaxes are similar to practical jokes, the difference lies in their complexity. Whilst a practical joke is normally not very in-depth but meant to only impact a few people.

Zhang Yingyu, a chinese writer around the Wanli period of china (1563-1620), wrote the “Book of Swindles”, a book compiled with several short stories about deception, swindles, fraud, and hoaxes.  Each story is classified with over twenty four types of swindles based on a number of features. The main point of the book is to teach society how to avoid getting swindled, though it also gives tips to the art of deception, strangely enough. Many of the stories involve ordinary folk like peasants or peddlers. The book takes place in an imaginary realm of rivers and lakes, called jianghu. Jianghu itself was meant to be a safe place for political exiles, criminals, and spiritual people. However, it can also be dangerous as the strangers of the land may turn out to be preying on your goods.

The book categorizes twenty four types of swindles, these types are as follows.

1.Misdirection and theft

2. The bag drop

3.Money changing

4.Misrepresentation

5.False relations

6. Brokers; 

7.Enticement to Gambling 

8.Showing Off Wealth 

9.Scheming for Wealth 

10.Robbery 

11.Violence 

12.On Boats 

13.Poetry 

14.Fake Silver 

15.Government Underlings 

16.Marriage

17.Illicit Passion

18. Women

19.Kidnapping

20. Corruption in Education

21. Monks and Priests

22.Alchemy

23.Sorcery

24.Pandering

Although hoaxes have actually existed since the dawn of the human age, the earliest hoax that has been documented is the drummer of Tedworth in 1681. The drummer of Tedworth, was a hoax of a poltergeist haunting of a drummer, though experts state that the noises of the drummer were done by small children making an impractical joke. At first, this hoax did not go very far, it was only communicated about from word to word, or mouth to mouth. As communication advanced however, hoaxes started to spread more rapidly, to the point of becoming a rumor or an urban legend.

Hoaxes are commonly used today for a variety of purposes. Many militaries use them as a way to deceive incoming troops, or use it as a way of creating psychological warfare. Many politicians use hoaxes as a way to get ahead of their opponent, or create falsified information to further their own agendas. They are used to create some sort of myth or change in the way a large amount of society sees things. Other times, like the hoax of the hodag, they are used to make a quick buck on unsuspecting victims.

The hodag of wisconsin

Book of swindles

http://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-book-of-swindles/9780231178631