Media Law & Literacy

      The pioneers of personal computers were primarily scientists and mathematicians who used these computers for data entry and calculation. They pioneered this technology due to the fact that it was more convenient than writing on paper and was somewhat more permanent than paper as well. Computers did a large amount of the calculations for the user, therefore making it a matter of convenience to pioneer this technology. The early adopters of personal computers were still primarily scientists and university students. Computers were not consumer  friendly and could only be understood by someone who held a degree in computer science at the time. By the time of the early majority, personal computers had been invented and were far more consumer friendly, but still lacked a real appeal outside of their original purposes for calculation. The late majority of adopters of the personal computer are the average household, as personal computers had progressed to the point the...

       Doxxing is a unique form of harassment that has only recently become a large problem. Virtually all instances of doxxing are malicious in nature. The term doxxing means the sharing of personal information with malicious intent. This information can be acquired through public domains or illegal access of personal files, sharing any of this information in an attempt to incite violence against an individual or individuals is doxxing. The legality of doxxing has been a point of debate, especially recently. Under the first amendment, a citizen can share any information obtained through legal means without fear of prosecution. Thus, doxxing is technically not an illegal action, although the resulting harassment typically results in prosecution. While doxxing may not be illegal, many platforms forbid the practice and typically issue permanent account suspensions as a result. Doxxing only has negative implications, as it almost universally incites harassment or violen...

     The issues raised in each TED talk are incredibly alarming. The idea that even the simple act of going out to a public place or driving a car can lead to invasions of a person's privacy is an incredibly terrifying one. The notion that the things posted online or even sent to trusted persons can be weaponized against you is even more alarming. The issue of privacy in the modern age is an incredibly complicated one. Security cameras and traffic cameras, at least in America, exist for safety reasons and not solely for surveillance. This in and of itself is not directly harmful, however these cameras may capture certain things that may then be shared without the individual's knowledge. Other countries such as China can be considered surveillance states, as virtually every single action a Chinese citizen does is recorded and tracked in some capacity. Issues revolving around privacy such as revenge porn and doxxing are incredibly serious and are directly related to the in...

      The mainstream media will never truly be against the idea of America warring with other nations. This is due to the simple fact that in this day and age the majority of the mainstream media is little more than propaganda for a political party or corporation. Even simpler still is that war is profitable . Private contractors make billions from the American government as it constantly spends trillions on the military. The house recently just passed a  768 billion dollar  defense spending bill, in order to bolster the nation's military against perceived foreign threats. The bill was even rushed through, with bipartisan support to boot. There is little justification for the majority of the United States' military operations, however it is rare that mainstream media reports on the war crimes America has committed in the Middle East. Many global superpowers spend frivolous amounts of money on exercises and implements of war such as tanks and aircraft. Many large...

IBM PC            The personal computer was one of the most important inventions of the modern world. The personal computer was created with the intention of bringing the large and unwieldly computers into the average home with a consumer friendly design. The very first personal computer was named "Altair" and was developed by MITS (Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems) in 1974. This was sold as a kit that the consumer had to put together, and was known to be  unreliable and hard to assemble . In 1977, three computers were developed for mass market, these being the Apple II, the Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80, and the Personal Electronic Transactor. The invention of the  microprocessor  gave computers the ability to have more functions outside of calculations. In 1981, the IBM PC was released and quickly became the fastest selling personal computer due to its superior processing power over competitors of the time. Today, the average personal...

    My relationship with technology has crossed the border into unhealthy territories. There have been several occasions in which I have spent an entire day sitting in front of the computer screen. Doing so has lead to my eyesight deteriorating as well as gaining weight due to lack of movement. Despite this, I feel that technology has made me smarter, as in this day and age one must regularly exercise critical thought about what media they are consuming online. Technology has played a major role in my relationships, especially as some of my closest friends were met through the internet. The ability to easily communicate with others that share similar interests has made it easier to form connections, and even through a screen there can be genuine comradery.     Technology has somewhat adversely affected my family members, in particular my father. A man who once enjoyed life was turned bitter after several years of access to all the most negative parts of the world. Ra...