Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/technology/22distracted.html?ref=technology
Support: http://www.nationwide.com/newsroom/dwd-facts-figures.jsp
The article at hand talks about how using your cellular phone while driving is usually dangerous and a hands-free headset is not the answer either. One possible remedy to this problem was “ZoomSafer”, which is a free service that uses a phone’s GPS sensors to disable the phone when a certain speed is reached. The best solution is to actually turn off your cellular phone according to the article, “but going cold turkey is hard for many Americans who have become addicted to their gadgets” (cnn.com). Ford and Microsoft also offer a system that uses voice commands to dial your contacts. Nationwide is offering discounts to drivers who actually use call-blocking services while driving to encourage people to put safety first. Aegis Mobility and obdEdge, also use the same type of features that “ZoomSafer” use, “any incoming calls are then routed to voice mail or a message explaining that the phone’s owner is driving. Exceptions can be made for certain numbers” (cnn.com). Some employers are also participating in this service in order to make sure their drivers abide by the cell phone rules. Studies have shown that drivers are four times more likely to get into a car accident when talking on the phone, whether or not they use a hands-free headset.
I think that it is cool how insurance companies are lowering people’s rates for being safe while using a call-blocker. However, it is difficult for someone to not have their phone readily available while driving, especially if they are using their phone for business. According to CNN, “Once a conversation begins, we don’t see a difference between hand-held and hands-free” (cnn.com). I agree with the quote because I think that once we get into a conversation, we go ahead and put driving as a second priority whether or not we realize it. I use my cell phone while driving sometimes but it usually is not for something important at all. I would like to think of myself as a great driver, but I do not think that anything is safe about putting your life and the life of others at risk while using the phone. We as a society usually do not think it is a big deal, but “distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver's reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent” (nationwide.com). The statistics alone should put some sense into a person, and the last thing anyone needs on their conscious is a wreck because of a silly conversation over the phone that caused a fatal accident. Think smart.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Article Blog # 12
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/12/facebook.alibi/index.html
Support: http://www.marketing-jive.com/2007/09/11-business-benefits-of-using-facebook.html
This article is a perfect example of why social networking sites such as Facebook can be beneficial. The article at hand is about a man who found himself in a sticky situation that had no part in. For Rodney Bradford was charged for robbery in the first degree for a situation in which two men were robbed at gunpoint just 12 miles away from his father’s house. Rodney was at home posting an update on his Facebook account when this situation occurred. The next day Bradford, who was facing separate charges for a 2008 indictment, found out that police were looking for him and decided to turn himself in knowing that he was innocent. Unfortunately, the victims picked him out of the lineup and he was sent to Rikers Island, the New York City jail. Bradford spent the next 12 days talking to his attorney about how he was innocent, and how his Facebook would help out the trial. Lucky for Bradford, Facebook had a timestamp on his “status update” which ended up being the deciding factor of his release from the prison. The only problem with this case is that the prosecutors believe that anyone can be on a person’s Facebook account, but it is nearly impossible to really prove whether it is the actual user.
I think that this is an interesting case of how technology helped give a man back his freedom. It is crazy how a simple status update kept Mr. Bradford from facing some serious jail time, and I think that it just goes to show that Facebook is not all that bad. "We're in a much more trackable world, and for better and for worse," said attorney Jonathan Handel. "The extent to which it means that the right people get prosecuted and the innocent get their cases dropped, that's all of the good" (cnn.com). I am glad that the judge actually accepted the Facebook alibi, and I think that the only downfall to a more “trackable world” is the fact that people may feel like their privacy is being breached. However, I do think that search engines can be a negative to some people who don’t want their Facebook information searchable, “Your Facebook profile can now be indexed in the search results and as a result can provide another favorable listing in the organic search results of the engines” (marketing-jive.com). All in all, social networking sites can actually be beneficial for more than marketing yourself.
Support: http://www.marketing-jive.com/2007/09/11-business-benefits-of-using-facebook.html
This article is a perfect example of why social networking sites such as Facebook can be beneficial. The article at hand is about a man who found himself in a sticky situation that had no part in. For Rodney Bradford was charged for robbery in the first degree for a situation in which two men were robbed at gunpoint just 12 miles away from his father’s house. Rodney was at home posting an update on his Facebook account when this situation occurred. The next day Bradford, who was facing separate charges for a 2008 indictment, found out that police were looking for him and decided to turn himself in knowing that he was innocent. Unfortunately, the victims picked him out of the lineup and he was sent to Rikers Island, the New York City jail. Bradford spent the next 12 days talking to his attorney about how he was innocent, and how his Facebook would help out the trial. Lucky for Bradford, Facebook had a timestamp on his “status update” which ended up being the deciding factor of his release from the prison. The only problem with this case is that the prosecutors believe that anyone can be on a person’s Facebook account, but it is nearly impossible to really prove whether it is the actual user.
I think that this is an interesting case of how technology helped give a man back his freedom. It is crazy how a simple status update kept Mr. Bradford from facing some serious jail time, and I think that it just goes to show that Facebook is not all that bad. "We're in a much more trackable world, and for better and for worse," said attorney Jonathan Handel. "The extent to which it means that the right people get prosecuted and the innocent get their cases dropped, that's all of the good" (cnn.com). I am glad that the judge actually accepted the Facebook alibi, and I think that the only downfall to a more “trackable world” is the fact that people may feel like their privacy is being breached. However, I do think that search engines can be a negative to some people who don’t want their Facebook information searchable, “Your Facebook profile can now be indexed in the search results and as a result can provide another favorable listing in the organic search results of the engines” (marketing-jive.com). All in all, social networking sites can actually be beneficial for more than marketing yourself.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Article Blog # 11
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/02/kids.social.networks/index.html
Support: http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/online-social-networking-is-it-bad-for-kids
The article depicts a popular topic that may or may not have a truly correct answer. The article talks about social networking and kids, and how young is too young for a kid to be on popular social networking sites such as Facebook, and MySpace. It is difficult for the social networking sites to monitor whether or not a kid meets the required minimum age limit of 13 because so many kids are pretending to be older than they really are. One argument for why young children should be on these networking sites is that, “Some scientists worry that pre-adolescent use of the sites, which some therapists have linked to Internet addiction among adults, could be damaging to children's relationships and brains” (cnn.com). However, many people do not think that this social networking craze is as bad as some parents make it out to be, and that most of these young kids tend to do the same things that they would in their offline lives. A huge concern for parents is that, “these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment” (cnn.com). Many parents do believe that this we must accept the fact that this is a new time and that we just need to get over the fear, and try to monitor our children the best we can.
I think that this article really addresses a popular issue that many parents are aware of, but just do not know how to handle. I personally have been using social networking sites ever since I was 12 years old, now I am 20 and continue to go on my networking sites regularly. I do not think that these social networking sites were such a bad thing, but I do think that of parents do not monitor their kids, it could get bad. We have to face the fact that there is no running away from these networking sites, and that eventually your children will be on sites similar to Facebook, or MySpace. I believe that it just depends on how you prepare your child, and it is up to you to educate them on why not to put up certain information on their profile pages. According to a psychiatrist at West London Mental Hospital, “kids are likely to find the real world boring and will look to more extreme types of behavior to get a kick out of life and that in the virtual world things happen much faster, relationships are begun and ended with the click of a mouse and you can reinvent yourself in your online profile whenever you want to” (geekwithlaptop.com). Kids are always going to find ways to get around things, and it is up to us as adults to help guide them through this process of online social networking while giving them to opportunity to practice it under a controlled environment.
Support: http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/online-social-networking-is-it-bad-for-kids
The article depicts a popular topic that may or may not have a truly correct answer. The article talks about social networking and kids, and how young is too young for a kid to be on popular social networking sites such as Facebook, and MySpace. It is difficult for the social networking sites to monitor whether or not a kid meets the required minimum age limit of 13 because so many kids are pretending to be older than they really are. One argument for why young children should be on these networking sites is that, “Some scientists worry that pre-adolescent use of the sites, which some therapists have linked to Internet addiction among adults, could be damaging to children's relationships and brains” (cnn.com). However, many people do not think that this social networking craze is as bad as some parents make it out to be, and that most of these young kids tend to do the same things that they would in their offline lives. A huge concern for parents is that, “these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment” (cnn.com). Many parents do believe that this we must accept the fact that this is a new time and that we just need to get over the fear, and try to monitor our children the best we can.
I think that this article really addresses a popular issue that many parents are aware of, but just do not know how to handle. I personally have been using social networking sites ever since I was 12 years old, now I am 20 and continue to go on my networking sites regularly. I do not think that these social networking sites were such a bad thing, but I do think that of parents do not monitor their kids, it could get bad. We have to face the fact that there is no running away from these networking sites, and that eventually your children will be on sites similar to Facebook, or MySpace. I believe that it just depends on how you prepare your child, and it is up to you to educate them on why not to put up certain information on their profile pages. According to a psychiatrist at West London Mental Hospital, “kids are likely to find the real world boring and will look to more extreme types of behavior to get a kick out of life and that in the virtual world things happen much faster, relationships are begun and ended with the click of a mouse and you can reinvent yourself in your online profile whenever you want to” (geekwithlaptop.com). Kids are always going to find ways to get around things, and it is up to us as adults to help guide them through this process of online social networking while giving them to opportunity to practice it under a controlled environment.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Article Blog #10
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/10/30/online.rejection.defriending/index.html
Support: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=29104&w=5&cn=1
The article at hand depicts a person’s feelings after being rejected or “defriended” on social networking sites such as Facebook, or Twitter. The article begins with a story of a woman who uses Likedln, a professional social networking site, to extend invites to people who appear to have the same career interest as her. Until one day a woman denied her friend request stating that; “I only connect with people I know, and hopefully our paths will cross one day” (cnn.com). Experts say that rejection on social networking sites is just as painful as rejection face-to-face. The article also explains how some people have a harder time dealing with rejection, or even being the rejecter. Many people find it difficult to defriend a person, while others do it very often with the intention of keeping there “friends list” short, while having friends that they actually talk to. The article has people explaining the importance of having friends that you actually know, as opposed to having a friend of a friend. Limiting your friends will allow you to have stronger relationships with them, and eliminate all those awkward rejections and hurt feelings.
I think that we people should not get too emotional when dealing with online rejections via social networking sites. Some people tend to get very emotional when it comes to being rejected online, while others do not take social networking sites as serious. It is hard to get rejected no matter the situation, and I understand why people get so upset when being defriended or unwanted be another. Rejection can really change a person forever, “Very often, the prior experience of rejection causes people to avoid socializing in the future, avoiding it like the child whose hand has been burned by a hot stove and avoids kitchen all together” (mentalhelp.net). We as a society shouldn’t take this online rejection so personally though, after all, many people are not who they are face-to-face as they are online. Therefore, it may be easier for someone to simply reject a Facebook invite without learning about the person. You don’t need to have 1,000 plus friends on Facebook or Twitter in order to be cool, because as long as you have real friends, numbers don’t matter.
Support: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=29104&w=5&cn=1
The article at hand depicts a person’s feelings after being rejected or “defriended” on social networking sites such as Facebook, or Twitter. The article begins with a story of a woman who uses Likedln, a professional social networking site, to extend invites to people who appear to have the same career interest as her. Until one day a woman denied her friend request stating that; “I only connect with people I know, and hopefully our paths will cross one day” (cnn.com). Experts say that rejection on social networking sites is just as painful as rejection face-to-face. The article also explains how some people have a harder time dealing with rejection, or even being the rejecter. Many people find it difficult to defriend a person, while others do it very often with the intention of keeping there “friends list” short, while having friends that they actually talk to. The article has people explaining the importance of having friends that you actually know, as opposed to having a friend of a friend. Limiting your friends will allow you to have stronger relationships with them, and eliminate all those awkward rejections and hurt feelings.
I think that we people should not get too emotional when dealing with online rejections via social networking sites. Some people tend to get very emotional when it comes to being rejected online, while others do not take social networking sites as serious. It is hard to get rejected no matter the situation, and I understand why people get so upset when being defriended or unwanted be another. Rejection can really change a person forever, “Very often, the prior experience of rejection causes people to avoid socializing in the future, avoiding it like the child whose hand has been burned by a hot stove and avoids kitchen all together” (mentalhelp.net). We as a society shouldn’t take this online rejection so personally though, after all, many people are not who they are face-to-face as they are online. Therefore, it may be easier for someone to simply reject a Facebook invite without learning about the person. You don’t need to have 1,000 plus friends on Facebook or Twitter in order to be cool, because as long as you have real friends, numbers don’t matter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)