Artifact 10: Internet Addiction?

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/miss-g-a-case-of-internet-addiction/?emc=eta1

 In the article Miss G.: A Case of Internet Addiction, the author Virginia Heffernan, explained that the development of modern technology such as watching television, playing video games, browsing the internet became activities that people started to use often.  People ended up hating themselves for loving them.  Then there are duties that people thought of as respectful duties to citizenship such as newspaper, talk-radio, and sports. These activities are thought of as normal habits. As television, video games, and internet technologies became more advanced, particularly the internet, the popularity also increased by users.  The author’s main claim is “It is Internet use that’s been styled as potentially sick, and “Internet addiction” a new reason for self-hatred”.  In recent years, the internets usage has increased by most people, but how does a person draw a line between normal and ‘sick behavior’.  If a person is categorized as internet addict, it could add to their self-hatred.  The author adds an expert’s opinion, Dr. Kimberly Young, a professor of business at St. Bonaventure University.  She developed a questionnaire that evaluated a person’s internet addiction.  According to Dr. Young, she believes that internet addictions occur because people can create multiple personalities that satisfy their psychological needs.  Dr. Young asked questions that are directed toward real life not fantasy.  The author also points out that virtually all non-work addictions have been considered an addiction at one point or another.  Saying that something worth living for is an addiction is just absurd.  The second part of the article, the author talked about her encounter with a self-professed internet addict.  The person was female and like most people at an interview, they wanted to be called a different name.  Gabriela was her ‘name’.   Gabriela will wire into the internet for many hours and often sleeps with her laptop.  She stated that she uses her laptop because her sleep playlist helps her fall asleep.  The author mentioned that Gabriela has a late bedtime because she often stays up late surfing the web.  She will jump from different webpages throughout the night.  She surfs the web not for a regimen but as “a state of being”.  During the Sabbath, Gabriela refrained from internet use but constantly thought and talked about it.  Internet addiction attracts certain kinds of people with young, dreamlike minds that would probably be interested in novels and movies in earlier eras. 

 

I do believe that people can become addicted to the internet just like other substances.  There is a show on A&E called Intervention that documents a person that is usually addicted to drugs and alcohol.  I know those substances change a person state of mind but the symptoms described in the reading are similar addictions that I observed in the show.  The person cannot go a day without their addiction.  I also took the test featured on the website and my results came out to what I expected them to be.  They were average.  I might spend more time online than needed but I keep a balance between technology and personal life.  

Internet addictions is similar to an alcohol compulsion.  A person constantly has to use the item to have a peaceful state of mind.  

(compare and contrast)

Artifact 9:The Spirit of Sharing

A decade ago, a museum’s website consisted of its hours, location, special events, and other information.  It lacked the new technology features that have taken over webpages today.  Now museums are using technology and popular tools on their websites to enhance their popularity.  They want people coming back for more.  Adopting the new video chats, and connecting with social networking sites are less about the technology and more about getting the visitors involved.  Some social sites that museums use allow curators and online visitors to communicate and learn from each other.   Museums have always been a place for learning and now social media is enhancing the learning process.  With every new technology that pops up on the market, there is a caveat in the road.  Online engagement is stimulating but the museum experts are trying to keep people looking at art and not at their computer screen.  As technology changes so do museums, they are trying to stay current and keep up with popular use of technology.  They are doing this by add wireless in old museums, and keeping up with social media.   Museums are adding their own touches on the media by keeping people stimulated in the arts.  Different museums are trying new techniques.  Some are taking pictures of artwork and posting it online, others are putting up information that includes the amount of visitors, the amount energy used in the museum and what the experts are saying about the artwork.  It is a nice balance between personal and scholarly voices.  There is a lot of pressure for museums to change their old ways of connecting to the public and start adopting social media traits to their sites.  Museums have to compete with sites that are bigger, better, and faster.  Museums have stepped up to the plate and are using their websites as the main entrance, giving viewers’ slideshows of their artwork, videos, games, and interactive tools.  The Guggenheim and other museums are using Youtube to increase their yearly visitors.  In the end, art is still picked out by scholar and just using technology to get more people through the doors. 

As the saying goes “if it aint broke don’t fit it”.  As much as I believe in this saying, time have changed and for companies to survive they have to include social media on their websites.  I appreciate the fact that museums are still putting their focus on the artwork but are adding technology to increase the amount of people that come through their doors.  Even with the demand to keep up with the fast pass of technology, I was never a person that explored a museum’s website.  I found interesting museums by word of mouth.  When I went to New York City for spring break, I went Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I heard about it from people on the trip.  If I really enjoyed going to museums I probably would use their websites and engage in the actives online. 

Artifact 8

The internet has become a revolutionary tool in the way people live there lives and it is no surprise that medical applications are changing the way health is studied.  People are using apps on their phones for health related questions.  Statistics show that people are using these apps; 80 percent of users search for health related questions online, 57 percent go online with medical problems and more than 6,000 health and medical apps are available to download.  One of the first medical website is Web MD and this is great for users because it is passive and provides valid information.  The new sites for health care are interactive.   It is like having a two-way conversation with the doctor.  What is great about it is that experts are posting information for users and users are replying back to the experts with feedback.   One that was mentioned in the video was Mental Health and it gives tips on how to deal with stress, anxiety, insomnia, and relationship issues.  These sites are not trying to stop people from going to the doctor but be available to clients when they do not have appointment with a doctor.  These sites have been very successful because people like social networking sites but they also like small communities with people just like them.  Patientslikeme.com is a community site where patients are putting up information about their illness.  This not just great for people with the same illness but it has helped doctors and experts in their fields of study.  These sites are just used for seeking information but they provide medical support and community health.  Health games have also been developed that help people with serious conditions.  One game in particular shows  a character killing cancer cells.  A study in The Book of Pediatrics has shown that some of these games have lead to positive outcomes in patients.  They have better results with medicine, chemotherapy, and the overall outcome.  Not all medical sites are created equal, so it is important to look for apps or websites that are endorsed by credible sources. 

                My step-dad is a pediatrician so I am bias toward people going directly to the doctor for medical assistances.  I realize that doctors and experts are not always available and these new application and website are great for quick fixes but some people are using these websites as their doctors.  A website cannot give them same examination and prescribe medicine as a doctor can.  These websites are changing the way doctors are practicing medicine.  It was a little surprising that there are over 6,000 applications for medical help.  It makes me wonder how many are actually useful.  I am in favor for the websites that give support to patients with similar illnesses. No one quite understands what it feels like to have cancer except for the people who are going through it.  The video games are also a great way to educate a child about an illness through gaming.  It is something he or she can relate too.  It is also great that experts are using feedback given by user and applying it to the way doctors treats patients. 

Task 4: Making Conversation Online Chat And Messaging

One of the most popular opportunities offered by the internet is real-time chatting with friends and other people online.  There are many free chat rooms online but for starters, Internet Relay Chat is the most traditional, text-based chat systems supported by the internet.  Jarkko Oikarinen, Finnish computer whiz developed Internet Relay Chat in 1988.  Even today, IRC is a synchronous multi-user text-base chat room.  Once on IRC, a person has to connect to a chat room to talk publicly or privately with other people.  This is done by downloading a client (small computer program) to connect to one of the servers on IRC net.  The safest and user-friendly client is mIRC.  There is point of ‘netiquette’ that should be followed by all users, first ‘IRC is not a game’ and talk to people with courtesy.  It is important to try out different chat rooms and find one that feels comfortable to his or her needs.  Try not to be a lurker but engage with people and get involved in some decent chats.  There are also audio chat rooms that provide different ways to connect with people.  Whatever chat environment a person chooses just have an open mind and engage with other people online. 

Task 3: Creating a Webpage HTML and WYSIWYG EDITING

Today most people are online.  The internet is revolutionary and allows ordinary people to publish their thoughts and opinions online.  Initially, the internet was just for the elite, powerful, and rich.  Now a person does not have to be a big shot to have a webpage. Most people work with the internet in their jobs and at home.  Authoring a webpage is different from using the internet to seek out information.  There are a few tips for people who have never done so.  Creating a webpage gives a person hands on experience learning the programming language. There are programs that can teach a person to make a webpage but sometimes trial and error is the best way to learn and understand the process.  If a person opens his or her browser, selects view and source he or she will reveal the original programming code, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), which lies beneath each webpage.  This plain text is fashioned into rich text with color, spatial arrangements, images and varying font size displayed on the webpage.  HTML uses a variety codes that directs different commands.  There are two ways to write an HTML routine to build a person’s webpage. The first way is to create manually a code line by line. The second is to use software.  Knowing how to write HTML might be beneficial but there is software-utilizing WYSIWYG (an acronym for what you see is what you get) technology, which writes all the HTML code for a webpage making the process much easier.  Some of the software can be expensive but Netscape’s Composer is a less sophisticated editor that is free.  The next part is to design the webpage.  Font size, background color, images, and layout are all important things to consider when creating a webpage that other people are going to look at. Publishing the webpage is the final step.  There are several ways to make sure it becomes a proper page on the World Wide Web.  Depending on the institution, a student might upload his or her homepage on the main server.  It is also possible that a person’s internet server at home has space for uploads or a person can pay a small fee to have a commercial site host your webpage.  There are many options for first time webpage creators. 

Artifact 7: Cheating

       Students have always been one-step ahead of schools and teachers when it comes to cheating but not for long.  In Professors Use Technology to Fight Student Cheating by Kim Clarks explains that schools and teachers are no longer oblivious of the different ways to cheat on an exam.  Institutions are using new devices that detect cheating in hopes of decreasing the number of students turning in unoriginal work.  Students are so hungry for “A” quality work that they will do whatever they can to get the grade.  Universities are programming anti-plagiarism software that helps professors find plagiarism in papers.  Before, professors had to copy and paste suspicious phrase in Google to see if students were cheating.  Now schools are requiring students to turn in their work electronically to companies so their programs can highlight parts in an essay that match other sources.  The website Turnitin.com is a common website used by universities that find it easier to spot cheating.  Clarks mentions that the website has been very successful too.     There has been an 80 percent decrease in students turning in working that was not their own.  Similar software is being used for the GMAT.  The anti-cheating hardware is matching the actual person taking the test.  This software has been successful because they caught a man dressed up as a woman trying to take the test.  In addition, universities are requiring students to install software so teachers can monitor sights and sounds during test taking.  Clark states that Penn State University has updated their testing centers with video monitor desks with computers that are cheat proof.  Teachers are becoming tech-savvy in how they administer a test.  Some teachers give different forms of the test to make it difficult to cheat off other students.  The ones who know their information are the ones who will ace it.  Some professors are preventing cheating by assigning real world assignment that point out the stupidity of cheating.  They want students to realize that the real world is about working together.   Professors have to learn the new advances in technology so they can stay updated with the students.  Institutions are also creating tougher rules when it comes to taking a test.  They are monitoring the students more closely.  Hats with bill are forbidden along with jackets and sweatshirts.  They are also not allowed to bring food, drinks, gum, and cell phones when taking a test.  Food and apparel provides too many cheat- note storage places so they have to limit what a student brings into the testing center.  Cracking down on cheating will show students the importance of doing their own work. 

         Cheating is a constant concern for teachers.  Technology has become a sophisticated tool for students when it comes to cheating.  Students no longer just look off the student next to them but use their cells phones to find the correct answer.  There is a lot of pressure for students to do well and sometimes cheating is the easy way out.  The students that want to do well are the ones who are least likely to cheat and I hope that the programs will stop cheating with other students. 

Artifact 6

When I started using the internet more frequently, was when I got a Facebook.  Before that, the only time I went on the internet was for school purposes.  It is weird that there is a website that is completely anonymous.  You do not need a username, an account, or a profile.  Even when you buy something online, you have to give personal information so they can send it to your house.  It is hard to find an internet site where no one knows who you are.  With most social networking site, you have to create a profile that explains yourself in a nutshell.  People usually pick the best attributes to display but at the same time, they are very open too.  For example, a person might always have the best status but he or she has a photo album with the title “life of a college student”.  The internet is losing it sense of privacy. People are open when it comes to the internet because it is easier to say things online.  There are consequences when it comes to websites like this because it could jeopardize a job interview or a college application.  The speaker in the video has tried to rectify the situation by creating a website that does not involve a picture behind the post.  His website, 4chan, allows people to be their self without the anxiety of identity.  At times, a website like this would be a good thing because even if I deleted my Facebook my profile will still be around for the world to see. 

Artifact 5

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Artifact four

In the video with the pencil sharpener, the company is taking a rather old technology and updating its performance.   Manual pencil sharpeners have either one hole or two holes with one small and one large. This pencil company has mastered the art of pencil sharpeners.  They figured out what blades sharpened the wood without sharpening the graphite, and what blade sharpened the graphite and not the wood.  The video demonstrates how to sharpen perfectly a pencil.  First, a person takes a Palomino- Kum long point pencil sharpener and a Palomino pencil.   Then take the pencil and put it into the first hole to shave the wood off the pencil.  After that, put the pencil into the second hole to sharpen the graphite.  When sharpening the graphite make sure not to put too much pressure on the pencil because otherwise it will break.  It is also important to keep the pencil at a slight angle for the best results. 

The second video was of a robot woman.  The woman appeared to be alive but her lack of facial expressions and synthetic hair distinguished her as a robot.  There was man that had an electronic device hocked up to him controlling what the robot woman’s actions.  When he would shake his head, she would shake hers.  He controlled her movements. At one point, the robot woman talked and her mouth moved but she did not have any facial expression that would be visible on humans.  Her bottom lips moved and words came out but it looked unnatural.  She looked “robotic”.  Her movements were stiff and tight.   She did show expression on her forehead but that was the only visible movement.  The man controlling the robot woman moved her eye and head.  Her eye movements were quicker than humans were.  Near the end of the video, the robot woman rocked back and forth, this looked unnatural but very impressive for a robot.  The point of the video was to demonstrate how the robot worked and operated. 

If I had to pick between a pencil and a pen I would pick a pencil easily, especially regular pencils.  I like how they write and how smooth they are on paper.  Finding a good pencil with a good eraser is hard find now days.  I would be interested in buying a Palomino pencil and a pencil sharpener because it looks like it would fit my needs.  The instructional video was very professional and basic.  The man was understandable and spoke clearly. 

 My initial reaction of the video was creepy.  The woman’s face looked like a person who just got plastic surgery.  I was more frightened because the robot woman actually resembled a human and not metal “robot”.  She had human characteristics like hair, skin, a mouth and arms.  It was very impressive that technology allows people to create a robot that can pass as a human.  Who knows what will happen next with this development in technology.  In the future, will robots be able to think like humans, talk like humans, and nurture like humans?   Will robots replace humans in the work force? I guess we will just have to see.