Blog 9: Privacy Through the Phone

In class, we discussed the importance of privacy whether that be through social media, through the phone, or tracking through our web browsers. In the video "How to Avoid Surveillance ... With the Phone in Your Pocket," Christopher Soghoian discusses how for more than a hundred years, telephone companies have been wiretapping assistance for governments. As technology has progressed throughout the years, surveillance has been wired to the core of our telephones. This means that anyone, not just the government, could tap in into our telephone conversations. Luckily, Soghoian does talk about how silicon valley companies have made surveillance very difficult to wire tap. Although this may be more difficult for the police to find criminals through telephone records, it keeps others safe from having our conversations recorded for data collection. These encryptions save our privacy.

References:

Soghoian, Christopher. “How to Avoid Surveillance ... with the Phone in Your Pocket.” TED, www.ted.com/talks/christopher_soghoian_how_to_avoid_surveillance_with_the_phone_in_your_pocket?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.

Blog 8: Rogers' Diffusion through Radio

The Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation bell graph presents important information on how the public adapts to new innovations. 

As seen in the graph above, each colored section a certain time in history for the production as well as a group of people who became involved. For this example, I will be using the radio. 

Innovators: When Marconi invented the radio in 1894, it was a time of experimenting. The radio was not built for the public and could not send signals very far distances. This was a time for inventors. It wasn't until 1899 when he created the Marconi Telegraph Company in 1899 and successfully sent wireless signals across the Atlantic Ocean in 1901.

Early Adopters: In 1916, the first radio became available. This was a time when people were finally able to buy their own radio. The public was able to use the tuner model to switch stations in AM or FM. Although many people were going out to buy their own radio, this was still the beginning. The people who bought this product were more likely wealthy folk.

Early Majority: The Golden Age of Radio began in the 1930s. This was the best source of entertainment whether it be listening to the news, music, or the blocks of time made for storytelling. This was a time of comedy shows with Ed Wynn and even horror shows with Richard Widmark. Whatever style a person wanted, the radio had it. This was great for middle-class homes who needed to stay updated. Radio also became available in cars. 

Late Majority: The Golden Age of Radio ended in the 1950s and by this time, it was a common household object. This changed the way people heard music by introducing them to genres like rock n' roll. This was a time when the people who were hesitant (lower class citizens) about radio began to buy them because the radio became cheaper and the most common way to get the news. This was also around the end of President Roosevelt's "Fire Side Chats" which would update the public on government decisions and able to have a deeper connection with the American citizens.

Laggards: The radio continued to be a very popular source for music and news along with sports and radio shows throughout the 1960s and on. The people who waited to buy a radio were more likely the elderly who preferred records for their music and newspaper for their news. 

After reviewing history through the Diffusion Theory, one can see that there are a few positives and negatives through these outcomes. The radio has definitely made the communication of important news easily accessible. Music has allowed artists to present their work through mass media, by offering different styles of music to different people. It has also entertained families for generations through storytelling, sports updates, and talk shows. A negative impact on the radio is its damage to newspaper sales. After purchasing a radio, it becomes more cost-effective; buying fewer books and records to entertain. Radio, however, has also had a downfall in the past decade due to music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Although radio is still available and used in this day and age, its golden years have passed.

Citations:

Skretvedt, Randy, and Christopher H. Sterling. “Radio.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/radio.

“Guglielmo Marconi.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 25 June 2020, www.biography.com/inventor/guglielmo-marconi.

Photos:

Bertsch, posted by Bob. “Assumptions of Basing Our Work on Diffusion of Innovation.” Military Families Learning Network, 7 Nov. 2019, militaryfamilieslearningnetwork.org/2017/01/11/assumptions-of-basing-our-work-on-diffusion-of-innovation/.

Blog 7: Reflection of EOTO

After watching many engaging presentations on the Evolution of Technology, I was amazed by the abundance of information I learned through this project; not only through my research but through others' reports. One that really stood out to me was the first Emoji icons. The first emoticon was created by Scott E. Fahlman who began with just using a colon and a closing parenthesis, producing an image that looked like a happy face. One of the interesting facts that I learned is that ":)" is actually recognized by the Webster Dictionary as a happy face. As she skimmed through the emoticon timeline, I was fascinated to find out that "E" means "pictures" and "moji" means "character". The first emoji was created in 1999 by a Japanese artist named Shigetaka Kurita. By making faces to represent emotions on a screen, the faces began to spread to texting and used every day. It adds emotion to text and helps send messages across in moods that would be miscommunicated without it. With only a few minutes of my time, I was able to learn so much about our technology's history. Although I am grateful for the time I live in, I think it is important to review the evolution of technology. The journey to our modern-day technology and appliances have truly shaped society through inventing and improving.

Citations:

“✂️ Copy and  Paste Emoji No Apps Required.” Get Emoji - All Emojis to ✂️ Copy and Paste , getemoji.com/.

Blog 6: Radio (EOTO)

For my EOTO project, I chose the radio, which is “sound communication by radio waves, usually through the transmission of music, news, and other types of programs from single broadcast stations to multitudes of individual listeners equipped with radio receivers.” (Sterling) The radio was invented by a man named Guglielmo Marconi. In 1894, he began experimenting with radio waves as a student at the Livorno Technical Institute. He later created the Marconi Telegraph Company in 1899 and he successfully sent wireless signals across the Atlantic Ocean in 1901. 

The first radio with a tuner was in 1916. The tuner models were designed to receive AM broadcast bands. As FM became more popular and the primary listening focus, AM's limitations of distances caused more radios to be manufactured with both.

Radio continued to spread across the world and blossomed in the 1920s and 30s. This was the beginning of live broadcasting in America. By 922, many companies began to grow with over 550 news stations. Some did not last very long due to the expensive costs of equipment and production. The Golden Age of American radio was from 1930 to 1955. From 1933 to 1944 many Americans would sit around their radio and listen to President Roosevelt’s “Fire Side Chats” which would update the public on government decisions and connect with them. Radio became the main way for entertainment by using storytelling and talk shows. From comedy with Ed Wynn to horror with Richard Widmark, radio a variety for any person.  Although radio is still used today, television took a toll on its popularity by gets its news and entertainment on a screen. 

Radio sparked an increase in advertising, encouraging people to buy products presented between segments and music. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) brought advertising to American radio when their radio station in New York City (WEAF) began selling time slots for “toll broadcasting.” The first commercial ever aired was a real-estate ad offering apartments in Jackson Heights, Queens. This fifteen-minute-long commercial was only the beginning of radio advertising which very soon began the advertising medium. 

Today, the popularity of radio for the purpose of music has become used less often due to music streaming services. However, the radio allowed people to listen to a variety of music from different locations easily. It encouraged the exploration of different genres and brought musicians more fame by spreading their music farther. It brought rock n’ roll in the 1950s, inventing “Top 40” programming. This radio show played the most popular songs as well as had different “disc jockeys” per time of the day. This went away the programs and storytelling and more of an announcer and light-hearted jokes.

Citations:

Skretvedt, Randy, and Christopher H. Sterling. “Radio.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/radio.

“Guglielmo Marconi.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 25 June 2020, www.biography.com/inventor/guglielmo-marconi.

(Photo)

Wilson, Sarah. “How to Start an Internet Radio Station From Home: A Step-By-Step Guide.” Airtime Pro, 2 June 2020, www.airtime.pro/how-to-start-an-internet-radio-station-a-step-by-step-guide/.

Contributor, Honey Good, et al. “From The Radio Days to The Present - How to Deal With a Pandemic.” Honey Good®, 31 May 2020, www.honeygood.com/from-the-radio-days-to-the-present-dealing-with-a-pandemic/.

Blog 5: Speech Theories

When viewing speech theories and connecting them to the modern-day, one in particular that stands out is the "Promote Tolerance" theory. This means that, by allowing the American citizens to have the freedom of speech, whether that be positive or negative, it creates a more tolerant society. Because Americans are given the right to say hateful speech without apprehension, it allows society to absorb that knowledge and become more tolerant of hurtful things. This connects to the modern day through the current election. By allowing individuals to discuss hateful things about the President and the other candidates, it allows the people to feel that they have a voice, that the truth can be spoken, and that all are treated equally. This also distinguishes where political parties differ and allow different political views to society. Unlike a dictatorship, the government can not stop the citizens from saying how they feel. This allows people to not feel suffocated from saying their thoughts and problems. This can give the government insight on what the American citizens feel unjust and could be changed.
This is an important theory to me because these are times that cause people to question the First Amendment. With police brutality causing a backlash in the media, it is important to recognize that the government is allowing people to say hateful things about figures in power. With the Black Lives Matter movement causing people to speak out, the American people are becoming more educated through media, and can even change their perspective to promote racial equality. There are countries that do not have the ability to scrutinize the government. We have the ability to use hate speech when we see something unjust or offensive in society. It is a right given to us that allows Americans to learn from and tolerate one another.
I think this theory has been extremely prominent in media today. If you look through an Instagram story or two, you may find political, mental health, or equality awareness pictures. Some may be attacking racist, feminist, or homophobist, and are creating hate speech because they care about human rights. They believe that equality is something to stand for and if someone is doing hurtful things, they will backlash and say their opinion. These disputes over the internet are changing our world and opening it to different perspectives to allow us to be a more tolerable nation.

Citation:

Hodson, Matthew. “Black Lives Matter.” Aidsmap.com, 4 June 2020, www.aidsmap.com/news/jun-2020/black-lives-matter.

Blog 4: Antiwar Websites

The websites, ANTIWAR.COM  and American Conservative, are sites that are not recognized in the mainstream media but have so much information about the world that we did not know. These websites reveal the activity with American troops in Syria, deep explanations about the President’s war decisions, and give inciting articles discussing American politics through realism. Before this class, I did not know these websites existed, even though they have so much information I wished I had known before. I assume that these websites are not as common because it discusses the raw truth about America’s war plans and how they could be problematic. The government doesn’t like journalists who bash on the public and whether the internet tries to hide these sites or not, it must be acknowledged that important information like this should not be overlooked. I think that most journalism is sugar-coated and never tell the whole truth. Over the top headlines and misunderstood quoting has taken over the media to grab our attention. It’s important to take a step back I look at the raw truth and the events that are hiding in the background.

Citations:

“$20/Year Print Subscription to THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE.” Stormfields, 2 Jan. 2018, bradbirzer.com/2018/01/02/20-year-print-subscription-to-the-american-conservative/.

Antiwar.com, www.antiwar.com/.

Extra Credit: Coded Bias Reflection

After watching the documentary, Coded Bias, I have been educated about the problems with artificial intelligence. When Joy Buolamwini made an art project with an algorithm that detected faces, she noticed that her face and other darker-skinned people were not easily detected by the face identification. The programs created by big companies like Amazon and Google have bias by the specific information put into the system. Because the pictures in the data are mostly white males, women and people with different skin tones are not detected and treated the same way. The face identification system used by police also wrongly detects criminals on the streets. The algorithm that companies use is so advanced that even the creators do not fully understand how it works. This has caused problems in hiring and firing workers, miss reading resumes, and giving a disadvantage to women. The computers are learning from the bias in society that even Twitter's experiment with an artificial intelligence named "Tay" began to learn to say racist and sexist comments after reading hurtful tweets in less than 16 hours. Joy created Algorithmic Justice League to help society delete bias against sex, race, and wealth from artificial intelligence. These members are diverse and know how false face recognition can affect their lives. I enjoyed how almost all the interviews in this documentary were from women. It was so refreshing and it shows the representation that is lacking in the algorithm. The fight for these changes to ban bias facial recognition is truly inspiring. We must put some sort of ethics in these mathematical equations.

Citations:

Spotlight - Coded Bias Documentary, www.ajl.org/spotlight-documentary-coded-bias.