The Future of the Internet

Description:

Through its immense multi-functionality and popular usage, there is little chance that the internet will be fully replaced leading up to the year 2025; instead it is likely to become more integrated into other communication, and technological devices. Since its conception, the Google Corporation has taken excessive measures to monitor and become involved with growing social phenomenons through purchasing popular websites including Blogger and YouTube. As people become more drawn in with technology and share their individuality with the rest of the world through portals such as Facebook, MSN, and Twitter, they lose a certain amount of security; their identity becoming more widespread. This trend will escalate, until it surfaces into a new medium that will work behind the scenes to track all web users; the internet will transition into a more sinister technology known as Google-Brother.

A particular video entitled “Epic 2014” shared during the first week of Tech 114 detailed a purposed timeline of events that would see Google’s purchases escalate until eventually it become a information medium that phased out traditional news sources. Upon observing Google’s more recent transactions since the creation of this video, rumours of future projects in development, as well as the escalation in usage of social networking sites, it may be possible for Google to go well beyond controlling just the news industry.

Development:

Google’s attempt to take command of the internet will begin with the emergence of the “Googlenet.” This purposed system will work to compete against the largest internet service providers to distribute Wi-Fi access to all citizens. Essentially Google, “the gatekeeper of the world’s information, [would emerge as] one of the globe’s biggest Internet providers and one of its most powerful ad sellers, basically supplanting telecoms” (Malik, 2005). This new system would have a tremendous effect on users, as Google would be able to track individuals and target them with specific advertisements at any given time. The plausibility of this advancement is considerable due to the fact that Google has already begun testing free Wi-Fi service in San Francisco with the intent of testing its cost effectiveness in regards to advertising and possibly its ability to work for a larger audience. Once everyone is connected through Google, the company will have considerable power in terms of manipulating users, further channelled through its respective online outlets.

Looking at its past behaviour, it is likely that another foreseeable milestone Google will achieve in the coming years is the purchase of Twitter. This increasingly popular service “has emerged as the custodian of a valuable online index of real-time facts, comments, musings and announcements, information that is clearly valuable for Google’s search engine index” (Perez, 2009). Through the continual acquisition of products such as Twitter, Google will expand its ability to reach and track internet users. Essentially the company, using its respective properties such as YouTube and the foreseeable acquisition of Twitter would be able to piece together the personalities of its respective users. Eventually everyone would be tracked and monitored and Google would be free to openly attack people with unlimited advertisements and propaganda to its content.

Rationale:

Through all of the advancements leading up to its creation, the internet’s growth does not easily compare in regards to its predecessors. Each year the World Wide Web expands and grows with new trends and social changes continuously popping up on the horizon. Hence this is similar to the growth of the printing press which was first invented by Gutenberg but was later improved in the 19th century to incorporate steam power. As new technology becomes evident there is an increasing demand amongst consumers; in recent times, the prominence of printed newspapers has significantly diminished due to the growing reliance towards online news sources. Google, witnessing these changes, as worked to capture the core foundations of social changes to maintain its presence and spread its influence further amongst users.

Reflecting upon Google’s past expeditions it is easy to construct a timeline similar to that of Epic 2014 which would utilize the acquisition of new firms to further channel Google’s domination and self interest. Google certainly has demonstrated that it is financially successful and influential enough to carry out not only it’s purchasing of new assets but also in implementing a wide spread Wi-Fi network. Regardless of what the future brings, it is ultimately the users who will determine the outcome, if Google is intuitive enough to continue holding a solid grasp on their audience then there is little hope; Google will persist in its expansion, maintaining a powerful presence in the online world.
References:

Epic 2014. (2006). Retrieved April 6, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUHBPuHS-7s

Malik, Om. (September 1, 2005). Free Wi-Fi? Get Ready for GoogleNet. Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. Retrieved April 6, 2009 from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2005/09/01/8356497/

Perez, Juan C. (April 3, 2009). Google Acquisition Rumors Reflect Twitter’s Importance. PC World Communications, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2009 from http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/162586/google_acquisition_rumors_reflect_twitters_importance.html+google+buy+twitter&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

StudioLab #4 – Fictional Facebook Profile

The historic figure I chose for my Facebook profile was Nikola Tesla, a Serbien inventor whose inovations in electricity and magnetism have had a resounding impact on our lives today. Tesla was born under the Austrian Empire in the town of Smiljan in 1856 and died at the age of 86 living in New York city.

When under taking the task of what elements I wanted to include on Tesla’s profile, I wanted to emphasis his relationships with friends and fellow inventors, highlight his own personal hobbies and also exploring his scientific philosophy and expertise.Tesla had a good relationship with Mark twain, one way to distinguish this was to have Twain’s novels in Tesla’s “Favourite Books” section. Meanwhile, in the case of fellow inventor Thomas Edison, the two resented each other and this is identified on the profile when Edison remarks that he would never share the Noble Prize with Tesla. (This is how the two actually felt about each other) Tesla never married, and seemed to accommodate his disinterest in women by having a peculiar hobby of feeding and being obsessed by pigeons. References to this are made throughout the profile through pictures, and Tesla’s own commentary. Also included in the profile were quotes from two men Tesla admired; Mach and Boscovich, to give an example of his influences.

Facebook Info:

http://www.sfu.ca/~dss12/Tesla%20Info.jpg

Facebook Wall:

http://www.sfu.ca/~dss12/Tesla%20Wall.jpg

Telus, the Future is Complicated.

I’ve been meaning to contribute something insightful to the blog for quite some time, but truth be told I was having a real hard time thinking about what to discuss; because when it comes to technology it seems to take me a few years to get caught up with the times.

It wasn’t until the start of this school year that I owned an operating system not labeled Windows 3.0 or Windows ME; it was always very frustrating not being able to use simple applications such as itunes or MSN messenger. A lot of people I know, during the past couple of weeks, have been getting into the gory indulgence that is Resident Evil 5 on their PS3 or Xbox 360; I’m still playing Star Fox on my N64. How about MP3 players? I wouldn’t even own an ipod if I hadn’t gotten it for free at Save-On during a Boxing day promotion. (I would never be caught buying an Apple product in the first place) Last but not least -cellphones, I just got my first one last month.

I really had no idea as to what exactly I was getting into when it came to owning a cellphone. After the first few weeks I was able to get used to all the different features, and for the most part integrated well into the society of cellphone users. There are definitely a lot of great affordences granted by this device, but there are also obstacles. It’s easier to keep in touch with people but at the same time there are also circumstances where you can be bothered by unwanted calls. The list can go on and on, and I won’t delve into greater detail at this point.

I did however want to highlight one particular problem I’ve encountered with using my phone. Packaged alongside with my new cellphone was a Motorola Phone Tools CD which  clearly stated in the instructions, that it would let me load my own ringtones onto my phone. This unfortunately was not the case, because when I put a song onto my phone, I had the ability to play it but Telus wouldn’t let me set it as a ringtone. I repeatedly tried every way I could to get the “set as ringtone” option to show up, but failed after successive attempts. I’m pretty sure Telus just wanted to trick me by not letting me use my own ringtones just so I’d  purchase theirs, (insert conspiracy theory here) but I wouldn’t give up that easily. Eventually after scouring the internet, I figured out how to change the configurations of my phone so I could bypass the restriction and could set the “Scrubs” theme song as my ringtone. (Completely worth it) In hindsight, I think it is incredibly ridiculous of Telus to restrict people from personalizing their phones to their preferences especially in this case where a product was packaged with the phone with this intent in mind.

The Technological Development of The Internet Through History

Undoubtedly, technology has grown to play an increasingly prominent role in our everyday lives, but no device may be as highly instrumental in shaping our routine operations and behaviour then the influence the internet has come to provide over time. Due to its vast functionality, whether it serves as a social link between people or as a source of entertainment for particular individuals, one aspect of the internet stands out significantly; we have all come to intensively utilize the ability to view and share vast amounts of knowledge and information in an easily accessible and open environment.  Whether obtaining information through simple printed resources or searching through a vast collection of literature, throughout history this ability to share knowledge has persisted and grown in a Varity of distinct forms.

Upon dissecting it‘s roots, there have been a wealth of notable advancements throughout time which have come to shape the internet people have become so accustomed to using in the present age. The distribution and recording of data can be first traced back to the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, where nearly five thousand years ago scribes introduced calendars for administrating agriculture, established the principles for astronomy, and building a sophisticate system of mathematics. (Hooker, 1999) With an increasingly expanding environment, organization was critical to the citizens of respective Mesopotamian communities; similarly to how it is used today, a properly integrated writing system allowed for records to be preserved and knowledge to be spread amongst those capable of reading.

Delving forwards through time, it is apparent that numerous civilizations have taken advantage of written communication to solidify their triumphs and place amongst history. Things changed dramatically however, in the fifteenth centaury when a German goldsmith, Johannes Gutenberg, invented the printing press. The printing press “can be credited not only for a revolution in the production of books, but also for fostering rapid development in the sciences, arts and religion through the transmission of texts.” (Bellis, 2009) This device, due to its vast resourcefulness, hence changed the dynamics of social output and initiated a new found importance on “authorship [as it] became more meaningful and profitable;” (Wikipedia, 2009) references and citations became distinctively essential. However, despite allowing the placement of ink on paper through the usage of machine induced pressure, the printing press did not completely rule out the prominence of human initiated writing. This technology merely served as a significant step towards rapid information transfer; an idea which continues to expend today.

The industrial revolution was an important step in human history which for saw the growth and expansion of technology in a variety of industries. Gutenberg’s printing press was not an exception to these changes; the device was heavily improved when Friedrich Bauer removed the need for human based operation through steam power in the early nineteenth centaury. The impact of this newly refined mechanism would prove to be critical in allowing for “a massive expansion of newspaper and popular book publishing, which reinforced rising literacy and [increased] demands for mass political participation.”  (Wikipedia, 2009) Like previous innovations made before its existence the newly improved printing press allowed for growth and development in many areas particularly in the public interest. More people had access to the news, and standards towards literacy would begin to improve; transitioning towards greater expectations for individuals to read and interact with the world around them. The printing press in hindsight acted as a clearly distinguished phenomenon which significantly expanded the ability for people to share their voice and communicate with others; this revolution is thus similar to the way the internet has come to change people’s lives in more recent years.

Although printed and written resources have existed for a long period of time and  may serve as previous incarnations of what the internet is used for today, even with the existence of the internet, they still hold a place within society. Nevertheless, their presence has diminished as computers take on a wider significance in schools and other facilities, this process began to take shape in the second half of the twentieth centaury when the internet first emerged. The United States government was particularly keen on the internets development due to the cold war and the technological race it was engaged in with the U.S.S.R. Following the Soviets launch of the first satellite Sputnik, the Americans established the Advanced Research Projects Agency in 1958 in an attempt to counteract this innovation. The foundations laid out by this institution set up the grounds for incorporating the internet into commercial use leading up to the current millennia. Unlike today, during the nineties, the internet was not as immersive as it has become. Users had limited options to work with but this has improved drastically over time. The internet, like the printing press, or even the writing first introduced by ancient civilizations incorporated a new source of communication and unity amongst individuals at the time of its induction; revolutionizing standard behaviour. The effects of the internet in this sense become clearer each day through the continuing integration of this technology and the benefits it effectively supplies to all users.

Bellis, M. (2009). Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from About.com, a part of The New York Times Company: http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Gutenberg.htm

Hooker, R. (1999). The Sumerians. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/writing/home_set.html

Printing Press. (March 15, 2009). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press

Industrial Revolution. (March 17, 2009). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 17, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution

StudioLab #3 Collective Research Project

This week’s studio lab provided an opportunity for us as individuals to all collaborate together in attempt to create our own wiki page. At first, we were all unsure about how to approach the project; working with thirty people on one assignment is significantly different then working in smaller groups, which is what we have been accustomed to up until this point in time. With any form of group work, there are always benefits and limitations; in the case of this wiki assignment these characteristics were abundantly clear. The primary usefulness associated with working in a large group is that it allows for everyone to do less work, as the task is equally shared amongst everyone. There is also a greater number of individuals present who can help clarify the contexts of the assignment if confusion exists amongst any members, and a larger pool of knowledge and resources is accessible when more people are involved. On the negative aspect, coordination was lacking, it can also be difficult for a large number of people to all agree on the same course of action and method of work distribution. These problems did not persist or detract from the project significantly; overall we were able to come together coherently enough to accomplish the specifics of the task in an orderly and effective fashion.

Working in teams and working alone both provide their advantages, nevertheless when comparing their specific qualities they are quite different in nature. When a person is working alone they are often limited to their own ideas, and the ideas they can obtain from the resources at their disposal. Being part of a group is a considerably different experience because multiple perspectives can assist to refine the assignment and more likely this will deliver a more efficient end product. People working on a large research project like this are able to split their roles according to what they are best at or what interests pertain to them, having access to multiple skills allows for better style and greater depth. In the case of this specific assignment, someone working alone could have strengths in certain areas such as writing, but lack in their ability to find research to support their work. Generally a wiki is created over a long period of time with new information added and updated by individuals who have never met each other; this experience was different because we were all able to communicate in person to get our ideas across. Through working together, there was a more collaborative end result that does not exist in a real wiki because users are more likely to debate and change each other’s work in that case due to the lack of face-to-face interactivity.

The Internet in Contemporary Society

In today’s world there may be no other technology more prominent and more exceedingly significant in our daily lives then the internet. Undoubtedly, it is impossible to highlight every accept of this amazing technology in one brief blog post, the extent to which the internet operates goes well beyond individuals, groups, and communities; it is a network that connects the entire globe. The internet encompasses the world wide web, which can be accessed through a web browser such as Firefox, through this tool people are free to access a variety of entertainment, communication, and work related media.

A major social issue which has risen from the internet phenomenon, is the increasing lack of privacy and confidentiality it provides. Piecing together an individual’s various online routines, a potential third party could view this information and use it in an exploitive and depersonalized manor. Whether it be the information shared through social networking sites such as Facebook, search information entered on Google, or simply sites which denote spending habits and preferences, combining all of these smaller components can identify some major characteristics of any particular user. It can be inferred that if an outside force was to have access to and sell this “collective information to various marketers, [then there could be] potential for these firms to make offers that take advantage of the addictive nature, monetary situation, and personal state of [a] consumer.”(Miyazaki, 2008, p.19) Delving further into the issue of privacy, there rests another significant threat for the average citizen which lies within the increasing presence of internet phishing. This process involves the exploitation of users by acquiring their private information through means of being disguised as a trust worthy and reliable source. Originally, phishing was initiated through e-mail and fraudulent websites, now “hackers are compromising legitimate Web sites and using them as a distribution medium to attack home and enterprise computers.” (Communications News, 2008, p.10) There are a variety of potential threats users can come across in regards to their online experience but these unwanted infringements can be limited through the use of proper knowledge and repercussion.

It is highly evident that the lack of privacy and security on the internet can serve no benefit to the average web user, however, this is not the case for the hackers or marketers who have risen to take advantage of said problems. Overall, the growing trend in making use of the internet to meet our various needs whether it be for communication or any other purpose, should be considered as a positive step towards building a greater sense of community and progress. Nevertheless, clearly there is a problem in terms of how those daily processes are carried out in regards to an individual protecting their personal information while at the same time operating in a safe environment.

At the moment, there does not seem to be any particular technology appearing on the horizon in an effort to end the abuse of personal information and trust, neither does there appear to be any shifts in social trends. However, hypothetically if there were to be a downward social shift in the usage of network sites such as Facebook, and people changed their online habits to reveal less about themselves then clearly the issue of privacy would be significantly reduced. In terms of technology people will always have options to find more efficient ways of surfing the web, this can involve shifting to a more secure web browser such as Firefox, and also ensuring programs such as a firewall have been setup to block unwanted access from outsiders. Additionally, individuals can disable cookies on their browser so web sites can’t store text files on an their computer and take advantage of virus and software updates which will benefit their internet usage.

References:

Miyazaki, A (2008). Online privacy and the disclosure of cookie use: Effects on consumer trust and anticipated patronage. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing Vol. 27 no.1, 19-33

Attacks now mostly Web-based. (2008). Communications News Vol. 45 no. 5, 10-10

Studio Lab #1: The Bias of Communication Media

The McLuhan based lab activity we participated in provided an exceptional opportunity to highlight the different forms of communication we use in our everyday lives and the short comings and benefits associated with each particular medium. The four forms of media we chose to encompass in our attempt to pass along the McLuhan quotes were Facebook, MSN messenger, text messaging, and our class blog. We were well equipped to use these different forms of media because prior to beginning the task we had already exchanged our full names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses amongst each other.

Upon reflecting back on the activity it was clear that after the first few attempts, we were able to pass along the message relatively smoothly as we were more comfortable with our specific assigned methods of communication. Facebook, Messenger, and WordPress were simple to use because all we had to do was type out the message and send it along, to avoid repetitiveness we also tried something different by taking a photo of one of the messages and putting it up as a profile picture. In terms of flaws it could take a long time to type out a message, however once the message was online, it was trouble-free to copy and paste it and send it via MSN. Text messaging on the other hand, was a much more time consuming process, cell phone keypads are significantly more compact and complicated in comparison to a computer keyboard. Text messaging may not be the most convenient method of sharing a long message but for the sake of the assignment it worked well as a bridge to move the message forward.

The McLuhan quotes themselves were incredibly relevant to the technologies we used, one statement in particular reflects how there is “a very serious dilemma between our claim to privacy and the community’s need to know.” The ability to spread information amongst each other is essential in any social setting but the content of the message will often determine the medium of communication used. A social network such as Facebook does not offer the same privacy and security an email or text message will provide. Anyone could potentially have access to any information that appears on the internet; having more choices allows for more effective privacy when required. Through the process of the activity we were able to illustrate the truth behind another McLuhan quote which exclaims how “societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication.” We were so busy trying to pass along the respective messages to each other that it wasn’t until the activity was finished that we realized we didn’t even attempt to actually read or understand the messages we were trying to send. Clearly emphasise was placed on the method of communication; the content was left forgotten and undeciphered. A third McLuhan statement acknowledges how “electr[onic]technology fosters and encourages unification and involvement”. This easily reflects the overall theme of the task; even though we used different methods to share the same message, this did not detract from participation; from the person who initiated the original message to the last person in the group who received the message a clear connection was established.

In order to build an effective channel of communication there were other devices and features we had to take advantage of. This included the search feature on Facebook which allowed us to find and add each other as friends, as well as the web cam on the computers which enabled us to take pictures when required. Having additional resources readily available made the task much easier and allowed for communication problems to be avoided. A central aspect present in all four methods of contact which greatly benefited the process was the fact that we were using written text; the message was given clearly and there was no room for miscommunication unless an error in typing was involved. Overall, this activity demonstrated only a small sample of everyday tools which we have grown to take advantage of in order to share information and ideas amongst each other; through time the presence of digital media will continue to expand and influence our world as communication finds new ways to evolve and change our lives.

Documentation:

The message is posted as a profile Picture for Andrea to see.

The message is typed out and sent to Tracy's MSN.

The Message is then texted via cellphone to Kevin.

The message is typed onto wordpress as a comment on Shin's blog.

The message is returned to the original sender, Dev through Facebook.

Group Members:

Devjeet saini

Andrea Si

Kevin Tien

Tracy Choi

Shin Jin

Intro

Hi I’m Dev, I’m a first year student in Techone intending to enter the business faculty next year.

My interests include acting, playing golf, and drawing.

I’m a proud supporter of the Canucks – Theres simply no other franchise in the history of sport better at losing, and making other teams look good.

On weekends I work at Subway – My finest moment being when I was working the till and a guy jumped over the counter and robbed me with a hammer.

My favorite technology, although difficult to admit due to my intense dislike for Apple, is the ipod. Over the past year I’ve become a big fan of podcasts, particularly “The Ricky Gervais Show” which I would highly recommend listening to. I also like the ease of being able to listen to my favorite music anytime, and anywhere.