Everyone is a Media Outlet

1. You have an important personal question you’d like answered. Explain the procedure for getting your question answered and why this method appeals to you (you don’t need to get specific, but let’s assume the answer does not require specific expert knowledge, as from a doctor).

Whenever I have a personal question that I feel is important to me and I’d like answered I usually go to Google.  You can almost usually always find what you are looking for.  There are always countless links to the topic or subject you want answered.   I go to the site and type in, not necessarily a question but just a word or two of what I’m trying to find.  Generally the results that appear are what I am searching for.  If I don’t find the information that would answer my question the first time I tend to rephrase my wording and that usually works out the best for me. 
This method of answering my own questions comes a lot easier than consulting a professional that would give me similar information and not have to pay for a visit if that is what my question was relevant to.  I also try and make sure that the sources that I am looking up are creditable and not just someone’s opinion or blog that has been posted with information pertaining to my question.  I also think this way of answering my personal question works the best because if the question I am asking is something very personal to me I may not want to consult anyone for the answer.  Finding the answer to my question through a search engine on my own still gives me the same knowledge base, just without anyone knowing my personal concerns.  That is why I use Google when I have an important personal question that I’d like answered.  


2. Have you used a website like Craigslist or EBay to buy or sell something? What was the experience like? Would you use such a service again? If you haven’t, detail how you have sold or bought something outside the environment of a retailer.

I have never used Craigslist or EBay to buy or sell something.  I have actually never sold anything at all online.  I have, however used Amazon for the first time to purchase Here Comes Everybody for this class.  The process of doing this was very easy to me, although I asked my roommate for help sense she had used it several times.  All I did was type in the title of the book that I wanted to purchase (Here Comes Everybody) and several listings of the book came up.  I had the choice of buying a used or brand new book and the prices varied on each.  I picked a used copy of this book and had it shipped to me.  The total came out to be a little over eight dollars including shipping and I was very satisfied with how good of shape the book was in and pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.  I received an email right after I made my purchase and it included a date at which it was to arrive.  When the book was actually sent out, I also received an email and got the book a week earlier than expected.  This site was very user friendly and I would absolutely use it again!  I was always very hesitant with using online sites to purchase anything because of privacy and making sure I go what I paid for but after my experience this first time, I have no problem using it again.

A Digital World

1. Both Google and Yahoo have been criticized for censoring their search results in China. What are your feelings about this? Why should Google, or why should Google not, produce different search results for different countries? 

     This question is one that I actually had direct contact with.  Last summer, the summer before I came to JMU (this is only my second year here) I went to China to study abroad with my school, UVA-Wise.  It was the best thing I've ever done but also the most different.  The culture shock was huge and it took me a few days to really adjust to all the differences.  I took classes at the Shanghai International University on the cultural background and history of China.  I learned that a lot of their restrictions came from their government and that the people really didn't have much say or control over it. 

      The students who I came with all had a day out with our pen pals and went so many different places around the city.  I learned a lot about not only the sites but about them, their goals and how they lived their everyday life.  The most interesting thing to me was that the one thing said to me by a girl I met, Gigi.  She  listened to almost all of the same music that I did!  I asked if she had seen the music videos on You tube and she explained that it was blocked.  She then went into detail on how the government put restrictions on what the people are allowed to see.  It made me really sad because all of the things that I have been able to experience and been exposed to all my life, she probably has no idea about any of it.  Lets face it, our country is so advanced and has access to things that five, ten years ago didn't even exist yet.  

     I knew now that I could not access You Tube and told my roommate about it so we went back to the hotel where we stayed and tried for ourselves, sure enough it was blocked.  I went to search for it on Google and found that the things available to search in China were severally restricted.  I really didn't understand how a country like China, who also had many technology advances was a place so restricted to it.  Gigi also went onto explain that the government was very secretive on issues and that most of the time the people would never know many of the things being changed and done right in front of them.  

    I believe that this world is full of good and bad issues but that's how people learn and make the choices and decisions that they do.  To restrict people of this knowledge, the way to see the world in a different way is robbing them of a chance to live a  very sheltered and cutback life.  I don't believe Google/Yahoo should change their censoring of search results based on what country you live in but I don't think that Google/Yahoo have much control over this though.  Like Gigi told me, the government has so much power that the people are powerless, much like Google is to China.  The power of knowledge is in the hands of the Chinese government which has been limited and I feel as though will limit the knowledge of the people as well.  While American's have to many options of search engines, television stations, music, techology in genreal,  "In China, the situation is reversed: The technology creates greater government control of the information its citizens receive, and better tools for monitoring their behavior." (Blown to Bits,4) This whole issue reminds me of one quote that JMU is famous for, "knowledge is power" and I feel explains the way China is perceived on censoring issues and the lack of knowledge that is capable due to the power of the government. 

 

2. Chapter 2 revealed the reason behind grocery loyalty cards. How do you feel about the use of these cards that offer us discounts at the cash register? Do you feel your purchasing privacy is worth a discount?

    I had mixed emotions on this subject.  For one, I myself have several of these cards and never really looked at it in depth like this chapter has.  The one thing that caught my eye the most and that I could personally relate to was the description of TJX.  "The theft of information about 45 million customers of TJX stores, described in Chapter 5, “Secret Bits,” was even larger than the British catastrophe." (Blown to Bits,36)  I used to work at TJ Maxx back home in high school for two years and the leak of personal information is what made such a huge controversy for this store.  I worked a lot of customer service and we promoted a TJX Rewards card not too long after this incident and it was very very hard to convince the customers that the information they were giving us was safe after the theft of so people happened.
        For every customer I had to ask " Would you like to save 10% today by applying for a TJX rewards card."  So what would happen is the customer would fill out a form of personal information and I would enter it in the computer and if it was accepted then they would save 10% on the purchase right then and there, if it wasn't however they would receive a letter in the mail on how to receive a rewards card.  This was very hard for me to promote sense almost everyone customer was a regular and aware of what had happened in the past.   I also feel like it depends on the amount of discount that a person would get in order for that person to give their personal information out. No one wanted to give their personal information, social security numbers were required and several customers said they didn't want the discount anymore after finding that it was needed and the discount only being 10%.  Now if it was a higher discount I feel as though some might reconsider because they want to save money. 
   I believe that purchasing privacy for discounts depends on the person and the experiences that they have had.  I myself have not had any problems with loyalty cards but have seen when they go very wrong.  That is why this question is so hard for me to lean one way or the other.  "We lose control of our personal information because of things we do to ourselves, and things others do to us." (Blown to Bits,36)  It is both our fault and not at the same time because we are trusting someone else with our information and expecting it to stay private when that is not always the case, like TJX.  I do feel that I am more careful after I worked at TJ Maxx on the information that I give out and ask questions before I give out my information.  Where as before I worked there I did not at all.  I do not however believe that it is not worth risking your privacy just to receive a discount.  The technology and things that people can do these days is unreal and not impossible as what happened to TJX, it could happen to me too.

Villages and Sharing

1. If managers aren’t important anymore towards the formation or control of groups using online tools, what do you consider the main role websites such as Meetup.com, Facebook, or MySpace have provided newly emerging groups?

I consider the main role of websites such as Facebook or MySpace to be social networking.   These sites were put in place to allow people to stay in touch with their friends, family, aquatints etc.   This was made possible when these sites were created allowing unlimited picture uploads, instant messaging, in-box messages, the possibilities go on and on.  Newly emerging groups are happening all of the time within these websites.  If there isn’t a group and you think there should be all you have to do is create one yourself.  There is no need for managers to point you in the right direction or tell you how to work these social networking sties.  By producing your own group for something you’re interested in, upcoming events etc is a great way to meet new people with the same interests as you and build a whole new networking system within a larger system.  For websites such as these, you can create and do anything you want to do, being your own manager.  That being said the control of these sites lies solely with the people who are a part of it.  Users of Facebook and MySpace are what make the site such a success and well known.  People are constantly using it, updates and reuniting with others making the formation and control up to the user.   

2. Describe a group you are a member of (online community, church, job, etc.) and how it is organized. Is there management? How is information distributed within the group?

                One group that I am a member of on campus is R.E.A.C.H, which stands for Real Educators Activating Campus Health.   This group is one that, in order to become a member you have to fill out an application.  There is then an interview process that also happens and you find out shortly after if you are invited to become a part of this organization.  There is more to the organization than just getting past the interview process.  There are programs that you present on different aspects of campus health.  However, in order to present these programs you have to take a credited class for one semester to become a nationally certified peer educator. 

                R.E.A.C.H does have a supervisor, someone who oversees the organization as a whole and a member manager which is in more direct contact with the members of the group.   The member manager is how we receive all of our information.  Our information is received through email, mostly about meeting times and new upcoming programs.  When we have meetings we decide there who will be facilitating and presenting the programs and also discuss any current events that pertain to our group.  This group is great on organization and it is very easily fixed if there is ever a miscommunication among the group.   Almost all of our organization happens during the meetings and is decided as a whole.  We ask who is available to volunteer their time to put on a program and who has time to facilitate new ones.  This way of organizing works very well and helps old members get to know new members by paring up with someone new.  Overall, everyone distributes to help make this group function and stay organized by volunteering and having open communication with one another. 

~*a little bit about me*~

      Hello! I'm Kelly McDow.  I'm 21 years old and from Roanoke, Va.  I am a transfer student from UVA-Wise, so this is only my second year at JMU but my fourth year in school.  I am an SCOM major with a concentration in organizational and minoring in Educational Media.  I really love JMU and am glad I took the initiative to transfer and make a change in my life.  My family means everything to me and were very supportive of me transferring sense both of my parents went to JMU as well.  They met here and loved that I transferred here.  My sister is a senior in high school and plans to go here as well, so we try to keep it in the family! 
      Anyways that's a little about myself and as for this class I'd really like to learn about how to navigate this online class first of all and feel comfortable with it.  This is my first time ever taking an online class so I'm a little nervous.  I'm also really excited to learn about more technology in society and everything this class has to offer.  I would really love to become an event planner.  I had an internship back home at a local country club and was actually the "Banquet Sales Manager" aka wedding/events planner there and I absolutely loved it!!  I'm hoping this class will futher my skills and knowledge that I need so I can become more successful and effective in whatever I do!