Blog Post #4: EOTO

Did you know that every single second there are an estimated 2.4 billion emails sent. Emails came about in 1971 and are still used every day. Email was invented by a man named Ray Tomlinson, who was an American computer programmer. Ray invented and developed electronic mail, as we know it today, by creating ARPA Net’s networked email system. By 1976, 75% of all ARPANET traffic was electronic mail. His reasoning behind it was because he believed that there needed to be a practical and beneficial way for instantaneous communication between machines within an organization. The problem that he was trying to solve with his invention was a lack of communication. It was invented as a speedy way for ARPANET programmers and researchers to keep in touch, particularly targeting those who can’t be relied on to answer their phones. Eventually it became so widely used that it became accessible for the mass public. By 1993, the word “electronic mail” was replaced by “email” in the dictionary and the internet was becoming way more widespread at that time. Not only does email serve as a way of communicating, but it is extremely important, especially in a professional environment as it serves as a way of more serious communication, rather than other forms like texting.

Email has dramatically impacted our world through many different ways and the way in which we communicate. According to an article written by T. Smith, email has “drastically reduced the use of traditional mail. For instance, many people have their bills and payments that used to be delivered through traditional mail now but are now delivered “paperlessly” through email.” It has made an impact on our society, economy, and our culture. To begin, it has made an impact on our culture because email isn’t a generational thing. Across generations, email remains a critical tool for daily life. It is used by us, our parents, and even our grandparents. In an article written by Edison on changing communications, there are many statistics to prove why email is so important and how it has had an impact on each generation. There were two major findings conducted in Edison’s survey. The first is that successively older generations more often use email as their go-to communication medium. The second finding is that different generations use email for different purposes. For instance, more than half of Gen Z, Millennials, and generation X use email for things such as online shopping, working, verifying their identity for online accounts such as their social media, and work correspondence. Older generations email to connect with friends & family, read newsletters, and manage finances.

Overall, email has changed how we communicate, but has also had a few negative effects. To begin, it has changed the way we communicate drastically and the use of traditional mail. For example, a 2013 study concluded that email has achieved 92% replacement of written letters as a means of personal communication. “The access to quick-one-to-many delivery has increased the amount of personal communication people have as compared to the era immediately preceding the wide-spread use of email. However, there are a few negative effects of email such as the way it can be mis-used, like spamming. Spamming can harm communication by clouding worthy communication with a vast amount of unwanted communication. Another negative effect is that it can impact personal privacy due to the fact that email is naturally archived, private communication can be available for others who may gain access to the email. In conclusion, email has had a profound impact on our society and has had many benefits such as instantaneous communication, online shopping, working, keeping in touch with family & friends, reading news, and managing finances.

Blog Post #3: 8 Values of Free Expression

The first amendment is essential for humanity because it protects the fundamental rights of conscience, the freedom to believe and express different ideas. The first amendment reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Our world has made dramatic progress in our freedom of speech. However, it can oftentimes be seen as too much freedom. Today, we have the values of free expression which make up our democracy, and we allow all citizens to share their opinion and beliefs, but a downfall of that is that it can impact the way our law is interpreted.

The eight values of free expression are all very important for different reasons and each plays a major role in our humanity. For example, we are very fortunate that in America we have the freedom of speech and to stand up in what we believe. The values of free expression are key parts of our democracy and the basic foundation for what makes our society. The one that resonates with me the most is “promote innovation.” In general, innovation is very important because it is a major aspect to success, and fosters growth. Jack Balin explains that innovation is “A community in which free speech is valued and protected is likely to be a more energized, creative, interesting society as its citizens actively fulfill themselves in many diverse and interesting ways.”



Another one of the eight values that I found really important is “protest dissent.” The word “dissent” means to have a difference in opinion or belief. Essentially this means that we can’t all agree all the time. America would not be the same if we all agreed on everything, and disagreeing can be a good thing. As Steve Shiffrin stated “our system is not supposed to be one of mob rule. The first Amendment protects minority views, no matter how unpopular. You have a strongly protected right to disagree with the government- and everyone else. In fact, it is your patriotic duty to criticize the government.” I strongly agree with this statement because in today’s world, our nation is so divided because people become so opinionated that they refuse to listen to other’s opinions. It is our responsibility that we listen to others to try to understand their side, as well as speak up when we do not agree with something. We shouldn’t need to feel scared to share our opinions, however it’s equally important to respect other’s thoughts and beliefs.

Another important term that was discussed was the “formula for democracy.” This includes limited government, enumerated powers, freedom maximization which equals ordered freedom. Essentially this means that it is the right to criticize our government. In today’s world, this is very prevalent through social media. Social media is used for people to express and voice their opinions and to be heard by others. For instance, everyone is always posting, reposting, tweeting, and following political campaigns. There are pluses and minuses to this because some people mis-use social media to spread negativity through hate and misinformation. For example, there are many people, especially celebrities who have become a part of the “cancel culture.” For example, a recent celebrity that became canceled was Kevin Hart after tweets he had posted from 2009 that were resurfaced, which were derogatory comments about sexuality. Kevin then said “When did we get to a point in life where life was supposed to be perfect?” Overall, it is important that we have the right to our freedom and that we can speak out about what we believe in which is why we have the first amendment. However, as Americans it is not only our duty to follow the constitution, but most importantly, to uphold its dignity.

Blog Post #1: Top Five Sources of News and Information

The world has evolved over time in the way in which we get our news. We no longer read newspapers or listen to the radio. In today’s day in age we get all of our news through the tips of our fingers on our phones and through social media. We have made it so easy to access news within seconds by simply asking siri or looking it up. However, this also means that sometimes what we read on the internet isn’t always true. With all the news cites and social media platforms out there, it’s hard to trust what is real and what is fake. Although, after lots of experience, research, and evaluating I now have 5 top platforms that are a very reliable source to get news from.

1.) Twitter has been a world famous social media app that serves as a platform to allow people to build awareness and grow their audience in the most organic and efficient way. Twitter is becoming the first and quickest source of investment news. Twitter is very up to date in the sense that users can quickly grasp what the story is about through its icon image and short story summary, without needing to read an entire article. Twitter also caters towards the younger generation as users on Twitter are more likely to post or see content related to business, sports, international affairs, and politics. Unlike other news sources, Twitter is a conversational social platform where people are engaged with the content they are interested in by not only resharing it, but as well as adding their thoughts on the matter.

2.) NBC News is one of the most reliable platforms to get news and information. In fact, it is the longest-running television series in American history and is America’s number-one-rated newscast. Like Twitter, I think NBC does a good job at catering towards the younger generation and brings together diverse communities by inspiring their customers, audiences, and employees to make a positive impact on their audience. It focuses on pop culture, politics, and business. I specifically like NBC because it not only covers national and international news, but it focuses on the most trending and relevant news stories. This is important to me because I don’t have time to sit down and listen to every little news story, instead I like to only listen to the top news stories to stay informed. 

3. The New York Times is another news source that is very trustworthy. It has been around for more than 171 years. The paper’s print version remains the largest local metropolitan newspaper in the United States and third-largest newspaper overall. I really like the New York Times because they are dedicated to helping people understand the world through on-the-ground, expert and deeply reported independent journalism. I use the New York Times when I need to look up a quick fact or news story, and it's very efficient in the way that it consists of short posts. 

                                     

4.) Instagram is one of the most used apps in the entire world with over 1.440 billion users. I love Instagram and use this app multiple times a day. I like Instagram because not only do I keep up with my friends and family, I show others what I am up to, keep updated with my favorite celebrities, sports teams, brands, and most importantly, I also learn and discover top trending news stories. The purpose of Instagram is designed to tell stories in the form of photos and videos, however it has evolved into a new purpose. It now does a lot of advertising based on interests that you have, and has a specific algorithm to personalize it towards you. Instagram uses videos and photos to promote business, local news, political campaigns, and promotes events happening around the world.

                                      

5.) My final source where I get my news is YouTube which is a highly used social media platform, and was created in 2005. Similar to Instagram, I love YouTube because I use it to keep updated on my favorite influences and celebrities. It’s so successful because of the simplicity of it and how easy it is to share, watch, like, comment and upload videos. It has an impact on our society because YouTubve videos increase awareness on social issues such as bullying, suicide, etc, and in general is a good tool for students because it serves as a visual aid for learning. Unlike other news sources, I tend to not listen to videos on world news from unknown or biased channels because often they are not reliable. Youtube has been so successful because they make it easy for content creators to share their content with a wide audience. In fact, thousands of people are “Youtubers” for a living and make millions of dollars and are some of the most successful people.

Blog Post #2: The Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court has become a model for high courts throughout the world, and remains the most powerful judicial body on Earth. While I knew what the Supreme Court was and the basics, there are many things that I learned from this video and developed a better understanding of the historic part of our government that I didn’t know before.

To begin, I learned that they deliberate and reach their decisions in private, and that it interprets a 200-year old constitution. I also didn’t know that in U.S history, there are over a hundred Supreme Court justices serving an average of 16 years, or that they often go on to serve decades after the president who actually appointed them. I learned that they accept around 100 cases a year, even though they get hundreds of cases per week. This shocked me to hear how many are actually taken, versus how many go through their office. For example, they receive about 100 new cases each week, and about 7,000 total a year.

The most important take-away point about the Supreme Court is that it safeguards liberty, preserves the union, and upholds the rule of law. I think the biggest take-away for me was seeing how each case is viewed separately, yet all of them are viewed similarly. This means that each case gets the same individual consideration no matter what. For example, in the video it states that “every case gets the same view, and one is not looked at as more significant than another.”

The most surprising thing about this video to me was how relatively unbiased and open-minded they are. I always assumed that they would lean one way or could already have a decision made up in their mind. Instead, I learned that they try to stay open minded and hear both sides to the argument before making a decision. They really try to humanize the court. For example, in the video they mentioned that the first thing they do when they gather is shake hands with everyone. They also have a rule where everyone speaks once before anyone can speak twice which shows a lot of respect for one another and fairness. This is especially important when dealing with two completely different sides to a court decision.

Finally, the video changed my perspective in the way I view the Supreme Court because it gave me a lot more respect for how much of an impact they have and how work goes into it. Without the Supreme Court, we as American citizens would not have “the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, they function as a guardian and interpreter of the constitution.” They are a major reason that we get a voice in our government. The Supreme Court is so important because they keep the other branches of government in check and make sure that what they are doing aligns with the constitution. This power is needed to protect the citizens of the U.S and make sure that the government doesn’t abuse their power. Overall, we need to understand why they hold such a significant amount of power and how much of an impact they have on the United States.