Steven Copeland-3D Printer

Technology is increasing each and every day and is becoming more sufficient right before our eyes. Inventions are becoming more complex, but at the same time are making everyday necessities easier and more convenient such as having a smart phone to check your emails at any time of the day or search the web with the flick of a wrist. Computer printers have been around for years but Abe Reichenal has changed the game. President and CEO of 3D Systems Abe Reichenal has currently been working on a printer that is making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. “It sounds like it’s out of Star Trek but it is coming to a home near you.” This printer is a huge big step for the future in terms of technology. This printer transforms the product into thin, virtual, horizontal cross-sections and then creates successive layers until the model is complete. What makes this form of technology so special is that the virtual model and the physical model are almost identical. This printer costs $1300 and this technology is quite interesting as well as informing. Abe stated in this video that he wants kids from the age of 8 to 80 to experience this technology. “The possibilities are endless.” This printer could possibly save you hundreds of dollars after purchasing it. You could simply print out small plastic toys for your young kids to satisfy their needs and save yourself a trip to the store to purchase an overpriced plastic toy. This product is now available in stores and in my personal opinion is worth the price. I believe that this form of technology will change a lot of things in the near future such as the way people shop. This product is also known to last an acceptable amount of time before breaking or having any problems with the product. It is reliable and that’s what people look for. Overall, I find this 3D printer very impressive and a great contribution to the technology we have access to today. This product is with no doubt in my mind a game changer in the technology world and will eventually become a product in every household worldwide.

4/4/12 http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/tech/2012/03/31/nr-kaye-3d-printer.cnn#/video/tech/2012/03/31/nr-kaye-3d-printer.cnn

Extra Credit Blog

Facebook Password Debate Stirs Deep Social Fears

Facebook, and twitter are among the Internet most popular social networking sites that link friends together, share photos, apps, and more. Almost everyone I know has either a Facebook, or a twitter, and uses it just to connect to their friends. These sites were simply created as profile where you can feel free to talk to friends, and update pictures, but recently this originally harmless site, is becoming less safe and more dangerous. In this article, it talks about the new idea that companies are asking people to hand over their Facebook credentials for them to look at whatever they feel necessary. Facebook can portray what type of person you are, but I only believe that to an extent. I disagree completely with the idea of giving your password to someone. Like they described in the article, it’s just like handing over the key to our house. Within our homes we keep personal things that you would never let strangers feel free to look at, just like Facebook. I know for myself I am a big user of Facebook instant messaging with my friends, and I wouldn’t like it, if people were reading my conversations about my personal life.  There is also a difference between who you are at work, and who you are at home. People keep it professional in a work environment; a company just because of their Facebook shouldn’t judge people then the company might be missing out of a hard working employer. Also, with the newest version of Facebook, called timeline it allows people to search back to specific dates or things, and it shows almost everything that has ever been shown on your own profile. What if there was comments or picture of things we did when we were younger? The past things on Facebook should not be a part of anything to do with getting this job. Companies are going to snoop no matter what on Facebook’s, but giving the password is far too much.  Hopefully not too many companies begin to ask their prospective employers for this, because it is a violation of privacy, and should not be asked. 

3D-Printer!

This video is promoting a ground breaking new type of printer that is being brought into the world by the amazing technology we now obtain. Unlike any ordinary printer, this is called a 3D printer. While most printers print off papers for various different types of things, this actually prints out real live three-dimensional objects. This sounds crazy, but it’s completely true! Shoes, clothes, any type of object can actually be made right in the comfort of your home. I remember when I was young; I always pictured a futuristic society with something like this. I never really thought I would be only 18 years old when something as brilliant as this was invented. It creates objects layer, by layer until it reaches it’s final product. For the amazing things this new printer does, I believe they are charging a reasonable price of 1,300. I was expecting it to be more expensive then this, so at some point in the future I definitely plan to purchase one of these. Within nearly a few weeks this will be available for people to buy. I feel as though this is really showing how far we have come with technology. The fact that we can actually use this in our own homes leaves me speechless.  This is a great investment for anyone, because it can show creativity, as well as convenience. This new amazing product will have so many benefits, because it will be convenient for people to just create what they want in their own homes. For elderly people who struggle just to drive to the store, this could be a great way for them to get what they need without the hassle of driving.  The only question I wonder, is will the printer somehow take over stores, and the economy? Will stores be losing money, because people will be using this? I also wonder if there will be any limits on what you can create, and how long the battery, or the ink lasts until you have to replace it. I almost think there has to be some sort of catch or complications. It sounds nearly perfect, and unrealistic to add this to society! Hopefully this is a great success, and I can’t wait to see what else the future holds!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmDz7Q9_h6c&list=PL871FB7F2FE19494D&index=1&feature=plcp

Technology in Businesses

The article I chose to write about was called “A 3-D Printer Created This Shoe” it was published on March 31, 2012 on CNN. It was about a new high-tech printer that can be purchased and used in homes for a reasonably low price of about $1,300. This printer is capable of creating real objects rather than paper documents. In the video they showed the printer creating a variety of household items. In addition to shoes, the creator shows it making children’s toys, figurines, and iPhone cases. This allows users to have easy access to items they would have needed to purchase in a store or online in the past. It also provides the most efficient and effective way of manufacturing these items, as it creates them layer by layer, wasting no materials. Generating these items layer by layer also allows a level of intricacy that would not be able to be achieved with similar hand-made items.
I think this technology is revolutionary on both a personal use and business use basis. This would be an amazing machine to have in a residential house to create items in a short amount of time that would otherwise need to be purchased out of the home. The convenience of being able to make items rather than travel to find them makes this machine perfect for older individuals who have difficulty leaving the home and are interested in making items for their homes or even toys for their grandchildren. This new printer would also be great to use in small businesses. If companies were able to produce their own products right in their stores by using just one machine, it would greatly reduce their expenses. Even if they used it to make just parts and pieces of their product, it would be that much less that had to pay a supplier for. I’m sure as time goes on this invention will be updated and improved and the number of possibilities of what you can create will be greatly increased. As time goes on the cost of one of these printers will go down and may become a household product.

"Most finders of lost phones try to access personal data, survey finds" By Amy Gahran, Special to CNN updated 10:39 AM EDT, Tue March 20, 2012

Security software provider, Symantec, conducted a test to see what people do when they find a lost cell phone. They specially programed and “lost” 50 phones in a few major cities. The results they found were somewhat disturbing because very few were honest. Although about half of the people who found the phones did eventually try to return them, almost everyone had searched through the phone looking through media and personal banking information. So it is definitely a smart idea to have a password to log onto your phone, but even those can be hacked. This article warns us of the dangers of having too much information on your cell phone if it gets into the hands of the wrong people. I do not own a smart phone, therefore, this has never been a concern for me. Even if I did I would definitely have a password on it. Also, just to be on the safe side, I would probably not use online banking or keep any other important information or documents on my phone. If I did have to use my online banking at times I would play it safe and delete my password information after I finished using it. If I ever get a smartphone I would probably not let it out of my sight. Not only would I not wanna lose it because of the information on it but simply just because of how much I had to pay for it. It is actually sad that even if you don't lose your phone, you can still be in danger of getting it stolen. Smarphone theft is a trending crime in todays advanced technology society. I have heard stories of people searching through someones backpack to steal their phone and even of people getting jumped and beaten up for their phone. It is crazy that a cell phone has become that valuable to people. Up until this year I was still using a small little flip phone until my Dad decided it was time to get somewhat of an upgrade. I still do not have a smartphone but what I have will do for now, and at least I don't have to worry about getting robbed or mugged for it.

Extra Credit Blog

Extra Credit Blog: Security

            I read the article published by CNN entitled “Most Finders of Lost Phones Try to Access Personal Data, Survey Finds” by Amy Gahran. This article addresses the issue the growing problem of the security of personal information on smart phones. People really use their cell phones for everything nowadays, phone calls and texting, emailing, social media, online banking, taking pictures and videos, etc. People keep their whole lives on their phones and when it becomes lost it is such a big deal. There are many smart phones nowadays that are not even password protected and do not even have any standard security features.

             A recent study conducted by security Software Company found that many people try to find personal information on lost phones. This company “lost” 50 Android smart phones in several cities around the United States. None of these phones were password protected or had security features on them. These phones were gradually found and it was discovered that in 95% of the cases the people who found the phones tried to access personal or sensitive information such as email accounts and online banking applications. Around half of the phone finders attempted to in one way or another tried to return the phones to the company however still nearly all of them tried to access the personal information.

Blog #4 Tech for Business

Blog #4: Tech for Business

I read the article on CNN.com entitled “American Civil Liberties Union: Your Facebook Password Isn’t Your Boss’s Business” by Doug Gross. This article discusses the controversial issue of employee Facebook pages being viewed and used by their employers. This issue has been around for a while and many people argue that they are allowed to have their own lives outside of work and that they should be allowed to keep it private. However the use of Facebook as a reference and means of evaluating job applicants and employee’s behavior and activities is a common practice and it is on the rise as well. Nowadays when one gets a job many businesses require their employees to become a “friend” with them or to give the company their Facebook password.  

Recently the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated that this is not fair that more and more business are demanding access to one’s Facebook account as a condition of employment or for consideration as an applicant. In one instance a man working in Baltimore was confronted and demanded to give his Facebook password to employer who then logged in on the spot and check his Facebook account looking through pictures and messages. I find this kind of policy regarding Facebook and other forms of social media a terrible abuse of power and invasion of privacy. In my own opinion I feel that anything I do outside of work, as long as it does not have an effect on my ability to do my job, is my own business. I feel that if a company wants to look at my Facebook that is fine but they should not be able to require me to be their “friend” so they can have full view of my profile and I think there is no way a company can justify demanding someone’s password any more than they can justify going through my mail or listening in on my personal phone calls. This is an absolute violation of privacy and actually a violation of Facebook’s policy as well, in the terms and conditions. With this new policy that some businesses are enforcing people now not only have to be careful what pictures they post on Facebook and write in their statuses but they would now have to even make sure that things they said in private messages to other Facebook users and things that they wrote on other peoples walls, or things that are written on their wall by other people are all work appropriate. This practice of demand access to someone Facebook as a term of employment or consideration for employment is ridiculous and should be ended.

Blog 4

Ten Smart Enterprise Uses For Twitter The Brainyard Kevin Casey 10/13/2011 Twitter has quickly grown into one of the biggest social networks on the web. A very innovative idea started by Jack Dorsey. The hash tag has been one of the smartest ideas to put into a social network. Just that simple idea has expanded twitter into a world wide open forum. Aside from that there are ten other very useful techniques that someone could use to help their business. If your company is on twitter it has many advantages, you can keep tabs on other companies by searching there company name and see what there competitors are doing. They can also see if they are working on any new ideas or if they are possibly hiring any people. They can also keep tabs on companies trying new ideas. You can also see what people purchasing your product are saying about the product, by searching your own companies hash tag. You can find out how people feel about your company, and what you need to change to make it better. Also you will be able to see what people like about your company and maintain those areas and keep them strong. You can also recruit possible people that are looking for a job in your field. Look them up on twitter and see what they do in their social life and see if they are actually the right person for the job. You can also keep your eye on your own employees. This way you know how they feel about their job, if they like it or not, also if they are bad mouthing the company. You can also see positive trends from your employees and if they are trying to help and make the company grow. Companies can also refer products to people instead of actually trying to sell products, so it seems like you are just telling them to look, and not forcing them to buy anything. This way you make the people feel like they can make their own decision and you aren’t swarming them with information. Another advantage is being able to network with other companies in the same industry to get ideas and expand your own company and make it better. You can also see what other companies products are doing, if they are succeeding or not. You can also improve your company’s social community by adding twitter to the company and have everyone in your company get a twitter. It also helps expand and modernize costumer service. If people have questions or comments they can just post them on twitter. Basically your company should take advantage of twitter and use it has a tool for success within the company.

"A 3-D Printer Created This Shoe" CNN.com

This video introduces a new type of printer. This invention is not your average printer, though. In fact, it is nothing like any printer you have ever seen before. It is a 3D printer that does not print paper documents, although it probably could. Instead, it prints real three dimensional objects! Everyday objects such as shoes, toys, hearing aids, and cell phone cases can now be made inside your own home with this major advancement in technology. This new printer brings personal manufacturing to you by creating objects one layer at a time until it is done. The new 3D printers will be on sale to the public within the next few week. The printer is to be sold for 1300 dollars, which is relatively cheap for something that is so advanced in technology and can actually save you money by making your own objects that you would otherwise to go the store to buy. All I can say about this new invention is, wow! It is amazing how far technology has come and what it allows us to do these days. It was only about ten years ago when the first cell phone came out. Now they are creating new technology that could pretty much make a phone right in front of your eyes at home. This new product will enable people to create objects of their own without ever having to go to a store to buy it. It is like having a factory for anything you want inside your house and it is only a little bigger than a normal printer. If this invention is a success, it could completely change the way the economy works. If a 3D printer is in nearly every home, the need for large manufacturing factories will diminish. This could actually be a dangerous thing because it would put a lot of lower to middle class people out of work. It is actually scary how much and how fast technology is advancing. It just makes you wonder what will come next, the possibilities are unlimited and only time will reveal what world changing invention will come next. Here is a video of the 3D Printer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jLgZL0OAJhg

Printing Objects

"A 3D Printer Created this shoe"

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/tech/2012/03/31/nr-kaye-3d-printer.cnn#/video/tech/2012/03/31/nr-kaye-3d-printer.cnn

March 31, 2012

This is by far one of the most interesting and amazing things I've ever seen. 3D Printing Systems has created a printer that prints out 3D objects from prosthetics, shoes, to model people. This video still has me speechless as I never thought I would see the day a machine could just print out an object. Even more baffling is the price. I would have expected something like this to cost upwards of $10,000 however it will soon be available for around $1,300. This amazing advance in technology makes me think that unimaginable things like time machines or flying cars are not as far away as I thought. This machine is so futuristic and unbelievable that it has me thinking I won't have to go buy shoes or things anymore, I can just print them out at home. The other amazing thing is how detailed and precise the machine is. The machine builds the object geometrically layer by layer assuring almost perfect detail and precision.

Another amazing part of this machine is it will be connected to apps on mobile phones so you can create the object you want then print it. I am still blown away by this technology however i do have my doubts. It seems almost too perfect and I cant imagine the shoe or object being very durable, comfortable, or genuine as it prints the whole object in the same, unidentified, material. It looks like some sort of rubber or plastic. I do still believe that this is amazingly ground breaking and revolutionary, however I do not see the need of it in residential homes right now. It seems very advanced and impressive but the fact that the objects are made entirely of some material would be a deal breaker for me. Something like this I see being great for medical suppliers and doctors looking to print out prothethics or supplies however i don't see the need for people to have them in their homes other than it being very cool to print out 3D objects. This is the start of something revolutionary though as I believe in the future the machine will continue to advance into printing out more detailed and unique items using different materials and will eventually be able to make some high quality products. Those advances however, I do not see coming anytime soon.

ACLU: Facebook password isn't your boss' business

ACLU: Facebook password isn't your boss' business

Thu March 22, 2012

CNN Tech http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/22/tech/social-media/facebook-password-employers/index.html?npt=NP1

            Throughout the course of this class and these blog assignments I have mainly focused on articles having to do with Facebook. Many of the articles I have previously read focused on privacy. The first article had to do with privacy in regards to pictures. The second article taught readers how to make sure their information was still private after Facebook came out with a new format that could show a user's entire Facebook history. Over the years it has become evident that Facebook has a huge influence on whether or not an applicant gets the position they applied for, whether it be a job or getting into a college. This most recent article only emphasizes what an impact has on a person's chances of getting a job and it even questions if businesses are taking it too far.

            Facebook's Terms of Service clearly states to its users that "You will not share your password, (or in the case of developers, your secret key), let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account." Lately however more and more people are being forced to give up their Facebook passwords to their bosses, or the people interviewing them for a certain position. "Robert Collins of the Baltimore area has said that he was looking to be reinstated to his job as a correctional officer in 2010 when he was asked for his Facebook password." Although he did not want to give up his password, his boss gave him the impression that if he wanted the job that it wasn't an option. After giving his boss his Facebook password he asked why he needed to log into his account. His boss replied, "I am looking through your messages, on your wall and in your photos to make sure you are not a gang member or have any gang affiliation." Many people are comparing this to a person asking to go through and open up all of your main, or take the key to your house and have a look. It is seen as a total invasion of privacy and many people believe that everyone has a right to a private life.

            Personally I think that this is absolutely ridiculous. I do believe that people have a right to their personal lives. With that being said, I still believe people should be cautious with what they share on the web but no user should have to worry about their messages on Facebook having an impact on whether or not they get a job. I think that facebook already has a huge influence on people and that there needs to be laws in place to protect users from having all of their privacy stripped from them.

Blog EC: 8 things worse than Google.

Ian Sullivan
4/06/12
8 Privacy Threats Worse Than Google
Information Week - March 3rd 2012

Over the past few months there has been a lot of hoopla over Google and its use of "cookies" to store personal information on their servers. Personally it seems kind of like the old saying "Have your cake and eat it too". People want Google to remember them and keep some of their old search results and their password for their emails and such, but they don't want Google to store any personal information. Personally, I don't really care what Google knows, because there are worse things out there. Speaking of worse things here is the top eight things that can ruin your day on the internet far worse than Google:

1. Shoulder Surfers: That guy who stands over you while your on the computer and those people on the airplane with nothing better to do.

2. Hackers: I mean, come on, who is worse than a guy who lives to make you miserable?

3. Significant Others: For a time it's all, "I love you". Then it becomes, "I know your secrets and will destroy you".

4. Government: Who said that "Big Brother" isn't always watching?

5. Credit Bureaus: There job is to know everything about you... nuff said.

6. Information Vendors: Pretty much a Credit Bureau with out the focus on financial assets.

7. Your Employer: When your in the office your life is their business. Everything you do there is fair game to them.

8. Last but certainly not least. YOU. You are the dummy who clicked the link to allow a virus on your PC. And your the one who forgot to change your privacy setting. So who else can you blame but you?

With this list of eight fiends of the internet how can we believe that Google remembering the things we searched last night is the worst thing out there. I for one am glad that Google knows me, because I hate having to re-Google every thing I search for. As far as I am concerned, I keep my E-Mail with them, and I save hundreds of school documents to Google Docs. I mean, if I didn't trust them with personal information then how would I live? I honestly don't think I would (at least not very well).

Blog 4: 3-D Printing... is it the future?

Ian Sullivan
4/06/12
A 3-D Printer Created This Shoe
CNN-March 31st 2012

For a long time we have been printing things. We have been taking our thoughts and putting them on paper to share with the world. Well, it would seem that we have reached a new step in expressing our ideas. 3-D Systems is a company making this idea a reality. When I was in high school we got a 3-D printer in the beginning of my senior year. When I first saw it, the thing looked like it had been thrown together with Lego's. People who were in the shop room would waste entire days just sitting there seeing what stuff they could print. During the school year several schools get together to hold a plastics competition to see who could create the most innovative product. While we were working on our competition entry we used the 3-D Printer hundreds of times. It made designing and producing prototypes extremely easy and cost effective. We didn't win the competition but, we did get to use some pretty cool technology. As far as availability to the average person is concerned I say, "About time." Because these printers are really cool and allow us to be really creative.
 
 I wont be buying one of these new printers, at least not while they are 1,300 dollars, but maybe when they drop to a more manageable price I could be persuaded to pick one up. I mean how cool would it be to just sit down with an idea, draw it on a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program, and then in a few hours have a nifty little toy or a fancy prototype to pawn off to some big company. Well, maybe getting rich by 3-D printing is a bit of a pipe dream, but you can't fault me for trying. All in all it is an interesting concept, and one that should be explored further. But in all honesty I can't see anyone becoming rich with one of these things, let alone getting a return on investment (unless the hours of fun had making your own stuff is a worthy return). I just don't see these things becoming big, but hey crazier things have happened.

Blog #4 3D Printer!

The article I decided to do my blog on was on a new fascinating technology that is known as the 3d printer. It isn't really an article because it was a clip from . The video talked about a new printer, that will be in homes soon, that has the capability of creating 3 dimensional objects such as toys, shoes, cell phone cases and everyday things that cost us money. All the items that the printer makes are completely functional. It amazes me how a machine can see an image of something that is 2 dimensional and make it 3 dimensional. The printer does this by creating layer after layer of whatever it is making until it is done. The actual printing of the item takes a while because it is very complex. Making a small toy could take up to an hour which is not long considering how amazing this machine is. It's like having a small factory in your house that can make things for your pleasure. This machine doesn't only produce small time items either because it has been used to make hearing aids, automobile parts, airplane parts, knee implants and prosthetic body parts. The best part about the 3D printer is that it is very cost efficient. 3D printing used to be very complex and expensive but now that we have achieved new levels of technological knowledge we can all have things like the 3D printer. For one of the printers in the video, it would only cost $1300 which is not much compared to some Apple laptops or other advanced technologies. The thing that intrigues me the most about the 3D printer is what kind of ink cartridges they use. I know it's not ink because ink doesn't form objects like this. From the video it looks like some sort of plastic or rubber or something. Another question I have about the 3D printer is how much would it cost to purchase the cartridges to refill the printer and how big can you buy a 3D printer. If there are bigger versions off the 3D printer then we could print bigger things like life size models of ourselves and exact replicas of other people. The possibilities are endless with this new found technology.

Over 3 years later, "deleted" Facebook photos are still online

Facebook took the world by shock. It was brought up into one of the world’s biggest media sites. People were able to find old friends, connect with the friends they have and keep in contact with one another via chat and video chat. Allot of people use Facebook for business and a lot of people use it just for fun. The people that use it for fun are usually teenagers. Teenagers party a lot and at these parties a lot of smoking and drinking is taking place. Kids come with cameras and take photos of the events at the parties. These pictures are then put on to Facebook and are seen by the world whether or not your profile is on private. This affects a lot of people across the US. Mainly when people go looking for a job. When interviewed their boss has no background on this person so the first thing they turn to is Facebook. Once they see the pictures of this person smoking and drinking and acing crazy they already know that this person isn’t capable of working at their job. From avoiding this whole situation they try to delete their profiles but when people pull their names up they can still see the pictures. This has been a problem in the US because people want to get rid of those pictures but they can’t find a way to. They delete their profiles but the pictures are still on the internet so there isn’t any way they can hide this. Facebook is getting in trouble because people should have the right to take whatever pictures they want down and it should be off the internet. The Facebook company has to find a way to get peoples pictures off-line if they delete their profile because if not Facebook will be shutdown. There have been more complaints about people deleting their face books and their pictures still being online. If Facebook doesn’t find a way to stop this Facebook could be shut down for good. They really need to work on it and change this asap.

(EC) 8 Privacy Threats Worst Than Google, March 3, 2012, Information Week Security

In this article, it talks about how there are 8 different privacy threats that can have you and your personal information at risk. The first is a “Shoulder Surfer”. This type of threat is when someone has access to looking at your computer screen. This can commonly happen when you are in a public place like a café or airport. The second threat is a hacker. Everyone knows the danger that a hacker can cause on your personal information. A strong suggestion to preventing hackers from getting into your information is to create a strong password that only you would know. Other people are also a big risk in personal safety. When you are with a friend or in a relationship most people do not see the harm in sharing their items. All that needs to happen is if one of these people sent something from your device to the public, that information is now accessible. Your employer is also a threat of privacy. If you access your personal information at your job place, chances are that the boss has access to your account. If you are doing things at work you should not be, the boss can easily look and this can damage your sense of privacy. There is no bigger threat to personal privacy than you. Key ways to be sure to keep your own privacy is to trust the right people, password and block things that are important. There have been new privacy details coming out within different programs. This may help you a small portion but the true sense of security is making sure you do not let anything valuable out in the open. These safe steps can guarantee you that you will be safe and secure from things that can potentially harm your personal information. There is no worst feeling than having something stolen or taken from you so be sure to take the necessary steps to be sure this will not happen to you. http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/304850

Facebook password isnt your boss' business, March 22, 2012, CNN Tech

In this article it talks about how more companies are asking for access to possible employee’s facebook accounts. While at a job interview the boss will ask you to either give him your password so he can visit your page, or he asks you to friend him so he can look through his own page. I personally believe that this is ridiculous. For companies and bosses to be doing this, it completely violates personal privacy. In one example, Robert Collins was attempting to get a job as a correctional officer when he was asked for his username and password to his facebook account. He stated in the interview that he needed the job badly so he gave him the credentials. He was completely against doing this but he said that he felt like he had no choice. Forcing someone to give you access to their personal lives is where you should draw the line. No one should have to feel pressured into giving someone the right to their own personal lives. The ACLU is an organization that has been reporting on this issue for quite a while. They reported that over time it has gotten potentially higher that companies are now asking for personal credentials. The ACLU put up a facebook page showing all of these incidents and many people decided to reply. There were comments like “I consider it a violation of personal privacy” and “Will the next step be a request to a key to my house?” I completely agree with these two statements. No company should have any interest in your personal social life when looking to hire someone. They should rely on the resume and person in front of them and no additional information that is not given. Also, if law enforcement requires a search warrant to enter someone’s house, what makes a company think its ok for them to barge into someone’s private life on the internet? The internet and someone’s home have a very similar aspect when viewing it in this case. They both are considered someone’s personal information and that no one should be able to access them without a search warrant or granted permission by the owner.

March Madness and Social Media

Zach Mason
4/4/12
"March Madness and Social Media"

The article that I am going to be writing about is “March Madness and Social Media”. This was not an article, but a video and it was very well done. The two men in the video really knew what they were talking about and clearly have a wealth of knowledge on the topic. What they were discussing was sports and social media and the relationship between the two. The overall verdict was that sports and social media go very well together, if executed properly. Some professional organizations understand how to utilize the advantages of social media, others do not. In today’s society, nearly every sports team or business has a Facebook and twitter page devoted to that organization. These webpages can offer free ticket giveaways, chances to meet the athletes, or even give the fans information about how the team is doing in a game or what they are up to in the off-season. At this point, it would be a disadvantage for a team to not have a Facebook or twitter page. In today’s culture that is dominated by social media, having a social media outlet can be extremely beneficial for a team and can attract new fans that they perhaps could not otherwise. On Facebook, a majority of sports teams make events for their upcoming games, which promotes awareness of when the team will be playing as well as offering a place for fans to post comments about the game. Some very progressive teams have even opened up message boards for their fans on Facebook or twitter to ask questions to the management or players and post suggestions for the team. This practice makes the fans truly feel like they are part of the team and it goes a very long way in securing loyal fans for life. As stated in the interview, almost every member of an organization has a twitter account now, and often times information from an organization will leak out before it is supposed to because so many of the employees are on social media and they reveal the news. In the world of sports, and our society in general, social media is a force that simply cannot be stopped, and you might as well join in if you have not already.