Final EOC: The future of the internet

The future of any technology, especially the internet can be considered in its own right a work of speculation and science fiction destined to become science fact. Even in its infancy, no one, not even the founders and those truly gifted innovators knew what the present state of the internet would be. It continues to surprise us, and I believe always will as new minds continue to explore and discover new ways to put the wonders of the internet to use.
The future is uncertain. Some people believe that we are nearing the end of where our current technology can take us, that there are limits to what we can accomplish in this digital age. “We know even now that we are at some fundamental limits of what the Internet can handle, we have one big expectation—being able to innovate, and it is unclear whether we will be able to do that.” (Scientific American). In any stage of evolution, the organism, in this case the internet, must push itself past certain barriers to reach the next stage in its life cycle. If there truly are limits that we are already beginning to see to the internet’s growth potential, then innovation is the only way to pass this particular barrier until the driving technology behind the internet catches up to the way it is being used. Hence, innovation.
Very unfortunately, the internet seems to be going through its teenage, dramatic years that most people remember from high school in either loved or hated tones. The various companies and elements that own and control the internet seem to be changing the general tone that has made the internet the melting pot community it has become, now dividing it into strange clicks and clandestine factions, vying for control of virtual territory. “Fifteen years after its first manifestation as a global, unifying network, it has entered its second phase: it appears to be balkanising, torn apart by three separate, but related forces.” (The Economist). The forces referred to are Governments, large IT companies, and separate nationalities. Whatever the real future is, it’s one split up into sadly restricted segments that lack the freedom most enthusiasts swear by.
In the book “Future Shock,” by Alvin Toffler, he theorizes that people of the future will suffer from the incredibly fast change in technology, leaving them “future shocked” and disconnected. I see truth in this, though not the only truth. The internet, unless it suffers some massive change in the near future, is poised to almost literally take over people’s lives through unprecedented integration. Not unlike “Future Shock,” I see people becoming too involved in the internet and its web of interactive experiences, and forsaking the tangible experience of real life. Is this a future shock? In a way yes. Life is not simply a virtual ride. It is a real, visceral, tangible experience that needs to go beyond the virtual reality worlds and escapist theologies that guide much of modern life. Get out and experience it. Go beyond the virtual and get into the real.

Week 10 EOC: Things that scare or inspire

War Driving: The age of the wireless revolution is two things: scary and inspiring. War driving, the situation where hackers drive through neighborhoods or business parks with amplified, internet connected laptops and virtually steal personal information (including info, money, files, etc.) by breaking into unprotected wireless networks. Everyone wants to live in a world where they feel safe enough to leave their doors unlocked at night, but now we can’t even leave our wireless networks open. Everything needs to multiple layers of strict security in order to allow us even the barest sense of well being when it comes to using this all important aspect of technology which is the internet. Sad. Very sad.

Groupon: On the other hand, something that is not as scary as it is inspiring in the new digital age of enterprise and prosperity through commerce, Groupon is a phenomenon. After only two years of existence, created by two men nearly on their own, the company is now undergoing negotiations to see for billions of dollars. Yes, billions of dollars. All for the seemingly simple concept of offering discounts on normal services offered for a limited time only. This is inspiring because it shows just how far you are able to get with a good idea and a little bit of ingenuity and drive to succeed. A truly amazing thing.

Evil Twins: Now back to the scary stuff. Everyone loves wifi. And what does everyone love more than wifi? Free wifi. What’s better than rolling into a Starbuck’s or Panera Bread Company, sitting down with the laptop or smart phone and connecting to the internet, reading you email or what have you, all for free? The concept of the evil twin is farily insidious. A, let’s call them “undesireable,” brings in a portable wifi network of his own, and sets it up to look exactly like the popular wifi already in place. He sets up a fake login screen that asks people for their credit card information and boom. He has your credit card and can do what he wants with it. Scary stuff. Unfortunately, the internet and all its wonders can also be really scary.

Week 9 EOC: What is Cyber Mondy

Around the holidays, the busiest and possibly most important day of holiday shopping is what is known as Black Friday. This refers to the Friday following Thanksgiving where retails supposedly place many of their items on significant sales in order to jumpstart the holiday shopping season. As a result of consumerism hungry for good deals for Christmas, the seasonal spirit of on-sale items spread to internet shopping, a now very important and formidable force in shopping. “For the past few years, online retailers have found that sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving have been creeping higher, giving retailers an additional reason to be jolly during the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday season.” (Shop.org).

The term “Cyber Monday” allegedly stems from the aftershock of this beginning holiday rush. During this busiest of shopping days, potential savvy shoppers became disappointed with lack of sales that met their expectations. And after coming empty that weekend, proceeded to go back to work the following Monday and surf the internet to find better deals on the items they had been looking for in the first place. “The name Cyber Monday grew out of the observation that millions of otherwise productive working Americans, fresh off a Thanksgiving weekend of window shopping, were returning to high-speed Internet connections at work Monday and buying what they liked.” (New York Times).

Whatever your opinions of business practices on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, there are a few deals there to be had for the pick/craft consumer. Regardless of the hype associated with the supposed days of deals (since Cyber Monday had now been universally expanded into Cyber Week), it’s definitely working. Many retailers showing lackluster returns during this busy weekend, are now reporting much higher returns due to the renewed online activity. “Number crunchers estimate $1 billion was spent online Monday and $45 billion was spent at retail stores on Friday.” (PC World).
So there you have it. A hoax? A sham to rid us of our money? Perhaps. But you can’t deny that it’s working…and sometimes we even get pretty good deals!

Week 7 EOC: The Scary Internet

What is the scariest thing happening with the internet? Mass data mining and invasion of privacy? Big brother? For me that pretty much sums it up. The internet is a tool for information and research, but too many aspects of the technology are being used against us in sometimes seemingly innocent ways. Data mining, taking our personal information and using it to create profiles about our personal lives so that ad companies can better deliver unwanted advertising and product pushes to our attention. Or simply that fact that elements of our personal lives are out there and can be accessed and abused by anyone with the knowledge and motivation to do so?

Well there you have it. Identity theft. Physical theft. Virtual theft. It all becomes possible through the realm of technology for many ways. People are watching us. Reading our email, looking into our personal lives, making sure that we are behaving and conforming to aspects of societal norms, all too often in the guise of the protection of freedom and government. But at the same time these same invasions of privacy are being utilized in more nefarious ways to bring harm to ourselves, our families and our friends. Personally, I don’t want people knowing that I’m out shopping, away from my house because the gps on my phone let’s everyone know that automatically. I also don’t want the location of my home (which I’m currently away from) known just because it’s been posted on Google Earth.

Technology is great and when used properly can help propel our species into a new and prosperous age. But don’t abuse it. And definitely don’t do stupid things to put yourself and your friends at risk. Technology is to help us learn and progress, not to hurt, control, or profit from those who can’t defend themselves either virtually, financially, or physically.

Week 7 BOC: Companies that spy on you

Two companies that can spy and take your personal information right off the internet are Google and Microsoft.

In the case of Google, geotagging, that is, the portion of metadata that is sent when pictures are taken or apps on your mobile phone use your current location are sent to the host server. The risk that this presents can be very serious depending on how the features are used. It can also be less serious. In the case of Google, which is a company that has always unashamedly sought your personal data so that it can use that data to sell you products and tailor advertising directly to you, it can now send you these ads to you based on your location, where you are up to the minute you are there. “Security experts are particularly worried about the pictures posted on social networks, since they are usually accompanied by real-time statuses. They say that anyone with a modicum of programming knowledge can write a program that could search for the combination of geotagged pictures and "On vacation" statuses” (Net Security).

Microsoft on the other hand, has just recently debuted their newest gaming flagship, the Kinect. Almost immediately an online uproar of articles an opinions came out claiming Kinect’s ability to see what you are doing in the comfort of your own home, how many people are there, the types of gestures being made, who left during specific advertising messages, and so on. “He seemed to suggest that Kinect could tell the Imperium how many people were in the room when an advert was being shown and how many got up and went to the loo.” (Tech Eye).

All of this comes for the sake of information gathering, whether it be for financial gain in relation to targeting advertising to specific people, or political motivations and household numbers. Information is king, and these two mediums can get it from your if you’re not careful about what you put out there.

Week 7 BOC: YouTube Video

This video is a short video intended to be a funny parody of the online gaming community surrounding Call of Duty: Black Ops. It is a game that I play with friends on occasion, and it can be quite fun and challenging if this type of entertainment appeals to you.

However, one element that I have noticed surrounding the game and its so called community is the lack of respect and politic that is fostered by it. For the most part, people forgo be polite and nice with a desire to have a good time for being rude, childish and unquestionably insulting. It can be, and is in many ways, pathetic.

A game, by definition, is supposed to be fun and entertaining. Unfortunately some of the lesser elements of the community don't take it as fun, but as a means to insult and degrade other people, simply because it is part of a community that is for the majority, anonymous and virtual. It becomes sad to see that many people in our culture get more enjoyment out of using games and forms of online entertainment such as this as more of a digital shouting board for their rude, juvenile opinions rather using them as they were intended, for fun. And for the record, no, just because you have a good time insulting other people online does not mean it's a valid form of fun or entertainment.

All in all, the game is still fun despite the negative aspects of the community that have surfaced because of these types of services. But it is still worthy of play from time to time.

Week 6 EOC: Video Challenge, Tentative Plans

As of right now the plan is to record a small video game playing session on the newly released and highly popular Call of Duty: Black ops. This game is one of the single most popular game franchises, if not THE most popular, and has recorded record breaking sales number on its initial launch of Tuesday of this week (11.9.10).

As for the theme of the short video it is a spoof of some of the more serious (and annoying) of the over five million active users who play this game online on a regular basis. As a sporadic player myself(for fun and entertainment) I have born witness to some of the more juvenile and irritating personalities who tend to get online and take the experience either far too seriously, or are simply intentionally irritating.

The video will feature a shot of the TV screen as I (or someone else) plays the game (intentionally losing), and a shot of hands manipulating the controller while in the background there is a set of running commentary set to parody some of the more annoying personalities found during online play. It is intended to be a fun and funny spoof of the game experience, likely to be entitled “The World’s Greatest Black Ops Multiplayer.”

Week 6 BOC: There's an app for that!

As it turns out, though the idea does seem preposterous, the British smart phone app to provide diagnosis for sexually transmitted diseases is a real thing. Researchers from St. George University in London have acquired funding for an application to help alleviate problems brought on by a recent outbreak of common sexually transmitted disease. "It's bringing the diagnostics to the population rather than having the population come into clinics. We've really wanted to do this process because there's been this huge burden of sexually transmitted infections." (Daily Tech). Gross, yes, but also useful in certain societies that can a times revolve around shame, or fear of exposure to certain types of information. It does show the overall utility and versatility that modern smart phones are beginning to develop. I mean, why not do everything on your smart phone, including pee on it, virtually and in private instead of in real life?

Midterm 1: The Octet

Simply put, the Octet is a grouping of 8 digital bits. Although the naming convention has changed in recent years as technology has become more widespread, the Octet used to have widely different meanings from the term byte, while now they are nearly synonymous. “The easiest way to understand bits is to compare them to something you know: digits. A digit is a single place that can hold numerical values between 0 and 9.” (How Stuff Works). Electrically speaking, an Octet is simply a collection of 8 digital (or electrical) switches that can have one of two positions, on or off.

This is a very important element to understand about the internet and about the digital transfer of information. Any file, no matter what type (.jpg, .bmp, .wav, etc.), or how large or small (8 bits to 20 Gigabytes) is, at its most basic level, composed of a series of bits strung together in possibly millions of Octets. “A bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and communications, and it always has a value of either zero or one. A byte is a contiguous sequence of a fixed number of bits that is used as a unit of memory, storage and instructions execution in computers.” (Linux Info).

As the number of 8 bit combinations increase in a given file or data type, so does the number possible 1 and 0 combinations. This is important because it allows for a huge amount of diversity and potential for information. Computers process information in quantities of eight units, so these numbers are very signification and have become a universally recognized mathematical property. Computers speeds begin to double at alarming rates due to the computational property of the octet allowing for huge jumps in power and speed (i.e. 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256).

After these digital strings are put together to form whatever file type, to transmit whatever type of information you are trying to send, they must somehow be sent across the internet (if communication is your desired end). This is accomplished by data packet transfer, or packet switching. “So the role of the IP layer is to figure out how to `route' packets to their final destination. To make this possible, every interface on the network needs an `IP address'.” (Net Filter).

“Each packet contains address information that identifies the sending computer and intended recipient.” (Comp Networking). Once the data has been reassembled on the other side by the receiving router, you have successfully sent your information. If there is some breakdown in communication, or some small piece (or packet) of data was lost along the way, the receiving router will request to have the information sent again until the entire piece has be reassembled.

So, what is the Octet? “An octet represents any eight-bit quantity. By definition, octets range in mathematical value from 0 (zero) to 255.” (About). To most of us, it’s data. Digitally, it is one’s and zero’s, little bits of electricity strung together to contain information. In this form we use it to communicate ever more rapidly and frequently as the internet grows and continues to change. The size files grow, and our appetites for more and more information grows with it, even though far too few of us actually know how that information gets from point A to point B. The Octet is the backbone of all modern data and communication. And though it seems complex from a distance, it’s nothing but ones and zeros.

Midterm 2: IPv6

Internet Protocol Version 6 is a newer, faster, larger, and believe it or not, simpler version of the protocol currently used (IPv4) for transmitting information via packet transmission over the internet. Although not in use yet, it will eventually replace the existing protocol (IPv4) that has been in use since 1981. “IPv6 is designed to solve many of the problems of the current version of IP (known as IPv4) such as address depletion, security, autoconfiguration, and extensibility.” (Microsoft).

One of the main, and most important elements of IPv6 over its predecessor is the increase in address space, such as the sheer number of internet addresses currently available on the internet. Whereas IPv4 uses 32 bit of space, IPv6 will use 128 bits, allowing for a vast increase in the number of addresses available for use. “This addressing capability, along with new functions enabling end-to-end security, improved mobility support, simplified address configuration and management, make IPv6 a critical component in the evolution of e-business and the next generation internet.” (IBM). And that’s just it. IPv6 is the Internet Protocol to service the next generation of computer and internet usage, including mobile computing. So why isn’t is in use already?

According to some sources, IPv6 is on the verge of widespread implementation. “The technology has broad implications to innovation and productivity. It allows us to explore new business growth models, and offer more people and communities equitable access to information.” (Cisco). Considering how quickly the internet has shrunk, and by shrunk I mean how quickly much of the bandwidth and space for addresses has diminished, now would be a good time to truly expand the internet and how we use it. The internet is the future of nearly all media, and we need to utilize it the best we can.

Midterm 3: Origin of Spam

As we know (and hate) it today, spam refers to the overabundance of electronic mail messaging, in the form of unsolicited advertisements. But spam doesn’t just come from your email inbox, it has roots in many other forms of media as well. “The word "Spam" as applied to Email means "Unsolicited Bulk Email".Unsolicited means that the Recipient has not granted verifiable permission for the message to be sent.” (http://www.spamhaus.org/definition.html).

In modern terms, the name of spam came into use with the earliest iterations of the internet, although the case could be made for the earlier iterations of unwanted chain letters and the like. The origins of this come from a bug in the original USENET software which was intended to delete unwanted messages, and which mistakenly ended up sending over 200 unintended messages to existing USENET users. “It was these recipients that were first to use the term spam, which at the time simply meant abuse of USENET.” (Spam Laws).

Prior to the internet, the spam was first utilized by virtue of the telegraph where the first recorded spam message was sent simultaneously to several destinations. “The first unsolicited messages came over the wires as early as 1864, when telegraph lines were used to send dubious investment offers to wealthy Americans.” (Time Magazine). Appropriately, the definition refers to Network abuse of nearly any kind. Of course we are all familiar with the modern terms of either the processed meat product, or the gross overabundance of unwanted email.
Spam today has become a whole new monster. It has taken root in a variety of different media, smart spammers utilizing the many varied forms that the technological world gets its information. Emails, text messages, faxes, internet ads, and so on have become the new media by which spam has taken root in all our lives…and almost none of it is welcome. ”Spammers have always shown their liking for big names and brands. And very often these brands are abused to spread malware or gain access to users’ accounts.” (Symantec). Not only has spam become incredibly annoying, but it is now becoming dangerous to our personal identities and property. Obviously common decency will not stop spammers. But the line needs to be drawn somewhere.

Week 3 EOC: 3 x Internet

The wave of the future is mobile. Gaming, surfing the internet, productivity, you name it. People want to take what they love and what they have to do with them, and they want it to be fast and convenient. “Cell phones and cell-phone radio towers send packets of digital information back and forth to each other via radio waves. In the case of a phone call, the packets of information carry voice data.” (How Stuff Works) The integration of internet with all the features of a palm-top computer is becoming the most prominent aspect of internet use.

One of the most standard means of accessing the internet is by DSL, or Digital Subscriber’s Line. It is a fast, dedicated line, the same as a normal telephone line or POTS, which using the standard copper wiring to transmit the digital signal. “DSL exploits this "extra capacity" to carry information on the wire without disturbing the line's ability to carry conversations.” (How Stuff Works) In many ways DSL is the preferred method of home internet access due to its ability to provide good, “high speed” internet access though it does have its limitations in terms of how much bandwidth it can funnel through at high speeds. Overall it is a reliable and moderately fast internet connection.

The final, and technically fastest way of accessing the internet is through use of cable internet. Unlike DSL, Cable works of the digital TV cable lines. It also provides for a faster connection speed with a higher bandwidth than DSL. “When a cable company offers Internet access over the cable, Internet information can use the same cables because the cable modem system puts downstream data -- data sent from the Internet to an individual computer -- into a 6-MHz channel.” (How Stuff Works) Another main difference is while DSL is a slower line with narrower bandwidth, Cable shares its high bandwidth with a community of internet connections. So if you have a cable modem then you are sharing your connection speed (depending on the time of day) with up to 100 other internet users. This makes the choice of internet options wholly dependent upon when you surf the internet, and what your usage type is.

Week 2 EOC: Internet Privacy

As the internet flourishes amongst the masses, one of the main trials and concerns that face not only everyday people, but also businesses, organizations, and an overall social atmosphere. Privacy and security have been, and will continue to be a hot-button issue as the internet continues to evolve. “It involves the exercise of control over the type or amount of information that persons reveal about themselves on the Internet and who may access such information.” (Wikipedia) A mainstay on the list is of course identity theft, which is an unfortunate state where a person assumes (usually digitally) the identity of another person in order to gain access to certain resources such as money (or some other tangible or intangible item).

Another interesting take on internet privacy can be interpreted as an attack of a different kind, not from hackers or those wishing to unlawfully use resources that don’t belong to them, but from those supposedly looking out for the people; the government. “Free speech is only possible if anonymity is possible. Internet privacy means internet anonymity or "pseudonymity." But this would be natural, were it not for government intervention.” (www.lewrockwell.com) In different circles, freedom is a far more important commodity than even personal safety. Allowing government agencies or the government itself to read any email they want, or bypass personal security in the interests of “keeping everyone safe,” can be interpreted in itself as a breach of personal freedom and the right to privacy.

Any way that you look at the issue it’s simple. People have the right to both privacy in keeping their own information private and secure, as well as security in being safe from harm from those who would wish it upon them. There are of course legal considerations that must be taken into account in an argument such as this, but that is where we walk a fine line.

Week 1 EOC: What is the Internet?

Even though it was started as a simple means of research and interdepartmental communication, the Internet itself is a community. It has become, in modern times, a sounding board, an informational outpost, a house of debauchery, a bastion of learning, and a place of fun simultaneously. It has become all of that and much more, even more than just about any imagination can fathom, and that is because it is comprised of every type of person (more or less) on this planet, each from their own individual place on it. “Although all these types of organizations are important for holding together the Internet, at the heart of the Internet are individual local networks.” (Gralla, Troller, p. 7). This world-wide community of people has laid claim to their rights from freedom of expression and information and they won’t be letting go of it anytime soon. In fact, the age of technology has embraced it, as we see more and more pieces of normal life being transferred into virtual, digital representations of ourselves and what people used to do “in the olden days.” Some may called it strange. Some may call it pathetic or antisocial. Some may hate technology and find difficulty in the inevitable change that comes with life. But whatever you wish to call it, at least call it progress. Personally, I may not have found my taste for Facebook and Twitter, but millions upon millions of other people have, and number do not lie as the money rolls in to business made of nothing but tiny pieces of code, 1’s and 0’s that somehow, amazingly end up as perceivably tangible things in front of us that we can see and experience. What is the Internet? Change. Electricity. Binary code. Whatever it is, it’s a community.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

For the past seven years following my graduation from Seattle University with a degree in English, Creative Writing, I diverged from the path of writing and worked as a graphic designer. After years in the industry I have a desire to move onward and upward in my own experience. Now as a Web Designer I am working towards bridging the growing gap between graphic art and communication over the World Wide Web. I am also working towards finishing writing my first science fiction novel which will be completed soon. My goal in this industry has been to use design to effectively display the true nature of the company in a clean and clear way that optimally represents to mission and personality of the company. During this pursuit I have worked as the creative director for both a nationwide hospitality and room service company, as well as a regional holistic healthcare center. As a writer, I have been working towards completing and publishing science fiction and fantasy novels for the past ten years. Until recently have I given up my pursuits before the job was finished. But now I have found drive and work ethic, combined with a great story that is pushing me through to the end.