What are the issues concerning Privacy in the digital age?

The Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) is an advocacy group which defends your freedoms and rights in the digital world. I'd like you to look at their web site and read this page about privacy. Then choose one or two of the many issues of Privacy linked in red in the center of the page. Create a new post on this blog about one of these issues. If you see that someone else has already posted on that issue, choose a different one. After reading about the topic, write a few paragraphs describing the issue in your own words. Then give your opinion and your response. Be thoughtful and tell us what you really think. Is this scary? Do you consider yourself a private person? Do you have a right to keep your personal information to yourself? What is your response?

This is to be completed in class Tuesday.

Computer Games

In school we all play computer games and the teachers know it. So why do they make such a big deal out of it? I mean if you are all done with your work shouldn't you have the liberty to play computer games? In this instance you did put your academics as your priority but it is nice to just get away from all the studying and game for a couple minutes.

A news story about patents: check it out

Big name drugs are falling off the Patent cliff

This story just appeared on National Public Radio. It's illustrates the importance of patents in protecting the investment of the expensive research and development that drug companies do so that they may be profitable to continue to produce new drugs. It also shows that because patents expire, generics can be produced which benefit the use with lower costs.

This is the way intellectual property laws should work.

Hannibal Gave Me an A!

Recently we had to write a three page essay on Friday Night Lights, Digital Nation, and Super Size Me. Well, I didn't think I did a good job but Hannibal said I'll get an A.

I think this is a interesting topic to discuss. In my opinion, the creativity is a kind of ability that we're born with. It's also the basic requirement of discovering new things. I thing it’s a kind of intrinsic skill which can benefit you a lot. It’s definitely true that if you have this ability you will find or invent some new things easily even something that normal people can hardly notice. Your idea will be a little different with other people. The most important point is that they have curious hearts. They love to discover something which benefit society a lot and accelerate the development of the technology. Without them ,we will lose lots of thing which are very useful and helpful.

Creativity

What is Creativity? Is it a virtue that we admire, a skill that we strive to develop, or a talent that we're born with? How do creative people benefit society? Why is creativity important to all of us? Post your comments--using the ideas you began with in your free writes.

Super Size Me

For this post, I'd like you to critically evaluate this film. What category of purpose would you place this documentary? Is it informational or advocacy? Is it a primary or secondary source? Does it present objective information? Explain. We will discuss next class. Please post your response in comments below.

Loyalty

Loyalty is one of the most valuable virtues of the human beings. It is expressed through actions and sensibilities. People need loyal friends, families need loyal members and companies need loyal staffs. To my opinion, loyalty means no hurting. All the loyal actions are for the sake of the person who is pledged loyalty to. We should be loyal to our family, friends, workmates and whoever we love or respect. But we should not be loyal excessively, especially not be loyal to these who keep breaking their promises and being disloyal. Or it will just hurt ourselves. For instance, one cheats on his consort time after time. If we are deficient in loyalty, we will lose trust from others and our reputations will get ruined. It is such a cruel situation when a person is not pledged loyalty to by anyone. Being loyal is also being responsible to our lives and souls.

loyalty

I think this is a interesting topic to discuss. in my opinion, I think the virtue of loyalty takes a great value in my mind and I treat it as the very important part in my life. For me, the loyalty means that your friends will not betray you easily for the material treasure or glory. And they deserve your trust ,they will not do something that can hurt you. They will give you a hand when you need help. Obsolutely , the person who we are loyal to must have the close relationship with us. Such as your parents and your best friends or someone who always help you. If we are excessively loyal, on the contrary, you will lose yourself. And you will make some troubles to your friends of someone else, even lose the friendship between you and your friends. If we are deficient in loyalty, you will never get others’ loyal to you and you will lose more than you get.

Values response

Today we talked about values in class. We discussed everything from honesty, to assertiveness, to loyalty. Everyone need to be loyal to something. If your being loyal to your country, to your family, or to a sports team. Loyalty means a lot to me. There has to be something that you put your loyalties into. I put priorities into my family, because I care about them. I also care about the US. It is good to be loyal, but people have to stop being loyal at certain pint. If people are loyal to their country, but their country starts making crazy laws and taxes they are being thrown under the bus. en if the country realizes the people will just take it they will keep rising the taxes. That is what happened in the late 1700's. Britain kept putting takes on the colonies in America, who were loyal to Britain, and they revolted, because they stopped being loyal. That is why people need some loyalty, but not to much or they will be a pushover and do anything the people say they need them to do.

Virtues--getting the right balance

For this post I'd like you to respond to our class discussion about virtues. Think about the virtue of Loyalty. What does this mean to you? Who should we be loyal to? If we are excessively loyal, how is that harmful or bad? If we are deficient in loyalty, how does that harm us? What are your thoughts? Write at least 100 words in your response.

Digital Nation

How do you respond to the PBS documentary Digital Nation?
What is the purpose of this documentary? Is it informational or advocacy? Is it trying to inform or influence your opinion? 
What is the author's viewpoint and do you agree with it? What is your experience as a digital native?
How is technology and the internet affecting our brains and our performance? Are students going to be equipped to be better communicators, and better problem solvers because of being fluent in technology, or are they losing their ability to focus and think deeply?


Post your response on the blog.