Blog post #5 | Privacy

Privacy in technology has become a concern over the last two to three decades. As technology advances, so does personalization and tracking. Your iPhone has been tailored to track data from scrolling or looking at products. For example, if I was looking up Star Wars helmets on Safari one day, the very next day I could be scrolling through Instagram and find advertisements trying to sell me Star Wars helmets or other Star Wars products. Until recently, that was the case across the board with handheld devices. Apple recently released an update to their Apple products which requires apps to ask if they can track your data. This is a big win in terms of individuals protecting themselves from being profiled and put in databases of information. 

The issue of technology progressing enough to violate my privacy has become my concern as I have gotten older. As a kid, I did not have to worry about this stuff because I did not have a phone, or at least my mom's phone wasn't really my phone. Anyhow, as I got older, I was given access to technology, like an iPhone in my name & a laptop for college which I could utilize to download games, create an account on Instagram, connect with people across the world, and surf the web to find things that might make my day-to-day a little easier. What's concerning about this is that for most of these activities, they take my data and store it somewhere to be more personal to me; to make it easier to sell or appeal to me. For instance, Instagram determines the watch time of every reel I watch and if I watch one reel longer than the rest, it throws me more reels that may have the same captions or the same semantics as the reel I watched longer before. 

The government should help corporations when they try to protect our privacy. Recently the FBI encouraged iPhone & Android users to stop using their traditional texting apps and move to encrypted texting platforms, like WhatsApp. The FBI doing this is a good example of what the government should be doing but should be doing, and what they do doesn't exactly line up all the time. Federal employees aren't even safe from this, with the Trump Administration wanting to set up an email system that is designed to send emails to all Federal employees' inboxes. At the forefront, this seems innocent, but if it is hacked then that hacker has the name and more information of every Federal government employee. It is seeing backlash thankfully, but if it were to follow through that could be a serious potential breach of privacy for all employees in the government. 

Data collection is something my family should be concerned about, my friends should be concerned about, and I should be concerned about. We should not be fond of the fact an entity, which could turn against any human at any point, that knows exactly who we are and what we would do. While I do understand this is for security's sake, this is not how you ensure people remain safe. Who I am & what I do should not be anyone's business unless I opt for it to be. When I post on Instagram, I am opting for the world & Instagram to know what I have been up to lately, and that's fine. If Instagram were to take my interests and try to market them though, that would be a breach of my trust and security. 

Something we can do about protecting ourselves from entities that collect our data can be simple or just a little harder than simple. Simple is deleting the account and opting to have that data not be tracked one hundred percent anymore. This is not ideal, so I recommend going with the second option, which is utilizing the "Limit Data Settings" functions on the apps you use that could track data. By taking the time to limit the data an app or internet thing could collect, you make your life more private and make it harder for an entity to figure out how to exploit you. 

Blog Post #6 | EOTO reaction post

No one knows when pigeons or birds were trained to deliver mail. Seems to go back to the Egyptians or the Romans. It was utilized for the wealthy during those times though if they wanted something to get somewhere faster than the horseback mail system. In modern times, pigeon racing became a phenomenon and they were used during World War One and World War Two. 

The first electronic television system was showcased in 1927. The public introduction came with BBC's regular broadcast in 1936, also featured in the 1939 New York World Fair on behalf of RCA. Television became a mainstream form of receiving media and revolutionized the entertainment industry allowing people to watch things without being present. 

Bluetooth was invented in 1994 by Dr. Jaap Haartsen while working on short-range radio connections. The first version was realized in 1999, focusing on wireless data connection. It is an innovation made for the benefit of convenience and accessories. 

The idea of the telegraph was first claimed in 1798. Samuel Morse created his version of a working electrical telegraph by 1832. The first message ever sent was "What hath God wrought?". It was a growing industry leading into the 20th century. By 1934, it had gained enough attention to have governments pass legislation to monitor it. It was an amazing innovation because messages would travel quickly (same day) whereas the mail system would take multiple days, if not weeks.

Paper was invented in ancient China by Cai Lun. By mixing fibers and plants, the paper could be made and written on. It was spread throughout the world via the Silk Road. It was revolutionary in the sense of communicating with people across distances and preserving it. It is the primary form of communication used to teach the masses about religion, natural sciences, liberal arts, etc. 

The email was invented in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson. He came about it during his spare time while figuring out how to transfer files from one computer to the next. Tomlinson figured it would be a "neat thing to do" and it wouldn't become popular until 1988. There are 7.9 billion email accounts worldwide, and 5.6 billion are active. Gmail is the largest email provider, having 1.8 billion active user accounts. 

The VCR was invented in the 1950s but wasn't popular until the 1970s-2000s. VHS and Betamax were tracks put into VCRs to play videos. Using magnetic tapes, you could playback videos. It allowed for technological advancements with television and led to the rise of direct-to-video films convenient for home-watching. 

Cloud computing is the delivery of storage and software over the internet, allowing people to access and manage their data remotely instead of relying on physical technology, like the USB drive. The first version was created in 1969, but the computing system wouldn't gain traction until 2006 with the Amazon Web Service or Google Docs/Services. It faces challenges with cybersecurity and cost management. Sixty percent of the world's corporate data is stored in the cloud.

Compact Discs were patented in 1970. The prototype was revealed in 1979 and had a commercial release in 1982-1983. Sony & Phillips licensed the CD for recording in 1988. From 1988 to 2007, over 200 billion CDs were bought worldwide. CD's descent in popularity occurred in 2008 when Spotify launched. If all the CDs in the world were piled up, they would circle the Earth six times. The best-selling CD of all time sold over 38 million copies. 

Blog post #4 | The Cassette Tape

The music industry became what it is today due to the invention of the cassette tape. A cassette tape is an audio recording in a rectangular container composed of lightweight materials, making it ideal to carry around and record things. It can do this through a magnetic tape. The magnetic tape was also designed as an advancement where you could replay audio. 

To record audio for a cassette, someone would place it in a recorder and immediately prepares itself to be recorded. When they were done recording, their voice would have been converted into electrical waves and imprinted onto the magnetic tape. People could play this audio back and the recorder would take the electrical waves and convert them back into sound waves through the use of magnetic power. 

Lou Ottens invented the cassette tape as a more affordable, portable way of listening to music. Before Ottens, there were larger versions of the magnetic tape that were incredibly clunky and inconvenient for everyday use. He took on the challenge of shrinking tapes when he became head of product development for Philips Technology in Belgium.

Something that I believe is cool about history, especially when it comes to technology, as tech advances it becomes more available to the people. Look at Electric Vehicles for example, when they first hit the market, like the Tesla Roadster in 2012, they were priced so only high-income citizens could buy them. As time passed, more companies would innovate and offer that technology to the human population, which people would buy because it was no longer an exclusive product. 

Before Ottens, if someone wanted to record something they would have needed a recorder from Ampex. During World War Two, the Germans invented a recorder using magnetic reel tapes. The Americans found out about these recorders and started sending parts home until someone figured out how to replicate them and make them better. This recorder would drive Ottens to innovate the cassette tape.

Ottens's motivation derived from how he wanted a high-quality reel-to-reel tape without clunkiness or expansiveness. He had competition though. Phillips Technology had two teams working on the cassette. One team, the Vienna team, would manufacture the single-hole cassette. Ottens's team, the Berlin team, manufactured the two-hole cassette, which drew inspiration from a previous failed product. Phillips Tech picked the cassette tape they would mass manufacture. With the help of Sony, Phillips was able to surpass their competitors and establish the cassette worldwide. Sony basically forced Phillips to license the format of the cassette tape for free. 

Ottens's dream was realized and the audio-listening industry was revolutionized because music on the go became a reality. This is comedic considering how Ottens did not design it for the music industry, but just for recording things people had said. The cassette tape inspired companies to innovate and create products like the Sony Walkman & the Boombox. I believe that the cassette tape prompted these inventions, and these inventions walked so that wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers could run. 

The Sony Walkman was pivotal in that sense because it overtook vinyl records. The records were still preferred for home use, but the Walkman sold better because it could be used in more situations despite how it was more expensive. Another pro to the cassette tapes would be that they could play up to three hours of music or radio.

The cassette tape was also revolutionary because it made recording things simple & easy, yet it carried emotional weight through how it could carry a familiar face's voice. In 1967, Phillips Technology invented the Typ EL 3302, a recorder allowing anyone to record audio onto blank cassette tapes. This created an emotional appeal because anyone's voice could be recorded, which would have been extremely difficult to do prior unless you had the money for it.

The cassette tape would be overtaken by the CD player. CD players had the same benefits as cassette tapes by being portable. It was a slow process to get music & audio tracks onto CD players, but it was possible through tech like the CD-R & CD-RW via mp3 files. A downside to the cassette tape would be that you could not just download an mp3 file like you could with a CD disk. Someone could also buy CDs in mass whereas cassette tapes would be more expensive and not as space efficient.

Blog Post #3 | Speech Theory

The eight values of free expression are the Marketplace of Ideas, Participation in Self-Government, Stable Change, Individual Self-Fulfillment, Check on Governmental Power, Promote Tolerance, Promote Innovation, and Protect Dissent. 

1) The Marketplace of Ideas promotes the idea that a published piece should not require a license or governmental approval to be published. John Milton brokered that concept in a pamphlet he published in 1644, protesting Parliament's requirement to approve and license all published books. This one is especially prevalent in the modern world today because everyone can publish or post something stating their opinion or take on a topic. 

For instance, someone could post a video on President Trump's inauguration without governmental approval or screening of the video. I believe this is a critical value because it allows people to practice their free speech without allowing the government to suppress them before they have publicly said something.

2) Participation in Self-Government is a concept where politicians and other governmental individuals need to be able to practice free speech in any form they choose. For example, the government should not be able to ban Instagram as a form of media for a politician to use to promote their ideals and beliefs. This is essential because it allows citizens to properly understand the individual they are supporting. It allows the public to understand the debate as a whole with nothing behind veils or blocked by restricted platform use. Politicians can use any form of media today to convey any message to get the public to support them, so this ideal is practiced.

3) Stable Change encourages upset and illegal citizens to practice free speech/venting because it keeps them from acting violently and allows for better moderation of groups that could threaten national security. By not suppressing citizens, they will speak their hearts and not act impulsively as much. If the government were to suppress upset citizens, there is a higher chance they would do something that can not be easily fixed. Additionally, if an upset or illegal citizen talks about the issues they are concerned about, there is a chance that they give some information regarding groups that harm the American population. Concerning angry people, this is happening because people are posting all over social media about their takes on political topics, especially since Trump has been re-elected. 

4) Individual Self-Fulfillment was brought up by C. Edwin Baker. He believed that individuals should be free to express themselves and create their identities. This idea is important to me because it reinforces the concept that America is a melting-pot country, a mix of cultures and identities. Additionally, it allows people to fully express themselves and live to be the individuals they want to be. Though this concept has its pitfalls, especially with generating some less-than-ideal personality traits in populations, then again it is better than suppression of being who you are. 

5) Check On Governmental Power is an important expression of freedom because it creates an advanced society that is accountable. If the public cannot keep the government in check then what keeps them from abusing their powers and making current issues, like poverty, worse. If the public can keep the government in check then a society can progress with a balance and serve as a model of inspiration for other countries worldwide.

6) Promote Tolerance is an interesting expression because it's not exactly something that would be encouraged outright. Promoting tolerance encourages things like hate speech because it generates tolerance and teaches individuals how to be patient and understanding. It hinges on the idea that a more tolerant society is a better society. 

I feel that the line of reasoning that a tolerant society is a better society is fair. I'm not sure if tolerating hate speech would be the way to go about it though. There are softer practices that promote understanding and forgiveness, but then again if a society can tolerate the worse practices it should encourage an advanced society.

7) Promote Innovation is the most important ideal to me. Allowing free speech encourages individualism, which leads to a creative, energized society. If free speech was suppressed, it would cause individuals to succumb to whatever is happening and not think for themselves, not express their ability to be free to create and do something original. If a society cannot be creative and original they are doomed to fail because they will not develop. An example of this could be the Soviet Union, which partially collapsed due to economic inequality and political corruption which was not being fixed.

8) Protect Dissent is a right all citizens have to disagree with a governmental body. Steve Shiffrin was a leading interpreter of the Constitution and its appeals, especially regarding the First Amendment. He believed that all citizens should have the right to dispute governmental opinion freely. This is an important ideal because it contributes to the Check On Governmental Power concept and The Marketplace of Ideas, it promotes individual thought that is not dependent on what the majority of people say. 

Blog Post #2 | The Founding Era of the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court's process begins with a written petition to give judgment on a case. Cases come to the Supreme Court in the thousands. Nine Court Justices consider the case, from any kind of background. The Supreme Court serves as a model for other grand courts worldwide, but it exists as the strongest judicial power. "Their legitimacy is in the constitution, but their power relies on public faith in their independence and impartiality." It is their job to interpret the Constitution and uphold the rule of law based on their findings. 

When a new justice arrives, the Court's nine justices convene for a group photo. There have been just over one hundred Supreme Court justices in the U.S.'s history, serving an average of sixteen years. Being elected to the Supreme Court is a rare opportunity. They often convene to help determine the government's power, whether it be ruling it legal or not, in particular, controversial cases. 

When the government moved to Washington D.C. in 1801, John Marshall was elected Chief Justice. He is credited with giving the Supreme Court the ability to determine an act of Congress as unconstitutional. Under Marshal's leadership, the Court gained respect and was an effective tool in building the nation serving its place as a coequal branch of the government. 

After twenty years, a slave from Missouri, Dred Scott, attempted to claim his freedom by citing the Constitution, and the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had no power to ban slavery and slaves could never be citizens, which would lose much of that respect Marshal had worked hard to achieve. The Civil War helped resolve the issue of slavery, and the Dred Scott case is the Court's biggest self-inflicted wound. The Fourteenth Amendment would give all American citizens the right to due process of law and equal protection. 

In the modern day, the justices have two hundred years of history to reference and learn from to rule cases fairly. The Constitution we have today has survived through history and has been changed to embrace all American citizens, but it was not set to do that initially. The Court accepts about one hundred cases a year, and these cases are sent to justices every week. The Supreme Court looks to the other courts to determine if they've ruled properly based on Constitutional interpretations. Every week justices will convene to decide what cases they weigh in on. The Supreme Court has the right to not take cases, and determine if a case wasn't cared for properly.

When they debate what cases to choose, the Chief Justice first caps over the issues in the case and everyone contributes. The Court actively tries to improve itself, like how in recent years they've adopted a policy of letting everyone speak once before anyone speaks again. There has been a misconception that the Supreme Court can withhold information, but the entire branch is built on how there is no inside story. Everything is public information. "They (justices) have to wait for people to bring their problems to the Court." Unlike a senator or the President, the Supreme Court can't interpret the Constitution because they can, they have to have a case which causes them to interpret. 

The Supreme Court hears cases in public. Lawyers have thirty minutes to make their argument before the court, and the nine justices listen to that oral argument. The oral argument helps answer questions the briefs don't answer. Lawyers when presenting their argument need to remember they have a captive audience of justices for a half-hour and must not waste that vital time. The lawyer must be reactive, not sticking to a prepared script of how they want things to go. It is a different experience for professionals of law to be on the Supreme Court because they are presenting an argument to nine judges instead of one or two. A great luxury the Court has today is picking out the national concern a case has and finding a resolution to it. After a few days, the justices will convene alone and come to a conclusion about the case. 

After they've voted to decide the case, an individual justice on the majority side will write an opinion giving the legal reasons for the decision. Writing the opinion is the most time-consuming part of the justice's job because it's critical to helping other courts interpret the law correctly. Law clerks help with this process and the things that follow. The first draft takes about a month to develop. These drafts are sent to all nine justices to persuade the others to join that majority. 

As the justices announce their decision in the courtroom, other judicial staff push out the opinion to the press. Within hours or minutes, the public will discover what the Supreme Court had done regarding the case and its rulings. If the Supreme Court ever stopped defending the Constitution or if the people stopped listening to the Supreme Court, America would cease to be the freest nation in the world. "The power of the Court is the power of the trust earned...". 

A fun fact is that every time the justices meet they've adopted a tradition of shaking each justice's hands. I didn't know about that before, but I like how that encourages respect for each other. My biggest takeaway is that the Supreme Court has no power if it loses the trust of the people, which I think is good for accountability. The most surprising thing I learned was that the Supreme Court only accepts about one hundred cases a year. I thought it would be more, but in hindsight, that seems fair, especially with how long it takes to properly address a case. The video helped me gain a perspective that the Supreme Court is not for the government's benefit, but for the benefit of the people to hold the government responsible. 

Blog Post #1 TOP 5 SOURCES OF NEWS OR INFORMATION

 The first source I would refer to for information would be The Skimm. My 8th-grade civics teacher would do weekly tests on news going on in the world and she would use The Skimm articles for extra credit questions. I like it because if you subscribe, you will get a daily email from them going over the news in the world. Additionally, it is a pretty neutral news platform that will not spin information. Altogether, I like it as a news source because it sends daily, accurate news to my email & is a neutral news source. 

Unfortunately, my second news source is Instagram. While doom-scrolling, I often see news about things going on in the world. For example, I learned about the Californian wildfires and the havoc they have caused in the Los Angeles region. 

It isn't an amazing news source because anyone can put up any type of false information, but it is good at informing the general public of things. For that reason, I would make it my #2 news source because it's entertaining and it is good at making the public aware of world events

My third news source is CNN 10. Ironically, my 8th-grade civics teacher also had us watch 10-minute videos on world events, instead of extra-credit questions these would be the main questions.

I do not refer to these videos much because it has been a while, but I will say it is good information and it's presented in an entertaining format. If I remember correctly, it is also pretty politically neutral and I appreciate that. Altogether, I don't default to this news source because sometimes I do not feel like watching a 10-minute video just for random news, but I do appreciate it for what it is and it's entertaining. 

My fourth source of news is TED Talks. TED Talks are incredibly informative, and entertaining (depending on the topic), and provide great insight into what's happening in the world.

 TED Talks can be on broad sources of information, like the geo-political world, sciences, philosophies, psychologies, etc. TED talks can be on more scholarly subjects and provide factual insight into those subjects, which offers a nice break from regular news stations where things can get spun and viewed subjectively. Altogether, TED talks are a great form of understanding things that are happening in the world and they are very visual.

My final news source would be Microsoft News. I think it is incredibly convenient, especially since whenever you open the Microsoft browser it throws news articles and videos your way which can appeal. It can be overlooked since whenever someone opens the browser they are trying to do something, probably not browse through news, but still, it can have interesting titles and topics that are informative. Altogether, Microsoft News is a good news source because it's convenient and it has some interesting articles and videos to offer about events/subjects.