FINAL assignment

Two very good questions. My immediate gut response is the internet makes us smarter. Obviously, this is a general statement and response. Its always up to the individual whether to have more than an innate curiosity of the surrounding world. I start with a certain amount of brain power (capability), and then like other things, this can grow or improve with use and practice. It requires some desire for more. More knowledge, more capability, more rewards. The article touched on this matter, but in the broader terms of our current culture. Technology is fantastic, but it has upped the tempo of change. Can we as a society keep up? Societies from past eras seem to have similar proportions of intellectuals, the educated status quo, survivors and lower level base thinkers. From the evidence i have seen so far, many people are using this new medium of communication of ideas, content, entertainment, and dissemination of knowledge quite well. The possibilities seem endless. The transition of the internet, from web, web 2.0, then web 3.o is an example. Also, html, xhtml, and the new version the w3 organizations (standards committees), are working on currently. As i wrote in one of my previous assignments, the paths open to me by the WWW and internet are varied and many. I also get to choose what to focus on and invest my personal resources in to, especially time. My favorite idea from the article was the notion that "the nice thing about throwaway material is that it gets thrown away." (Shirky, 2010). The proliferation of junk content and use of the medium only to sell or entertain is sometimes discouraging when i think about the era and society i live in as a whole. But that last quote gives me hope. As more people get use to the meduim they discover along the way 'what else this thing is good for...". I have personally met some individuals who traditionally have not done well in the current 'classroom' environment, but seem to 'fly' on the computer and internet. It is said that necessity is the mother of invention, and now the internet expands on the idea. My personal needs, (and others) will dictate what i use the internet for. To quote Clay Shirky again, "our cognitive surplus is so enormous that diverting even a tiny fraction of time from consumption to participation can create enormous positive effects." On the internet we make use of links. I think this is organically how the brain works too. One idea or pursuit will lead to another, and individuals will 'stumble' upon new ways to think, new kernels of knowledge and new purposes for it. Because it is relatively still a new medium, what it is capable of in terms of how any given individual will make use of it, is still in the growth spurt. This idea of connectivity is both wonderful but also misleading. I have to focus on a piece of hardware to be 'connected'. I am interacting with others using the technology, but not always face to face. Humans need human touch, whether we realize it or acknowledge it. When i spend time with other techies, we still joke and poke, and interact humanly. My personal growth has been greatly enhanced just by the invention of the search engine. I get so much more, much more quickly. Then there are the inherent tangents that i will follow. Veer left, veer right! When a million people are participating in this new zeitgeist, what will follow? The author asks are we going "to integrate digital freedoms into society as well as we integrated literacy" (?). He seems to think so and i agree. There are always enough movers and shakers in our mix. Both the altruistic stripe, and the revolutionist; and even those with less than ideal motives cannot reverse what is becoming the norm. Widespread access to knowledge, media and each other. The next generation will make sure of that. I'm just glad i could be a part of it.

> Citation:
Author- Clay Shirky,
Article- "Does the internet make you smarter?".
Wall Street Journal, June 4, 2010
>> Author's credentials/work:
He has a joint appointment at New York University (NYU) as a Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and Assistant Arts Professor in the New Media focused graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) [3]
# ^ http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2010/12/07/new-media-expert-clay-shirky-to-become-professor-at-nyus-carter-journalism-institute-tisch-school-of-the-arts.html
He has written and been interviewed extensively about the Internet since 1996. His columns and writings have appeared in Business 2.0, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Business Review and Wired.

Research Journal pt 5 - Summary

SUMMARY:
Ok, this was a bit challenging.
Clark desktops have Filezilla already installed. This is a File Transfer program, client to server (and vice/versa) using FTP. filezilla is opensource.
> from the 'twoplayfulotters' website, i copied (using select all)to the Notepad app on my desktop. This is a template for me to edit as instructed or 'dress up' with new text and/or color schemes. As you saw on the page, colors were improved, and some basic text/ideas were added.
>> the file was renamed (several x, :)), so that it could be id' and uploaded thru Filezilla later
>> The file then can be viewed in a web browser (a client based html page viewer) regardless if the cpu is online or not. This is good for page review, and editing purposes.
>>> After editing my file, making more changes, the file is saved once again, and the browser is refreshed to view the changes.
**************************************************************************
< The file is now uploaded to a web server (a host server) called '2plkflotts..' and the username is 'clark' (our user account on the host server) using FILEZILLA.
the left pane is files on my cpu, the right pane is files (available) on the host server.
<< My file is uploaded to the server with rt. click (upload) option. ((copy/paste, drag/drop?).
<<< to view my new page, the server address (with my file extension) is typed in the browser address bar.
MY PAGE IS DISPLAYED! from the internet. (and now available to all who can access that server?)
*** ? for AB: is the web page accessible thru that server, as in are the server pages not file protected by the host? can the page be googled and pop up?
*********************************************************************
LBernal

RJ-5 URL for LBernal

http://twoplayfulotters.com/students/LBernal2-html.html

wordle link:

will this work? TRY THE LINK..........
never mind, html code, not a link... :(

NOV 28, 2010
Larry Bernal

T-day Surprise

Wow, cool videos. I really liked the one about 'where ideas come from'. Web 2.0 to 3.0 seems like a small leap. We primarily still use the net for getting information. The addition of our own content is interesting, but how useful? Relatively, it is still a toss up. Though Wikipedia and the like are extremely useful.. our new encyclopedia. The 'commerce' sites that are mentioned used the cycle of our input to their response or 'suggestions' seems one sided and with the purpose of 'selling' more. The example of google docs, (cloud? computing) is a better use of interactive content. Truly mutual, and fostering creativity and productivity. That's where the Steven Johnson video guides us. block by block, (idea upon idea) building for new discoveries, etc. The web 3.0 affords us capability, compatibility, and mostly interdependence. But the technology still requires input (work) on our part for the tools to work. Does all this tech. really simplify my life. I think we are trading one modus operandi for another, i.e., virtual, digital, instead of what we now know as 'hard copy' and 'slow(er)' forms of communication. Speed is the benefit. A far greater access to stuff, both sundry or digital, is a benefit. But most of all, knowledge building. I dont really need any more intrusive runs at my 'wallet'. :))

RJ-4; Summary

While looking up 'nearly' the same topic (depending on exact search statement) the four domains differed in both 'native style' and results. The least liked or usable for academic or research purposes was the 'dot-com' domain. The information pointed at was 'useful' or on topic, but the search results focused on items, electronic or otherwise, that were for sale. The focus was on availability, not content. There was an interesting difference of the dot-edu, and dot-org sites. The dot org sites was a mixture of 'info' disseminating type journals, forums for problem solving and 'adware' laden bulletin board/info specific sites. The dot-gov sites provided direct links to govt. agencies, fbi, national 'computer' and 'internet security' issues related sites. These sites were helpful in dissemination of topics related to 'security' issues. The only detriment to the sites were that in trying to authenticate, content and links were strong, but 'authorship' just seemed sparse. References were made to 'directors' and subordinates, but this is common info that can be looked up elsewhere. Larry B.

RJ-4 dot-com

Search Engine: Bing
Search Statement: "network security .com"
Citation: internet.com (esucurityplanet.com)
http://www.internet.com/Internetcom/Door/41188
Credibiliy factors:
> date updated: daily
>> 6 tabs (links) to major categories, with more links to much technical info regarding computer networking, security, etc.
includes forums, tutorials, and daily 'industry' articles of relevant topics, archives, security related software downloads, etc., diverse and numerous authors on many specific topics.
>>> Purpose: focus & mission statement by Authors/Administrators:
The Internet.com Network is a comprehensive source for the latest global news and information about information technology and the Internet. It allows users to evaluate, compare and purchase IT and Internet-related products and services. The Internet.com Network attracts experienced IT and business professionals looking for:

* Real-time industry news
* Tutorials, training and skills development
* Internet market research
* Buyer's guides and products reviews
* Archives of definitive industry publications
* Discussion forums
* Expert advice