Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Controversy on Facebook

In Delaney’s (2007) article entitled “The sinister side of social networking”, he states nowadays many people share their personal details and talk about their private lives on social networking sites. Facebook is a social networking website which was created on February 4, 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg (Wikipedia, n.d.). In those days, Facebook was a social networking site for just Harvard University students, but now anybody can use it only if people make accounts. Also, according to Rampell (2008), now Facebook’s users number 67 million, and still increasing now. In fact, now, users can create applications and the number of applications aremore than Facebook Company creates, so Facebook comes to be able to serve users many functions, which Facebook originally did not have (Wikipedia, n.d.). However, because of this, the site is so developed that it is difficult for Facebook to control by itself. Therefore, finally, Facebook comes to have faced many problems of leaking private information. Delaney claims that originally, Facebook was a communication space for friends on the net to communicate with each other. However, nowadays, the original style is changed considerably. Facebook affects users because it shows a lot of individual private information. The information contributes to many crimes in real life. According to Delaney (2007), users’ private information is stolen by burglars to get account numbers, by advertisers to succeed in business, or by strangers for reasons of abuse. In fact, Facebook is just concentrating on expanding its functions, so it does not care about security so much. That is why Facebook’s security is so weak. Facebook fascinates many people with its many interesting applications, but in the end, it also gives users much concern over where their private information has gone. Therefore, Facebook now, should think about the solution and act to protect human rights.

First, Facebook leads to many crimes in real life. Although Facebook holds a lot of users’ valuable information, Facebook does not protect this information properly. Because of this, now, many crimes related to Facebook have happened. Also, Facebook does not show users the risk clearly and openly, so most users do not perceive the crimes and do not receive them seriously. In fact some users show their private information extremely openly and correctly without hesitation. Even though Facebook offers some protectors for users, users who do not know the risk very well ignore the systems and show anybody their private information involuntarily. In “The sinister side of social networking” the author states “Details such as date of birth and where you work provide valuable clues for identity thieves, while status updates saying you are going on vacation could be tantamount to giving burglars the key to your house” (2007, para. 5). Therefore, especially these kinds of people might be caught up in crimes. Applications of Facebook are getting better, while the warning from Facebook to users is still weak. Now, Facebook has a system in which users can create applications, and the function is still growing. In “What Facebook Knows That You Don’t” the author states this application is also one of causes of the leak of private information (Rampell, 2008). Because of expansion of the applications, it is hard for Facebook to protect users’ private information. Moreover, Facebook also has a system in which people send email directly if they do not know each other. Therefore, Facebook should tell users the risks and it needs to make users prepare to avoid the risks.

Second, Facebook contributes to success of other companies by giving users’ private information. Nowadays, internet is a new advertising system instead of television, newspaper and other traditional media. Through the rapid spread the internet, the advertising way has become very effective among people. That is why nowadays many companies advertise their business on websites. In “Beware of Facebook’s Beacon?” the author points out “companies can buy advertisements to support their new presence on Facebook, and these ads can be targeted by things like geography, gender, age, and any type of info that users have entered into the Facebook database” (2007, para. 3). By doing this, customers often see their products and come to feel familiar with them. Therefore, customers and companies are getting close. Also, Hirsh (2007) states that Facebook gives users’ data collection to partner websites and moreover in the future Facebook will extend the website partner. Therefore, surprisingly, companies can see user’s information without being allowed by users. The system helps companies know what customers need now, and moreover helps them succeed in business. That is why Facebook offers users’ information to the companies which participate on the data collection. In fact, most of the users do not know this fact, and ironically, the private information of users is leaked by Facebook without asking anything. Therefore, Facebook should protect private information properly.

Third, the problem is that Facebook’s function is sometimes very obscure. At first, Facebook did not make a deletation system properly. Therefore, when users want to leave Facebook, users are caught up in complicated situation. In “Losing my Facebook” Blackwell (2007) said it is hard to delete information because of extending developers of Facebook. Moreover, Blackwell (2007) said that after users deactivate their account, Facebook keeps it and stores it to avoid trouble. Therefore, in fact, the number of users is unclear. The number might include people who have left Facebook already. Facebook does not need to keep accounts. Facebook should delete the accounts of people who left already. Also, Facebook should not make a deactivation system, but a deletion system which users can delete by themselves whenever users want to delete. Moreover, Facebook should show the whereabouts of private information after users leave Facebook clearly. The fact that whereabouts of accounts after users leave Facebook is obscure is also not well known, so only people who faced that situation know that. However, before people become users of Facebook, Facebook should offer this information and organize clearly.

Opponents of the idea that Facebook is responsible for its a risk argue that it is dependent on people. They say that people can avoid the risk as long as people watch out. Surely, they avoid some risk of many risks by using protectors. However, unfortunately, most users do not know what really is going on in Facebook. In addition to their fact, Facebook can not control itself. That is to say, now Facebook’s scale is too big to control itself, and it can not control users’ movement, either. That is why now Facebook faces a danger of management. Facebook needs to make users be careful about several choices and not to be too honest and not to show too much information correctly. They have a responsibility as an offer because they hold millions of bits of private information. The scale expansion of Facebook meets people’s demand, but it surely leads to users’ risks. Therefore, Facebook should recheck its management policy and reconsider human rights, and then Facebook should be narrowed to manage by itself. When Facebook acts on this, Facebook can manage properly.

In conclusion, these days Facebook has become a famous social networking website all over the world. Facebook holds a lot of individual private information, so it should protect people’s information more seriously, and also it should deal with many problems properly and right away. Therefore, Facebook should tell users about risk and what is going on in Facebook properly and honestly to avoid crimes, should protect the private information of users more than now, and should offer information and organize clearly. Of course, users should be careful about leaking privacy information by themselves, but Facebook as a sponsor should manage safely for their customers. If Facebook keeps this style, Facebook will not last very long. Now, expansions of Facebook make Facebook face many problems which it has caused by itself. This leaking of private information will be a global issue. Therefore, Facebook, now, should think about the solution and act to protect human rights.



References

Blackwell, L. (2007, December 8). Losing my Facebook. Learn On Line. Retrieved on April 27, 2008, from http://learnonline.wordpress.com/2007/12/08/losing-my-facebook/

Delaney, B. (2007, September 7). The sinister side of social networking. CNN News. Retrieved on March 31, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Hernandez, M. (2008, April 4). How do you know your love is real? Check Facebook. CNN News. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Hirsh, J. (2007, November 14). Beware of Facebook’s Beacon? CBC News. Retrieved on April 26, 2008, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/tech/hightech/facebook-beacon.html

Naughton, J. (2008, January 6). The Networker: Why Facebook wants to corner the market in personal info. The Observer. Retrieved on March 26, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Rampell, C. (2008, February 23). What Facebook Knows That You Don’t. washingtonpost. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Rushe, D. (2007, October 28). Advertisers leap into Facebook. TIMES ONLINE. Retrieved on April 26, 2008, from http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2746840.ece

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Facebook. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 27, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook

Monday, April 28, 2008

Is Wikipedia good or not?

In "Wikipedia Wisdom”, Wolverton (2007), writes, “Launched Jan. 15, 2001, it is already the ninth most popular Web site in the Unitd States, according to Alexa Internet, a company that monitors Web traffic” (para. 9). As you know, Wikipedia is now famous all over the world as an encyclopedia online. Anybody can access this site freely and anybody can check its terms easily and quicky. This site is very convenient and a new product which a new generation created. That is why Lengel (2006) states that Wikipedia became famous with only just six years. However, in fact, many professors argue with Wikipedia because it has some problems.

It is clear that professors argue with Wikipedia because it makes students lazy, and sometimes Wikipedia has wrong information because anybody can edit and access it freely. That is why Wikipedia lacks in truth and sometimes includes malicious information. Therefore, Wikipedia should always try to carry right information as much as possible, protect human rights, and tell users it might lack in truth more officially.

First, Wikipedia should try to tell only right information as much as possible. Many users who view Wikipedia, of course, want right information quickly. Although some users know Wikipedia lacks in truth and sometimes it has wrong information, unfortunately, most users would believe what Wikipedia says because most users visit this site before they are familier with the terms. Wolverton (2007) argues it leads to Internet vandalism. Therefore, when users carry information online, Wikipedia should check information and sometimes delete information which might include wrong information and make a link to other sites related to its terms. Even though Wikipedia is made by users, it is also used by users to get information. That is why Wikipedia needs to try to carry right information as much as possible.

Second, because anybody can edit anytime, Wikipedia sometimes threatens human rights. Therefore, Wikipedia should make users have an account and deal with someone who carried malicious information. According to Wolverton, “users can add, alter, or remove information without registering a user account, giving those who visit the site free and anonymouse reign over the available information” (2007, para. 7); it shows risk because it is without a user account. That is why Wikipedia should make user’s accounts, to protect the effection human rights.

Finally, Wikipedia might lack in truth. Therefore, Wikipedia needs to advise users about that and lead users to other sites to get more real information for users. In addition to this, users should also not depend on only this site. Users need to know the fact that this site can be created just by anybody. Students should use not only this site but also other sites to make papers which they hand in to professors. Most of the professors can find out whether the information is from Wikipedia or not. Therefore, if you want to get a high score or good evaluation, you should not depend on only information from this site.

In conclusion, Wikipedia should try to give users right information as much as possible, protect human rights, and tell users it might lack in truth more officially. Users should not forget that it does not always give accurate information. And also, nowadays, people can choose anything freely. That is a good point, but it always includes several risks. Therefore, users should recognize the risks and be careful anytime.


References

Lengel, J. (2006, February 7). Authority. Teaching with Technology. Retrieved on April 23, 2006 from
http://www.powertolearn.com/articles/teaching_with_technology/article.shtml?ID=12

Wolverton, J. (2007, January 22). Wikipedia Wisdom. Valley Vanguard. Retrieved on April 23, 2008 from http://www.svsu.edu/clubs/vanguard/stories/1141

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Facebook

In Delaney’s (2007) article entitled “The sinister side of social networking”, he states nowadays many people share their personal details and talk about their private lives on social networking sites. Also, according to Rampell (2008), now Facebook is one of the famous social networking sites all over the world; its users 67 million. However, as the site is gradually developing, the site is opened for anybody. Therefore, Facebook has come to have many issues. On the network, illegal activities are growing. Criminals abuse private information and individual identity, and are easily able to commit a crime. In fact, Facebook is still expanding its functions, but it does not care about security so much. That is why Facebook affects users because of its security weakness. Delaney claims that originally, Facebook was a communication space between friends on the net to communicate with each other. However, nowadays Facebook is too big to control users’ rights properly. Users’ private information is stolen by burglars to get account numbers, and users are abused by strangers. In the end, Facebook affects many users without their knowing it. Facebook should think about solutions seriously for users’ right.

First, Facebook should tell users about risk exactly. They should show how serious problems can be. In fact, even though there are many crimes related to Facebook, Facebook does not like to show them openly. So, users do not know the facts and do not receive them seriously. They show their personal information to strangers voluntarily without understanding privacy risk. Therefore, users should know the risk and must not show privacy information so much, in order to avoid being involved in crimes. Facebook needs to show the facts and educate users to avoid criminals.

Second, Facebook should better protect the security of users. Nowadays, Facebook is still trying to progress, so this company is developing new accessories one after another in order to get more users. However, Facebook is seeking to develop the functions so much that they miss ensuring security for their users. Their protection is still easy. Therefore, Facebook should govern people who have access and also narrow the search system. Facebook should manage private information more strictly.

Third, Facebook should control users’ movement. Facebook ought to make users choose privacy options carefully or pay attention to people who try to be their friends. Moreover, Facebook has a responsibility as a sponsor. When users have some trouble related to Facebook, Facebook should deal with it properly and immediately. It is important for sponsors to make people use the service with relived. Facebook should have the power to protect users right.

Opponents of narrowing the search system and stopping displaying private information argue that Facebook is good option to make friends and contact with people. However, communications with many strangers on the network makes many crimes. Private information that you show might affect the people around you, too. Showing information is always a risk. Also, in fact, now their Facebook is widening, it is difficult for Facebook to control all users absolutely. To make sure, Facebook should narrow its system.

In conclusion, what Facebook should do is to tell users about their risk, to better protect the security of users and to control users’ movement. Faceboook should not only expand its functions, but also should care about security so much for users. Also, it is important for users to pay attention to what Facebook is saying for security. Users should also protect themselves to avoid many crimes on the network.


References

Delaney, B. (2007, September 7). The sinister side of social networking. CNN News. Retrieved on March 31, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Hernandez, M. (2008, April 4). How do you know your love is real? Check Facebook. CNN News. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Naughton, J. (2008, January 6). The Networker: Why Facebook wants to corner the market in personal info. The Observer. Retrieved on March 26, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Parag, N. (2008, April 3). They make money from Facebook. Israel Business Arena. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Rampell, C. (2008, February 23). What Facebook Knows That You Don’t. washingtonpost. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Revoir, P. (2008, April 2). Millions Of girls “at risk online”; Shock report reveals parents are blind to dangers of Facebook, Myspace and Bebo. Daily Mail. Retrieved on April 8, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Emergency of Facebook

According to Delaney (2007) in his article, “The sinister side of social networking”, nowadays many people share their personal details and talk about their private lives on social networking Web sites. Therefore, the use of social networking sites leads to issues of privacy, and some defense groups prompt user urgency. Originally, Facebook featured privacy between friends, but now it is more opened and does not have a function of privacy. That makes a criminal’s job easier, and marketers can use and collect the private information easily. According to Monroe, it is a global phenomenon, so it will be a global issue.

It is clear that Facebook affects users. In fact, Facebook has lots of accessories such as not only a picture holder and a massage board but also functions which are interesting. The more accessories Facebook has, the more users Facebook can have. However, instead of these good aspects, Facebook has problems with security, privacy and responsibility. Therefore, Facebook should cover these problems.

First of all, nowadays it is no exaggeration to say many people use Facebook in the United States. Our life is surely rich. We can contact our friends each who we can meet directly, who live far away, and moreover, who we have never met, through Facebook. Facebook is still trying to progress, so this company is developing new accessories one after another in order to get more users. However, Facebook is seeking to develop the function so much, that they miss ensuring security for their users. Facebook should take care about many possible crimes and strengthen the security more for users. If Facebook keeps overlooking the security problems, many people would be affected because of using Facebook.

Next, Facebook should manage to avoid bad situations. The fact that private information leaks on the net affects users. Facebook has a lot of information to show users’ identity. Moreover, on the message board, people write down any aspect of their private information freely. Therefore, from this information, people can guess where their friends are, what they are doing or when their birthday is. This information sometimes might make crimes.

Finally, people inquire about Facebook’s responsibility, because it affects users for users. When users’ incidents happened, Facebook did not deal with the issues rightly. Therefore Facebook needed to know the risk of private information leaks and educate users about the risks. Facebook should offer users this site without risk.

In conclusion, Facebook should manage them selves more strictly, because Facebook has a loss of security and privacy, and responsibility for users. However, as far as there are users, both users and Facebook need to measure about that. If both of them do not measure, many problems will become more serious and lead to global issues.

Reference
Delaney, B. (2007, September 7). The sinister side of social networking. Retrieved 31 March, 2008, from LexisNexis.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Facebook Issues

According to Naughton (2008) in his article, “THE Networker: Why Facebook wants to corner the market in personal info”, there are serious effects of Facebook. Robert Scoble is a well-known Internet blogger who got his start from Microsoft. Microsoft first hired him because as a public relations person for the Internet community. He then started his own website called Podtech.net, which is a video-blogging company. Scoble subscribed to Facebook.com, a social networking website, early. Another networking site contacted him to try out the new Alpha version of Plaxo.com. He then wondered if he could transfer his friends’ content from Facebook to Plaxo, and he did. In the end, he broke the user agreement.

Facebook should deal with facts of a leak of personal privacy information, conflict between social networking sites being “interoperable” ,and low security level.

First is the leak privacy information. On Facebook, much private information is listed, officially. After people become users of a networking website and register acquaintances in their own page, people can know almost all the acquaintance’s private information. People, especially teenagers, put private information these carelessly. There is enough information to know about default settings, but they do not always prepare to be careful about that. That is why the private information of many people leaks from networking websites.

Second, conflict among social networking sites being “interoperable” is also an issue. Nowadays, there are many similar social networking sites such as Facebook and Plaxo. Therefore, among networking companies, conflicts happen. As a result, either personal information will be shared by interacting applications or the company that gets to an important mass of useful information will be the supplier company for others. Companies will try to get a mass of personal information, competing with each other.

Third is about a low level of security. People who are familiar with networks can break their security, easily. Therefore, on a network, many events happen from place to place. Companies overlook security, so they need to have a security check. In addition to this, they need to enforce the security level to make users relieved.

In conclusion, Facebook has some issues. First is a leak of personal privacy information. Second is a conflict among social networking sites, and whether they are “interoperable”. Finally, low level of security is also issue. Nowadays, these issues affect many users.

Reference
Naughton, J. (2008, January 6). THE NETWORKER: Why Facebook wants to corner the market in personal info. The Observer, Business & Media. Retrived on March 26, 2008, from LexisNexis.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Controversy blights UN net summit

Sharing Information in Cyberspace

According to Jo Twist (2005) in her article, “Controversy blights UN net summit”, it is important to share information in cyberspace. In Tunis, an UN summit on expanding net access around the world took place. This summit demonstrated a necessity of narrowing technology gap between rich and poor countries. In Tunis, many people protested about human rights. In a global information society, civil groups sought action to balance the rights of all digital citizens to freedom of expression. To create information societies, societies need to share of information. It is important for everyone to have the ability to create and share information.

Poor countries do have some problems on cyberspace because of censorship, technologies and knowledge, and human rights.

First, in poor countries, censorship is a problem. Everyone can not know information equally because of censorship. Censorship gives only specific people information. Because of censorship, people can not share information. That is to say, as long as there is censorship, information societies will not come out. So, who oversee the internet is a serious problem.

Second are about technologies and knowledge. In poor countries, technologies and knowledge are not developed. Because of the lack of these, they do not know how to cope with problems. There is a big gap or digital divide between rich and poor counties. So, those countries need help from developing countries. However, in fact, funds from developing countries were not enough, and agreement was also not filled. So, the fact is problem, too.

Finally, human rights are also problems. In poor countries, people do not have the equal rights. Societies do not protect people’s rights, strongly. People should have the same equal human rights, and share information as citizens. So, poor countries need to grow the human rights than now.

In conclusion, poor countries face some problems on cyberspace because of censorship, technologies and knowledge, human rights. Everybody ought to have the same human rights even though people are poor. Only free sharing information makes an information society.

Reference
Twist, Jo. (2005, November 18). Controversy blights UN net summit. BBC news. Retrieved March 24, 2008 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4450474.stm

Monday, December 10, 2007

Marriage is good for life

Those days there are many single, divorced people. There are also many married couples. These people all live everyday, seeking happiness. According to a study, married people have more happiness than single people have. Marriages essentially have the role which gives happiness to people. Then, should people all get married to be happy? The answer to this question is “yes”. When people get married, people can avoid several stresses of life, make closer relationship, and woman can also get happiness by becoming a wife.
The first reason that marriage is good for life is because it avoiding several stresses. Everyone live during everyday, having several stresses. For example, there are human relationships with family or friends, financial problems, health problems, and so on. If you are a married, you may tell a partner many things which you came across that day. You can talk with the partner anytime. You and the partner help each other because of owns spouse. The partner is your advisor. You can reduce stress unconsciously. And you are also the partner’s advisor. But if you are a single, you can not talk several happenings which you came across that day to someone anytime. So, you keep your feeling in your mind. Therefore you are under a lot of stress. In consequence, married people have stresses less than single people have.
The second reason is that marriage builds close relationships. A partner is the closest person for a couple. Couple can share whatever everything with a partner. And couple experience many same things together such as hard things, unhappy things, sad, or interesting things. So, through the partner, couple can be relieved each other. And their relationship is growing more and more. Besides marriage also makes couple broaden human relations and many close persons. Therefore, married people do not feel alone and they are content. That is why married people’s minds are steady and they can live happily.
Finally, in addition to these results, being a wife lets women happy. Women do not like alone, but actually women sometimes want to be alone too. So, when her husbands go to work, wives feel small happiness. Wives do several things which wives can do freely. Wives go out and communicate with many people except the husband while her husbands are working. And wives sometimes talk something to a person which wives can not talk to the husband about. So, for wives, this time is very importance. Wives need free time for a short time. Through this, wives feel contentment.
Single persons start to feel happier with their life when they are in the 50s and 60s. Single persons can do anything they want to do for themselves. However, single people keep feeling alone until then. Single people have to think about everything and get enough money by themselves, and endure loneliness. Single people do not have partners, and their human relations are very narrow unlike that of married people. So, single people sometime feel alone and do not have happiness as much as married people have. Consequently, married people are happier than single people are.
In conclusion, married people get more happiness than single people get. This is because married people have a partner so they can talk about anything to the partner anytime. And married people can make build closer relationships, so they do not feel alone but feel content instead. Moreover, through marriage, women feel pleasure. Single people have to do everything alone. Therefore, they have a bigger burden than married people have. That is why people should get married and should not be single forever. Marriage is a state which enriches a person’s life.

References

Hale, B. (February 13, 2006). Yes, marriage does make you happy (but after a year it’s all downhill). Daily Mail (London). Retrieved November 18, 2007, from lexis nexis datebase.
D. (July 1, 2007). Key to a good Marriage? Share Housework. Press Online. Retrieved November 18, 2007, from lexis nexis datebase.