Wednesday, January 28, 2004
I thought that the discussion that we had in class about communities was particularly interesting. I think that the internet has become a tool to help push democracy forward. The freedom of speech that is practiced on the internet is more taken advantage of than any other medium. The internet is a potential tool to harbor change in the world for many reasons. First of all it allows everyone to gather information and become exposed to viewpoints and groups that they probably wouldn't have been aware of without the internet. Before the world wide web existed many people would only be vaguely aware of some of the radical groups that still exist in the world. I think that the internet possesses the potential to change some of these radical views because people will be able to reach out and try to change them for the better because they are now informed. Second of all that isolated groups become not so isolated because of the internet. The example that we used in class of the Ku Klux Klan is great. Before the internet many KKK groups lived in all white areas (like rural Idaho) where they were not exposed to diversity and had no potential to change. With the internet they are nearly forced to become exposed to diversity because it is so great on the web. While there will always be ignorant people in the world with ludacris viewpoints, I think that the internet will go a long ways to try and combat this ignorance.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Globalization and the Network Society
The effects of globalization and the network society are widespread. We live in a world today where a car contains components that were manufactured in numerous different countries. The radio may have been made in Mexico. The seats in maybe made in China. The wiring components may be made in Thailand and so on. All these components, through the use of networks, come together in one place to be assembled in America and sold to American consumers as an American product. The logistics of this all is amazing and wouldn't be possible without the internet and other technologies of today.
There is great debate over globalization and its effects on the U.S. and the world. Most anti-globalization people in the U.S. complain about the loss of U.S. jobs to foreign countries. However, these are jobs that are costing taxpayers inordinate amounts of money to keep in the US because of government grants that are given to companies whose jobs could go elsewhere is far more money than the wages lost by the workers layed off. In essence globalization is all about a redistribution of jobs in the global community. America has become a service economy and the jobs that are being lost are replaced by the growing jobs in the service sector.
The so-called race to the bottom is another very potent issue about globalization. Many countries have laxed on environmental standards and working conditions in order to draw foreign direct investment. So-called "sweatshops" are commonplace in many countries where the work days are long, the pay low and the conditions horrendous. One thing that many anti-globalization people look past is that these countries are still developing, much as America was during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Theses very same things used to be common place in America during these times. As the countries become more developed the people will organize and these things will cease. However, until the standard of living becomes higher in these countries the wages they are making are probably comparable to or even higher than the average wage in these countries. People must realize that not every place is America and not everyone lives the same way.
The effects of globalization and the network society are widespread. We live in a world today where a car contains components that were manufactured in numerous different countries. The radio may have been made in Mexico. The seats in maybe made in China. The wiring components may be made in Thailand and so on. All these components, through the use of networks, come together in one place to be assembled in America and sold to American consumers as an American product. The logistics of this all is amazing and wouldn't be possible without the internet and other technologies of today.
There is great debate over globalization and its effects on the U.S. and the world. Most anti-globalization people in the U.S. complain about the loss of U.S. jobs to foreign countries. However, these are jobs that are costing taxpayers inordinate amounts of money to keep in the US because of government grants that are given to companies whose jobs could go elsewhere is far more money than the wages lost by the workers layed off. In essence globalization is all about a redistribution of jobs in the global community. America has become a service economy and the jobs that are being lost are replaced by the growing jobs in the service sector.
The so-called race to the bottom is another very potent issue about globalization. Many countries have laxed on environmental standards and working conditions in order to draw foreign direct investment. So-called "sweatshops" are commonplace in many countries where the work days are long, the pay low and the conditions horrendous. One thing that many anti-globalization people look past is that these countries are still developing, much as America was during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Theses very same things used to be common place in America during these times. As the countries become more developed the people will organize and these things will cease. However, until the standard of living becomes higher in these countries the wages they are making are probably comparable to or even higher than the average wage in these countries. People must realize that not every place is America and not everyone lives the same way.
Monday, January 19, 2004
In class on Thurday I tought that I conversation about cyberculture was very intriguing. It is crazy to think how much most people, especially today's youth, are affected by the internet and cyberspace. When the subject is looked at further I think the definition of cyberspace becomes much less clear. I defined it as the reaction between people using electronic media. I think that is wide definition broadly defines the word.
The topic of the world becoming a global community was also very interesting. Technology has come so far that nearly the whole world is accessible with a few keystrokes and mouseclicks. I think the concept that we have moved backwards as a society is absurd. While the global community of today may resemble the smaller tribal communities of the past the other advances that we have made as a society make our society much more advanced.
I also believe that the cyber world must be regulated in ways that currently are not covered by our laws. A lack of true identity and the easy access to information on the web make it possible for morally corrupt things to occur in cyberspace that should not be allowed to occur. The current laws that we have simply do not cover some of the perverse things that are made possible by the internet and this needs to change.
The topic of the world becoming a global community was also very interesting. Technology has come so far that nearly the whole world is accessible with a few keystrokes and mouseclicks. I think the concept that we have moved backwards as a society is absurd. While the global community of today may resemble the smaller tribal communities of the past the other advances that we have made as a society make our society much more advanced.
I also believe that the cyber world must be regulated in ways that currently are not covered by our laws. A lack of true identity and the easy access to information on the web make it possible for morally corrupt things to occur in cyberspace that should not be allowed to occur. The current laws that we have simply do not cover some of the perverse things that are made possible by the internet and this needs to change.
