Class update

So I am kind of getting confused while reading Snow Crash. I do not really understand the whole virtual reality concept, and it is hard trying to figure it out. I am not used to reading books on technolodgy. I understand that people make avatar's that represent themselves and communicate with others through the virtual reality. That part of the book does not confuse me but when it comes to the library and hypercards, I get completely lost. What are hypercards? What is the library? The basic concepts of this book I am fine with but when it goes into depth about hypercards and snow crash, I have no clue what's going on. Other than reading Snow Crash everything else in the class is fine. I am scared about making the next podcast because I am not sure how I did on the first one, therefore I don't know what I need to improve and work on. I like doing the podcast with a partner because it makes me more comfortable. It is just like having a conversation rather than having it be a project you do by yourself. If we are not doing the podcast on Snow Crash what are we suppose to talk about? Overall the class is going well I am just trying hard to completely understand the book.

Snow Crash- Chapters 1-7

After reading the first seven chapters of Snow Crash, I think it is very interesting. In the first chapter I was confused as to what a deliverator was. After realizing it was just a fancy name for pizza delivery boy, I was then amazed at the technolodgy the pizza place had. I think that would be awesome if there really was a pizza place that delivered your pizza within 30 minutes and if they were late, it was free. I do think it is a little crazy how serious it is that none of the deliverers are late though. I understand the pizza place is ran by the mob, but Hiro was actually like cutting through backyards to deliver the pizza on time? I know it is extremly exaggerated because I am sure the owner never would actually land on your lawn in a helicopter to apologize for a late pizza, but I find the book to be a lot more interesting than the Smart Mobs. Another thing that I do not understand is when Hiro is talking about reality and when he is talking about the virtual reality. I can already tell that I am going to get confused throughout the book, but i'm hoping it gets easier to decipher between the two as I continue reading. I am also very interested to see what role Y.T is going to end up playing in this book. I know she helped Hiro out with delivering the pizza but I am excited to see whether the mob is going to repay her, or whether Hiro himself will repay her. I am also excited to see what happens between Hiro and Juanita, will they reunite again or will she help him become rich?? I am excited to keep reading which is a good thing because I am not usually interested in things that deal with technolodgy but Stephenson is making it interesting for me :)

Smart Mobs- Chapters 7 & 8

In chapter 7 Rheingold discusses just how powerful text messages can be. Philipinos texted messaged many a rumor that the pope John Paul II had died. This led the nation into panic. This is just one example of how powerful text messages are and how much panic and chaos they can create. I believe that text messaging is not the only way to get messages to millions of people. The same message could have been displayed on the internet and the same amount of people probably would have found out. Just like children in Toyko use text messages to relay drama, jokes, and rumors between one another, the internet allows the same thing. I understand that both text messaging and the internet are both advanced technolodgy so in a sense it's talking about the same thing, but I believe the focus and blame lays on text messaging because it is a much newer concept than the internet. One of the things Rheingold discusses in chapter 8 is how to advoid the advances in technolodgy. Rheingold believes that it is up to a family to decide whether or not to keep up with the latest invention. I believe this is true to a certain extent, of course every family does not have to go out and buy the new flat screen televisions that hang on the wall, but what happens when every other child in school has a new gadget and your child is the only one without? How do you decide where to draw the line? Being a college student I use my computer and email to recieve all of my messages from professors and from the school, what if a child was to not have a computer? Would that child be worse off than the rest of the children with laptops? I believe that it is a family decision whether or not to buy their children the latest nike sneakers but I believe some things are necessary to keep up on. If I did not have a lap top at school I believe I would be worse off than those kids that did. For one I would not be able to take this online course, and I would be going to all those classes that the teachers send emails out to cancel. Not only that but what happens when a teacher sends an email out saying to bring a book to class at the last minute? Of course there are computers available around campus but one does not always have time to walk to these computers and check their emails. I do agree that with the amish man that said they do not like who the person becomes when they use these new devices. People tend to lose social skills when their constantly talking on their cell phone or on the internet. My main concern is how materialistic children are becoming with keeping up on fashion as well as these new technolodgies. Once again, I believe it is the choice of the families whether or not to keep up to date with advancing technolodgies.

Smart Mobs- Chapter 4-6

In chapters 4, 5, and 6 Rheingold speaks about some of the advantages in the increasing technolodgy. In chapter 4 Rheingold speaks about the technolodgies that allow people to tell where people are located throughout the world. Although this may have obvious disadvantages, there are also some advantages. Of course it helps out the police if their trying to locate a suspect and there is no other way of doing so. This allows our streets to stay safe, making it that much easier to catch criminals. Also if a person goes missing there may be ways to track them through the location devices that are being developed. I believe that some of these advantages are much more important than the obvious negative aspects. I have already talked about the risk of privacy being forgotten with the advances in technolodgy but if it is able to save people from dangerous criminals I believe it is well worth it. In chapter 5 Rheingold discusses the easy process of buying and selling things of the internet. I think this is an amazing discovery because it makes life so much easier for many people. Elderly people that cannot make it out of the house so easily are able to log onto their computer and purchase needed goods. Ebay is also a great technolodgy. Ebay allows people to sell and purchase things on the internet without going anywhere. People that have valuable things that they need to get rid of are able to do so fastly. In chapter 6 Rheingold discusses wireless connection to the internet. As a college student I am especially appreciative of this technolodgy because now it is so much easier to do homework and look things up without sitting at home and doing so. I can now bring my laptop to places with wireless internet and complete homework that I was previously confined to doing so in my house. These new techolodgies are amazing creations and I believe that every single one of them makes life easier for people everyday.

Chapter 3- Smart Mobs

In chapter three of Smart Mobs, one of the issues that Rheingold talks about is the controversial issue of free downloading of music. This issue is controversial because just as Rheingold says Napster wanted to allow people to download free mp3s but music artists feared that this would harm their record sales. I believe that downloading music on your computer is harmless because no matter what site, Napster or the other many sites, people will find a way to download music and there really isn't a lot to do to prevent this. It is actually the same thing as one friend going out and buying the cd and having the rest of their friends burning the cd. I still believe that if the cd is a good enough cd, the artist will still make plenty of money. Of course I understand where music artists are coming from, their record sales probably did decrease a lot since Napster was created, but with technolodgy advancing, it's inevitable. Just as i'm sure that with technolodgy advancing movies will soon be available to download more frequenlty and easier. It is something that has to be dealt with as more and more people have the technolodgy to make these downloads easier. I do agree that it is probably very frusterating for music artists to know that their spending so much money to produce an album only for their music to be downloaded and copied to a cd for free, but theres really nothing these artist can do. I also believe it was acceptable for Napster to agree that the artist have a right to tell which songs they would like to be downloaded for free, but with all the new sites created, it is again inevitable.

Chapter 2- Smart Mobs

In chapter two of smart mobs, Rheingold discusses the differences between face to face relationships and online networking. Online networks are far more advanced to the groups people find themselves in real life, outside the online world. When not online, people tend to find themselves in common groups such as family, friends, co-workers, and neighborhoods as opposed to them more distint networks found online. Online networks can arrange for people to meet others in similiar situations as themselves, for example single mothers facing problems raising their children on their own can go online and talk to others in an alike situation. These single mothers can then comfort in knowing others are in the same or worse situation as themself. Another positive aspect to online networking can be seen through other websites that allow strangers to get to know each other without actually coming into face to face contact with one another. Facebook is an example of this, where people from all different colleges (and more recently high schools also) can meet each other through common friends or common online groups. Online networks allow strangers to come into contact with each other without facing the risk of actually meeting a stranger in real life. Of course there are also negatives that come along with online networking, such as whether or not a teenager takes the risk of actually meeting a person in real life after only knowing them through online networking, but there are always going to be negatives that go along with every aspect of life. I believe that online networking is a good thing, allowing people to come into contact with others they would not previously meet.

Chapter 1. Smart Mobs

In chapter one, Rheingold discusses the high useage of cell phones all around the world. Not only are teenagers in the US obsessed with mobile phones, teenagers and adults all over the world are also cosumed by cell phones. Most people would think that teenagers are the age group in which uses cell phones the most, and while this might be true, adults too are occupied by cell phones. For example, look at most businesses, when you cannot reach a co-worker and you need to reach them you result to the next possible solution, calling them on their cell phone.
"Through SMS teens hate, gossip, mediate, and express longing, even when the writer lacks the courage for a call or in situations where other communication channels are inapporpriate. The text message is the backdoor of communication." (P 16) This quote points out the obsessions many teenagers have with text messanging. There is the threat that if teenagers continue to communicate in only these means, will they face problems when it comes to communicating face to face?