News Report #2

http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/17/technology/smartphone-cyberattack/index.html?iid=GM

September 17, 2012

CNN Money

David Goldman

Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly common in the daily world because more and more people use the Internet for online purchases.  At what point will hackers start to focus on smart phone traffic to monitor?  Up until now there have been very few if any reports of hacking smart phones but some experts think that will rapidly change.  Cnn experts believe the reason for this delay in hacking is due to the ease of gaining access to windows computers.  In David Goldmans article “Your Smart Phone Will Eventually Be Hacked”; he believes that it is only a matter of time before computer experts will be gaining access to your smart phone.  Taking over your credit card activity at this day and age is easier by gaining access to your computer than bothering with cellular devices. 

            In my opinion, not enough people use their phones to make online purchases; it is still easier to just sit down at any computer and pay.  Until purchasing on smart phones is made easier, people will continue to use their laptop or desk computer.  The new iphone 5 may be the change in the market that influences people to start purchasing on their phones and tablets.  Many improvements are made, a larger viewing screen, and “passbook”.  Maybe the introduction of this new iphone will be the push need for people to increase mobile purchases on their phone.  The new built in app “Passport” “Passbook keeps things like airline boarding passes, movie tickets, and gift cards all in one place. Everything’s there — ready for scanning — right from your iPhone. You’ll find Passbook-enabled apps on the App Store. And you can get gift cards and more from participating merchants.” With the ability to easier store gift cards on your phone, many more people will start buying items from their ipads and iphones more frequently and open the availability to being hacked. 

Reading Activity 2

Foster, A. L. (2007). Information Navigation 101. Chronicle Of Higher Education, 53(27), A38-A40.

Bauerlein, M. (2012). Authority Figures. Chronicle of Higher Education, 58(30), B4-B5

This article focuses on student not having the ability to use anything other than the internet for research projects.  Suellen Cox makes a bold claim that students are not able to tell the difference between infomercials on websites from facts. Another major concern of librarians and professors is students only use a few limited sources all being websites and no print material.  Not only should students use the web they should also use encyclopedias and scholarly journals.  “All of us are now going to the internet because it is convenient”.  This is a very good point but is also too extreme of a statement.  Yes many students use the internet as a first source but it is just to get a broad sense of the topic.  If I do not know what my topic is on, I’ll refer to Wikipedia or Google to get a general sense of the subject then research from there.  After asking many of my fellow peers I found that it is too much of a hassle to go to the library and look up a book, find the book, and find the matter in the book just to get a general knowledge of the matter. 

            Many universities are teaching classes on literacy and how to find non-electronic sources in the library.  Vanderbilt chancellor thinks students have too much information to choose from and are just overwhelmed when it comes to research.  A 1994 study showed that only twenty-two percent of universities offered instruction on finding sources in the library and now almost every college does.  ICT literacy assessment gave a seventy five minute test offered at two levels to see how students access data and sources, the conclusion was many students were not prepared for college work and research assignments.  In my opinion, students who were not required to do research projects in high school are not prepared to do college assignments.  I also believe students rely on Internet sources because this is the age of procrastination and it is the quickest way to get sufficient information.

Michael Petrilli did a study where he took one hundred terms from US history and searched them in google, the result was Wikipedia popped up over eighty seven times and had an article on every subject searched.  More and more students turn to online encyclopedias for research information when most do not know they are monitored and edited by their peers.   Petrilli believes that students rely too heavily on Wikipedia when it is not always credible.  Since anyone can edit the pages, any information can make it on the site true or not.  In my opinion this is not true in the slightest, many Internet users strive on their page edits on Wikipedia claiming to have thousands of edits.  While Wikipedia is easily accessible and easy to edit the sheer number of people checking up on the pages almost completely limits the room for false information.  While Wikipedia in its early stages may have been an uncredible source it is now widely used and supported.              

The three criteria that I use to evaluate information are what type of source it is, say journal, website, book, or advertisement on television.  Second how old the source is; if it is up to date, I believe it is more credible than a source that was last updated in 2003.  Finally, if there are references at the bottom of the page, because in this day in age fact is not longer ones own information but more likely an interpretation of someone else’s work.  With all these things considered I believe I can sufficiently tell if an article or site is credible or ones opinion.  

            

Reading Activity 1

The article “Is the Onslaught Making Us Crazy” brings up many valid arguments about the take over of technology.  Jason Russell, a middle aged man was victim to technology overload; he quickly went from a normal sane individual with little web existence to a viral sensation.  He uploaded a video in response to Joseph Kony an African warlord and within days had over seventy million view.  This increased popularity online quickly turned to criticism.  After just over a week Russell “took off his clothes and went to the corner of a busy intersection near his home in San Diego, where he repeatedly slapped the concrete with both palms and ranted about the devil.”   This Internet presence had gotten to his head and doctors diagnosed Russell as having “reactive psychosis”.  Many middle age Internet users are not used to the attention that is received from the most nominal of videos.

Growing up in the technology era has exposed us to more than our parents will ever be able to comprehend.  Many users cannot grasp a youtube video being watched over a few hundred times when many reach millions of view in just weeks.  From interviewing my grandmother Dorothy Baucom, who lived thorough the great depression I have been able to better grasp the lack of understanding many older Americans have.  When many teenagers get online five to ten times a day it is a struggle for some older individuals to check email just once a week.  I can only imagine how overwhelming Internet usage is to this who grew up before the Internet revolution.

News Article 1

Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever

Molly Raphael

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/13/my-view-why-libraries-matter-more-than-ever/?iref=allsearch

The need for libraries has done nothing but increase throughout the years.  When many economists thought libraries would be outdated due to rise in technology, they have done nothing but flourish.  Students have taken over libraries and in the last year checked out over 2.4 billion items.  “I believe questioning the need for libraries and the professionals who staff them is like questioning the need for the air that we breathe.”  This excerpt from the article is compared to air in saying that without question libraries are a necessity just like the air that helps us survive. 

Libraries “equal the playing field” giving those without means access to the Internet and books.  Not only are libraries important to research but so are librarians.  They attend school to better help those looking for books, knowledge, and scholarly articles.  Most think of libraries as just a place to go to check out books when there is so much more offered.  Not only can you check out books you can rent movies, audiobooks and even take classes.  Many libraries offer a number of classes from basic computer skills to arts and crafts.  These libraries are a crucial part of communities across the country.  “Each day an estimated 300,000 people receive job-seeking help at public libraries.  More than 74% of libraries offer software and other resources to help patrons create resumes and employment materials, and 72% of libraries report that staff helped patrons complete online job applications.”  Libraries are very important to many low income families that have no means of connecting to the internet or having books at their disposal.