Blog Post 5: #saytheirnamestosavetheirlives

The United States of America is supposedly rooted in freedom of speech and the press: so why is our government censoring our RIGHT to speak freely and censoring non-American news media?? The American Government loves to use the quote “threat to national security” to disregard, stop and take down Americans' speech and press rights. From the Progressive Era timeline, one of the key examples that connect to this relevant topic is the Espionage Act of 1917, “a way of throwing people in jail for things that they said or wrote… if they undermined the war effort” (3:20-3:30, Dean Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0he_OScdFec). The aggressiveness of the Espionage Act is coming to light again with the government limiting our freedom of speech during the war when we should be talking about world issues, not avoiding them. 

    In the eyes of government officials, Antiwar voices are probably a frightening threat to national security and their credibility. Our government is censoring anti-war voices because they are scared that we Americans may do something to help them, support them and stand with them in their fight. When there is bad publicity and press on the United States Government's actions, they find a way to destroy it to protect their image. Some of these journalists are putting their lives on the line to educate those being persecuted. Instead of supporting them and using our robust social media platform in America, our government is shutting it down. 

    Thankfully websites like Antiwar.com and TheAmericanConservative.com are telling us the truth. On Antiwar.com, you will immediately find articles surrounding world issues like: “HRW Calls for Probe Into US War Crime in Afghanistan,” “North Korea Fires Second ICBM This Month,” and “Stop Invading Haiti,” all topics that I’ve never heard of before. After reading some articles on antiwar.com, I will say there are some aggressive reporters out there that might be an alarming threat in the government's eye. However, someone needs to tell the truth, and they are getting the job done. I felt incredibly educated and now feel confident in what's happening worldwide. 

Recently I have seen a lot of content on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter about foreign issues that are trying to be discussed but are continually shot down by the American and these countries' governments. It shows that our free will on social media is the only thing keeping Americans informed about real-world issues. I recently came across a Tik Tok by the creator elica.lebon. She spent 2 minutes and 20 seconds telling the truth about the executions and missing persons’ of Iranian protestors. She opens the video with, “So since the news refuses to be the news, I have to be the news.” Elica tells the stories of “20 year old Amrita Abbasi”, “Hossein Ronaghi,” “22 year old Elmira Hosseini”, and “Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi.” These are innocent protestors handing out chocolates, women kidnapped and raped by the IRGC, journalists, and activists trying to speak for their people. ​https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRQqygHB/ 

    Our country is failing us. I should not hear the truth from social media: I should listen to the truth from our government leaders. When situations like this happen, I feel helpless, uneducated, and embarrassed that I’m unaware of the world crisis, but how am I supposed to know if no one is telling us!!! 

#Saytheirnamestosavetheirlives

References
Picture 1
Progressive Era Timeline video
Antiwar.com
TheAmericanConservative.com
Elicia.lebon TikTok 

Blog Post 6: Search Engines & Google: EOTC Reflection

Search Engines & Google: EOTC Reflection 

Caleb Levanthal researched Search Engines and Google. From the start of the invention of the internet, one of the biggest problems was losing files in the cloud and trouble tracking them. This was one of Caleb’s opening comments that got my attention because I can only imagine what the internet was like before the organizational aspects that organized our files like search engines: it was a disaster. I connected my Bluetooth presentation with Caleb’s research on Google because our inventions were problem-solving inventions on the internet that involved speed and efficiency in transferring files. 

   Something new I learned was Backlinks: which are a link from another website to that specific web resource. This process allows companies to integrate Google searches into company website links. Not only was this beneficial but it led to a proficient system of filtering spam links. Backlinks made Google an even more profitable and desirable company to invest in. Google started to take over the digital world, and that phenomena has only grown since. 

   The biggest takeaway was when Caleb talked about “Digital Amnesia.” He made a great point that since we can look anything up on Google, we as a society forget everything we have learned. It affects our short and long-term memory and especially our education. When we forget something, our phones remember it for us. I am certainly guilty of this because my phone is on me 24/7 in which I can look anything up at any time. It has affected my memory and education because instead of looking something up in a book or trying to remember, my immediate reaction is to grab my phone and Google it. Especially with the addition of voice to text, we do not even type anything on our phones. Similar to my research on Bluetooth, everyone wants a quick hands-free world, and Google gives us that platform.

Citations

"Caleb Levanthal In Class Presentation"

Caleb Levanthal Blog Post 

Picture direct link

Blog Post 4: "Bluetooth: Seamless Communication"

Bluetooth is the technology that makes our electronic world run seamlessly. The Bluetooth radio technology was developed by the Swedish multinational telecom vendor L. M. Ericsson in 1994. “Classic Bluetooth… was intended to transmit data wirelessly between computer devices” (Zeadally et al. 1). It was also created as the wireless alternative to the RS-232 data cable. The RS-232 data cable is the standard for communication between data terminal equipment and data circuit terminating equipment. There was a lack of flow in the transfer of data: things would get lost in translation, and time was a significant factor: the creation of Bluetooth sped up the flow of information and created mass efficiency; Bluetooth was the problem-solving invention. 

    In 1998 the Bluetooth Special Interest group was founded, also known as Bluetooth SIG. Bluetooth SIG was initially formed to create “an open specification for wireless technologies of short range” (Zeadally et al. 1). The original technology providers that started SIG include IBM, Nokia, Intel, Ericsson, and Toshiba. Twenty-four years later, they continue to oversee all Bluetooth. 25 Years of Bluetooth Technology

Bluetooth has rapidly developed over the years due to constant security threats and the ever-changing world of technology and software. According to the timeline, Bluetooth has adapted through seven versions since 2004. Bluetooth's purpose today “is to connect gadgets without a cable”. Inside the device is a chip which creates the wireless communication with a Bluetooth module into any other device.

    We might not even realize how infiltrated Bluetooth is in our everyday lives, here are just a few examples of Bluetooth technology: Computer keyboards and mouses, Personal digital assistants like Alexa, Wireless headphones, Smart fridges, Hearing aids, Cars, and even contact tracing applications in healthcare. 

Over the past few years, our world has become a face paced society. Everyone is in a rush: no time for human interaction, and everyone wants things to be hands-free and easy. Bluetooth has made the hands-free lifestyle an everyday reality. With Bluetooth, we can send hands-free text messages while driving, ask Alexa to add items to shopping lists, allow us to mirror our phones onto a TV, and much more. Bluetooth has not only bettered the communication world, but it has become its own form of communication. Bluetooth increases productivity, allows for mobility, fosters wireless workflow, and makes communication seamless. 

    Before the peak of the digital age, I can only imagine how many hoops one would have to jump through to print off a work proposal, make a phone call or send an email. There were so many physical cables, wires, and slow transfer of data before Bluetooth. The invention of Bluetooth solved the problem of freeing up physical space in the workplace and has created speedy efficiency in communication. One of the most significant and recent advancements in Bluetooth is its integration with the Healthcare system. Doctors can now track patients’ vitals when they aren’t in the room. There are wireless fitness bands like an apple watch and Fitbit that track heart rate and blood oxygen levels and can even detect a fall. Bluetooth technology is also in hearing aids, contact tracing equipment and bluetooth enabled pacemakers. Bluetooth in 2022 is saving lives and making healthcare a seamless, paperless form of communication.     

    Even though Bluetooth makes our everyday lives faster and more convenient, there is the constant threat of internet hackers. There are three types of Bluetooth hacker attacks: bluejacking, bluesnarfing, and bluebugging. “Any device with its bluetooth connection turned on and set to “discoverable” may be susceptible to Bluejacking, and possibly to Bluesnarfing if there is vulnerability in the software” (Pandey Khare, 5). "Bluetooth Hacking and its Prevention"  As someone who always has her Bluetooth on, this is a consequential negative perspective on Bluetooth and security protection. We as a society need to be more aware of hackers and educate ourselves on the prevention protocols. 

In short, Bluetooth has revolutionized the communication world; it’s a part of our everyday lives. It has created mobility, efficiency, and productivity in businesses, healthcare, and daily communication world. Bluetooth is communication.

References: 

"25 Years of Bluetooth Technology""A Bluetooth-Based Architecture for Contact Tracing in Healthcare Facilities""The Impact of Bluetooth on the Society"
"Bluetooth Hacking and its Prevention"  
Bluetooth.com
Bluetooth Timeline Picture 
Bluetooth Picture 2
Bluetooth Picture 3

Blog Post #3: Eight Values of Free Expression in our lives

The value of free expression: Promoting tolerance is rooted in tolerance theory, which states the first amendment protects hate speech and should be that way. This value profoundly resonates with me because I have been surrounded by politically strong-minded people in high school and college. Through these heated debates, I have learned that respecting others’ opinions has made me more tolerant of difficult conversations and events nationwide. Allowing yourself to be open and respectful to ideas will make you tolerant in all aspects of your life.  

One of the most critical aspects of “Promote Tolerance” is that we don’t need a law banning hate speech. Society already has a system for punishing those who cross the line or take freedom of speech too far. For example, when Donald Trump and Alex Jones were banned from Twitter, they thought it violated their first amendment right. However, the first amendment does not protect private companies; Twitter has every right to take matters into its own hands to protect its users. This is a perfect example of how we don’t need our government to have checks and balances on us; private companies already have these settings in place. 

Individual self-fulfillment is about individual liberty, which blossoms into human dignity, agency, and autonomy. C. Edwin Baker states in the novel Human Liberty and Freedom Of Speech, “The emphasis on “self” in self-fulfillment requires the theory to delineate a realm of individual liberty that allows for self-realization… Together the two imply a notion of freedom oriented toward self-realization and self-determination” (Baker 47-48). Human Liberty and Freedom Of SpeechThis quote is crucial because it goes to the root of our first amendment right: empowerment of the self. Understanding and embracing the power of the self is essential to be a better citizen. Through realizing and better understanding yourself over time, it will grow into a sense of fulfillment in your everyday life: your interactions, your actions, and the way you view the world. 

 

Check on Governmental Power is one of the most critical aspects of the first amendment right; however, this right isn't welcomed or encouraged; instead, we feel unheard and ignored. Check on Governmental Power is the ability to speak freely on judging our government's choices; we have the right to participate in the check-and-balance system, especially regarding the abuse of power. Check on Governmental Power feels very personal due to the current climate with the overturn of Roe V. Wade. Women around America have shared their tragic stories with government officials, protested outside Washington D.C, and have made petitions and fundraising campaigns to prevent states from taking away their rights. Regardless of my viewpoint on Roe V. Wade, my right has been ripped away due to the beliefs and preconceived notions of white men in power. We have the first amendment right as American women to fight against lawmakers' decisions and abuse of power. However, this right doesn't feel respected anymore.  

One of the most extraordinary things about our society today is the thousands of passionate innovators who create revolutionary products and platforms to better our community. When our government allows and embraces free speech of ideas, citizens are motivated to fulfill their goals and aspirations. America is a unique culture where TV shows like Shark Tank are praised for their passion and innovation. It’s our first amendment culture that fosters this creation and innovation. Compared to other countries like China, they typically manufacture the products, but the ideas come from Americans. The current invention is found through social media influencers, parents with ideas for safety for their children, college students who need better study habits: and this list continues.

Shark-Tank.com

References:

Brain Picture

Roe V. Wade

Scrub Daddy Picture

Blog Post #1: Five news sources that have never failed me

When breaking news stories occur worldwide, young people struggle to find the truth: there’s too much fake news. In this social media-obsessed world we live in, finding credible news sources feels impossible. Here are my five news sources that have never failed me. 

NPR, the National Public Radio, has been my go-to news station, specifically their podcasts, on long car drives from NJ to NY for college breaks. I listen to NPR to be up to date on the most important current events. A few of my favorite/influential podcasts include Supreme Court Overturns Roe V. Wade , The Friday Show, Oct. 15, 2021 which discusses FDA recommendation on Covid-19 booster shots and Making the Work Place More Equitable For Trans People. I would recommend NPR because it’s an on the go news source it has a wide range of topics: Government, Art, Society & Culture, to name a few. 

Google News has become the newest addition to my credible news sources. My grandpa, a huge political buff, showed me Google News when I asked him for factual information during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Google News is unique because it has customization options, links to news categories, and the most trending news stories on the home page. Google News is the perfect website, centralized in one organizational location. I recommend using Google News to keep up to date with the times. 

Twitter is one of the most commonly used social media platforms worldwide. Not only is it a place for people to rant and create memes, but Twitter is a platform for international journalists to share their stories. In many countries, freedom of the press is illegal, so Twitter gives these journalists a platform where they are doing good work for the people of their country. Borzou Daragahi is one of the leading journalists reporting live about the feminist movement in Iran when no local press is. As an American who can be unaware of worldwide issues, I urge you to use Twitter to be culturally up-to-date and with the times. Twitter is the only social media platform that has intellectuals on it. 

Shockingly enough, I get a lot of current event information from TikTok. Since I spend time endlessly scrolling, I find so many influencers, journalists, and “average” humans sharing real-world events that some popular news sources are too scared to share. For example, one story that caught my eye was the disappearance of Elnaz Rekabi, an Iranian climber who competed with a hijab:"Can we make noise for Elnaz?"After watching the video, I immediately looked up this story on Google News and found more details. I use TikTok as a jumping-off point to discover current events. I recommend TikTok because we need to her these untold stories. 

My last news source is 13 WHAM ABC: Rochester News. I was born and raised in Rochester, NY, so the first thing I’d see in the morning is 13 WHAM on the TV. 13 WHAM is a credible and reliable source because they always inform Rochester natives within hours of when events occur. They interview many bystanders at the scenes of crimes; this gives a unique and personal connection to the news. 13 WHAM is an independent news source, free of influence by government or corporate interest news platforms. I would recommend 13 WHAM and any local news station because it’s a nice “break” from the politically driven news stations. 

References:

Live Breaking News Picture

NPR.org

TikTok.com

Google News.com

Twitter.com

13WHAM.com

Blog Post #2 The Supreme Court of the United States: The Truth Behind The Quiet Chambers

    The United States Supreme Court is the most powerful judicial body on earth. The Supreme Court, created in 1789, holds nine justices that serve their lifetime. I’ve always been fascinated and educated on our American Government; however, these videos taught me the truth behind the quiet chambers of the supreme court. 

    Before watching this video, I did not know the beginning history of the Supreme Court: how it was created, its role, etc. While watching the video, I found it very interesting that the Supreme Court wasn't always respected, especially in 1801. One of the most significant judicial powers is striking down an act of congress as unconstitutional. At the time, this was a very powerful and “bold” move on their part. I can understand how the people and government were taken aback by the motion. However, this action is one of the most crucial to the role of the Supreme Court. 

    The supreme court is the highest power on earth and is first and foremost for the people. However, contrary to some opinions, it’s not a dictatorship; it’s a collective group of nine unbiased people. The court is rooted in not only upholding the laws of our constitution but upholding the trust of the American people. The trust of the American people is the essential takeaway point. 

    I was surprised to learn about the lengthy process of opinion writing process. The video stated, “A justice may redraft a dozen or more times in the effort to persuade the others to join the opinion” (6:48). I’m not surprised by the amount of physical time it takes because these decisions are crucial to the fate of our country, whereas I’m surprised that it takes so many re-writes and edits to reach their preferred liking of the proposal. With this new knowledge, I can now grasp the time commitment and respect our country should have for these justices. 

    A quote from Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist was enlightening and comforting to hear as an American. He stated during the conference process, “To have a system where everybody spoke once before anyone spoke twice” (12:57). This shows that not one justice is overpowering: it creates an environment where everyone's opinion is heard and respected. Sometimes I feel that our government has become too powerful, especially the president, senate, and house. However, understanding that the Supreme Court is doing everything in its power to be fair and just and uphold the law is comforting. 

References:

Video Part 1 link

Video Part 2 link

"Center for Reproductive Rights Litigation Director Julie Rikelman speaking to the Supreme Court in December 2021" Picture