Solove's "Privacy in an Overexposed World"

I find it definitely apt to be reading Solove article especially with recent news of social websites like Twitter and Facebook gathering personal information from users’ tweets or posts to leak or to sell to advertisers. Then there is the recent news of Google tracking web users’ visits and search histories. I think what Solve touched on about social sites is what struck me the most. Social sites allow users to express their thoughts and opinions and share their personal details or photos of their lives, but I think users need to know that Facebook and Twitter are not public forums. They act like one as it is free to sign up to becomes members, but ultimately they are both private companies that need to make profit. That is not to say they are right to be doing what they do, but users should be more aware about they put out there on their social sites. I admit I used to feel like I should be really upset with Facebook and Twitters, but I don’t think much about what they are doing as I don’t put anything scandalous on my Facebook or Twitter. However, after I read Solve’s article my views on Facebook and Twitter have changed. He wrote:

The Plaintiff Speaks by Clarissa T. Sligh

Clarissa T. Sligh’s The Plaintiff Speaks reminded me of my race, gender and class course while I studied journalism since it deals with misinterpretation of race in the news.  So I couldn’t help to think that Sligh had journalism and communications students in her mind when she wrote The Plaintiff Speaks, especially when she became a photographer so she can omit any misinterpretation of the working black community. I think Sligh knows she can not be the only one climbing this mountain so for her to gain allies she has to educate people about her fight, and aspiring reporters or photographer are just one of the best people she can educate because news misinterpretation applies to their career field more than anyone.

Reflection: Week 5(2/20-2/24)

I have been behind more than I had hoped since some other assignments have taken over my life. Thankfully, I have more free time this weekend to work one the homework and hopefully I can catch up!

About My Photoshopped Pictures

I am familiar with photoshop but not enough to do make drastic changes beyond my skills. I mainly stayed in what I’m comfortable of doing in photoshops like applying different filters on the photos. I do wish I knew more about photoshop so there would have been a good show of manipulations in my photos. I did select what I think is “better” photo of myself than what other personal photos I have so it was hard for me to see the two photos as “ugly” when I had to make them unattractive. What I did was try to go extreme with the brightness, filters and image curves in the photos so the photos would be unpleasant to the eyes.

Five Varitions of Myself

Original Photo

Weekly Schedule: Week 2 (1/20-2/3)

I will use this week to work on Week 2 and Week 3 assignments. First thing on my agenda is to do Week 2 assignments by Wednesday and then move on to Week 3.

Reflection: Week 1 (1/23-1/27)

The ideas or observation that stood out for me from this week’s assignments and discussion was what Eugene said in the forum on the switch of perspective on the internet. The internet was once seen as only for “nerds and geeks”, and now you’re seen as “hip” if you’re into the internet and all of its evolving sites or networks. I think what should be added is that your “hipness” is also depended on what digital technology you use, and one only needs to look into the PC vs. Mac commercials to see that.