NewYorker - 2/28

Today's class was unique. I liked getting into small groups to discuss the reading, only because majority of us were able to comprehend it on our own, so discussion flowed well. Had we done this with an article we barely understood, it wouldn't have gone so well because we would be passing around these ideas wondering if they were correct, or not even spoken at all because we wouldn't know where to begin. But breaking down this article by dividing sections to groups worked really well here. I liked discussing with people on a personal level their own technology experiences and habits. I had a really good discussion with one group about the idea of AIM/instant messaging, online dating, facebook, e-mails, etc. We all agreed that these were awesome forms of technology, and we all use them everyday. They provide either instant gratification or the possibility to remain in touch with people. Texting and IMing are instant and fast ways to get in touch with someone, usually over something simple or quick, or just to answer a question. However, we did realize that all these forms of communication are impersonal. Will this somehow hinder our social skills and our people skills? What if we forget how to act in a face-to-face conversation or meeting, because we are so used to typing and speaking over the internet, which sometimes causes a lack of filtering becuase we are detached from the other party, that we feel more comfortable expressing ourselvs. We even touched on online dating - yes, it can be a good thing, but have we gotten so lazy or so busy that we cannot go out and meet people in person? I am still unsure how I feel about that whole phenomenon.
Also, the issue of freedom of speech came up in the reading, and brought up in class - which turned out to be intense. This is a very sensitive subject, because everyone wants the right of freedom of speech, but no one wants to be negatively affected by it - so where do you draw the line with it on the Internet? Who owns what's out there? Who gets to say if a website is abusing this right? There will never be clear cut answers to these and other questions, it will all depend on a particular situation at hand, and will always be an issue as long as the Internet and print for that matter, are still around.