The final word

I thought I would take up the opportunity well to regularly post blogs to this wall. But unfortunately it didn't happen. Typically of me I posted everything the day before it was due. Sorry guys! Oh well, I did enjoy reading other peoples blogs and find out that other people think in a similar sense to myself. I do however rejoice the creativity of a assignment in the form of a blog. It really does beat any boring essay that involves bland research and zipping through musty smelling books from the library.
This subject was enthralling as it is all about the present and is on a subject we all evolve ourselves in. I hope in completing my Media major next year that I come across more subjects that give me satisfaction and involvement as this one does.
Well it's time to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather melbourne is showcasing for us.
Au revoir!

Safety or privacy? It's your choice.. or is it?

I will start by talking about my favorite television program. It's called Spooks and is on ABC1. If you love a thriller, what this! Well anyway long story short Spooks is about the British department of intelligence mainly MI5. In this program when finding the 'bad guy' they use face recognition and camera surveillance that is set up pretty much in every corner of London to find someone. It's amazing. And this technology isn't just in the TV shows, it’s happening right now in our very own city of Melbourne. Go and walk around, and take notice of how many surveillance cameras you see. Every street, shop, parking lot there is a camera, looking down, watching your every movement. 

The city of Melbourne has a page on its website specifically providing information on its "safe city camera program” saying that the reason for all the surveillance is to reduce crime rate and to deter potential offenders. "http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/CommunityServices/CommunitySafety/Pages/SafeCitycameras.aspx"

The city of Melbourne has 54 of these closed circuit cameras in place that operate 24/7.

Frankly, I see no issue in this. I'm not committing any crimes so I don't mind that my best interest is being looked out for me. The city is a dangerous place at night so I will take anything that will further my protection. 

The con of survelerlance cameras.. Well only con is if you’re a thief, murderer, someone dodging insurance companies for injury claims, or your a cheating husband or wife, as chances are that you will get caught!

So for me, I will take the safety option over privacy. 

Tweet Tweet TWITTER!

What the hell is Twitter? 

I already consume half my life stalking the pages of facebook, twitter will only completely put uni on the bottom of my to do list. 

In the media, you hear all too much about twitter. It seems it’s the new easy story grab for newsmakers whereby they will stalk most of the celebrities by keeping up with all their updates and try and get something out of it. For example, Stephanie Rise got herself in hot water after 'tweeting' "Suck on that f--gots," "Probs the best game I've ever seen!! Well done boys." Honestly who cares! I don't give a toss, but apparently this tweet upset homosexuals having been called 'faggots'. Well no sorry, I'm not sticking up for anyone but a 'faggot' is actually a popular Scottish dish that involves the cooking of some animal’s insides.

When I use facebook, I get put off from people who update their status every hour or even often as that. I really don't care if you’re on a train now! Good on you!! But with twitter, that’s all apart of it. Telling everyone who follows you what you are doing. Why is this necessary? Go visit your grandparents or do something productive with your day instead of thinking of cool things to do to tell everyone. All these social networking sites make us loose touch of whom and what we are. 

The only thing I believe twitter was good for is what we talked about in class about the Victorian bush fires and how twitter played a role in bring up to the minute information on road blockages, fire direction and advice leading families to decide if they should flee or to stay.

Yes I believe twitter can provide valuable up to the minute information but just keep away from celebrities tweeting because who really cares what they are doing!

Every where I go I'm a mobile

I can remember back to when I was in year 9, and my mum reluctantly bought me my first mobile as i was going away on a interstate school trip. I was one of the last in the class to get a mobile and the only things you could do on it were make calls, text and play snake! Now, 7 years later, I own a iphone 4. Its so advanced I don't think i will ever get around to using it to its full ability.
I now have full access to the internet in the palm of my hand. With a tap of the screen I am logged into facebook and telling the world how I am traveling because of this device. Gone are the days of looking up a street in the melways or ringing the directory for the number of the restaurant you want to book in for that night. Just simply use your mobile! The only issue is that the battery does eventually die :(
Needless to say what will be next? Technology is advancing in huge leaps and bounds that by the time we are in our 80's, I'd say we will be able to teleport places and we will have no need for a mobile as there will probably be a chip device in the back of our head leading for the power of thought to make a phone call for us!

Private parts

Call me old fashioned but when I throw out mail of mine, I always rip up the part that details my name and address. Why do I do this? Well mainly for identity fraud reasons but also because I don't want it flying out the bin and some stranger seeing this information. But this no information in comparison to what I have displayed on my facebook profile. 

In the 21st century were all about privacy. Build high fences so your neighbor can't see you walk around naked, have tinted windows, private phone numbers and the list can go on. But while we are excluding ourselves from the outside world, inside we are opening up our personal details for the whole world to see. We will jump onto facebook and update our status to announce that we are home from work, or at work or hating on the university library. 

I like to consider facebook as some sort of bragging rights for people to announce things to rub in the faces of other people. For example, when I went to Thailand and it was cold weather in Melbourne and during the university semester, I did announce that I was sipping cocktails on phi phi island. Some people are very private with their use of facebook and other social network sites; closing it off to only people they are friends with. But some can have anyone access their photo's either tagged of them or ones they uploaded, personal details such as address, phone number, education and workplace. The only thing missing is your atm card number!

This gets me to the question of privacy. What is it?

Privacy I would say Is just keeping things to yourself, and not placing yourself or your opinions out on the social networking sites, as once its out there, its always out there. I have friends of mine that have professional jobs as police officers or high school teacher's and they either don't have a facebook page or it kept to the minimal where only their name or a fake caricatured name is made up with no picture to prevent a hacking of their privacy. I have even heard of extents where companies will look up prospective employees on the internet and look at facebook profiles to see the true character of the applicant. 

So my word of advice, if you’re not keen of people knowing all about you before they have met you, keep your information to a low on networking sites. Otherwise go for your life, the rules of privacy have all been but broken!

Baby steps

Ok, so I'm new to this, please excuse any of my boring bits.
Blogs are intriguing, why do we blog? We have this need for someone to hear us. To hear our thought, our happening. Its almost as you can say a cyber space bragging joint.
I am blogging as it is a subject requirement. But i suppose just like Facebook, it will become addictive. It may act as a good way to let the pressures of the day go by writing about it. Although i won't be wasting paper and addressing it with a 'dear diary'.
Well cheers to the beginning  of a uncertain blogging future!