Net Neutrality

google‑monopoly‑game.jpg

First I want to say that net neutrality regulations would keep the larger companies from creating a monopoly, something there are already existing laws for in other industries.  Remember antitrust laws and the Sherman Antitrust Act?  (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-antitrust-laws.htm)  So why not enforce net neutrality?  Service providers should not be allowed to censor the information we seek over the internet.  Nor should they be able to speed up or slow down the speed of the internet.  I’m for freedom of internet usage.  Why should anyone be able to tell me what I can and cannot receive over the internet?  It’s appalling.

At the same time, I have to agree with Ed Whitacre in that internet providers such as Google shouldn’t be able to use telephone and cable lines for free.  Perhaps an agreement needs to be made between the internet companies and the phone and cable companies wherein the internet companies have to pay a fee to use these lines.  I know this is opening another can of worms, but it seems fair to me.  Telephone and cable companies are spending their money to install and maintain such lines and the internet companies should pay their fair share.  However, this is a completely separate issue.  Whitacre should not try to tie this into their desire to have control over the speed of the transfer of information from the internet nor should it give the ability to censor the information we receive.  We are, after all, the customer.  Remember customer service?  Don’t tick off the customer.  I can decide not to use AT&T, Verizon, or any other telecom company.  It’s my dime I’m spending, not theirs.

Guidelines would have to be developed and the consumer shouldn’t have to pay more since they are already paying, but the internet providers should realize their responsibility when it comes to using the lines and cables.  It could be as simple as Google footing for a portion of what it costs to install and maintain lines and cables already.  Sorry Google.

As to the idea that with no net neutrality regulation service providers will have more incentives to invest in networks and applications of the future, this seems absurd.  If net neutrality regulations were indeed realized, for service providers not to invest in networks and applications of the future would be the death of them.  Innovation and improvement is key to survival, so this just doesn’t make sense.

(http://www.smartcine.com/dr_seuss_horton_hears_a_who_review.html

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Here’s a funny situation.  I live in Angola, NY.  I purchased a plan with AT&T for their 3G network and bought the wireless device that would get it to me.  I dished out $100 for it.  Subsequently, I found out that 3G wasn’t yet available in my area.  You think they would have told me that when I was expressing my interest?  No – they did not.  Guess who had to pay?  Me.  I got out of the plan, but had to pay extra to do so.  It was worth it because the speed was like that of dial-up, and not the DSL dial-up.  It was slow as heck.  So I bought Road Runner’s wireless service.  Watch out Time Werner if you try to censor my information.  I’ll be a customer of the past.  Some companies think they can do whatever they want.  So I say to AT&T, Verizon, Google, Yahoo, or any other telephone or cable company – watch it.  We are the customer.  Instead of thinking about the next way you can get more money, even if it involves screwing the customer, think about how you can satisfy the customer.  Don’t forget customer service.  We're here - we're here - we're here.

                                                                                      

(http://www.labnol.org/internet/interesting-facts-about-internet/9865/)

Discovering the Internet

The internet has become the norm for most of us in business as a way to ascertain information, communicate with one another, conduct business or perform banking activities from the comfort of our own homes.  When I was in my senior year in high school, I took a class in which we had access to the first computer for classroom use.  It was very exciting at the time.  Only one computer was available to the class so we had to take turns using it.  Today, kids are learning on computers from an early age in a classroom setting.  It has become the norm to have a computer at home.  For those who don’t have one, access is readily available in school, libraries or friend’s homes.

The internet allows us to have access endless information - just about anything you can think of.  It is a network of computers which are used by individuals, organizations and institutions.  Information found on the internet comes in the form of web pages, which are a subset of the internet.  Prior to the existence of the internet, we learned from schools and school books, libraries, encyclopedias - does everyone remember encyclopedias?  Some of us may have them sitting and collecting dust.  My husband didn't want to put a set he had away - I think they had some sort of sentimental value to him.  Some people simply like books.  They like the tactile experience, which is not something one can get from the internet.  Today, many traditional books are available online.  For instance, Britannica encyclopedia is available online at http://www.britannica.com/.

Shopping on the internet has changed the way business is done.  This type of business is referred to as e-commerce.  Just about anything can be purchased on the internet.  The internet is also used socially; for example, Facebook and LinkedIn are social networking sites and are also used for business purposes.  People communicate socially and professionally via emails or by instant messaging.  Various virtual meeting rooms are available so people can conduct business without traveling.  People can make travel arrangements via the internet.  For those who enjoy writing and sharing ideas, blogging is available.  People are able to work on their home computers and can subsequently email their work to their place of business where it can then be downloaded.  Some use flash drives to transfer work or to do presentations, making just about any information portable.

The internet started with an endeavor amongst the government, universities and technology firms and basically was in the form of a network.  In 1962, J.C.R. Licklider developed the idea to create a world-wide network for everyone to have access to.  This information could travel via existing phone lines.  Initially, a constant stream of information would travel along a phone line.  This was referred to as circuit switching.  Subsequently, Leonard Kleinrock developed the idea of sending information via packets.  Information would be broken up in smaller pieces, sent through the telephone lines, and would reassemble once it reached its destination.  This was referred to as packet switching.  In 1965, a computer in Massachusetts interacted with a computer in California.  The transition to packet switching and the successful connection between Massachusetts and California moved things forward.  This network was referred to as ARPANET.  Before long, the production of computers doubled every year.  An international connection was made in 1973.  Commercial activities on the internet weren’t made legal until 1992.  Subsequently, e-commerce changed the way business was done.  The internet today can be used still through phone lines and also through cable broadband and wirelessly.

As students, we are lucky to have the internet.  We would not be taking classes the way we are.  The internet creates much freedom.  We, as students, can do online research, submit assignments online from home, can communicate with other students and mentors and keep abreast of all the goings on with the school.  We are living in a global world created by the internet.

1.Did You know that there are thousands of search engines, but only three are worth nearly all your attention? (Yahoo, Google and MSN)
2.Did you know that you can use social bookmarking on any site? By setting up an article on digg.com you can virtually tag any article on any blog.
3.Did you know that approximately 20,000 website domains are being added to the Internet every day?
4.Did you know that an backlink from a .edu site is more valuable than an backlink from a .com domain?
5.Did you know, that hidden links are not recognized by Google at all?
http://niceblogger.com/2010/01/15/did-you-know-2/

Effective Blogging by Shirley Ferraro

Some say blogging should be done as often as once every day.  This means you need topics to blog about and keep the reader’s attention.  Chris Brogan says to blog your thoughts without worrying about being perfect.  He says go back later and edit if needed.  However, as students, we do have to watch grammar if we want an “A” grade.  :)  Chris gets ideas by talking with people or from reading other blogs.  He even gets blogging ideas from sites where he gets pics for his blogs.  (http://www.chrisbrogan.com/how-to-blog-almost-every-day/)

I feel we can get ideas by simply being aware of what is going on around us or from books, billboards, anything we can read.  When blogging, we should try to connect with our target audience.  Adding links and photos to your blog help spice it up and keep things interesting.  For instance, if I’m writing to an audience about interacting with dogs, I may include a photo of my two Newfoundlands. I bought them a game recently.  It’s similar to that old 'what shell is the item under' game.  The game consists of hallowed out plastic bones under which I hide their treats.  They have to sniff them out and the payoff is when they uncover the treat!  Believe me, they LOVE the reward – keeps them coming back every time.  Here’s a link to Amazon where I bought this game:  http://www.amazon.com/Company-Animals-Nina-Ottosson-Interactive/dp/B001KZ4U6O

Blogging should be done just as you speak.  It should be fluent - well hopefully.  We are not all fluent speakers.  Your blog should offer information not seen in other’s blogs.  To get noticed, read other blogs and leave comments that are meaningful – offer links and email replies.  Be sure to cite work from other sources.  (http://www.slate.com/id/2207061/)

Small business would do well to create blogs connected to their business website.  People do searches on Google and find these blogs.  What better way to attain free advertising!  By frequently updating the blog, it remains higher on the Google search results.  Some say updating a blog three to five times a week is enough.  In today’s busy world, I’d have to agree.  I struggle to get in my sleeping hours, so blogging daily can become a huge undertaking, unless I want to walk around like a zombie.  Make your blog easy to find.  A small business trying to get noticed should use phrases that will show up in searches of target audiences.  (http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/ecommerce/a/bblogs.htm)

Blogging frequently is a must.  Once people start reading a blog, they expect updates.  When updates don’t come, these people will stop checking.  It takes a lot of work to create a blog and to get people to read it on a regular basis.  When blogs aren’t updated for a period, readers are lost.  Once updates start again, there are no readers.  It’s time to start from scratch again.  Setting a schedule for blogging will create a commitment.  Readers also like to know they will find updates on a regular schedule.  Post the frequency on which you will be blogging so readers know what to expect.  (http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/01/15/use-it-or-lose-it-5-tips-on-how-to-keep-your-blogging-regular/)