They Are Taking Over

Overall, I feel the Internet has a postive impact on everyday life. It allows people to have access to more information they would not have had access to otherwise...or at least quicker access. The PEW report states that during the last presidential election, "more than 40% of those who use the Internet have gotten political material". It also mentioned a fear from political commentators that people would access information that would reinforce political preferences and avoid challenging material. The report found that going online increases the amount of information people knew about different sides of the issue. For me personally, during this election and the 2004 election, I gathered information online. I went to candidate websites to see where they stand on the issues. I also went to http://glassbooth.org/ to see which candidate(s) matched up to my views.

Jenkins states that convergence culture is "where old media and new media collide, where grassroots and corporate media intersect". I think this is a good thing. It allows for more people to become involved in politics, business, community involvement, etc. It also "allows for active participation from consumers". In fact, it relies heavily on it. I think it's great that multiple media platforms are mixing it up. The "Bert is evil" scenario is amusing. People can become more active and participate in events and other things they may not have in the past with more passive forms of media. 

The PC vs. Mac articles were interesting. I received my first (and only) PC four years ago. A few months later, I had to take the tower to Best Buy because it had a virus. I  had to pay for spysweeper software as well as some other things. It was a huge hassle. In August of this year I bought my first Mac. I haven't had problems with viruses or anything else for that matter. The New York Times article mentions running Windows on Mac using Parallels or Boot Camp. I'm happy with Mac OS. Even though the USA Today article mentions PC is faster than Mac in some aspects and has better gaming performance. I don't think that is always true. I have enjoyed my Mac much more than the PC I used to have. The TweakHeadz article pretty much went over the same information except it went into more detail about the music aspect.

McMillan's article looked at the World Wide Web using content analysis. She found that one theme that emerged was the "diversity found at Web sites". She also found "that the Web has diversity of content, funding, sources, and communication models". There is diversity among news sites, store sites, etc. Another theme was the commercialization of the Web. McMillian found that some liked it and some didn't  but there was a third aspect: that it offered a forum for political parties to have a voice. 

The Smart Mob article was interesting. It shows how people can band together and enact change using devices like cell phones, which can be good or bad. It's scary to think that a government can be toppled by the use of text messages. The article brings up the concept of a netwar as an "emerging mode of conflict in which the protagonists use network forms of organization, doctrine, strategy, and technology".  I like the bit in the article by de Tocqueville. Smart mobs can be seen as a way to disseminate information as well as organize a group of people. 

Bargh and McKenna assert that the Internet is a unique communication channel because the user can be anonymous yet have the ability to interact with and meet those who have similar interests. I think people who, in real life, are withdrawn and antisocial, may find it easier to be themselves and interact with others when they are online. Bargh and McKenna also find that the Internet is not a threat to social life. I communicate with many family members and friends through e-mail and social networking sites. If not for the Internet I don't know if I would be in contact with some of my friends from high school...

What I got from the Public Spheres article is that the Internet is a place where people from all walks of life can gather and discuss information. The article also mentions governing electronic beings and what will happen if the government asserts more control over the Internet. But for the most part, and I'm not afraid to admit it...it was over my head. Is "fetishistically" a word?